Here's where Gardner area vegans can dine out with the rest of the family
Being vegan, or vegetarian, is more common than it used to be, but it can still be a challenge to find restaurants that serve vegan friendly items.
Choosing to not eat meat creates limitation on where to eat out. Greater Gardner has a relatively small portfolio of dining out options and not being able to eat meat limits the choices even further.
Both vegans and vegetarians don't eat meat; vegans also don't eat any animal byproducts. Vegetarians still eat eggs and dairy products while vegans avoid all animal products.
Here is list of restaurants that have at least one vegan or vegetarian option on their menu. We've included several local restaurants, as well as some that will take you on a bit of a road trip.
Options in Greater Gardner
Sawa Asian Cuisine & Lounge in Gardner has 12 vegetarian entrees, five vegetarian sushi rolls, and three vegetarian appetizers. All vegetarian entrees are either made with tofu, eggplant, or mixed sautéed greens.
At Sorrento's Brick Oven Pizza vegans can build their own pizza with vegan cheese and a variety of vegetable toppings. Also, Sorrento's has a gluten-free pizza dough crust, and the crust only comes in 10-inches size pizza. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. They are not open on Sundays.
The Blueprint New American Bar & Grill in Westminster has a wide range of tacos and burgers to suit the carnivores, as well as cocktails. There are a couple of appetizers that are vegan and vegetarian, including the house made guac and chips, fried brussels sprouts, fried pickles, and the nacho plate. For entrees, there are the House Flatbread pizza, made with cheese and marinara sauce, the Fig & Gorgonzola flatbread pizza (vegetarian only), and the fried Avocado Tacos, which can be made vegan by removing the pepperoncini.
The 110 Grill in Leominster has a couple of vegetarian entrées on the menu that upon request can be made into a vegan meal. The vegetarian stir fry and the beyond burger are the two vegetarian meals that can be alter into vegan. Several appetizers are vegetarian and vegan as well, such as the bang bang cauliflower and the fried pickles.
Slattery's Restaurant and Bar in Fitchburg has been operating since 1934. They have an inclusive menu that changes seasonally. The restaurant only has two vegetarian options for entrees one is the veggie burger that can be served without cheese to make it vegan. The second options are the vegetarian sesame rice which has fresh broccoli, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and crisp veggies stir-fried with steam rice, sesame, soy and ginger.
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Options if you're willing to drive
A 30-minute drive from Gardner, is the Vegan Nest Cafe in Clinton. This restaurant is completely vegan with several vegetarian options if eating cheese is something you can't let go. The cafe does Sunday brunch, and it also has an everyday eats menu. They pride themselves on creating meals with non-GMO and plant-based ingredients. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are closed on Saturdays.
Not Ya Mama's Vegan Cafe in Worcester is only a 42-minute drive away with light traffic. All menu items are made with all vegan ingredients. The cafe has all day breakfast and kids' meals. They are open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. expect for Tuesdays. On weekends they are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On the University of Massachusetts - Amherst campus there is a fully student-run vegan cafe called Earthfoods Cafe. The cafe has been co-managed by UMass students since 1976. The cafe is open to all students, faculty members, and surrounding community members looking for a healthy vegan meal. From Gardner it's a 47-minute drive to the cafe. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
In Keene, NH, which is a 48-minute drive from Gardner, The Farm Cafe is a completely vegan restaurant. Their mission is to boost the local economy by support small and local businesses and farms. They pride themselves for being eco-friendly and bring healthy, clean food to their customers. The cafe's most popular dishes are the mac n cheez, roasted potatoes bites, Amy's quesadilla, and Amanda's Rueben bowl.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Greater Gardner
