This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Note: This post is extremely personal to me, and I honestly can't believe it took me this long to write it! While i do not currently live there, Cleveland is my hometown and I love it more than any other city in the world. So with no further ado, I present to you vegan Cleveland!
Cleveland is easier to eat your way through than most people expect. The city has fully plant-based restaurants on the west side, the east side, and a few neighborhoods in between, and its pierogi culture means even some old-school bars keep a vegan dumpling on the menu. I built this Cleveland vegan guide from personal experience. Everything below showed as open when I checked in early November 2026. Hours still shift, so I added notes on when to double check.
Why Vegan Cleveland Is Worth the Trip
Cleveland rewards people who like to wander between neighborhoods. Lakewood (where I grew up) has a stretch of Detroit Avenue packed with casual restaurants, Ohio City and Tremont handle brunch and nightlife, and Cleveland Heights on the east side has a small cluster of vegan kitchens that locals stay loyal to. The city's Eastern European roots show up on the plate too, which is why pierogi are the unofficial local dish and why finding vegan food in Cleveland can often start with a dumpling.
Plant-based eating has real history here. The Cleveland Vegan Society keeps a list of ultra vegan-friendly restaurants and has put on a local VegFest in recent years, and Cleveland Vegan (my all-time favorite!), the city's best known all-vegan cafe, has been serving since 2012. Cleveland magazine also has a 2025 list of the 25 best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in town. Prices stay friendlier than on the coasts, so a full weekend of eating out does not take a big budget.
The Best Vegan Restaurants in Cleveland
These five kitchens are fully plant-based, so there is no menu decoding and no asking about hidden butter. I grouped them by neighborhood to make routing easier.
Cleveland Vegan in Lakewood
Cleveland Vegan sits at 17112 Detroit Ave in Lakewood, a western suburb. It began as a vegan catering company and grew into a full cafe and bakery that has been going since 2012. The menu runs from breakfast through dinner. It also changes quarterly so there is always something different to try! Some of my personal favorites include the CV Slammer Bowl, Tofu wings, and the Thai Rice Noodle Bowl. Also the grab-n-go and bakery cases absolutely deserve a look before you leave. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am to 9 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 3 pm, and closed Mondays. There are no reservations, so I would definitely arrive 10 to 15 minutes early on weekends.
The Vegan Club at Shaker Square
The Vegan Club opened in November 2020 at 13228 Shaker Square on the east side. The menu is Southern-leaning comfort food that is 100 percent plant-based, served in a polished dining room with a full bar. The Haute Chick'n Sandwich and the Vegan Krab Fries are the dishes that people rave about. It serves dinner, generally 5 to 9 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and stays closed Monday.
Foodhisattva in Cleveland Heights
Foodhisattva is a small, fully vegan Asian fusion kitchen at 2158 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Heights. Owners Josh Sias and Frances Cheng ran it as a pop-up for years before opening the storefront. Bangkok tacos, the bulgogi cheesesteak, and the chick'n katsu sando are what I would order first, and the desserts have their own fan club in reviews. Hours are short, roughly Thursday through Sunday from 4 to 8:30 pm, and the room is tiny, so early arrivals get the best shot at a table.
Juicy Vegan in Collinwood
Juicy Vegan started as a counter inside a fitness studio and moved into its own storefront in the Waterloo Arts District at 15430 Waterloo Rd, with seating and a bigger menu. The Philly cheesesteak, burgers, smoothies, and milkshakes are the draw, and it works well for a quick, filling meal. Hours have changed over the years, so I would call (844) 685-4331 or check their page before driving over.
Beet Jar in Ohio City
Beet Jar is an all-vegan juice bar and takeaway counter at 2600 Detroit Ave in Ohio City, with a second counter inside Van Aken Market Hall in Shaker Heights that opened in 2025. The signature order is the Bravacado, a sandwich of avocado, coconut bacon, red onion, greens, and cashew mayo. Cold-pressed juices and smoothie bowls round out a solid breakfast or lunch. Hours are daytime only and vary by listing, so I would confirm before going.
Vegan-Friendly Spots Worth Knowing
These three serve meat too, but each treats vegan eating as a real part of the menu instead of an afterthought.
Rowley Inn in Tremont
Rowley Inn has stood at the corner of Rowley Avenue and West 11th Street in Tremont since 1906 and I love how it keeps a dedicated vegan menu. Vegan pierogi, Beyond brats, vegan kielbasa, and breakfast sandwiches made with Just Egg and vegan cheddar are all delicious. Ask for the vegan menu when you sit down to see the full list. The bar is across the corner from A Christmas Story House, and it is listed as open daily, which makes it the safest bet on a Monday.
Jukebox in Hingetown
Jukebox is a music-first neighborhood bar at 1404 W. 29th St. in Hingetown, part of Ohio City. Vegan items are marked on the menu, and the buffalo chickpea pierogi are the standout, served with a rotating list of dipping sauces. Reviewers have raised cross-contamination questions because pierogi can be boiled together, so I would ask the bartender how vegan orders are handled.
Zoma Ethiopian in Cleveland Heights
Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant at 2240 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Heights has been open since around 2016, and its menu leans vegetarian by design. The vegan combo platter, with dishes like red lentil stew, collard greens, chickpea stew, and cabbage served on injera, is built for sharing. I've had it, and it is wonderful. It is closed Mondays.
How to Plan Your Vegan Cleveland Weekend
Here is the route I would take, built around the opening hours listed above:
- Friday: Dinner at Foodhisattva in Cleveland Heights. It only opens Thursday through Sunday, so Friday gets it in early.
- Saturday: Breakfast at Beet Jar in Ohio City, lunch at Rowley Inn in Tremont with a stop at A Christmas Story House nearby, and dinner at The Vegan Club on Shaker Square.
- Sunday: Brunch at Cleveland Vegan in Lakewood, which closes at 3 pm, so aim for late morning.
Jukebox and Zoma slot in wherever your schedule leaves a gap. Skip Monday for the fully vegan spots, since most of them are closed.
Tips for Eating Vegan in Cleveland
- Mondays are tough. Cleveland Vegan, The Vegan Club, Foodhisattva, and Zoma all list Monday closures, so plan around it.
- Check hours the day of. Small kitchens change hours without much notice. Google Maps and Instagram are the quickest checks.
- Go early on weekends. Cleveland Vegan takes no reservations, and Foodhisattva has very few seats.
- Ask about pierogi. At bars and pubs, ask how vegan dumplings are cooked and served if that matters to you.
- Expect cold weather from November on. Lake Erie winters are damp and windy, so I plan indoor stops between meals.
- Give yourself transport. The spots are spread across several neighborhoods and suburbs, so a car or rideshare saves time.
Tour Recommendations
Final Thoughts
Plant-based Cleveland rewards a little planning. Pick a neighborhood per day, check hours that morning, and leave room for at least one pierogi. The fully vegan spots carry the trip, and the vegan-friendly bars and Ethiopian kitchens fill in the gaps. I know I'm biased, but I can't recommend visiting Clevelnd enough. I promise you will not be disappointed!
If this trip is part of a larger US road trip or experience, definitely check out my guide on vegan travel in the US. And if planning this sort of trip isn't up your alley, reach out! This is the kind of work I love.
