Every New Vegan Restaurant in Minneapolis in 2026 (Updated)

The Best New Vegan Openings in Minneapolis in 2026

Minneapolis has one of the strongest plant-based dining scenes in the Midwest, and 2026 has already added several notable new restaurants to the list. Whether you are looking for soul food, Indigenous cuisine, or fast-casual dumplings, the city's vegan scene is growing.

This guide covers the biggest vegan and plant-based openings of 2026 -- what opened, where to find them, what to order, and what is still on the way later this year.

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Trio Plant-Based -- Relocated to Midtown Global Market

920 E Lake St (Midtown Global Market) | Powderhorn / Midtown

Trio Plant-Based is not new to Minneapolis -- but its 2026 relocation to Midtown Global Market is one of the year's most significant moves in the local vegan dining scene. Founded by Louis Hunter, Trio is Minneapolis's first Black-owned 100% vegan soul food restaurant, and the Midtown Global Market location gives it a permanent home inside one of the city's most visited food halls.

The menu is built around comfort food done entirely without animal products: buffalo mac and cheeze, jackfruit ribs, collard greens, and rotating specials that draw from Southern and soul food traditions. For anyone who missed Trio's previous West Lake Street location, the market spot is easier to reach by transit and open to foot traffic from across the market.

Midtown Global Market sits at 920 E Lake St and is accessible by the Lake Street/Midtown light rail station.

What to order: Buffalo mac and cheeze, jackfruit ribs, collard greens.

See the full listing: Trio Plant-Based

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Indigena by Owamni -- Indigenous Cuisine in Cedar-Riverside

1115 2nd St S, Cedar-Riverside

The team behind Owamni by The Sioux Chef -- the James Beard Award-winning restaurant from Sean Sherman -- opened Indigena by Owamni in Cedar-Riverside in early 2026. The restaurant brings Indigenous foodways to a neighborhood that is already one of the most culturally rich in Minneapolis.

The menu draws from pre-contact Indigenous ingredients and cooking traditions: wild game, fish, heritage grains, and vegetables sourced without European-introduced staples like wheat flour, dairy, or refined sugar. For vegans and plant-forward diners, the menu has strong options -- vegetables, grains, and preparations that put Indigenous ingredients at the center rather than as a side dish.

Indigena by Owamni is one of the most genuinely unique dining concepts in the Twin Cities and worth visiting regardless of diet. It is located in the West Bank neighborhood near the University of Minnesota.

What to order: Ask your server for the current plant-forward options -- the menu rotates seasonally.

See the full listing: Indigena by Owamni

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Saturday Dumpling Co. -- Hand-Pinched Vegan Options in Northeast

519 Central Ave NE, Northeast Minneapolis

Saturday Dumpling Co. opened in Northeast Minneapolis and quickly earned a spot on Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's Top 50 restaurants list. It is not an exclusively vegan restaurant, but its vegan options are genuinely good -- hand-pinched veggie dumplings, a tofu burrito, and a tofu rice bowl that holds up as a full meal.

The restaurant operates as a fast-casual counter on Central Ave NE, which is already one of the most interesting food corridors in the city. If you are doing a Northeast vegan crawl, Saturday Dumpling Co. pairs well with stops at Himalayan Restaurant and Wok in the Park nearby.

What to order: Veggie dumplings, tofu rice bowl.

See the full listing: Saturday Dumpling Co.

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Coming Later in 2026: Shota Indigenous BBQ

Sean Sherman's NATIFS nonprofit is planning to open Shota Indigenous BBQ at 2601 Franklin Ave in Minneapolis, with an expected opening around late summer 2026. The concept is counter-service and will focus on smoked meats, fish, and vegetables -- with multiple vegan options built in from the start: dirty wild rice, maple-baked beans, hominy, braised greens, and plant-forward sides rooted in Indigenous foodways.

Shota will occupy the building that NATIFS purchased at 2601 Franklin Ave. No confirmed opening date has been announced as of May 2026, but the Seward/Phillips neighborhood location puts it close to some of the city's best vegan dining. We will add it to the directory as soon as it opens.

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The Broader Minneapolis Vegan Scene in 2026

The new openings in 2026 build on a foundation that already included some of the best plant-based restaurants in the Midwest:

• Herbivorous Butcher (Northeast) -- the pioneer, 100% vegan butcher shop and restaurant
• Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn) -- fully vegan bar with 20+ craft beers on tap
• Lulu's Ethiopian Vegan (North Minneapolis) -- fully vegan Ethiopian, one of the best injera spreads in the city
• J. Selby's (Saint Paul, Grand Avenue) -- fully vegan comfort food across the river

For a complete picture, see the best vegan restaurants in Minneapolis guide.

If you are in Northeast specifically, the Northeast Minneapolis vegan guide covers the full corridor including Saturday Dumpling Co.

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What to Watch For

The Twin Cities vegan dining scene has been growing steadily, and the second half of 2026 should bring more openings. Shota Indigenous BBQ is the most anticipated, but the market at Midtown Global Market and the Northeast corridor continue to attract new concepts.

For vegan events, Twin Cities Veg Fest returns on September 20, 2026 at Harriet Island Regional Park in Saint Paul. Free admission, 6,000+ attendees, and a full day of plant-based food trucks, cooking demos, and vendors. Full details: Twin Cities Veg Fest 2026 guide.

We update this guide as new restaurants open -- check back throughout the year.