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Photo Credit: The Owl House

Vegan & Vegetarian

Traveling while following a specific diet can be challenging, but multiple dining options throughout Rochester cater to our vegetarian and vegan guests. With creative menus and locally sourced, organic ingredients, these restaurants strive to provide options to their diners to ensure that everyone walks away having enjoyed a stellar meal.  

The Owl House

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free - everyone is welcome at The Owl House. Nightly specials include inventive sandwiches, soups, salads, and small plates, and almost everything is customizable according to guests’ varying palates and diet preferences. With creative craft cocktails for adults and a separate menu for kids, The Owl House has something in its kitchen for everyone.  

Voula’s Greek Sweets

Come for the cookies and stay for dinner! Although Voula’s Greek Sweets offers a variety of cookies and pastries made fresh daily, they also offer full menus for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Anything can be customized for vegan, vegan optional, gluten-free, or gluten-free optional. 

The Red Fern

The Red Fern was founded with “health, environment, and social consciousness in mind.” Most of the items on their vegan-only menu are made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. Along with gluten-free options, they also cater to several other special diet requests, including nut-free, soy-free, onion-free, and oil-free menu options.

New Ethnic Pizzeria & Café

In September 2019, New Ethnic Pizzeria & Café became the first 100% vegan pizzeria in Upstate New York, and both vegan and non-vegan pizza lovers have enjoyed their hot slices and pies ever since. The vegan menu is extensive and includes local favorites like vegan wings smothered in one of sixteen sauces, the Iggy Popeye pizza with spinach, artichokes, and tofu ricotta, and the One Justice garbage plate pizza topped with all the traditional fixings.

Vegetarian-Friendly Spots 

Other vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Rochester include Philomina’s at the Rochester Public Market, the Natural Oasis, Tap & Mallet, Mediterranean restaurants including Basha, Aladdin’s and Cedar. 

Vegetarian "Garbage Plates"

You haven’t really experienced Rochester cuisine unless you tackle a famous Rochester Garbage Plate (thought it is important to note that the only true “Garbage Plate” can be found at Nick Tahou’s, which has a trademark on the name). From slow-cooked lentils to grilled marinated tempeh bites, the toppings for these vegetarian and vegan varieties are just as creative as the plate names themselves!

Sweet Vegan Treats

Whether you have a hankering for a freshly baked cookie, cupcake, brownie, or pastry, Rochester’s got you covered with vegan goodies.