Last updated on August 23, 2022 by Jeremy
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Although we are neither vegetarians nor vegans, we must admit that we love fresh, healthy and locally grown vegetables.
In fact, when we’re not eating at Pittsburgh‘s finest restaurants, we’re often at home cooking often vegetarian or vegan meals using produce from our garden or our local CSA farm shares.
That being said, while vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh are sadly rare, there are plenty of gems you’ll want to check out the next time you crave a vegetarian or vegan meal! So in this one we thought we’d share some of our personal favorites spanning a range of cooking styles.
As with everything on our site, this article features just a selection of great vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh. It is not intended to be exhaustive and only presents the places that we have personally visited over the years. So let’s go !
Disclaimer: This list will show when restaurants are vegan, vegetarian, or offer mixed menus that include non-vegetarian dishes. While most of the restaurants featured below are either 100% vegan or 100% vegetarian (likely with some vegan options), those that offer mixed menus are included because their vegetarian/vegan options are quite strong. Likewise, menus can and do change regularly. It is not uncommon for restaurants in the area to offer a vegan menu and then revert to a traditional menu over time (eg when there is a change of chef). We strongly recommend that you reconfirm all menus before visiting to ensure your dietary needs can be met. Our guides, as always, should only be treated as a starting point.
Apteka
If you’ve read our site enough, you probably know how much we love Apteka – a place we often consider our favorite restaurant in the whole city.
This Eastern European restaurant in Bloomfield makes some of the best pierogi in Pittsburgh, offers incredibly hearty dishes year-round, and is surprisingly 100% vegan (even if it doesn’t taste like it!). The rich, decadent flavors we get from many dishes always shock us when we remember that they are plant-based.
So if you need a vegan restaurant that will win over even the harshest reviews, you can’t go wrong here.
As a bonus, don’t miss Apteka’s periodic vegan burger pop-up, aptly named Crapteka – it’s a winner for plant-based burgers!
Apteka is located at 4606 Penn Ave in Bloomfield and is vegan.
Onion girl
Craving delicious vegan food with a heavy metal twist? Onion Maiden in Allentown is for you.
The menu at this one offers an array of Asian dishes and American comfort foods with a touch of metal. Dishes like Graves at Sea (tater tots with kimchi and Korean flavorings) and Straight to Hell (rice noodle salad) are two of many great examples of this fusion of a rather unconventional pairing.
Even better than all that? Onion Maiden also comes at a rather attractive price. So if you want to dine on a budget, this is the one for you.
Onion Maiden is located at 639 E Warrington Ave in Allentown and is vegan.
Allegro fireplace
Are you looking for a vegan bakery to grab a range of baked goods to enjoy at home? The first is Allegro Hearth in Squirrel Hill!
This plant-based bakery offers a fantastic range of breads and pastries, as well as a delicious menu of vegan sandwiches that are not to be missed. Many of these sandwiches also contain vegan “meats” (like shitake bacon)!
Allegro Hearth is located at 2034 Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill and is vegan.
Valkyrie donuts
How about a vegan donut? A trip to Valkyrie Donuts in Bellevue should be on your radar.
This 100% vegan bakery specializes in all things donut. The donut base has a rather interesting texture (almost flaky like bread), outstanding frying, and some of the frosting combinations like mango lemonade or strawberry cheesecake (if available) are not to be missed!
Valkyrie Donuts is located at 601 Lincoln Ave in Bellevue and is vegan. Their mobile truck is often parked in front of Walter’s BBQ in Lawrenceville with periodic hours as well.
ShadoBeni
Did you know that Pittsburgh is home to a Trinidadian vegan restaurant, ShadoBeni?
This little north side shop started out in the area farmers markets (which they still frequent) and offers a range of traditional Trinidadian recipes from coconut rice to channa curry, pineapple, plantains, etc.
