The BEST Vegan Restaurants Wilmington NC Has to Offer

One of my favorite things about living in this coastal town is the amount of vegan restaurants Wilmington NC has to offer.

Plant-based food isn’t just for health fanatics; it’s for those who love good food. And that particularly holds true in Wilmington where some of the best vegan restaurants in North Carolina are.

Because of the catastrophic effects of factory farming, eating a plant-based diet once or twice while traveling is a great way to help the environment. Not that you have to be a conscientious traveler to indulge in delicious vegan food.

So if you’re on vacation or recently moved to the area and want to know what options are available for vegan restaurants in the little town of Wilmie, look no further!

In this article, I’ll share with you the three all-vegan spots, but keep scrolling for restaurants that have vegan and vegetarian options.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I might get a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you choose to make a purchase through any of these links. Please read the full disclosure for more information.

Please note, this article is a work in progress. I am continually adding and taking away from this list as new information becomes available.

Let’s dive in.

All Vegan Restaurants Wilmington NC

The Green House

The Green House offers upscale vegan dining without making you feel like you’re in a snooty restaurant.

So it’s a wonderful place to go when you want to treat yourself or you’re celebrating a special occasion. However, IMO you don’t need an excuse to eat there because it is the best restaurant food I’ve had in a long, long while.

This all vegan spot is just a few miles west of Wrightsville Beach, making them super convenient for tourists and anyone who doesn’t feel like battling traffic on Market or College Street.

The Green House partners with local farmers, reducing their environmental footprint. All their bread, cheese, jams, and pickled dishes are made in-house, not commercially purchased. And their water is run through an RO filter (locals know how important that is), and they compost all food waste.

At one point, The Green House was all gluten-free. Reviews as recent as three months ago show people excited that they could walk in and order anything off the menu without worrying about being exposed to gluten, but unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.

I guess it has a lot to do with the pandemic and many changes that have occurred over the last few years with staff and food shortages. And it’s likely they just struggled to maintain a consistent supply of all gluten-free options. But I am merely speculating.

They do strive to offer mostly gluten-free dishes, but if you’re gluten intolerant like I am (I might be??), you’ll want to ask your server before placing your order.

Menu from The Green House

Because The Green House sources its food from local farmers, what they prepare depends on what is available at the time, and as a result, the menu changes daily. But trust me, it’s all good.

The menu above is from the night I dined there with my daughter. I’m pretty sure they offer a completely different lunch menu, with appetizers, sandwiches, and delicious dishes.

They also have a bar with alcohol drinks or zero proof spirits (I’d never heard of this before going to The Green House).

Some consider The Green House to be on the expensive side, but I hard dissent. Their entrées are in the $20-$25 range, but considering a greasy fast-food meal can easily run $10-$12 nowadays, The Green House isn’t that expensive after all.

Even if it is, it’s well worth every penny. My daughter and I shared the appetizer–which was PHENOMENAL–and had our own separate entrées.

We did not leave the restaurant hungry.

I think this might be one of the all-around best restaurants in North Carolina.

The Green House currently does not offer outdoor seating. However, I did notice a dining area that was tucked away from the main part of the restaurant, with a table large enough to fit 6-8 people.

So if you’re going with a largeish group, you don’t want to be surrounded by or exposed to a lot of other customers, and you still need the security of social distancing, feel free to call and ask if that table can be reserved.

The Green House is located at 1427 Military Cutoff Rd, Unit 106

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More Vegan Restaurants Wilmington NC

Panacea Brewing Company

This restaurant, also close to Wrightsville Beach, is more on the casual side than The Green House, with a menu that offers both traditional American and international comfort food dishes.

I neglected to get a picture of my meal when I went on Mother’s Day this year, but I had the Pimento cheese omelet that was pure perfection. Below, you’ll see one of their burgers from a pic I grabbed off their website.

Panacea’s specialty is kombucha—in fact, they started as a small kombucha street brewery in 2016, and it took off. They offer a variety of kombucha flavors every day, as well as local beers.

P.S. I haven’t tried their kombucha because, historically, commercial kombucha has given me a severe stomachache, and I haven’t yet figured out why, so I avoid it for now. But it’s gotten great reviews, and I’m pretty sure it’s won an award or two.

As of 2020, they have expanded to become a fully vegan kitchen and restaurant. Most items are made from scratch, but they offer some commercial plant-based meat and eggs (Impossible, Beyond, JustEgg, etc).

