In this vegan restaurants Minneapolis & St. Paul round-up, I cover plenty of places to keep you busy for a long weekend in the Twin Cities.

We’ve met up with our friends, Kristy and Chris, all over the country. They live in Southern California. We live in Iowa. So over the years we’ve rendezvoused in Portland (twice), Austin, and Chicago.
After months of trying and failing to work out a spot we could meet this year, we finally decided to squeak in a meet-up in Minneapolis just as 2017 was coming to an end.
Kristy and Chris had never been to Minneapolis before, and David and I always have a good time there. California was knee deep in a heat wave when we finalized our plans and they bought plane tickets. Kristy & Chris were hankering for somewhere they could put on sweaters and sip hot drinks.
Well, they certainly got that.
So they got to experience another record breaker – this time for record breaking cold. As we were heading into the weekend, I wondered if we’d made a terrible mistake, and they were going to be miserable the whole time.
Plus, I hadn’t counted on the fact that lots of businesses in the Twin Cities were closing for either New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and/or the early days of the week the trip fell on…
I hoped we wouldn’t just be holed up in our rental cooking for ourselves and watching TV!
Luckily, Kristy and Chris were amazing about the weather. They were both born and raised in California, and they took the whole thing as an experience. What does -14 even feel like? Plus, there were enough places open over the time we were there, we still got a good sampling of the city.
Here’s a vegan restaurants Minneapolis & Saint Paul round-up to give you a taste. And if you’re planning a trip to the Twin Cities, it’s a good place to start for your itinerary.
J. Selby’s in Saint Paul, Minnesota
I’ve been hearing about J. Selby’s since months before they even opened. They did regular menu trials, and I followed along hungrily as people shared pictures on Instagram.
Since they opened, their menu has continued to evolve. And the steady stream of pictures has increased tenfold. Their vegan versions of a Blizzard & Big Mac are all over social media. They call their versions a SoyClone & the Dirty Secret, respectively.
Especially since other vegan restaurants in the Twin Cities have closed, I’m really glad that J. Selby’s has picked up the slack.
J. Selby’s is located in St. Paul. They have regular hours during the week, and on the weekends they serve brunch from 8 to 2. Then they only have drink/dessert service from 2 to 3 while they switch over to their regular menu for the late afternoon & evening.
I figured when we got there at 2:30 that the place would be sparse. Not so. It was still busy from brunch, and the crowds only kept coming until the line was almost to the door once full service opened again.
I couldn’t decide between The Solo (prepared Dirty-style), which is a one-layer version of the vegan Big Mac, or a corndog. Vegan corndogs are a rare commodity, and so I didn’t want to miss out on the chance.
If I’d been able to visit a couple of times on the trip, I would have spread out my orders. However, they were closed on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day, which made up the bulk of our trip there. That meant I pretty much had one choice – order both. No regrets.
Kristy got the gluten-free burrito bowl. David & Chris got the standard double burger sized Dirty Secret.
I was amazed at the meltiness of the cheese on the Dirty Secret. They use Herbivorous Butcher provolone, as well as HB burgers.
After one bite of the sandwich, we were all racking our brains to think if we’d ever had a better burger. For David, the only thing that came close was the good burger at Bean Vegan Cuisine in North Carolina.
We all loved our meals, and I can’t wait to get back there again. If you’re going to the Twin Cities, make at least one visit to J. Selby’s.
Glam Doll Donuts
Glam Doll Donuts was also closing for a couple of days around New Year’s, and so we had to make the most of our vegan donut window of opportunity. There are a couple locations of Glam Doll Donuts.
(You can read about a previous visit and see their super cute 50’s aesthetic here.)
However, this time David fell on his sword for us and ventured into the frigid temps to bring back this gorgeous box of donuts.
Glam Doll offers both vegan & non-vegan donuts. Aim to go early in the day for optimum selection.
I’m always a fan of mild mannered glazed, but this time around the almond crème-filled & blackberry jam-filled were the two standouts.
Herbivorous Butcher
Obviously, it’s not a trip to Minneapolis without a stop at Herbivorous Butcher, a fully vegan butcher shop selling vegan meats & cheeses.
(Read my full report on Herbivorous Butcher here.)
I got pastrami (my favorite), hickory bacon, pepperoni, and Cuban deli slices. But the surprise winner this time around was the chicken-style jackfruit that Kristy purchased. It’s a gluten-free option at the store that I’d never tried before.
They give the jackfruit a good char, and it makes the jackfruit have a smoky quality and good, dry texture. I can be hot and cold on jackfruit, but this application seriously won me over. I’ll be buying it for myself next time.
