The mention of Las Vegas conjures up many images – of slick poker sharks at casino tables, decadent nightclubs shaking with bass until the early hours, lounge singers crooning to couples fresh from The Little Vegas Chapel, and bountiful buffets packed at all hours of the day and night. With all this indulgence in mind, it might come as a surprise that Sin City is fast becoming a hotbed for vegan and vegetarian fare.
For as long as Las Vegas has been the go-to city for tourists looking to have a grand time, it has boasted fine dining – though, until now, it’s always been about massive, succulent steaks and divine seafood. Recently, however, the city has shifted from flashy, on-the-Strip eateries to a more diverse culinary offering. Uncover the plant-based restaurant scene with our guide to the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Las Vegas.
Bronze Café
Restaurant, American
Located just outside of downtown Las Vegas, Bronze Café serves vegan and vegetarian meals prepared from scratch. The menu includes dishes featuring tofurky, vegan pepperoni, vegan chick’n, various vegan cheeses and vegan “bacon” – but the real draw is the desserts. Aside from the usual vegan chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles, there are Fruity Pebble treats (similar to Rice Krispie treats), apple cinnamon monkey bread, strawberry cookies and banana flax cake.
Vegan toast at Go Vegan Café | Courtesy of Go Vegan Café
Located in the southeast part of town, Go Vegan Café is a superb spot for smoothies, juices and assorted raw foods. Arguably the best thing about this trendy joint is the amazing breakfast with vegan waffles and pancakes – but, f you’re not in the mood for a sugar, you can also opt for a burrito, salad, raw burger or gluten-free pizza.
Located in southeast Las Vegas in the Silverado Ranch neighborhood, Ah-Sah-Ee Café is a venue that specializes in açaí bowls. Ah-Sah-Ee Café is particularly popular for its vegan ice cream, salads, smoothies and wraps. While it might not be a great dinner option, it’s perfect for a quick, healthy breakfast or lunch. The service is quick, and the vibes are casual – and besides, who doesn’t like a delicious açaí bowl?
If you’re craving Mexican food – specifically tacos – but want to avoid the carne asada, pollo or chorizo, Pancho’s Vegan Tacos has you covered. With three locations across the valley, Pancho’s is the first restaurant in Las Vegas to serve authentic Mexican food that’s strictly vegan, with a menu full of traditional Mexican staples like tamales, sopes, tortas, burritos and quesadillas. If you love Mexican food in general, you’ll also want to check out our list of the best Mexican restaurants in Las Vegas.
Created by world-renowned chef Stacey Dougan, Simply Pure is one of downtown’s best venues for vegan and allergy-friendly food. With a menu sporting both cooked and raw foods, Simply Pure is loaded with amazing options for non-meat eaters. From the raw angel-hair zucchini to the vegan sausage, Mama Mia Lasagna, and various panini and tacos, it’s the best eatery in Container Park, a trendy hot spot in downtown Las Vegas.
A newer vegan spot in downtown Las Vegas, VegeNation boasts a 100 percent plant-based menu. With an impressive breakfast, lunch and dinner offering, it’s everything a vegan could want from a restaurant – and it won’t break the bank, either. Spanning various cuisines, VegeNation dishes out elote tamale, Mexican hummus, flautas, coconut curry bowls and an insanely delightful Vietnamese pho bowl with mushroom broth cannily called ‘Pho-King Delicious’.
A few miles up the road from Pancho’s, in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas, lies another taco-themed vegan restaurant called Tacotarian. Helmed by Firefly and Tacos & Beer chef John Simmons, Tacotarian serves a dozen different kinds of (surprise, surprise) tacos, including mushroom asada, plantain con mole, taco de Jamaica, soy chorizo or even the “gabacho.” Despite their focus on the taco, Tacotarian also offers quesadillas and flautas, among other things.
Way down on the south side of Las Vegas is the city’s first vegan-only fast food spot – and it even has a drive-thru. Operated by Chef Kenny Chye, Vege-Way is a quick and easy way to eat healthy, with a focus mostly geared towards vegan burgers. It’s a solidly good menu, but we recommend the vegan Hawaiian burger, the vegan spicy jalapeño burger, soy chicken ranch sandwich or the vegan orange chicken with rice.
Inside one of the best casino resorts on the Strip, Slice of Vegas is an Italian restaurant with a vegan twist. Granted, a large portion of their menu is traditional, meat-based Italian cuisine, but for the vegan who craves some pasta, this is the spot. Try the meatless meatball sub, vegan pastas or Buffalo chick’n pizza with a side of vegan garlic bread for a truly satisfying meal. Have a sweet tooth? Try their vegan cheesecake and zeppoli. For more Italian options, check out our list of the best Italian restaurants in Las Vegas.
