In the last 20 years, the popularity of animal-free diets in the U.S. has blown up.
Plant-based burgers, pizza, Mexican food and desserts are no longer uncommon nor reserved for those identifying as vegan or vegetarian.
And 蜜柚直播 restaurants have embraced animal-free cuisine.
Here are five eateries taking vegan fare to new heights in 蜜柚直播.
Lovin鈥 Spoonfuls Vegan Restaurant
Find The Wildcat burger on the menu at Lovin鈥 Spoonfuls.
A tight-knit community hoping for a happier planet for animals is the key to .
Located in the Campbell Plaza at 2990 N. Campbell Ave., Lovin鈥 Spoonfuls has been serving vegan food since 2005. The restaurant serves vegan breakfast burritos, Philly cheesesteaks and even a fried chicken dinner that comes with vegan chicken, grilled veggies, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing and house-made mushroom gravy.
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The portions are big.
Co-owner Juan Irais Benavides has a history that runs deep with the space. He worked at Coco鈥檚 Bakery Restaurant in the same building years ago, and later worked at Lovin鈥 Spoonfuls under the original owner.
鈥淭here鈥檚 something about the people here,鈥 Benavides said. 鈥淚 worked here for about five years ... and for some reason I ended up here again.鈥
From the sauces and dressings to the soy patties, everything at the restaurant is made in-house. Benavides said that the most popular dishes tend to be the fried chicken dinner and the Wildcat burger, containing a house-made soy patty with caramelized onions, tempeh bacon, vegan bleu and sriracha mayo.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 go wrong with that,鈥 Benavides said. 鈥淚t has that homemade flavor you look for in comfort food.鈥
The restaurant has a small selection of board games for customers to play, as well as a book exchange corner that is always looking for donations of child-friendly reads.
Lovin鈥 Spoonfuls is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
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Beaut Burger
A B4 from Beaut Burger includes griddled mushrooms, caramelized onions, swiss cheese and mayonnaise on a plant-based patty formed from scratch.
Tucked towards the back of the MSA Annex, , at 267 S. Avenida del Convento, puts a vegan twist on variations of classic, all-American burgers.
Co-owner Ari Shapiro says the idea was inspired by a craving.
鈥淚 had been craving a burger and some fries,鈥 Shapiro said. 鈥淎nd not like a veggie sprouted black bean burger; I wanted In-N-Out.鈥
Shapiro says that he and his wife/partner, Kerry Lane, started thinking about why there were no vegan versions and decided to act on the impulse.
鈥淚 was like, if anyone could come up with it, it鈥檚 (Kerry),鈥 Shapiro said.
From then on, Shapiro says that he was the idea guy and Lane was the chef.
Beaut Burger has been at its original location for about six years. Just a 20-minute Sun Link ride from the University of 蜜柚直播 and a few minutes from downtown, the restaurant has attracted a loyal cross-generational clientele.
Shapiro says vegan versions of a mushroom burger and cheeseburger tend to be most popular menu items. The restaurant also serves a burger with a peanut Thai sauce, jalapeno, cilantro and romaine, and a burger with zhoug (jalape帽o pesto), ranch, cucumber and lettuce, some of their more unique options.
Beaut Burger is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
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Cafe Desta
The Combo for Two, any five entrees and injera, (pictured here with collard greens, red lentils, chic peas and green beans) and a house salad with cabbage, at Cafe Desta, 758 S. Stone Ave.
It was never Zee鈥檚 plan to own a restaurant.
On the contrary, Huruy 鈥淶ee鈥 Zerzghi came to the United States from the African country of Eritrea on a scholarship to the UA to earn his master鈥檚 and doctorate degrees in environmental science. Zee worked at under the original owners, but when COVID threatened the restaurant鈥檚 future, he and three partners bought it.
鈥淚鈥檝e never had any business experience before,鈥 said Zerzghi, who is now the sole owner. 鈥淚t was difficult actually, but we have had a good Eritrean and Ethiopian community to help us.鈥
Clean hands and big appetites are a necessity when walking into Cafe Desta.
The restaurant鈥檚 dishes are served on injera, an Ethiopian tortilla-thin bread that doubles as a dish and utensil. The restaurant has meat-based dishes, but has become known for its selection of vegan fare containing lentils, peas and cabbage. The restaurant also offers gluten-free bread and is popular for its Ethiopian coffee.
