The Best Vegan Restaurants in Thunder Bay, Ontario

Bonobo's Foods

Bonobo's Foods is a vegetarian cafe where the menu can be 100% vegan. They do offer some dairy cheese for some items, but everything can be made plant-based and vegan.

They're known for their comfort food and super filling veggie meals. I can totally back this one up: even after eating just one of their burgers, I was stuffed!

Bonobo's has daily specials throughout the week in addition to their main menu. On Tuesdays, it's fish tacos. On Wednesday's, it's the T.L.T. (tempeh lettuce tomaco).

So, you might want to plan accordingly. However, when I visited, I opted for one of their most popular menu items, the Bonobo Seed burger. It definitely lived up to the hype.

There are loads of other menu items: fish and chips, quinoa mac and cashew bites, cauliflower pakoras, and poutine (a Canadian favorite). The staff is super friendly, and I loved the vinyl records and paintings of animals up around the cafe.

There's even a small vegan grocery store inside the cafe if you'd like to stock up on a few items to make at home. I could see myself being a regular at Bonobo's Foods if I lived in Thunder Bay.

Thai Kitchen

Sometimes Thai vegan and vegetarian meals can be hard to find. There can be fish sauce or oyster sauce within the meal that isn't labeled on the menu.

Thankfully, the folks over at Thai Kitchen in Thunder Bay are well versed in veganism and happily create plant-based meals for the veggie peeps in the crowd.

Everything on the menu is clearly marked with a little leaf if it is vegetarian or can be prepared vegetarian. If you're vegan, make sure you let your server know.

I ordered the Pad Thai and asked for the "vegetarian version, no egg". She immediately asked, "are you vegan? If so, there is a special sauce."

I'm not sure how some of the vegetarian versions differ from the vegan versions in terms of sauce, but just quickly mention that you're vegan and they'll take care of you.

The ambiance of the restaurant is lovely and the food is so delicious. There was the perfect amount of mild spice, crispy tofu cubes, and just the right amount of peanuts. I ate every last bite, even if I was getting a little full towards the end.

There are plenty of other vegan and vegetarian dishes on the menu, making Thai Kitchen a worthy restaurant to add to my vegan Thunder Bay travel and dining guide.

Rooster's Bistro

Rooster's Bistro is a favourite breakfast, lunch and brunch establishment in Thunder Bay. I love that this is such a vegan-friendly restaurant.

On my first time dining there, I visited on a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed! You know that means that the food must be good.

Right at the top of the menu, it reads "Ask about our vegan options".

For lunch, I enjoyed their vegan wrap (grilled marinated tofu, roasted red peppers, red onions, fresh spinach, hummus and sun-dried tomato vegan mayo wrapped in a fresh tortilla).

The wrap was fresh and flavourful. I suggest ordering it with a side of garlic fries. It really elevates a standard side of fries with loads of garlicky goodness.

I have since returned to Rooster's Bistro for breakfast. It can always be difficult to find a great breakfast or brunch spot that's vegan or vegan-friendly.

Rooster's Bistro has a vegan breakfast dish with vegan eggs and tofu, potatoes and toast. All of their butter in the entire restaurant is plant-based, so you can be sure that it's vegan butter on your toast.

Growing Season

Growing Season has been a mainstay in Thunder Bay since 2009, offering fresh and healthy dishes and smoothies. This is one of my top picks for vegan lunch spots in Thunder Bay.

They use local produce when possible, the lentils are sprouted in-house, and their menu consists of homemade wraps, salads, soups, shakes and desserts.

I made my own bowl with rice, sprouts, celery, cucumber, tofu, and tahini dressing. The Cocomania Shake is super tasty (strawberry, banana, coconut water, ground flaxseed).

Rebel Salad

Rebel Salad is a build your own salad bar in Thunder Bay, and naturally, there are many vegan options.

First, choose your base of either greens, kale or brown basmati rice. Then, add your proteins (I chose tofu), veggie toppings, and dressings or sauces.

All of the vegan options are clearly marked on the menu board and on the little slip of paper where you write your order down. The staff are really friendly and helpful, and the food is made really fast.

It's a great option if you're dining in or having lunch on the go.

Masala Grille

Masala Grille is an Indian and Thai restaurant in Thunder Bay. It's very vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Everything with a "V" on the menu is vegan.

To start, we tried an order of the pakoras (vegetarian fritters made with shredded potatoes, onion, carrots & deep-fried in chickpea flour batter) that were really yummy.

