TL;DR
Best vegan food in Cedar-Riverside, Minneapolis: Hard Times Cafe (Cedar Ave, worker-run cash-only institution since the 1990s, mostly vegan menu, $), Afro Deli & Coffee (East African cuisine with deep naturally-vegan options — vegetarian combination plate on injera, spiced coffee, $$). The West Bank neighborhood punches above its size for plant-based dining and connects directly to Seward via Cedar Ave.
Cedar-Riverside: Minneapolis's Most Compressed Neighborhood
Cedar-Riverside is one of the most compressed and culturally layered neighborhoods in Minneapolis. Six or seven walkable blocks where Somali and East African immigrant communities, University of Minnesota students, West Bank arts regulars, and longtime Minneapolis counter-culture residents coexist around Cedar Avenue. The food tells you everything: a cash-only worker-run cafe that's been feeding punks and grad students since the '90s, East African restaurants that do injera and lentil stews and spiced coffee, and a street-level energy that no other Minneapolis neighborhood quite matches.
For plant-based eaters, Cedar-Riverside punches above its size. The East African culinary tradition is built around naturally vegan dishes. And Hard Times Cafe is, for a certain generation of Minneapolis vegans, where the whole thing started.
Hard Times Cafe
You either know about Hard Times or you don't, and if you don't, here's the deal: this is a worker-run, cash-only cafe on Cedar Avenue that has been operating since the early 1990s. It's one of the longest-running vegan-friendly institutions in Minneapolis, which is saying something in a city with strong plant-based roots.
The menu is unpretentious comfort food — breakfast scrambles, big burrito plates, daily specials that rotate and skew heavily plant-based. The prices are low by design; this has always been a cafe that tries to be accessible to the neighborhood it serves, not just to people who can afford premium vegan dining.
The atmosphere is what you'd expect from three decades of counter-culture Minneapolis: mismatched furniture, local art, a bulletin board that functions as an artifact of the city's activist and arts scene. It's not a place that's trying to be cool. It just is, by way of being exactly what it is for a very long time.
What to order: Daily special (always worth it), breakfast scramble, coffee
Heads up: Cash only — bring it. Hours can vary; check before you go.
Afro Deli & Coffee
Afro Deli brings East African food to Cedar-Riverside with a menu that spans Somali, Ethiopian, and broader African cuisine. This matters for plant-based diners: East African food has a deep tradition of fasting dishes (particularly in Ethiopian Orthodox cuisine) that are fully vegan — injera with lentil stews, vegetable tibs, misir wat (spiced red lentils), and gomen (collard greens cooked with onion and garlic).
Many of these dishes aren't marked "vegan" on the menu because they've always been vegan. They don't need the label — this is just how the food is made. Ask for the vegetarian combination plate and you'll get a spread of these dishes on injera that is filling, flavorful, and completely plant-based.
The coffee is worth mentioning separately. Ethiopian coffee culture predates the Western specialty coffee movement by centuries, and Afro Deli takes it seriously. The spiced coffee is a different experience than a standard latte.
What to order: Vegetarian combination plate, misir wat, Ethiopian spiced coffee
Pro tip: The injera is house-made. Eat with your hands — that's how it's meant to be done.
Cedar-Riverside Beyond the Food
The neighborhood is worth more than a quick meal. The Cedar Cultural Center on Cedar Avenue is one of Minneapolis's best live music venues — a nonprofit that regularly books East African, Latin, folk, and global music that you won't find anywhere else in the city. If you're coming for dinner, check their calendar and stay for a show.
The West Bank has long been the center of Minneapolis's independent theater and arts scene. Mixed Blood Theatre has been operating in the neighborhood since 1976. The Nomad World Pub hosts music. It's a neighborhood with actual cultural infrastructure, not a manufactured district.
Getting to Cedar-Riverside
This is one of the most transit-accessible neighborhoods in Minneapolis.
- Light rail: Blue Line and Green Line both stop at Cedar-Riverside Station, making it a direct connection from downtown, the airport, and the University of Minnesota campus
- Bike: 10 minutes from downtown via the Cedar Ave corridor; the West Bank is flat and bikeable
- Parking: Tight on Cedar Ave during evening hours; the transit options are genuinely better here
What's Nearby
Cedar-Riverside sits at a useful crossroads for vegan dining exploration:
- Seward is directly south — follow Cedar Avenue and you'll hit Seward Cafe, May Day Cafe, and Seward Community Co-op within 10 minutes. It's Minneapolis's original vegan neighborhood and the most vegan-dense in the city. Full guide: Seward Vegan Guide
- Dinkytown is across the Washington Avenue bridge — the University area has Pizza Karma and a handful of vegan-friendly spots
- Downtown is a 10-minute bike ride or one light rail stop west
Know a Cedar-Riverside spot we missed? Let us know — we update these guides regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hard Times Cafe still open?
Hard Times has operated for decades, but hours have shifted over time. Check their current hours before visiting — they have historically had irregular or reduced hours during certain periods.
What is Cedar-Riverside known for?
It's one of Minneapolis's most culturally diverse neighborhoods, home to one of the largest Somali communities in the US and a long history as the city's West Bank arts district. The food scene reflects both.
Is East African food vegan-friendly?
Extremely. Ethiopian and Somali cuisines have deep traditions of plant-based cooking, particularly the fasting dishes in Ethiopian Orthodox tradition. Many dishes at restaurants like Afro Deli are naturally vegan without modification.
Do I need cash at Hard Times Cafe?
Yes. Cash only — it's been that way since they opened. ATMs nearby on Cedar Ave.
Is Cedar-Riverside a good neighborhood to walk around?
Yes. It's a dense, urban neighborhood with foot traffic, transit, and a light rail station. The Cedar Avenue corridor is active, especially in evenings.
What's the best time to visit Cedar-Riverside for food and culture?
Evenings, when you can combine dinner at Afro Deli or Hard Times with a show at the Cedar Cultural Center. Check the Cedar's calendar — it's consistently one of the best venue lineups in the Twin Cities.