Organic Garden Café
294 Cabot Street, Beverly MA
A long-standing vegan oasis in Beverly, Organic Garden boasts an every changing roster of bowls, sandwiches, salads, entrées and tons of desserts. They come from a raw vegan background (though they are not all raw anymore) and many of their dishes have that fresh, veggie-full feel to them. If your eating whole foods plant based, this is a great choice.
Paprika Grill
2 Liberty Street
Since the pandemic, this place has literally become a walk up window where you order, with a few outdoor seats. That said, it’s good falafel and other vegan Middle Eastern you can get in a hurry when you’re downtown or visiting PEM.
Ray Adea’s Mediterranean Kitchen
90 Lafayette Street
Everything here is either vegan or able to be made vegan easily. And everything is very delicious. A selection of Israeli casual food and the best fries in town, without a doubt. An excellent choice to take out for lunch or early dinner.
Red Line Cafe
188 Essex Street
Red Line’s most alluring quality is their outside seating, which offers some of the most top-notch people and dog watching in all of Salem. The interior is also a pleasant place to hide from the weather for a bit or get a little work done while sipping something. They serve Lavazza coffee, not brewed terribly strong. They don’t usually have any vegan eats.
Red’s
15 Central Street
Anecdotally, this is the place most often on tourists’ lists for must-have breakfast. If you are vegan, however, give it a miss. You’re going to be stuck with oatmeal and fruit (not that there’s anything wrong with oatmeal, but it’s not an exciting breakfast out!). Hop over to Jodi Bee Bakes instead.
Rockafellas
221 Essex Street
A fancier place that meat-people adore, Rockafellas does have vegan burger on the menu (ask for it on a roll other than their standard brioche) and can otherwise give a vegan a meal if needed.
Roseadela’s
7 Church Street
Coffee, tea and a nice space to sit. Roseadela’s always has some vegan pastries available and is in the process of adding some vegan savories. Try their tahini cookie, it’s different but yummy.
Sage’s Fusion Kitchen
177 Fort Avenue
Sage’s offers vegan pho, a bbq tofu sandwich and some vegan sides including a nice slaw. This is not the Salem Willows of old!
Soall Vietnamese
With locations in the neighboring towns of Beverly and Marblehead Soall offers fresh, simple but delicious Vietnamese food. The vegan version of their bahn mi, fresh rolls, and bun are all well worth a chomp.
Spitfire Tacos
105 Lafayette Street
Can you say vegan quesadilla? It’s really something. Also vegan tacos and very good rice and beans as well as the usual chips and salsa or guac. A great choice for lunch or dinner. It’s tiny so plan to take your food to go.
Sweet Java
539 Loring Avenue
Definitely not in downtown Salem, but if you happen to heading to Vinnin Square for shopping or are on your way to Lynn, Swampscott, or Marblehead, Sweet Java is a sweet coffee spot. They brew Jim’s coffee (an awesome local roast) and serve these yummy vegan “energy balls” in a variety of flavors. They also have bagels and sometimes other vegan treats.
The Gyro Spot
128 Washington Street
Several vegan-by-default wraps in both gyro and (Mediterranean) burrito form as well as a lot of vegetarian options that could probably have the tzatziki easily omitted. A casual spot downtown for a quick bite.
The Juicery
83 Washington Street
A smoothie and açai bowl joint, this is a good place for a light breakfast or lunch. They also have a handful of vegan takeaway foods in their cold case including some raw vegan “energy balls” that are good snack to have on hand.
The Lobster Shanty
25 Front Street, in Artist’s Row
Not a wide variety for the vegan — just a Beyond Burger and sides — but this is where the locals go for a pleasant place to sit outside, have drinks and watch Salem go by.
The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West
t might not look it from its gorgeous Victorian Gentleman’s club interiors, but The Tavern does actually offer changing vegan options, along with cocktails galore.
The Ugly Mug Diner
122 Washington Street
The kind of breakfast-all-day place that vegetarians and carnivores love. They do have some vegan (corn) pancakes for breakfast along with the standard vegan oatmeal and bagel with jelly. And they have a Beyond Burger available for lunch.
Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall
43 Church Street
Perhaps not a prime choice for a vegan, but this is a destination many carnivores have on their bucket list for their visit to Salem. If you get swept up in such a junket, rest assured that they say they can accommodate vegans.
Witch City Hibachi
94 Lafayette Street
Witch City Hibachi offers a bunch of vegan stuff from various Asian destinations. Their veggie tempura is egg free and their selection of Thai curries is vegan if you order them with tofu. They also have a vegan udon dish and tofu terriyaki. They don’t grill their hibachi veggies on the same grill as the meat, either, in case that comes into play in your nom nom choices.