Best Vegan Bars & Happy Hour Spots in Minneapolis (2026 Guide) 🍺

Minneapolis has a genuinely thriving vegan restaurant scene — but what about after dinner? Whether you're looking for a full vegan bar where you don't have to decode the menu, a craft brewery with plant-based snacks, or just want to know which cocktails are actually vegan, this guide covers it all.

Good news: Minneapolis is one of the most vegan-friendly bar cities in the Midwest. Two fully vegan bars, a cooperative cafe with rotating taps, and a craft brewery scene that pairs well with vegan food trucks.

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🏆 The 100% Vegan Bars: No Compromises

1. Reverie Cafe + Bar — Powderhorn

2506 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis · 100% Vegan · Powderhorn Park Neighborhood

Reverie is the crown jewel of Minneapolis's vegan bar scene. Everything on the menu — every drink, every dish — is entirely plant-based. You never have to ask "is this vegan?" because the answer is always yes.

What to order:

• Dark chocolate beignets — warm, pillowy, dusted with powdered sugar. The reason people come back.
• Cashew cheesecake — creamy, tangy, genuinely dessert-worthy
• Rotating cocktail menu — creative seasonal drinks (no honey, no cream, no egg white — or a vegan substitute if the recipe calls for it)
• 20+ craft beers — always rotating, heavy on Minnesota craft

The vibe: Intimate neighborhood bar. Low lighting, wood tables, community feel. Popular with the Powderhorn art community and long-time Minneapolis vegans. Not pretentious — just genuinely good.

Hours: Check current hours — typically afternoon through late evening, closed Tuesdays. Happy hour specials available (call ahead to confirm times).

Why it's #1: There's no other bar in Minneapolis where every single thing on the menu is vegan. For anyone tired of asking, substituting, or wondering — Reverie is the destination.

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2. Francis Burger Joint — North Loop

102 N 1st St, Minneapolis · 100% Vegan · North Loop

Francis is what happens when a sports bar decides to go fully vegan — and pulls it off completely. TVs on the walls, cold beer flowing, smash burgers on the table, and zero animal products anywhere.

What to order:

• Smash burger — plant-based beef, smashed crispy, with all the classic toppings
• Vegan wings — crispy, sauced, genuinely satisfying
• Beer and cocktails — full bar with an all-vegan drinks menu
• Loaded fries — for the table

The vibe: Lively, casual, North Loop crowd. Great for groups, sports nights, after-work drinks. More energetic than Reverie — less date-night, more fun night out.

Why it works: Francis proves that "vegan bar" doesn't have to mean quiet and precious. This is a full bar that happens to have no animal products. The food is the draw, the drinks seal the deal.

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🌿 Vegan-Forward Bars & Cafes

3. Seward Cafe — Seward

2129 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis · Worker-Owned Cooperative · Seward Neighborhood

Seward Cafe is a Minneapolis institution — cooperatively owned since 1974, with a menu that's heavily vegan and prominently labeled. It's more cafe than bar, but they serve beer, wine, and kombucha alongside some of the best plant-based breakfasts and lunches in the city.

What makes it special: This is the OG vegan-friendly spot in Minneapolis. The co-op ownership model means the staff genuinely cares about the food and the community. Regulars have been coming here for decades.

Best for: Morning or afternoon drinks with a meal. Not a late-night bar, but an essential part of the Minneapolis vegan scene.

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4. Common Roots Cafe — Whittier

2558 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis · Organic + Plant-Forward · Whittier

Common Roots focuses on local, organic food and natural wines. Their bar program centers on craft cocktails made with clean ingredients, natural wines (many vegan-certified), and local craft beers.

What to order: Natural wines by the glass, seasonal cocktails, small plates with strong vegan options.

The vibe: Bright, airy, Lyndale Ave energy. More upscale than Seward Cafe, less intense than Reverie. Good for a glass of wine and a light bite.

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🍺 Minneapolis Craft Breweries: Vegan-Friendly Taps + Food Trucks

Minnesota has one of the best craft brewery scenes in the country — and most of the taprooms are vegan-friendly (or can be with the right food truck rotation).

