Best Budget-Friendly Vegetarian Vegas Restaurants

Most restaurants have the obligatory one or two vegetarian dishes. If I never eat or see another bland grilled veggie sandwich or try to make a meal out of sides again I'll be a happy woman indeed. Being a vegetarian shouldn’t be a boring affair. Or a costly one. There are a variety of delightful dining options for vegetarians that will put a smile on your face instead of a strain on your wallet. I culled this list from locally owned restaurants (no outside franchises) where you can leave satisfied on $12 and under.

1. Archi's

I know I'm going to catch flak for this, but I don't care. Archi's may not serve the most authentic Thai cuisine, but it has so much else going for it. The Vegas franchise's (soon to be) four spacious locations mean that they are conveniently located for most people. The food is consistently good and 90% of the menu can be made vegetarian either by requesting tofu or veggies as your 'protein'. Ordering from the lunch menu means a filling and cost-effective meal.

If you're there for dinner, try my favorite, Pad Woon Sen, stir-fried glass noodles. I cannot overstate how much I love noodles, everything from spaghetti, and ramen, to chow mein. For some reason slurping and twirling food makes me happy. And that's without even thinking about the diverse flavors or textures. And when it comes to texture, glass noodles are the absolute stand out: delicate but still satisfyingly chewy. The sauce is fairly dry so you can savor maximum slurpage, without wearing a bib or sacrificing your white (why is it always white?) shirt. But I digress. At Archi's, the dinner portions are so large that I routinely have enough for another meal the next day. The noodles reheat well and make for exciting leftovers.

2. Amber’s Smoked Vegan

I admit to casting lustful glances at my husband’s dish when we go to places like Rollin Smoke. Good southern BBQ has been a difficult one to find in vegetarian options. Enter Amber’s Smoked Vegan, recently opened a stone’s throw from the Charleston CSN campus, inside the Campus Commons food court. Don’t let the atmosphere fool you, everyone in that building is serious about creating great meals. The location is also a bonus for those of you eating with non-vegetarian/vegan companions. They can partake in food from any of the other stalls while you get down and dirty with some vegan ribs.

The menu is extensive and covers classics like fried chicken, and po boys, while keeping daily specials like beef tips in the rotation. Amber’s Smoked Vegan is the closest I’ve gotten to the real thing. Their meat substitute has the appropriate consistency and their sauces are phenomenal. There’s one that has no name, simply the restaurant’s logo on the bottle, already a good sign. It's tangy with a powerful hint of heat and quite honestly can elevate my flip-flop to a tasty lunch option. If you’re looking for that very specific southern comfort food feel, there’s finally a place that has you covered.

3. Kenny Chye

Kenny Chye is not a place, but a person, a pillar of the vegan community in Las Vegas for nearly two decades. The landscape was bare when he first opened Veggie House (now under different management) in Chinatown. He didn’t stick to Asian vegetable dishes or tofu, he committed to creating meat substitute dishes that at times can outdo the real thing, I’m looking at you Crispy Beef. It was as if Chef Kenny had somehow unlocked the secret to delicious vegan cooking. Composition, flavor, even the sound meat makes when you chew it, was all there and it was all good.

But conquering Asian cuisine was not enough for him. His dream was a vegan In-n-Out style establishment. When Chef Kenny opened Vege-Way that dream came true. Again, the all-vegan menu (this time) of burgers, fries, and shakes created a facsimile that not only held its own but could surpass its meat counterpoints. Kiss the hockey puck burger goodbye, and say hello to juicy fake burgers. No longer involved in Veggie House, he has opened another new place: Chef Kenny’s Asian Vegan Restaurant. I haven’t been yet, but I can confidently say that any place Chef Kenny goes, excellence (and a happy Veronica) is sure to follow.

4. Taco y Taco

Most of the local, authentic taco places in Vegas don’t bother with vegetarian/vegan options. Not the case at Taco y Taco. Their menu is broad and varied. There are two locations, but I’m partial to the one on Eastern (I know it’s technically in Henderson, but once again, I don’t care). The restaurant is large with plenty of seating and a chill vibe. It’s the perfect place to grab a casual dinner with friends. If it’s your first time, ordering can be confusing since there are four different lines, but the only one you should care about is Line 4. That’s the vegetarian/vegan one, ignore the others. When placing your order, don’t be afraid to ask questions or request specific toppings, every item on the menu is customizable.

My normal order includes either two Soyrizo Tacos and one Seta (mushroom) Taco or two Soyrizo Tacos and an Elote (corn). You’ll notice a common thread in both orders. The Soyrizo is packed with salty, punchy quality perfectly balanced with creamy guacamole. Visit the salsa bar for tangy or spicy additions to the dish of your choice and some radishes (excellent to cut the heat) or pickled veggies. The tacos may be small, but they more than make up for size with fantastic and filling ingredients.

5. Cornish Pasty Co.

Every food culture on this planet features some form of dough loaded with some form of stuffing. Dumplings, empanadas, bourekas, pierogies, calzones, on and on. Forget what you think you know about British food and relish the flaky goodness that is a Cornish Pasty at Cornish Pasty Co. In this gothic-inspired restaurant, where old church pews double as benches, you can take your pick from 12 different vegetarian/vegan pasties. The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming while giving you the feeling of being somewhere slightly subversive.

Pasty fillings vary greatly in influence and complexity. You can go for safe classics like Cottage Pie or the surprising treats like Veggie Chicken Tika Masala. Each item comes with a different sauce tailored to enhance the experience, and all the meat substitutes work deliciously well inside the buttery, comforting crust. Pasties are wonderful year-round, but they’re particularly enjoyable on a rainy day or when the weather turns a little cooler. There’s nothing better than wrapping yourself up in the warmth of a soul-soothing Cornish Pasty.

Now for the really good news, every year there’s an influx of new vegetarian/vegan restaurants for you to find. This list will get you going, but hopefully, you’ll be inspired to search out more places and options. Vegans, Baby is another comprehensive resource you can use in this search. Do you have any budget-friendly favorites that I missed? Let me know in the comments.