Firmly Planted

More greens, please! These well-established eating houses are staples of Richmond’s herbivore scene

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821 Cafe

825 W. Cary St.

This VCU hangout appears to be a freshman, but in truth, it possesses the time-tested identity of a strong tribal leader, tatted and pierced. Exposed brick walls and tight corners seem to embrace its beer-centric clientele. Sixteen deep, the tap line pulls a tight ale list, plus bottles and cans.

When 821 opened in 2004, it focused on breakfast — now that meal has become a ritual. Though it’s hard to stray from the vegan breakfast burrito, sometimes you’re in the mood for their vegan chai French toast or even a lacto-loaded Big Fancy — a bowl of roasted veggie grits with molten cheese.

Harrison Street Cafe

402 N. Harrison St.

Established in 2000, Harrison Street Cafe hones locally roasted coffee drinks and affordable day menus until 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 2 p.m. on weekends. The stacks of books and the chalkboard menus skew studious, but the vibe inside is 100 percent inclusive. Here, VCU art professors, garage bands, and the pressed and buttoned-up break bread together. 

Harrison Street’s sandwiches are a master class in meatless munching. The Full Throttle Chipotle Zeppelin (available vegan or veg) sears marinated tempeh with mushrooms, caramelized onions and artichoke hearts, stuffed in a toasted hero, while The Gyro's tempeh is topped with Greek salad fixings and packed in a pita.

Fresca on Addison

22 S. Addison St.

Jenna Sneed Chew began her culinary career working alongside her father, chef Jimmy Sneed, famous for The Frog and The Redneck and for cooking with both Julia Child and Jean-Louis Palladin. But heavy French cuisine isn’t her bag. Chew, a vegetarian since age 9, cultivates a green restaurant, abandoning animal protein for top-quality produce and products with little waste.

Fresca serves stellar pizza, and in the spring, diners in the know clamor for their ramp and chanterelle pies. Meanwhile, the silky curried butternut squash soup, a staple menu item since Fresca opened in 2010, is always something to celebrate.

Ipanema Cafe

917 W. Grace St.

Ipanema’s underground dining room feels like a secret, albeit a poorly kept one. Since its opening in 1998, former server Kendra Feather has purposefully kept the well-stocked Grace Street lair affordable, with a select bar, a bumping patio, and plenty of gluten-free and vegetarian fare. Jaw-dropping vegan cakes practically serve as a fourth meal. 

In the beginning, Feather emulated Richmond’s fancy ’90s restaurants, such as Helen’s, led by chef David Shannon, but used mismatched china where portobello centered the plate rather than steak. Now, Ipanema’s addictively crunchy spiced chickpeas snack and its grilled tofu BLT with eggplant "bacon" are the showstoppers.

Phoenix Garden

7103 Brook Road

All vegan, all organic — that’s the offer at this Vietnamese pho house run by the Trinh family. Named for matriarch Phoenix Trinh, whose conversion to veganism happened more recently, the restaurant shares her approach and dishes out vegan takes on historically nonvegetarian Asian cuisine, such as  pho, banh mi and dumplings. Phoenix Garden is renowned on the East Coast as a convenient plant pit stop off I-95.

A customer favorite, curry “chicken” soup with nutty brown rice, may be on special. Always available are the fragrant, herby vermicelli broths steaming with warming spices and the elegant Yin and Yang sesame balls for a sweet finale.

GWARbar

217 W. Clay St.

Featuring tasteless puns and tasty treats, GWARbar’s heavily veg-inspired junk-food menu is as indelible as the blood-soaked T-shirts worn by metal show newbies. Helmed by longtime Richmond cook and GWAR guitarist BalSac the Jaws ‘o Death, formally named Michael Derks, the dining room is a gallery for the 35-year-old band’s gory, irreverent stage props.

Unleash your inner 14-year-old to feast on Hail Seitan (Carolina “BBQ” with fennel slaw), Buffalo-style vegan “wangs” and loaded sweet potato fries. After 11 p.m., dine cheek to jowl with touring fans and bands.