Vegans in Charlotte North Carolina?

[Sheila]

First I would like to say that I am so happy to have found this forum. The posts are great to read and everyone seems to be so friendly!

I live in Charlotte, NC and know 2 vegetarians and no vegans. I feel like I'm the only one in the city.

Thank goodness for Talley's, Earth Fare and The Home Economist. I don't have the time to search out restaurants but would love to know of any here that are vegan friendly.

I'm getting tired of ordering a salad - hold the crutons and cheese! Or Nachos hold the everything.....

If anyone is from this area I would love to know how you get along being vegan in Charlotte!

Thanks,
Sheila

[Wishin986]

I'm taking a semester off - but I go to Wake Forest. I've looked up vegan restaurants in Charlotte and believe I had found a few good options. Also Greensboro has an amazing restaurant - Bobahouse. If you get a chance to make the drive there I highly recommend it! Other than that I would say try and head to Ashville bc they have amazing vegan restaurants and products - you could always go and stock up!

[Sheila]

I have heard about the Greensboro restaurant. It's about 1 1/2 hours away for me. I searched out vegan north carolina restaurants and seemed to have hit the jackpot with Asheville. I'm actually headed up to Gatlinburg next weekend so I think I'm going to detour a little and see what I can find there.

It would be so amazing for me if I could go to a restuarant and actually order almost anything on the menu! I don't know if I would know how to act.

Thanks,
Sheila

[DianeVegan]

Hi Sheila,

I feel for you. I have searched (internet) the Charlotte area myself and have come up with few options. In April, I have a wedding to attend in Kannapolis and my sister (vegetarian, not vegan - yet!) and I don't know where we will eat. The person having the wedding is very anti-vegan so I'm not sure what we're in for! At least we will be driving (from D.C.) so we may be able to bring emergency provisions.

I long for the day when all major cities have multiple vegan restaurants.

[FR]

It seems Charlotte is a lot like Indianapolis when it comes to vegan restaurants. I found this on Happy Cow:

Udipi Pure Vegetarian Cuisine
9510 University City Blvd
704-549-0600

It is an all vegetarian place with vegan options. It was the only vegetarian restaurant listed on Happy Cow's site. Ironically, we have that same restaurant here in Indianapolis and it is the only vegetarian spot here as well.

[Sheila]

DianeVegan,
Kannapolis is tough. But the post from FR would be an option for you. It's closer to where you'll be then where I am. How can someone be anti vegan???? Vegans Rule!

FR,
Thanks for the info! I may drive up there and check it out.

Hopefully soon we'll have a full vegan restaurant here. I sold out my partnership in a restaurant I owned when I became vegan. It was a pizza place and I could not deal with the meat.....

I have thought of opening one. I need to refine my vegan cooking to match how well I did pre-vegan. It's getting there fast though. I picture a cute, artsy bistro type of place with all vegan options. No dairy even allowed on premises! I don't know how it would do. If people could get over the vegan part I'm sure they would love it though.

It's funny I have about 10 - 15 people (all omnis) coming over this afternoon for a cook out. Everything is vegan except for the hamburgers that my husband is cooking. They will have no clue that the potato salad, chipotle baked beans, and the asian pasta salad are vegan. Well I guess they'll know when they see me eating them!

Thanks,
Sheila

[DianeVegan]

Thanks for that info, Sheila and FR. I may swing by and try that place if necessary. As for the anti-vegan half-sister - what can I say?

I hope your cook out was wonderful.

