Despite having a bad reputation for inclusive dining options, Spokane boasts tons of options for vegan and vegetarian eaters.
“There are options literally everywhere you go,” said Fiona Davis, a senior art and psychology major at Gonzaga University. “There hasn’t been a restaurant I’ve been to where I couldn’t eat anything.”
Up until recently, she was vegetarian for seven years, trying veganism at times throughout. Despite introducing non-vegetarian options back into her diet, she continues to go back to her tried and true vegetarian favorite restaurants.
And no, a lack of vegetarian options in Spokane is not why she decided to stop being vegetarian.
Noah Barnes, a junior at Eastern Washington University, has been vegan for almost two years. While he tends to cook more for himself at home than eat out, he has three main restaurants where he goes for vegan-based cooking — Cascadia Public House, Allie’s Vegan Pizzeria and Cole’s Bakery and Cafe.
“It’s pretty easy to cut out meat because most places you go to, there’s a lot of non-meat options,” Barnes said. “It’s the dairy that cuts out basically everything else.”
Cascadia Public House, located at 6314 N. Ash St., offers vegan and vegetarian food in North Spokane with its own plant-based menu. All items on its plant-based menu, from its nachos to its Philly cheesesteaks, come vegan, so no additional adjustments need to be made.
“I’ll eat it, and I’ll forget I’m eating a meat free burger or sandwich or something,” Barnes said.
Also in North Spokane is Cole’s Bakery and Cafe, a gluten free and Celiac friendly restaurant located at 521 E. Holland Ave. Whether vegan, dairy free or keto, Barnes said Cole’s Bakery and Cafe has something for everybody. The bakery offers many vegan dessert options and is his go-to cupcake spot.
Near campus lies Kim’s Korean at 1314 N Division St, one of Davis’ favorite spots. Her go-to order is Doenjang-jjigae, a bean paste pot stew with vegetables and boiled rice. The dish includes egg, but can be made vegan if asked to leave out.
With locations in both North Spokane and downtown, Method Juice Café has juices, smoothies, rice bowls, salads and acai bowls. Barnes recommends Method for something quick, but warns of its expensive prices.
Downtown, Davis recommends Sushi.com’s “Curtis Roll,” which includes deep-fried squash, onions and carrots and is topped with avocado, inari and a creamy wasabi sauce. Located at 430 W. Main Ave, Sushi.com offers a variety of vegan and vegetarian rolls and dishes.
Across the street at 401 W. Main Ave., Mango Tree serves Indian cuisine, of which a lot of dishes are already vegetarian.
Popular in the South Hill is Allie’s Vegan Pizzeria at 1314 S. Grand Blvd #6, which offers an entirely plant based menu serving vegan American comfort food. Aside from specialty pizzas, Allie’s has a fry menu, flatbread options, a variety of noodle dishes and plant-based meats.
“That one’s awesome because everything they have on their menu is plant-based, so there’s so many options,” Barnes said.
Another entirely plant based restaurant in South Hill is Rüt, located at 901 W. 14th Ave. Aside from a long list of alcoholic beverages, Rüt offers a variety of vegan entrees and desserts in tune with the seasons.
“I love that place, it’s a really good date spot,” Davis said. “Nice ambiance and literally everything tastes really good.”
In East Spokane, Vien Dong is a family-owned restaurant serving Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, located at 3435 E. Trent Ave. Close to campus in the Chief Garry Park Neighborhood, Vien Dong serves a vegan pho that Davis loves because of the variety of vegetables included in the pho.
Aside from the aforementioned restaurants, there are a lot of non-designated vegetarian restaurants with vegan options. Gordy’s on 501 E. 30th Ave. on the South Hill offers both fried and pressed tofu, and the Red Dragon at 3011 E. Diamond Ave. in Hillyard has an entire vegan section on their menu.
“Just try something new, even if you’re not a vegetarian or vegan,” Davis said.
