TL;DR
Best vegan brunch in Minneapolis: Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn, 100% vegan, best overall), Hard Times Cafe (Seward, legendary biscuits & gravy, cash only), Modern Times Cafe (Powderhorn, tofu scrambles + hangover cure), Seward Cafe (Seward, collectively run since 1974), Francis Burger Joint (NE Mpls, 100% vegan bar & grill), French Meadow Bakery (Lyn-Lake, vegan pastries + grain bowls), J. Selby's (St. Paul, 100% vegan upscale brunch), Birchwood Cafe (Seward, farm-to-table vegan options).
Minneapolis Takes Weekend Brunch Seriously
Minneapolis has built one of the best plant-based dining scenes in the Midwest, and nowhere is that more evident than weekend brunch. You're not hunting for the one restaurant that "can probably make something vegan" — you're choosing between fully vegan menus, legendary neighborhood diners, and spots that have been anchoring their communities for decades.
This guide covers the 10 best options by neighborhood, with what to order at each.
Powderhorn & Seward: The Vegan Brunch Heartland
This south Minneapolis corridor — roughly Franklin Avenue to 38th Street, between Hiawatha and Cedar-Riverside — has the highest density of dedicated vegan brunch options in the city.
🌟 Reverie Cafe + Bar — Best Overall
Powderhorn | 2506 Minnehaha Ave S | $$
Reverie is what the rest of the country thinks vegan restaurants can't be: a full-service bar and cafe with a menu that's genuinely delicious on its own merits, not "for vegan food." The space is beautiful — exposed brick, good natural light, the kind of room where you want to stay through a second round of coffee.
The brunch menu is 100% plant-based. Everything.
What to order:
- Breakfast Burrito — scrambled tofu, roasted potatoes, black beans, peppers, house salsa. One of the best burritos in Minneapolis regardless of dietary category
- Dark Chocolate Beignets — the dessert you're ordering as a starter
- Oat Milk Latte — house-roasted beans, good technique
- Full bar: 20+ craft beers on tap, cocktails, and a genuinely good bloody mary with house-pickled garnishes
The catch: No reservations, and weekend mornings can mean a short wait. Get there early or plan to hover.
Hours: Sat-Sun 9am–3pm (brunch), open weekday evenings too
Hard Times Cafe — Legendary Status
Seward | 2129 E Franklin Ave | $
Hard Times opened in 1989. It's cash only. The vibe is punk-rock diner meets community space. The menu is vegetarian with extensive vegan options clearly marked. And the vegan biscuits and gravy is the dish that people drive across the city for.
Don't overthink it. The biscuits are house-made. The mushroom gravy is deeply savory in a way that takes some cognitive dissonance to accept isn't made with butter. Get a large coffee and the full biscuits and gravy plate.
What to order:
- Vegan Biscuits & Gravy — mushroom-based gravy over fresh biscuits, a Minneapolis institution
- Tofu Scramble — loaded with vegetables, a perfect companion to the biscuits
- Super Red Earth Bowl — brown rice, roasted vegetables, tahini sauce
Important: CASH ONLY. There's an ATM nearby but bring cash. Weekend hours fill up fast with regulars — you may wait.
Hours: Daily 7am–10pm (kitchen hours vary)
Modern Times Cafe — The Hangover Cure
Powderhorn | Minnehaha Ave | $$
Modern Times is the neighborhood brunch spot that has become a Powderhorn fixture — all-vegan menu, unpretentious atmosphere, and portions that are genuinely generous. The "hangover brunch cure" reputation is well-earned: greasy, satisfying, made from scratch.
What to order:
- Tofu Scramble — loaded with peppers, onions, nutritional yeast, house spice blend
- Hash Browns — better than they have any right to be
- Cinnamon French Toast — thick-cut bread, coconut milk custard, real maple syrup
Seward Cafe — Collectively Run Since 1974
Seward | 2129 E Franklin Ave | $
Seward Cafe is one of the longest-running collectively operated restaurants in the country. The menu is vegetarian and extensively vegan-labeled. The prices are some of the lowest you'll find for made-from-scratch food. The atmosphere is eclectic in the way that only a place running since 1974 can be.
What to order:
- Vegan Breakfast Plate — tofu scramble, toast, seasonal vegetables
- Super Burrito — enormous, vegan option available
- Fresh-squeezed juice — rotating seasonal options
Hours: Thu–Sun 8am–3pm (kitchen closes at 3pm), Thu–Sun only
Birchwood Cafe — Farm-to-Table Standard
Seward | 3311 E 25th St | $$$
Birchwood sources from Minnesota and Wisconsin farms and has done so since before "farm-to-table" was a marketing term. The menu changes seasonally and always has strong vegan options clearly labeled. It's more expensive than its neighbors on this list but the ingredient quality justifies it.
What to order (seasonal — check current menu):
- Tofu Hash — marinated tofu, roasted mushrooms, pickled potato, hearty greens, nutritional yeast. A regular rotation item.
- Grain Bowl — rotating grains with roasted seasonal vegetables and house dressing
- Vegan baked goods — the case at the counter changes daily; whatever is vegan-labeled is worth trying
Lyn-Lake & Uptown
French Meadow Bakery — Vegan Classics
Lyn-Lake | 2610 Lyndale Ave S | $$
French Meadow has been a Minneapolis institution for decades — one of the first major bakeries in the country to focus on organic and plant-based ingredients. The vegan options are clearly labeled throughout the menu, from pastries to full breakfast plates.
