It’s not easy being vegan in the D. It’s become easier to find tasty vegan options in the grocery store. Finding a place to dine out at can still be tough.
When my family went vegan three months ago, one of our biggest concerns was, “Would we still be able to go out to eat?” In order to answer that question, I went down the Google rabbit hole of restaurants, and I’m going to share my findings with you.
My family and I found six restaurants that range from hard-core vegan to Coney Island vegan, all with their own set of strengths and challenges. Whether you are just starting your vegan journey or are a vegan OG, I know you’ll find something that will inspire you to eat vegan in the D.
Vegan in the D: 6 Vegan restaurants you must visit in + around Detroit:
Vegan in the D: Pop Culture Vegan
Pop Culture Vegan was the first plant-based vegan restaurant that we found located on Mack Ave in Detroit. So far they hands-down have the best vegan mac and cheese (besides my own) that I have found. Other vegan restaurants carry mac and cheese but trust, if you’re used to soul food, you’ll want to steer clear.
When I went I had their soul food dinner and an eggroll. The soul food dinner has:
- bbq chick’n
- sweet potatoes
- greens
- mac and cheese
- baked beans
The portions for the soul food dinner are one serving size, so if you’re extra hungry, you might want to order extra. They also have great Blue Chip Nachos and Chili Cheese Fries that are awesome. You can find Pop Culture’s hours and menu here: popculturevegan.com/
Vegan in the D: Seva Detroit
Seva is located on Forest in Midtown. The service is fabulous, and the foods are a bit more traditionally vegan. There are not a lot of “plant-based” pre-made items; many of their menu items are made in-house (side note: you have to try their Persephone’s Punch with house made ginger beer).
The bruschetta will make you hurt yourself, we couldn’t stop eating it. We ended up taking two extra orders home. Their African Peanut soup is delicious and the Jambayla is good too, just don’t expect it to taste like traditional jambalaya, and you’ll be good. Seva’s menu changes to reflect the season, so they don’t always have the same items available.
Some other items you might enjoy:
- General Tso’s Cauliflower
Check out Seva’s seasonal menu and hours here: https://www.sevarestaurant.com/detroit/
Vegan in the D: Chili Mustard & Onions
CMO is located on Brush in Midtown, and they are a vegan Coney Island. Did you hear me? Vegan Coney Island!
I was skeptical, but after that first meal, I was a believer. I had the Southwest Nachos and the portion sizes are worthy of a Coney Island and the taste is wonderful. They don’t skimp on the portions and the food is greasy, grimy, and fab. This is not “healthy” vegan; this is juicy, greasy vegan, so bring your eating pants.
Also good on the menu:
- Big Mack
- Loaded Fries
- Chik’un Parm Sub
You can check out their menu and hours here: https://www.detroitcmo.com/
Vegan in the D: Space Cat V-stro
Space Cat V-stro is located on Nine Mile in Ferndale and is woman-run and woman-owned. Although their mac and cheese isn’t soul food worthy, the rest of the menu is FABULOUS. Plus, they make their own kombucha.
The warm garlic greens can be eaten on their own but come as a side to a main meal. The cheeseburger burrito will have you questioning if you’re really eating vegan or not.
Other tasty items they have are:
- Meatball sub
- Red Dwarf Burger
Check out Space Cat’s hours and menu here: https://www.spacecatvstro.com/
Vegan in the D: Street Beet Detroit
First of all, you know when a place is busy when they first open, that’s always a good sign. The service is awesome, the portions are healthy, and the taste is amazing. Street Beet is located in Midtown on Third avenue next to the Third Street Bar.
I had the Corny Island Pita and the Reggo Fries. They carry Dooped Donuts and Olipop.
Other items you might like:
- OG Chicken
- BBG Chicken
- Pizza Fries
I didn’t hear my family make any noise for 30 minutes. The food is that tasty. Their menu is super simple and fake-chicken based. I like places that have a singular focus because then you know they are really good at that one thing. To check out Street Beet’s menu and hours click here: https://www.streetbeetdetroit.com/
STREET BEET UPDATE:
As of February 2022, Street Beet will be permanently closing their doors. The final two weekends to catch their yummy food will be February 9th – 13th and February 16th – 20th.
Vegan in the D: Aratham
Aratham is technically a vegan home food delivery service and their meals are hard core traditional vegan, so you won’t find any Impossible burgers or Violife cheese here, and everything is made in-house.
But, forget what you might think about traditional vegan. This place got flava. Aratham has found a way to make nuts and berries taste divine. I wouldn’t try Aratham if you’re in your first 30 days of your vegan journey because it’s clean eating for real.
We went during Thanksgiving season, and they had a vegan mac and cheese. It was good; it wasn’t Pop Culture good, but not Space Cat bland. I got a risotto ball stuffed with pecan meat.
Their menu changes frequently as well, but they do have favorites that show up consistently on the weekly menu.
You might also want to try:
- their cold pressed juices
- Korean Lettuce Wrap
You can check out Aratham’s menu, hours, or if they deliver to you here: https://aratham.com/
Vegan in the D: The Wrap up
Eating vegan no longer has to be hard to do thanks to the multitude of options we now have at our disposal. Our favorite spot is Street Beet; I don’t know how they did it, but they made vegan cheese taste good, plus the food is phenomenal. There is one more vegan spot on my list (Detroit Vegan Soul), but they are on a bit of a hiatus and will be re-opening sometime in 2022.
I’d love to hear in the comments, where are some of your favorite places to eat vegan in the D or surrounding areas? Please share your experiences, and any menu or restaurant recommendations.
Enjoy the Journey,
Charmaine
I loved experiencing Taco Hell at Street Beet. I found Aratham in Troy and am so happy to see it in the D, they have the best vegan crab cakes! Thank you for sharing your experience!