Vegetarian’s dilemma

With so many options, being a vegetarian in Portland is easy. Most places you can order food without meat, but knowing which restaurants contain the best food is key to any diet. The only real problem being a vegetarian in Portland poses is that there may be too many options available. With this quick and easy guide, you can narrow down the problem to a few restaurants in and around town.

Le Bistro Montage
Le Bistro Montage, more commonly known as Montage, has a variety of vegetarian options, ranging from their famous macaroni and cheese to the linguini and jambalaya. Although they are considered a Cajun-style restaurant and most of their dishes are served with meat, as a vegetarian, it is worth it to go for their macaroni and exciting atmosphere. What it comes down to is that I have never had a bad meal at Montage. It is always worth every penny.

Pita Pit
With a recently opened Portland State campus location near the bookstore, Pita Pit is an ideal location for lunch on campus when you are bored with sandwiches and salads. They have a whole menu dedicated to veggie pitas. The garden and cheddar are essentially salads within pitas, but if you are feeling a little more daring try the feta, falafel, hummus or baba ghanoush pitas. The good thing is that you customize every pita how you want it. When you choose what you want to eat, you cannot go wrong.

Pastini Pastaria
When you’re in the mood for pasta, Pastini Pastaria has something for every pasta lover, and we vegetarians know that pasta is an important part of the vegetarian diet. Most Italian restaurants have salads, but Pastini offers a big variety of salads for your pleasure. Their menu includes options for purely vegetarian pasta. At a very reasonable price for a good amount of fantastic food you can find pasta with a simple garlic and olive oil sauce to pastas with zucchini, kalamatas, broccoli, sweet peas and much more. One of my favorite places to get anything pasta related.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill
If you want to go somewhere where you can create your own pasta then go to Romano’s Macaroni Grill. That is, however, one of the few things you vegetarians will be able to eat. While their fettuccini alfredo is a classic choice and very tasty, if you want cheaper pasta with lots of amazing vegetarian options then the Macaroni Grill is not your top priority.

McMenamins Market Street Pub
While they may not have as many vegetarian options as some other places, they still have some great items on their menu. From their great spinach artichoke dip to the few non-meat salads to the special burrito, amazing high pasta, the beer garden burger, boca burger and two vegetarian sandwiches. What’s nice about McMenamins is that they offer a variety amongst their veggie options.

Pizza Schmizza
If you are tired of the same old vegetarian pizza, stop by Pizza Schmizza for a slice. With a variety of tastes and toppings you cannot go wrong. If you are in the mood for something different other than the standard pizza taste with marinara sauce, give Popeye and Olive Oil a try with its alfredo sauce it is different than a lot of pizzas out there.

Café Yumm
If you do not mind a slight commute to Beaverton, stop by Café Yumm. Café Yumm is actually difficult to describe, or rather simple, depending on how you look at it because the name says it all. They have Yumm Bowls with a variety of flavors. The bowls contain cheddar, diced tomato, fresh avocado slices, sour cream, black olives, cilantro and different kinds of rice depending on what you order, as well as various sauces and salsas. There are also sandwiches, soups and specialties that are vegetarian friendly as well. It is a bit more expensive, considering it is basically fast food—but it is wonderful fast food and there is nothing else like it.

Lupe’s Escape
Here is a wonderful little hole in the wall in Beaverton found along T.V. Highway. Lupe’s Escape consists of a fun atmosphere and reasonably priced Mexican food with a very friendly staff. Vegetarians, let me just say they have the best vegetarian quesadilla ever. Lupe’s goes past the standard cheese and adds in onions, olives, tomatoes, mild green chilies and garlic all topped with sour cream. It is wonderful, and most of the menu items are slightly more expensive than Chipotle.