Meatless in Seattle ๐๏ธ๐ฒ
I always wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest, but never saw the opportunity to go until now. American Airlines gave me free flight vouchers while I was in Maui, so I used some of the funds for my first trip to Washington. I didn't know what to expect from the plant-based scene in Seattle, so I just took the light rail from the airport to downtown to explore. (super cheap, $3 link from the airport to downtown)
Everybody was telling me to go to Wayward Vegan Cafe, but I only had time to go to closest place in walking distance to catch the next ferry to Bremerton, WA. I got off the train at University street and typed 'vegan' into the map on my phone. The nearest location on the map was Veggie Grill. Places like these are diamonds in the rough for travelers on a plant-based diet. No one recommends them because they're a chain, but they had an extensive menu to satisfy any and all cravings. This is a luxury for anyone who doesn't have a place like this in their city. Plus you're walking distance to the Space Needle, Seattle Great Wheel at Pier 57, and Pike Place Market.
The next day, I took the free ferry from Bremerton to meet a buddy to film a podcast (Where is CJ livin). Afterwards, we found the closest place to eat north of Seattle, which was No Bones Beach Club, a super-cool, tiki-inspired restaurant with a 100% vegan menu. It was hard not to order everything; we got jackfruit nachos, volcano roll, fried avocado tacos, and the buffalo tempeh sandwich.
Third day of the trip, we were cruising around the Edmonds area waiting on the ferry to Kingston, and there were little to no vegan options nearby. Traveling vegan can get difficult when you go outside of the metropolitan area, but it often turns into adventures to hidden gems. We used Happy Cow to find Sage & Cinder on the map, so we started the 10 mile drive north just to arrive and find out they were closed at 3pm to open at 4pm for dinner. They recommended we head another few miles north to Cafe Wylde, a smoothie and juice bar with a plant-based menu and raw desserts. We ordered the jackfruit burrito, the bowl and the fluffiest cheesecake I've ever had. I didn't get any pictures because we were starving and in a rush to catch the ferry back to Kingston. (checkout the Insta-story to see all the vegan noms from this trip)
Next stop was south of Seattle in Tacoma at Viva, this spot was highly recommended by my gracious host and local vegan guide, Karli. We wanted to indulge on as much of their menu as possible, and we turned all the way up because they offered half order options. They were sold out of the zucchini beignets; so we started with BBQ cauliflower wings and Viva nachos, topped with Mexican walnut meat, cilantro lime crema, and nacho sauce. Then came the main selections, jackfruit sloppy joe with a salad and Mexi-mac with garlic toast. At this point, we were definitely full and completely satisfied, but we didn't come this far to not order dessert: rocky road ice cream and mango-raspberry cheesecake. We had to remove ourselves from the restaurant before we ordered everything, it was that good!
On the last day, the plan was to finally check out Wayward Vegan Cafe; however, due to delays on the ferry, I didn't have enough time before my flight. Disappointed that I had to go directly to the airport without more vegan goodness, I was surprised to arrive and discover Floret, a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in the main terminal at Seattle/Tacoma Airport. It's rare to find quality vegan food at the airport; this was gift from plant-based heaven. I made it in time for breakfast and ordered the cinnamon roll and southern platter that included rosemary biscuits smothered in country gravy, seasoned tofu and garlic kale. Definitely the best meal I've ever had in an airport; you have to go if you're flying through.
Highly recommend visiting Seattle/Tacoma area; tons of vegan grub, phenomenal views and endless plant-based vibes. For all photos and videos from my journey through Seattle, check out the highlights.
#Travel #Vegan #Seattle #Tacoma #HappyCow #Lifestyle #USA #PlantBased #WestCoast
