The place to seek out scrumptious vegan choices in Des Moines – together with Cinnaholic, Fortunate Lotus, A Dong, El Michoacano Taquería, Dough Co., and Ritual Cafe.
Plus, vegan purchasing & native assets.
Searching for vegan choices in Des Moines, Iowa? You’re in luck!
With taco pizza, flavorful pad Thai, indulgent birria tacos, and Ethiopian stews, there’s a wealth of plant-based choices in Iowa’s capital metropolis.
(When you can solely go to one or two locations, Fortunate Lotus and Dough Co. are my favorites!)
Whereas there aren’t any absolutely vegan sit-down eating places within the better Des Moines space at present, there’s an all-vegan cinnamon roll store, a vegan meals truck and pop-ups, and loads of plant-based choices at non-vegan eating places.
Scroll on for the various vegan dishes on supply. Plus, on the backside of this put up, you’ll discover cruelty-free purchasing choices on the town.
On this put up:
Bounce to:
Cinnaholic
Des Moines has two areas of the vegan cinnamon roll franchise, Cinnaholic!
One location is on Grand within the East Village (not removed from Zombie Burger, and simply across the nook from Raygun). The opposite location is in Ankeny.
On the East Village location, there’s seating inside with tables, couches, and a bar going through the window. Plus, there are a few tables exterior to flee the crowds.
They’ve gourmand, create-your-own cinnamon rolls.
Plus, tempting treats like brownies and cookies. (The chocolate chip cookies are SO GOOD.)
All the things there may be vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free.
We went with a cinnamon roll topped with vanilla frosting and strawberries.
And a second one topped with almond frosting and caramel drizzle.
They’re served contemporary, scorching, and undeniably scrumptious.
In addition they promote vegan gentle serve ice cream. You’ll be able to get pleasure from it in a cone. Or have it in a bowl with any of their cinnamon roll toppings.
Fortunate Lotus
Fortunate Lotus is a Southeast Asian restaurant on Ingersoll Avenue with a number of vegan choices. It’s my favourite restaurant in Des Moines!
The inside has a very enticing design with paper lanterns & parasols hanging from the ceiling.
The menu is clearly labeled with leaves subsequent to what may be ready vegan.
Listed below are a few of my favourite choices:
- Bing bing wrap with tofu (I LOVE a scallion pancake!)
- Crispy rice wraps (Or benefit from the fillings sans wrap in a Nam Khao platter.)
- Pad Thai with veggies & tofu
- Fiery Monk with tofu
The portion sizes are tremendous beneficiant.
Come able to share or to have leftovers!
Plain Speak Books and Espresso
Plain Speak Books & Espresso has been an East Village staple since 2009.
Some time again they began providing scrumptious vegan sandwiches with Herbivorous Butcher seitan, in addition to slices & cheeses from Discipline Roast.
Ask for his or her separate vegan menu, the place they’ve sandwiches like a chickpea tuna soften, buffalo grilled cheese, BLT bagel sandwich, and construct your personal choices.
Plus, potato salad & pasta salad.
The bagels and breads come from River to River Bakery. You’ll be able to style the freshness.
The traditional diner-style house is lovely. And you may also decide up some used books when you’re there.
Ritual Café
Ritual Café is a longtime vegetarian restaurant & espresso store in Des Moines.
Many of the sandwiches on the menu may be ready vegan. And there are a number of objects which are vegan as-is.
I really like the optimistic & low key vibes there. Plus, they make an ideal soy latte.
For meals choices, I’ve loved the grilled hummus sandwich ready vegan, in addition to the candy potato & black bean burrito, which may be very flavorful.
New World Kitchen
New World Kitchen used to have a full brick and mortar vegan restaurant in Des Moines, which I at all times loved visiting. It’s not round anymore.
However they do have a weekly pop-up for meal prep-style dishes.
Their menu adjustments. However anticipate issues like mushroom & millet vegan bacon strips, cashew queso, and taco salad.
Get the entire ordering particulars on the New World Kitchen web site.
Zombie Burger
Zombie Burger is a Des Moines favourite amongst vegans & non-vegans alike.
They’ve areas within the East Village of downtown Des Moines and Jordan Creek.
