Oozing Old World appeal, this beloved Riverbend bakery is 100 percent plant-based. In addition to vegan baked goods like cinnamon rolls, Breads on Oak dishes out a hefty sausage biscuit, a “muffanada” version of the New Orleans staple; a TLTA (tempe, lettuce, tomato and avocado); a “live food” veg sandwich; and a substantial simply Impossible burger. There’s now a second location in the CBD on Carondelet.

At the industrial-chic all-vegan Kindred on Maple Street, expect vegan comfort food like quinoa salads and bowls, vegan nachos, quesadillas, po’ boys, as well as high-quality, no-mix daiquiris and a full cocktail program. Diners can also count on Kindred for brunch and special holiday menus, a seriously rare find in a vegan restaurant.

This ultra-funky, all-vegan bar, restaurant, and lounge opened in early 2023, filling a hyper-specific niche for a feel-good, plant-based cafe that strives for inclusivity, zero waste, accessible pricing, local food sourcing, and living wages. Try the Hi-Ballz sandwich, a $10 sandwich made with mushroom tofu from VEGGI Farmers Cooperative, pesto, and pickles, on focaccia from Bellegarde Bakery, or the hand pies filled with tofu or potato. Tons of sweets are 100 percent vegan, as is the soft serve. An impressive menu of mocktails pairs well with the combo deal: $20 for a sandwich, soup, and salad. Open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.

There are two locations of the beloved Bearcat Cafe which splits its menu into “good cat” and “bad cat” sections, depending on how much you want to indulge your inner beast. Most of the vegan items appear on the “good cat” side. It serves breakfast and lunch with vegan rancheros and quesadillas, chia pudding, vegan grilled cheese, vegan portobello Philly, and vegan queso, to name a few.

Trilly Cheesesteaks returned to New Orleans’s vegan scene in a new location to the delight of fans who have been gobbling up the plant-based cheesesteaks since it started as a pop-up in 2017. While it also serves meat cheesesteaks, Trilly prides itself on using completely separate cooking equipment for vegan and non-vegan ingredients. You won’t miss the meat in the classic vegan Philly, with other favorites including the vegan buffalo chicken and vegan Far East Philly.

This cafe and coffee shop from the owners of Esplanade Studios, Louisiana’s largest sound-recording facility, aims to be a healthy, low-waste option on Broad Street that serves their recording artists, sound crews, and the city at large. In addition to coffee, tea, and smoothies, they have crafted a largely vegan food menu with a breakfast burrito, avocado toast, and bagel sandwiches, and for lunch, a vegan black bean burger, rainbow tostadas, nightshade sandwich, and a tofu spring roll bowl are among the options.

The Daily Beet first landed in St. Roch Market in 2015 as one of its first vendors, eventually moving on with restaurants in the CBD and Irish Channel since. The menu is feel-good — salads, smoothies made with almond or oat milk and toasts with avocado, tomato, and chili flakes; roasted beets, eggs, and harissa, and quinoa bowls served on beds of greens. While Girod Street serves lunch until 4 p.m., the Magazine Street location is open until 8 p.m., allowing for a nice grab-and-go dinner. CBD oil in smoothies is a $3 add-on.

I-tal Garden on Claiborne — “i-tal” being a play on “vital” — follows in the footsteps of Sweet Soulfood and Vegan Wit’ a Twist before it, serving creative, crave-able vegan soul food dishes heavy on vegetables, not to mention a robust breakfast menu. Try the I-tal Plate with coconut curry blackeye peas with greens, cornbread, and cauliflower, or the build-your-own option, which offers plentiful combos of one or two veggie proteins with three sides.

This lush, cheery “tropical” cafe nestled behind frosted glass garage doors on artsy Julia Street hits all the right notes. Its menu includes plenty of plant-based food (like vegan ceviche with mushrooms, beans, cucumber, aji limo, red onion, choclo, sweet potato, avocado, and cancha) but the cafe will satisfy anyone in a party of meat eaters too with items like Brazilian chicken salad. Points for all vegan menu options being clearly labeled.

This food truck is one of the most exciting vegan options to hit New Orleans, serving a surprisingly vast menu of 100 percent vegan sandwiches (including the ultra-delicious Better Than Popeyes sandwich), burgers, gumbo, sides, and salads, as well as special items only available certain days of the week — most notably, a delicious vegan crunch wrap served on Tuesdays. The truck is open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the rear parking lot facing Florida Avenue, and can be booked for private events. It’s also on Uber Eats and Doordash.

A good number of local vegan-friendly restaurants are casual, breakfast and lunch-only spots — not so for Thaihey, a lovely sit-down Thai restaurant in the French Quarter. While it’s not strictly vegan, it offers a full, separate menu of vegan items — options for salad, soup, starters, and entrees. Certainly try the pumpkin curry, one of the restaurant’s specialties, as well as the fried tofu and lotus root or spicy eggplant.

Botanicals Nola has moved into its new location on St. Claude Avenue next to St. Roch Market, a higher visibility address that’s sure to draw in more customers. The lovely all-vegan smoothie and juice bar sells health-focused products like sea moss and detox packages, but there’s also a solid (if small) food menu. The airy, plant-filled cafe serves snacks like avocado toast, vegan Belgian waffles, excellent chickpea salad, and vegan muffins and cupcakes — it even has vegan king cake during the season.

Small Mart on Chartres Street specializes in vegan and vegetarian street food (and is one of few local destinations for NYC bagels). Owner Bryant Wilms’s wide-ranging takeout menu offers a well-priced daily curry, veggie samosas, and vegan po’ boys.