Gnome Cafe-
19 President St, Downtown
​Gnome Cafe is a casual, all-vegan restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch. Breakfast menu is available all day! Also with awesome coffee, juices and delicious desserts, you can't go wrong. Everything is yum!
Neon Tiger-
654 King Street, Downtown
​Neon Tiger is an all-vegan restaurant on upper King Street. It is open for dinner and the menu mainly consists of upscale vegan bar food. Offerings include a jackfruit BBQ pizza and falafel salad.
Basic Kitchen-
82 Wentworth St, Downtown
​Basic Kitchen is a lovely, casual cafe in downtown Charleston that offers a myriad of vegan options. There are vegan nachos, cauliflower wings, a rice and veggie bowl and a Rainbow bowl with Thai peanut sauce. Many other items on the menu are already vegan or can easily be made vegan. And they are open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday. So you can get your veggie on any day of the week!
The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery-1107 King Street, Downtown
The Harbinger is a charming, all-veg cafe on upper-upper King Street. They offer a variety of open-faced sandwiches and salads, along with a large selection of vegan baked goods and desserts. Everything is delicious! They are open for breakfast and lunch every day.
Huriyali-
401 Huger Street, Downtown
​Huriyali Gardens is a casual restaurant offering amazing fresh juices, smoothie bowls, sandwiches and salads. Most items on the menu can be made vegan and much of the produce is organic and locally-sourced. And they have a beautiful courtyard in the back for eating and relaxing. According to their website, Huriyali means green vibrance, so check them out for some good green vibes!
Off Track Ice Cream-
6 Beaufain Street, Downtown
​Off Track Ice Cream always has a variety of vegan ice creams that are all made in-house with a base of cashews, coconut cream and natural flavors. And they are DELICIOUS! Some of their amazing flavors include PB&J and Strawberry. They also offer vegan hot fudge and caramel, vegan milkshakes and soda floats. You can even get a vegan affogato (ice cream drowned in coffee).
Baker & Brewer-
94 Stewart Street, Downtown
​Baker & Brewer is a restaurant/brewhouse created by a partnership between EVO Pizzeria and Holy City Brewing, so you know it's a place for good pizza and good beer. They offer wood-fired pizzas that can easily be made vegan without the cheese. Note-only the olive oil, puttanesca, and roasted red pepper bases are vegan. The red sauce and pesto both contain cheese. There are lots of veggies to choose from and they usually offer one vegan pizza on their menu. On the beer side, Holy City Brewing makes a number of "experimental house brews" specifically for the restaurant, or you can get your HCB favorites in a can.
Barsa-
630 King Street, Downtown
​Barsa is an upscale Spanish restaurant on upper King Street. Several of the tapas on the menu are vegan and the veggie paella is also vegan (and delicious!).
Beech-
315 King Street, Downtown
​Beech is a casual restaurant/juice bar on King Street downtown. It features acai bowls, poke bowls and cold-pressed juices. For vegans, sub agave for honey in the acai bowl. For the poke bowls, you can start with tofu or pickled shiitake mushrooms, add a base of rice, zucchini noodles or kale salad and add a variety of toppings. Beech also offers hummus wraps, bagels, avocado toast and smoothies. They even have vegan doughnuts! So many options!
BkedShop-
99 Horizon Street, Downtown
​BkedShop offers a variety of gourmet vegan donuts and also vegan milkshakes. They are located in the new WestEdge development across the street from the Riverdogs ballpark. Their frequently-changing variety of vegan donut flavors includes Lemon Poppy, Maple Brown Sugar and Apple Fritter.
Bon Banh Mi-
162 C Spring St, Downtown
Bon Banh Mi Southeast Asian Kitchen offers Five Spice Tofu that you can get in a salad, sandwich (banh mi), or taco. Just ask for vegan mayo and no sriracha-lime cream. They also offer a red curry tofu and drunken noodles that can be made vegan when ordered without meat.
Note- The following items are NOT vegan: both salad dressings (fish sauce or sour cream), the Cold Noodle Salad (fish sauce and pork), the Ginger-Lime Slaw (fish sauce) and the Cold Soba Noodle Bowl (honey).
Brown Dog Deli-
40 Broad St &
225 Calhoun St, Downtown
​These casual delis both have a vegetarian/vegan section on their menus, but the menus at the two locations are not the same. Think sandwiches, salads and veggie dogs...the Brown Dog has several options. The Calhoun Street menu includes a vegan breakfast sandwich and smoothies.
Butcher & Bee-1085 Morrison Dr, Downtown
Butcher & Bee is located on upper Morrison Drive, or "NoMo" and has an industrial, hip feel. The menu changes almost daily and generally has a couple things that are vegan or easily veganized.