For my main, I ordered the chana masala that came with rice. The plain naan is also vegan, so I had to sample that as well.

The service is fast, the servers are friendly, and the restaurant is inside a delightful house converted into a restaurant.

Nook

Nook is an Italian-inspired restaurant in Thunder Bay, serving up delicious meals made from scratch. They are famous in town for their wood-fired pizzas, along with tempting pasta dishes, appetizers and more.

Ask your server which dishes can be prepared vegan. There are a couple of pastas that can be made vegan, including the rigatoni arrabiata that I ordered.

I also tried the greens salad with chickpea, walnut and red onion (removing the cheese). They also have veganized pizza, but sadly no vegan cheese. Their patio is also dog-friendly.

Eat Local Pizza

Eat Local Pizza is a favourite pizza place in Thunder Bay, and they are vegan-friendly, too. They have vegan cheese as an option for all of their pizzas.

I ordered mine with vegan cheese and my favourite veggie toppings. You also have the option of adding vegan bacon or vegan pepperoni.

Madhouse

Madhouse is a really popular spot in Thunder Bay, and I'm sure it's because the food and drinks are so tasty.

However, you may not be able to find a seat, and you may need to wait a while for the food to be prepared. But, it's worth the wait.

Madhouse has a separate vegan menu, so make sure that you ask for that. There are several modified vegan meals, and I decided to get the falafel wrap.

It tasted really fresh and homemade, and it was one of the best falafels I've had in a while.

Nomad by Pinetree Catering

Nomad by Pinetree Catering are true nomads: they had a standalone location (that I'm sad to see go!), then temporarily moved to Goods & Co, and now you'll find them at the Thunder Bay Country Market.

They have another location at the Thunder Bay Airport. At the airport, I was excited to see a vegan tofu sandwich available. It's pretty rare to find a vegan sandwich at an airport, so I'm happy that I can rely on Nomad while I'm waiting to catch my flight.

They've got great coffee, too!

Thunder Bay Cafes with Vegan Options

Not only did I dine at tons of vegan Thunder Bay restaurants, but there are also vegan and vegan-friendly coffee shops around town.

Every coffee shop has multiple plant-based milks readily available (oat milk, almond milk, soy milk) and many of them have vegan baked goods, too.

Up Shot Coffeehouse

Locally roasted coffee, vegan baked goods...there's so much to love about Up Shot Coffeehouse. The coffee is rich and brewed to perfection.

All of the baked goods are vegan. They aren't labeled as such, but the friendly barista let me know that they indeed are all plant-based.

There are lots of specialty lattes on the menu, and the cafe itself is decorated so wonderfully.

If I lived in Thunder Bay, I have a feeling that Up Shot Coffeehouse would be my local go-to spot. I had one of their strawberry scones (scones can be tricky to find made vegan!) and it was really flavourful.

The scone paired perfectly with my coffee. Next time, I'll have to try one of their savoury jalapeno cheddar scones.

Bay Village Coffee

Bay Village Coffee is a delightful cafe in Thunder Bay that's also very vegan-friendly. First, they have coffee and tea with plant-based milk options.

Next, they used to have a vegan sandwich (no longer offered), but there are some bites and treats that are vegan. These are clearly marked in their display.

The Sweet North Bakery

The Sweet North Bakery has two locations in Thunder Bay, and it's a very vegan-friendly coffee shop. Unfortunately, they don't offer many vegan treats in recent years.

I'm really disappointed to see that the offerings have declined in comparison to what they used to have. They no longer have the raspberry scones or vegan brownies.

There is a vegan ginger molasses cookie. Also, the employees were willing to make a vegan soft pretzel for me by special request.

Dolce Coffee House

Here's another fantastic coffee shop in Thunder Bay with vegan options. Dolce Coffee House has a beautiful and spacious outdoor patio, as well as tons of indoor dining spots, too.

I ordered an iced latte with chocolate (the chocolate syrup is vegan).

Dolce Coffee House also has a few vegan treats available. I immediately noticed a vegan brownie and a vegan blueberry crisp. Some of their gelato might be vegan as well, be sure to ask while you're there.

Where to Stay in Thunder Bay

I've stayed at a few different hotels on separate trips to Thunder Bay. For a convenient and comfortable choice, stay at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Thunder Bay.

This Thunder Bay hotel is right on the waterfront with modern and spacious rooms.

Plus, the hotel restaurant has some options for breakfast that can be modified to be vegan. I ordered the avocado toast. It comes with an egg on it, but the server was able to remove the egg and add some fresh fruit on the side to replace it.