Their menu consists of sandwiches, burgers, tacos, cauliflower wings, pita wraps, hot dogs, dips, salads, and the list goes on. If you’re in the mood for breakfast, they also have a banging Sunday brunch from 11-3, with a Pimento cheese omelet that will blow your socks off.

Their menu also includes plenty of gluten free options, and everything is clearly marked, making those options easy to spot. They also offer desserts, but when I was there, it was dependent on availability.

Panacea has ample indoor and outdoor seating.

If you’re visiting Wrightsville Beach or the Wilmington area, be sure to check out Panacea Brewing Company before you leave.

They are located at 4107 Oleander Drive, Suite H (just look for the boochbus parked out front).

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Sealevel City Vegan Diner

This is yet another of the all vegan restaurants Wilmington NC has. Full disclosure—I have not eaten here yet, so the info I share is solely based on information found on the web and various review apps. They appear to have RAVE reviews, by the way.

So here we go…

Sealevel City Vegan Diner is a restaurant that offers plant-based comfort food with both American and international fare such as Mexican, Mediterranean, etc. They have tacos, nachos, coconut curry soup, filafel, sandwiches and burgers (including a kimchi Reuben and “shrimp” burgers), salads, fries, dogs, fried plantains, tempeh, and some other fun and unique dishes that the other vegan restaurants Wilmington NC lack.

They also have a fair amount of gluten-free options.

Sealevel City Menu

Sealevel City Vegan Diner has desserts and limited outdoor seating.

They are a five star ocean friendly establishment, which you can read about here.  SCVD strives to be a waste free restaurant, encouraging patrons to bring their own to-go containers if they expect to have leftovers, and claiming to use compostable boxes and sauce cups.

Out of the vegan restaurants Wilmington NC has, Sealevel City is the only one I haven’t tried but it’s on my list to visit in the next few weeks, and I’m really excited.

They are located at 1015 S Kerr Ave.

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Non All Vegan Restaurants Wilmington NC (but with veg options)

The restaurants listed below are not all vegan, but they do have a plethora of options, so they are well worth checking out.

Tidal Creek Co-op

Tidal Creek Co-op Market and Café is a health-based food store owned by local residents, and it offers a variety of things. Think “Whole Foods,” but on a more local scale as they strive to keep all their items locally sourced, from their produce to their desserts. Everything on the shelves reflects their commitment to selling organic/earth-friendly options.

You can shop for vegan snacks and meals, but in the back, they have a hot and cold bar with vegan and vegetarian options 7 days a week, as well as a section for diners to sit and eat.

Breakfast is served until 10:30 daily, and lunch until 2:00 pm. While their hot bar is open until 8 pm, in my experience, I recommend going early as everything tends to be picked over by the evening.

You can also check out their beverage bar for coffee, tea, smoothies, tonics, local kombucha, and juices with added supplements.

Tidal Creek Co-op is located at 5329 Oleander Drive.

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Tokyo 101

Tokyo 101 has quickly become one of my and my daughter’s favorite restaurants here in Wilmington. It’s a roomy restaurant with ample outdoor seating, and while they don’t have a ton of vegan options, they do have a handful.

The vegan menu includes edamame, seaweed salad, veggie sushi, vegetable tempura, and hibachi. They have Agedashi tofu on the appetizer menu that is way better tasting than it looks. Inside is silky smooth tofu, and the outside was nice and crispy. It comes with a mild soy-based dipping sauce.

Bear in mind they do not use a separate fryer for the tofu, so there is likely cross-contamination with meat.

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Blaze Pizza

If you’re craving a vegan pizza restaurant while staying in Wilmington, NC there are a few places to check out. Blaze is at the top of my vegan restaurants Wilmington NC pizza list for a couple of reasons.

One, they have a gluten free crust that my daughter, who’s not vegan OR gluten free, swears is better than their regular crust. I don’t know what they do to it, but it is crazy good.

They also have more topping options than any pizza restaurant I’ve ever been to. AND you’re allowed unlimited toppings without an additional charge. They also offer vegan cheese, which I know a lot of people don’t care for, but it’s there if you want it.

My only issue with Blaze Pizza is that on several occasions, my crust has been slightly undercooked in the middle, making it a little floppy.

I’m pretty forgiving about this, though, because gluten-free pizza dough is really hard to get crispy without burning it, and I don’t care for those sweet “cracker” crusts that other commercial pizza joints offer. Plus, even when it’s slightly undercooked, it’s still just so delicious.

Blaze pizza is located at 915 Military Cutoff Road.

