TL;DR
Best vegan food in Lowertown St. Paul: J. Selby's (169 Western Ave N, fully vegan restaurant, the anchor of St. Paul vegan dining, $$), Pimento Jamaican Kitchen (217 N Prior Ave area, Jamaican plant-based options, $$), Black Dog Cafe (308 Prince St, coffee and light food in a music venue, $). Great pre-show dining neighborhood near Xcel Energy Center and CHS Field.
Lowertown St. Paul: The Arts District's Plant-Based Scene
Lowertown is St. Paul's most energetic neighborhood — a warehouse arts district anchored by CHS Field (the Saints' ballpark), Xcel Energy Center just blocks away, the St. Paul Farmers Market, and a stretch of galleries, music venues, and independent restaurants that have turned this formerly industrial corner of downtown into one of the more interesting places to spend an evening in the Twin Cities.
For plant-based diners, Lowertown has something most neighborhoods don't: a fully vegan restaurant that's been quietly essential to St. Paul's food scene for years. Add the Farmers Market and a handful of vegan-friendly spots in the surrounding blocks and you have a neighborhood worth planning a day or evening around.
If you've been eating vegan only in Minneapolis, Lowertown St. Paul is the reason to finally cross the river.
🌱 1. J. Selby's - St. Paul's Fully Vegan Institution
169 Western Ave N, St. Paul | $$ | Fully Vegan American Wed-Sun 11am-9pm (hours vary, check before visiting)
J. Selby's is the anchor. A 100% plant-based restaurant in a city not known for aggressive vegan infrastructure, it has carved out a loyal following among St. Paul vegans and curious omnivores who come for the food itself, not the ideology.
The menu runs American comfort — burgers, mac and cheese, loaded fries, sandwiches, seasonal specials — all built entirely from plant-based ingredients. The kitchen treats vegan cooking as cooking, not as accommodation, and it shows. The burger holds up against any non-vegan version in the neighborhood. The mac and cheese is the kind of dish you'd bring to a potluck without announcing it's vegan.
Best orders:
- The J. Selby's Burger — the flagship, worth every bite
- Mac and cheese — rich, unapologetically indulgent
- Loaded fries — add whatever toppings are on the seasonal menu
- Seasonal specials — the kitchen rotates creative dishes that often outperform the standards
When to go: Weeknight dinners are more relaxed. Weekend evenings and event nights at nearby Xcel fill the place up — make a reservation or go early.
Pre-show pick: J. Selby's is about a 15-minute walk from Xcel Energy Center. For concert nights, this is the move — book ahead.
🇯🇲 2. Pimento Jamaican Kitchen - Caribbean Plant-Based Cooking
St. Paul | $$ | Jamaican, Vegan-Friendly
Pimento Jamaican Kitchen brings Caribbean cooking to St. Paul with genuine Jamaican technique and a menu that takes plant-based eating seriously — not as a side note but as a real part of the menu.
The standout vegan dishes lean on classic Jamaican preparations: stewed lentils, callaloo (leafy greens cooked with coconut and aromatics), rice and peas (kidney beans with coconut milk and thyme), fried plantains, and rotating specials that feature whatever's in season. The food is fragrant, spiced deliberately, and filling in a way that a lot of plant-based cooking isn't.
Best vegan orders:
- Stewed lentils with rice and peas
- Callaloo — one of the best preparations of this dish in the Twin Cities
- Fried plantains (naturally vegan — excellent as a side or snack)
- Ask about the daily vegan specials — the rotating dishes are often the best thing on the menu
Note: Pimento serves both meat and plant-based dishes. The vegan items are clearly labeled. Ask your server to confirm if you're uncertain about a specific preparation.
☕ 3. Black Dog Cafe - Music Venue Coffee Shop
308 Prince St, St. Paul | $ | Coffee, Light Food, Live Music Hours vary — check website for live music schedule
Black Dog Cafe occupies a specific niche that Lowertown needed: a music venue and coffee shop that functions as a casual gathering place in the arts district. The vegan food options are light — coffee drinks, pastries, soups, and sandwiches — but the space itself is a reason to visit.
This is not destination dining. This is where you go before J. Selby's opens, after a Farmers Market walk, or to post up with a laptop before an evening show. The pastry case includes rotating vegan options (check labels). The soup is often vegan and worth asking about.
Best vegan picks:
- Drip coffee and espresso drinks (house oat milk available)
- Ask about vegan pastries in the daily rotation
- Soup of the day (often vegan — confirm before ordering)
The real draw: The programming. Black Dog books live music, poetry, and art events regularly. Check their calendar if you're planning an evening in Lowertown — the venue is intimate and the quality is high.
🌾 4. St. Paul Farmers Market - Lowertown's Weekend Gem
290 E 5th St, St. Paul | $ | Seasonal Produce, Prepared Foods Saturday 6am-1pm, Sunday 8am-1pm (May through November)
The St. Paul Farmers Market is one of the best in Minnesota — genuinely producer-only (every vendor sells what they grow or make), well-organized, and with a longer season than most metro markets.
