Get your fix of plant-based fare at a wide variety of veg-friendly and vegan restaurants in Omaha.
From swanky comfort food to an all-vegan coffee shop, you won’t go hungry in this city known for steak.
Smack dab in the middle of the country, vegan fare isn’t necessarily the first word to come to mind when you think of Omaha.
However, you’d be surprised!
In Nebraska’s largest city, you can feed your need for caffeine at a vegan café & coffee roaster.
There’s an upscale vegan eatery, worthy of a birthday or anniversary dinner.
Or you can visit any number of veg-friendly restaurants, including a mall food court that’s known for its plant-based options.
Modern Love
If you can only visit one place while in Omaha, make it Modern Love.
Modern Love offers vegan comfort food with an elegant twist.
Thanks to large windows, the dining room is bright and welcoming. Plus, it’s beautifully decorated.
The menu changes depending on the season.
That means that just as soon as you’ve driven to Omaha and gotten your fix, you’re sure to have FOMO with their next menu update on Facebook.
Their generous servings, full-bodied flavors, and local ingredients leave you satisfied in all the best ways.
Look for dishes like mozzarella balls that are crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside.
(Want to make this at home? Grab the fresh mozzarella recipe on Post Punk Kitchen. Then use the breading from my fried almond cheese balls.)
Dive into a bowl of comfort food with fried oyster mushrooms on mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.
It’s served alongside a crunchy slaw that’s the perfect light complement to the heavier main course.
Don’t leave without getting dessert!
A slice of vegan cheesecake and/or ice cream shake are a must.
(The strawberry swirl shake is outstanding!)
Some of my other Modern Love favorites include:
- Seitan buffalo wings
- Vegan nachos
- Kale Caesar salad
- Gnocchi a la vodka
- Mushroom stroganoff with chickpea cutlets
- Seitan piccata
Their weekend brunch is also incredible!
Amateur Coffee
Amateur Coffee is a vegan café & coffee roaster in the Joslyn Castle neighborhood.
They have a bar with stools for dining in, as well as a few tables on their outdoor back patio.
They offer lattes with a wealth of flavored syrups, cold & filter brewed coffee, hot cocoa, and a variety of teas.
If you like a sweet coffee drink, a pistachio latte is a tasty option.
While the standard latte has just the right amount of steamed non-dairy milk to weigh against the espresso.
Oat and almond milk are available.
Instead of having paper and plastic to-go cups, they have a reusable glass jar program.
Or you can dine in & enjoy your drink in a mug.
If you’d like something on the sweet side, they offer pastries from nearby Sweet Magnolias Bakery.
Look for options like baked donuts, gluten-free brownies, or gluten-free coffee cakes.
Sometimes they also have scones, like the blueberry one shown here.
For something more substantive, they have gluten-free brunch options including fried mushroom chick’n and waffles, quiche cups, and breakfast sandwiches.
The waffles are made in house. The other items are made by Veg Edible.
The breakfast sandwiches are made with gluten free biscuits, a crumbly made-from-scratch veggie sausage, tofu egg, non-dairy cheese, and maple syrup.
Judging from the blazing hot nature of the biscuit, I’m guessing they pop the whole thing in the microwave or oven together as an assembled sandwich to reheat.
The tofu egg is very turmeric heavy, which isn’t my favorite. I’ll try the vegan chick’n & waffles next time instead.
Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop
Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop is a cute bakery with two locations. One is in Midtown, and the other is in Millwork.
Not everything at Sweet Magnolias is vegan.
However, they always have some vegan options like bouncy cinnamon rolls, baked cake donuts, streusel buns, or gluten free brownies.
You can also order whole vegan cakes in the flavors of vanilla bean, chocolate ganache, or almond orange blossom.
JINYA Ramen Bar
JINYA Ramen Bar is a chain Japanese restaurant with 46 locations scattered across the United States.
Located in a strip mall near a Taco Bell and office supply store, the Omaha location is unassuming.
But once inside, the restaurant is sleek and dark.
What makes this chain exceptional is the variety and amount of vegan options.
Options include multiple types of ramen (including a gluten free option and another made with Impossible meat), Impossible tacos, Impossible gyoza & buns, an Impossible rice bowl, and a vegan kids meal.
The Impossible gyoza are made with light wrappers stuffed with Impossible meat and browned.
It is just the right amount to whet the palate without getting overly full.
The spicy creamy vegan ramen is made with thick noodles in a bowl of vegetable broth, garlic & chili oil, garlic chips, crispy onions, sautéed spinach, onions, and cubes of silken tofu.
It has wonderful rich flavors.
And the serving size is very generous. Enough for two meals.
Plain silken tofu isn’t my favorite texture. I’d prefer firm tofu and/or fried tofu.
But the other flavors more than make up for it.
The Impossible rice bowl is served with crispy chickpeas, kale, pickled red cabbage, crispy garlic, and pine nuts over steamed rice.