Indeed Brewing Company — Northeast Minneapolis

711 15th Ave NE · Rotating food trucks, many vegan-friendly · Lively taproom

One of Minneapolis's most popular taprooms. Indeed regularly hosts food trucks, and the rotating lineup often includes vegan-friendly options. Their beer lineup — Midnight Ryder Black Ale, Day Tripper Pale Ale, Fluxus series — is all vegan-friendly. Check their Instagram for that day's food truck before you go.

Dangerous Man Brewing — Northeast Minneapolis

1300 2nd St NE · Cash-preferred · Small, intimate NE gem

Dangerous Man is NE Minneapolis's beloved neighborhood taproom. Small, low-key, excellent beer. No kitchen of their own, but food trucks rotate regularly. All Dangerous Man beers are vegan (verified on Barnivore). Great for an unpretentious evening in NE.

Surly Brewing — Prospect Park (Near U of M)

520 Malcolm Ave SE · Full restaurant kitchen · Verified vegan options

Surly has a full restaurant kitchen with a menu that includes clearly marked vegan options — salads, plant-based proteins, loaded fries. The brewpub setting means great beer + actual food, not just trucks. Bigger and louder than the others, but reliable for a group that has mixed dietary needs.

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🍸 How to Order Vegan at Any Minneapolis Bar

You don't have to limit yourself to the fully vegan spots. Here's how to navigate any bar's drink menu as a vegan:

Spirits: Almost Always Vegan

• Vodka, gin, rum, tequila/mezcal, whiskey, bourbon: Virtually all are vegan. The distillation process uses no animal products.
• Watch for: Honey-based liqueurs (mead, certain whiskeys marketed as "honey"), cream-based liqueurs (Baileys), or egg-based spirits.

Beer: Usually Vegan, Check Craft Beers

• Traditional lagers, ales, IPAs, stouts, porters, and sours: typically vegan.
• Some British ales and certain craft beers use isinglass (fish bladder) as a fining agent — this is less common in American craft brewing.
• Minnesota craft beers are generally safe. When in doubt, check Barnivore.com — the definitive vegan beer database.

Wine: Check for Vegan Certification

• Many wines use egg whites, gelatin, or casein for fining (clarifying) the wine.
• Natural wines and wines marked "unfined/unfiltered" are usually vegan.
• Barnivore.com also covers wines.
• At bars: ask if they have vegan wine options — more bartenders know than you'd think.

Cocktails: Watch for These

• ❌ Honey syrup — common in whiskey cocktails and bees-knees riffs
• ❌ Egg white — used in sours (Whiskey Sour, Clover Club, Pisco Sour) for froth
• ❌ Cream — White Russians, Irish Coffees, Grasshoppers
• ❌ Worcestershire — many Bloody Marys contain anchovy-based Worcestershire
• ✅ Aquafaba — chickpea water used as vegan egg white substitute (ask if available)
• ✅ Agave nectar — common vegan alternative to honey

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Quick Comparison

Bar/Spot	Fully Vegan?	Neighborhood	Best For
Reverie Cafe + Bar	✅ 100%	Powderhorn	Date night, intimate bar
Francis Burger Joint	✅ 100%	North Loop	Sports nights, groups
Seward Cafe	Mostly vegan	Seward	Daytime + early evening
Common Roots Cafe	Plant-forward	Whittier	Natural wine + light bites
Indeed Brewing	Beer only + food trucks	NE Minneapolis	Taproom vibes, groups
Dangerous Man Brewing	Beer only + food trucks	NE Minneapolis	Low-key NE evenings
Surly Brewing	Verified vegan options	Prospect Park	Full meal + great beer

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The Short Answer

For a fully vegan bar experience: Reverie Cafe + Bar or Francis Burger Joint. Zero compromises, zero questions asked.

For craft brewery vibes: Indeed or Dangerous Man in Northeast, with a check of that day's food truck.

For wine and small plates: Common Roots Cafe on Lyndale.

For a Minneapolis institution: Seward Cafe — the original.

Minneapolis is one of the best cities in the Midwest for vegan nightlife. You're not limited to sparkling water and a side salad anymore.