Travel // On the Road to North America’s Most Vegetarian-Friendly Cities

America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Large Cities

#1 Portland, Oregon

Other cities might be bigger, but beautiful Portland, Oregon, reigns as the most vegetarian-friendly large city in the United States. From food-cart vendors who hawk vegetarian eats on the street to restaurants that offer more upscale cuisine, Portland sure caters to every vegetarian's wallet and palate with a seemingly unending array of choices.

Several restaurants focus exclusively on animal-friendly fare, including Veganopolis, which will tempt your taste buds with delicious, affordable offerings such as the Tofurky Melt, the Seitan Caesar sandwich, and an assortment of vegetarian burgers and grinders. If you like food from the other side of the world, check out Vege Thai and the Chinese-style Vegetarian House. Both of these restaurants serve a wide variety of mock meats and other tasty dishes. The Kalga Kafé offers great organic, international vegetarian choices and is open late.

Wake up and head over to the Paradox Palace Café for breakfast, where you'll find vegan versions of pancakes, French toast, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. (It also serves a dinner menu.) Later on, swing over to Zack's Shack, a hole-in-the-wall stand, for a tofu-dog lunch on the go. Or get a soy cheese- and veggie-topped pie at It's a Beautiful Pizza, where you can lounge on the patio and knock back a few beers while you wait. For sensationally sweet treats, try Scooter's for vegan ice cream, or head to Voodoo Donuts, which offers an ever-changing variety of decadent vegan donuts. Dot's Café offers a wide variety of hearty fare, including a falafel sandwich, a beans-and-rice platter, burritos, a daily vegan soup, spicy fries with tofu sauce, and the scrumptious Vegan Deluxe sandwich.

If you live in Portland, you've probably already heard of Food Fight!, a vegan grocery store that offers fantastic vegan vittles. If you can't make it to Portland, never fear—Food Fight! can ship goodies right to your door. There's also the Daily Grind grocery store, which makes vegan pies, cookies, and breads. It also has an extensive bulk-food section. (The vegan coconut ice cream gets an A+.) Portland-based Herbivore Clothing doesn't sell food, but its hot threads will let you spread the word about vegetarianism wherever your travels take you. Bike store VeloShop will supply you with nonleather riding gloves, footwear, and other cycling accessories. Don't forget about your companion animals: Portland Pet Supply has bulk vegetarian treats, and they'll even give your doggy pal a free sample. For more tips on the vegetarian scene in Portland, check out Food Fight!'s guide, or visit Northwest Veg’s helpful Web site. Also, the terrific animal rights group Compassion Over Killing has unveiled VegPortland.com, a comprehensive guide to all the vegetarian-friendly restaurants, groceries, and bakeries in the Portland area.

Top Tip: Paradox Palace Café and Voodoo Donuts make Portland one of the tastiest places anywhere to eat breakfast.

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