Jasmine 26
I’ve been meaning to return to Jasmine 26 since I visited several years ago. I still think about the banh xeo I had there (Vietnamese crepe).
Since the last time I was there, they have added V’s and GF’s to the menu for easier ordering. I love that! (Restaurants have a lot to gain when they add & label vegan options.) It made the whole ordering process so much easier – especially since we’re all vegan & Kristy is gluten free too.
We started with salt & pepper tofu (above) and egg-free egg rolls (below) to share. They brought them to the table along with three vegan sauces for dipping.
Then I decided to try something new since I was feeling I could use some more fresh vegetables in my day. I went with the banh tam with tofu.
It included rice noodles swimming in a coconut milk sauce, plus a fresh vegetable mix on the side. Before eating, you stir it all together to get fresh crunch in every bite.
David ordered the yellow curry. The pineapple in the dish sealed the deal for him.
It was so cold outside that he decided to combat the cold outside by ordering it as a 4 in terms of heat (on a scale from 1 to 5). He was seriously going through the water, but he loved the flavor. I took a bite, and the spiciness was no joke for sure!
Stanley’s
One evening after visiting the Spoonbridge & Cherry at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, we wanted somewhere to warm up. So we headed to Stanley’s Northeast Bar Room.
Stanley’s has the feeling of your standard sports bar, but they have a few vegan options on the menu.
Two of the options include Korean ribs from Herbivorous Butcher – a sandwich and tacos. We chose the latter option, which came three to a serving. Kristy rounded it out with a big basket of sweet potato fries, one of the few gluten-free vegan options.
The Korean ribs are some of the best things Herbivorous Butcher sells. But I think Stanley’s could utilize them in the tacos a little better. The ribs are thinly sliced in the tacos. So you lose some of the flavor on the exterior glaze. The seitan mostly tasted of oil.
It has so much going for it, I wish they cut it into bigger pieces, so that you could really taste it.
French Meadow
My luck with French Meadow has been hit & miss. The first time I went there back in 2010, I was blown away by their gnocchi. Then all subsequent visits were underwhelming.
One place French Meadow thrives is with its ambience. The quiet, twinkling lights on the wall add to a dim and moody atmosphere. They also have lots of clearly labeled vegan and gluten-free options. Luckily, this time French Meadow totally delivered in the food arena too.
We started with the earth wings – a.k.a. barbecued cauliflower (above). I’ve had cauliflower wings countless times – at restaurants and at home. So I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary. However, these wings were really a step above.
The cauliflower was done on the inside to the point of falling apart, but without being wet or watery. The outside had a crisp, crackling edge around it, and the sesame barbecue sauce was saucy and sticky in the best way.
For my main course, I ordered the zen bowl, and I added tofu as well. I’m glad I did, because the marinated and browned tofu was the star of the show.
This fresh bowl with hummus, guacamole, and rice was packed with so many greens that by the time I was finished eating, it still looked like I hadn’t even started. It’s definitely large enough for sharing! All of the delicious kale & micro-greens were just what I was craving after a weekend of comfort food.
David had the spa bowl with big bites of tofu, edamame, and vegetables tossed with toasted sesame dressing. There were mmm’s all around.
With that, we ended our Twin Cities getaway. Even in the bitter cold, there was still so much to see and do. I can’t wait to get back there again – but maybe in the spring next time.
For more vegan Minneapolis restaurants & stores, check out these posts on Pizza Luce, Fasika, Ethique Nouveau, and the Global Market.
Jill
Reverie is alive and well. I ate there last week. Totally vegan, so lots of options. I have eaten there twice. Have to admit that I didn’t love either of the two things I had, but will try again as there are so many other things to try.
Cadry Nelson
Yes, I’m so glad they’re alive and well now! This is an old post from 2018. I need to update it. Reverie was open from 2015 to 2017 on the corner of Nicollet and Franklin. Then they closed that location and were briefly a food truck. Then they reopened again in 2019 at their current location. I’ve been to their new location and liked it a lot, but I haven’t gotten around to consolidating and updating my Minneapolis posts. I was hoping I’d make it there again first, because there are some new places I’d like to try too. That’s too bad you didn’t love the things you got at Reverie. Hopefully the third time will be the charm!
Janis
Every time I visit the cities, there are more vegan places to explore! This trip, I’ll get to visit J.Selby’s for the first time and am excited to try the items you mentioned. Usually, we go to a Nepali restaurant for our dinner, but I think we will try Jasmine 26 this trip. Will I get to Crepe & Spoon and Evans Organic Eatery? We shall see! I so appreciate your travel posts…thank you!
