The restaurant review group visits restaurants that may not be purely vegetarian, but which offer some vegetarian fare. The restaurant must offer at least one vegan (no dairy or eggs) main course option. A 5-point scale is used for the rating with 5.0 being the highest score possible in 5 different categories.
This page lists only the restaurants for which full-length reviews are available online; click on the name of the restaurant to read the complete review. A breakdown of the ratings of all the restaurants that TVS has reviewed is available in the Ratings Table.
This restaurant is an excellent place for the vegetarian diner. I am not a Mexican food aficionada, so do go and have a taste of your own - I think you'll leave pleasantly satisfied.
The Blue Nile has a fair selection of vegetarian dishes, most of which are stew-like and are served with injera, a crepe-like flat bread that is spongy. Reviewers' overall impression of Blue Nile was mediocre, with comments such as "very slow service" and "rather small portions of the main dish." However, there is an ongoing supply of injera, and the food is very tasty.
Breadman's Diner is a favorite hangout for UNC students. For a mainstream diner, it has an excellent selection of vegetarian (though mostly ovo-lacto) options, located throughout the menu. Our waiter seemed knowledgeable about vegetarian and vegan needs, and was courteous and fairly prompt.
Cinelli's serves veal, which is unfortunate. The vegetarian toppings we ordered were quite good (half the pizza had one set of toppings; the other half had another set. The service was acceptable, but the order was not quite right. There are several vegetarian pasta dishes.
A tasty example of Authentic South Indian food; it can be quite spicy. They had a great selection and the food was delicious, but the atmosphere was like a run down yogurt shop.
If you're looking for something different and very tasty, consider a trip to Dosa Inn. According to our "Indian expert," this is the place to come for Dosa or other South Indian cuisine. You won't have to worry about searching the menu for vegetarian items, since everything is vegetarian, and mostly vegan (but vegans should try to verify with the staff that there is no dairy in what they order).
El Chilango is a self-serve cafeteria style restaurant. The décor is nothing special, but for a Mexican restaurant, the vegetarian selection is both extensive and creative. There are plenty of vegan choices, and a good selection of salsas.
George's Garage is not a restaurant that caters to vegetarians, and most of what they do offer in the way of vegetarian items is very dull. The menu was misleading - pastas and vegetarian items were grouped together, but one of the pasta entrees had fish with it. My recommendation for vegetarians is to not bother with George's Garage, unless you can tolerate noise, long waiting times, limited selection, and mediocre food.
Greenhouse Cafe is not a fancy place, but it is very relaxing, casual, and definitely cozy, with a nice selection of creative dishes. For such a small restaurant, the vegetarian/vegan options were quite impressive, though you'll want to call ahead to be sure there will be at least one vegan entree.
Irregardless Cafe's menu states that their "goal has been to serve the finest and freshest foods available." We found these sentiments to be true, as the food was delicious. One vegetarian and one vegan entree is always included in the daily fare. A comfortable and relaxing place, the Cafe is 100% Non-Smoking and offers unobtrusive live background music.
The verdict was unanimous - a trip to Lime & Basil is a satisfying one. The casual sophistication of the décor, the smiling and ever-helpful staff and the delicious and hearty food all make it a heck of a trip. Be aware though - judging from the crowds we encountered, getting a table here may not be so easy. What better compliment for a restaurant?!
Mama's Cafe is a small, nondescript diner, but Mama and the food she prepares make it a worthwhile experience. The food is great, very tasty, reasonably priced, and there is a fairly decent vegetarian/vegan selection, along with an extremely flexible chef.
Mellow Mushroom's sandwiches and pizzas are very, very good. If you're looking for a lovely romantic place to celebrate a special dinner, stay away! But if you're looking for a very tasty and reasonably priced meal, this is the place to go to. Just don't forget those earplugs.
A comfortable Middle Eastern bakery/deli/grocery store. The atmosphere is casual, the people friendly, and the food delicious. It's easy to eat vegetarian here. Be sure to sample the deserts when you go.
Once in a Blue Moon is noteworthy because it is one of the rare all-vegetarian restaurants in this area. It's a cute place…it's mostly a bakery. But the small café had adequate lunch selections.
