As a Colorado native, I am so excited to announce my vegan city guides with Boulder / Denver as the first one! It’s so important to the plant-based movement that we all support each other’s businesses, get the word out and have accessibility when traveling on a plant based diet. This guide isn’t just for the vegans though as I feel it’s crucial to have healthy, sustainable and allergy friendly options for anyone when traveling or even exploring a city you already live in.

There are so many new and old restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, diners, juice shops, food trucks and stores that are working hard to provide veggie and eco-friendly options to their communities. It’s my mission this year to bring you the best of the best so that you can travel with ease and know that you’re covered when it comes to food. I love apps like yelp and happy cow, but for the sake of having a trusted source give you your info, I wanted to try these spots myself.

Boulder and Denver seemed like the perfect place to start as it’s the mecca for green juice, hiking, farmers markets, secondhand stores and an overall healthy mindset for the most part within the community. There weren’t as many vegan options in Boulder as I had hoped for, but my hope is that as the economy recovers a bit from the pandemic, there will be many more options opening up in the future! Denver on the other hand had more places than we could visit on our trip so rest assured that this guide will continue to grow as we visit more!

Be sure to save/ bookmark this guide for when you plan to visit and send to a friend!

With all of my city food guides, this of course is just my experience. Use it for reference and let me know what you found on your journey over at @chef_bai on IG or Tiktok.

Legend For Symbols:

(V) = Vegan Restaurant

(VO) = Vegan Options Available By Request

(VEG) = Vegetarian Restaurant

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Boulder

Leaf (VEG):

1710 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302

This is my go-to spot when visiting Boulder and a must when traveling vegan, vegetarian or with specific diets like Gluten Free. They have a full bar and options that will satisfy everyone in your group, vegan or not. The space itself has great energy with live plants as accents and a super friendly staff to match. Their chefs work directly with their own farm / farmer to get the freshest, and most in season organic produce to insure that what you’re eating not only tastes great, but it’s good for you and the earth too.

What we loved: The Crab Cake Sandwich, The French Dip, The Crispy Calamari, The Tofu Nori Bowl and The Breakfast Rancheros.

Tips when ordering: This spot is not 100% vegan or GF so make sure to specify your allergies to your server and they will accommodate you! I also highly recommend getting the Chai with oat milk or try out their super creative and fresh cocktails to enjoy with your meal.

Thrive (V):

1509 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302

If you were to imagine the ultimate “Boulderite”, colorful, full vegan restaurant, this place is IT! It has all the healthy and relaxed vibes inside with a full organic, gluten free AND soy free menu. It’s the perfect place for high vibe, nutrient dense food that will make you feel so good after. They even write little notes in the menu about how certain ingredients will benefit you so you can get exactly what you need in that moment. The staff is super down to earth and it’s probably the healthiest drive through in the US! They use a lot of raw cuisine techniques that I love like the nacho crispy dehydrated kale chips and using nori as a wrap! It’s the ultimate lunch after a hike or to grab for a picnic at the seat of the mountains or a healthy breakfast on the go.

What we loved: The Nori Wrap, The Kale Chips, The Coconut Wrap, Strawberry Coconut Cacao Cheesecake and The Natural High Smoothie.

Tips when ordering: When getting the wraps, make sure to eat them ASAP as they will get soggy if you let them sit too long. Oh, and order dessert, you definitely won’t regret it.

Bumbling Bee Vegan Junk Food Bar (V):

1100 28th St. Unit 200 Boulder, CO 80303

Okay y’all, if you’re looking for a greasy burger, the ultimate hangover cure or just some cruelty free junk food, this is the spot. Their mission is to clearly show anyone, from any walk of life that vegan food can in-fact be good, and seriously drool worthy. The place it’s located is actually where this old late night sandwich shop was located which I always used to hit on those nights I had one too many when I was visiting in my college years. I am so happy this has replaced the sandwich spot and is a vegan spot for college students to grub down on instead! They’ve got anything you’d want when craving a greasy burger, like chili fries, milk shakes, soft serve, “bacon” burgers, hot dogs and more.

