MIKO'S SUSHI

It's a small restaurant in a shopping center with Dunkin' Donuts. The food is good and the service is pleasant. They have a "veggie" section on the menu for vegans and vegetarians. It's not the same-old-same-old, it's got a bit of a twist with some tasty options like spicy taro root rolls.

MIKO'S SUSHI AND TAPANESE (JAPANESE TAPAS)
http://www.mikosushilasvegas.com/
500 E Windmill Lane # 165
Las Vegas, NV 89123
(702) 823-2779

Vegan Sushi

Though it may not sound like it to you or your friends, sushi is often an excellent option for vegan dining. Why? Because sushi means "vinegared rice." Sushi does not have to mean dead sea animals.

Here's what most sushi restaurants have to offer to vegetarians and vegans:

• edamame (steamed and usually salted soy beans)
  
• vegetable roll (a mix of about 4 vegetables rolled up in rice and nori)
  
• asparagus roll
• avocado roll
• plum roll
• cucumber roll
• other types of vegetable or fruit rolls
  
• inari (rice inside a bean curd "boat")
  
• vegetable tempura (fried veggies)
  
• vegetable tempura roll (fried veggies inside rice and nori)
• vegetable gyoza (ask to make sure it's vegan)
  
• miso soup (a salty soup with bits of nori and tofu. Double check with your waiter, though, because sometimes it's made with a fish base rather than a vegetable base, thus some miso soup is not vegan.)
• salads (often vegan, but ask to make sure)
  

The other great thing about sushi restaurants is that they're virtually always willing to make you something special. In fact, many sushi chefs take pride in making something off the menu, just for you. Just tell your server or the chef that you're a vegan and ask if they can make you something special.

In Las Vegas, you'll have no trouble at all finding a sushi restaurant. They are all over the place!

But a few sushi places stand out above the others. One is Kaizen because they offer brown rice sushi, making the already healthy meal of vegetable sushi and even healthier choice. And the edamame appetizer comes free. However, they do not offer vegan miso soup and they don't even have a "vegetarian" or "vegan" section on the menu. But they will accomodate vegans gladly. Kaizen in located at 10271 S. Eastern Ave. #109 in Henderson. Their website is http://kaizen-sushi.com/.

Pei Wei

At Pei Wei just look for the little, green leaf on the menu and then order "with Vegetables & Tofu."

The food is quick, moderately priced, and pretty healthy. It's great for a lunch, dinner, or take-out. Click here for a menu and click here for nutritional information.

Here are the Vegas Valley locations:

Canyon Pointe
10830 W Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89135
Phone: (702) 233-4692

Sunset
1311 West Sunset Road
Henderson, NV 89014
Phone: (702) 898-6730

Eastern Commons
10575 S. Eastern Avenue
Henderson, NV 89052
Phone: (702) 837-0861

Merkato Ethiopian Cafe

I must confess, I haven't been here. But I hear good things. They at least have one vegan entree. (This, sadly, is more than I can say for many other restaurants.) If it's good, all you need is one.
Besides, it's a platter with a variety of food, not just one mound of lentils on injera.

855 E. Twain Ave
Las Vegas, NV 89162
(702) 796-1231


View Larger Map

Sunflower Markets

Sunflower Markets offer a wide variety of whole and natural foods. They have a good vegetarian and vegan selection, but they also carry animal products. The prices are very reasonable.

They have two locations in the Vegas Valley:

• West: 4020 S Rainbow Blvd (at Flamingo)


• East: 3365 E Tropicana Blvd (at Pecos)

Evos

UPDATE: EVOS SHUT DOWN. ANOTHER SIMILAR RESTAURANT HAS TAKEN ITS PLACE, BUT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE VEGAN FRIENDLY. IT IS HOWEVER, CLEARLY VERY LACTO-OVO VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY.


Evos is a new fast food restaurant that features healthier versions of traditional fast food. Although the menu is loaded with animal products, they also offer things like veggie burgers, soy corn dogs, air fries, and veggie chili. (See the menu here.)

Evos is located in the south, near the Seven Hills area of Henderson:

10895 S Eastern Ave

Henderson, NV 89052-5851
(click here to get a map)

Another Evos is planned for the northwest, in Summerlin:

7541 W Lake Mead Blvd

Las Vegas, NV 89128-1037
(click here to get a map)

And a third Evos is planned for the east, near the Galleria Mall in Henderson:

1205 W Sunset Rd

Henderson, NV 89014-8638
(click here for a map)

Meetups, Potlucks, Gatherings...

