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This vegan Iowa round-up features plant-based options from across the state: Des Moines, the Quad Cities, Iowa City, and more.
Vegan Iowa? Well, corn is vegan, right? I kid, I kid. There are more vegan options than you might expect in the middle of the Heartland.
In this alphabetized list, you can find vegan options from around the state.
Vegan Iowa
Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls is one of the few places in Iowa where you can find fried, yeast-raised vegan donuts any day of the week! (The other place is in Waterloo.)
In addition to their bounty of donuts, Cedar Falls offers vegans burgers, fajitas, wraps, bowls, and salads.
Get the inside scoop in this vegan food & fun guide for Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa. In addition to The Full Bowl, a vegetarian fast food spot in NewBo Market, there are a number of vegan offerings in the city. Options include Mexican fare, Indian stews, and deep dish pizza.
Get the full rundown in this post on vegetarian restaurants Cedar Rapids.
Des Moines & surrounding areas
The number of vegan items in Iowa’s capital city seem to grow by the day. There are two completely vegan restaurants in the Des Moines area – Brightside Kitchen & Dirt Burger. Plus, many more places that offer plant-based options like pizza, bagels, Thai food, and an award winning farmers market.
Get the full rundown in my post on vegan Des Moines.
Iowa City
Iowa City has the charm of a small town and the vibrancy of a place that attracts people from all over the globe.
Trumpet Blossom is the city’s one vegan restaurant. There are also lots of restaurants that can accommodate vegan diners with options like dumplings, cinnamon rolls, and even nooch for your popcorn.
Get all of the details in this post on vegan Iowa City.
Marengo
Iowa Farm Sanctuary
About 10 minutes away from the Tanger Factory Outlets, you’ll find Iowa Farm Sanctuary – a haven for rescued farmed animals.
It opened in 2016, and was co-founded by Shawn & Jered Camp. They have been rescuing abandoned, abused, and neglected cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and chickens ever since.
You can read all about it in this post on the Iowa Farm Sanctuary, and in this feature I wrote about Jered & Shawn for Corridor Characters.
During warm weather months, they have open barn days on Sunday afternoons.
They also have a few events throughout the year, where visitors can meet the animals. The events usually include catered vegan food from caterers like Brightside Kitchen and Trumpet Blossom Cafe.
Past events have also included live music, and a cooking demonstration by yours truly, where I showed how to make vegan three bean chili.
Mason City
Mason City is best known as being home to Meredith Willson of Music Man fame. It also offers a number of options for plant-based eaters like noodle dishes, Thai food, and even a bed & breakfast that can accommodate vegans.
Get all of the details in this post Mason City, Iowa.
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities runs along the Eastern border of the state. It includes Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline. Vegans can find delicious options that include Ethiopian wots, pizza, and Indian stews.
Get all of the details in this post on vegan Quad Cities.
Follow me on Instagram
For more up-to-the-minute vegan Iowa options, follow me on Instagram. I share where I’m eating around the state. And remember to use the hashtag #vegansofiowa whenever you post plant-based items from Iowa on Instagram!
This blog post was originally published November 2016. It was updated October 2019 with current information.
Shell says
I share in your joy that Krunkwich is open again! I’m a big Krunk rice fan, like David. One of my favorite vegan options in Iowa is the hummus trio at RoCA.
Cadry says
Those were three very long months! I’m so glad they’re back. We’ll have to go to RoCA together sometime. I’ve never been there!
Susan says
Great post! I have a friend who was bemoaning that her partner applied for a job in Iowa, so if he gets it I will direct her here!
Cadry says
Thanks, Susan! There are certainly states with more vegan options, but if your friend lands here, she’ll do just fine. 😀
Mandy says
I have officially drooled all over my computer! 🙂 What a great post, as always! I’m loving the name Tacopocalypse and the atmosphere in Molly’s is adorable! Love those swings…and that cupcake looked pretty dreamy. I’d say you have a pretty decent vegan food selection there and if I ever find my way to Iowa, I know where to go! Oh, those onion rings look INSANE! xo
Cadry says
Isn’t the name Tacopocalypse fun? I love both saying it and typing it. It’s definitely one that confuses people and requires some repeating when others are hearing about it for the first time. But I love it that they didn’t let it stop them from naming their restaurant that. It’s kind of like when Isa chose “Veganomicon” as her cookbook name. That’s what makes it so memorable.
The atmosphere at Molly’s is super adorable. In fact, when I went there with my best friend and her young daughters, one of the girls decided that she needed to go to the University of Iowa solely because there was a cupcake place with swings near campus. I’ve heard worse reasons for choosing a college! 😉
Little Vegan Bear says
So many amazing options! I love the swing chairs – there’s a cafe in Melbourne that has those though I am yet to go. Also the name Tacopocalypse – a mouthful, but very cool.
Cadry says
Yes, the swing chairs are so much fun. If given the option, I’ll always choose to sit on those when I visit. And yes, Tacopocalypse is one of those names that you have to spell out in your head whenever you say it. 😀
Cadry says
Oh, yes. I didn’t forget those. 😀 Like I said, this isn’t a comprehensive list. But New Pi is included in the post on 10 vegan-friendly businesses in Iowa City that I linked to above.
Don says
Great post. So nice to know of these options when I return to Iowa and drive through Des Moines. I’ve been to Trumpet Blossom many times and almost always order the Reuben and fries. Both are amazing.
Can’t wait to try some of the other locations you featured.
Cadry says
Thanks, Don! I’m glad I could help in your drive across the state. If you’re a reuben fan, you should also check out the tempeh reuben at New Pioneer Co-op in Coralville or Iowa City. They make their own marbled rye in house, and I have a hard time ordering anything else when I’m there. It’s included in this reuben round-up: http://cadryskitchen.com/2015/04/07/vegan-reuben-round-up/
Danielle O. says
Is there anything West of the Des Moines area?
Cadry says
That’s a good question, Danielle. I spend most of my time in eastern or central Iowa, and so I don’t have cause to visit that part of the state as much. Usually if I’m going through there, I’m on my way to Omaha. I do have a vegan Omaha round-up, though, if you get that far! When I’ve looked on Happy Cow, not a lot of western Iowa restaurants have been added to their site, except for a couple in Sioux City. That may mean that options are slight in western Iowa, or it may mean that Iowans who live there don’t add a lot of restaurants to the site.
Danielle O. says
Thank you for your reply! My MIL and SIL live in Omaha and used to live in Western Iowa, not far from I-80. My husband and I have always been disappointed in food options for us between Des Moines and Omaha. I had been wondering if you knew of anything that we hadn’t discovered for ourselves. Maybe with more digging we can find a decent Mexican or Asian restaurant in a town not far from the interstate with veg options. We have been to at least a couple of restaurants you wrote about in your Omaha post, but I bookmarked it for future reference.
Cadry says
Let me know if you find anything promising! I’d love to fill out some ideas for that portion of the state.