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Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

I haven’t eaten here, but it’s also on my list. According to their menu, they do have vegan cheese and vegan crust, and their hummus trio appetizer is also vegan.

Brixx pizza is located at 6801 one Main Street.

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Tower 7 Mexican Grill

Located in the heart of Wrightsville Beach is Tower 7 Baja Mexican Grill. They have vegan and vegetarian options for the Mexican food lover, including tofu which is a new addition to their menu.

According to reviews, the staff is knowledgeable about vegan options, but I would still recommend you specify holding the cheese, sour cream, etc.

Tower 7 is located at 4 Lumina Ave. Wrightsville beach.

Heads up on the parking situation… Unless you go between November and March, you’ll have to pay for parking as Tower 7 does not have a designated parking lot for customers. And since parking at Wrightsville Beach can be a bit competitive during the summer, you might want to consider this when deciding on the time and the day that you visit.

Here’s some info on where you can park in Wrightsville Beach as well as how much it costs.

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Beach Bagels

Also located in Wrightsville Beach is a bagel shop that offers vegan / vegetarian options for both breakfast and lunch (with all day breakfast). They make their bagels in house, and I’ve been to the one on Wrightsville Avenue and can confirm they DO have a gluten free vegan bagel.

They primarily serve bagel sandwiches, but they also have wraps, salads, bowls, desserts, and smoothies (though I’m not sure if any of the desserts are vegan).

As far as vegan fillers, Beach Bagels serves JustEgg and Impossible burgers. Cashew cream cheese and vegan butter are available and of course a variety of veggies. I had their veg out bagel sandwich and thought it was great.

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Little Dipper Fondue

If you want to experience a vegan cheese fondue, here’s your chance. I think a minimum of two people need to be sharing the item, so be sure to take some of your vegan friends along for this ride.

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Indochine

This is one of those restaurants that I ordered from within days of moving to Wilmington NC. I was with a large party and their takeout process was very efficient.

When I ordered, the staff seemed knowledgeable about vegan options, and I think that’s pretty much the case all the time. They offer tofu as a protein option, but you do have to request they hold the fish sauce in dishes that traditionally have it, like Pad Thai.

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Lovey’s Natural Foods & Cafe

Another natural health food store, similar to the Co-op. They have a hot bar and cold food with TONS of vegan options (desserts, cheeses, snacks, etc.) that I can’t find anywhere else. They also have hard to find items, like specialty vegan cheeses, desserts, gluten-free breads, and a section of vitamins and supplements that are competitively priced.

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Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn

This restaurant has vegan options but apparently they are not clearly marked on the menu. HOWEVER, the staff appears to be knowledgeable (though that could change at any time) so be sure to ask/specify what you want to avoid. They have vegan cheese and tofu and this is another place I’d love to try.

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Chipotle

Chipotle is one of the chain restaurants with two locations in Wilmington. Pretty much all their veggies, non-dairy toppings, and beans/rice are vegan. They have sofritas which is spicy tofu but IMO is not terribly spicy.

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Nawab

Nawab is another chain restaurant, and they offer fine Indian cuisine. I absolutely LOVE Indian food, but since gluten and I don’t always hold hands and my daughter does not like Indian cuisine, I haven’t gone yet.

Nawab has a Sunday lunch buffet from 11-2:30, and they regularly post about it in the Wilmington Vegan FB group, so they must have vegan options.

As of this posting, they have a vegan buffet night every other Wednesday for $18 per person. I may have to check it out and update this post.

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Wrightsville Beach Brewery

While searching not long ago for vegan restaurants Wilmington NC has, I was excited to see this one on the list. They have Impossible burgers, vegan pizzas, and more.

I visited on my birthday and had their quinoa salad and a side of fries that curled my toes (I’m a fry junky and a bit of a connoisseur). Because they are a local brewery, they cater to the bar-loving crowd, so it can get a bit noisy and crowded on the weekends. But they offer outdoor seating too.

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The following list includes more NON all vegan restaurants in Wilmington NC, but they do have vegan options according to either their website or reviews from patrons.

Winnie’s Tavern

Double Happiness

China Wok

Uncle Lim’s

Szechuan 132

Nori Asian Sushi and Fusion Bar

Red Robin

Blockade Runner Beach Resort

**This list is not exhaustive, and like I said, I am working to add to it or delete restaurants as there seem to be a number of local spots that once had vegan options but have not been able to keep that up. Also, there are a bunch more restaurants in town that have vegan options that are not on this list.