Cosmic Bird’s Razzy sandwhich features chick’n-fried cheese atop a burger. | Photo by Cosmic Bird.
Eating meat-free hasn’t always been easy, but in Louisville, it can be a piece of (vegan) cake.
Derby City’s food scene is as vibrant as ever, it’s no surprise that there are a slew of local chefs serving up fresh, meat-free bites across town. From vegetarian burgers to scrumptious vegan desserts, here are 19 restaurants serving up vegan and vegetarian fare in the 502.
The crunchwrap at V-Grits is spicy, salty, and satisfying.
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Photo by LOUtoday.
100% vegan eats
Cosmic Bird, 619 Baxter Ave. | Even vegan Louisvillians can get in on the fried chicken at one of LOU’s newest vegan restaurants. Try this: General Tso chick’n sando.
V-Grits, 1001 Logan St. | You’d never guess that the fast-casual comfort food here — like burgers, nacho fries, and a crunchwrap — are completely vegan.
The Korean rice bowl at Roots is available with or without a fried egg.
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Photo by LOUtoday
Casual eating
Heart & Soy/Roots, 1216 Bardstown Rd. | Home to Kentucky’s only tofu factory, this two-sided restaurant features a casual space for takeout + a more upscale, full-service option. Try this: Steamed bun with spicy sauce + BBQ tofu sandwich.
Shreeji Indian Vegetarian Street Food, 1987 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy. | From South Indian dishes and Indo-Chinese fare to sandwiches and naan pizza, it’s all on the menu at this Forest Hills street food spot.
Vegetarian-friendly fare
Ramsi’s Cafe on the World, 1293 Bardstown Rd. | Featuring dishes from around the globe, Ramsi’s offers something for everyone. Try this: the Egyptian kitchen, or kusheri.
Toasty’s Tavern, 1258 S. Shelby St. | A smashed vegan burger, vegan fish and chips, friend mushroom planks, and vegan sauces are just a few of the options at this Shelby Park joint.
These Tangled Webbs | Thursday, June 27-Sunday, June 30 | Times vary | The Henry Clay, 604 S. 3rd St., Louisville | $12-$22 | See a zany musical spoof of 1960s daytime soap operas.
Friday, June 28
Broadway Karaoke | Friday, June 28 | 7:30-10:30 p.m. | Saints Pizza Pub & Sky Bar, 131 Breckenridge Ln., St. Matthews | $5 | Sing along with your favorite show tunes + enjoy performances by the cast of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Queer Tale.”
Saturday, June 29
Racing Louisville vs. Bay FC | Saturday, June 29 | 4 p.m. | Lynn Family Stadium, 350 Adams St., Louisville | $19-$153 | A year after drawing a club record of 10,214 spectators, the club is looking to raise the bar this year with the game airing on ESPN — don’t miss the pregame T-shirt giveaway.*
The Wailers “Legend” 40th Anniversary Tour | Saturday, June 29 | 7 p.m. | Headliners Music Hall, 1386 Lexington Rd., Louisville | $23-$25 | See Bob Marley’s former bandmates celebrate the 40-year-old album and the new biopic “One Love.”
Sunday, June 30
Bike. Cruise. Brews. | Sunday, June 30 | 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Logan Street Market, 1001 Logan St., Louisville | Free | Enjoy an all-levels bike ride through LOU with brewery pit stops along the way.
Monday, July 1
Wild Workouts 2024 - Yoga | Monday, July 1 | 6-9 p.m. | Louisville Zoo, 1100 Trevilian Way, Louisville | $25 | Register ahead of time for this all-levels yoga class — you’ll be stretching alongside the giraffes.
The former Señora Arepa building — and Taco Luchador before that — at 938 Baxter Ave. will soon become a Las Margaritas. The local chain offers sit-down Mexican food like nachos + burritos. No opening date has yet been confirmed.
Shop
Blak Coffee is hosting a Blak Wall Street: Post Juneteenth Celebration this Saturday, June 29 at its 1219 W. Jefferson St. location and the parking lot on the same block. Shop 70+ Black-owned local vendors from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (LEO Weekly)
Louisvillian
Louisville’s own Yared Nuguse will be competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He placed second in the 15,000 meter final at the US Olympic trials this week with a time ~2.5 seconds slower than the 2020 Gold Medal winner, and world record holder, Jakob Ingebrigsten.
Family
Pride month is almost over, but the celebration goes on. Kentuckiana Pride Foundation has partnered with the Louisville Zoo to offer discounted admission on Sunday, July 14 for Family Day Out. Be sure to visit the new koalas + enjoy a cup of pride punch from the cash bar.
Edu
The Jefferson County Board of Education approved a 5% raise for employees over the next two years. Full- and part-time JCPS employees will receive a 2% raise on Monday, July 1 and an additional 3% for the 2025-26 fiscal year. (WHAS11)
Arts
The timer is almost up. There’s less than a week left to submit your photos to the Cave Hill Photography Contest. Submit your pictures taken in the historic cemetery by Monday, July 1 for a chance to be featured in the 2025 Cave Hill calendar.
Sports
Cardinals football has its eyes on CJ May, and hopes to have him commit in July. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Cards with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Biz
Opening a restaurant can be overwhelming — but it doesn’t have to be. Enter: Scramblers. With a leadership team that’s spent 35+ years developing an egg-celent restaurant model, bringing a top-notch breakfast franchise to your city has never been easier. Here’s everything you need to know.*
Travel
From pampering spa days to family-fun activities, the French Lick West Baden area offers Louisvillans many different ways to vacation. Just an hour from Louisville, there’s no reason not to try it all. Here’s what we’re adding to our itinerary.*
Eat
It’s easy eating green
LOUtoday’s vegetarian + vegan menu picks
The Foko chilakiles have a fresh lime flavor under the queso and crema. | Photo by LOUtoday
Hi, City Editor Declan here.
You might not know this about me, but I’m a lifelong vegetarian. Louisville has a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian eats(as noted above), but I’d like to share some of my personal favorites.
Chipotle Panini at Shiraz Mediterranean Grill, multiple locations | This is my personal favorite sandwich in town. It’s stuffed with rice, cheese, chipotle peppers, and grilled onions. Pro tip: Add falafel and pair it with the potato sidewinders.
Chilakiles at Foko, 991 Logan St. | Who doesn’t want nachos for breakfast? Corn chips topped with queso fresco, avocados, and two fried eggs make for a filling start to your day.
Firecracker Roll at Cosmic Bird, 619 Baxter Ave. | Cosmic Bird is most well known for its burgers and chick’n sandwiches, but don’t miss this occasional feature on the menu — there’s a reason Sushi Sundays almost always sells out.
The Buy
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A great basic baseball cap to keep the sun off your face all season long, like ones from Life Is Good or Adidas.
Since you made it this far in today’s newsletter — thanks for reading, by the way — I’ll leave you with one final pro-tip: Kashmir‘s malai kofta is an evergreen favorite in my household. It’s creamy, spicy, and completely vegan.
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