What we loved: The Mac N Cheese Balls, Chili Cheese Fries, The Brunch Betty Burger, Mother Clucker Chicken sandwich.

Tips when ordering: Portions are huge so I would recommend sharing as there will be plenty to go around!

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse (VO):

1770 13th St. Boulder, CO 80302

The Teahouse is an absolute must when visiting Boulder for a few reasons. The building and art was given to the city of Boulder form Dushanbe, Tajikistan which is a symbol for global friendship and cultural exchange. The entirety of the building is hand painted, and is touched with hand carved columns, stools and panels. This teahouse, is called a teahouse for a reason as they have an incredibly vast selection of global Tea’s to choose from. They steep it for you when ordering so its fresh and perfect upon arrival. To be honest, I almost have an impossible time choosing a tea because there are so many epic choices. If you’re not a tea person, don’t worry as they also have a full bar. Their food is as cultured as their tea and interior as they have an epic selection of Indian Curry, Thai dishes, North African Cuisine, Mediterranean food, Persian dishes, and even a Cuban Sandwich (not vegan). I used to come here as a child and it’s so amazing to visit now as a vegan chef with delicious options to enjoy with my tea.

What we loved: Korean Pan Fried Noodles with Tofu, North African Crispy Cauliflower, Char Sui Fried Rice with no egg and tofu, Mediterranean Salad with No Feta, Thai Noodle Salad with Tofu.

Tips when Ordering: You absolutely have to order their house Chai with Oatmilk - it’s divine. I would skip this spot for Brunch as their vegan options are limited for Brunch. Ideal spot for a weekday lunch or dinner!

Flower Child (VO):

2580 Arapahoe Ave Suite 110, Boulder, CO 80302

This fast-casual restaurant is a spot where everyone in the family can get something they love that is relatively healthy. They have meat, vegetarian and vegan options making it the perfect lunch spot for a family with all different eating preferences. The space itself is bright, clean and has a vibey interior and covered patio. I could see myself having lunch here with my laptop and really getting into the flow of things. The vegan and veggie options are clearly marked on the menu, and even though there are only a couple, it is absolutely worth the visit. A good portion of their food is organic and the dishes themselves are so tasty with the flavors really hitting the spot. It’s clear they put in a lot of thought to the sauces and details to even the side dishes. They’re centrally located making it a great spot for dine in or take out for a picnic or quick lunch.

What we loved: The Entree with tofu, chili glazed sweet potatoes and yuzu Brussel Sprouts, Mother Earth Bowl

Tips when ordering: This would not be my recommended spot if you’re soy-free and vegan. Their only “protein” plant based option is tofu. If you love tofu though, you’ll love this spot as it’s so good!

Wonderpress (VO):

946 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302

If you’re looking for an epic little cafe that’s elevated to the latest food + bev trends, this is the spot. Wonderpress has menu items that make you craving more and thinking about that thing that you wished you ordered. They’ve got a whole array of avocado toasts, fresh pressed juices, broths, cafe drinks with superfoods, and even ceremonial matcha which you all know I’m a sucker for. They have clearly marked vegan options and have been super flexible with me on making an item vegan that isn’t listed as such! Perfect spot for a quick grab and go breakfast or to sit for awhile with a matcha and soak in West Pearl Street.

What we loved: Left Coast Toast, The Mayan Latte with Almond Milk, Elevated Chai, The Immunity Broth, Mint Chip Smoothie and all of the juices!

Gelato Boy (VO):

1433 Pearl St, Boulder CO 80302

Gelato Boy is an epic little gelato spot with dairy free options that are definitely drool worthy. We grabbed a few cones (vegan and GF options for cones!) and ate our ice cream as we walked around pearl and it was the perfect afternoon treat. They have rotating flavors that range seasonally and I’m just grateful for plant based gelato that’s not a boring sorbet!

