24 Top Spots for Vegetarians and Vegans in Beacon, NY
Vegetarian tikka masala at British restaurant, Moreish.
Earlier this year, we featured our 20 Top Spots for Vegan Eats in Beacon—an already impressive offering for a city of roughly 14,000 people. But, because 2025 has been a bumper year for openings on Main Street—and there’s at least one spot that’s no longer here—it’s already time to update this story.
What’s pleasantly surprising about some of these new meat-centric eateries is that they even cater for vegetarians and vegans at all. And it’s refreshing that the veggie-friendly options they offer are particularly inventive and delicious. In short, this adds up to Beacon’s food scene becoming more vibrant and inclusive than ever.
What’s New in 2025
When Dave the Butcher (232 Main Street) opened in July, you might have imagined it would be a carnivore’s heaven. And it is! Dave the Butcher is a whole animal butchery, with a European-style grocery, a café, and a cute little bar. It’s an eclectic vision, to be sure, but it works. What makes this writer so happy is that the owners—husband-and-wife team, Dave and Melissa—care enough to offer delicious options for their plant-based customers. These include a scrumptious marinated artichoke and mint dressing “sammy” (that’s “sandwich” to you and me) and an equally delicious, marinated oyster mushroom “burger.”
Marinated oyster mushroom burger at Dave the Butcher’s.
Beacon Quality Eats (157 Main Street)—a riff on the famous New York City Quality Meats steakhouse—is another meat lover’s destination. Amid the roast beef, shawarma chicken, pastrami, pork shoulder, and other meaty choices, BQE also has great vegetarian and vegan offerings. Choose from an eggplant pita with shawarma onions, pickled cabbage, hummus, and salad; falafel pita; a shawarma plate topped with tahini over coconut rice; a Not Cheese Steak with miso roasted oyster mushrooms, parsley spread, and fried onions on a seeded semolina Hoagie; or a mushroom bahn mi with pickles and serrano chili aioli. For those with a sweet tooth, they’ve just started to carry The Vegan Stuff’s delicious single cups. (As an aside, if you’re looking for a custom celebration cake for the vegan in your life, The Vegan Stuff can do that, too. Just DM founder Chante for details on Instagram at @licktheveganstuff.)
When British restaurant Moreish opened in Hudson Valley Food Hall (288 Main Street) in early 2024, it quickly became a destination for a satisfying, classic traditional full English breakfast, a sausage roll, or a highly desirable bakewell tart. And so, it was wonderful to see owners Michael and Shey land a restaurant space at 207 Main Street in early summer this year. Since opening in May, they’ve developed what could best be described as a grown-up version of Moreish. You can still enjoy fried eggs or tofu scramble and all the trimmings for breakfast. But now there’s a separate lunch menu. Vegetarians will be happy to tuck into a classic Ploughman’s Lunch with English cheddar cheese, crusty bread, house made red onion pickles, and salad. Vegetarians and vegans can also enjoy an excellent homage to the second cuisine of England, Indian food! An absolutely “moreish” vegetarian tikka masala is made with generous chunks of tofu, tikka sauce, jeera rice, and cilantro yogurt (just skip the yogurt if vegan). Those with no limitations can enjoy a fancy prawn cocktail, a Cornish pasty, or beer battered fish and chips. For a special treat, reserve a table for a leisurely Afternoon Tea and indulge in an assortment of delicate finger sandwiches, homemade scones with clotted cream, and an irresistible selection of cakes, with an ample selection of teas.
Vermicelli Salad at Wild Kitchen & Bar.
The eagerly awaited Wild Kitchen & Bar (416 Main Street) opened early this summer to much fanfare. It started out serving just lunch and became an instant veggie’s paradise (just like its sister eatery, Kitchen & Coffee, next door). Wild Kitchen & Bar serves healthy but flavorful bowls including chilled sesame noodles with tofu, vermicelli, cashews and a creamy sesame dressing, or Cauli Girl with quinoa, cauliflower, chickpeas, and a balsamic date vinaigrette. Wild Kitchen & Bar recently began serving dinner—a mixed menu with lots for vegetarians (not so much for vegans), including summer squash with pistachio pistou, miso butter cabbage, vegetable crudo, and summer egg noodles.