It’s finished with a creamy vegan curry ranch dressing.
Block 16
Block 16 is a casual eatery, where you order at the counter.
They market themselves as farm to table street food.
This non-vegan restaurant has several plant-based options available like a veggie burger, Sloppy Joe (called Sloppy Nick), vegan poutine burrito, big house salad, dragon wrap with tempeh, and dragon fries.
While you nosh on vegan comfort food, you can also have a glass of wine or beer while you’re there.
Benson Brewery
Speaking of beer…
If beer and appetizers are your game, swing over to Benson Brewery.
It’s a non-vegan restaurant with vegan offerings like a black bean burger, seitan gyro, house salad, and seitan wings.
The seitan wings come with your choice of hot, BBQ, or IPA mustard.
The mustard sauce has boozy undertones and a rich umami flavor. It’s my favorite of the bunch.
All of the seitan wing options come with a side of vegan ranch.
Go on Wednesdays for $3 off all vegan items.
Flagship Commons
Usually at shopping malls, the vegan options are slim or underwhelming.
But at Flagship Commons, the food court is tremendously vegan-friendly.
Many of the vendors have more than one vegan option.
It works out well when dining with people who have different tastes, because everyone can grab something that suits them.
Options include a falafel sandwich & falafel plate at Amsterdam Falafel, root burger at Blatt Beer & Table, sushi at Yum Roll, vegan ramen at Yoshi-Ya Ramen, and a green goddess wrap at Clever Greens.
(The vegan currywurst with sauerkraut on a pretzel bun is pictured here. But it’s no longer on the menu at Blatt Beer & Table.)
Crystal Jade
At Crystal Jade, the menu is a hodgepodge of Asian cuisines – from Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian dishes to Indian and Korean options.
It’s located inside of a renovated Village Inn.
Crystal Jade isn’t a vegan restaurant.
But they have an extensive vegetarian menu available upon request with loads of vegan options.
The vegan egg roll is pretty standard.
And the curry puffs are like a flattened samosa.
The sauce in the peanut butter tofu is nicely flavored. But I recommend asking for additional vegetables to fill it out.
The spicy tofu bulgogi is okay, but nothing to write home about.
The tofu is deep-fried and spongy, which can make the dishes rather oily.
More vegan-friendly restaurants in Omaha
You can find more plant-based options at these restaurants:
- Saddle Creek Breakfast Club (Three vegan breakfast options on the menu. This small restaurant fills up fast!)
- Wilson & Washburn (Not a ton of vegan options. But they have a beet burger with smoked peanut butter & occasional specials.)
- Blue Sushi Sake Grill (They have a full vegan section on their sushi menu.)
- Ted & Wally’s ice cream shop (They have locations in Old Market & the Benson district with one or two vegan flavors daily.)
- Kitchen Table (Options change. Look for things like a tofu torta, vegan fishless filet sandwich, vegan reuben, or hummus salad.)
Fast food, chains, and grocery stores
Omaha has several natural grocery store options including Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and Trader Joe’s.
If you’re in a rush, you can find vegan fast food options at Noodles & Company, Chipotle, HuHot, or Qdoba.
Omaha also has a location of chain restaurant, P.F. Chang’s, which has a number of plant-based options.
More Midwest vegan travel guides
For more vegan restaurant guides for the Midwest, check out these travel posts.
Content updated August 9, 2022. Originally posted October 17, 2016.
Shell
We tend to get to Omaha a couple times per year and haven’t tried any of the places you visited. They all look great! I would love to try the Block burger!
Cadry
I snagged a bite from David, and it was really unique! I’ve never had peanut butter on a burger before. Block 16 would be a good fit for the whole family, I think. It’s very casual, and I think they’d have something that all of you would enjoy.
A
Great work! Thanks for sharing!
Just FYI, there’s also an all vegan hot-dog cart in Omaha cart called Fauxmaha Dogs. The dogs are homemade from scratch! And an awesome falafel joint called Amsterdam with curry fries that are to die for.
Keep up the great work, love reading your posts.
Cadry
I’d love to try Fauxmaha Dogs! I’ve wanted to have one on my past trips, but the timing has never worked out. I didn’t realize that they’re homemade from scratch. That’s even better! Thanks for the tips and kind words!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
What a delicious trip! It’s so awesome how you find vegan options wherever you go.
Cadry
Thanks, Amy! One of the best parts of travel is finding all of the delicious vegan fare that’s available.
