Charlotte’s Dining Scene Earns City a Top Spot on PETA’s Most Vegan-Friendly List

For Immediate Release:
June 9, 2025

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

Charlotte, N.C. –

The taste of victory! PETA has just named its Most Vegan-Friendly Cities in the U.S., and the Queen City has crushed the competition, nabbing a spot on the list with its plethora of plant-powered options.

Charlotte mainstay Bean Vegan Cuisine specializes in delicious American comfort food, including its Quesadilla, which is filled with dairy-free cheese and veggies and drizzled with sour cream sauce, and its spicy Jalapeño Cheddar Burger, which is topped with dairy-free cheddar, fried jalapeño chips, and Vegenaise. The eatery also serves delicious sweet treats, including cheesecake in seasonal flavors and Raspberry Zinger Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Charlotte’s ever-expanding vegan scene also features fine dining at Sanctuary Bistro, which offers animal-friendly fare including Biscuits and Gravy, Cashew Cheesecake with a pecan and almond crust, Crème Brûlée made with vanilla coconut custard, and a fully loaded banana split. NoDa’s first vegan restaurant, Oh My Soul, serves South African–inspired cuisine like Macho Nachos, stacked with housemade seitan “bacon,” chakalaka, dairy-free queso, and all the fixings. Other vibrant foods that earned Charlotte a top spot include the Romeo BBQ Bacon Burger at Romeo’s Vegan Burgers; the Pua Roll, a sushi roll with deep-fried sweet potatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, and dairy-free cream cheese at Bachi; and the Beijing Veg. Duck at Ma Ma Wok, which went vegan in 2017.

The city also hosts the annual Charlotte VegFest with over 100 vendors and thousands of attendees, and the Vegan Vibe Music Series, featuring live music, DJs, and an array of delicious vegan food.

*The Quesadilla from Bean Vegan Cuisine. Credit: Bean Vegan Cuisine*

“From cheesy quesadillas, melty nachos, and brimming burgers to decadent cheesecake and crème brûlée, Charlotte is a paradise for vegan eating with an abundance of animal-friendly restaurants,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “All the cities on PETA’s list have cemented their status as vegan dining destinations, proving that delicious animal-friendly cuisine is available from coast to coast.”

Other vegan-friendly cities recognized by PETA include Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington.

Every person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals each year from daily suffering and a terrifying death, and reduces their own risk of developing heart disease and cancer. PETA offers vegan starter kits to help everyone opt for animal-friendly foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—because when it comes to saving animals, every meal counts.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.