5 Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in FOCO with Gluten-Free Options.
If you’re vegan (like me) and have been in Fort Collins for a hot minute, you probably already know we only have two vegan-specific restaurants in town. As a local foodie, I’ve taken it upon myself to go eat at a dozen vegan-friendly restaurants which also serve gluten-free options. Of the dozen I’ve tried, here are my five favorites.
DGT (formerly known as Dam Good Tacos)
DGT sits below the Alley Cat Cafe on Laurel street in the alleyway. It deserves the highest recognition because they are extremely allergen friendly. I gave them an extensive list of the food intolerances I have, and not only did they write them all down, fact check them against their lists of ingredients, but they did a thorough cleaning of their grill before cooking up my food. When the chef asked me how my food was a few bites in, the only words that came out of my mouth were: “Dam, it’s good!”
What I ordered: A Power Bowl with a Veggie Deluxe taco theme. The meal was comprised of: Brown rice, house-made beans (pinto and red), romaine lettuce, tomato-onion pico, tomatillo-avacado sauce and tomato-ginger sauce. Follow the link for DGT’s full menu.
I suppose it was the combination of the sauces that made the meal taste just like a taco, and it was dee-licious! The drink featured here is something to write home about. It’s called a Jerry Palmer and consists of yerba mate, green tea, black tea, lemon, lime and brown sugar. Not only did my taste buds agree this was a repeat buy, but my energy level was through the roof. Perfect drink for a mid-day pick me up. Just don’t get me started on the reason DGT had to change their name.
Jaws Sushi
Located on Elizabeth street near Shields. Most people don’t think of vegan-friendly in a restaurant that specializes in fish, but they would be wrong. Jaws offers several different veggie roll options and are able to make them gluten-free as well. This is a very popular restaurant, so if you go on the weekend either get there around 5 p.m. or be prepared to wait outside as this restaurant is quite small. Size of restaurant aside, their sushi is an absolute treat for your taste buds.
What I ordered: an avocado roll and three veggie specialty rolls. The roll on the top left: adorned with avocado and a spicy pepper sauce. Inside: tomato, cucumber, cilantro and sunflower sprouts. The avocado rolls were simply filled with avocado. The roll second to the right was embellished with tomato, avocado and sesame seeds. Inside: cucumber, carrots, asparagus and jalapenos. This was by far my favorite roll. The roll on the far right: decked with seaweed and sesame seeds. Inside: avocado, cucumber, mushroom and asparagus.
I shared this plate of sushi with another person and we still couldn’t finish it all. The specialty rolls were only $7 a roll, so in total we spent about $15 each because we also ordered their hot green tea matcha. I joked that my friends would have to ‘roll’ me out of Jaws I was so stuffed! Puns aside, check out the nutritional benefits of eating vegan sushi.
Bann Thai
Located on South College Avenue, just South of Mulberry street in Fort Collins. Bann Thai is my favorite Thai food restaurant in Fort Collins.They offer many dishes that can be made vegan and gluten-free. Coming here from Seattle, I appreciate their authentic Thai recipes that make my mouth smile and remind me of home. I love that their menu is marked for vegan and gluten-free items, which indicate whether the dish is inherently vegan or gluten-free or if it can be made that way upon request.
What I ordered: Khow Phad Subparod (Pineapple fried rice) with vegetables. Contents: brown rice stir fried with Tamari sauce, pineapple, broccoli, roasted cashews, shaved carrots, bell pepper, fresh tomato and cilantro. Follow this link for the complete Bann Thai Menu.
Technically this is a dinner menu item, but if you ask for it they will make it for you during lunch hours. The only caveat is that it comes at the dinner price and serving size. For me the nostalgia my taste palate gets alone is worth every extra dollar. Plus, there are many health benefits of eating Thai food
Star of India
The Star of India is located on Harvard Street just off of College Avenue. What I love about this restaurant is that they segregate their menu for vegan specific items marked with a (V), including their drink menu. They also have a dedicated gluten-free (GF) section and in addition, mark their appetizers with vegan (V) and gluten free (GF) icons. Half of their menu can be ordered vegan and gluten-free which provides you with a plethora of options.
What I ordered: Well, for starters they bring you complimentary Papadum which is made from lentil flour and cumin. They also provide you with two tasty dipping sauces. The red one is Madras sauce and the green one tasted like tomatillo sauce.
Garlic Besan Nan, which is gluten and dairy-free, consists of tapioca, corn, potato, and rice flour with garlic and cilantro. The two main dishes are comprised of a vegetable medley which includes fresh carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, green peas and more.
The smaller dish pictured above is their vegan curry with onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, herbs and spices. The larger, red sauce dish is their Madras sauce which is made with tamarind and coconut flake curry. The Madras curry dish I ordered mild, which had no spice at all. The regular curry was ordered ‘medium’ and had just enough kick that I won’t be tempted to order anything ‘hot’ from this restaurant.
Of the two, I recommend the regular curry which has a rich and delicious curry flavor. The Madras has a tomato base which I found a bit overpowering.
Full disclaimer: I’m a wimp when it comes to spices, so anything hot would feel more like fire in my mouth.
The mango saffron smoothie made vegan with coconut milk was absolutely flavorsome. I requested they use less sugar so I could eat it with my meal. But it would also make an excellent desert with the normal amount of sugar.
Check out this list of reasons about why you should incorporate Indian spices into your diet. More reasons here.
Mod Pizza
I know what you’re thinking, a chain restaurant?! Yes, a chain restaurant and for a few very good reasons. The first, Mod Pizza is new to Fort Collins and not many people I’ve talked with have heard of it. Second, the gluten free crust is egg-free, and therefore vegan, which is difficult to come by. Third, you get an 11" pizza with any amount and variety of toppings you want for only $10. Yes, that’s right, $10.
In addition, they take extra care to not cross contaminate your food by changing their gloves when you mention “gluten-free” and “vegan” and they reserve a special place in their stone oven for gluten free pizzas. They also ensure they cut your pizza on top of wax paper so they don’t cross contaminate your food. Basically from start to finish they baby your order just like you would want and expect, and you get all the toppings you want for one low price. No upcharge for gluten free crust and no upcharge for Daiya vegan cheese. You’re welcome.
What I ordered: One gluten free crust, marinara sauce, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, fresh tomato slices, sliced red onion, black olives, artichokes, green bell pepper, roasted garlic, roasted broccoli, roasted mushrooms, white raw mushrooms, oregano, fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, fresh arugula added on top after it was baked, and their absolutely scrumptious fig balsamic dressing drizzled on top. Sounds mouth-watering doesn’t it? That’s exactly why I started eating before I remembered to snap a photo for you all. It almost looks like the “C” in Colorado though, so I hope you’ll forgive me.
Deliciousness aside, this is what I would consider a cheat meal because although it is loaded with delicious vegetables, let’s face it — vegan cheeses are just oil and fat. I choose these types of meals sparingly, but when I do, and I’m eating out, I choose Mod. Here is the Mod Pizza full menu.
Other honorable mentions:
Raskas International Cousine (which just re-opened), Maza Kabob, Mad Greens, Garbanzos, Whole Foods, Tokyo Joes, and Chipotle.
I also really want to try Nyala Ethiopian Cousine as they too, have many vegan and gluten free options.
I hope you enjoyed this listcle! Please feel free to leave your comments and photos below of delicious vegan and gluten-free eateries around Fort Collins.