For vegans on the downtown location, they’ve three burger choices – a veggie nut patty, Past Meat patty, or a portobello mushroom.
At Jordan Creek, solely the Past Meat patty is obtainable.
My favourite factor to order is the Undead Glenn topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and vegan zombie sauce. The zombie sauce is just like a spicy Thousand Island dressing with sriracha as a substitute of ketchup.
Vegan cheese is obtainable for a further cost.
Order the burgers with a facet of normal or candy potato fries.
El Michoacano Taquería
El Michoacano Taquería is an informal, order-at-the-counter restaurant on Merle Hay Street. There are tables for eating in on the restaurant. Or meals may be made to go.
It’s a non-vegan restaurant. Nonetheless, the whole lot may be made vegan. That features quesabirria tacos, flautas, sopes, empanadas, burritos, and velvety refried beans.
They’ve soy-based vegan meat, in addition to vegan cheese that I’ve heard is Observe Your Coronary heart.
The separate vegan menu isn’t apparent within the restaurant. So select what you need by visiting their web site and selecting from the vegan menu.
Heads up: When you’re wanting in your cellphone, it may be just a little tough to seek out it. Bear in mind that along with the separate vegan menu, there’s a tab to tug down for extra choices past tacos.
Vegan sopes are made with a layer of masa dough that’s been fried right into a cup.
It’s crisp on the skin and gentle on the within. They’re topped with a soy-based meat, beans, lettuce, and vegan cheese.
An excellent scrumptious & decadent choice!
Vegan flautas are crammed with delicate potatoes.
The fried tortillas are topped with non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. They’re served with a fried jalapeño on the facet.
Vegan refried beans are topped with non-dairy cheese and guacamole.
They stated that usually they serve a skinny avocado sauce as their guacamole. However if you’d like a chunky guacamole, simply ask for the thick fashion.
The guacamole has a number of brilliant lime flavors and tastes very contemporary. The refried beans are fantastically clean.
In fact, you may also get tacos. They provide quite a lot of sauces & kinds.
Veggie Thumper
Throughout heat climate months, vegan meals truck, Veggie Thumper, brings plant primarily based consolation meals to the Des Moines metro.
Menu choices change, however search for dishes like a Frisco soften, vegan Philly cheesesteak (above), vegan pulled pork, tacos, and nachos.
For dessert, don’t miss the fudge bars, that are assured to soften in your mouth.
In addition they have occasional specialty pop-ups round holidays in cooler months. Control their Instagram web page for particulars.
Gursha Ethiopian Grill
Whenever you want Ethiopian meals in a rush, you may’t beat Gursha within the Drake neighborhood.
Merely order on the counter. Then wots are ladled onto injera proper in entrance of you.
Plus, the entire vegetarian choices are absolutely vegan, which implies you’ve a number of choices.
My favorites at Gursha are missir wot with berbere seasoned lentils and alicha with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes.
Ordering for one? Decide two vegetarian wots of your alternative.
Or for those who’re going with one other particular person, have the entire vegetarian wots on one plate to share (proven above).
When you’re not a fan of injera, additionally they supply rice.
Dough Co. Pizza
Simply down the block from Gursha Ethiopian Grill, you’ll discover Dough Co. Pizza. (They’ve a location within the Drake neighborhood in addition to one in Ankeny.)
They make a scrumptious New York fashion skinny crust pizza that’s completely puffy across the edges.
They’ve a number of tempting vegan choices – together with an irresistible vegan taco pizza!
Take pleasure in any of their pizzas with Unimaginable sausage and vegan cheese. Or for those who really feel like a sandwich as a substitute, order a vegan grinder. (Everybody raves about them!)
Along with pizza & sandwiches, you may also order vegan breadstick bites to start out, and cinnamon dippers for dessert.
(For an inside peek, try this Instagram reel I made that includes their taco pizza!)
Open Sesame
Open Sesame Lebanese café is a positioned within the Des Moines East Village.
It’s a small house, however adorned in such a method that seems like a particular, hidden gem.
The vegan choices are usually not marked on the menu. Nonetheless, once we had been there, the employees had no drawback pointing us to vegan dishes and/or telling us find out how to modify non-vegan choices.
