Ultimate Milwaukee vegan restaurant guide

With a downtown RiverWalk that is reminiscent of the one in Chicago, Milwaukee has a similar outward appearance to the Windy City. But the general vibe in Milwaukee is more relaxed.

It feels like a smaller city but with big city amenities – including a thriving vegan food scene. It is flush with plant-based options like vegan fast food, delicate crepes, handmade seitan bratwurst, and even a Gardein-based Friday fish fry.

In this post:

If vegan comfort food is what you crave, get to Twisted Plants.

There are two locations of this fully vegan fast food joint. One is on Brady Street in Milwaukee, and the other is in West Allis. (A third location in Cudahy, Wisconsin closed its doors in 2025.)

Going to the Wisconsin State Fair? Twisted Plants has had a vegan food stand there every year since 2023.

They specialize in indulgent appetizers, Beyond burgers, sandwiches, ice cream, and shakes.

I’m always so tempted by vegan mozzarella sticks whenever they’re an option!

The mozz sticks are crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. They come with marinara for dipping. So good! My only quibble is that it would be nice if the marinara was served warm.

Dazed and Confused (4-piece vegan drummies) comes with ranch dressing for dipping.

They can toss them in sauce, or you can have the sauces on the side to dip yourself. (I got both barbecue and buffalo sauces to vary my bites.)

Soul Plane (crispy breaded vegan chicken sandwich) is topped with pickles, lettuce, and tomato. It’s finished with chipotle ranch, and served with waffle fries.

Dead Bird Brewing is a vegan restaurant and brewery with arcade games and an outdoor patio.

In addition to beer, they offer non-alcoholic drinks and enticing cocktails.

Their menu includes classic bar food like soft pretzels, pizza, and nachos.

Their pub nachos are topped with black bean pico, corn, fire roasted queso, and cilantro lime crema.

The nachos are tasty, but for $15 they could have a lot more “stuff” on them to really make them exciting. Personally, I’d choose a small order of loaded nachos at Beerline Cafe instead for $10.25 (shown below).

If you like fully vegan breweries, Pig Minds Brewing Company in Machesney Park, Illinois is worth a road-trip! (I included it in my vegan Chicago guide.)

One restaurant I never miss when I visit Milwaukee is Beerline Cafe. It’s a fast casual vegetarian restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.

Pretty much everything on the menu can be made vegan with some substitutions. They are open for breakfast and lunch every day except Tuesday.

The spartichoke crepes are filled with sautéed spinach, artichokes, and vegan smoked gouda. The crepes are topped with a smattering of walnuts.

Who needs English muffins when you could have hashbrowns for the base of a Benedict?

This hashbrown benedict is a vegan eggs Benedict with baked tofu ham and tofu scramble on hashbrowns. The tofu ham is wonderfully toothsome & smoky. It’s drenched with vegan hollandaise sauce.

It's served alongside roasted asparagus.

The Ethiopian lentil & sweet potato wrap is made with berbere seasoned lentils, sweet potatoes, lettuce, and tomato with garlic cucumber tzatziki in a grilled flour tortilla.

The breakfast wrap is loaded with rosemary potatoes and seasoned tofu, and a drizzling of vegan nacho cheese in a grilled tortilla. It's served with chipotle-jalapeño salsa.

Flavorful chickpea chorizo tacos are topped with jalapeño cheese, cashew lime crema, and sliced avocado.

The loaded nachos are top notch. (They offer two sizes. The small is pictured above.)

They are piled high with queso, black beans, chickpea chorizo, avocado, and pico de gallo. They are finished with a zigzag of cashew lime crema.

(See the nachos in action in this Instagram reel.)

I’ve also heard raves about the cinnamon roll pancakes.

For a fancy night out, Odd Duck is one of my favorites. It’s a high-end, vegan-friendly foodie place that focuses on small plates.

While they have plenty of non-vegan options, scroll right across them to the "vegetable" section of the menu, where veganizable options are marked with a V.

Keep in mind, their menu changes with the season. So what you see on the menu will vary from what is shown here. See Odd Duck’s current menu for what’s available now.

Crispy tempura oyster mushrooms are topped with cucumber.

They’re placed on a cooked daikon radish. The flavor is a cross between a potato and an artichoke.

The garlic cauliflower is beautifully toasty. True to its name, it pops with the round flavors of garlic.

It is served on farro with dilly beans for contrast, green goddess dressing, and breadcrumbs.

The South Indian sambar has layered and intoxicating flavors. There is delicious crunch, along with spicy lentils.

