TL;DR
Best vegan bars and breweries in Minneapolis: Reverie Cafe + Bar (Powderhorn, fully vegan bar with great cocktails and dark chocolate beignets), Francis Burger Joint (NE Minneapolis, 100% vegan sports bar), The Dripping Root (NE Mpls, kava and kratom bar with vegan menu), Hard Times Cafe (Seward, all-vegan dive bar energy), and Surly Brewing (Minneapolis, taproom with excellent vegan food options). Plus notes on which popular bars do vegan well.
Vegan Bars and Breweries in Minneapolis: Where to Drink Well
Minneapolis has a thriving bar and brewery scene — and increasingly, that includes genuinely good options for vegans. Not just a sad side salad at the end of a menu, but actual thought-through vegan food alongside excellent drinks. This guide covers the best of it.
🍸 Reverie Cafe + Bar — The Fully Vegan Bar
Powderhorn | 2506 Minnehaha Ave S | $$ | 100% Vegan
Reverie is the landmark. A fully vegan bar and restaurant in Powderhorn with 20+ craft beers on tap, a cocktail program that's actually creative, and food that includes what might be the best dessert in Minneapolis: dark chocolate beignets served hot with a rich dipping sauce.
This is the place you bring non-vegan friends and watch them realize they've been making incorrect assumptions about vegan food for years.
Drinks:
- Rotating tap list of 20+ craft beers — heavy on local and regional options, always a few interesting imports
- Cocktail menu changes seasonally; the house creations are inventive and well-executed
- Non-alcoholic options including mocktails and kombucha on tap
Food (all vegan):
- Dark Chocolate Beignets — the signature. Order these.
- Cashew Cheesecake — rotating flavors, consistently excellent
- Savory plates — rotating menu including sandwiches, bowls, and snacks; quality varies by item but the kitchen is solid
Atmosphere: Exposed brick, warm lighting, neighborhood bar energy that skews toward young professionals and the arts community. Low-pressure and welcoming. The kind of bar you want your neighborhood to have.
Hours: Check current hours — Reverie typically opens in the afternoon/evening and closes late.
🏈 Francis Burger Joint — 100% Vegan Sports Bar
Northeast Minneapolis | 15 NE 4th St | $$ | 100% Vegan
Francis Burger Joint is one of the more surprising things in Minneapolis: a fully vegan sports bar in Northeast Minneapolis that is genuinely fun to be in whether you care about veganism or not. Big screens, local beers on tap, and food that centers around burgers, wings, and bar bites — all plant-based.
The target audience is not the crunchy vegan community. It's people who want good bar food and happen to want it vegan. That positioning makes it one of the most accessible fully vegan spots in the city for mixed groups.
Drinks:
- Local and regional craft beer on tap
- Full bar with cocktails and spirits
- Non-alcoholic options
Food (all vegan):
- House Burger — the centerpiece; house-ground plant-based patty, the real deal
- Buffalo "Wings" — cauliflower or seitan, house buffalo sauce, vegan ranch or blue cheese
- Loaded Fries — rotating seasonal toppings, always worth ordering
- Breakfast items on weekend brunch — vegan sausage, scramble, biscuits and gravy
Atmosphere: Sports bar. Multiple screens. Loud on game days, quieter on weeknights. Northeast Minneapolis industrial-chic space with a genuinely fun bar vibe.
🌿 The Dripping Root — Kava Bar with Vegan Menu
Northeast Minneapolis | $$ | Fully Plant-Based Menu
The Dripping Root is a kava and kratom bar — a category of bar that doesn't serve alcohol but instead specializes in these herbal drinks, popular in certain wellness and social communities. The food menu is fully plant-based, and the atmosphere is mellow and community-oriented.
This isn't the place for a wild night out. It's the place for a long conversation over something interesting, a low-key evening when you want to be social without the alcohol, or an alternative bar experience entirely.
Drinks:
- Kava (traditional Pacific island preparation — relaxing but non-alcoholic)
- Kratom (herbal preparation — effects vary; do your research)
- Herbal teas, botanical beverages
- No alcohol
Food (fully plant-based):
- Light bites, snacks, and beverages designed to complement the kava experience
- Check current menu — rotates seasonally
Who this is for: Vegans who want a social bar atmosphere without alcohol, people curious about kava culture, or anyone who wants a genuinely unusual bar experience in NE Minneapolis.
🍺 Hard Times Cafe — The Original Vegan Dive
Seward | 1821 Riverside Ave | $ | 100% Vegan
Hard Times has been a fully vegan institution in Minneapolis since the early 1990s. It is emphatically not a polished craft bar — it's a cash-only, hand-painted, collectively run space with the atmosphere of a very old, very beloved community hangout. The food is cheap, made from scratch, and genuinely good.
