Why Kitchener-Waterloo Region is Worth Visiting for Plant-Based Eaters

The Kitchener–Waterloo–Cambridge–Guelph corridor offers a surprisingly strong plant-based dining scene, blending fully vegan cafés with plant-friendly adaptable international cuisine. I visited the area a few times over the last year and found it easy to dine out as a vegan.  Many restaurants are very accommodating and even have a separate plant-based menu available. There are plenty of plant-based options across all four cities likely due to the University students in the region.

Mel's Diner in Kitchener and Waterloo with an eclectic 1950s vibe

Kitchener Vegan Restaurants

Café Pyrus

Café Pyrus is a staple of the local vegan scene with a plant-forward menu made with local and organic ingredients.  It’s a bit “cafeteria style” service, but they have a variety of options for breakfast and lunch.  After ordering at the counter, you receive a trinket (our’s was a lion) to put on your table so the server knows where to bring the food.

Cafe Pyrus trinket so the proper order is delivered to your table

We stopped by for lunch, tried the breakfast griller (tofu, tempeh bacon, daiya cheese and farmer’s bun), breakfast club (tofu, tempeh bacon, daiya cheese, and sourdough bread), and Sunspintacular salad (spinach, cranberries, nuts, seeds, carrots, apples and red pepper vinaigrette). All of the food was fresh, tasty and home-made.

Cafe Pyrus Sunspintacular Salad

Cafe Pyrus Breakfast Club Sandwich

We broke down and taste-tested their chocolate chip cookie – they offer a lot of vegan desserts! Gluten-free options are available and they also accommodate vegetarians who prefer regular dairy. 

Vegan menu highlights:

• Muffins, croissants, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, overnight oats, coconut yogurt  parfait
• Soup of the day, grilled “cheese”, sandwiches, wraps, burrito
• Salads: Caesar, kale, taco, various lettuce options
• Peanut butter cups, cookies, nanaimo bars, scones, Cinnamon buns 
• Specialty coffees, teas, smoothies, kombucha

Del’s Italian Kitchen

Del’s Italian is not a plant-exclusive restaurant but they offer many vegan customizations and I was pleasantly surprised that they have a dedicated plant-based menu.  The restaurant began the dinner with complimentary bread and two spreads: vegan garlic butter and cinnamon which was a nice treat.

Del's Italian Kitchen's bread and spreads

We ordered a Tuscan Salad, Foar Gnocchi (plant based meat), and Linguini with Tomato Sauce.  

Del's Tuscan Salad

Del's Linguini and Gnocchi Dishes

Vegan menu highlights:

• Appetizers such as bruschetta, gnocchi, roasted red pepper soup, olive tepanade, Tuscan salad, Caesar salad
• Vegan pizzas with dairy-free cheese, gluten free crust option
• Custom pasta with tomato or olive oil base, vegetables, plant-based meats (beef, chicken)

La Cucina

We visited La Cucina for lunch and the pizza was delicious.  They make traditional wood-fired Italian dishes that can be made vegan.  Even though they didn’t overtly offer a plant-based menu, they do have a few vegetarian dishes that can be modified. 

We enjoyed a classic Italian meal with bruschetta, Classica salad and a Marinara cheese-free pizza.  The plant-based options are limited but I would still recommend this restaurant for a vegan meal as the food was delicious!

La Cucina Bruschetta without cheese

La Cucina Classica Salad with mixed greens and tomatoes

La Cucina wood-fired pizza without cheese

Vegan menu highlights:

• Classica salad, Arugula salad, bruschetta (no cheese) 
• Marinara pizza (no cheese) or vegan-modified pies 
• Pasta al Pomodoro, Pasta Arrabiata
• Custom pasta dishes with olive oil, garlic, and veggies 

Mel’s Diner (Kitchener and Waterloo locations)

Mel’s Diner is a fun place to visit because of it’s nostalgic 1950’s décor, checkerboard floors, vintage posters, red booths, gumball machine and jukebox.  They offer classic diner food but also have a separate plant-based menu with several options. I usually have a difficult time finding a breakfast place that doesn’t offer the standard vegetarian fare with eggs and dairy so Mel's was a pleasant surprise. 

We visited Mel’s twice and tried several dishes:  Breakfast special, vegan skillet, and pancakes with blueberries!  The latter was such a treat because good fluffy vegan pancakes are hard to find.  The Breakfast special has a Beyond Meat sausage patty, home fries, baked beans, toast and fruit salad. The Vegan skillet was a large serving of grilled vegetables and hash browns, with a side of baked beans.  All of the dishes were tasty but I preferred the Breakfast special of the two savoury dishes.  