鈥淲e import almost all of the spices from back home,鈥 Zerzghi said.
The restaurant owner says that compared to other Ethiopian restaurants in 蜜柚直播, Cafe Desta is the most vegan-friendly.
Up until recently, Zerzghi had also been working as a professor at the University of 蜜柚直播. He says that obtaining his graduate degrees at the UA has opened up opportunities for him to help refugees who might not have had the same chances.
鈥淚 came here with a bachelor鈥檚 of science already, so it was easier for me,鈥 Zerzghi said. 鈥淔or them, it鈥檚 very hard. Especially with the language barrier (and) the cultural shock.鈥
Zerzghi says he hopes Cafe Desta can serve as a safe and familiar space for the refugee community in 蜜柚直播.
鈥淚 always try to help my community, that is my passion,鈥 he said.
Cafe Desta, 758 S. Stone Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Get more info at .
Houlden鈥檚 Rise Above
Hannah Houlden, an owner of Houlden鈥檚 Rise Above, places a fresh tray of savory pastries in the display case prior to opening on June 22.
With buttery, flakey croissants and chocolaty, gooey pastries, it can be hard to believe that is a completely vegan bakery.
Owner and baker Hannah Houlden started the business as a home-based passion project in 2019. What began as a delivery of eight pastries per day to Presta Coffee Roasters has rampantly grown to daily deliveries to 10 locations and a booming bakery on Fifth Street and Rosemont Boulevard.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know why, but it just struck something,鈥 Houlden said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been all word of mouth.鈥
Houlden says the bakery鈥檚 menu rotates weekly based on what she feels like making and customer recommendations sent via Instagram. The baker鈥檚 sweets can be found at , , , , , and Whole Slvce Pizza.
For a wider selection of desserts and treats, customers have to wait until the weekends when the bakery, at 5029 E. Fifth St., opens its doors.
鈥淲e can do so much more savory stuff here,鈥 Houlden said. 鈥淚 really just love cooking for people, so our savory foods are our special items (at the bakery).鈥
The brick-and-mortar opened in November 2022, and for the first couple years, Houlden and her husband were a two-person operation. She recently hired a team that has helped her increase the amount of baked goods she produces.
鈥淚 have more room to create, and not just survive,鈥 Houlden said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something the retail space really let us do, is allow us to have help and support.鈥
Houlden鈥檚 Rise Above is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays. The weekly menu and daily deliveries can be found at .
Zayna鈥檚 Mediterranean
Zayna Mediterranean Restaurant offers a variety of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan meal options.
蜜柚直播ans can find a taste of the Mediterranean just off of Speedway and Belvedere Avenue.
Originally from Syria, Riad Altoubal opened in 2005. The restaurant, named after the owner鈥檚 daughter, outgrew two locations before taking up the nearly 5,500-square-foot former home of Molina鈥檚 Midway, 1138 N. Belvedere Ave., about six years ago.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a good following of people with us, but ever since we鈥檝e started doing social media networking, it鈥檚 been so crazy,鈥 said Heather Smith, the restaurant鈥檚 community liaison. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only people that are vegan and vegetarian, but it鈥檚 also a lot of people that are on different diets, like for their cholesterol.鈥
Smith says that some of the most popular vegan dishes include the falafel plate, tabbouleh plate and cauliflower. Most of the dishes are made of chickpeas, fava beans, parsley and other vegetables.
鈥淭he Mediterranean cuisine is naturally just a vegan/vegetarian option,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淚ts real, whole ingredients.鈥
The restaurant鈥檚 lunch specials, offered Tuesday through Friday, include some of these vegan options with a side of fries and an ice tea or soda. The restaurant also offers vegan baklava, a pistachio or walnut based dessert, and certified vegan wines.
Zayna鈥檚 Mediterranean is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Visit for more info.
Limitless vegan options
With award-winning chef Wendy Garcia鈥檚 , 2526 E. Sixth St., serving vegan Latin American cuisine and Ari Shapiro鈥檚 months-old , 160 S. Avenida del Convento, offering vegetarian alternatives for all menu items, there are plenty of ways to eat plant-based while fulfilling all cravings in 蜜柚直播.
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