Greenpoint is known for its wide variety of destination-worthy eateries, garnering points with vegan eaters as plant-based dining options are plentiful here.
Whether you’re craving critically acclaimed Mexican food, a casual Lebanese lunch or dairy-free gourmet ice cream, Greenpoint is the place to be! Here’s a round-up of the best vegan eateries in Greenpoint.
Jungle Cafe
Jungle Cafe (131 Greenpoint Ave.) is a vegan restaurant that wears its heart on its sleeve. Community members personally built Jungle Cafe using reclaimed wood. Their website states, “build it with love and people will feel it when they enter.” It’s a special sentiment that the restaurant certainly embodies through its use of high quality ingredients. The results are not only vegan, but delicious and satisfying.
The menu has a Mexican flair with tacos, burritos, and bowls, plus a variety of appetizers like Beyond Beef empanadas and steamed Korean vegetable dumplings, hand-made by Kimchee Market and served with plum dipping sauce. There are also burgers and salads. The burrito bowl is a hearty vegan option. It’s bigger than a burrito and includes black beans, Mexican rice, seasoned seitan, pico de gallo, guacamole, vegan cheese, mixed greens, with vegan sour cream on the side. Jungle Cafe even offers a kids menu featuring a vegan grilled “cheese” White sourdough bread, vegan “cheese”, with salad or lentil soup.
Jungle Cafe has ample outdoor dining options, including sidewalk, roadway, and backyard seating, plus delivery and takeout.
Alula
Alula (252 Franklin St.) is an all-day cafe serving vegan and vegetarian fare. It is located on a quiet strip of Franklin Street, next to a plant shop where the plants and flowers add to the ambience of the serene outdoor seating area at Alula.
Alula’s menu notes which items are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free. Some menu highlights are the orange blossom chia bowl, which is delicious, vegan and gluten-free. The avocado tabbouleh is a real showstopper if you’re looking for something more savory. Order from the walk up window, to dine outdoors or opt for delivery.
Xilonen
Xilonen (905 Lorimer St.) is a plant-based Mexican restaurant from the team behind the Michelin-starred restaurant Oxomoco. The black and white exterior is decidedly modern, complete with sidewalk tables for outdoor dining.
Xilonen says that it aims to “convert the carnivore by supplying delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes that celebrate Mexico.”
The menu is about 75% vegan and 25% vegetarian. It features brunch items like hearty masa pancakes and incredible egg tostadas from 10am until 4pm, a very light menu from 4-5pm, and a more traditional dinner menu from 5-9pm that includes tacos and tostadas. Xilonen also offers takeout and delivery.
Screamer’s Pizza
Screamer’s Pizza (620 Manhattan Ave.) is a tiny pizzeria serving vegan New York-style pizzas with ingredients like seitan pepperoni and almond ricotta and vegan cheese calzones. The incredible food and cool 80’s vibe have won them an extremely loyal following and unbeatable reviews.
One of the most popular menu items is the Screamer Pizza which has garlic oil, vegan cheese, cremini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, parsley flakes, and almond Parmesan. If mushrooms aren’t your thing, go for the classic pepperoni with tomato sauce, vegan cheese, and seitan pepperoni.
Screamer’s Pizza offers delivery and takeout and is open everyday from noon to 10pm.
Louie’s Luncheonette
Louie’s Luncheonette (233 Eagle St.) is a plant-based deli, offering up a delicious vegan alternative to traditional Italian subs. They have a pickup window serving sandwiches that is only open on Saturdays from 11am to 4pm. The sandwiches are also available for delivery. Plus, Louie’s offers nationwide delivery, anywhere in the United States, through their digital Deli Counter on their website. They use all-natural plant-based ingredients, including, what they call, “the world’s best herbs and spices.”
Brooklyn Whiskers
Brooklyn Whiskers (37 Box St.) is a vegan wholesale and retail shop with a flagship in Bushwick and a new location in Greenpoint.
The Greenpoint location features an open-air coffee bar and cafe with a generous amount of curbside seating. The menu is surprisingly extensive and includes bowls, toasts, and even a vegan burger.
Some menu highlights are the Bis’cats & Gravy, house coconut milk biscuits with rosemary, smothered in our sweet & savory 5 spice gravy, and the classic Avocado Toast with cashew spread on sourdough. They also have a wide variety of vegan pastries, many of which are gluten-free, like the raspberry oat bar and the oatmeal cream pie. Brooklyn Whiskers also serves Mombucha and frozen treats from Mom &Icepops.
Have a birthday coming up? Brooklyn Whiskers sells vegan cakes and other treats on their website that you can request to pick up at their Greenpoint location. Takeout and delivery is also available.
Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery
If you want to add a little extra “happy” to a vegan’s “birthday”, look no further than Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery (102b Nassau Ave.), a delightful bakeshop that serves vegan cakes, cheesecakes and cookies plus gluten-free doughnuts. Happy Zoe can make custom vegan birthday cakes or cheesecakes that can be picked up at the bakery or shipped to most parts of the United States.
Van Leeuwen
Still looking to satisfy your sweet tooth? Head to Van Leeuwen (620 Manhattan Ave.), a popular ice cream chain that offers several mouthwatering vegan options. Their location in Greenpoint is open everyday 12PM to 11PM for delivery and walk-up service. Current vegan flavors are Chocolate, Mint Chip, Cookies and Cream Caramel Swirl, Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb, Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Caramel Cookie, Brownie Sundae, Strawberry, and Brown Sugar Chunk. The Brown Sugar Chunk is a cult favorite for good reason. Plus, they usually have two vegan special flavors like Banana Peanut Butter Fudge or Passion Fruit Layer Cake. Yum!