What to order:
- Vegan Pastries — check the case; the vegan-labeled options are clearly marked and genuinely good
- Tempeh Hash — a hearty plant-based take on a breakfast staple
- Green smoothies — house-pressed juices and smoothies are consistent and solid
- Oat or almond milk lattes — organic beans, good technique
Location note: The Lyn-Lake location (2610 Lyndale) is the original. There's also a St. Paul location.
Bryant Lake Bowl — Theater Diner Brunch
Lyn-Lake | 810 W Lake St | $$
Bryant Lake Bowl is Minneapolis's only bowling alley that also happens to serve excellent food in a theater space. The brunch menu has strong vegan options alongside meat dishes, and the setting — wood-lane bowling, vintage diner counter, theater in the back — is unlike anywhere else in the city.
What to order:
- Veggie Hash — roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables, house hot sauce
- Tofu Scramble — customizable with additional vegetables
- Pancakes — vegan version available, made to order
Northeast Minneapolis
Francis Burger Joint — 100% Vegan Bar Brunch
Northeast Minneapolis | 15 NE 4th St | $$
Francis Burger Joint is one of the newer entries on this list and one of the most surprising — a 100% vegan sports bar and grill in Northeast Minneapolis where the default customer isn't necessarily coming for the vegan menu; they're coming because the food is good and the bar is solid.
What to order:
- Breakfast Sandwich — house-made vegan sausage patty, egg-free scramble, on a toasted bun
- Breakfast Burrito — rotating fillings, always vegan
- House-made vegan sausage — on the side or in anything
The pitch: If you're going to brunch with people who are skeptical of vegan food, this is the place. The bar menu, sports atmosphere, and food quality neutralize the "but is it actually good?" hesitation most non-vegans bring to vegan restaurants.
Across the River: St. Paul
J. Selby's — Best Upscale Vegan Brunch in the Twin Cities
St. Paul Cathedral Hill | 169 Western Ave N | $$$
J. Selby's is the answer when you want vegan brunch to be a real occasion — full vegan menu, upscale atmosphere, the kind of place you bring your non-vegan parents and they leave without making any complaints. It's in St. Paul's Cathedral Hill neighborhood, a 15-minute drive from South Minneapolis.
What to order:
- Eggs Benedict — poached tofu with house hollandaise, the showpiece brunch item
- Blueberry Pancakes — house-made, thick, with real maple syrup
- Bloody Mary — a genuinely good brunch cocktail
- Avocado Toast — elevated and worth the price
Worth noting: This is the spot for special occasions — Mother's Day, graduation brunch, a celebration meal. The price reflects the ambiance and ingredient quality.
The Quick Answer
If you're new to Minneapolis vegan brunch, start here:
- Best first impression: Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn)
- Best cheap eat: Hard Times Cafe (Seward, cash only)
- Best for a celebration: J. Selby's (St. Paul)
- Best for skeptical non-vegans: Francis Burger Joint (NE Mpls)
- Best neighborhood staple: Seward Cafe (Seward, Thu-Sun only)
The Seward-Powderhorn corridor is the epicenter — five of the ten spots on this list are within a mile of each other on the south side. A morning that starts at Reverie and ends at the Mississippi riverbank is a very good Minneapolis morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best vegan brunch in Minneapolis?
Reverie Cafe + Bar in Powderhorn is the top pick for a fully vegan brunch experience — 100% plant-based menu, full bar with 20+ craft beers on tap, and food that stands on its own merits (the dark chocolate beignets and breakfast burritos are genuinely excellent). For a more casual, no-frills experience, Hard Times Cafe in Seward has legendary vegan biscuits and gravy that locals have been coming back to for years.
Is there a 100% vegan brunch restaurant in Minneapolis?
Yes — several. Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn), Modern Times Cafe (Powderhorn), Francis Burger Joint (Northeast Minneapolis), and J. Selby's in St. Paul are all 100% vegan menus. Hard Times Cafe (Seward) and Seward Cafe are vegetarian with extensive vegan options.
Where is the best vegan biscuits and gravy in Minneapolis?
Hard Times Cafe at 2129 E Franklin Ave in Seward is the answer. Their mushroom gravy over fresh biscuits has been the gold standard for vegan biscuits and gravy in Minneapolis for years. It's a cash-only, punk-rock diner with no frills — but the food is the reason people drive across the city.
Do you need a reservation for vegan brunch in Minneapolis?
Most Minneapolis vegan brunch spots don't take reservations — Hard Times, Modern Times, and Seward Cafe are all walk-in. Reverie Cafe + Bar can get busy on weekend mornings and doesn't take reservations either. J. Selby's in St. Paul does accept reservations for larger parties, especially for holidays.
What neighborhoods have the best vegan brunch in Minneapolis?
Seward and Powderhorn have the highest concentration of dedicated vegan brunch spots — Reverie, Modern Times, Hard Times, Seward Cafe, and Birchwood Cafe are all in this corridor. Lyn-Lake adds French Meadow and Bryant Lake Bowl. Northeast Minneapolis has Francis Burger Joint. If you're willing to cross the river, J. Selby's in St. Paul's Cathedral Hill is worth the drive.