Vegan Through-And-Through
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning, there’s a long line outside Peaceful Provisions, (383 Main Street). If you’ve ever wondered whether what’s inside is worth the wait, the answer is categorically “yes.” Peaceful Provisions is a family, minority, and women-owned artisanal donut shop specializing in the most delectable small-batch vegan donuts made with high quality ingredients. Everything at Peaceful Provisions is made from scratch unlike major chains where everything is premade and mass produced. Flavors include marbled cake, mango cherry, strawberry shortcake, vanilla glazed, pistachio, chocolate, to name just a few. They often create limited edition or seasonal flavors, as well. Follow them on Instagram for new flavor drops and pop-up announcements.
Trixie’s Vegan Pizza (144 Main Street) became a welcome addition to Beacon’s vegan offerings earlier this year. Don’t be disheartened if you can’t find it, just look for Piare Skin Studio (146 Main Street) and follow the path to the back of the building. The vision for Trixie’s Vegan Pizza is a full-service restaurant with an outside dining area and an offering of vegan, natural wines, and beers, and they are currently awaiting their beer and wine license. The fact that we know quite a few non-veggies who love Trixie’s pies with its tempting sauces and ingredients including cremini mushrooms, house-made fennel sausage, and roasted garlic is evidence of just how good it is.
In the mix
Nilufer’s Home Kitchen (135 Main Street) is a warm, welcoming café and tearoom offering tasty Turkish dishes and traditional Turkish coffee and tea. Vegans will enjoy the pita vega sandwich with oven-roasted eggplant, zucchini, peppers and herbs. There are also a few dishes where feta cheese can be replaced with a vegan substitute.
If you’re the kind of veggie who doesn’t like the meat-inspired taste of plant-based burgers like Beyond Burger or Impossible Burger then Meyers Olde Dutch (184 Main Street) is probably for you. Their house-made Veggie Dutch Burger can be made vegan if you ask them to skip the cheese. Add a side of simple salad with a black olive balsamic dressing if you’re feeling virtuous, or a good old-fashioned side of French fries.
Beacon Bread Company (193-195 Main Street) offers tofu scramble in the style of scrambled eggs, with spinach, mushrooms, and a side of avocado. They also offer avocado toast, a falafel burger, and a stack of three vegan pancakes.
Butterhead Salad Company (208 Main Street) is a design-your-own salad lunchtime destination which makes it a great spot for vegans to put together exactly what they want. Add tofu as a protein if you’re looking for something more substantial.
Serious vegans who want to ensure that their lives are completely untouched by animal ingredients can enjoy an exceptionally good bagel from Bagel-ish (226 Main Street) with a clear conscience. Aside from those made with egg dough and topped with cheese, all the bagels from Bagel-ish are truly vegan. And while most of them contain no sugar, those that do are made with organic sugar. Why is this important? Because processed sugar in the U.S. can be filtered through bone char to achieve its whiteness. (Note to self: always look for the vegan green leaf logo when buying sugar off the shelf). So, when at Bagel-ish, opt for a housemade hummus and veggies sandwich, an avocado veggie sandwich, or bagel and spreads including housemade hummus, baba ghanoush, or avocado spread.
There’s plenty of gratifying vegan options at Zaitun (244 Main Street) including vegan shawarma, rice bowls, za’atar bread, and mujaddara. And at Healthy in Color (259 Main Street), you’ll find healthful bowls, salads, wraps, and smoothies including quinoa bowls, oatmeal bowls, a DASH salad, and more.
Vegetarian and vegan options at Nansense.
Whether you opt for eat-in or takeaway, Nansense (2 Eliza Street) is most definitely vegan and vegetarian friendly. You may need to just ask them to not include yogurt or cheese with some items if vegan. This Afghan gem includes favorites like banjan, which is cooked in a tomato and onion base and bolani, tasty, thin turnovers with seasoned potato, scallion, and cilantro. Their in-house veggie burger is made with falafel and Afghan seasoning. Choose from a single or a double if you’ve just stepped off Mount Beacon and add a side of masala fries. And if you’ve not tried their spicy tomato ketchup yet, we suggest doing so as soon as possible. Just as memorable are their eggplant or kidney bean bowls. Whatever you choose, pair it with their refreshing signature Rose Lemonade.
On the Go
Visit Beacon Natural Market (348 Main Street) to pick up a wide selection of vegan and vegetarian friendly foods and lunches you can eat on the go or al fresco. From fruit and snack bars, and ingredients for cooking to soups and pasta bowls, there’s something for every taste.
