A Vegetarian Restaurant in Every US State

Current vegguide status

2009-02-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

Starting this up again. I also list the offset since we started the project in color. Lots of new vegetarian retaurants!

Alaska:0
Delaware:0
South_Dakota:0
Alabama:1
Arkansas:1
Kansas:1 +1
Louisiana:1 +1
Mississippi:1 +1
Rhode_Island:1
South_Carolina:1
West_Virginia:1
Wyoming:1
Indiana:2 +1
Kentucky:2 +1
Montana:2 +1
North_Dakota:2 +1
Idaho:3 +3
Nebraska:3 +1
Oklahoma:3
New_Hampshire:4 +1
Vermont:4 +1
Iowa:6 +1
Maine:6 +2
Nevada:6 +2
Utah:6 +1
New_Mexico:7 +5
Missouri:9 +3
Tennessee:9 +6
Michigan:12 +6
Wisconsin:12 +1
Hawaii:13
Colorado:14 +1
Virginia:14
Connecticut:15 +5
Maryland:15 +8
Minnesota:15 +1
North_Carolina:20 +7
District_of_Columbia:22 +2
Arizona:23 +1
Ohio:25 +3
Georgia:26 +2
New_Jersey:28 +4
Massachusetts:32 +4
Illinois:43 +2
Pennsylvania:46 +2
Texas:49 +11
Washington:51 +7
Oregon:60 +1
Florida:67 +26
New_York:180 +34
California:312 +100

Current vegguide status

2008-09-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Time to run the numbers again. I also list the offset since we started the project in bold.

Alaska:0
Delaware:0
Louisiana:0
South_Dakota:0
Alabama:1
Arkansas:1
Indiana:1
Kansas:1 +1
Kentucky:1
Mississippi:1 +1
Montana:1
North_Dakota:1
Rhode_Island:1
South_Carolina:1
West_Virginia:1
Wyoming:1
Idaho:2 +2
Nebraska:2
New_Mexico:2
New_Hampshire:3
Oklahoma:3
Tennessee:3
Maine:4
Nevada:4
Vermont:4 +1
Iowa:5
Michigan:6
Missouri:6
Maryland:7
Utah:7
Connecticut:10
Wisconsin:11
Hawaii:13
Minnesota:14
North_Carolina:14 +1
Virginia:14
Colorado:15 +2
District_of_Columbia:21 +1
Arizona:22
Ohio:22
Georgia:24
Massachusetts:30 +2
New_Jersey:32
Texas:38
Florida:41
Illinois:43 +2
Pennsylvania:44
Washington:44
Oregon:58 +1
New_York:146
California:264 +32

46 New vegetarian listings on vegguide.org since we stated.

Mississippi- Third Success!

2008-09-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

We found a restaurant in Mississippi via google called the High Noon Cafe. Shoot called them and confirmed that they're still open and added them to vegguide.

Not only is this the only vegetarian business on vegguide, it's the only entry on vegguide for the entire state!

Kansas- 2nd Success!

2008-08-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

I just called and confirmed that Nice Cafe (inside Casbah Market) is all vegetarian and open. The store is all vegetarian as well. I added them to vegguide.org: Casbah Market and Nice Cafe

I saw this initially on vegproject.org and someone also recently added it to happycow.

I also updated Idaho's entry in the state list to the right, since Glow Live Cafe is vegan (and raw.)

Prior to the opening of Nice Cafe, Kansas (at least Lawrence) hasn't had a vegetarian restaurant since 1997 when Herbivore's Juice Bar and Deli burned down in a fire caused by the water heater in the building.

South Dakota and Louisiana

2008-08-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Veggies closed in South Dakota about 2 years ago.
Every place we found in Louisiana had a number that was no longer in service. We did find a store called Vegetarian Shoppe, but I still need to confirm that they exist before adding them to vegguide.

South Dakota and Louisiana do not appear to have any vegetarian restaurants.

Delaware

2008-08-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tried calling a possible vegetarian place several times last week. They never answered the phone. On a whim I tried calling again today, turns out they're open but not vegetarian.
Delaware has no vegetarian restaurants.

Ketchum- Idaho?

2008-08-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

Someone else added another entry for Ketchum Idaho shortly after I did. Just a few days ago I thought Idaho didn't have any vegetarian restaurants.

