Let’s be honest, vegan-friendly and vegetarian restaurants are hot right now. While veganism might be a quintessential Vancouver thing, there are options outside of Vancouver as well.

With this post, we aim to bring you some vegan-friendly, as well as vegan options in Metro Vancouver that are easily accessible by transit.

Remember, these are just a sampling and we are by no means experts. So, please let us know of other transit-friendly vegan/vegetarian spots we missed. We’d love to try them!

Note: Restaurant timings, menu, and prices may be subject to change. Check each restaurant’s website for exact details.

1. Meet Restaurant (Main St, Yaletown & Gastown)

Location: 4288 Main Street, Vancouver
Transit: Buses 3, 25

Their award-winning menu strikes a chord when it comes to comfort food. The restaurant claims more than half its patrons are meat-eaters trying their hands at vegan options. Try their sweet-chili cauliflower deep fried in beer batter and glazed with a chili ginger sauce.

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2. Virtuous Pie (UBC & Chinatown)

Location: 3339 Shrum Lane, Vancouver (UBC Wesbrook Village)

Transit: Buses 25, 33, 41, 43

With two locations (Chinatown and UBC), Virtuous Pie focuses on pizza and ice-cream made 100 per cent from plants. Their cheeses are made from nuts, and the three-day doughs are hand-stretched. Mondays are all-day happy hours.

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3. Paradise Noodle House

Location: 8681, 10^th Avenue, Burnaby
Transit: Buses 101, 128

For meat-lovers, pho and vegetarian may not sound good together, but this noodle house is based on that premise. They serve vegan Vietnamese food and have been around since 2003. Try their  Vegan Veggie Beef Rice noodle soup (Pho) and Hot and Sour Soup (Canh Chua).

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4. Chickpea Food Truck

Location: 884 W Cordova St (restaurant at 4298 Main Street, Vancouver)
Transit: Expo Line

Owners Rotem Tal and Itamar Shani, both originally from Israel, originally had a food truck, but a storefront was added in 2017. You can find the truck downtown during the week and cruising through festivals, farmers’ markets and local breweries on the weekends.

Sauce Game, Level 100 ???
Visiting the truck or restaurant —> do not forget to sauce it up‼️
//saucy ? by @vegan_food_vancouver pic.twitter.com/SqDSoEqP1S

— chickpea (@ILoveChickpea) August 13, 2018

5. Umaluma (Dessert)

Location: 235 East Pender Street, Vancouver
Transit: Expo Line, Buses 3, 8, 19, 95 B-Line

This 100 per cent dairy-free Gelato spot offers a vegan dessert experience in the heart of Chinatown. Their ice-cream base is made of coconut, hemp, and cashew butter, and comes in eclectic flavours such as lemongrass kaffir, and saffron orange!

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6. Workshop Vegetarian Cafe

Location: 296 Pemberton Ave, North Vancouver
Transit: Buses 236, 239 240, 241

This Japanese-inspired café prides itself on its hand-crafted organic ramen! Try their Kyoto style udon, or ask for seasonal Wednesday specials.

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7. Buddha Full

Location: 106, West 1st Street, North Vancouver
Transit: Buses 239, 240, 241

Friends Geremie Voigt and Kyla Rawlins opened this organic, raw vegan and gluten-free cafe on the North Shore in 2010, with another one that opened in 2017 (North Vancouver). You can have smoothies, juices, sweet bowls, baja bowls, and salads!

Our ingredients arrive whole & #fresh, and are prepared daily to make sure your meal is delicious and nourishing ? #NorthVancouver pic.twitter.com/40NyRFYREC

— Buddha-Full (@BuddhaFullCafe) August 24, 2018

8. Kokomo (Chinatown & Kitsilano)

Location: 611 Gore Ave, Chinatown
Transit: Expo Line, Buses 3, 8, 19, 22, 95 B-Line

This plant-focused café serves nourishing bowls, smoothies, vegan soft serve ice cream, cold brew coffee, and juice. Their menu is updated weekly. Try the golden laksa noodles made with rice noodles zucchini, spicy carrots, cucumber, green onion, cilantro and basil!

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9. Juice Truck (Steveston, Yaletown , Mount Pleasant, Gastown & Downtown)

Location: 12151 First Ave, Richmond
Transit: Buses 401, 402, 410

Founded in 2011, by Zach Berman and Ryan Slater, the Juice Truck was inspired by the mobile juice carts of India. If juices aren’t your thing, you can also try their bowls. And if you’re craving something sweet, try the almond chocolate cup, or the peanut butter fudge. Mmmm!

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10. The Gluten Free Epicurean (Desserts)

Location: 633 East 15th Avenue, Vancouver
Transit: Buses 8, 9, 19, 99 B-Line

100% gluten-free delights for celiac, gluten sensitive, and vegan patrons, The Gluten Free Epicurean also holds baking classes. Try their daily specials, as well as pies and cakes by the slice.

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These are just a handful of vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants that we thought deserved a mention. Which is your favorite one? Let us know if we missed any others!

Fall is still a few weeks away, so take advantage of this beautiful weather and head to a beach ! If you are not a beach lover, don’t worry. Here are some farmers’ markets in Metro Vancouver that offer some delicious eats. You can also hit these popular ice cream spots if you love your sundaes.

Remember, fall service changes come into effect Sept 3, so make sure you plan your trip in advance. Tap to Pay provides you with an option to pay for your transit fare — just tap your contactless Visa or Mastercard credit card and be on your way. Compass Card is still your best option for reduced fares.

Author: Tanushree Pillai