Vegan Quad Cities options abound! They include plant-based offerings at Exotic Thai, Olive Tree Cafe, Taste of Ethiopia, Jennie’s Boxcar, and more.
The Quad Cities straddle Iowa and Illinois.
They include Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. On the Illinois side there’s Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline.
(What’s that? There are actually five cities that make up the Quad Cities? Well, yes. But let’s move on.)
There are several restaurants in the Quad Cities with vegan options. Today I’m sharing some of my favorites.
Vegan Quad Cities options include Thai, Ethiopian, Indian, and Middle Eastern options. Plus, an all-vegan taco truck!
Exotic Thai
Davenport’s Exotic Thai is one of my favorite restaurants in the state.
The lengthy menu has denotations next to the items that can be made vegetarian. From there, you’ll have to ask about vegan options. They offer tofu and jackfruit in their curry dishes.
If you’re ordering for pick-up from their website, you can click next to the allergens you want to avoid. There’s also room to note your vegan preferences. It’s very handy.
Would you like beer or cocktails with your meal? They have those as well. I recommend the cucumber basil smash.
Some of my favorite food options include:
- Tau hau tod (crispy tofu appetizer)
- Thai rolls
- Pad kee mao (drunken noodles)
- Yellow curry
When ordering, be sure to let them know you’re vegan, and request no fish sauce, oyster sauce, or egg.
Taste of Ethiopia
Taste of Ethiopia has an outdoor patio dining area with a view of the Mississippi River, which you’ve got to love.
There are lots of vegetarian wots available at this Davenport restaurant.
And since they cook those options in oil and not butter, they are vegan as well.
Order a vegetarian sampler platter, so that you can try a lot of things.
I particularly like their green beans and split peas.
But everything I’ve tried has been exceptional.
The service is always really warm, friendly, and inviting.
I recommend making a reservation or leaving plenty of time if you’re visiting during a popular time. The small space does fill up quickly & is beloved amongst locals.
Cocina Verde
Cocina Verde is an all-vegan taco truck, which you can find around town in the Quad Cities.
They’re often at area breweries, where you can pick up a drink to go with your tacos.
Follow their Facebook page to see where they are popping up next.
Look for mouthwatering options like tacos made with pinto beans, soy protein, and garbanzo beans, as well as specials like tamales.
Don’t miss their delicious vegan nachos.
Their desserts are also stellar.
I had these super moist double chocolate cupcakes, as well as zucchini lemon muffins.
Olive Tree Café
For a quick and casual order-at-the counter option, Olive Tree Café in Bettendorf has lots of options for vegans.
They have an extensive menu of salads, bowls, wraps, flatbread pizzas, and more.
Some of the menu options require a simple request of no cheese, tzatziki, or aioli.
If in doubt, the staff has been more than happy in the past to confirm with the kitchen which items don’t include animal products.
Before I started making my own air fryer baba ganoush at home, whenever I’d go to the Quad Cities, I’d pick up a container of theirs.
It has chunks of eggplant in it and the mild, smoky flavor I crave.
The falafel bowl (above) is packed with rice, salad, hummus, and baba ganoush.
It usually comes with dairy-based cheese. Just ask them to leave it off.
The Mediterranean salad is made with mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and Kalamata olives.
It typically comes with dairy-based cheese. Simply ask them to omit that.
Miss Phay Cafe
Miss Phay Cafe is a Viet-Thai restaurant in downtown Davenport.
The food here is full of layered delicious flavors & addictively good.
I recommend the vegan cha gio (crispy spring rolls), pad Thai with tofu (omit egg), green curry noodles with tofu, and ca ri curry with tofu.
The vegan pho is very soothing. Plus, it’s enough food for 3 meals.
They have a few marked vegan options on the menu. But otherwise, you’ll have to ask what modifications can be made to prepare a dish vegan.
(It would be great to see more clearly denoted items for easy ordering!)
Flavors of India
Flavors of India in Davenport is on the main thoroughfare. Across the street from Exotic Thai, it brings even more deliciousness to the area.
Vegan options are marked on the menu. Options include veg Manchurian, samosa, pakora, hakka noodles, vegetarian biryani, gobi aloo, aloo mattar, and Punjabi chole.
I ordered the Punjabi chole with a medium level of spiciness. The heat level was absolutely perfect, and the dish popped with layered flavors. The portion size was generous – easily enough for two or three people.
Aloo mattar is made with potatoes and peas in a flavorful tomato gravy.
Jennie’s Boxcar
Jennie’s Boxcar is an adorable eatery in East Moline. They specialize in street tacos and tequila.