It’s served with idli rice cakes. Then it’s finished with green chili chutney and cilantro.

When I visited for my birthday once, they topped my vegan cheesecake with a candle, and included glasses of complimentary champagne. Such a thoughtful touch!

If you yearn for a vegan fine dining experience, definitely find your way to Odd Duck. They space out the dishes perfectly, leading from lighter dishes all the way through an indulgent dessert.

You will feel like you’ve been transported to Paris when you eat at Seven Swans Creperie.

This vegan-friendly restaurant spans two buildings with cozy tables and warm light emanating from the large windows in front.

As you peruse the menu, make note of the separate vegan section, which includes both sweet and savory vegan crepes.

They also have a selection of tea and coffee drinks.

According to the menu, both oat and almond milks are available. However, when we were there, they only had oat milk.

The latte with oat milk was beautifully balanced, not harsh or bitter.

The vegan forest scramble is a savory crepe filled with tofu scramble, roasted mushrooms, and spinach. It’s finished with a creamy vegan garlic parmesan sauce.

This was absolutely heavenly, and the crepe itself was perfectly tender.

For a classic chocolate filled crepe, the vegan Paris was calling us.

But at the last minute, we changed course for a veganized version of the fall special – the apple crisp crepe.

This mouthwatering crepe is filled with saucy apple compote. Then it’s finished with crunchy oats and a dollop of vegan whipped cream.

(The non-vegan version comes with frozen custard, but there wasn’t a vegan replacement for that.)

The crepes were so incredible, we could have turned around and had lunch there too. Definitely save a spot for them when you’re in Milwaukee.

Traveling to Missouri? Seven Swans Creperie has a second location in Kansas City with a slightly different menu.

Plant Joy Deli is a fully plant-based eatery in Wauwatosa, a town just west of Milwaukee.

At this casual eatery, you order at the counter, take a number, and then your food is brought out to you.

They serve breakfast and lunch options like biscuits and gravy, tempeh reuben, and tofu banh mi, as well as sweets in the bakery case.

The Cubano sandwich is one of their most popular options.

Homemade seitan ham, “pulled porky” hearts of palm, and crunchy pickles are piled onto a pillowy roll.

The sandwich is slathered with vegan mayo and mustard, which pops with tangy flavor.

It comes with your choice of side.

I opted for mac and cheese, which has that well-known nutritional yeast flavor on soft noodles.

The breakfast burrito is filled with black beans, soy chorizo, and small squares of soft potato incorporated throughout. It’s finished with salsa and chipotle crema.

The flavor was good, but it would be even better toasted to add some texture.

The breakfast burrito is also served with your choice of side. (Potato chips shown here.)

In addition to their dine-in options, Plant Joy offers cooking classes, a supper club, and grab and go meals for those times when you prefer to reheat and eat.

Located in Bay View, Vanguard is a non-vegan restaurant that specializes in sausages. In addition to their indoor dining space, they have a nice little patio out back.

They have two seitan sausage options, which are made in-house.

The vegan sausages can be topped in a variety of ways with things like onions, cold or hot sauerkraut, hot giardinera, relish, and sport peppers.

The vegan brat is seasoned with nutmeg, ginger, garlic, and mustard seed. It is delicious topped with cold sauerkraut, onions, and a squeeze of mustard.

The outside is delightfully crusty around the edges, and the flavors are on point.

Other vegan options include:

• Vegan chorizo sausage with tomato, onion, and jalapeño
• Impossible burger with vegan cheese
• Burnt ginger tofu with lime and roasted garlic (Their most popular vegan option!)
• Buffalo tofu with vegan ranch

Every Tuesday, Vanguard has a tofu special. (They call it Tofu Tuesdays.) Check their social media pages or online ordering for this week’s option.

If comfort food to you is vegetable and lentil-packed stews on top of spongy injera bread, you’ve got to visit Alem Ethiopian Village.

Located in downtown Milwaukee, this casual restaurant is both affordable and delicious. When you’re craving simple, wholesome food in a quiet atmosphere, this is where you need to go.

Although it is a non-vegan restaurant, there is a full vegan section on the menu.

Unfortunately, the lentil sambusas, my usual Ethiopian appetizer pick, aren’t vegan here.

But you can choose lentil soup instead. It’s made with red lentils in a tomato broth.

For the main course, I recommend the veggie combo.

You get to sample most of the vegan options on the menu with a spicy lentil stew, mild yellow split peas, garlicky collard greens, and steamed cabbage with potatoes, and carrots.

