Madison
There are many great vegan options in Wisconsin’s capital city, and I like to explore more every time I go, so I’ll update this page often: make sure to bookmark it or check it often to see what’s new!
This page is organized from cheapest to most expensive.
Dumpling Haus (Asian) $
Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace (Mexican) $$
Monty’s Blue Plate (American) $$
The Green Owl (American) $$
Sookie’s Veggies Burgers (American $$)
Lao Laan-Xang ($$) (Laotian)
Mad Rabbit Cafe ($$) (various)
Bar Corralini (Italian) $$$
Amara (Mediterranean) $$$$
Dumpling Haus (Asian)
Located in the Hilldale Shopping Center on Midvale Blvd, this small restaurant has delicious inexpensive vegan options on their menu. Perfect for a quick bite before or after seeing a movie.
Pictured left are the veggie wontons and the veggie bao, but they also have noodle dishes.
Check out their website for the full menu:
https://www.dumplinghaus.com/menu
Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream
I was so happy to see four different vegan flavors at the Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream on Atwood! Three are water-based sorbet, I tried the electrifying watermelon (sour but I love it!) and strawberry flavors, but there’s also a lemon one. I’ll have to go back for that ;)
My husband had the oat milk based chocolate chip cookie flavor: everything was delicious!
The location on Atwood Ave has some seating inside and some outside, right by the bike trail, but there are many locations in town. For a complete list click here!
Tex Tubb’s Taco Palace
So happy with the many many vegan and clearly labeled options at Tex Tubbs’ Taco Palace.
This colorful restaurant is located in the Atwood neighborhood and can get quite busy because the food is excellent. Some of the tacos are unusual (fried avocado, squash etc.), cost 4 or 5 dollars each, and the drinks are delicious. There are several burrito options and nachos too.
Not to forget dessert: their churros are vegan, served with vegan gelato! Save some room to make sure to include them at the end of your meal!
They have gender neutral bathrooms.
To see a full menu, click here
Monty’s Blue Plate Diner (American)
Decorated like a traditional American diner, with a touch of blue, this popular restaurant is located on Atwood Blvd and is often busy, so be prepared to wait.
There is a separate vegan menu, many drinks (including ice cream floats) are offered, and the portions are generous.
Pictured right are the banana walnut vegan pancakes (made with almond milk) and the “Big Vegan Breakfast” which consists of a tofu scramble, seitan, fries and toast. They also have sandwiches, wraps and a Beyond burger.
There are MANY options for dessert… one could stop there just for a slice of vegan pie!
Check out their website for the full menu:
https://www.montysblueplatediner.com/menus/#vegan-menu
The Green Owl (American)
Located in the Atwood neighborhood, this all-vegan restaurant (that has some dairy options) has a wide variety of dishes and many vegan desserts. Since COVID and the change of ownership, they don’t offer table service anymore, and have a stronger focus on to-go order, which means there is more plastic than there used to be.
The food there is delicious, and the menu will make you feel like ordering everything but I have to say it has become quite expensive for a different kind of restaurant experience! Also, if you order an appetizer, it comes with the rest of your food, so be mindful of that if you like your food hot.
Pictured left are the Pesto Alfredo ($14 but you can easily share it or have leftovers) and the Mushroom Burger (with a Beyond patty as the regular patty contains soy).
The specials change regularly as well as the “burger” of the week, so make sure to take a minute to check those out!
Click here to see their menu
Sookie’s Veggie Burgers
If you want fast food or are looking for something quick on State Street, this place is perfect for you.
It is located only a few steps off State Street, on Gilman Street): Look for the rainbow awning!
Sookie’s Veggie Burgers is a small 100% plant based restaurant with several booths and a gender neutral bathroom.
The basic burgers are $13, and you can add extras (guac, vegan cheese, sauce etc.) I had the chipotle black bean burger, which was good, and tater sticks for my side, which were nice and crispy!
For more info and a full menu, click here!
Lao Laan-Xang
Depending on where you are visiting from, this might be a very exotic food, and believe me it’s delicious!
Lao Laan-Xang is located on Atwood Avenue on the West side of town, they have a large space inside with tables and booths, but also do take-out orders.
I tend to always get the squash curry, because it’s my favorite, but I’ve been happy with several other things I’ve tried there.
The portions are generous and I always have leftovers from the curry.
For a more info and a full menu, click here.
Mad Rabbit Cafe
On Williamson Street, not far from lake Monona and a twenty minute walk to the Capitol, Mad Rabbit Cafe offers a variety of delicious vegan food.
This 100% plant-based restaurant has flatbreads ($17), wraps, sandwiches and burgers (GF buns available), salads, and a wonderful cheese platter (although $28) so you’re bound to find something to like.
They have one gender neutral bathroom, and be aware that they play pretty loud punk rock music (or at least they did the day we ate there.
For more info and a full menu, click here.
Bar Corallini (Italian)
Also located on Atwood Ave, Bar Corallini is a great option for a special occasion: great cocktails, a vegan menu including appetizers, pasta, pizza, and a couple of desserts.
Pictured right are two pasta dishes: Fusilloni Malloreddus on top and Fusilloni Caio e Pepe on the bottom. Each was about $20, but the portions are generous and I only ate half of mine.
If you know you want to eat at Bar Corallini, I strongly recommend making a reservation ahead of time. They have many booths but they fill out fast! If you don’t have a reservation, they have some high tables and a bar where you can sit if there is room.
My favorite dessert there is the affogato, with vegan dark chocolate ice cream and a shot of espresso (decaf is possible and just as delicious!)
Check out their website for the full menu:
Amara
A Mediterranean inspired restaurant in the Hilldale Shopping Center, this upscale and beautiful restaurant has a few vegan dishes on their menu. It is an expensive restaurant, but the food was really flavorful and well prepared.
We tried the Eggplant Caponata ($14) for starters, a cold eggplant dish, and it was delicious. The sourdough bread was particularly tasty. For our main entrée, we had the cauliflower steak ($29), which was surprising in the different flavors it included, with a white bean hummus, almonds, and an endive/fennel/radish salad, among other things. It was really good!
Click here for more info and their full menu.
Have you been to these or other restaurants in Madison with good vegan options? What would you recommend?
Let me know in the comments below!