Every New Vegan Restaurant in Minneapolis in 2026 (Updated)

The Best New Vegan Openings in Minneapolis in 2026

Minneapolis has one of the strongest plant-based dining scenes in the Midwest, and 2026 has already added several notable new restaurants to the list. Whether you are looking for soul food, Indigenous cuisine, or fast-casual dumplings, the city's vegan scene is growing.

This guide covers the biggest vegan and plant-based openings of 2026 -- what opened, where to find them, what to order, and what is still on the way later this year.

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Trio Plant-Based -- Relocated to Midtown Global Market

920 E Lake St (Midtown Global Market) | Powderhorn / Midtown

Trio Plant-Based is not new to Minneapolis -- but its 2026 relocation to Midtown Global Market is one of the year's most significant moves in the local vegan dining scene. Founded by Louis Hunter, Trio is Minneapolis's first Black-owned 100% vegan soul food restaurant, and the Midtown Global Market location gives it a permanent home inside one of the city's most visited food halls.

The menu is built around comfort food done entirely without animal products: buffalo mac and cheeze, jackfruit ribs, collard greens, and rotating specials that draw from Southern and soul food traditions. For anyone who missed Trio's previous West Lake Street location, the market spot is easier to reach by transit and open to foot traffic from across the market.

Midtown Global Market sits at 920 E Lake St and is accessible by the Lake Street/Midtown light rail station.

What to order: Buffalo mac and cheeze, jackfruit ribs, collard greens.

See the full listing: Trio Plant-Based

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Indigena by Owamni -- Indigenous Cuisine in Cedar-Riverside

1115 2nd St S, Cedar-Riverside

The team behind Owamni by The Sioux Chef -- the James Beard Award-winning restaurant from Sean Sherman -- opened Indigena by Owamni in Cedar-Riverside in early 2026. The restaurant brings Indigenous foodways to a neighborhood that is already one of the most culturally rich in Minneapolis.

The menu draws from pre-contact Indigenous ingredients and cooking traditions: wild game, fish, heritage grains, and vegetables sourced without European-introduced staples like wheat flour, dairy, or refined sugar. For vegans and plant-forward diners, the menu has strong options -- vegetables, grains, and preparations that put Indigenous ingredients at the center rather than as a side dish.

Indigena by Owamni is one of the most genuinely unique dining concepts in the Twin Cities and worth visiting regardless of diet. It is located in the West Bank neighborhood near the University of Minnesota.

What to order: Ask your server for the current plant-forward options -- the menu rotates seasonally.

See the full listing: Indigena by Owamni

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Saturday Dumpling Co. -- Hand-Pinched Vegan Options in Northeast

519 Central Ave NE, Northeast Minneapolis

Saturday Dumpling Co. opened in Northeast Minneapolis and quickly earned a spot on Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's Top 50 restaurants list. It is not an exclusively vegan restaurant, but its vegan options are genuinely good -- hand-pinched veggie dumplings, a tofu burrito, and a tofu rice bowl that holds up as a full meal.

The restaurant operates as a fast-casual counter on Central Ave NE, which is already one of the most interesting food corridors in the city. If you are doing a Northeast vegan crawl, Saturday Dumpling Co. pairs well with stops at Himalayan Restaurant and Wok in the Park nearby.

What to order: Veggie dumplings, tofu rice bowl.

See the full listing: Saturday Dumpling Co.

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Summer 2026 Additions: Yemeni Coffee Houses with Plant Milk

Two Yemeni coffee houses opened in Minneapolis in summer 2026, both offering plant milk and vegan-friendly drinks.

Haraz Coffee House (3005 Lyndale Ave S, Lyn-Lake) opened in July 2026 as the first Minnesota location of a Yemeni coffee chain. The shop serves traditional qishr (spiced ginger-husk coffee), espresso drinks, and loose-leaf tea -- all available with oat, almond, or soy milk. Hours extend late on weekends (open until midnight Friday and Saturday), making it one of the few late-night plant-milk options in South Minneapolis.

Qahwah House (1851 Central Ave NE, Northeast Minneapolis) also opened in summer 2026, bringing Yemeni coffee culture to the Central Ave corridor. Open until 11pm Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Plant milk available across the menu.

Neither is a full vegan restaurant, but both are reliable coffee stops for plant-based diners in their respective neighborhoods.

See the listings: Haraz Coffee House | Qahwah House

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September 2026: Martiya Opens in South Minneapolis

3030 Nicollet Ave (Opportunity Crossing), Minneapolis | East African / Somali Fusion

Martiya opened on September 14, 2026 at the Opportunity Crossing development at Lake and Nicollet -- a long-anticipated restaurant from Abdirahman Kahin, the owner of the Afro Deli restaurants in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The concept is upscale East African and Somali fusion: full-service dining, family-style plates, weekend brunch, and a halal butcher component.