For vegans, it's a Saturday morning institution. The produce quality is exceptional and regional farms bring varieties you won't find at grocery stores. Prepared food vendors rotate but reliably include plant-based options. The bread and baked goods section requires label-reading but often has vegan options.
What to look for:
- Heirloom tomatoes and specialty vegetables (summer peak)
- Locally grown mushrooms — shiitake, oyster, and specialty varieties
- Fresh herbs in bulk for cheap
- Rotating prepared food vendors — look for the plant-based labeled items
- Local honey, jams, and preserves (not vegan but popular — check labels)
Pro tip: Arrive early on Saturdays. The best produce, prepared foods, and fresh mushrooms go fast. By 10am the selection thins out considerably.
Planning a Lowertown Vegan Day
Morning: St. Paul Farmers Market (Sat/Sun, arrive by 8am) → coffee and a pastry at Black Dog Cafe
Lunch: J. Selby's opens at 11am — best vegan lunch in St. Paul, period. Or Pimento Jamaican Kitchen for Caribbean plant-based comfort.
Evening: Pre-show dinner at J. Selby's before a Saints game at CHS Field or a concert at Xcel Energy Center. Book ahead on event nights.
The full circuit: Start at the Farmers Market, walk through the Lowertown arts district to see what's showing at the galleries, lunch at J. Selby's, afternoon coffee at Black Dog before catching whatever's on at night. This is one of the better full-day vegan itineraries in the Twin Cities.
Getting to Lowertown St. Paul
From Minneapolis: About 20-25 minutes by car. Take I-94 east, exit at Kellogg Blvd, follow signs to downtown St. Paul. Parking is available in the area — street parking on weekends, paid ramps near Xcel.
By Metro Transit: The Green Line (light rail) stops at Union Depot station in Lowertown — a direct connection from downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota campus.
By bike: The Greenway to Cedar Lake Trail connects to the Smith Ave High Bridge and gets you into St. Paul in about 40 minutes from South Minneapolis. A longer ride but a good one.
Why Lowertown is Worth the Trip
Most Minneapolis-based vegans treat St. Paul as an afterthought. That's a mistake, and Lowertown is the primary reason why.
J. Selby's alone would justify crossing the river — a fully vegan restaurant with a serious kitchen is not something you find in most neighborhoods. Add the Farmers Market, the arts district character, the proximity to CHS Field and Xcel, and the Pimento and Black Dog fills in the edges, and Lowertown becomes a legitimately complete vegan dining neighborhood.
Come for J. Selby's. Stay for the neighborhood.
For more St. Paul vegan dining, see our Grand Avenue Vegan Guide, Cathedral Hill Vegan Guide, and the full Vegan Restaurants in St. Paul overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best vegan restaurants in Lowertown St. Paul?
The best vegan dining in Lowertown St. Paul centers on J. Selby's (169 Western Ave N) — a fully plant-based restaurant that's been the anchor of St. Paul vegan dining for years. Pimento Jamaican Kitchen brings Caribbean plant-based cooking to the neighborhood. Black Dog Cafe is ideal for coffee, light bites, and live music. The St. Paul Farmers Market (in Lowertown on weekends) also has excellent plant-based vendors.
Is J. Selby's fully vegan?
Yes — J. Selby's (169 Western Ave N, St. Paul) is a 100% plant-based restaurant. Nothing on the menu contains animal products. It's been one of the most important vegan restaurants in the Twin Cities since it opened, serving everything from burgers and mac and cheese to seasonal specials. It's the first stop for any vegan visiting St. Paul.
Where should vegans eat before a show at Xcel Energy Center?
J. Selby's is the top pre-show vegan dinner in Lowertown — it's about a 15-minute walk from Xcel Energy Center and worth the walk. For something quicker, Black Dog Cafe is closer and has vegan-friendly light food and coffee. Book J. Selby's in advance on event nights as they fill up quickly.
Is Lowertown St. Paul good for vegans?
Yes — Lowertown is one of the better vegan-friendly neighborhoods in St. Paul. The anchor is J. Selby's, a fully vegan restaurant with a creative menu. The arts district character of the neighborhood (galleries, music venues, the Farmers Market) attracts the kind of independent restaurants that tend to have thoughtful vegan options. It's a more interesting vegan dining destination than downtown Minneapolis in some ways.
When is the St. Paul Farmers Market and what are the vegan options?
The St. Paul Farmers Market runs Saturday mornings (6am-1pm) and Sunday mornings (8am-1pm) in Lowertown from May through November. It's one of the best farmers markets in Minnesota. Vegan finds include fresh produce from regional farms, prepared foods from plant-based vendors, bread and baked goods (check ingredients), and seasonal items like locally grown mushrooms and heirloom tomatoes. Arrive early for the best selection.