I know, I know, you’re thinking what the hell does a guy think he’s doing putting up reviews about vegan restaurants he’s never been to!
Ballsy right? Well, no, not really. Just because I haven’t been to a restaurant doesn’t mean that I can’t write about it. What I want to do is offer you the perspective of someone looking for any one of the many Portland vegan restaurants to go and nosh at.
I mean let’s face it, if you are looking for the best Portland vegan restaurants to enjoy, you’re looking for one you might not have tried yet.
So how do you know it’s any good? You don’t. And neither do I. But here’s the thing. I’m using this vegan restaurant review guide as if I were actually looking for a vegan restaurant in Portland to try. I’ve been vegan a long time so I hope you’ll find my insights helpful.
Besides which, I’m not going blindly into this, I’m collating a lot of the info and reviews that are out there and distilling it all down to what I believe to be the top 3 Portland vegan restaurants to try.
Let me know if you find this approach helpful.
I’ve been to Portland once in my life. I loved the place. Though I never had the chance for a good sit down meal anywhere while there. It was basically a drive through visit.
Anyway, here are my top 3 vegan restaurants in Portland. They are in no particular order as I’m choosing 3 really good ones that I’d want to eat at. If you’ve been to any of them, please let me know how you like them in the comments. If I’ve made an egregious error of omission please let me know which vegan restaurant I should have included.
Blossoming Lotus
Blossoming Lotus looks like one of the new kids on the block. From what I can tell they seem to have a very zen and calm interior.
They are open 7 days a week which is just great for any restaurant let alone a vegan restaurant. I get that running a restaurant is a ton of work. No doubt, but there have been so many times I have rocked up at a place only to find that they’re closed.
Thing is, restaurants don’t all close on the same days. Some are closed Mondays, some Sundays, some Tuesdays. Never having to worry about whether a restaurant is closed is a great benefit in my mind of Blossoming Lotus.
Their Sunday brunch looks delicious. 3 types of different scramble, burritos and seitan rancheros. They had me at vegan!
The other cool thing is that they have quite a good selection of raw and live foods if that is your style. I put their prices at average. You’re looking at around $12 to $15 per entree for lunch or dinner. Their selection is terrific but not huge. Having said that, I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll like.
Homegrown Smoker Natural Barbecue
I have to give a shout out to these guys as they’re just some good vegan folks trying to make a living making some terrific vegan smoked sandwiches and sides. Everyone raves about them. They have 14 5 happy cow reviews from Happy Cow.
And they’re cheap. This is a food cart, so you’d expect it to be cheap. But from what I can tell, the serving sizes are humongous and the guys are super friendly. That is a consistent theme I picked up in their reviews.
For $7 you can get a Smoker Sandwich with your choice of protein plus 1 side. Seriously, something like this will fill you up for hours.
What are their proteins? Here you go: chipotle sausage, tempeh ribs, smoked tofu, smoked soy curls or meatloaf. Your sides are; sweet potato fries, potato fries, mac n’ cheese, baked beans, chipotle slaw, stewed greens or cornbread.
For $8 you can get a combo meal which will give you your choice of 2 proteins and 2 sides.
Not that hungry? Try just a chili dawg or a couple of sides. Give these guys a try if you’re just wondering around downtown Portland and you get the munchies. I can’t wait to get there and munch down.
They’re open lunch time Monday through Saturday and sometimes for early dinner. Though they aren’t year round so check out their website before you head on down to their truck.
Sweet Lemon Vegan Bistro
Seriously, there are so many great vegan restaurants in Portland that I’d want to try but I’d start with these 3.
Sweet Lemon is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and early dinner. They’re closed on Sunday. It appears to me that they are affiliated or somehow connected with the Loving Hut chain. I think, because they mention being inspired by Supreme Master Ching Hai.
If you like your Asian inspired vegan food – and who doesn’t it – Sweet Lemon is a terrific option. Tons (32) of 5 happy cow reviews I don’t see how you can go wrong here.
I really like the sounds of their noodle soups. So often have I been saddened when going for pho to hear that the soup base is a oyster or some other fish based broth. And often with language barriers and I’m just not certain so I err in the side of caution.
They have yummy vegan desserts like chocolate cake amongst others. Their prices seem like they would be reasonable. I can’t tell because they don’t have the prices on their website. But I’d hazard a guess that you’re looking at around $10 or so an entree.
These are just the first 3 vegan Portland restaurants I’d hit first whenever I get to Portland next. It is after all the vegan Mecca non? And aren’t we required by the vegan police to head over to vegan Mecca once in our lives?
A couple of special mentions too. I’d visit this restaurants if my itinerary allowed.
Native Foods – who are all over the place! Loving Hut and Living Well Bistro who are located in the Adventist Medical Center – they’re also outrageously cheap. $3 for a burrito. Don’t tell anyone… might be a typo!