Vegan & Plant-Based Restaurants In NYC: A Black-Owned Guide

New York's Black-owned vegan scene isn't one neighborhood or one cuisine. It's Ethiopian platters in Crown Heights, a Trinidadian buss-up-shut in Williamsburg, soul food with a Puerto Rican accent at a Flatbush pop-up, and donuts in Brooklyn Heights that happen to be vegan, full stop. This guide pulls together seven of the best, almost all clustered across Brooklyn, so you can build your own route instead of trying to do them all in one sitting.

All seven spots are part of EatOkra's curated Vegan & Plant-Based Restaurants in NYC collection — save it to keep the full list close. Reading this on mobile? Visit the in-app collection here.

Ras Plant Based Ethiopian, Crown Heights — Ethiopian food remixed without rules

739 Franklin Ave, Crown Heights · Open daily, Mon–Thu 12pm–10pm, Fri 12pm–11pm, Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 11am–10pm

Ras Plant Based takes the deep, complex flavors of Ethiopian cooking and remixes them — by design, this isn't a traditional Ethiopian restaurant. Founders Romeo and Milka Regalli built the menu around the meals they watched their grandparents make, filtered through a modern New York lens. The space is colorful and brick-walled, with murals and a regular DJ or live-music night that keeps the room lively.

What to order: The kitfo burrito and the lentil patty burger come up again and again in reviews. The injera nachos — black beans, soy protein crumble, berbere cheese sauce — are a strong shareable starter.

Best time to visit: Reservations fill up on weekends; go early on a weeknight for a quieter table.

Aunts et Uncles, Flatbush — a plant-based café that's also a lifestyle shop

1407 Nostrand Ave, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn · Open Mon–Wed & Sun 10am–8pm, Thu–Sat 10am–10pm

Aunts et Uncles, founded by Mike and Nicole Nicholas, blends Caribbean heritage with a café-meets-retail concept — the same room sells books, art, and clothing celebrating Black culture alongside the menu. The vibe leans cozy and design-forward, like someone's well-curated living room.

What to order: The Au Burger — a plant-based patty with caramelized onions, spicy mayo, BBQ sauce, and arugula on a pretzel bun — and the mofongo (mashed green plantains, salsa) are the two most-mentioned dishes. The mac and cheese has its own following.

Best time to visit: Weekday afternoons for a calmer pace; weekends draw a brunch crowd.

HAAM (Healthy As A Motha), Williamsburg — Dominican and Trinidadian flavor, fully plant-based

234 Union Ave, South Williamsburg, Brooklyn · Open Mon–Thu 4pm–10pm, Fri 12pm–11pm, Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 11am–10pm

HAAM fuses Dominican and Trinidadian cooking into an elevated-casual menu, with cocktails and a happy hour (Mon–Thu, 4–6pm) on top of the food. The kitchen doesn't shy away from richness — oyster mushroom and jackfruit do a lot of the heavy lifting where meat would normally sit.

What to order: The buss-up-shut roti plate, the sweet plantain boat, and the chimichurri "steak" are the most-cited dishes. The mofongo, made with tempeh bacon and a curried cream sauce, is worth ordering if you haven't had a plant-based version before.

Best time to visit: The buss-up-shut is made fresh and worth the wait — budget extra time if you're ordering it on a busy night.

Black Rican Vegan, Flatbush — soul food with a Puerto Rican twist, pop-up style

2123 Caton Ave, Flatbush, Brooklyn · Hours vary by week — currently weekends only; confirm via Instagram before visiting

Black Rican Vegan started as a Smorgasburg favorite and has built a following on its blend of Puerto Rican and soul food classics, all plant-based. Chef Lyana runs it pop-up style, which means hours shift — regulars know to check social before making the trip, and to expect a line.

What to order: The beefless empanadas, the bistec encebollado (a vegan take on the classic Latin steak dish), and the moxtails are the dishes people drive across boroughs for.

Best time to visit: Check Instagram for the current week's hours and location before heading out.

Slutty Vegan, Fort Greene — the Atlanta burger phenomenon's first NY outpost

690 Fulton St, Fort Greene, Brooklyn · Open Sunday–Thu 12pm–8pm, Fri–Sat 12pm–12am

Founder Pinky Cole brought Slutty Vegan to Fort Greene in 2022 — her first location outside the South.

What to order: The One Night Stand and the Fussy Hussy are the standout burgers: plant-based patties loaded with vegan bacon, vegan cheese, and the signature Slut Sauce on a Hawaiian bun. Get fries; they come with everything.

Best time to visit: Lines build fast on weekends — go right at opening if you want to skip the wait.

Bunna Cafe, East Williamsburg/Bushwick — a vegan Ethiopian institution since 2011

1084 Flushing Ave, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn · Open Mon 12pm–10pm, Tue 5pm–10pm, Wed–Thurs 12pm–10, Fri 12-11pm, Sat–Sun 12pm–4pm & 5pm–10/11pm

Bunna Cafe has been a fixture of Brooklyn's plant-based scene since 2011, its coffee ceremony and live music are just as iconic as its food. The cuisine is traditional plant-forward Ethiopian cooking.

What to order: The Feast for Two lets you try most of the menu at once — lentils, rosemary mushroom tibs, collard greens, ground chickpeas, all served on injera. Ask about coffee ceremony timing if you want the full ritual.

Best time to visit: Reservations are recommended on weekends; the room fills up fast on Saturday nights.

Cloudy Donut Co, Brooklyn Heights — NYC's first 100% vegan donut shop

14 Columbia Pl, Brooklyn Heights · Open Fri–Sun 9am–4pm

Cloudy Donut Co., founded by Derrick Faulcon alongside Zewiditu Jewel of The Brown Collective, was NYC's first all-vegan donut shop. Everything is small-batched, flavors rotate weekly, and quantities are limited.

What to order: The brown butter chocolate chip donut, the sweet potato pound cake, and the apple pie cinnamon roll are the most-praised items. Check their site or Instagram for the week's flavor lineup before you go — popular flavors sell out.

Best time to visit: Open Friday through Sunday only, and donuts go fast — morning is safest.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best Black-owned vegan restaurant in NYC for a full sit-down meal? Ras Plant Based Ethiopian and Bunna Cafe both offer the most complete dining-room experience, with shareable family-style platters built for the table.

Where should I go for vegan fast food or a quick bite? Slutty Vegan in Fort Greene is the move for a burger-and-fries fix. Cloudy Donut Co. covers dessert.

Is there a Black-owned vegan spot that's also a retail experience? Aunts et Uncles in Flatbush doubles as a café and a shop for books, art, and clothing.

Which of these spots has the most limited hours? Black Rican Vegan operates pop-up style with hours that shift weekly — check Instagram before visiting. Cloudy Donut Co. is open Friday through Sunday only.

Save the full list

All seven spots in this guide are part of our Vegan & Plant-Based Restaurants in NYC collection — curated by the EatOkra editorial team. Save it to your profile and we'll notify you when the list grows.

If you’re in search of more local eats, check out our NYC City Guide, or browse the full EatOkra Collections hub for more curated lists beyond the city.