There are a few veg meetups in the Las Vegas area. If you're a local, regular visitor, or even if you're a tourist, you may want to join one of these pro-veg groups to meet other Vegas veggies.

Here they are:

• Vegan: http://vegan.meetup.com/421/
• Vegan: http://vegetarian.meetup.com/492/
  
• Vegetarian: http://vegetarian.meetup.com/426/
  
• Raw Food: http://rawfood.meetup.com/261/
• Vegetarian: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LasVegasVegetarianGroup/
  

Mimi's Cafe

Mimi's Cafe is a family restaurant with a French and New Orleans style to it. The servers are always very friendly and accommodating, though the menu is not especially well suited for vegans. This is an option for a meal with omnivores.

For a while, I regularly visited Mimi's with my mother-in-law, Mimi, who evacuated to Las Vegas from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. We thought it was fitting.

PETA recommends the Veggie Stack sandwich without the cheese at Mimi's for vegans. They also have salads and other menu items that can be customized for vegans. Vegetarians have more options, like pasta.

Here are the locations:

MIMIS CAFE 71 SUNSET STATION
596 N. STEPHANIE ST.
HENDERSON NV 89014
(702) 458-0726

MIMIS CAFE 89 LAS VEGAS
6760 N. DURANGO DR.
LAS VEGAS NV 89149
(702) 645-3688

MIMIS CAFE 53 SUMMERLIN
1121 S. FORT APACHE
LAS VEGAS NV 89117
(702) 341-0365

Denny's

In a pinch, Denny's will work. They're open late night, they're cheap, and they're a good bet for a group of poor college students or a large family with varied preferences.

The vegan options at Denny's are:

• oatmeal,
  
• English muffins,
  
• bagels,
  
• grits,
  
• applesauce,
  
• fresh fruit,
  
• vegetable plates,
  
• seasoned French fries,
  
• baked potatoes with several vegetable toppings,
  
• garden salads with light Italian or oil-and-vinegar dressing,
  
• custom ordered sandwiches made with several vegetable options.

Vegetarians have even more options.

Denny's are all over Vegas, including on the Strip and near UNLV on Maryland Parkway (north from the university).

(Info via PETA. May change.)

Chili's

Chili's offers a black bean burger I used to order without the ranch dressing or cheese, but after some reading, I'm guessing it's not vegan. However, vegans can still eat at Chili's if they really want to/ have no other option.

PETA says:

"At Chili’s, you can have the tostada chips and salsa as appetizers, followed by the veggie quesadillas—replacing the cheese and sour cream with extra vegetables—or the Cadillac Fajitas without the meat."

It's better than nothing. But if you go there, please leave a comment asking for more vegan options.

(There are more options for vegetarians. Ask a server.)

Carl's Jr.

When I was in college, poor, and not as healthy, I regularly ate at Carl's Jr. and Del Taco.

PETA's VegCooking website says vegans can eat at Carl's Jr. They say:

"The French fries, hash-brown nuggets, breadsticks, English muffins, and CrissCuts at Carl’s Jr. are all vegan. In the restaurant, there is an all-you-can-eat salad bar that offers a variety of fresh vegetables and a three-bean salad that can be topped with fat-free Italian dressing. Carl’s Jr. also offers Great Stuff™ baked potatoes, which can be ordered with all-vegetable margarine."

There are a ton of locations in Vegas. Do the location search at their [disgustingly pro-meat] website to find all the locations.

PS - The Carl's Jr. near UNLV offers a 10% student discount.

Arby's: Baked Potato & Garden Salad

PETA's VegCooking website claims vegans can eat at Arby's. They say:

"Arby’s offers a baked potato and a garden salad or side salad with Italian dressing. Finish it all off with an apple or cherry turnover."

Personally, I've never eaten at Arby's and I wouldn't recommend it. But if trapped with a group of stubborn Arby's-loving omnivores, or if you're really broke and don't like Taco Bell, I suppose a baked potato and garden salad isn't a bad choice. In fact, that's a choice I often made at Carl's Jr. when I was in college.

There are at least ten locations in the Vegas Valley. You can find them by searching at the Arby's website.

Farmer's Markets In The Vegas Valley

There are a few Farmer's Markets in the Vegas Valley where you can find fresh, local produce as well as flowers, crafts and other items. They're a great, casual way to spend a day outdoors with your friends and neighbors.

