Any vegan will tell you that finding a place to dine out can be a real problem. Portland has made a lot of headway, but it can still be difficult to track down the right places when you’re new to town, especially if you’re in a hurry. Here’s a list of nearby places that offer a variety of tasty vegan options.
Habibi
1012 SW Morrison St. &
221 SW Pine St.
This Lebanese restaurant serves family recipes of all sorts: pastas, pizzas, soups, sandwiches and a variety of traditional dishes that all feature vegan-friendly options. Fridays feature entertainment such as music and belly dance, making it a great place to begin a weekend on the town. This is more of a sit-down restaurant, but the prices are still reasonable at about $10 per entree. The Old Town location is just a block east of the Pine Street Max stop, and it makes a nice walk if you’re feeling adventurous.
Backspace Café
115 NW 5th Ave.
This café sits just a few Max stops north of campus. Their menu features standard café fare, mostly: wraps, sandwiches, soups and bagels. They make a point to purchase locally, so you know you’re getting something fresh while supporting the local economy. The café is also a fun place to hang out. They feature a variety of shows, art exhibits, music and poetry slams.
Laughing Planet Café
1720 SW 4th Ave.
A block east of University Center, this sunny little restaurant offers burritos, bowls, soups and salsas as vegan options. Prices are excellent and the staff is swift, making it a great place for a quick meal. It’s also a warm, well-lit environment with plenty of coffee or tea options if you’re looking for a place to chat with friends or read a book.Hot Lips Pizza
1909 SW 6th Ave.
If you’re in the mood for a hot slice of pie, Hot Lips features pizza by the slice and always has two vegan selections on hand: a vegan focaccia and an option with Daiya (fake cheese) shreds. Slices are huge and cost-effective for a meal on-the-go. I’ve always had fast service from friendly workers, and I just love the pizza-joint atmosphere. And really, how can you go wrong with $2 micro-brews?
Café Yumm
Student Rec Center
1806 SW 6th Ave.
Café Yumm may have the atmosphere of a fast food chain, but don’t let that fool you. This restaurant offers bento, bowls, wraps and all of it can be made vegan-friendly. Their Yumm Sauce—the stuff of addictions, really—is animal bi-product free. And they even have vegan ginger spice cookies. This list is far from exhaustive, but these restaurants are great starting points for a PSU newcomer. Dedicated blogs, such as veganfabulous.com, are also a great resource to tap into the community’s vegan offerings.
This list is far from exhaustive, but these restaurants are great starting points for a PSU newcomer. Dedicated blogs, such as veganfabulous.com, are also a great resource to tap into the community’s vegan offerings.