In the land of cheese and beer, I have surprisingly found a lot of options for vegan dining. Most places in Milwaukee are going to only have vegan options, so they end up being great places that you go with any of your non-vegan friends, and hopefully influence them. I am in Milwaukee a lot for work and I am always finding new places to eat all over the city and in the surrounding communities. Almost every place listed here is going to be a great place to hang out with friends, share good food and have plenty of drinks! There are a couple of web references for vegetarian/vegan restaurants: http://www.veganmilwaukee.com/restaurants.html is a nice place to start for general information. http://www.yanoff.org/veg/vegRestaurants.shtml is a family run blog style website that I get a lot of information on personal experiences at the places listed. I have never been disappointed with the places I’ve chosen based on the Yanoff site.
Bel Air Cantina - 1935 North Water Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202 414-226-2245
Bel Air Cantina’s website states that it is “Mexican Done Right”. I have only tried it once and was very pleased and will definitely be going back. However, being from New Mexico, nothing really compares to authentic New Mexican food. This place is owned by the same people that run Comet Café, Honey Pie and The Palomino Bar (which you will see below), so it was a no-brainer to try this place. The majority of their menu is not vegan friendly, but there are a few Taco/Tostada and Burrito options. This place is fairly new and the bartender couldn’t tell me, with certainty, which of the burritos was vegan, but it looked there was one that you could get without cheese that would be completely vegan. I went with the Tofu Yucatan. You have a choice of corn or flour tortillas, so I tried one of each. Both were equally good and messy. All tacos/tostadas are ordered a la carte and then you have a few sides to choose from, if you want. Their refried black beans were fairly good as a side. The only thing I wish I had tried was one of their margaritas. They have a large menu of options, but I was in a beer mood this night. Will definitely be back here next time I am in town.
Café Manna - 3815 N. Brookfield Rd, Brookfield, WI 260-790-2340
This is the only all vegetarian restaurant that I know of in the Milwaukee area. If you are staying in, or near downtown, this is a little bit of a drive, but well worth it. Their menu changes seasonally and I have rarely had the same thing twice. Their menu is clearly marked which items are vegan, gluten free and/or raw. The restaurant itself is the first “green” certified restaurant in the state and has a very pleasant aura. The staff are all very friendly and know the menu items very well. You are always presented with some sort of pita chips and hummus as a free appetizer along with lemon water. The first thing I ever tried here was the Lentil Meatloaf and I was hooked on the cooking from the first bite. I’ve been there almost every trip I make to Milwaukee and my latest favorite is the Tu-No Melt sandwich (this is the only menu item I have had more than once, mainly because the other items are not on the menu any longer). I have also tried the Raw “BLT”, where the “B” was dehydrated mushroom and couldn’t wait to get home to try replicating the sandwich.
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