You love mac and cheese, but you’re vegan. What do you do? No worries, our list of the 15 Best Places for Vegan Mac and Cheese NYC will help you find the best mac and cheese this city offers. Most of us grew up eating macaroni and cheese, and for many of us, it’s still our favorite comfort food.
Vegan mac and cheese doesn’t have to mean giving up on cheesy goodness. You can find some of the best vegan mac and cheese at some of the most incredible vegan restaurants in NYC.
From creamy to cheesy to spicy, we’ve got you covered. Most people think that giving up cheese means giving up all of their favorite comfort foods. However, there are many dairy-free options for a mac and cheese milk substitute.
Downtown (Below 21st Street) Vegan Mac and Cheese NYC
1
Urban Vegan Kitchen
Neighborhood: West Village
Vegan comfort food at its finest. This vegan mac and cheese NYC restaurant has the recipe perfected, but you’ll just have to try it to see what we mean. Urban Vegan Kitchen will surprise you with how similar the vegan mac and cheese NYC taste, almost identical to real cheese. If you’re done trying to make vegan mac and cheese at home, let Urban Vegan Kitchen take care of your vegan mac and cheese needs in NYC. Not only do they have awesome mac and cheese they are also a great vegan NYC brunch spot.
2
S’Mac
Neighborhood: East Village (they do have locations all over the city)
S’Mac has a specialty and that mac and cheese in NYC. They have three vegan mac and cheese options, and you can add veggies to each one. We love how you have a choice of gluten-free, low carb, regular, or multigrain macaroni. It makes eating a plate of mac and cheese not feel so unhealthy. Add some spinach, mushrooms, and garlic to your vegan mac and cheese, and you will never miss regular mac and cheese again.
3
Orchard Grocer
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Orchard Grocer is a vegan deli specializing in sandwiches and their famous vegan mac and cheese NYC. It’s a cashew-based mac and cheese but what sets it apart is the shiitake “bacon” crumbles and walnut “parmesan” topping.
Another plus is that it’s gluten-free; I was strictly gluten-free for eight years and only recently began adding gluten back to my diet. However, I do try to eat gluten-free whenever I have the opportunity. They have some outdoor seating, but most people take their food to go.
4
Coletta
Neighborhoods: Nolita
Coletta is new on the vegan scene, and they are already winning us over. They have a Sicilian-inspired menu, and their vegan mac and cheese NYC is the best we’ve ever had. Their food has a level of complexity that not many vegan restaurants can achieve.
While Coletta does not have traditional macaroni and cheese, it does have scale pasta dishes with various vegan cheeses. The Baked Rigatoni Bolognese has a sauce made with Impossible meat, plus “mozzarella.” Try this vegan rigatoni pasta dish the next time you are craving baked, cheesy pasta. Oh, and they have vegan pizza too!
5
Butchers Daughter
Neighborhoods: Nolita
Their version of the vegan mac and cheese NYC is out of this world, and it’s gluten-free too! However, It’s only offered as a special item and is not on the menu daily. So call ahead before you go there if you have your heart set on mac and cheese. While you are there, get a slice of the zucchini bread to have with your morning coffee tomorrow. You’ll thank me later.
6
Ladybird
Neighborhoods: East Village
Ladybird’s unique vegan mac and cheese NYC recipe taste like magic in every bite. This large plate of food comes complete w/ breadcrumbs mixed right into their rich pasta sauce, making the entire dish extra crunchy. The truffle oil added in for good measure adds just enough complexity without taking away from anything else going on here. It’s splendid for sharing between two people or taking some home as leftovers, and you can quickly reheat mac and cheese in the oven. The vegan mac and cheese NYC dish taste so delicious it’ll make your mouth water just thinking about it.
7
Willow Vegan Restaurant
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Yes, Willow’s vegan mac and cheese was voted the “best vegan mac and cheese in NYC” a few years ago. I’m not sure if it’s the paprika, toasted panko, or truffle oil that makes it so unique. Everything on their menu is good, but the truffle mac and cheese steals the show. There’s a reason they’re known for creating an intensely flavorful mac and cheese dish.
It makes sense that people outside the vegan community say that the mac and cheese they have is the best they have ever tasted. So if you are in the mood for some heartwarming comfort food, give Willow Vegan Restaurant a try.
UpTown Vegan Mac and Cheese NYC
8
Seasoned Vegan
Neighborhood: Harlem
While they don’t serve the mac and cheese as a main dish, it truly complements their vegan shrimp Po’boys, BBQ riblets, and BBQ Chicken nuggets. The beautiful thing is that you will not be disappointed no matter what you order.
