Are you and your family trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet? While it’s fairly easy to add more vegetables and alternative forms of protein like tofu and seitan when you cook at home, it’s often challenging to find restaurants that serve mostly vegetarian and vegan fare. However, the Cedar Park, Texas, area has some outstanding dining establishments where you can find plant-based items. Here are five restaurants in our area that you can consider when looking for vegetarian and vegan-inspired meals. 

Lemongrass by Sip Saam

Fried noodle by Lisa Pinehil is licensed with CC BY-SA 2.0

You’ll find Thai-inspired dishes prepared with fresh vegetables, savory herbs, and zesty citrus fruits when you dine at Lemongrass by Sip Saam. After you sit down at your table, order appetizers to share such as the spring rolls filled with vegetables and tofu or the vegetable gyoza with vegetables and vermicelli noodles. Salad lovers will appreciate the exotic green papaya salad and if you’re craving a bowl of soup, try the tofu tom yum soup seasoned with lemongrass, kaffir lime, vegetables, and cilantro.

You have a variety of curry plates to choose from that you can add tofu to, or order a stir-fry dish with eggplant, broccoli, or mixed vegetables and pineapple. Lemongrass by Sip Saam serves various fried rice and noodle dishes that come with vegetables and tofu, or you can branch out and try a house specialty like the kabocha curry plate made with sweet Japanese kabocha squash and herbs. Order this dish without the shrimp for a true plant-based meal. Kids even have their own menu with items like vegetable chow mien or fried rice with sliced cucumbers.

Location: 1320 Cypress Creek Road Suite 100, Cedar Park. 

Contact: 737-205-8998.

Leyla’s Mediterranean Cafe

Leyla’s Mediterranean Cafe serves vegetarian, vegan, and halal-approved foods for locals and visitors of Cedar Park. This family-run restaurant uses fresh ingredients and the chefs prepare all meals in-house from scratch. Enjoy starting your meal with appetizers like eggplant or hummus dip, stuffed grape leaves, or fried pickles. As you move on to your entree, consider Leyla’s specialty kafta plate served with rice, hummus, salad, tahini sauce, and pita bread. If you want food to take on a picnic in the Cedar Park area, why not order a vegetarian or vegan wrap from Leyla’s Mediterranean Cafe?

You can get an eggplant or cauliflower wrap with lettuce, tomato, and tahini sauce or the potato wrap with fries, pickles, lettuce, and ketchup. Don’t forget to add on a crispy Greek salad with your to-go order as this zesty salad comes with feta cheese and the option to have the creamy jalapeno dressing. At the end of your vegetarian meal, order a cup of Turkish coffee to go with a sweet piece of baklava filled with nuts and honey.

Location: 401 Whitestone Blvd. C-100, Cedar Park.

Contact: 512-456-7574.

Damiano’s Italian Restaurant

When you and your family crave Italian food, make reservations for Damiano’s Italian Restaurant. At this restaurant, you’ll find a wide variety of vegetarian options to please any palate. To start your Italian-inspired meal, order a colorful caprese salad with juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and fragrant basil. After enjoying your salad, order entrees like the vegetable stromboli filled with tasty veggies, black olives, mushrooms, and creamy mozzarella cheese.

Pasta lovers will appreciate baked ziti with sauce and cheese or the eggplant parmigiana served with a side of spaghetti noodles. You can also get vegetable-filled sub sandwiches or a New York-style pizza topped with your favorite vegetables and cheeses. The kids in your group can choose items from their own menu, like spaghetti with marinara sauce, cheese ravioli, or fettuccine Alfredo.

Location: 13010 W. Palmer Lane, Cedar Park.

Contact: 512-986-7843.

Levant Cafe & Grill

There’s something exotic about eating Middle Eastern food, and you’ll find a menu filled with fresh and healthy ingredients, fragrant spices, and luscious desserts. When you dine at Levant Cafe & Grill, you’ll feel like you’re in a different world with meal offerings from countries like Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Jordan. The chefs at this restaurant create many vegetarian or vegan options with items like grape leaves stuffed with rice and tomatoes, falafel patties made with garbanzo beans, and creamy hummus.

For a salad, choose the Mediterranean salad with loads of fresh vegetables, walnuts, feta cheese, and the house’s herb dressing. Enjoy the pita filled with fried cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, and hummus. Or maybe try dip made with roasted eggplant or the tabbouleh salad made with bulgar and seasoned with fresh parsley and mint. Be sure to save room for the baklava created with layers of filo dough, walnuts, and sweet honey.

Location: 1320 Cypress Creek Road #105, Cedar Park.

Contact: 737-205-6991.

Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill

Vegetarian and non-vegetarian diners will appreciate the diverse and high-quality menu the team at Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill offers. You can choose items from the main menu or go straight for the vegetarian and gluten-free menus. From the vegetarian menu, you’ll find tasty dishes like the roasted vegetable burrito, wild mushroom enchiladas, or the zesty New Mexico vegetable-stuffed relleno. You’ll find plenty of vegetarian options on the main menu, like fresh guacamole with chips, roasted beet salad, or the roasted veggie sandwich topped with New Mexico cilantro pesto.

Non-vegetarian diners can savor Southwestern-inspired dishes like the artichoke-stuffed chicken with guajillo cream sauce, the blue corn crust crispy salmon served with a crab and avocado salad, or the green chili chorizo burger with roasted peppers. The kids will have fun ordering from their menu with dishes like the grilled cheese sandwich made on challah bread.

You can dine at Blue Corn Harvest Bar & Grill in Cedar Park as well as in Georgetown and Leander. 

Location: 700 E. Whitestone Blvd. #204, Cedar Park. 

Contact: 512-528-0889.

Don’t these dishes sound divine? Are you hungry reading about some of these plant-based meals you can find at our local restaurants? If you have a recommendation for another eating establishment that serves plant-based foods, let our team at Crème de la Crème of Cedar Park (Parmer Ln.) know. We can share this information with others in our community.