Caviar & Bananas-51 George Street, Downtown
Caviar & Bananas' menu includes sandwiches, salads and breakfast items. There are few vegan options, but vegetarian items are numerous. They also offer gourmet grocery products and grab-and-go items.
Caviar & Bananas also has a location inside the Charleston Airport, so you can grab a coffee and bite to eat before a flight.
Chipotle Mexican Grill-
374 King Street,
Downtown
Fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain offering many different vegetarian and vegan items such as their sofritas which is a richly seasoned and tasty meat substitute that can be made into burritos, tacos, salads and bowls. Just make sure to ask for no cheese or sour cream.
Clean Juice-
168 Calhoun St, Downtown
​Clean Juice is a casual juice bar franchise that boasts 100% USDA organic products. Besides cold-pressed juices, they also offer avocado toast, acai bowls, smoothies, salads, and wraps. Some items contain honey, so ask your server.
CO Restaurant-340 King Street, Downtown
​This hip King Street restaurant offers some yummy vegan Vietnamese food. Supporting CO is a no-brainer, they have a separate vegan menu (just ask for it) and their food is super flavorful! Offerings include mango summer rolls, cold noodle salad, tofu banh mi and spicy udon.
The Daily-
652 B King Street, Downtown
​The Daily is a casual cafe that also has a small grocery/grab and go section. Along with a plentiful selection of caffeinated beverages there is a delectable menu of breakfast and lunch items, including an Impossible sausage patty on bread for breakfast and a hummus bowl or pita for lunch. They also offer a few smoothies.
D'Allesandro's Pizza-
229 St. Philip St, Downtown
​D'Allesandro's is a casual pizza place in downtown Charleston. They list three vegan pizzas on their menu, The Om, The Amy, and The Satsang, which do not have cheese. There are also several vegetarian pizzas that can be made without cheese, like the It's Too Easy Being Green. Or you can always build your own pizza with your choice of toppings. They also offer salads.
El Pincho Taco-616 C Meeting St, Downtown
El Pincho Taco is a casual Mexican taqueria. They offer four veg-friendly fillings for tacos-Hongos al Pastor (mushrooms and pineapple), Soy Chorizo, Tinga Vegeteriana (onion, carrot and marinated hibiscus flower), and Nopales, or cactus (ask for no cheese). The burrito can be made vegan and there is also a variety of salsas to choose from.
Fire Grill Asian Fusion-
293 King Street,
Downtown
​This casual spot downtown offers quite a few vegan choices. With tofu as a sub you can enjoy a teriyaki dish, 3-4 curry choices and salad choices. Very affordable for downtown, too!
Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts-
481 King Street, Downtown
​Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts-the name pretty much says it all. They offer one vegan doughnut flavor each day, while supplies last. Recent flavors include lemon pistachio and cookies 'n creme.
Halo-
170 Ashley Ave, Downtown
Halo is a casual cafe that serves breakfast and lunch. Expect soups, salads and sandwiches. With designated 'vegetarian' options many things can be easily veganized by holding the cheese. Near MUS, they offer craft beer, wine and outdoor seating.
Jeni's Splendid
Ice Creams-
501A King Street, Downtown
​Jeni's is a gourmet ice cream chain with a scoop shop on upper King Street. Their vegan flavors include Dark Chocolate Truffle and Frose Sorbet (which actually contains wine). They use bone char-free sugar in all their ice creams and sorbets. Pints of their products are also available at several local grocery stores.
Juanita Greenberg's-
439 King Street,
Downtown
​Juanita Greenberg's is casual Mexican joint with a bunch of food that is veganizable. Tofu or black beans as options for all salads, burritos, tacos, etc... With lots of draft beer and margarita choices this Juanita's has a fun crowd!
Ladles Soups-
68 Cannon Street, Downtown
​Ladles is a casual chain restaurant that specializes in soups but also offers sandwiches and salads. There are many locations in the Charleston area, but the downtown location features a vegan-friendly menu on Fridays. They have also been serving amazing vegan brunches one Sunday a month. And they carry a number of vegan desserts! Yum!
Leyla-
298 King Street,
Downtown
This fancy Lebanese restaurant has quite a few vegan options. They have a variety of hummus options, soups, salads and two different entree platters. Leyla is open for both lunch and dinner. They even offer vegan desserts!
Marty's Place-
96 Wentworth St, Downtown
​Marty's Place, aka the Dr. Martin Perlmutter Dining Hall, is a vegan/vegetarian/kosher dining hall for the College of Charleston. Although it is for the college, it is open to the public. It has a small menu of veg-friendly salads, sandwiches, entrees and sides. It is open seasonally, with the school year.
Moe's Southwest Grill-
381 King Street, Downtown
​Moe's is a fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain with several locations in the Charleston area. They offer burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and taco salads with the option of organic tofu.
