Vegan Buffalo NY: The Ultimate Buffalo Vegan Restaurant Guide

It's easy being vegan in Buffalo, NY! Buffalo, New York is a very vegan-friendly city. While there aren't too many entirely plant-based establishments, there's no shortage of vegetarian and vegan meals at local restaurants.

This is a Buffalo vegan restaurant guide so the herbivores in the crowd won't go hungry when you travel to Buffalo. I'll show you the best 100% plant-based restaurants, as well as the vegan-friendly ones that have fantastic veggie offerings. If you're vegetarian, vegan, or veg-curious, definitely use this guide to help you eat your way around the city!

Vegan Restaurants in Buffalo: Strong Hearts

I've been a longtime fan of Strong Hearts. Their vegan restaurant in Syracuse is one of the very first all-vegan restaurants I ever visited and it holds a special place in my heart for that reason. When I heard that Strong Hearts was opening their second location in Buffalo, I jumped at the opportunity to visit when my blogger friend, Mikkel was in town.

This is an excellent vegan restaurant in Buffalo to bring your friends, whether they follow a vegan diet or not. The eclectic menu is full of creative, delicious eats, and there's something for every taste. There are several kinds of vegan wings, three kinds of mac n cheese, a pierogi plate, salads, sides, and then a huge menu of burgers and sandwiches.

I chose their fried chicken burger and Mikkel ordered a sandwich, though I can't remember exactly which one (sorry!). Strong Hearts has a vibrant mural reminiscent of street art splashed across one of the walls. There are also many tantalizing desserts up front to try after your meal or bring home with you. I also didn't get the chance to try one of their dozens of flavors of milkshakes, so I'm saving that for next time.

Buffalo Vegan Restaurants: Sunshine Vegan Eats

Sunshine Vegan Eats is another amazing vegan restaurant in Buffalo, NY. Chef Nikki creates incredible plant-based culinary delights that won't have you missing the meat. Try these vegan twists on American classics. You can dine in or order for take out or delivery through their website.

For breakfast, there's a breakfast plate with vegan bacon, home fries, tofu scramble and rye toast. There's also the chicken and waffles, cajun cheesy shrimp & grits, or the sunrise breakfast with hotcakes and tofu scramble.

There are numerous burgers, sausages, sandwiches, tacos, ribs, meatloaf, alfredo pasta, mac n cheese, lasagna rollups...seriously, there's just about everything you could think of on this menu and all of it is 100% vegan. Dine at Sunshine Vegan Eats numerous times and you won't even be halfway through the menu! I know that we'll be back for sure, we loved it.

Vegetarian and Vegan Buffalo NY: Amy's Place

Amy's Place is a vegetarian restaurant in Buffalo with many vegan options. It's a longstanding veggie spot in Buffalo since 1981. While they have limited hours (Wednesday to Saturday, 5-10pm), make time in your schedule to go to Amy's Place if you can as it's such an institution for veg food in Buffalo.

While we went back in the day for brunch (hopefully they'll bring that back!), their regular menu has a variety of vegan comfort food. Try seitan wings, curly fries, or hummus to start. There are a wide selection of sandwiches, like chicken souvlaki, beef on weck, seitan sandwiches and burgers. Save room for dessert, too!

Betty's

Betty's is a longstanding Buffalo restaurant that opened back in 2004. They serve fresh and unpretentious cuisine that draws on both American and international influences. While Betty's is not an entirely vegan or vegetarian restaurant, it's known for being super veg-friendly. There's a little heart beside the vegan items and "VEG" beside the vegetarian ones.

Betty's offers Buffalo chicken wings made from seitan with a side of vegan blue cheese dip. There's also a black bean quesadilla, chana masala, and a menu item called the "Vegan Tour of Buffalo". It contains vegan versions of all the local favorites: seitan beef on weck, Buffalo chicken wings, vegan blue cheese, tater tots, celery and carrots.

Swan Street Diner

The Swan Street Diner in Larkinville is a fully restored 1937 diner serving breakfast and lunch. This diner is located in one of the early Sterling Company diner cars made by the J.B. Judkins Company of Merrimac, Mass. It originally operated as the Newark Diner in Newark, New York (near Rochester). Eventually, it was fully restored and transformed into the Swan Sweet Diner in Buffalo.