Beth @ Eat Within Your Means
Well, first of all, you crack me up. Love your writing, Cadry! I think we are meant to be friends. Hope that’s ok. 🙂
Secondly, I have family in Council Bluffs. Is it wrong that I want to plan a visit mostly so I can try all of these places? 🙂 Maybe you could be my Vegan Omaha tour guide. 🙂
Cadry
Aw, thanks, Beth! I think we’re meant to be friends too. How fortuitous that you have relatives in Council Bluffs! It’s a win/win. You get to see family and eat vegan food aplenty. I’d be more than happy to be your Omaha tour guide. Just give me a 4-hour warning, so that I can drive there! 😉
Beth @ Eat Within Your Means
Ha ha ha, I’ll try to give you more than 4 hours of warning. 😉
Melissa @ Vegan Huggs
Wow, so much deliciousness in Omaha. I would’ve never guess it. That Modern Love place sounds fantastic. I wish I had one nearby. 🙂
Cadry
Oh, I hope you’re able to go to Modern Love either in Omaha or Brooklyn sometime. The food is just amazing. You’d love it.
Jenn
Wow! Who knew Omaha was so vegan friendly?! The Seitan and Waffles looks like heaven! And I am a fan of fresh greens on pizza too – especially arugula!
Cadry
You’re totally right about arugula! I’m not usually a fan, but the bitter greens work well with strong flavors on a pizza.
Sarah
I’m not sure I’ll ever find myself in Omaha, but my sister lives in Brooklyn and Modern Love is on my list! You always find the best food on your trips!
Cadry
Oh, I’m sorry you’ll have to suffer through the food scene in Brooklyn instead… 😉 I’m really eager to check out that location too.
Ginny
Great restaurant round-up. I need to hit some of the larger cities and hit some of these restaurants. They look great.
Cadry
Thanks, Ginny!
Jojo
I’m so glad that I finally got to try Modern Love when I was in Brooklyn but I still want to visit Omaha for the slightly different ML menu and to try some of the other excellent looking options in town. The ML fries with that burger look roast potato-esque and I need that waffle plate,
Cadry
I can’t wait to go to Modern Love in Brooklyn on a future New York trip. I’ve been reading your posts and Stephanie’s, and it looked like you ate very well. Of course, that’s easy to do in one of the best cities for vegan food. 🙂 Have you ever done a Midwest visit on one of your trips to the US?
April
This is awesome! I live in Lincoln and never even knew these places existed an hour away! Lincoln has very limited vegan options as well, but this will let me try new things! Thanks for posting this. xx
Cadry
Oh, that’s great, April! I’m glad that this post was useful for you. I hope you are able to get to Omaha sometime soon!
Kris
Yes you do need to make it to Modern Love while the pork chop and applesauce is still on their menu. Get the Brussels sprouts appetizer too. And if you need a co-pilot I”m ready and willing to take one one for the “vegan” team lol!
Cadry
Did you get the seitan pork chop & applesauce when you were there? Jealous! I smell a road-trip! 😀
Kris
I did and the shepherd’s pie too lol.
Cadry
You know how to do it right! 🙂
Mandy
I love these posts of yours – always makes my heart happy to see so many vegan places (or options) popping up! I am shocked at what’s available in Omaha – I REALLY want to go to Modern Love! YUMMM! And their portions, wow! I’ve never been to Omaha, but you better believe I would go the beyond to The Chocolate Bar – even for just the name 😉 I just looked at their website and saw that they work with Intelligentsia coffee…when we lived in IL there was this little coffee shop that had served coffee and it was easily some of the best coffee I’ve had. How cool that the staff had some influence in regards to adding some vegan options! I’ll be pinning this post for future travels 🙂
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that, Mandy! It is refreshing to see vegan options popping up all over the place. Sure, it’s easy to be vegan in cities like Los Angeles, Portland, New York City, or Austin. But when you see good vegan options outside of major hubs, it feels like things are moving in a positive direction and veganism is going mainstream. That’s good to know about Intelligentsia coffee! I’ll have to get a cup the next time that I see it.
Bianca
Still need to get to Modern Love! Everything looks so amazing!! We have lots of Asian fusion joints like that in the South too. I wonder if it’s some carryover from the time when Americanized Asian food was all lumped together. The PB tofu looks amazing though. I’m all about a tofu dish that has all tofu and no veggies. 😉
Cadry
I bet you’re right about the Asian fusion trend. It seems like the restauranteurs are trying to cover all of their bases for an audience that may be unfamiliar with the specifics of one cuisine versus another.
It sounds like the PB tofu would be a good fit for you then! I liked the sauce, but it was way too much fried tofu in one place for my tastes.
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
Ooooh, maybe I can get over to Brooklyn soon to try out the Modern Love there! I’ve never had chicken and waffles (before going vegan) but the seitan and waffles sounds interesting.
My husband would mess up that currywurst! All you food looks so good!
Cadry
Yes, you should rush right over ASAP! I’d recommend making reservations. It sounds like they’ve been getting tons of traffic, which is awesome.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen
I wouldn’t think of Omaha as being a vegan friendly place to visit, but I’m impressed with the vegan options you found!
Cadry
Yes, I’d love to have those tofu rancheros in front of me right now! Seeing how well Modern Love has done in Omaha has to make other businesses aware that there’s a market for vegan cuisine in the area.