Atlanta Vegans & Raw Vegans, This One is For You
My Top 5 Vegan/Raw Vegan Eateries in Atlanta
It’s been about 3 years of living in Atlanta and when I tell you I’ve been to pretty much every vegan spot worth going to, it’s no lie. I often get asked for my top recommendations so here we go. I just need you to know how difficult this was to narrow down though! Also I should probably mention that my selection is based on my lifestyle of being mainly raw vegan. If you live in Atlanta and feel like there’s a spot worth mentioning that didn’t make my list be sure to comment it down below to share!
Tassili’s Raw Reality Cafe
Who would I be if I didn’t mention this gem? Tassili’s is a 100% raw vegan eatery located in the West End of Atlanta and I promise you people who aren’t even vegetarian love this spot. It has the perfect amount of homey vibes but still clean and well put together. The decor is beautifully afro centric and powerful too. And the workers? You’ll fall in love in a heartbeat.
My personal order: I’ve honestly started to get away from kale as far as chewing it (i’d rather digest it in a juice) but when am I feeling it, “Dat Ish Wrap” or the “Punani” are my top recommendations. I also always order mine on a seaweed wrap to avoid gluten and change out vegan mayo to hummus to avoid soy.
You should know: Proportions sizes are large! Some may say the prices are high but once they see what they’re being served it all makes sense. Most of the time I can barely finish the “half” size and have to save some of it for the next day. If you’re really brave (and hungry) I dare you to order the ‘mandingo’ (lol it’s called that for a reason friends). Another thing to note, try to call for pick up! The line can literally be out of the door sometimes. That’s how you know it’s bomb though.
Karma Nutra
This is a new hidden gem I recently discovered and I had it for a week straight after the first time trying it. I’ve only been to the College Park location which is tucked away inside LA Fitness. So for real, it’s a hidden gem. Anyway, the owner is one of the dopest people I’ve ever met and she’s super flexible to provide whatever it is you’d like to alter on the menu. Everything from buddha bowls to acai bowls and smoothies can be found here and all at a reasonable price too!
My personal order: There’s a great special of a wrap + juice/smoothie for only $12.00 but to avoid any gluten, I turned my wrap into a bowl. The Hamsa wrap + the Awakening juice is a bomb combo. But I’m a sucker for acai bowls so the Mudra bowl is a guaranteed good time too.
You should know: Be sure to check on their Instagram for any updates because I’ve found their hours/availability to be a little funky sometimes. She’s a super hardworking lady whose actually opening up another location in the heart of the city so understandably, sometimes she tends to be out on lunch or closes shop early.
Chopt
I’m pretty sure this is a chain but I’m going to mention it anyway because whenever I’m in the mood for something light yet fulfilling, boom. Like I said, I tend to stay away from kale these days so it’s refreshing to find a salad spot that’s not pushing kale in everything. Essentially Chopped is a salad ‘Chipotle-style’ eatery where you can choose what you’d like or choose from the menu. In addition, I love that I don’t have to pay $15 for a salad like most trendy healthy eating spots.
My personal order: I love the Palm Beach Salad because it’s super simple yet really tasty. Wow thinking about it as I’m typing this and think I know where I’ll get lunch tomorrow. Anyway, I always swap out the dressing for tahini cause… tahini. Sometimes I add chickpeas too, just depends how I’m feeling.
You should know: These salads are definitely filling! They stuff the container to the brim and most of the time I can’t finish it all in one sitting.
R. Thomas
An Atlanta classic. Everyone in Atlanta has at least heard of this spot if they haven’t been. A 24-hour bomb ass restaurant located in Midtown. I love this spot especially because you can bring whoever you want here and everyone’s satisfied, no matter their eating habits. It has a super quirky artsy fartsy vibe to it and be sure to check out the live birds on display outside of the restaurant on your way out. I’ve definitely seen my share of characters and celebrities in here too by the way.
My personal order: Can you believe there’s a place that is 24-hours that serves raw vegan food? Me either honestly. The Raw Dinner #2 is a favorite of mine and it’s definitely A LOT of food so if you aren’t prepared for that, stay away. When I’m feeling extra needy, I sometimes add guacamole to this dish too. Ugh, it’s allll soooo gooodd. Also their smoothies are amazing! I recommend any of them honestly.
You should know: Okay.. it’s a liiittle on the pricey side. Like, you will probably spend $20 on your meal alone by the end. For my personal order though, it’s so much food that I’m not even mad cause I get to save it for later.
Arden’s Garden
If you follow me at all on social media than you already know that I am absolutely obsessed with Arden’s. I probably go here 5-6 times a week and I wish that was a joke. I honestly need to be a brand ambassador or something at this point. It’s a local chain here in Atlanta that provides cold pressed juices, smoothies, and pre-made salads and snacks. Arden’s Garden is more of a ‘grab and go’ establishment which makes it super convenient when you’re on the move. Majority of their items are 100% vegan and some even raw vegan. They have so many options to choose from you could be there for a while just trying to decide.
My personal order: Hahahaha… I have to laugh to myself because I’m just ridiculous and order all of the things I’m about to name in one visit. Okay, you HAVE to get The Shake + peanut butter. This is somewhat of an ‘off the menu item’. It tastes like a reeses cup and it is everything you’ve ever wanted for a milkshake. As for my fruit smoothie go to, double mango and strawberry with a pineapple base. Lastly, I always grab a cold pressed juice, sometimes the smaller sizes, sometimes the 24 oz bottles. Yoga 1, The Green Machine, and Pineapple Apple Ginger are my favorites as of lately. An honorable mention is the raw vegan taco salad - just try it fam.
You should know: Every location has a binder usually located on the counter that is filled with ‘off the menu’ smoothies. I believe they’re all unique to their location and most of them are created by customers themselves. I’ve personally only ordered from the binder maybe twice but if you’re having trouble deciding what combinations are yummy for a smoothie, boom. It’s already done for you.