The vegan dishes on the breakfast and lunch menus have a little V next to them. Try the tofu scramble, gingerbread waffle or oatmeal for breakfast. For lunch, there's a tempeh BLT and falafel wrap. It's possible to get veggie sausages as a side dish. I love that this American retro diner is so vegan-friendly.

Teton Kitchen

Teton Kitchen is a Thai and Japanese restaurant in Buffalo, and there's a whole vegan section of the menu. For sushi rolls, there are vegetable rolls, sweet potato tempura rolls, asparagus sushi, and tempura asparagus sushi. There's also edamame and a tofu steak, as well as veggie tempura that's vegan.

In terms of Thai food, you can order a vegan pad Thai, Thai basil fried rice, kimchee fried rice, glass noodle with tofu or veggies, and more. Going back to more Japanese food, try the yaki udon tofu, avocado nigiri or cucumber nigiri.

Essex St. Pub

The Essex Street Pub has been around since 1986 on the west side of Buffalo. It's a great local hang with sports on TV, a pool table, dart boards and a jukebox. While this pub doesn't have a massive menu, they did manage to include one vegan dish, the Vegan Club sandwich (crispy fried tofu, lettuce, tomato, vegan chipotle mayo on sourdough).

Mister Sizzle's

Mister Sizzle's has the goal of being the best burger restaurant in the world. Located on the west side of Buffalo, Mister Sizzle's serves up delicious eats, delightful cocktails, and takes pride in their excellent service.

I love that their menu is so vegan-friendly. They have a big selection of vegan milkshakes (just as many flavors as the dairy milkshakes!), and at least half of their smash burgers can be done vegan with an Impossible patty. You can also get the vegan loaded OG fries, and I believe that they are working on some vegan chicken products coming out in the future (stay tuned!).

Marble + Rye

While Marble + Rye is a restaurant specializing in meat, don't let that scare you away. The chef thoughtfully and willingly prepares vegan dishes, while adhering to his primary goal of using fresh, seasonal, and local ingredients. It's a worthy addition to this vegan Buffalo NY guide.

The menu has changed since my last visit in 2017 and has actually become more vegan-friendly. When we dined there, we ordered a vegan sharing plate (spicy cucumbers, crispy chickpeas, pickles, pickled onion rings and a farm salad). We also sampled a falafel dish and a vegan pasta dish with fresh vegetables.

Nowadays, there are several items with a V on the menu denoting the vegan offerings at Marble & Rye. Try the pakora with jalapeno sauce, the spicy cucumber salad, or the "cheese" pizza (a vegan cheese pizza with jalapeno, red onion and house sauce).

Mexican Vegan Food in Buffalo: Casa Azul

Casa Azul is a Mexican restaurant in Allentown, featuring tasty dishes that will keep people coming back and wanting more. I can say with certainty that I am dying to try their tacos again. There are many menu items marked with a V for vegetarian, and you can request that many of these are prepared vegan.

There are three vegan tacos: roasted cauliflower and shisito pepper, Brussels sprouts, and potato and poblano. From the starters section, order the guacamole, chips and salsa, rice and beans, or nopales salad. Some of their house specialties are vegetarian (fideo seco calabacita, enfrijoladas, and house made mole), though it seems that the dishes rely on having cheese in them, so it might not be possible to order vegan versions.

Breadhive Bakery & Cafe

Breadhive is a "worker cooperative bakery", meaning that the workers own the bakery. Five employees are responsible for running the bakery, and 65 community members own shares of it. All bread, bagels, and pretzels are made from sourdough, with two kinds of flour (one is local and the other is also a cooperative business).

Breadhive has several vegan options that are clearly marked on the menu with a little 'V'. I ordered the "Dolly": seitan, onions, BBQ sauce, pickles, and coleslaw. They also have kombucha on tap, and there are vegan cookies.