[Sheila]

Diane,
The cookout was great! Have another one coming up Saturday and I was informed by the hostess that she does not cook as good as we do and said that she would be happy if I could bring some of the food since mine was so good. Wow, what a fabulous compliment!
Sheila

[DianeVegan]

[Kitty]

I'm a vegan in Charlotte. Here are a few possibilities.
Lang Van is a popular Vietnamese place with a vegetarian section on the menu and probably some vegan options.
PF Chang has the veggie steamer which is vegan but a little boring, but at least it's a nice popular restaurant near Southpark. The vegetables in coconut curry sauce is good but I'm not sure if it's vegan since I had it when still lacto.
Ruby Tuesdays just has a salad bar for vegans, but it has numerous vegan items like black beans, chickpeas, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds etc., and vinegar and oil in separate bottles. The one near Southpark keeps the salad bar the nicest.
Then there's the Peaceful Dragon on the southwest side of town. It has a vegan restaurant I believe but I haven't been there in years.
At Maggiano's at Southpark, at dinner only they have veggies like asparagus or potatoes grilled in olive oil and garlic, but I haven't called and asked so I don't know if they sneak butter in. These veggies are served like that at dinner only according to the online menu.
Dean & DeLuca near Southpark does have a salad bar but I don't know how many vegan items, but it's a fun casual place to go with friends.
There is Woodlands Vegetarian which is Indian and delicious, but I went there when still lacto. I understand they have some vegan options.
Brixx Pizza may have a vegan pizza, but I don't know for sure. I know they have vegan cheese.

Well good luck! I know what you mean - I know several vegetarians but haven't met any vegans here yet!

[Sheila]

Kitty,
WOW! Thank You so much! There really is another vegan in Charlotte. Actually the lady who inspired me to become veggie, I inspired to become vegan. So now I have 3 confirmed vegans!
I was going to get a Brixx Pizza once but they had soy cheese that wasn't vegan I was told.
Another good choice I have found since posting is On The Border. They have a build your own burrito. The shells are vegan. The mexican rice, red sauce and refried beans are not though. So I get mine with pico, black beans, lettuce, tomato, and guac. It's really good grilled.
Thanks,
Sheila

[Kitty]

Thanks for the info on Brixx cheese. On the Border sounds good, thanks. Also Salsarita's at Cotswold shopping center has a pretty good burrito. It's very casual but in the summer on Friday nights they usually have live music playing outside and people come with kids. I don't know if the burrito wrapping is vegan, but you can get the beans etc without the wrapper. And they have beer and Margaritas.

[eclectic_one]

It sounds like Charlotte has some good places. I live much closer to Asheville, so I go there sometimes. They even have a vegetarian/vegan group that meets on occasion, but it's always at inconvenient times for me. Maybe sometime when any of you NC vegans head Asheville way we can have our own "vegan forum" meeting

[Sheila]

Kitty,
I don't usually go to Cotswold but I do love live music and Mexican food. Maybe I'll have to give it a shot.

Eclectic One,
Do you ever go to the Laughing Seed? I think that was the restaurant that had their chef featured on PETA's web site. I have heard some really good things about it and have actually thought of driving up there just to go there. Even though it's a 2 hour drive!
Sheila

[eclectic_one]

I have been there, but it was a while ago. It's in downtown Asheville and the parking is horrible there. I usually go to Jai (a thai place) that's next to Earth Fare where I love to do vegan shopping. I'm also interested in going to an Indian place I saw advertised on the Asheville vegetarian/vegan group site, as they have listed "vegan" over their vegan dishes The Peta list of "top ten vegan friendly cities" had Asheville on the list and listed a pizza place and an "ice cream" place that I'd love to try too, but I can't even recall where they are now

You must drive pretty fast to get from Charlotte to Asheville in 2 hours

[Sheila]

Can you post the link to the web site for the Asheville group? I saw Asheville on the list and thought that would be so awesome to be there.

I drive very fast...It's my vice...

Sheila

[eclectic_one]

http://www.ashevilleveg.com/

[eclectic_one]

Since I've started dating a fellow vegan, I've been to Laughing Seed a few times with him...I really like it a lot and they are VERY clear about what is/can be vegan I also tried India Garden and they too have vegan items labeled clearly on the menu. (Of course, these are both in Asheville.)

[Pete Teoh]

Sangam Indian Restaurant in Cornelius is omni, but has vegetarian/vegan options. Ingredients are listed on most menu items, but ask the waiter if you're unsure of any item.