A Dong
A Dong is a Vietnamese restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a big and assorted menu. The have ample indoor seating and a car parking zone, which makes it a straightforward place to hit up for lunch or dinner.
They’ve a separate vegetarian part on the menu. And the pleasant employees may be very educated about what may be ready vegan. So make sure you let your server know you’re vegan when ordering.
The tofu stir-fried with curry and greens (CƠM TÀU HỦ XÀO CÀ RI) is dotted with contemporary broccoli, carrots, and cilantro in a aromatic sauce. It’s served with rice on the facet.
The Vietnamese-style crispy pancake (BÁNH XÈO CHAY) is listed within the “gentle entrees” part of the vegetarian menu. Nonetheless, it’s a really beneficiant portion dimension.
The thick crepe is full of tofu, bean sprouts, and veggies. It’s served with facet of crispy lettuce, cilantro, mint, cucumbers, and lemon sauce for drizzling.
I discovered this entree to be just a little bland. It largely tasted just like the oil the pancake was cooked in. So I added soy sauce from the desk. I’ll order one thing else subsequent time.
I’ve heard nice issues about in regards to the vegetarian stuffed tofu (CƠM TÀU HỦ DỒN CHAY). It’s served with sauteed greens and tomato sauce. I undoubtedly need to attempt that the subsequent time I go to.
Malo
Malo is a Latin restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a pleasant outside patio.
They’ve a number of vegan objects together with:
- Vegan burrito with refried beans & tater tots
- Portobello tacos (An excellent spicy kick and well-rounded taste!)
- Crispy onion & avocado taco
Vegan chorizo can also be out there for a further cost.
Cool Basil
For extra of a sit-down restaurant vibe, Cool Basil in Clive is a good choice.
Whereas this Thai restaurant isn’t totally vegan, they’re completely happy to arrange dishes with out fish sauce, oyster sauce, and eggs when doable. You simply must ask.
Plus, if you get your receipt on the finish of the meal, the phrases “no fish sauce, no oyster sauce” are printed proper on it. That offers some assurance that the message obtained by to the again of the home.
They don’t supply seitan. Nonetheless, tofu is obtainable or they’ll exchange meat with further greens.
I wish to get one thing completely different each time I’m going, as there are many vegan-izable choices to go round to range your order.
Ceviche Bar
Ceviche Bar is positioned within the East Village in downtown Des Moines.
They actually profit from the small house, which is fantastically adorned. And there’s additionally patio eating exterior.
Along with quite a lot of cocktails and non-vegan choices, they’ve a separate vegan menu.
The vegan menu is mainly made up of facet dishes and veggies they’re already utilizing on the principle menu, simply with the meat eliminated. (For a diminished value too, which I respect.)
They’ve rice and beans both with grilled yuca or tostones, a salad, or paella.
In addition they have a vegan Cubano sandwich with no vegan meats, however as a substitute romaine, sautéed peppers, capers, and asparagus.
The vegan paella comes with corn, bell peppers, inexperienced beans, onions, and some spears of asparagus. On the facet, a number of slices of Texas toast.
The dish was purported to be served with fried plantains, which was a giant promoting level for me. However after I ordered it, they had been nowhere to be discovered.
The paella was fantastic, however oily & salty. There’s room for extra taste.
(I had paella leftover. So after I obtained residence, I added smoked tofu to it, in addition to pickled jalapeños. It actually added loads.)
If Ceviche Bar added some vegan meats or smoked tofu to the dishes, it could take them up a notch.
(A Cuban sandwich could be much more tempting full of seitan as a substitute of simply romaine and asparagus.)
As you may see from the images, it wasn’t particularly busy. Nonetheless, our server appeared actually irritated we had been there, and solely interacted with us when he completely needed to. So all in all, I wouldn’t hurry again.
Fong’s Pizza
Fong’s Pizza has two areas – downtown Des Moines and Ankeny.
It’s a quirky, divey restaurant, specializing in uncommon pizzas.
The downtown Des Moines location has much more vegan choices & a clearly marked menu.
It consists of cauliflower wings and garlic cheese bread made with non-dairy cheese for appetizers.