Cadry
I’m so excited for you to visit J. Selby’s, Janis. Everything we had was incredible. I know you’re going to love it. It feels like the Twin Cities are kind of exploding right now with options. (How cool is it that a plant-based fast food place is coming into the Mall of America?) I’m eager to get back there again too!
Michelle
A few more new-ish/coming soon options…
Crepe and Spoon in NE Mpls – vegan crepes featuring ingredients from Herbivorous Butcher, and vegan ice cream (not all are vegan though), including a vegan cheesecake flavor thanks to Vegan East (see below).
Eureka Compass in St. Paul – a little restaurant run entirely by one guy that features local, organic produce, and different baked goods in the morning (such as vegan pop tarts, bagel rolls, and croissants!). Menu changes daily.
Vegan East is opening their first store front bakery in White Bear Lake (northeastern suburb of St. Paul) next month. I’ve tried 4 flavors of their cupcakes and they were quite good!
Tori Ramen and Rah’mn both in St. Paul have vegan ramen options, Rah’mn also has salads. Tori Ramen is next door to J. Selby’s.
And… San Antonio-based Earth Burger is opening their second vegan fast food spot at the Mall of America.
There are so many options! It’s a pretty exciting time to be a vegan in the Twin Cities 🙂
Michelle
Also, vegetarian/vegan Fig and Farro is opening this week in Uptown. I’m sure there are more that I’m forgetting, new ones seem to be popping up all the time!
Michelle
Parkway Pizza, which has 3 locations, announced today that they teamed up with the Herbivorous Butcher and now have a vegan menu with apps, pizza, pasta, and hoagies using HB’s vegan meats and cheeses! https://www.parkwaypizzamn.com/menu/
Cadry
So many amazing places to try the next time I’m in the Twin Cities! Thank you for sharing, Michelle. I can’t wait to get back up there again.
Shell
I’m so glad you were able to have a great time even in the frigid temperatures! The food all looks amazing. I love the vegan corndog, and the breakfast dishes from the Bad Waitress look delicious!
Cadry
Thanks, Shell! We certainly made the most of our time there – despite the cold. I couldn’t refuse the vegan corndog. I have no idea when the last time would have been that I had one.
Cadry
Thanks for the tip! I’ll make a note of that.
Emily
Great choices! Next time you want a delicious vegan brunch, try the Tofu Hash at Harriet Brasserie! It includes peppers, onions, black beans, yucca and arugula salad with a nice lemon vinaigrette that offsets the spice nicely from the Hash. They make their own jam too! Also the mock duck tacos from Muddy Waters are a mouthwatering!
Cadry
I love a good vegan brunch, and that tofu hash sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the recommendations!
Victor
Great tips. Thank you. Also, Peninsula, on Eat Street, may very well have the best tofu know to man (and woman).
Cadry
Good to know! I hope to check it out sometime. I love a good tofu dish!
Sarah De la Cruz
Oh my goodness, this is making me so hungry! I love that so many of the restaurants carry the Herbivorous Butcher products! That’s how Seattle is with Field Roast! I’ve had the ribs here, from Vegan Haven, and I think they carry the provolone too. I’ll have to grab some next time I cross over! Oh….and those donuts. Holy cow those look good. I love the one with the little heart—so cute!
Cadry
I agree, it’s really cool that so many area businesses support other local brands. It’s great for cross promotion too! The donuts were wonderful. I have one final donut in the freezer now for a future donut emergency. 😀
Monty Montgomery
Give ModernTimes another chance. It is well worth the wait!
Cadry
Oh, yes, I went there a few years ago. Their migas were amazing. I definitely want to go back when time isn’t an issue.
Daniel
What about Eureka Compass Vegan Food? Seems odd that a “vegan” tour of TC would include several stops at places that only serve a few vegan items, but exclude one of only two local restaurants that have an all-vegan menu 🤔
Cadry
There are two reasons, Daniel.
One, I’d never heard of Eureka Compass Vegan Food until yesterday when someone nicely recommended it on my Facebook page.
Two, as I mentioned in the post, my trip was in many ways dictated by what was open. Since it was over a weekend and a holiday, a lot of places were closed – including Eureka Compass Vegan Food. They are closed from Saturday at 2 pm until Tuesday morning, which was basically the amount of time I was there. That’s likely also why I wasn’t seeing it on Happy Cow – it was closed.
Susan
I am so hungry after reading this post! Where to even begin? I would just like to put it all in my face. 😉
Cadry
Haha! I know the feeling!