In Boone, we found Angelica's Vegetarian Restaurant and Juice Bar. Some menu items do contain dairy, but there's a large selection of vegan items. Again, ask the wait staff which ones are vegan. They even have a delicious vegan chocolate cake for dessert.

[Wishin986]

I still have yet to get out to Asheville and I dont know how far away Boone is from winston. I'm thinking october break instead of flying hope I might go spend a weekend in Asheville.

[Pete Teoh]

Boone is about 80-90 miles from Winston Salem. You should be able to get there in under 2 hours.

[eclectic_one]

I used to live in Boone, but I never got to that restaurant...maybe I'll go check it out one weekend Wishin986, check out the links on the vegetarian group website to find restaurants to go to should you make it up to Asheville.

[Wishin986]

thanks for the info guys! ill check it out

[Sheila]

Does anyone have more local restaurant options for vegans that can be verified?

http://www.vegancharlotte.com/Restaurants/Local.htm

That is the page so far. I have uploaded the site just so I can work with it on my server. The site is far from complete!

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Sheila

[Pete Teoh]

Zapata's Mexican Restaurant is worth checking out. They have a vegetarian section of the menu. The only item that seems to be vegan is the Garden Fresh Burrito.

[Sheila]

Thanks Pete,
I live about a mile from there I'll have to go check it out!
Sheila

[Wishin986]

I'm going to Asheville in mid October for the weekend. Any restaurants or bakeries/ice cream shops I could make sure not to miss?

[Pete Teoh]

I don't go to Asheville that often, but I do know that The Laughing Seed Cafe is really good.


http://www.laughingseed.com/

[Wishin986]

Thanks! yea I have looked into there, Rosettas Kitchen, and theres a baked goods place that I want to try - and maybe Asheville pizza - we shall see! im really excited

[eclectic_one]

Thanks! yea I have looked into there, Rosettas Kitchen, and theres a baked goods place that I want to try - and maybe Asheville pizza - we shall see! im really excited

I've been to Rosettas and what I got was gross Maybe I got the wrong thing, but it was so salty and strange that I couldn't eat it (the vegetable pot pie), my mom got a veggie burger that grossed her out, and my dad nibbled at his grilled cheese. If I ever go back there (which I'm not sure I will), I would probably feel safest getting the Portabello sandwich. Laughing Seed is REALLY good and Earth Fare market often has a lot of good vegan fare on their hot/salad bar. Also, there are a couple of Indian places that are good and a Thai place next to Earth Fare is good too. There is supposed to be a good ice cream place that has soy ice cream near UNCA, but I haven't tried it--or even found it I'd check out the links on the Asheville vegetarian site that I put up on page one...I think it still links to the PETA description of why Asheville is the #1 small town for vegans (including a mention of some of the restaurants, ice cream place, etc. that make it so).

I just looked it up and even though the link is still there, it's a bit hard to find:
http://goveg.com/f-vegcities-asheville.asp

[Espang]

Lang Van on Shamrock - http://www.langvanrestaurant.com/
They have a lot of vegetarian options that can be made vegan, however an email to verify would be best. I could be wrong.
One of the women (middle age) who works there is extremely friendly, don't know her name, though, but she could be quite helpful.

How about Macaroni Grill - where you can make your own pastas dish? I think they have some pasta that is vegan.

[eclectic_one]

How about Macaroni Grill - where you can make your own pastas dish? I think they have some pasta that is vegan.

I mention them in the chain restaurant thread...they used to have more than they have now, but some of the options are still available...I need to update that on the other thread--think I'll do that now

[Espang]

I'd like to second the "Rosetta's Kitchen is gross!" statement. Ew. I ate there Friday evening and it was the only place serving veggie/vegan food (they were open until 3 am!) so I went there happy to have something to eat, but a little put off by the reviews I've heard. It was gross. Nothing special at all. I got the Peanut Butter Fried Tofu - very boring and dry. Sweet potato chips, which were fries and completely plain. The peron I went with got some tofu sandwich which was plain tofu with some lettuce, tomato and avocado. Very boring!
The only good thing was that there was a place for me to eat at such a late hour.