In your entrée, search for avocado rangoon pizza, ramen pizza, or construct your personal.
They’ve a number of distinctive sauces & kinds, however no vegan meats.
The ambiance is enjoyable. They usually have late hours, which is good.
Blaze Pizza
Blaze Pizza is a quick meals chain that’s just like Chipotle in idea.
A pizza maker stands behind the counter and slides down a row of toppings with you, asking which of them you’d like in your particular person pizza.
(Relying in your urge for food, one pizza may serve two.)
The pizzas are cooked in a brick oven for 180 seconds and served with blackened crisp edges. Each the standard & gluten free crusts are vegan.
You’ll be able to go together with the skinny crust or high-rise for just a little further, which provides a extra pillowy crust.
The traditional purple and spicy purple sauces are vegan together with the barbecue sauce or olive oil.
In addition they supply Daiya vegan cheese and vegan chorizo. The chorizo is harking back to Dealer Joe’s soy chorizo.
Different vegan topping choices embrace: artichokes, arugula, banana peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, garlic, contemporary basil, jalapeños, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, purple onions, purple peppers, sautéed onions, spinach, vegan chorizo, and zucchini.
(For extra quick informal choices, try this put up on vegan quick meals.)
Centro
For a sit-down choice, Centro in downtown Des Moines has some vegan choices.
Tofu gnocchi is on each the dinner and weekend brunch menus.
Once I had this dish, I discovered it to be inoffensive however uninteresting. Nonetheless, since I visited, this menu merchandise has been up to date.
The tofu gnocchi now consists of mushroom bolognese, child kale, cashew cream, and pine nut gremolata.
Centro additionally has wood-fired pizzas on supply.
The vegan sausage pizza comes with house-made sausage, vegan mozzarella, and purple sauce.
Railroad Invoice’s Eating Automobile
Railroad Invoice’s offers you that greasy spoon expertise with vegan French toast, biscuits & gravy, and cheesesteak sandwiches.
They’ve a separate vegan menu, which is at all times appreciated.
The house is small, and it will probably get busy on weekends. So you could have a wait. There’s a small outside consuming space as effectively.
The vegan Invoice’s Breakfast comes with a turmeric-heavy tofu scramble, toast, residence fries, and vegan sausage.
The scramble is on the oily facet & dotted with bell peppers and onions. I want a greater variety of seasonings in my scramble.
(The vegan pork rinds pictured above are now not out there.)
Shops & assets
Listed below are some extra native shops and assets that you just gained’t need to miss.
The Collective
The Collective is a vegan + sustainable store in Highland Park.
Search for pure physique merchandise like razors with replaceable blades, deodorants, and physique butters.
You are able to do bulk refills of soaps, shampoos, and cleansing sprays.
Whereas I used to be there, I picked up bamboo toothbrushes and wood tops for my mason jars.
They’re open Wednesday by Sunday. You can too discover them doing pop-up occasional pop-ups all through the summer season.
MARNē
MARNē is a sustainable + vegan boutique within the East Village. They promote high quality, high-end staples like tops, bottoms, and attire.
You can too discover vegan baggage, footwear, and physique merchandise. I spied a number of pairs of Matt & Nat footwear whereas I used to be there.
Thistle’s Summit
Refill on vegan and gluten-free baked items and specialty merchandise at Thistle’s Summit. (Don’t neglect the oatmeal cream pies!)
This downtown Des Moines plant-based bakery and catering firm has a number of tasty treats on your kitchen – together with cheeses from one in every of my favourite dairy-free cheesemakers, Darë.
They’re open Thursday to Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm.
Des Moines Farmers Market
The downtown farmers market runs from the primary Saturday in Could by the final Saturday in October.
It has a festive, fair-like ambiance with meals distributors, domestically grown produce, stay music, arts and crafts.
It’s an ideal place to satisfy up with pals and benefit from the summer season vibes.
Seize a smoothie, juice, or uncooked tacos on the Recent Wheatgrass Woman tent on the nook of third & Court docket Avenue.
Extra vegan restaurant choices in Iowa
For extra plant-based choices within the Hawkeye state, try these posts:
Content material up to date December 31, 2024. Initially posted June 24, 2014.
