Top 5 Vegetarian Restaurants in Omaha

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Vegetarians and vegans expect more than a plate of greens and a smile these days—they get hungry, too!

Whether it’s traditionally healthy ethnic cuisine, or restaurants that cater specifically to a veggie clientele, diners demand affordable vegetarian meals that are meat free from beginning to end, not ones with a hole where the beef used to be.

These Omaha vegetarian restaurants will fill you up affordably so you don’t feel like you missed your meal.

Criteria: Taste, ingredient quality, unique atmosphere, menu variety, affordability

1. McFoster’s Natural Kind Cafe

McFoster’s is an eccentric Midtown staple, a product of organic farming owners and fiercely loyal employees (who were usually patrons first). Styled as a hippie hangout (they regularly host readings and movie nights), McFoster’s menu—six pages of vegan sandwiches, salads, entrees, smoothies, and sides, with a dash of free range chicken and fresh seafood—is either daunting or delightful, depending on your perspective. Prices come in just a little higher than we’d like (from $6.95 for a 1/2 sandwich to $13.95 for a full entrée), but you won’t find a more varied vegetarian meal in town.

2. Blue Planet Natural Grill

Born out of a desire to reduce the amount deep of fat frying, preservatives, corn syrup, and chemicals found in most fast food, Blue Planet focuses on healthy eats with a bio-business plan to match (use of biodegradables, recycling, water conservation etc.) Though not strictly vegetarian food, they offer plenty of options: veggie burgers abound, backed up by sandwiches/wraps, pasta dishes, and preservative free pizza (most items, $6.99 to $8.99). Breakfast, too! Friendly to bicyclists (so says Sarah of Greenstreet Cycles), purveyors of both Happy Hour and reverse Happy Hour, and one of the few gluten free restaurants in Omaha, check ‘em out!

3. Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob

Amsterdam Thumbs UpThere aren’t too many restaurants whose entire menu could be laid out in a few turns of Scrabble: falafel, kabob, fries, hummus plate, and…that’s about it. By our count, that makes Amsterdam 75% vegetarian and 100% delicious (sorry kabob). Amsterdam’s cozy Dundee confines get pleasantly packed during busy hours, but the food comes out fresh, and they’ll deliver if you live within biking distance. Open late, super cheap ($4.50 Hummus plate, $5.25 falafel), and owners of the sweetest silk screens in town (props to Bemis Press)!

4. Mother India

India is a sprawling, but Mother India is small. Really small. Just the way you’d want to find a family-owned, neighborhood-based, food-comes-first restaurant. Some have said the service could be better, and when things get busy, maybe they’re right, but no one complains about the food: priced fairly (almost nothing is more than $10) and portioned well, this is simply some of the most delicious Indian food in town, with all the vegetarian options Indian cuisine is known for and a flavor that’s as authentic as it gets.

5. Bangkok Cuisine

Not as well known as some other, larger Omaha Thai restaurants, Bangkok Cuisine delivers where it matters: taste and value (notice a theme with our selections?). Like many Asian cuisines, Thai food has great vegetarian options, from Fried Tofu ($3.49) to a lengthy list of noodle dishes and curries. Nothing on the menu is over 8 bucks, and while some might say that the décor matches the prices, we prefer to think of it authentic Thai, right here in Omaha. It’s spicy and delicious. Plus their chicken and seafood options are great for those seeking a vegetarian restaurant that also suits a non-veggie crowd. Parking can be difficult, and even finding it has challenged some, but that’s part of the fun, right?

Brunch at McFoster’s

An Omaha.net writer since 2008, Jordy freely admits he's waiting for his golden parachute "anxiously." He microblogs @jordyclements + macroblogs jordyclements.com