Stick to The Laughing Seed Cafe'. I have yet to be disappointed. I had the Sloppy Jo today and it rocked my socks off! Then I had the Chocolate French Silk pie for dessert - Holy yum! Also had some appetizer of raw veggies to be dipped in something that was a million times better than any hummus I've ever had. Wow.

[CathyS]

There will be one more vegan in Charlotte soon. I am moving in December. Do the culinary students at Johnson & Wales get any training in vegan cooking? We can always help educate them.

[Sheila]

There will be one more vegan in Charlotte soon. I am moving in December. Do the culinary students at Johnson & Wales get any training in vegan cooking? We can always help educate them.

Well I'll welcome you early! Charlotte is a great place to live. I left Vegas 11 years ago for here and love it.

Sheila

[XkateX]

i can tell you that theres really nothing here in wilmington!! the only really good place to eat is in my kitchen..which your more than welcome!!

[Pete Teoh]

Cathy, welcome to Charlotte.

[eclectic_one]

I just ate at Angelica's in Boone...it was OK, but the service was slow and they brought out a peice of buttered bread with the meal even after we told them we were vegan They were also out of the chocolate cake

[Sheila]

I just ate at Angelica's in Boone...it was OK, but the service was slow and they brought out a peice of buttered bread with the meal even after we told them we were vegan They were also out of the chocolate cake

You mean butter isn't vegan? Oh, that must be like fish is vegetarian!
Sheila

[Wishin986]

Okay so I know theres a vegan bakery in Asheville - I was at their website real recently - but I cannot for the life of me remember the name or website - anyone know??

[eclectic_one]

I went to the PETA site (I mentioned in post 30) and found two names: City Bakery or West End Bakery. Was it one of those?

[Wishin986]

quite possibly - ill check it out - thank you!

[Wishin986]

So we ended up eating brunch at the OverEasy Cafe - pretty good - long wait though but had coffee while we waited. ended up getting the fruit bowl (melon and apple peices pretty much w. maybe one peice of pinapple) sprinkled w. some granola. side of ww toast w. apple butter (served at all the tables - yum).

we had a snack at rosettas kitchen - got the chips w. vegan queso - I really enjoyed this! also had a big slice of the chocolate cake w. PB frosting and oh my it was amazing! the frosting was getting to be a little too sweet for me at the end so I couldnt have had any more of it but it definately hit the sweet spot - I havnt had cake in soo long so this was nice.

[Iamraley]

Just wanted to give this a bump up the list and say hey from a veggie going to vegan down the road in coumbia sc

[Vagetarian]

There's a new restaurant near Plaza Midwood called "Creations". It's like an asian fusion with good vegan options. Try the Mussaman curry. It's awesome. Good atmosphere but service is a bit slow. So go to hang out for a while. It's at the corner of Central and Plaza off of Plaza next to the post office (across from Haris Teeter).

[Sheila]

Iamraley,
Do you have many vegan resources there? Every time I think of Columbia I think of Piggy Park well that, and the Cocks!
Sheila

[Iamraley]

We have earthfare and Rosewood market (they do groceries and great food) other than that it is mainly asian resturants for eating out. Yeah Peta tries every year to get rid of the fighting gamecocks....and everyone has to love the local racist piggie park (for thoose who don;t know the owner flys a rebel flag at every location.) I like having three rivers here and I can be in a lot of great places in under two hours

[yasha]

I am from Asheboro, NC. A small town about 30 miles South of Greensboro.
I know that's not Charlotte, but it's only about an hour and a half away (not too bad.)

I wish sometimes that there was a more health/animal rights driven population here but it seems that everyone is simply interested in their own needs, not animals.

[Wishin986]

yasha - have you been to bobahouse then? i love their vegan cakes! or ive only had the lemon coconut one but its amazing!

[yasha]

no never heard of it, but I will check it out now!!