What I Ate in Portland as a Vegan

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I personally love to scour a city in search for vegan options, but I know that some people much prefer to have an organized list available to them – which is why I have decided to log my travel eats on my website! I’m not a food critic, but I am a vegan foodie who likes to eat wholesome, plant-based food, plus an occasional treat or two. If that sounds like you, I would highly recommend you read further! I also tacked on some of my favorite (touristy) destinations in Portland, if you are looking for other ideas.

Note: these are all of the restaurants that I visited during my stay in Portland, however I probably have not visited every single vegan establishment in any given city. If you are a local or have your own vegan-friendly suggestion, please let me and others know in the comments below! I would also suggest checking out Happy Cow online for a list of all vegan and veg-friendly establishments.

 

Blossoming Lotus ($$)

Blossoming Lotus seems to get a lot of hype in Portland, so I don’t think I need to say much about it. Their menu is fresh, focuses mainly on plants, and is definitely satisfying. If you save room for dessert, I would highly recommend trying a piece of whatever cake they have on that day – it’s somehow gluten-free, but you would never know (see the end of this post for a killer photo).

Farm Spirit ($$-$$$)

Although it’s a little pricey, I can honestly say that my evening at Farm Spirit was one of the most memorable and delicious dinners I’ve ever had in my entire life (which is why it deserves a full sized photo). Farm Spirit is more of an event than just a meal; all of the guests are gathered around one kitchen bar and watch the chefs prepare their 10 course meal, which changes daily and only features produce from a 100 mile radius of Portland. I filmed my meal and made a video about it here, if you are curious. If you have the time and the funds, this would definitely be my #1 to-visit spot in Portland.

Harvest at the Bindery ($$)

Harvest at the Bindery seems to not be as popular as some of the other vegan spots in Portland (for reasons unbeknownst to me) but if you love vegetables as much as I do, this place is a must-see (or eat?). The menu is heavily focused on plants in their own form, accentuated with various spices, sauces, and garnishes. You’ll find no imitation cheese, burgers, etc here — but I was perfectly okay with that. Harvest specializes in smaller plates, so this is a great place to go with a group of people; that way you can try a bit of everything without breaking your wallet.

 

Homegrown Smoker ($-$$)

Homegrown Smoker has one of the best Mac and Cheese’s I’ve ever had…I ate it so fast I didn’t even get to take a photo (I did film a taste test of it with my friend Steph though). Our portions were very large for what we paid, so I think it’s a great bang for your buck as well. Vtopia (below) is right next door, so I would suggest you go to both with some friends and order a few menu items from each place to get a full sampling of this vegan goodness 🙂

Vtopia ($$)

 Vtopia Restaurant & Cheese Shop can be a little pricey, but hey, most vegan cheese is – and this stuff is definitely worth it! We tried the Mac and Cheese, Caesar Salad, and the Bacon Camembert Sandwich – I would probably skip the salad, but that. sandwich. was. AMAZING. You can also create your own vegan cheese board for sampling, or purchase some cheese in blocks to take home with you.

Blue Star Donuts ($)

Both Voodoo Donuts and Blue Star Donuts seem to be constantly competing for the best donut shop in Portland…I decided to go with Blue Star, because I heard their flavors were better (while Voodoo seems to focus on decorations). I tried all of the three vegan donut options Blue Star Donuts has — cinnamon sugar, orange olive oil, and blueberry — each was delicious in it’s own regard, but the orange olive oil was my favorite, if you actually have some self-restraint (unlike me) and are only going to try one.

 

 

Salt and Straw ($)

Salt and Straw is more popular for non-vegans, but if you find yourself there, they usually have two vegan options as well! I chose the one with vanilla ice cream stuffed with chocolate and minty chunks…amazing. There is usually a line here, so be prepared.

 

 

 

 

Other Places to Check Out:

Luckily for you, I vlogged everything I did and saw in Portland, so if you are also interested in my non-foodie finds, you can watch my adventure here: [1] [2] [3] If you don’t have the time, however, I will tell you that the Vegan Mini Mall and Rose Gardens are worth the visit. If you have the time to go outside of the city and go on a hike, I would also recommend Punchbowl Falls (below).

And because I promised it earlier, I’ll end this post with a shot of that epic cake from Blossoming Lotus…

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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  1. You hit a bunch of the best spots. A couple of things: Voodoo has a bunch of different vegan donuts that are ok, just don’t wait in a long line for them. Also, there is an amazing vegan Chinese place called Yuan Su that opened in Portland a few months ago. Hit that up next time you’re in town, along with A-N-D Cafe or Harlow for a great breakfast.

    1. Awesome tips!!! I heard that Voodoo had more hype, but Blue Star had better flavors 😉 Looks like I’ll have to come back to visit A-N-D and Harlow though!