Our evening at Panzanella was very enjoyable, partially due to the atmosphere, and partially due to the food selection and overall quality. Panzanella is a nice place for a tasty vegetarian meal, with plenty to choose from, and should definitely be sampled by people who are fond of excellent desserts.
Pao Lim is an Asian "bistro" that serves Chinese and Thai cuisine. The atmosphere is very pleasant with nice lighting. Portions are generous. The entrees could have been a little more creative, possibly by adding sides of ground peanuts, or a variety of native sauces.
We gave Pop's food high marks, although there wasn't really all that much to choose from. The Chef visited our table and seemed genuinely interested in our comments and vegetarian experience. We liked the contemporary and upbeat atmosphere, though the restaurant was a bit noisy.
A cosy and comfortable restaurant, the food was delicious, but the selection was quite poor.
Overall, we were not very excited about the food offered. The first problem came when we saw "fish sauce" in the vegetarian section of the menu. The waitpersons said that any of the dishes could be prepared without the fish sauce. The variety on the menu seems great, but at second glance, many of the dishes are the same plus or minus one item.
A casual sports bar type pizza place. They have some good vegetarian pizzas in some unusual styles, and a few vegan non-pizza entres to choose from. Good tasting overall, but not outstanding.
Newly opened Sage Café is one of the few fully-vegetarian restaurants in the Triangle area. An excellent spot for a romantic dinner for two, it has a cozy décor with attractive artwork on bright and cheerful walls. The menu was very vegan-friendly, and since all the items had a detailed description, it was easy to figure out the vegan items from the ovo-lacto ones. Sage Café is unconditionally recommended by this group - for veggie lovers and skeptics alike. If you think vegetarian food is all "salad and tofu", try this place and you might just come away a convert!
A Middle Eastern cafe "reminiscent of a coffee house". Not quite as good as Neomonde (In fact, they actually get their bakeries from Neomonde), but worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood. They both offer Middle Eastern sandwiches and specialties, deli sandwiches, and salads.
A pleasant, cozy restaurant not too far from Raleigh's Museum of Art. Overall, Second Nature Cafe offers a good vegetarian selection of foods that have a home-cooked quality. I would definitely recommend it for lunch or dinner.
Simple Pleasures is more than a restaurant; it also offers a specialty gift shop which is worth checking out. For our review, we got together for brunch. It can be summed up as: good food, fairly limited selection of vegetarian dishes, poor vegan selection.
Most of the reviewers enjoyed Sitar India Palace. There is an extensive selection of delicious Indian food, including South Indian (most dishes are Northern Indian). The atmosphere is pleasant, and the waiters are helpful.
A funky bistro with an alluring Turkish atmosphere and an inexpensive, healthy, and quite yummy all vegetarian selection.
Soul Good is a vegetarian café and juice bar located in the YMCA lobby in Durham. It features organic vegan food - a hot entrée and side dishes, sandwiches, desserts, organic produce, a Saturday brunch, and a large selection of juices, smoothies and health tonics.
Spartacus serves excellent Greek food in a pleasant atmosphere. The selection of vegetarian items is fair. The quality of the food is superb, with generous portions. Although Spartacus does not serve what might be regarded as "creative vegetarian" dishes by vegetarians, if you like Greek food, Spartacus in Cary is a great choice.
Taste of Thai has extensive vegetarian and vegan selections, and the staff is helpful in discussing which other dishes can be made vegetarian. Both the excellent food variety and service were topped by the atmosphere - quiet, with soft music, comfortable seating, privacy, and a nice décor.
Thai Palace offers an adequate selection of vegetarian options, but it is not immediately obvious. The substitution for meat seems to be restricted to fried tofu.
Offers South and North Indian vegetarian cuisine. Vegan ingredients are not labeled on the menu, but the staff is helpful. There is a wide selection of entrees, and the food and dining experience overall is excellent.
Trilussa is a small Italian restaurant with a charming atmosphere and very good food, suitable as a place for a special dinner. Most reviewers described the food as very good. Overall it was a very enjoyable dining experience and is highly recommended. (This restaurant was previously reviewed under the name Café Trilussa.)
A restaurant suitable for a "fine dining" experience. The vegetarian selection is fair, and the Italian food is authentic, and made from fresh ingredients. Most of the vegetarian selection includes pasta.