Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just looking to expand your culinary experiences, you’ll be happy to hear that Wilmington has a wide and wonderful selection of options to choose from. Don’t worry about packing food on your next vacay to ILM — visit one of these local businesses instead:
1. The Green House – 1427 Military Cutoff Rd. Unit 106
The Green House is Wilmington’s only all-vegan fine dining establishment. It’s a wonderfully refined spot for a celebratory meal or special occasion. The local and sustainable menu is seasonal with many wonderful options — even the smaller portions pack in a ton of flavor. Because the menu is 100% vegan, there’s no risk of cross-contamination.
The multiple-course meal called “The Gathering” is a great way to sample a lot of dishes — try an appetizer, salad, entrée, side, and dessert. There are wine pairings available, and they have fantastic mixed drinks, our favorites being the Old Fashioned and a Negroni with Aperol. Online table reservations are intuitive and simple to make.
We love the clean modern decor and open floor plan. The vibe is a little dressy so wouldn’t suggest going in casual beach wear. Be prepared to spend about $100 per person for a full meal and drinks.
2. Indochine – 7 Wayne Dr
While not a fully vegan restaurant, this one ranks high on our list because its vegan Thai and Vietnamese options are so good. The atmosphere is beautiful and almost always busy, so be prepared to wait an hour or more — they don’t take reservations for parties of less than 8. The good news is that you can wait at the bar and enjoy a delicious mixed drink.
The menu has a vegetarian section and they can make everything vegan. Our favorite dishes are the Ayudhya Eggplant and Yellow Curry. The tofu normally comes fried, but we like to substitute that with steamed tofu. The big portions are great for sharing family-style unless you want leftovers for lunch the next day. Meat eaters and vegans will all find something to love here.
3. Panacea Brewing Company – 4107 Oleander Dr. Unit H
If you’re looking for southern-style comfort food and traditional American pub fare, you’ll love this all-vegan restaurant with staples like fried green tomatoes, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, tacos, and cheese fries. This is one of our go-to lunch spots. Their house-made dressings are one of the biggest highlights, so we recommend getting a couple on the side for dipping. They also offer a big Sunday brunch and have lots of house-brewed kombucha on tap, in both soft and hard varieties.
4. Sealevel City Vegan Diner – 1015 S Kerr Ave Unit A & B
The owner of Sealevel is a well-known Wilmington restaurateur who owns other great restaurants in town, but this is the only all-vegan one. What you find here is what we like to consider old-school vegan — you’ll see more of the lentils and tempeh options on the menu.
It’s an unassuming diner located at the end of a strip mall with excellent service and fresh and consistently solid fare. This is also one of our favorite lunch spots. The Kimchi Tempeh Reuben is to die for and the Chavo chipotle lentil burger with avocado is also one of our favorites. Don’t pass up the desserts located by the register — we always get a cookie or treat for the road!
5. Nawab Fine Indian Cuisine – 6828 Market Street
This huge, all-vegan lunch buffet is the best in town, if not in the country! It’s chock full of delicious curries, spinach dishes, lentils, naan bread made without ghee butter, and fabulous desserts from 11 am-2:30 pm. We’ve taken plenty of non-vegans here and they loved it. They’ve got great vegan wines as well.
If you go during dinner hours, there’s still a nice selection of vegan options — just ask your server. The atmosphere is good for bringing a date or your family, with comfortable and private booths and soft music.
6. Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn – 4002 Oleander Dr
This is actually our favorite restaurant on the list — they have excellent vegan options here. It’s an affordable and low-key environment, perfect for lunch or dinner. All of the menu items are choose-your-own grilled filling. They have vegan cheddar as well, so it’s easy to get a vegan version of most of their offerings.
The marinated tofu is a favorite, but the jerk tofu and portobellos are great as well. We’ve heard that meat offerings are also quite good. The best thing is the salsa bar, which has 12 different vegan salsas to choose from.
7. Savorez – 402 Chestnut St #4026
While there aren’t a ton of vegan options at this Latin American fusion restaurant, the ones that are there are very good — the Vegan Rellenos stuffed with quinoa and black beans are out of this world! The atmosphere is quaint and artistic, and you can feel comfortable in casual or dressy attire.
Luckily, the table wait is usually not long, as reservations are not accepted. If you’re dining alone, the bar is a comfortable spot to grab a drink and a meal, and the service has always been friendly.
8. Yosake – 33 S. Front St.
You’ll find multiple fancy vegan sushi rolls instead of being confined to cucumber and avocado rolls only. There are some excellent curries and noodle dishes as well, with our favorite being the Massaman Curry. The full bar also has fabulous mixed drinks.
Great décor and a comfortable atmosphere make for a dressed-up date night spot, but casual enough that you can dress down as well.
9. Crust Kitchen and Cocktails – 124 Princess St.
This is mostly a grilled cheese spot, but they have good vegan specials! We like the “Feed Me Seymour” with the Impossible Patty and “The Juri,” which is Korean Style Bulgogi. There are also great options for the kids, such as tomato soup with tater tots and the delicious vegan ranch. Expect affordable prices, a casual atmosphere, and outdoor seating right downtown.
10. Port City Cheesesteak Company – 21 N Front St Unit D
If you’re out and about Downtown, this is a great spot to grab an inexpensive bite to eat. There aren’t a lot of options, but they’ve got a delicious vegan Philly and vegan chili.
Honorable Mention:
Double Happiness – 7122 Market St.
There are a few vegan options on the menu and they are always solid!