Las Vegas Farmer's Markets
Website: http://www.lasvegasfarmersmarket.com/
Phone: 702-562-CORN

As of this writing, here are the times and locations:

EVERY TUESDAY: Gardens Park Farmers' Market
10401 Gardens Park Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89135

View Larger Map

EVERY WEDNESDAY: Bruce Trent Park Farmers' Market
1600 N. Rampart Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89102
(cross streets: Rampart & Vegas Drive)

View Larger Map

EVERY THURSDAY: The Springs Preserve
333 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107

View Larger Map

Hours and locations may vary. Check the website or call the hotline for details.

Henderson Farmer's Market
Website: http://hendersonfarmersmarket.com/
Phone: 702-579-9661

THURSDAYS: 9AM - 3PM
240 Water Street Henderson, NV

View Larger Map

Please note: some markets don't allow dogs.

Wild Oats

There are two Wild Oats natural food stores in the Las Vegas area, one on the east side and one on the west. (In addition, there are numerous other Whole Foods markets in Vegas.)

Both stores offer salad bars with hot and cold items and a cafe style dining area. This is a good option for vegans and vegetarians to go to pick up a quick lunch or buy some groceries.

Western Las Vegas Valley Wild Oats/Whole Foods
7250 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas, NV, 89128
Phone: 702-942-1500 Fax: 702-942-1507

View Larger Map

Eastern Las Vegas Valley Wild Oats/Whole Foods
517 North Stephanie St., Henderson, NV, 89014
Phone: 702-458-9427 Fax: 702-458-9431

View Larger Map

More Resources For The Vegas Veg

We try to provide some resources for vegans and vegetarians living in or visiting the Las Vegas area. We give some restaurant reviews and grocery stores. But here are some other articles you may find helpful, too:

• 'Vegas Click' Vegetarian Guide - This is a set of articles about Las Vegas restaurants and food stores called "Surviving as a Vegetarian in Las Vegas".
• 'Living Foods' Raw Vegas Guide - Thriving or Just Surviving in Las Vegas- the "Sin City"- My Raw travel experience in Las Vegas.
• 'Happy Cow' Las Vegas Veg Guide - One of the best veg resources available. This is the Vegas guide.
• 'Veg Guide' Las Vegas - a set of Las Vegas veg restaurants with reviews and notes. Veg Guide is "a community-maintained, world-wide guide to vegetarian and vegan restaurants, grocers, and more."
• Grist Vegas Veg Article - environmental news webzine wrote about being veg in Vegas. Warning: some discussion of "sustainable fish."
  
• Yahoo Vegetarian Restaurant List - offers a short list of veg restaurants in the Vegas Valley.
• SuperVegan's Vegan In Vegas - one of the NYC writers visited Vegas and wrote about it here.
  

Capriotti's Sandwich Shops

Capriotti's is a chain of sandwich shops originating in Delaware. They offer all kinds of sandwiches, including vegetarian options with faux meats. The veg sandwiches are: Vegetarian Turkey Sub, Vegetarian Cheesesteak, Eggplant Parmesan, and Vegetarian Hamburger or Cheeseburger.

They have a ton of locations in the Las Vegas Valley:

Central Las Vegas
SAHARA AT THE STRIP
322 West Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 474-0229

MARYLAND PARKWAY AT UNLV
4747 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV
(702) 736-6166

East Las Vegas & Henderson / Green Valley
SUNSET RD. AT ANNIE OAKLEY
3981 East Sunset Rd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 898-4904

EASTERN AVE. AT WARM SPRINGS
7291 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, NV
(702)-260-4334

E. FLAMINGO & SANDHILL
3830 E. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 454-2430

SILVERADO RANCH
9620 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV
(702) 407-5602

SUNSET & MARKS
1146 W. Sunset Rd., Henderson, NV
(702) 877-9586

STEPHANIE
90 S. Stephanie Street, Henderson, NV
(702) 531-3354

HORIZON
771 East Horizon Dr.
(702) 437-3354

EASTERN AT ANTHEM
11155 S. Eastern Ave., Henderson, NV
(702) 877-9586

West Las Vegas & Summerlin
WEST SAHARA & DURANGO
8450 West Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 562-0440

WEST FLAMINGO AT DECATUR
4983 West Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 222-3331

SUMMERLIN
Between Covington Crossing and Summerlin Parkway
1200 Town Center Dr., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 304-8001

RED ROCK CASINO RESORT
Located Inside the Red Rock Casino Resort
10973 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 257-3337

TENAYA & AZURE
7240 West Azure Dr., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 655-1234