They are across the street from train tracks (hence the name). The interior is super cute and very Instagramable.
They have lots of creative cocktail options, including jalapeño margaritas (shown here).
They also have seasonal offerings like lavender margaritas and Valencia orange mules.
Their menu has clearly marked vegan options, which is always appreciated.
Everyone at our table raved about the roasted cauliflower tacos, listed on the menu as paco.
The cauliflower is tossed in a sweet barbecue sauce along with cabbage and pineapple salsa. It was a tasty mix of sweet and spicy.
We also enjoyed the el camote (sweet potato) tacos, which includes black beans, onions, avocado, and cilantro.
They also have tortas with the same fillings as the tacos above. They can be made vegan by omitting crema and cheese.
Mantra
Mantra Indian Cuisine is located in downtown Davenport, not far from the Mississippi River.
It’s a non-vegan restaurant with lots of marked vegan options, which makes dining out so much easier.
I always enjoy the chana masala, and the aloo gobhi is also top notch.
Lopiez
If a fully loaded New York-style vegan pizza is what you crave, Lopiez is the answer.
They have locations in Davenport and Moline.
Create your own calzone, 10, or 20 inch pizza. Or order The Mayor right off the menu.
The Mayor comes packed with three types of non-dairy cheese, Impossible burger, spinach, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, green peppers, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts on an agave crust.
Get it as a pizza or as a calzone.
When I had the pizza (above), they were using vegan meatballs. But they’ve since switched to the Impossible burger for their vegan protein.
It’s a satiating pie you can sink your teeth into. And I’m glad they’re reaching beyond a strictly vegetable-based vegan pizza option.
Top Hat Pizza
Top Hat Pizza is a takeout or delivery only pizza joint in Moline.
They have lots of vegan options – including local favorites like Quad Cities-style taco pizza.
They offer vegan meats aplenty with vegan sausage, chicken, pepperoni, and chorizo, as well as non-dairy cheese.
Be aware that each vegan meat & cheese comes with an additional surcharge. In addition to the cost of the pizza, which already includes the price of dairy + meat, vegans have an added cost of $6 for each vegan meat & $4 for vegan cheese.
That can add up. I was surprised when two large pizzas came to $75.
The pizzas were very tasty and provided multiple days of delicious leftovers.
We ordered both QC-style, which means long rectangular slices.
We had a taco with vegan chorizo, vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, taco chips, and taco sauce.
We also ordered a build-your-own with vegan sausage, banana peppers, and bell peppers with non-dairy cheese.
Twin Span Brewing
Are you a beer fan who likes outdoor patios?
You’ll want to visit Twin Span Brewing in Bettendorf.
They offer Beyond Meat, and have several vegetarian items on the menu.
From there, you’ll have to make some omissions to get a vegan dish.
My favorite item on the menu is the Bavarian pretzel. This over-sized pretzel is great for sharing and served hot.
It comes with a cup of Boetje’s mustard. Request no beer cheese on the side.
Another tasty option is Tex-Mex fajitas with Beyond Meat.
It’s cooked with poblano peppers and red onions. Then it’s served on a piece of slate with guacamole, salsa, and corn tortillas.
Request no queso on the side to make it vegan.
Loaded fries can be made with Beyond Meat. They’re topped with pico de gallo.
Request no queso or queso fresco to make it vegan.
We also ordered the blistered shishito peppers, which I’d skip in the future. They’re very generous with the size, but it still seems overpriced at $11 for what it is.
Request no Twin Span sauce to make it vegan.
It would be awesome to see them add some vegan sauces and/or cheeses – especially since there’s a surcharge for adding Beyond Meat, so you’re paying more but omitting other pricey ingredients.
Cavort
Cavort is an intimate restaurant in downtown Davenport with a menu inspired by the tropics.
It’s a date night-worthy restaurant with prices in the $15 to $18 range. They also offer a variety of cocktails.
The menu changes regularly. So what you see here may or may not be available when you go. Visit their website for current options.
When I visited, here’s what was available…
For an appetizer, we started with mandu.
It was made with steamed dumplings in a very salty broth. The dumplings were nice & plump.
For our main course, a vegan version of chicken piccata.
Browned Gardein cutlets were coated in a bright & light lemon caper sauce. They don’t have non-dairy butter on hand, so they made the sauce with oil instead.
They served it with roasted instead of mashed potatoes because of the same butter situation.
We also had a crab cake style sandwich with a banana blossom cake. It was served with a heaping pile of mango salsa. On the side, crispy fries.
I wish the banana blossom cake was served on its own like an appetizer.
