6 Green Bay restaurants for vegans and vegetarians to visit
GREEN BAY - In the U.S., approximately 4% of people identify as vegetarian and 1% as vegan, according to a 2023 survey done by Gallup. Vegetarians do not consume any food products that contain meat, while vegans avoid food that contains any animal product in general, like dairy and eggs.
Although the nationwide percentage might look like a small number, there's a good chance that you or somebody you know follows one of these diets, and yet, it can be hard to find vegan or vegetarian options at restaurants.
Green Bay restaurants like Kavarna Coffeehouse, which serves exclusively vegan and vegetarian options, offers more unique options for customers who choose to follow those diets.
Mike Hastreiter, co-owner of Kavarna, said the restaurant was the first of its kind in the area, when it first opened in 1999. Hastreiter purchased the restaurant from the previous owners Alex and Linda Galt in 2019.
"Originally, it was an all-vegetarian restaurant and then over time after the founder met her husband, they began adding sandwiches and other meat options," Hastreiter said. "When the pandemic came and all the restaurants re-opened, we made the choice to go back to what Kavarna's originally was, a fully vegetarian restaurant."
Hastreiter said one of the most popular menu items is the hummus wrap, which is made with vegetables and mixed greens encased in hummus on a tortilla wrap.
For Hastreiter and his wife, co-owner Kayla Viste, offering a space where vegans and vegetarians can feel comfortable with the menu they're choosing from is important.
"It's a safe space, which I think is very important in this day and age," Hastreiter said. "These areas are shrinking, there's fewer and far between them, so it's an important aspect that we have this space available for people to come hang out and eat."
The following is a list of restaurants throughout Green Bay that offer unique and interesting vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Kavarna Coffeehouse
143 N. Broadway, Green Bay, 920-430-3200
This cafe serves drinks, bakery items, breakfast and lunch food items, all of which are vegetarian and/or vegan friendly. Customers can choose from breakfast items like the vegan avocado toast, toasted sourdough topped with avocado and various toppings or the Tofu Scrambler Wrap, turmeric spiced tofu scramble baked inside a tortilla with various toppings.
Some of the salad options like the nutty spinach salad and babushka salad come with the ability to add a black bean burger. Lunch menu items include a black bean quesadilla, black bean burger, hummus wrap, feta portabella wrap and cheesy artichoke wrap. Even the bakery offers vegan items like Rice Krispies bars and chocolate chip peanut butter bars. A full menu can be found on the cafe's website at kavarna.com
Taste of India
2237 S. Oneida St., Ashwaubenon, 920-338-9200
Taste of India serves traditional Indian cuisine and has a section on it's menu dedicated to strictly vegetarian meals with some meeting vegan requirements as well. The restaurant serves 23 vegetarian meals like allo gobhi, a meal made with spiced potatoes and cauliflower which vegans can also enjoy. The chana masala is made with chickpeas, onion and green peppers simmered in a spicy tomato sauce. A full list of vegetarian meals can be found online at tasteofindiagreenbay.com.
A'Bravo Bistro & Wine Bar
2069 Central Court, Bellevue, 920-432-7286
A'Bravo Bistro serves sophisticated comfort food with daily specials and a rotating dinner menu that changes with the seasons. Currently, the restaurnt is serving a few unique vegetarian and vegan dishes like the burrata and roasted beet hummus appetizers.
The caramelized sweet potato salad comes with roasted sweet potatoes, spring greens, red onion, mozzarella, kalamata olives and parmesan with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. The ratatouille, available for lunch and dinner, is made with roasted eggplant, summer squash, red pepper and tomato with red wine tomato sauce. The full menu can be found on the restaurant's menu, abravobistro.com.
The FreshKIND Kitchen
227 N. Washington St., Green Bay, 920-544-0230
The FreshKIND Kitchen serves several signature bowls and salads along with the option for customers to build their own. The berbere spice sweet potato bowl is one of the restaurant's signature dishes, made with an undefined grain blend, chilled and roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, roasted broccoli, dried cranberries, apples, radishes, Brussel sprouts and a berbere spice vinaigrette.
When building your own bowl, customers can choose two grains, four toppings and a sauce or spread, protein, including tofu, can be added for an additional charge. A full menu, and the option to order online, can be found on the restaurant's website at freshkindkitchen.com.
The Farmacy
2515 W. Mason St., Green Bay, 920-770-4164
Known for its clean, local ingredients, The Farmacy offers a few vegetarian food options on its menu. The restaurant serves simple, sustainable food, giving customers the option to order meal prepped meals as well.
Vegetarian meals on the everyday menu include avocado toast, the Greek bowl, made with quinoa, arugula, hummus, cucumber, radish, chickpeas, pickled red onion, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, tzatziki, Italian dressing and feta cheese and the roasted vegetable bowl, made with sweet potatoes, hummus, beets, kale, broccoli, carrots, quinoa, pepitas, Craisens and balsamic vinaigrette. They also serve a curry chickpea rollup, a gluten free tortilla filled with a soy chickpea mash, arugula and red onion is a popular vegetarian and vegan option. A full menu can be found on the restaurant's website, thefarmacygb.com
India Bhavan
2611 Holmgren Way, Ashwaubenon, 920-499-1414
This traditional Indian cuisine restaurant has both vegetarian and vegan options for its customers to choose from. Within the vegetarian section of the menu, the restaurant indicates what meals are also vegan friendly. Vegetarian dishes include baingan masala, eggplant cooked with onion, tomatoes and herbs and spices and bhindi masala, pan fried okra with sauteed onions, tomatoes and peppers.
The dal fry, yellow lentils cooked with onion, tomato and tempered garlic and spices is a vegan-friendly dish along with the aloo chana, a combination of chickpeas and potato cooked in onion and tomato gravy. All together the menu includes over 20 different vegetarian meals. A full menu can be found on its website at indiabhavan.us.
Do you have any favorite vegetarian or vegan spots in Green Bay? Send them to Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: 6 Green Bay restaurants for vegans and vegetarians to visit