CHARLESTON FESTIVAL
6340 West Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 838-8659

WEST CHEYENNE
7440 West Cheyenne Suite 103, Las Vegas, NV
(702) 656-7779

CRAIG RD.
1311 W. Craig Rd., Las Vegas, NV
(702) 633-0234

FORT APACHE
4825 South Fort Apache, Las Vegas, NV
(702) 873-4682

Visit Capriotti's website >>

Panera Bread: go there for the soup

Panera Bread is a cafe and bakery chain that offers free wi-fi and freshly baked breads, along with sandwiches, soups, and various other light cafe items. The soup menu features at least one vegetarian soup every day. On Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday they offer low-fat black bean soup.

Ingredients: Water, black beans, onion, celery, red bell pepper, vegetarian vegetable base (baked carrots, lima beans, natural flavorings, tomato paste, cooked potatoes, corn oil, celery, onions), modified food starch, spices, salt, lemon juice, garlic.

On Monday, Wednesday, Friday they offer low-fat vegetable soup.

Ingredients: Water, tomato filet (tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, calcium chloride, citric acid), potato, tomato sauce (tomatoes, salt, dextrose, onion powder, garlic powder, natural flavorings, citric acid), onion, carrot, corn, lima beans, navy beans, red bell pepper, zucchini, vegetarian base (water, salt, hydrolyzed soy and corn protein, soy protein concentrate, corn oil, onion powder, autolyzed yeast extract, flavoring, soy protein isolate, sugar, garlic powder, turmeric), acini di pepe pasta (semolina flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), celery, spinach, garlic, vegetarian base (baked carrots, lima beans, natural flavorings, tomato paste, cooked potatoes, corn oil, celery, onions), granulated sugar, spices, salt.

The bakery features delicious breads, including many artisan breads that are vegan. You can also order sandwiches, modifying them as you like, and salads. You can also go there just for coffee or a soft drink and hang with your notebook computer, checking out other veg-friendly places online. The atmosphere is comfortable, the staff are usually friendly. Panera Bread is a good option to try especially when you are with others who will not consider a strictly-veg restaurant. In the Las Vegas area there are five of them (at last count):

Lake Mead Boulevard
7175 West Lake Mead Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89128
(702) 240-4480

Galleria Pavilion
605 Mall Ring Circle
Henderson, NV 89015
(702) 434-4002

Fort Apache Road
5130 South Fort Apache Road
Las Vegas, NV 89148
(702) 871-5999

Village Walk Drive
2235 Village Walk Drive
Henderson, NV 89074
(702) 896-2294

Eastern Avenue
9911 South Eastern Avenue
Henderson, NV 89123
(702) 263-1136

Go Raw Cafes in the Vegas Valley

There are two Go Raw Cafes in Las Vegas. Go Raw offers raw, organic, vegan foods in a casual cafe setting. The menu includes fresh juice, smoothies, wraps, salads, sushi, and more.

Address & Phone for Go Raw @ The Lakes Center (west Vegas)
(702) 254-5382
2910 Lake East Drive
Las Vegas, Nevada


View Larger Map

Reviews:

• read reviews at Yelp
• read reviews at Happy Cow
  

Address & Phone for Go Raw @ Smiths Shopping Center (east Vegas)
(702) 450-9007
2381 Windmill Lane
Las Vegas, NV

View Larger Map

Reviews:

• read reviews at Yelp
• read reviews at Happy Cow
  

Visit the Go Raw Cafe website >>

Long Life Vegetarian Restaurant

Long Life Vegetarian Restaurant is nestled inside a shopping center on the south side of Flamingo road east of the Las Vegas Strip.

The simple restaurant features a full Chinese menu without any of the beef, pork, or chicken normally found on Chinese menus. The restaurant does serve fish, but they offer a wide vegan selection of noodle, rice, soup, and mock-meat dishes.

The atmosphere is casual and the service is excellent. They are open six days a week and are closed on Sundays. The restaurant only employs two people: a chef and a waitress. You will always see the same waitress and she's so very nice.

Long Life is one of the best restaurants in Las Vegas for vegetarians and vegans.

Address & Phone:
(702) 436-4488
4130 Sandhill Rd Ste A4, Las Vegas, Nevada 89110
Crossroads: Sandhill and Flamingo

Map:


View Larger Map

Read the reviews:

• Long Life reviews at Happy Cow
• Long Life reviews at Citysearch
  
• Long Life reviews at Yelp
  
• Long Life reviews at InsiderPages