Check out these 13 vegan or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Peoria

Cassidy Waigand, Journal Star
5 min read
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Peoria has no shortage of local restaurants to check out. However, if you, a friend or a family member are vegan or vegetarian, deciding on where to eat can become a bit more complicated.

Websites like HappyCow work to help simplify the search. According to website's about page, "HappyCow was founded in 1999 as a public service to assist travelers and people everywhere find plant-based / vegan options and healthy food."

So, here are 13 vegan and vegetarian friendly restaurants in Peoria, according to HappyCow's list.

Fully vegan

1. Radish Kitchen

Upbeet Jams and Black Dog Metal Arts owner Jam Rohr is pursuing a new venture, Radish Kitchen, a whole food vegan catering and convenience store in the former Pho on Main II restaurant in the Campustown Shopping Center.
Upbeet Jams and Black Dog Metal Arts owner Jam Rohr is pursuing a new venture, Radish Kitchen, a whole food vegan catering and convenience store in the former Pho on Main II restaurant in the Campustown Shopping Center.

Radish Kitchen's "mission is to make plant-based and vegan eating more available and accessible to the region," according to its website. Initially called Up Beet Jams, owner Jam Rohr changed the name to Radish Kitchen when it opened its first in-person location.

Customers can find fresh, seasonal specials, such as the Fall-sagna and Autumn Salad. Other menu items include the crunchwrap, chili and cornbread and caprese salad.

Contact info: 1200 W Main St., Peoria, (309) 839-2776, https://radishkitchen.org/

2. Riley's Vegan Sweets and Eats

Riley Greenwood stands in her bakery, Riley's Vegan Sweets and Eats, at 1233 W. Brons in Peoria Wednesday, October 21, 2020.
Riley Greenwood stands in her bakery, Riley's Vegan Sweets and Eats, at 1233 W. Brons in Peoria Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

Riley's Vegan Sweets and Eats is a local bakery that is 100% vegan. It features doughnuts, cupcakes, brownies and a wide array of other baked goods, including cakes for special events. The bakery has also offered some of its baked goods at Radish Kitchen.

Contact info: 1233 W Brons Ave., Peoria, (309) 688-5990, https://www.facebook.com/rileyscupcakeandcoffeelounge/

More:Former Riley’s Cupcakes returns as all-vegan, all-curbside bakery for the age of COVID-19

Vegan and vegetarian friendly

3. One World Cafe

One World Cafe server Nyree Sharkey transports a tray of orders to the patio dining area of the West Main Street dining establishment on Friday. The service was part of the implementation of Gov. JB Pritzker’s Phase 3 of his “Reopen Illinois” plan. Bars and restaurants were required to have outdoor seating and adequate spacing among tables available for customers. [DAVID ZALAZNIK/JOURNAL STAR]

Customers have access to a "vegan and gluten sensitive guide." The menu offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert.

For breakfast, customers can order menu items like the baked egg dish, substituting eggs for tofu and cheese for vegan cheese. For lunch and dinner, try the Eggplant Lasagna, Herbivorian Wrap and the Impossible burger.

Contact info: 1245 W Main St., Peoria, (309) 672-1522, https://www.oneworld-cafe.com/

4. Chang's Wok Inn

Chang's Wok offers a vegetarian plate section on its menu. Dishes include Ma Po Tofu, eggplant in black bean sauce, seasoned mixed vegetables and more.

Contact info: 9915 Knoxville Ave, Peoria, (309) 240-8566, https://changswokinn.com/

5. Chef Moussa

Chef Moussa in Peoria.
Chef Moussa in Peoria.

The Chef Moussa menu clearly identifies vegan and vegetarian dishes. In total, there were over 10 vegan or vegetarian options listed on the menu in 2016. Chef Moussa is listed as a Lebanese restaurant on google. Customers can find menu items such as falafel, tabbouleh, hummus and zaatar.

Contact info: 201 E Lake Ave., Peoria, (309) 966-4234https://www.facebook.com/ChefMoussaPeoria/

6. Cyd's in the Park

Cyd's in the Park has opened its entire operation at Donovan Park in Peoria. A full restaurant-bar on the top story of the old Donovan Golf Course clubhouses joins Cyd's to-go market that opened on the first floor earlier this year.
Cyd's in the Park has opened its entire operation at Donovan Park in Peoria. A full restaurant-bar on the top story of the old Donovan Golf Course clubhouses joins Cyd's to-go market that opened on the first floor earlier this year.

