Greetings and Happy Veganuary 2024 to my hungry friends! I know you saw “vegan” and ran on over to my blog! LOL I love it and am here for it all. After all, the month of January is all about veganism. May love, peace, joy, light, and happiness be a part of your day as you’re reading this!
This blog post is timely because you may be thinking about traveling to Vegas for the Superbowl or a fun weekend! So, if you're looking for vegan options, you have some!
In the middle part of November 2023, I traveled to Vegas with my sister for 5 days/4 nights. The last time I was in Vegas, I said that I wasn’t going back to Vegas. I just don't see the point for me. I don't eat everything, hate to lose money, hate cigarette smoke, everything costs way too much, and there's NO BEACH! However, I ended up back in Vegas because my sister was a Vegas 1st timer, and she bought us tickets to see USHER!
We stayed at the Park MGM Hotel because it was non-smoking and Usher was performing at that hotel. It was a beautiful hotel, and it was right in the middle of all the Strip action. But, it didn't have the amount of restaurants the other hotels had.
We also stayed one night at The Rio. It was smoking, outdated, and felt a tad bit sketchy. The room was spacious but outdated. It certainly was a nice hotel at some point. It's not convenient to the Strip though, so don't stay there for that very reason alone...unless you have to.
Usher put on an incredible show! I can't wait for his tour!
Here are some pics from our trip:
OK, enough about the activities! Let's talk about the food!
Vegas, I'm disappointed. I thought that I'd be able to find plant-based spots on every corner, but I guess eating plant-based would not be so "sinful", so...I get it. My sis got tired of me because since we had a car, I specifically sought out plant-based restaurants to eat at...she wasn't having the prices! I get it. This diet is not cheap at times! ⬅️ It can be if you keep it simple.
I only eat one big meal a day, so I surprised myself by going to as many restaurants as I did! We were also walking a ton, so I was replenishing my energy I suppose. Here is a list of the Vegan in Vegas restaurants I did try:
T&T was the first vegan restaurant we went to because we couldn’t check into our hotel yet, so we went to the Venetian to check it out. T&T is 100% vegan, and it’s a part of the hotel wellness club, so you need to show your driver's license ID to get access to it. When we arrived, the vibe was clean and smokeless…which was nice since the Venetian allows smoking in the casino area, and you can smell it when you arrive. I hate smelling smoke when I’m eating, so I was relieved when I didn't need to inhale smoke while eating.
I got the chocolate peanut butter and banana smoothie with mango added, along with the breakfast “EGG” tacos! Both were amazing! The service was top-notch too. This restaurant only serves breakfast and lunch, so get there before it closes at 2 PM.
The Modern Vegan https://tmvrestaurants.com/
This was not my first time at this restaurant. I came to this restaurant for the first time when I was last in Vegas. It’s not on the strip, so the first time I went, I took a rideshare. This time, we rented a Tesla, so we rode on over.
I love that this restaurant is 100% vegan, so everything on this menu is fair game. I also love the vibe of this restaurant, especially the greenery that’s on the walls. It’s not clean plant-based food, so there was a slight grease smell in the air, but it’s not bothersome. In fact, the website calls this “Vegan Comfort Food”, so don’t go order up the whole menu…even though you’ll want to. Both times I’ve been there, the staff has been kind, helpful, and expeditious. When you put your order in, you do not have to wait long.
The first time I went, I tried the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich with sweet potato fries. It was incredible! Well-seasoned and just delectable. Could’ve fooled me! I kept looking at it to make sure I wasn’t eating meat! LOL They have this house sauce that they make that’s like ketchup and mayonnaise…something like what Red Robin makes, but nothing like it. It’s good! I also got to try Cauliflower Wings (eating off my partner’s plate), and that was good too. I had to try dessert because all of it looked amazing, so I went with Monkey Business: deep-fried banana bread, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup. It was HEAVEN on EARTH!
This time around, I got my partner’s favorite: Louisiana Fried Chick’n. It was SUCH a large portion. Had to add some salt and pepper to the dish because, to me, it was under-seasoned. The first time I had it, it wasn’t, so maybe this was just this time. I still tore it up! I also had some water and Strawberry Lemonade. The Strawberry Lemonade is 🔥!
The prices of the entrees don’t make it affordable to eat it at every meal, but the portions are so large, that you could easily eat one entrée for lunch AND dinner. I did finish the meal in one setting, but it was all I ate the whole day and after walking over 10K!
Worth the drive off the beaten path!
Black and Blue Diner https://blackandbluediner.com/
This restaurant was appealing to me because they are not a vegan restaurant, but they have an extensive vegan menu. And my favorite color is BLUE, so I had to try it out.