Stop on by this place to see why the vegan mac and cheese NYC is their best-selling menu item! I love the BBQ Riblets with the pretzel bun, and I always leave room for a salted pecan cookie. (or take one home for later) We love how this mother and son restauranteur duo came up with their unique take on vegan baked mac and cheese.
9
Beatnic Rock Center
Neighborhood: Midtown
Beatnic is here to rock your taste buds with delicious and innovative vegan cuisine. Their 100% vegan menu offers something for everyone, from light snacks to hearty meals. So ditch the bland and experience the best vegan food NYC has to offer!
Beatnic Rock Center is a healthy version of vegan fast food. Like many other vegan restaurants on our list, Beatnic too has their version of cashew cheeze mac, shiitake bacon, and almond parmesan.
Queens Vegan mac and Cheese NYC
10
No 5 NYC
Neighborhood: Astoria
The restaurant has an entire menu dedicated only to vegan dishes. Their vegan mac and cheese have portabella mushrooms with truffle oil, caramelized onions, and chorizo. The mac and cheese are unique; here are the caramelized onions and vegan chorizo.
They both add a depth of flavor that truly takes it to the next level. They have something for everyone, so those who want to skip animal products won’t feel left out here.
Brooklyn Vegan Mac and Cheese NYC
11
Renegades of Sunset
Neighborhood: Sunset Park
Finding good vegan food that doesn’t have an outrageous price tag is challenging. And even when you do find it, the options can be pretty uninspiring—There’s something for everyone at this unique vegan restaurant.
From mac and cheese to bacon cheeseburgers, It won’t matter if you’re omnivore or vegan – you’ll love the mac and cheese. The coconut bacon bits set this vegan mac and cheese apart from other NYC mac and cheese establishments.
12
Greedi Kitchen
Neighborhood: Bedford-Stuyvesant
Look no farther than Greedi Vegan if you’re visiting Brooklyn and want a restaurant that will blow your socks off. This charming and comfortable establishment serves some of the grandest oyster mushroom Po’boys in the city!
However, one of their most talked-about dishes is vegan mac and cheese with collard greens on the side. Their mac and cheese are gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free, which sets them apart from many other cashew and almond-based cheeses.
If you want to see what all of the buzz is about, check out Greedi Kitchen’s mac and cheese now! Check out our list of 32 vegan restaurants in Brooklyn for more eating ideas.
13
Champs Diner
Neighborhood: East Williamsburg
Vegan eateries such as Champs specialize in hearty vegan foods. There may be a time and place when it’s just what you need, but it isn’t always the healthiest option. Vegan food is not a punishment. Instead, it is a comfort and joy in many instances. Their mac and cheese dish is richly cheesy, and the bread crumbs on top add a nice crunch.
The bread crumbs, the chives, and the parmesan somehow all come together to create the perfect vegan mac and cheese. The vegan mac and cheese NYC at Champs is not cashew cheese, which is good if you don’t like the flavor of the cashew cheeses. It’s on the menu as an appetizer, but some customers order it as a main dish. A side salad with vegan mac and cheese (add broccoli) makes for an excellent dinner.
14
Loving Hut
Neighborhood: East Williamsburg
The creator of The Loving Hut, Ching Hai, is a worldwide vegan franchise and religious movement whose loyal followers call her “Supreme Master.” You will see paraphernalia from their religious organization all over the restaurant when you go in. If you’ve never been to a Loving Hut, it might be worth checking out just to see what the restaurant labeled as a “cult” is all about.
Loving Hut is one of those vegan restaurants that serve everything from Spicy Indonesian Tempeh to Falafel Salad. They don’t specialize in any type of cuisine and like to offer their vegan customers a wide variety of options.
The Loving Hut has mac and cheese made with yuca, red peppers, onions topped with organic crumb chips. One common thread through all of their dishes is the Yuca; if you do happen to eat here, definitely try their yuca fries, it was the first thing I tried on their menu six years ago, and it’s still my favorite place for yuca fries. Although they do have vegan mac and cheese, I would not make this a destination to hit up for the best mac and cheese Brooklyn.
15
Olea Mediterranean Taverna
Neighborhood: Fort Green
Our Mediterranean cuisine will transport you to another country, and their welcoming neighborhood atmosphere will make you feel right at home. While they are not a vegan restaurant, you can get plenty of vegan options here. While this dish is not a mac and cheese, it does have cheese and pasta: They can make the Orecchiette Pasta vegan if you request it, with vegan parmesan, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, white beans, cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.
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