Cyd's online lunch menu clearly identifies vegetarian options, and foods are fried in sunflower oil, according to the restaurant's website. More than 10 vegetarian menu items are offered, including a vegetable burger, a harvest vegetable sandwich and a protein bowl.

Contact info: 5805 North Knoxville Rd., Peoria, (309) 685-1100, http://cyds.biz/

7. Indian Tadka

The menu at Indian Tadka offers complete, standalone, vegetarian sections for appetizers and entrees.

The appetizer section offers 15 items, including crispy masala pepper corn and chilli paneer. The entree section, which offers 18 dishes, also clearly marks vegan options.

Contact info: 7815 Knoxville Ave Unit #12, Peoria, (309) 966-2514, https://www.indiantadka309.com/

8. Jerk Hut

John Sims, the owner and founder of Jerk Hut, poses for a portrait in his restaurant on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Sims says his experience running previous businesses helped him get the restaurant through the pandemic.
John Sims, the owner and founder of Jerk Hut, poses for a portrait in his restaurant on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Sims says his experience running previous businesses helped him get the restaurant through the pandemic.

Jerk Hut is a local restaurant focused on Caribbean cuisine. The menu offers three "meat free" items: jerk tofu tacos, a jerk veggie burger and a jerk tofu bowl.

Contact info: 1200 W Main St. #21A, Peoria, (309) 966-3325, https://www.jerkhutpeoria.com/

9. Kabab-G

Exterior of Kabab-G restaurant.
Exterior of Kabab-G restaurant.

Kabab-G customers can find falafel, hummus, a veggie platter and other vegetarian and vegan friendly menu items. The Lebanese restaurant is located in Parkway Plaza.

Contact info: 7800 N Sommer St., Peoria, (309) 691-6188, https://m.facebook.com/KababGGrill/

More:After overcoming staff shortage, Peoria restaurant reopens on Mondays

10. Los Cabos Cantina And Grill

The Los Cabos Pineapple Platter is on the menu at Los Cabos Cantina & Grill Peoria, 7800 N. Sommer St., Peoria.
The Los Cabos Pineapple Platter is on the menu at Los Cabos Cantina & Grill Peoria, 7800 N. Sommer St., Peoria.

The Los Cabos menu clearly highlights vegetarian options, as well as menu items which can be easily adjusted to become vegetarian. Customers can find over 15 vegetarian lunch items, and the dinner menu offers over 15 items as well.

Contact info: 7800 N Sommer St. #106, Peoria, (309) 692-2710, https://www.loscabospeoria.com/

11. Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe

The inside of Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe is shown in a 2015 file photo.
The inside of Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe is shown in a 2015 file photo.

Rhythm Kitchen Music Cafe features a vegetarian section on the menu. It clearly marks dishes which are vegan or can be made vegan upon request.

Vegetarian dishes include a Portobello-quinoa burger, a chickpea burger and a tabbouleh and hummus wrap. Vegan options include vegetables en crudite and the Brazilian chicken salad, which can use tofu to substitute the meat.

Contact info: 305 Southwest Water St., Peoria, (309) 676-9668, https://rhythmkitchenmusiccafe.com/

12. Sushi Ko

While the online menu does not clearly label vegan or vegetarian options, Sushi Ko does offer a "Vegetarian sushi dinner combination." The restaurant also offers items which are vegetable or tofu based.

Contact info: 4700 N University St., Peoria, (309) 683-3288, https://www.sushipopoil.com/

13. Thanh Linh Vietnamese Restaurant

Exterior view of Thanh Linh Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine restaurant.
Exterior view of Thanh Linh Authentic Vietnamese Cuisine restaurant.

Thanh Linh Vietnamese Restaurant's online menu does not clearly label vegan or vegetarian options. According to Happy Cow, however, multiple entrees can be made vegan upon request.

Contact info: 1209 W Main St., Peoria, (309) 495-0179, https://www.thanhlinhvietnameserestaurant.com/

Connect with Cassidy Waigand by emailing her at CWaigand@gannett.com or by following her on Twitter at @justxaxwriter.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: What vegan, vegetarian options are in Peoria? Check out these 13 spots

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