And Then There’s Gourmet Vegan Cheese
It’s counter-intuitive to think a gourmet cheese shop would sell vegan cheese, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Beacon Cheese Shop (378 Main Street) where they offer a small selection of vegan cheeses which are nothing short of exceptional. For those of us who like cheese dairy-free, there’s Rebel Cheese’s spectacular and award-winning Cave Aged Brie, among others. Pair them with one of Beacon Cheese Shop’s legendary baguettes for the perfect snack or late-night supper.
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free, Kitchen & Coffee (420 Main Street) is a gem and heaven for anyone wanting to make animal-friendly choices. They offer an incredible selection of vegan sweet items including bundt cakes, cupcakes, chocolate brownies, and zucchini bread as well as wholesome and tasty lunch dishes including seasonal soups and warm bowls. While we haven’t tried absolutely everything on the menu, we’ve tried a lot and it’s all been delicious.
Lovers of atmospheric lighting, vintage diner vibes, and donburi bowls will appreciate Quinns (330 Main Street). There’s plenty of wonderful vegan options including Japanese-style curry, crispy tofu donburi, and purple sweet potato fries. Pair with a nice glass of sake for maximum satisfaction.
Last year, Carter’s Restaurant (424 Main Street) introduced a small but eclectic menu of vegan items which are large and exceptionally tasty. Those with an appetite for seconds will be pleased with the portions. Menu items include vegan beef bao bun, bolognese, and kale ramen.
A vegan destination
It is no exaggeration to call Momo Valley a vegan destination on Main Street (455). While this popular Himalayan restaurant serves plenty of meat dishes, they also offer an entire vegan menu that makes choosing a labor of love. We’ll often opt for Thupka made with fresh tomato broth and noodles, the Vegan Platter, or Gundruk Ko Jhol made with fermented then sun-dried leafy greens, potatoes, and tomatoes. For those on a tight schedule, it’s worth making a reservation. But if you are prepared to wait, you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Burger lovers with an appetite will also enjoy Melzingah Tap House’s (554 Main Street) robust Impossible Burger served with a topping of hummus and large chunky fries. If burgers aren’t your thing, then opt for a light and nourishing red coconut curry served with fresh vegetables and rice in a coconut sauce, and vegetarians can opt for rich and flavorful mac n’ cheese.
Vegetarians and vegans on a romantic date or celebrating a special occasion will find good options at The Roundhouse (2 East Main Street). Vegan choices include tasty calamarata adoro imported pasta with zucchini, artichokes, kalamata olives and vegan parmesan, crispy brussels sprouts with sesame and sweet chili, and there’s a mouthwatering mac n’ cheese—served classic or with wild mushrooms—for the vegetarians.
There are some excellent items on Cooper’s Beacon (47 East Main Street) classic American fare menu that we can’t get enough of. This classic Hudson Valley bar and eatery recently introduced delicious vegetarian tacos with plant-based beef (yes, there is such a thing, and we can testify that it is really very good!). And for burger lovers, there’s a Beyond Meat smashburger (just ask them to skip the cheese if you’re vegan) served with exceptionally moreish skinny fries. Plus, there’s vegetarian BBQ Nachos, newly introduced Korean vegetable dumplings, and Cauliflower Ceasar. All pair perfectly with a glass of wine, a cocktail, or one of the many craft beers on offer.
Off Main Street
While The Beacon Daily (29 Teller Avenue) is most famous and beloved for its epic, meaty breakfast sandwiches, don’t forget that it offers a pretty epic vegan burrito with chorizo spiced tofu, spinach, smoked portobello, salsa, black beans, and vegan cheddar. There are also vegetarian options that can be made vegan with the omission of cheese or mayonnaise. Just ask when ordering.
Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Red Pepper Diner (441 Fishkill Avenue) where you’ll find delicious Sri Lankan food in a homey, friendly atmosphere. Vegans can choose from pol roti appetizer with coconut sambol and dal curry, biryani, and curry. Just let them know you’re vegan when you order.
It’s fair to say that most of Beacon’s restaurants will offer at least one or two vegan options or will be willing to adapt a vegetarian item to make it vegan-friendly. Our advice is to just ask before booking or ordering. The eateries we’ve featured here are those we’ve found to be most accommodating, creative, and satisfying. We haven’t even touched on coffee and tea shops, but we can confirm that they all offer milk alternatives including almond and oat milks.
Did we miss your favorite vegetarian or vegan offering? Email us and we’ll be happy to add it here.
See our Eat & Drink Directory for details of all restaurants, bars, coffee, and tea shops in Beacon.
And if you haven’t yet, sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep up with all good things in Beacon, NY.
Until next time…
The Beacon Beacon🧡