Important: CASH ONLY. Bring cash.
Drinks:
- Beer (canned, a few bottles, nothing fancy)
- Coffee, tea, non-alcoholic drinks
Food (all vegan):
- Biscuits and Gravy — the dish Hard Times is known for. Mushroom gravy over house-made biscuits.
- Tofu Scramble — simple, satisfying, very cheap
- Super Red Earth Bowl — rice, roasted vegetables, tahini
- Everything is inexpensive — this is some of the most affordable vegan food in the city
Atmosphere: Dive bar energy. The walls are covered in art. The crowd is eclectic. It is not for everyone and that is entirely the point.
🍻 Surly Brewing Co. — Best Taproom for Vegan Food
Stadium Village | 520 Malcolm Ave SE | $$ | Vegan-Friendly (not vegan)
Surly's destination taproom near the U of M campus has one of the best food programs of any brewery in the Twin Cities, and the vegan options are labeled and genuinely good — not an afterthought. The space is enormous, the beer selection is extensive, and the vibe ranges from casual family afternoon to energetic evening depending on the day.
Drinks:
- Full Surly tap lineup — Furious IPA, Coffee Bender, seasonal releases
- Guest taps from other Minnesota and national breweries
- Non-alcoholic options
Vegan food highlights:
- Vegan Burger — house-made plant-based patty, well-assembled, this is the bar burger vegans have been waiting for
- Loaded Fries — check if vegan toppings available (varies); the base fries are always vegan
- Roasted vegetable dishes — rotating, clearly labeled
- Full vegan labeling on the menu — no guessing required
When to go: Weekend afternoons are crowded and loud in a fun way. Weeknights are more relaxed. Great for groups mixing vegans and non-vegans — everyone finds something.
Bryant Lake Bowl — Theater Bar and Bowling
Lyn-Lake | 810 W Lake St | $$ | Vegan-Friendly
Bryant Lake Bowl is a Minneapolis original — a bowling alley, performance theater, and full restaurant and bar in one Lyn-Lake space. The bar program is solid (cocktails, local beer) and the menu has consistent vegan options clearly labeled. It's a genuinely fun place to spend a few hours, especially with a group.
Vegan bar food:
- Veggie Burger — house-made, good
- Veggie Hash — roasted potatoes and seasonal vegetables
- Salads — easily veganized with dressing on the side
- Vegan Pancakes (brunch) — made to order
The Quick Answer: Best Vegan Bars in Minneapolis
| Bar | Fully Vegan? | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Reverie Cafe + Bar | Yes | Cocktails, dessert, great atmosphere |
| Francis Burger Joint | Yes | Sports bar, groups, burgers |
| Hard Times Cafe | Yes | Cheap food, dive bar, community vibe |
| The Dripping Root | Plant-based menu | Kava, alcohol-free evenings |
| Surly Brewing | No (strong vegan menu) | Best brewery food in Minneapolis |
| Bryant Lake Bowl | No (good vegan options) | Unique experience, groups |
For more on where to eat and drink in Minneapolis as a vegan, explore the MPLS Vegan restaurant directory — searchable by neighborhood, cuisine type, and dietary need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there fully vegan bars in Minneapolis?
Yes — Reverie Cafe + Bar (2506 Minnehaha Ave, Powderhorn) is a fully vegan bar and restaurant with 20+ craft beers on tap, cocktails, and a food menu including dark chocolate beignets and cashew cheesecake. Francis Burger Joint (15 NE 4th St, Northeast Minneapolis) is a 100% vegan sports bar with burgers, wings, and a full bar. Both are standout examples of fully vegan bar culture in Minneapolis.
Which Minneapolis breweries have vegan food?
Surly Brewing Co. (520 Malcolm Ave SE) has one of the best taproom food programs in the city with clearly labeled vegan options — their vegan burger and loaded fries are frequently praised. Bauhaus Brew Labs (1315 Tyler St NE) has rotating vegan food trucks on the patio in warmer months. Fulton Brewing (414 6th Ave N, North Loop) has solid vegan options and a spacious taproom.
What are the most vegan-friendly bars in Northeast Minneapolis?
Northeast Minneapolis's bar scene has improved significantly for vegans. Francis Burger Joint (100% vegan) and The Dripping Root (vegan kava bar) are the standouts. Bauhaus Brew Labs has a good taproom with food truck access. And the neighborhood's high density of restaurants means most bar hops in NE Mpls will bring you near good vegan food quickly.