For plant-based diners, East African and Somali cuisine is worth paying attention to. The cooking tradition has deep roots in plant-forward preparation -- injera-style breads, lentil stews, rice and vegetable dishes, and legume preparations that are naturally vegan in many instances. Martiya is not a vegan restaurant, but the cuisine it draws from has historically been one of the more vegetable-forward food traditions in its meat preparations as well.

The menu clearly labels vegan (v) and vegan-on-request (vo) items. Confirmed fully vegan: Hummus (olive tapenade, chapati), Martiya Salad (gem lettuce, pistachio, radish, mango-ginger vinaigrette), Martiya Chop (carrot, kale, date, chickpea), Misirka lentils (crispy shallot), Halwa dessert (rose, pistachio). Vegan on request: Soor (braised greens, xaawaash), Sweet Potato, Xawaash Fries, Bajiya, and veggie Sambusa. Confirm preparation details with the kitchen for dishes marked "vo."

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Now Open: Front Porch Pies (Fully Vegan Bakery)

3008 36th Ave S, Longfellow | Open Now

Front Porch Pies, the 100% vegan bakery from Chelsea Keene -- who previously ran the Cookie Counter in Seattle -- is now open at 3008 36th Ave S in the Longfellow neighborhood. The shop is in the former Savory Bake House space and supplies baked goods to 14+ Twin Cities coffee shops including all Dogwood Coffee and Backstory Coffee locations.

The menu includes hand pies (apple, strawberry, raspberry rhubarb, peach, blueberry, savory veggie), whole pies, cookies, muffins, scones, and a gluten-free oaty crumb bar -- all 100% vegan. Keene sources from Sunrise Flour Mill heritage wheat flour and local produce through The Good Acre. Check @front_porch_pies on Instagram for current shop hours.

See the Front Porch Pies listing in the directory.

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Also Coming: Shota Indigenous BBQ

Sean Sherman's NATIFS nonprofit is planning to open Shota Indigenous BBQ at 2601 Franklin Ave in Minneapolis in the American Indian Cultural Corridor. The concept is counter-service and will focus on smoked meats, fish, and vegetables -- with multiple vegan options built in from the start: dirty wild rice, maple-baked beans, hominy, braised greens, and plant-forward sides rooted in Indigenous foodways. No confirmed opening date has been announced as of September 2026.

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Why the Šhotá and Indigena openings matter for plant-based diners

Indigenous North American cuisine is built on plants, grains and minimal processing: wild rice, corn, beans, squash, berries and foraged greens have fed this region for thousands of years. Sean Sherman's restaurants bring those ingredients into a contemporary dining context that lines up naturally with how many plant-based eaters want to eat. Šhotá will sit in the Wóyute Thipi, an Indigenous food building at 2601 Franklin Avenue that also holds a commissary kitchen, the NATIFS operational headquarters and coworking space for Indigenous and BIPOC businesses. The planned drinks menu mirrors Owamni, with beers and wines from BIPOC producers, teas and Indigenous beverages. The non-vegan items announced for the menu include smoked salmon with huckleberries, three sisters bison stew and walleye stew, so vegans should stick to the sides and smoked vegetables. Both restaurants are part of NATIFS, a nonprofit working on food sovereignty and economic health in Indigenous communities.

The Broader Minneapolis Vegan Scene in 2026

The new openings in 2026 build on a foundation that already included some of the best plant-based restaurants in the Midwest:

• Herbivorous Butcher (Northeast) -- the pioneer, 100% vegan butcher shop and restaurant
• Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn) -- fully vegan bar with 20+ craft beers on tap
• Lulu's Ethiopian Vegan (North Minneapolis) -- fully vegan Ethiopian, one of the best injera spreads in the city
• J. Selby's (Saint Paul, Cathedral Hill) -- fully vegan comfort food across the river

For a complete picture, see the best vegan restaurants in Minneapolis guide.

If you are in Northeast specifically, the Northeast Minneapolis vegan guide covers the full corridor including Saturday Dumpling Co.

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What to Watch For

The Twin Cities vegan dining scene continues to grow. Front Porch Pies is now open at 3008 36th Ave S in Longfellow -- a 100% vegan bakery with hand pies, cookies, scones, and muffins. Martiya at 3030 Nicollet Ave labels its vegan options clearly on the menu -- Martiya Salad, Martiya Chop, Misirka lentils, Hummus, and Halwa are fully vegan; several others are vegan on request. Shota Indigenous BBQ from Sean Sherman remains in the pipeline on Franklin Ave with no confirmed opening date as of October 2026.

Twin Cities Veg Fest 2026 took place September 20, 2026 at Harriet Island Regional Park in Saint Paul. Full recap and details: Twin Cities Veg Fest 2026 guide.

We update this guide as new restaurants open -- check back throughout the year.