Idaho- First success!

2008-08-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

We found a vegetarian restaurant in Idaho and listed it on vegguide.org. It's a juice-bar/restaurant in Ketchum serving soup and sandwiches, most items are vegan with option of adding nonvegan cheese. Akasha Organics

It was a welcome surprise when I called yesterday and found out that they are still open and all vegetarian!

Whoa! vegproject.org

2008-08-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

I already see some listings there that aren't on vegguide! Also, this is the first site I've found dedicated to promoting only vegetarian restaurants.

Updates and reasons for my choices so far

2008-08-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

millenium heard good things about it
sublime- thread on post punk kitchen forum, good reviews elsewhere
Amitibul- I heard good things about them and the restaurant they briefly owned in Madison, WI.
Ecopolitan- I liked it when I went a few years ago. First vegan (and first raw) restaurant I ever visited.
Candle 79- heard good things about it
Blossoming Lotus- I think the food is great, and heard good things about it
Horizons- had more emphatic recommendations
Garden Grill Cafe and Juice Bar- Rhode Island's only vegetarian restaurant on the mainland.
spiral dinner- vegnews restaurant of the year 2007
Araya's Vegetarian Place- my gf (shoot) went and loved it.
Cheese Factory- we went all the time when we lived in Wisconsin

Heard good things about it often means I posted a thread on the post punk kitchen forums.

Our search didn't come up with anything for Delaware or Idaho, though I have two remote possibilities that I need to call.

Alaska

2008-08-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

I'm working from the top and bottom of the list in the previous post. As of now I've selected a restaurant for New York, California, and Oregon.

Alaska
http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/usa/Alaska-Vegetarian-Restaurants.htm
This site is seriously out of date. Looks like Enzyme Express used to be vegetarian, but closed 5+ years ago. 1997.

Alaska vegetarian society website.
vegdining.com- only listed a veg friendly health food store
happycow- no vegetarian restaurants listed thought there might be one in anchorage in a natural foods store, but it wasn't all vegetarian.
inquired on ppk forum
vegetarianusa.net listed 3 that aren't quite vegetarian

There are two cafes offering vegan options in Anchorage. One is already on vegguide, the other is run by the guy that started Enzyme Express. There's a 3rd on vegetarianusa.net

It doesn't look like Alaska has any existing vegetarian restaurants

Current vegguide status

2008-08-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

States: # of vegetarian/vegan businesses.
Alaska:0
Delaware:0
Idaho:0
Kansas:0
Louisiana:0
Mississippi:0
South_Dakota:0
Alabama:1
Arkansas:1
Indiana:1
Kentucky:1
Montana:1
North_Dakota:1
Rhode_Island:1
South_Carolina:1
West_Virginia:1
Wyoming:1
Nebraska:2
New_Mexico:2
New_Hampshire:3
Oklahoma:3
Tennessee:3
Vermont:3
Maine:4
Nevada:4
Iowa:5
Michigan:6
Missouri:6
Maryland:7
Utah:7
Connecticut:10
Wisconsin:11
Colorado:13
Hawaii:13
North_Carolina:13
Minnesota:14
Virginia:14
District_of_Columbia:20
Arizona:22
Ohio:22
Georgia:24
Massachusetts:28
New_Jersey:32
Texas:38
Florida:41
Illinois:41
Pennsylvania:44
Washington:44
Oregon:59
New_York:146
California:212

Introduction

2008-08-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

The goal of this project is to have at least one vegetarian (preferably vegan) restaurant listed for every state in the US on vegguide.org

First, I want to get an idea of what's currently on vegguide for every state. I will make a script for this.

Second, in order to make this manageable, I'm going to select one vegetarian/vegan restaurant from each state. I'll make sure the record is correct and that the restaurant is still open. This restaurant will then represent that state.

Third, for the states without any restaurants listed, I will attempt to find an existing one and update vegguide. It's possible that a vegetarian restaurant is on another site, or is miscategorized. I'll also update listings of restaurants miscategorized as vegetarian if I come across them

Fourth, I'm going to work on encouraging the opening of new vegan restaurants in the remaining states. Conversion of existing restaurants to be completely vegetarian is another option.

Bed and Breakfasts don't qualify unless the public is able to have a meal without staying overnight.