Playa Bowls-
429 King Street, Downtown
Playa Bowls has a large selection of smoothie bowls featuring acai, pitaya, banana, chia pudding, greens, or coconut. They also have fresh juices, smoothies, and oatmeal. On the savory side, they offer a poke bowl made with roasted beets.
Poke Tea House-441 Meeting St, Downtown
​Poke Tea House serves-you guessed it-Poke and Tea. Specifically, they have a nice selection of build-your-own poke bowl options as well as a variety of bubble teas. Their house specialties include a Vegan Poke Bowl and a Veggie Burrito (wrapped in rice and a seaweed wrap). (Mayo may not be vegan). Their Poke Bowls start with a base of rice or salad or any bowl can be made as a burrito. The myriad of toppings includes tofu, ogo seaweed, mango, pickled cucumber and pickled ginger.
The Rarebit-
474 King Street,
Downtown
​The Rarebit is a trendy restaurant on Upper King Street, downtown. They have a vegan section on the menu that includes a Farmer's Plate, Chick'n & Waffles, a BBQ jackfruit sandwich, an Impossible Patty Melt and a house-made Vegan Burger There are also several salads and sides that can be made vegan.
Rush Bowls-
22 Westedge St, Downtown
Rush Bowls is a fast-casual cafe that offers a variety of smoothie bowls and smoothies. They even have a smoothie bowl for your dog! (it's not vegan, though). They have a variety of non-dairy milks to choose from and the Froyo can be substituted with extra banana. Also, whey protein can be subbed with soy.
Saffron Restaurant and Bakery-
333 East Bay St, Downtown
Saffron is a great Mediterranean restaurant that also has a full bakery. The restaurant offers several vegan appetizers including hummus, eggplant mirza and Shirazi salad, which consists of tomatoes and cucumber. The stuffed grape leaves can be made vegan without the yogurt sauce. Entree options are slim, but there is a falafel wrap that can be made vegan with the omission of tzatziki. The Mediterranean salad can be made vegan, also. The bakery side of the house has great breads, some of which are vegan. But, unfortunately, few to none of the pastries or desserts are vegan-friendly.
Slightly North of Broad aka SNOB-192 East Bay St,
Downtown
You can probably tell by the name, SNOB is both special occasion restaurant and a staple in Charleston. Think white tablecloths and incredible service. While they do not have a ton to order off of the menu they do an AWESOME vegetable plate if you ask. Everything is incredibly fresh and local. There is so much on your plate it will make your dining partners jealous. Be sure to tell them you are vegan so they modify accordingly. Great fancy place for mixed (veg and non-veg) groups.
Sorghum & Salt-186 Coming St, Downtown
Sorghum & Salt is an upscale restaurant with an eclectic and innovative vegetable-forward menu. The menu is always changing based upon what is in season locally. If you call ahead and make a reservation, they will write up a personalized vegan menu. If you walk in and let them know you are vegan, they will mark all the items on the menu that are vegan or veganizable.
Stella's-
114 St Phillip St, Downtown
Stella's is a Greek restaurant with a variety of vegan options, mainly listed among the sides. Options include tabouli, hummus, melitzanosalata (eggplant dip) and roasted potatoes. Listed under the meze is Yia Yia's Skillet, a roasted dish of beans, kale, tomatoes and olives. There are also many other items on the menu that can be made vegan with the omission of cheese or tzatziki, including several green salads.
Tabbuli-
541 King Street,
Downtown
This Med-inspired restaurant is located on upper King street. They offer falafel and a few salads like tabbuli, but unfortunately the pita bread is not vegan-friendly. Maybe you can dip fries in the hummus and babaganoush? Vegan options are somewhat limited here. They have a huge covered patio for outdoor seating and hookah. With a lounge-y feel, Tabbuli often attracts a late-night crowd.
Taco Boy-
217 Huger Street,
Downtown
​This casual Mexican joint offers a Garden Taco with Brussels sprouts, a Tempura Avocado taco, great guac, and black beans can easily be added to other menu options to veganize them. They also offer a veggie rice bowl and a taco salad. For all items, ask for no cheese or sour cream. Some of their flour tortillas contain lard, so ask for a vegan-friendly tortilla. Taco Boy downtown has a ton of parking and an incredible outdoor patio. If you are getting an adult bev, go for the Frozen Driver with a floater!
Verde-
347 King Street, Downtown
​Verde is a fast-casual salad restaurant. You can get your salad tossed, chopped or in a wrap. You can order one of their signature creations (several of them are vegan without any changes) or build your salad to order. They also offer rice bowls and a vegan chili.
Xiao Bao Biscuit-224 Rutledge St,
Downtown
This hip restaurant is located on the corner of Spring & Rutledge and is housed in a former gas station. The space has a ton of character and outdoor patio seating. Expect a couple of vegan choices. The staff is knowledgeable and can easily share what is vegan or veganize-able.