My husband and I shared the combo, and it was just the right size for two. If you want leftovers or have a big appetite, you might want to double up.

Classic Slice in Bay View is true to its name. It delivers that classic pizza taste that you crave.

You can eat in the restaurant, take it to go, or have it delivered to your house.

At this independently-owned pizzeria, you can build-your-own, or choose from their selection of vegan specialty pizzas:

• Vegan Sardinia with red sauce, spinach, Giardiniera peppers, artichoke hearts, and Daiya Vegan Cheese
• Vegan Pesto Pie with pine nuts and house-made soy cheese
• Red Dawn with a harissa base, roasted cauliflower, kale, mushrooms, jalapeno, and house-made soy cheese
• Vegan Mke with vegan sausage, mushrooms, onion, and house-made soy cheese

You can also substitute vegan cheese in the calzone.

We got the Vegan MKE with savory sausage, mushrooms, and onions. The sauce is delicious, and the crust had some nice char around the edges.

The house-made soy cheese tastes like unseasoned crumbled tofu. I like tofu, so that was fine by me, but it didn’t especially add anything to the flavor.

(I was hoping it would be more akin to my tofu ricotta or the house-made “rinotta” at Pizza Luce in Minneapolis.)

Babe's Ice Cream is a non-vegan scoop shop with a number of vegan options. All of their non-dairy ice creams are oat-based. (In the past, they’ve had ice creams with other bases, as shown in these pictures.)

In addition to standard scoops, vegans can order shakes, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream cake slices, brownies, and cookies.

Vegan ice cream sundaes can be made with one topping, whipped cream, and a cherry. Or you can enjoy a brownie sundae or a banana split.

When I tried a sample of the Door County cherry crisp, it was pretty icy, like it had been in the freezer too long. (Maybe the turnover isn't great?)

But then I ordered it in a shake with soy milk, and that made it creamy again. It was finished with a generous swirl of whipped cream.

The bites that included light and fluffy whipped cream as well as shake were especially delicious.

After you've finished your ice cream, wander down the street to Voyageur Book Shop to meet the polydactyl cat, Bustopher Jones, and his feline friend, Mr. Sanders!

Ian's Pizza is a casual order-at-the-counter style pizzeria. This chain has four locations in Milwaukee, in addition to restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

At their downtown Milwaukee location, they have old school video games upstairs, as well as tables and paper plates for dining in.

Their focus is on pizza by the slice. But you can also order whole pizzas.

They have lots of interesting vegan specialty pizzas like mac and cheese, gyro, Philly cheese steak, taco, macho nacho, and roasted cauliflower pesto.

They make their own seitan pepperoni and walnut sausage in house (shown above on a pizza with mushrooms and Good Planet mozzarella).

With a mild, easy flavor and foldable crust, it is what you'd expect from a New York-style by-the-slice pizza joint.

When a restaurant has vegan chilaquiles on the menu, it's basically as if they sent me a handwritten invitation. I'm RSVP-ing with a vehement yes.

There are locations in Riverwest, Bay View, and Brown Deer.

The restaurant has an uber casual vibe with plastic tablecloths and a menu taped to the table. They also have outdoor patio seating.

The vegan chilaquiles (above) are generously portioned.

They’re made with fried corn tortilla chips, tofu scramble, and black beans smothered in red & green enchilada sauce. (The green sauce is easily the best!)

The chilaquiles come with your choice of vegan protein.

I went with the soy chorizo, which tastes exactly like the one that’s on my list of favorite vegan products at Trader Joe’s. I'd say it was the dominant flavor of the chilaquiles.

The vegan tofu scrambler is made with herbed tofu and soy chorizo with rice, black beans, and tortillas.

Add more decadence to the plate and add an order of fried plantains.

Always so good! Crisp on the outside and sweet on the inside.

The vegan best burrito is filled with an assortment of sautéed vegetables including broccoli, black beans, soy chorizo, rice, and avocado in a flour tortilla.

It's topped with both red and green enchilada sauce.

The vegan taco plate comes with your choice of vegan protein (mushrooms here!), black beans, cilantro, radishes, onions, and tomatoes.

You also get your leafy greens in with a salad on the side, which is a nice complement to the heavier comfort fare.

If you’re feeling like a margarita to go with your meal, I hear theirs are excellent. Plus, they have vegan flan for dessert!

Strange Town is a fully vegan, small plates, tapas-style restaurant. Although the prices are on the high side, the vibe in the restaurant is airy and informal.

