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    Home » Vegan travel

    Vegan Iowa: Plant-based in the Hawkeye State

    Updated: May 25, 2025 · Published: Oct 4, 2019 by Cadry Nelson · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 14 Comments

    Loaded toast on floral plate.

    This vegan Iowa round-up features plant-based options from across the state: Des Moines, the Quad Cities, Iowa City, and more.

    Hand holding donut with apple pie filling.

    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.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • Cedar Falls & Waterloo
    • Cedar Rapids
    • Decorah
    • Des Moines & surrounding areas
    • Fairfield
    • Iowa City
    • Mason City
    • Oxford
    • Quad Cities

    Cedar Falls & Waterloo

    Text overlay: Vegan-friendly restaurants in Cedar Falls & Waterloo, Iowa. Collage with man holding vegan smash burger, vegan donuts, vegan cupcakes, and vegan taco pizza.

    Cedar Falls & Waterloo are two of the few places in Iowa where you can find fried, yeast-raised vegan donuts!

    In addition to donuts, the area offers cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, smoothie bowls, the biggest smash burgers you’ve ever seen, and fun sightseeing.

    Get the inside scoop in this vegan food guide to Cedar Falls & Waterloo, Iowa.

    Cedar Rapids

    Hand holding vegan fried chicken sandwich.

    Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa.

    In addition to The Full Bowl, a vegetarian fast food spot, there are a number of vegan offerings in the city.

    Options include Mexican fare, Indian stews, and mind-blowing deep dish pizza.

    Get the full rundown in this post on Cedar Rapids vegan options.

    Decorah

    Nacho fries with soyrizo and vegan cheese.

    Decorah is a quaint town in the Driftless Region.

    Visit for their bluffs, waterfalls, and eagles. Then stay for tasty vegan options like colorful bowls, cozy comfort food, and substantive breakfasts.

    Get the complete rundown in my post on Decorah, Iowa vegan options.

    Des Moines & surrounding areas

    Two cinnamon rolls on table at Cinnaholic.

    The number of vegan items in Iowa’s capital city seem to grow by the day.

    Look for plant-based options like cinnamon rolls, pizza, Thai food, and an award winning farmers market.

    Get the full rundown in my post on vegan Des Moines.

    Fairfield

    Masala dosa thali on table.

    Fairfield is an eclectic small town that’s surprisingly vegan-friendly!

    You can find tempting options like masala dosa thali and dairy-free creamy Italian sodas.

    Get all of the details in my post on vegan restaurant options in Fairfield.

    Iowa City

    Cheese plate with olives and pickled vegetables on plate.

    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 falafel bowls, burgers, cinnamon rolls, and even nooch for your popcorn.

    Get all of the details in this post on vegan Iowa City.

    Mason City

    Drunken noodles in bowl.

    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 drunken noodles, non-dairy ice cream, and jackfruit salad.

    Get all of the details in this post Mason City, Iowa.

    Oxford

    Shawn & Jered Camp standing with their rescued animal family at Iowa Farm Sanctuary.

    Iowa Farm Sanctuary

    Iowa Farm Sanctuary is a haven for rescued farmed animals.

    During warm weather months, they are open to the public on Sunday afternoons.

    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 Iowa Farm Sanctuary.

    Quad Cities

    BBQ cauliflower tacos with pineapple salsa on tray.

    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 Thai stir-fries, pizza, and Indian stews.

    Get all of the details in this post on vegan Quad Cities.

    This post was updated on May 14, 2025. It was originally published November 21, 2016. 

    More Vegan travel

    • Text overlay: Denver Airport vegan options. 4-panel collage with oatmeal, tofu bento, tacos, and Voodoo Donuts.
      Vegan options at the Denver Airport (Updated 2025)
    • Text overlay: Vegan options at Noodles & Company. Exterior fast food restaurant.
      Noodles and Company vegan options (Updated 2025)
    • Text overlay: Des Moines vegan restaurant guide. 4-panel collage with taco pizza, pad Thai, cinnamon roll, and birria tacos.
      Ultimate Des Moines vegan restaurant guide 2025
    • Text overlay: Vegan-friendly restaurants in Cedar Falls & Waterloo, Iowa. Collage with man holding vegan smash burger, vegan donuts, vegan cupcakes, and vegan taco pizza.
      Vegan-friendly restaurants in Cedar Falls & Waterloo, Iowa
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    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer behind Cadry’s Kitchen, and the author of Living Vegan For Dummies, 2nd Edition. Since launching her blog in 2009, Cadry has been making plant-based cooking approachable, and reimagining classic comfort foods. Her work has been featured in NBC News, Buzzfeed, Yahoo, Parade, VegNews, and more. She regularly appears on local TV shows, demonstrating to a broad audience how easy vegan cooking can be.

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    1. Danielle O.

      January 13, 2018 at 10:47 am

      Is there anything West of the Des Moines area?

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 15, 2018 at 11:05 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Danielle O.

          February 09, 2018 at 4:20 pm

          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.

          Reply
          • Cadry

            February 15, 2018 at 2:12 pm

            Let me know if you find anything promising! I’d love to fill out some ideas for that portion of the state.

            Reply
    2. Don

      December 04, 2016 at 12:38 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        December 05, 2016 at 8:14 am

        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: https://cadryskitchen.com/vegan-reuben-round-up/

        Reply
    3. Little Vegan Bear

      November 27, 2016 at 3:37 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 28, 2016 at 9:24 am

        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. 😀

        Reply
    4. Mandy

      November 22, 2016 at 5:25 pm

      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

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 28, 2016 at 9:23 am

        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! 😉

        Reply
    5. Susan

      November 22, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 28, 2016 at 9:19 am

        Thanks, Susan! There are certainly states with more vegan options, but if your friend lands here, she’ll do just fine. 😀

        Reply
    6. Shell

      November 22, 2016 at 8:23 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        November 22, 2016 at 8:47 am

        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!

        Reply

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