While you can’t go wrong with any of them, their star dish is the Trinidadian Double Flatbread filled with curried chickpeas and topped with an array of flavorful chutneys. Whatever you do, order one (or three) each visit if they’re available!
ShadoBeni is located at 1534 Brighton Rd on the North Side and is vegan. They also frequent local farmers’ markets.
With Alma Shadyside
Con Alma’s two Pittsburgh locations have grown in popularity for their combination of delicious food and live jazz for many sessions.
In 2022, the Shadyside location for Con Alma made a pretty drastic menu change and switched to an all-vegan menu! Now, we’ve seen dishes like Korean fried tofu, sweet plantain and corn gordita, Puerto Rican pasteleon and more on the menu, prepared entirely vegan, while also enjoying a solid musical performance!
It should be noted that Con Alma has a few rules to keep in mind when visiting for a meal and show, usually in the form of a per person cover charge and fixed seating times. These would need to be confirmed before making a reservation.
Con Alma is located at 5884 Ellsworth Ave in Shadyside. Please note that only the Shadyside location is vegan. Con Alma Downtown serves a traditional menu.
Farmer x Baker
We often lament that we need more riverside restaurants in the Pittsburgh area, and at Farmer x Baker in Aspinwall, you get just that.
This restaurant concept is run from a converted shipping container right in Aspinwall Riverfront Park and has delighted us with fresh food that is locally sourced, organic (as much as they can at least), and that is also rich in vegetarian options.
Fresh, seasonal meals with a breathtaking view? You know that’s what we’re here for!
Farmer x Baker is located at 285 River Ave in Aspinwall and is primarily vegetarian. Note that Farmer x Baker has a second market location in Fox Chapel that can stock more non-vegetarian options than the Aspinal location.
Cafe Udipi
When it comes to vegetarian eating, it’s hard to beat Indian cuisine. Although the wide range of food found in the country is not completely vegetarian, many, many dishes are meaning you can often enjoy stellar Indian cuisine without having to make any adjustments to satisfy dietary restrictions.
In Pittsburgh, one of our favorite Indian restaurants is also entirely vegetarian: Udipi Cafe in Monroeville.
This South Indian restaurant offers staples from all over the country, but if you want to try a bit of everything, you’d do well to order their thali set – it’s our must-order!
Udipi Cafe is located at 4141 Old William Penn Hwy in Monroeville and is vegetarian.
pure food
Pure Grub might not technically be a restaurant, but it’s a popup that’s been doing the rounds at local farmers’ markets and breweries (as well as foodservice and more).
Defining this one by style is a little tricky if only because the menu changes frequently. During our visit, we tried an adobo stir-fry with mango pepper sauce and Japanese sweet potatoes, but we really saw the menu for this one run the gamut of cuisine types, countries of origin , etc.
But at its core, Pure Grub simply lives up to its name – perfectly cooked meals that are immensely flavorful and organic, gluten-free, vegan, and often made with local and seasonal ingredients too!
Pure Grub is a food popup at farmers markets and breweries in the area and is vegan.
Spak Brothers
Finally, we come to Spak Brothers. Although this Garfield-based pizzeria is technically not vegan (or vegetarian), we’re including it in this article because it offers an array of options to make most dishes vegan. This includes items like vegan cheese, seitan-based meat substitutes and more – something you don’t see too often in pizzerias.
This push for a vegan menu also goes to non-pizza menu options, with hoagies and seitan wings gracing the menu as well! Given that we love their hoagies and wings almost even more than the pizza itself, this is a real find for those who want dishes that are generally far from vegan!
Spak Brothers is located at 5107 Penn Ave in Garfield and offers vegan options as well as a traditional menu.
Do you have a favorite vegetarian or vegan restaurant in Pittsburgh that isn’t listed above? Or do you know of a traditional restaurant with a strong vegetarian/vegan menu? Comment below to share as we hope to expand this guide in the future as we visit more delicious vegan restaurants in Pittsburgh!
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