What we loved: We got a midnight chocolate and a vanilla chocolate chip gelato double scoop on a sugar cone and oh my god it was good.

Tips when ordering: Just a heads up that the Gluten Free waffle cone is NOT vegan but the sugar cone is and I recommend more than one scoop… I mean… obviously.

Denver:

City O City (VEG)

206 E 13th Ave. Denver CO, 80203

We were super excited to find this place as it’s not only got incredible food, but it has that very classic Denver dive punk rock energy to it that I love! Imagine a dive bar meets vegan food and you’ve got City O City. They’ve got a full bar with delish cocktails + mocktails + coffee and something incredible for all different kinds of eaters to enjoy. The pizza rolls were insanely good and don’t even get me started in the”chicken” and waffles. So. Damn. Good. They serve breakfast - dinner and beyond and to be honest I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place until now!

What we loved: The Chicken and Waffles With Carrot Bacon, The Caesar Salad, The Crispy Tacos, and The Pizza Rolls.

Tips when ordering: Keep in mind that they include 20% gratuity for all checks and pool throughout the whole house. This means you may have different people touching your table throughout your meal and don’t be shy to ask anyone working for help.

Make Believe Bakery (V)

214 E 13th Ave, Denver, CO 80203

This tiny little bakery I swear was sent from heaven. They are 100% vegan and offer gluten free options for a majority of their baked goods! They’ve got breads, cookies, cupcakes, and cakes. We walked over after having lunch at City O City and were pleasantly surprised to find this tiny little bakery next door. The staff here was incredibly sweet and clearly had a lot of passion for their work which is always a quality I look for when tasting new treats! You can’t go wrong with any order here and my friend Madison says the ho-ho is the best pastry she’s ever had in her life and I’ll admit, it was pretty freaking amazing.

What we loved: The Cosmic Brownie, The Ho-Ho, Rose Chocolate Mini Cupcake.

Tips when ordering: It’s a small space so order quickly and try to make it to your car before eating the whole thing.

Nooch Vegan Market (V)

10 E. Ellsworth Ave. Denver, CO 80203

We stumbled upon this vegan market and I am so so glad that we did! It’s small and quaint but has everything you need when it comes to specialty vegan items. They’ve got everything from vegan dog food/treats, to cheese, to sausages, dairy-free milks, vegan jerky, granola bars, stickers and merch. This place is stocked with all the things you wish you had at your local grocery store.

What we loved: The pierogis in the frozen section from The Pierogi Factory were so freaking amazing! Non Alcoholic beer choices! We also just overall loved the staff and the small town energy in a city like Denver.

Tips when shopping: This spot doesn’t have any produce for the most part so don’t come here for all your grocery needs, it’s here to satisfy all the things you need other than produce!

Blue Sushi (VO)

1616 16th St. Mall, Denver, CO 80202

Blue Sushi was recommended to us by the guys at Nooch and I’m so glad we stumbled on this place! It’s not a strictly vegan place but it has an entire different section for vegan rolls and nigiri which all were fantastic. They really paid attention to the plant based offerings here so it made you feel like they actually want you to have a culinary experience instead of just slapping an avocado roll on the menu - I mean, we’ve all been there. They have an excellent sake selection and a vegan caviar that will blow your mind. I would highly recommend this place when going out with a group as there is something for everyone!

What we loved: Grilled Sea Salt Edamame (this was shockingly incredible), miso soup, and almost every single plant based roll. We went in and you won’t regret a thing!

Tips when ordering: Make sure to specify that you want the vegan miso as the reg one has fish sauce in it!

Are you a restaurant, hotel, food market or business that offers plant based, allergy friendly and/or eco friendly offerings to your community? We want to hear from you! Fill out the form below to email Chef Bai to be featured in our next vegan guide!

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