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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Summer 2026 Additions: Yemeni Coffee Houses with Plant Milk

Two Yemeni coffee houses opened in Minneapolis in summer 2026, both offering plant milk and vegan-friendly drinks.

Haraz Coffee House (3005 Lyndale Ave S, Lyn-Lake) opened in July 2026 as the first Minnesota location of a Yemeni coffee chain. The shop serves traditional qishr (spiced ginger-husk coffee), espresso drinks, and loose-leaf tea -- all available with oat, almond, or soy milk. Hours extend late on weekends (open until midnight Friday and Saturday), making it one of the few late-night plant-milk options in South Minneapolis.

Qahwah House (1851 Central Ave NE, Northeast Minneapolis) also opened in summer 2026, bringing Yemeni coffee culture to the Central Ave corridor. Open until 11pm Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Plant milk available across the menu.

Neither is a full vegan restaurant, but both are reliable coffee stops for plant-based diners in their respective neighborhoods.

See the listings: Haraz Coffee House | Qahwah House

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September 2026: Martiya Opens in South Minneapolis

3030 Nicollet Ave (Opportunity Crossing), Minneapolis | East African / Somali Fusion

Martiya opened on September 14, 2026 at the Opportunity Crossing development at Lake and Nicollet -- a long-anticipated restaurant from Abdirahman Kahin, the owner of the Afro Deli restaurants in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The concept is upscale East African and Somali fusion: full-service dining, family-style plates, weekend brunch, and a halal butcher component.

For plant-based diners, East African and Somali cuisine is worth paying attention to. The cooking tradition has deep roots in plant-forward preparation -- injera-style breads, lentil stews, rice and vegetable dishes, and legume preparations that are naturally vegan in many instances. Martiya is not a vegan restaurant, but the cuisine it draws from has historically been one of the more vegetable-forward food traditions in its meat preparations as well.

Vegan-specific menu items have not been fully documented yet -- the restaurant opened yesterday. Verify directly with Martiya before visiting if you need confirmation of specific plant-based options.

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Coming Late 2026: Front Porch Pies (Fully Vegan Bakery)

3008 36th Ave S, Longfellow | Opening October 2026

The most anticipated fully vegan opening still ahead in 2026 is Front Porch Pies, a hand-pie and baked goods bakery from Chelsea Keene -- who previously ran the Cookie Counter in Seattle. Front Porch Pies is taking over the former Savory Bake House space in the Longfellow neighborhood.

The menu will include hand pies, cookies, muffins, scones, galettes, and bars -- all fully vegan. Keene sources from Sunrise Flour Mill heritage wheat flour and local produce through The Good Acre. The October 2026 target opening would make this the only fully vegan standalone bakery to open in Minneapolis this year.

We will add Front Porch Pies to the directory as soon as the opening is confirmed. Check @front_porch_pies on Instagram for the confirmed date.

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Also Coming: Shota Indigenous BBQ

Sean Sherman's NATIFS nonprofit is planning to open Shota Indigenous BBQ at 2601 Franklin Ave in Minneapolis in the American Indian Cultural Corridor. 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. No confirmed opening date has been announced as of September 2026.

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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 continues to grow. Front Porch Pies is the most anticipated upcoming fully vegan opening -- a dedicated plant-based bakery in Longfellow targeting October 2026. Martiya just opened and is worth watching as its full menu becomes documented. Shota Indigenous BBQ from Sean Sherman remains in the pipeline on Franklin Ave.

For vegan events, Twin Cities Veg Fest is this Saturday, 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.