Don't feel like you have to wear an uncomfortable dress or tight-fitting shoes, as the staff is all dressed very casually.

The slim menu includes about 10 items + desserts. They recommend ordering about 4 plates for a full dinner.

Keep in mind that their eclectic menu changes regularly. So what you see here will be different from what’s available when you go. Here’s their current fall menu.

The air fried egg rolls are filled with lion's mane mushrooms, kelp noodles, cabbage, and a ton of ginger, which is the dominant flavor. It is served with a black vinegar & apricot sauce.

We got two egg rolls that were a little burnt, and had been cut in half.

The patatas bravas were made with boiled cubed potatoes on romesco sauce. They were finished with a drizzle of cashew cream and a smattering of flower petals.

The flavor was okay. But it would have been nice if the potatoes were browned and crispy.

Unfortunately, the quality of the dishes didn't line up with the cost. Especially for a small plates restaurant, where you're paying for the experience as much as anything.

Maybe I was just there on an off night or didn’t order the right things, but I wouldn't hurry back.

Friday fish fry is a popular tradition in the Upper Midwest. Vegans can take part with a plant-based offering at Kegel's Inn.

Kegel's is a German restaurant that has been open since the 1920's. They have an outdoor beer garden with a festive vibe.

Kegel's vegan fish fry basket includes three Gardein fishless filets, french fries, and tartar sauce.

Gardein fishless filets are a staple in my freezer. (Perfect for vegan fish tacos!) Kegel's Inn did an especially good job of frying them. They were piping hot and delicious, and finished with a squeeze of lemon. The purple coleslaw on the side had a tangy sweet & sour flavor that wasn't my favorite.

On their weekday menu, they have three additional vegan options:

• Portobello caps with kale, quinoa, and garbanzo beans
• Beyond burger with slaw
• Beyond brat with slaw

(The brat is served with slaw, because unfortunately, Kegel’s sauerkraut isn’t vegan.)

It’s nice that they have a few options for vegans, and the outdoor beer garden feels historic and fun.

Disclosure: The Pfister invited us for complimentary afternoon tea so that I could share the experience with my readers.

Feel like putting your pinky up and getting fancy with a spot of tea? The afternoon tea at the Pfister Hotel feels like you’re stepping back in time to 1893 when they opened.

You walk through the elegant lobby of this Victorian hotel, and take the elevator to the 23rd floor, where you’re greeted with expansive views of the city.

Once seated, a tea butler walks through their tea blends, allowing you to sniff each one, and decide between a caffeinated or caffeine-free option.

Along with the loose teas, there are a variety of fruit and herb additions you can add to your teapot to enhance the flavor. The tea butler is there to offer suggestions, if needed.

Each person chooses one loose tea and an add-in for the single pot they will be enjoying.

If you plan to share, make sure each person chooses different tea flavors for the sake of variety.

I chose the peach blossom tea with fresh apple, and my husband picked hibiscus berry tea also with fresh apple.

Once the tea has steeped and is poured, the tea butler brings out a tiered tower of sweet and savory treats.

In addition to non-vegan options, the Pfister has a dedicated vegan menu available, which you can request when making your reservation.

Savory options include:

• Olive tapenade tart
• Mushroom duxelle with vegan parmesan tart
• Tomato tart with fried basil leaf
• Ratatouille tart
• Red pepper hummus with fresh vegetables and olive tapenade
• Cucumber tart with vegan crème fraiche
• Cucumber tart with caramelized honey onion marmalade

Note that the second cucumber tart on the vegan menu is NOT vegan as-is, because it contains honey. However, they were able to make it for me with sugar instead, or you could ask them to leave that one off.

All of the savory options were served cold. The olive tapenade tart and mushroom duxelle were my favorites.

Sweet options include:

• Cocoa nib brownie
• Vegan lemon curd tart
• Raspberry tart
• Pate fruit
• Sea salt shortbread cookie
• Scones with berry preserves

The lemon curd tart reminded me of lemon meringue pie, and the raspberry tart tasted a little like cheesecake.

Curiously, all of the savory vegan options were assembled in the same premade mini tart shells.

Other (non-vegan) menus include pita bread and crostini, both of which are usually vegan, so it would be nice to see more variety in the bases.

The same goes for the sweets: some photos of afternoon tea at The Pfister show desserts served in premade phyllo cups, which are also usually vegan and would add some welcome variety.

Ninety minutes is allotted for the afternoon tea experience, but we were done in about an hour.

The vegan menu is $68 per person, or $88.45 with tax and mandatory 20% gratuity.