Mel's Diner Breakfast special with fruit, toast, baked beans, hash browns and vegan sausage

Mel's fluffy pancakes with fresh blueberries

Mel’s Diner has many options for lunch with the standard burger and fries combo. One day we will need to return to try out other menu options and a classic diner dessert like a banana split!

Vegan menu highlights:

• Plant-based breakfast plate (toast, hash browns, sausage), burrito, pancakes, waffles, rancheros, granola bowl
• Vegan burger, fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings
• Vegan milkshakes, floats, sundaes, banana split 

Waterloo Vegan Options

Famoso Italian Kitchen (Waterloo)

Famoso Italian Pizzeria in Waterloo is a laid-back restaurant in the heart of Uptown Waterloo near many shops, cafes and bars. They have a wood-fired pizza oven and large dining room. We visited on a lovely summer day so we ate on the patio underneath an umbrella. 

We ordered a Napoli Salad which automatically comes with chickpeas, and a large Margharita pizza (optional with or without the cheese).  The restaurant happily modified the pizza to suit our needs and even had vegan cheese on hand.  

Famoso Salad with many vegetables and chickpeas

Famoso Pizza with or without vegan cheese

Vegan menu highlights:

• Salad, bruschetta, flatbread, marinated olives (ask to hold the cheese)
• Marinara pizza with fresh basil, Build-your-own pizza with vegetable toppings 

Cambridge Vegan-Friendly Restaurants

Red Basil

It’s worth a visit to the historic Galt area of Cambridge to see the old bank buildings, and the “wall” from The Handmaid’s Tail television show. We grabbed dinner at Red Basil on the main street. The restaurant focuses on Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cuisine, with a specific plant-based menu and modifiable dishes. The restaurant is laid back, nothing too fancy but with flavourful dishes.

We shared two appetizers:  mango salad and avocado fresh rolls. We followed this up with two shareable mains: tofu green curry and mixed vegetables with tofu in a ginger-garlic soy sauce. Both dishes came with a side of rice.  These dishes were delicious so I would expect that anything from the extensive plant-based menu would be good.

Red Basil's classic mango salad and fresh rolls

Red Basil's mixed vegetables, tofu and steamed rice

Vegan menu highlights:

• Spring rolls, fresh rolls with sweet and sour sauce, mango salad
• Vegetable green or yellow curry (coconut milk base), Pad Thai with tofu, Stir-fried noodles with vegetables and tofu, vermicelli noodles

Guelph Vegan Restaurants

The Cornerstone

The Cornerstone is located in downtown Guelph with a focus on vegetarian and vegan cuisine. We stopped in for a quick lunch but it was clear that the café is a hub of activity with local events and live music listed on the chalkboard. It was busy when we were there and offers students and regulars a place to chill out. 

Our order included a chickpea smash sandwich that came with a side of greens, mixed green salad and pad thai noodles.  The servings were large and I really liked the vibe. The Cornerstone is not to be missed if you are visiting downtown Guelph.

The Cornerstone's salad and pad thai noodles

Vegan menu highlights:

• Vegan soups, nachos and salads 
• Sandwiches with hummus, tofu, tempeh, or roasted veggies, breakfast sandwiches, burrito, bean burgers, wraps, enchiladas
• Vegan brownies and cookies

Makin Thai Food

Makin Thai Food is located in a Guelph suburb near retail stores and residential neighbourhoods. The restaurant is family-owned focusing on Thai cuisine with several plant-based options. It’s family friendly, casual and doesn’t serve any alcohol.  

We ordered the mango salad, pineapple and tofu red curry, steamed rice and tofu drunken noodles.  The food was excellent and the service attentive. All of the fruits and vegetables were fresh including the pineapple.  We were pleasantly surprised because the strip-mall location hinted that they might cut corners with frozen, but everything was fresh and homemade.

Makin Thai Drunken Noodles with tofu and vegetables

Makin Thai Pineapple red curry tofu and steamed rice

Vegan menu highlights:

• Spring rolls, fresh rolls, mango salad
• Vegetable curries with tofu, Pad see ew (vegan-modified), drunken noodles, fried rice
• Mango sticky rice (sadly they were sold out the day we arrived)

Hidden Vegan Gems in the Region

Some of the best vegan food isn’t always obvious. These spots stand out as hidden gems:

• Del’s Italian Kitchen (Kitchener) – fully plant-based menu with extensive choice
• Red Basil (Cambridge) – plant-based options on the main street in the historic area 
• The Cornerstone (Guelph) – ultra-cool café for a quick meal and coffee 
• Mel’s Diner (KW) – a fun, unique décor with many vegan breakfast and dessert options which are hard to find elsewhere

Final Thoughts

I was surprised at how accommodating Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph are, offering a broad range of vegan-friendly dining. We were able to find delicious plant-forward meals while visiting the area. If you are in the vicinity, be sure to try out one of these spots for a good meal.

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