For breakfast, the "Shania" is a tofu and tempeh scramble breakfast sandwich with roasted red peppers, onion and turmeric. For lunch, the "Bjork" is a sandwich with tempeh bacon, spicy mayo, kimchi, sprouts and greens. You can also build your own sandwich using vegan cream cheese, hummus and more. With all of these options, definitely aim to check this place out on your vegan tour of Buffalo NY.

Beltline Brewery and Kitchen

Belt Line Brewery is not only one of the top Buffalo breweries, but it's also home to a great restaurant at their taproom. They serve a versatile selection of their own craft beer, like fruited sour beer, wheat ale with orange peel, various lagers, pilsner, grapefruit kolsch and many more.

The menu has a wide selection of pub eats and it's very vegan-friendly, too. There are small bites (fries, olives, cajun mixed nuts, hummus platter), burgers (including a vegan burger), sausages (including two vegan hotdogs), wings and sandwiches.

Hofbrauhaus Buffalo

Hofbrauhaus Buffalo is the first and only German micro brewery, beer hall, restaurant and beer garden to call Buffalo home. You'll get a taste of Oktoberfest right in Buffalo. On top of being one of the most unique breweries in Buffalo, it's also a vegan-friendly restaurant, too.

You can be sure that all of the beer is vegan as it's brewed according to the 500 year old Purity Law of 1516, like all German beers. The menu features a vegan schnitzel that you've just got to try, as well as vegan frankfurters and a vegan currywurst. Furthermore, there's live entertainment, so dining at Hofbrauhaus is truly a special experience.

Vegan Chocolate at Parkside Candy

As I was thinking about putting together this "Vegan Restaurants Buffalo NY" guide, I was hoping I'd be able to include some chocolates in the mix. Thankfully, Parkside Candy has chocolates without any animal products in them.

Choose from dark chocolate varieties like their dark chocolate peanut butter cups, the dark chocolate peanut clusters, and the dark chocolate nonpariels. You don't have to worry about missing out on these treats just because you follow a plant-based diet.

Parkside Candy is a super cute, retro candy shop. The vintage sign outside matches the throwback interior, with classic booths channeling the 1920s. Step back in time as you savor some melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Churn Soft Serve & Coffee

Churn Soft Serve & Coffee offers one vegan-friendly ice cream cone made out of coconut soft serve. You may be able to create some "churned up" treats or sundaes using only vegan toppings. Please inquire when you visit.

Vegan-Friendly Cafe: Public Espresso and Coffee

I thought this coffee shop was worth mentioning because I adore coffee and they have vegan options. Public Espresso and Coffee, located inside the historic Lafayette Hotel, has plant-based milk for your coffee, cappuccinos and lattes. They also have vegan biscotti to order along with your coffee.

Back in 2017, I ordered a peanut butter bagel here for a light breakfast. Thankfully, their vegan menu has expanded since then. You can build your own bowl, salad, bagel or sandwich. The vegan options include hummus, avocado smash, sliced avocado, roasted portobello, and a scrambled vegan egg, in addition to many veggie toppings.

Overwinter Coffee

While I have visited the Overwinter Coffee location in nearby Williamsville, there's are two more Overwinter locations in downtown Buffalo and Elmwood Village. This is a really vegan-friendly coffee shop. They have a variety of plant-based milks and often have vegan muffins and cookies as well.

Looking for More Vegan Guides in the USA?

I try to write vegan guides to every city that I visit around the world. As I've traveled to many cities in the US, I've compiled several vegan guides so far. Here's a list of our vegan restaurant and city guides:

• Vegan Guide to New Orleans, Louisiana
• Vegan Guide to Billings, Montana
• The Best Vegan Restaurants in Key West, Florida
• Vegan in Dutchess County, New York (Hudson Valley)
• Vegan Restaurants in San Diego, California
• Huntington Beach, California Vegan Restaurants
• Where to Find Vegan Food in Buena Park, California
• Best Vegan Restaurants in Santa Ana, CA
• The Best Vegan Restaurants in Portland, Maine
• Taking a Self-Guided Vegan Food Tour in Miami
• Tempe Arizona Vegan Restaurants
• Vegan Guide to Sedona, Arizona
• Nashville Vegan Guide
• Milwaukee Vegan Guide