At that price, I found the food underwhelming. While there were a few standouts, much of the savory selection felt like premade components assembled into tart shells rather than a particularly special afternoon tea spread.

Here are more vegan options in Milwaukee that look very promising, and are on my list of places to visit next.

• Temple Goddess: All vegan menu that blends Mediterranean influences with global flavors.
• Tricklebee Cafe: A fully vegan, pay-what-you-can community cafe with a rotating menu.
• Room Service: They have a separate vegan menu, and purple royal flower dumplings are a must try.
• Dandan: Vegan momo, General Tso’s cauliflower, mung bean kimchi pancake, and more. (Plus, the co-owner, Dan Jacobs, competed on Food Network’s Tournament of Champions VII.)
• Cloud Red: Farm-to-table concept with marked veganizable options like bhel bowl, Korean loaded potatoes, and tofu po’ boy.
• Comet Cafe: Diner comfort food with marked veganizable options.
• At Random: A classic bar with vegan boozy ice cream shakes on the patio and inside.
• Sweet Basil: Thai and Lao cuisine with veganizable options like fried tofu skewers, curry, fried rice, and noodles.
• Ethiopian Cottage: Lots of vegetable stews for scooping with injera.
• Lehmann’s Bakery (in Sturtevant, Wisconsin): Turnovers, elephant ears, and kringles. They have a sign noting which are vegan or ask staff. Go early for best selection.

Whenever I go to Milwaukee, I have to go to Lakeshore State Park, a 22-acre park adjacent to the Milwaukee Art Museum.

With paths for walking and biking, it’s so picturesque with views of Lake Michigan and the city skyline.

There’s a friendly vibe with lots of families and friends out enjoying the scenery. During the summer, you’ll often hear live music nearby.

It’s usually not hard to find free street parking. And if all else fails, there are several paid lots.

Speaking of the Milwaukee Art Museum, that’s a great place to go in its own right! Look for work by Georgia O’Keeffe and Andy Warhol, amongst others.

This eye-catching building is a spectacle to behold – both inside and out. It has wings that move up and/or down when the museum opens, closes, and at noon.

Pro tip: On some Thursday nights, the museum is pay-what-you-wish. There’s also cocktails and entertainment. It’s a really fun and festive vibe!

If you're a fan of classic television, make your way up the Milwaukee RiverWalk to see the Bronze Fonz. (I like to park by the Milwaukee Public Market and walk up from there.)

The Bronze Fonz is open every day of the week - Sunday, Monday, Happy Days…

It's a nice walk in its own right. And then you get to grab a pic with the coolest motorcycle riding, diner-loving guy of the 1950's from the 1970's.

Don't leave the Milwaukee area without visiting one of their beautiful beaches. My favorite is Doctors Park in nearby Fox Point, Wisconsin.

Look for the sign that says, “Service Road to Beach.” Then follow it down to Lake Michigan and walk along the stone-lined beach.

The water is endless and blue. It feels more like an ocean than a lake.

More beach options: Atwater Beach comes highly recommended. Bradford Beach is a favorite but can get crowded in the summer.

Want to get on the water instead?

There are several sightseeing cruises that go down the river and into Lake Michigan.

The sunset cruises are especially lovely for watching the lights come up all over the city.

Milwaukee Public Market is a large food hall with shops in stalls selling spices, sauces, mustards, wine, and local specialties. There are restaurants and bakeries.

It’s a fun place to walk around, do a little shopping and people watching.

If you're a plant lover, head to Mitchell Park Domes. This indoor botanical garden features plants from the desert and tropics, as well as a dome focused on flowers.

Botanical gardens are so lovely in the winter months when the outdoors are covered in snow and ice. Plus, during the holidays, they have a light show that sounds fun.

Be aware that in the summer, it can get pretty hot & muggy inside.

When reading other reviews online, most people said to allow for an hour or two to visit all three domes. We were comfortably done in 20 minutes. So your attention may vary.

Wauwatosa is home to Wisconsin’s first troll by Danish artist Thomas Dambo.

Made with recycled wood, Mama Rosa holds a bouquet of recycled streetlights that actually light up at night, thanks to solar powered LEDs. (You can see the “stems” of the streetlights scattered throughout Firefly Grove Park.)

Standing at 24 feet tall, she’s amazing to view at every angle. To see more of her, watch my Mama Rosa Instagram reel.

Have a suggestion for vegan options in Milwaukee that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

Content updated October 10, 2026. Originally posted October 16, 2021.