When we drove up, it looked like they took over an old Pizza Hut. It certainly is not a building they built for their establishment. They repurposed the building. Their claim to fame is that everyone can eat at the same restaurant, no matter what your diet is!
When you walk in, it’s very much set up like an old-school diner! There is a countertop where people can sit by the kitchen and there’s also general seating. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day, AND they have an extensive vegan menu for all meals. For those who care to know, they cook the vegan food in a separate part of the kitchen, so you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination.
I was craving a big breakfast, and this one did not disappoint. I got the Jackpot Breakfast with scrambled vegan eggs with cheeze, Vegan French Toast, Vegan Sausage Patties, Hashbrowns, and strawberries to go on top of my pancakes. WOW! It was 20/10! The service was top notch and the food was delectable. Pricing was not too bad… I mean, it’s VEGAS, so you’re not going to get a nice meal below $20.
Chef Kenny’s Vegan Dim Sum https://www.chefkennysvegandimsum.com/
Another 100% Vegan restaurant? AND it’s Asian food? Had to try it!
It was off the strip as well, so I had to drive to get there. It’s at the end of a strip mall practically by itself. I did enjoy the signage outside!
The atmosphere of the restaurant is that of an Asian restaurant, so if you’re into aesthetics, there’s nothing special to see here. That wasn’t the highlight though. Of course, it was the food!
I had miso soup, spring rolls, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. I ate it all in one sitting because it was so good. The sweet-and-sour sauce was more sour than sweet, but it was still great! They also had vegan sushi there that I wanted to try, but my belly was just SO full from eating other things. When I go there, I’ll get some sushi and try their vegan fried chicken!
Slice of Vegas https://www.sliceofvegasmenu.com/
This pizza bar is located on the walkway between Mandalay Bay and Luxor, which is right in the middle of all the action on the strip! I’m sure the other pizzas are amazing for the meat-eating, dairy-consuming folks, but I got a vegan garden pizza and a vegan Caesar salad. It was incredibly delicious, but I was full so fast. It was too much food for me! I wasted some of the salad. They have vegan appetizers, vegan soups and salads, vegan sandwiches, vegan entrees, vegan pizzas of all sizes, vegan Strombolis and calzones, vegan desserts, and vegan sauces and dressings. Vegan heaven! Do not hesitate to visit when in Vegas!
Smash Me Baby https://smashmebaby.com/las-vegas/ (Lucky 3 Delivery https://lucky3food.com/)
This restaurant calls itself “a fast-casual restaurant”. I don’t think it’s a restaurant at all. There’s nowhere to go and sit down. It’s only to-go orders or delivery! So, don’t drive there expecting anything else. In fact, you could just order it for delivery.
It was GOOD though! I had the Patty Melt (When I ate meat, I loved Steak and Shake’s Patty Melt), fries (which had some seasoning on it that made them taste amazing), and while I was there, I ordered a Strawberry Lemonade from another restaurant (Boba Haus). They texted me when it was done, and I had to have my phone to sync with the lockers my food was put in to open the locker to get my food. My sister said there’s one in STL, but there’s certainly nothing in Kansas City like that. It’d be cool to have one!
Bonus #1: Hussong's Mexican Cantina https://www.hussongslasvegas.com/?y_source=1_MjUyNzIyODEtNzE1LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D
This Mexican cantina is also located on the walkway between Mandalay Bay and Luxor, which is right in the middle of all the action on the strip! I didn't go with my sister, but I went with my husband to this restaurant. I love Mexican food, and I love that they provide vegan food!
Yummy, yummy, YUMMY! Go, go, GO!
Bonus #2: Craig's Ice Cream https://craigsvegan.com/
So FULL TRANSPARENCY: I did not get to go to this 100% vegan ice cream parlor when I was last in Vegas, but it is an experience I’ll never forget! If you’ve been to the Vegas Strip, you know they sell ice cream all up and down the Strip. Dairy ice cream, that is. But Craig’s Ice Cream is 100% vegan, so it was perfect! When I went, I had the pistachio ice cream on a cone dipped with vegan chocolate. Before this trip, I had NEVER had pistachio ice cream… and it was INCREDIBLE! I don’t even eat ice cream all that much, but it was worth it to eat!
Unfortunately, the storefront is closed in Vegas, but you can get a Craig’s Vegan Milkshake in Fatburger and Johnny Rockets Restaurants in Vegas. Worth it to me!
Overall, it was a great trip! Like I said, I don’t want to go back to Vegas because spending all my money where there’s not a beach is not fun to me. But, to my vegan readers, if you go there, you have options! There are more vegan options in Vegas, but these are the ones I have eaten at and can vouch for!
Alexa, play “¡Viva Las Vegas!” by Elvis Presley since the youngins may not get the reference! LOL
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