It had a really tasty flavor & texture, but it got a little lost under a fluffy bun & sweet salsa.
Freight House Farmers Market
The Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport is within eye line of the Mississippi River. They have both an indoor & outdoor market.
The outdoor market is open from the beginning of May through the end of October. The indoor market is open year ‘round.
In addition to produce, the farmers market has arts, crafts, and music.
Other vegan Quad Cities options
For something of the quick casual variety, there are vegan fast food options at Noodles & Company, Moe’s, Portillo’s, Bruegger’s Bagels, Starbucks, Qdoba, and Chipotle in the Quad Cities. If you’re craving ice cream, Whitey’s has one dairy-free option – chocolate mint.
Natural Grocers & Fresh Thyme market have a wide selection of produce & vegan specialty products (including frozen vegan pierogi & Unreal Deli at Fresh Thyme!)
Content updated February 17, 2024. Originally posted October 24, 2013.
Robin
Fat Sacks QC is a stationary food truck open Thurs-Sat or until they sell out and they almost always have a vegan option every week. I have tried the Beyond Burger taquitos (vegan) and the Buffalo Chik’n Sammie (lacto-ovo veg).
Cadry
That’s good to know! I haven’t heard of Fat Sacks. I’ll have to look for it the next time I’m in the QC. Thanks for the intel, Robin!
Laura
Born and raised in the QCA. Though lived for a stint in Charlotte, NC where we ate at a vegan comfort food restaurant called The Bean. My finances are different now and cannot enjoy the luxury of eating outside my home but once a year on my birthday we go out to dinner. I want to eat at The Bean again so badly. I think about them. I crave their menu. Is there somewhere her in the QC that offers this type of comfort vegan foods? A “burger” with “cheese”? “Cheese”cake? Buddha bowls? “Chicken” strips or white beans and rosemary?
Cadry
Hi Laura,
I love Bean! My husband and I visited their Charlotte location twice while we were in North Carolina a few years back. He still talks about the burger he got there, and I like to make my collard greens in the way they do.
It’s surprising that there aren’t more vegan comfort food options like you describe in Iowa in general and the Quad Cities in particular. If you’re up for a drive, the vegan burger at 30 Hop in Coralville or Cedar Rapids is my favorite burger in Iowa. It’s an Impossible burger topped with non-dairy cheese and tofu mayo. Trumpet Blossom in Iowa City does a number of bowls, but they’re take-out only right now and for the foreseeable future because of the pandemic. And if you’re up for a real drive, Pig Minds in Rockford, Illiois is a totally vegan brewery with lots of vegan comfort foods, including wings, bowls, and burgers.
Finally, the Impossible burger at Burger King is tasty, if you haven’t tried it. You just have to ask for no mayo. You can always add your own cheese & vegan mayo at home.
Cheryl True
Hi Cadry – just found your site today. I’m a native Quad Citian & thought it was cool to see us highlighted on your page. We have a whole food plant based PlantPure Nation pod here called Heartland Rooted, and even had a picnic with The Vegan Roadie here in Davenport last year. Excited to see you highlight some of my favorites – was just at Olive Tree today.
Thank you for your post, and I will share your site with our group!
Cadry
Hi, Cheryl! Thanks for saying hello and for the shout-out with your group. It’s wonderful to “meet” other Iowa vegans!
Anna in Quad Cities
Need to try that grilled veggie flatbread pizza! Looks delicious
Cadry
It’s definitely worth a visit! I need to remember to dine at Olive Tree more often. Their baba ganoush is fantastic.
Shauna
This is great! My parents live in Davenport, and I haven’t really explored the vegan options there yet. Cool!
flickingthevs
That’s a really amazing selection for somewhere that I wouldn’t necessarily expect to be overly vegan-friendly. I kind of think that the Thai options would be my favourite choice – asparagus and shiitake go so well together.
Cadry
The options in the Quad Cities and Iowa in general seem to be improving with every year. It’s so nice to see!
Shell
The pizzas look amazing! Not to mention the falafel. I wouldn’t have guessed they have so many great options in the Quad Cities. I wish it was a little closer to home.
rika@vm
I have yet to go to Iowa and Quad Cities & the name of the cities sound pretty unique. Spicy Basil noodles look so good, especially the Tropical Curry. You know how much I love my spicy Thai foods! 😉 and awesome that they serve made-in house hot sauces (whoohoo!) Thanks for all the recommendations in the Quad Cities, Cadry!
Cadry
Yes, their made-in house hot sauces have me inspired to make my own as well. The freshness and crispness really takes the experience up a notch.