Ritchie reviews vegan options at many Lexington eateries
Veganism is on the rise, and here in Lexington there are a lot of options for new and old vegans. If you are vegan, you know that being vegan and ordering food at restaurants can be hard at times, almost no restaurants serve vegan options but many serve vegan alternatives.
1.) Fast-food restaurants
If you are wanting some fast vegan food on the go, Chick-Fil-A fries are cooked in oil that vegans can have also. Any of their salads can be vegan if you remove the animal products. Their super foods side salad is a delicious choice in salad. Almost every fast food place that serves fries (expect McDonalds) cook their fries in some version of oil that is okay for vegans. Chipotle is another fast food place that almost all of their options can become vegan. Asking for extra white rice, black beans, lettuce and guacamole is my favorite. They also serve spicy tofu if you need the extra kick in your mexican food. Other fast food places that are vegan-approved are Golden Wok, Qdoba, Moe’s, Wendy’s, and more.
2.) Sit-down restaurants
Panera is a fast-food/ sit down restaurant that has many vegan options and alternatives. For example, their mediterranean flatbread can become vegan with the removal of the cheese. They also have an excellent green power smoothie. If you are looking for more of afternoon restaurant, try Lexington’s Windy Corner. Their Tofu salad is delightful. Another new afternoon restaurant is Fika, an all vegan restaurant on North Limestone serving options of lasagna and tacos. Other great restaurants that serve dishes that can become veganized are Cheddar’s, Sam’s Sushi, Ramsey’s, Charlie Brown’s, and Bourbon N’ Toulouse.
3.) Breakfast restaurants
What about vegan options for the most important meal of the day? For breakfast, one popular place to go is North Lime Donuts and Coffee. Every Wednesday they serve vegan donuts that are always delicious to let their local vegans have a treat within the week. Another great breakfast place you can go is First Watch with a lot of healthy options like their oatmeals and avocado toast, you can also replace the eggs or bacon with fruit cups. IHOP, Cracker Barrel, and Wild Eggs are also tasty options for breakfast.Lastly if you really enjoy a good cup of coffee, Starbucks, A Cup of Commonwealth and Common Grounds are great coffee shops that can create your favorite flavor vegan with a touch of almond milk and no whipped cream.
Please don’t be afraid to ask what is in your food, being vegan doesn’t mean you won’t ever have mistakes here and there. Thankfully Lexington is embracing veganism in their restaurants making going out for meals even more enjoyable, along with cruelty free.