5 Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Auburn, AL

There are various reasons why someone may choose to adhere to a vegan lifestyle, like health or personal beliefs. Despite being around for centuries, it has increased in popularity within the last decade. As vegan lifestyles and diets continue making its way into the mainstream, there are more eateries than ever before offering several vegan dishes on their menus. Even grocery stores have increased their vegan choices in the last 10 years.

Our team at Hyundai of Auburn wants to help you find great places, so we have compiled a list of five vegan-friendly restaurants in Auburn, Alabama. While this list includes vegan options based on restaurants’ websites, you may find it helpful to verify with a server or manager at these establishments before ordering.

Niffer’s Place

If you want traditional American food, try Niffer’s Place. Recently, this location underwent some renovations inside. Its interior has a rustic feel with an electric blue wall behind the bar, radiant red beams and window trims, and a mural painted on the ceiling with various license plates on the walls. There are also wall chalkboards you can doodle on while you wait for your food. You can dine in, order to go, get delivery, and request catering here.

While this establishment may have several non-vegan options, there are still plenty of vegan options, such as:

• Beyond burger.
• Garden burger.
• Black bean burger.
• Pickle fries.

Check the menu for weekly specials, including trivia night and daily lunch specials. Additionally, Niffer’s Place has two other restaurants in Opelika and Lake Martin, Alabama.

• Hours:
  • Sunday through Tuesday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
  • Thursday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Address: 1151 Opelika Road, Auburn.

Good Karma

Enjoy a delicious Indian meal at Good Karma. This restaurant has two locations in Auburn — one in South College and one downtown. Sunny, the owner, strives to share positivity, create a culture of kindness, and help those in need within the community. Inside Good Karma, there’s a bulletin board where customers can sponsor a bowl by placing a pin. Then, when someone in need of food comes in, they may use the pin to redeem a free meal. Each day, there are at least five pins on the board.

Locals know this spot for its entree bowl, where you can choose your base, protein, and sauce.

While there are meat options, some vegan protein you may enjoy in your bowl include:

• Potato and eggplant.
• Potato and cauliflower.
• Potato and peas.
• Potato.

Additionally, there’s vegan sauce available to top off your bowl. Before you leave, you can purchase a gift card for a fellow Indian food lover.

• Hours:
  • Monday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Sunday: Closed.
• South College address: 1409 South College St., Suite 118, Auburn.
• Downtown address: 132 North College St., Auburn.

Lucy’s

Check out Lucy’s for a modern American eatery, serving fine meals with locally sourced ingredients. Lucy’s is known for its killer cocktails, on-tap wine, and sharable plates, making this the perfect hangout spot for you and your loved ones. Additionally, you can host your next special event at this location using the restaurant’s website by providing some details about your occasion.

Savor some of these delicious vegan dinner meals:

• The Farmer’s Daughter has Gigante bean hummus, roasted seasonal vegetables, and naan bread, and you can ask to leave off the honey-whipped feta.
• Roasted kabocha squash & burrata comes with shaved pear, pomegranate seeds, and Stinson bread, and you can ask for no prosciutto.
• Lucy’s salad has ninja radish, Pepita seeds, and tarragon lime vinaigrette.

You can make online reservations using Lucy’s website or order online for pick up.

• Hours:
  • Monday: Closed.
  • Tuesday through Thursday: 5 to 9 p.m.
  • Friday: 5 to 10 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner.
• Address: 2300 Moore’s Mill Road, Auburn.

Plant Bae Express

Take an 18-minute drive to Opelika, Alabama, to eat at Plant Bae Express, owned by Dr. Quebe Merritt. This is the second location for this restaurant, and it’s about five miles from the Auburn University campus. The first establishment opened in 2018 in Montgomery, Alabama, about a 55-minute drive from Auburn. You can enjoy exquisite vegan-friendly and gluten-free American meals here. Additionally, USA Today named Plant Bae Express as one of the top 20 vegan restaurants in the Southeast.

The menu is vast, but here are a few recommendations:

• Philly Cheese Bae.
• Call Me Bae Wings.
• Harlem Hoagie.
• Beau Burger.

You can also attend special events throughout the year, such as the Gourmet Four-Course Vegan Candlelight Dinner for Valentine’s Day. So, check the Plant Bae Express’ website when a holiday is near to see about special deals.

• Hours:
  • Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Sunday: Closed.
• Address: 2816 Pepperell Parkway, Opelika.

Zazu

Zazu is also in historic Opelika, and this restaurant uses ingredients from local farmers to create high-quality meals. This spot is a rustic, relaxed, and trendy tavern where you can enjoy several food items and over 20 craft brews on tap. Inside, it’s a darker environment with exposed bricks, dark wood furniture, and mood lighting. You can also get wine and other cocktails here.

Try some of these yummy vegan dinner meals:

• Spinach and pecan salad.
• Pork spring rolls without the pork.
• Shrimp and grits without the shrimp.
• Soup du jour, depending on what’s available that day.

Additionally, you may ask your server about vegan substitutes.

If you want to make reservations, you can use Zazu’s website. You can dine in or take out, but the establishment has no delivery option currently.

• Hours:
  • Monday: Closed.
  • Tuesday through Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Sunday: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Address: 112 S. Eighth St., Opelika.

So, there you have it, our team’s top five recommendations for vegan-friendly restaurants in Auburn, Alabama. What do you think of our list? Did we forget one of your favorite places? Contact us, and tell us about it. Here at Hyundai of Auburn, we take pride in listening to our customers’ suggestions.

Visit our dealership in Auburn and speak with our sales experts about the wants and needs of your next dream vehicle. Or, you can browse our vast inventory of new automobiles and used vehicles. No matter what you’re searching for, we want to assist you and help ensure your satisfaction when you drive off our lot.

Image by Kyler Boone is licensed with Unsplash License