Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Pizzerias

Remember the days when going out to eat pizza with friends meant that, as a vegan, you were staring at a wall while everyone else chowed down on slice after slice of pies loaded with cheese and meats? Luckily for vegans, those times have passed. It’s now easier than ever to find vegan pizza options in almost any city. It’s so easy, in fact, that I’ve put together a list of the Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Pizzerias in the U.S., and the winners are…

1. Pizza Luce: Minneapolis, Minnesota
   Pizza Luce in Minneapolis carries a plethora of pizza options. With its wide array of vegan mock meats—including mock duck and two different kinds of mock chicken—as well as two types of soy cheese and all your favorite veggies, you can put together almost any pizza your brain can imagine. Not in the mood for pizza? Grab a vegan entrée, such as the Mock Muffuletta.
2. Pizza Pi: Seattle, Washington
   Pizza Pi in Seattle doesn’t just have vegan options—its entire menu is vegan! Not only is the pizza tasty, there’s loads of variety. Mock meats range from pepperoni to Canadian bacon to veggie sausage, and veggies include sundried tomatoes, artichokes, and capers, to name just a few. Pizza Pi also carries vegan calzones, a wide range of sandwiches, and vegan desserts.
3. Gianna’s: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   A favorite when in the City of Brotherly Love, Gianna’s has enough options to make any vegan happy. From its wide range of mock meats (sausage, beef, bacon, ham, chicken, and pepperoni) to its interesting list of veggies (broccoli rabe, anyone?), Gianna’s has it all. And it gets extra credit for having vegan sandwich options, including a vegan Philly cheesesteak.
4. T.J. Scallywaggle’s: Allston (Boston), Massachusetts
   T.J. Scallywaggle’s has an all-vegan menu that is even fun to read. With lots of specialty pizzas named in honor of “Captain Jazelda,” in addition to your standard fare, T.J. Scallywaggle’s is sure to bring out the pirate in you. It also has a bunch of tasty subs, calzones, salads, entrées, and desserts—all vegan!
5. The Pizza Research Institute: Eugene, Oregon
   Don’t be fooled by the name! This restaurant is much hipper than the words “research institute” imply. However, with all the one-of-a-kind pizzas on the menu, you would think that there really was a staff of food scientists in the kitchen. One standout is the 3P—pears, potato, and pesto.
6. Slice of Life: Sebastopol, California
   Slice of Life in Sebastopol (near San Francisco) is a fully vegetarian, and mostly vegan, restaurant with a huge menu. It includes not only pizza—such as the Cheeseless Wonder—but also other Italian options, as well as Mexican and traditional American dishes too.
7. Mac’s Pizza Pub: Cincinnati, Ohio
   Mac’s Pizza Pub is a lively college hangout in Cincinnati. When winding down after an exam (or skipping class!), locals enjoy Mac’s vegan pizza, which is topped with fresh veggies and gourmet vegan mozzarella. But veggie students aren’t limited to just pizza at Mac’s—the pub also offers a Boca burger.
8. Bella Pizzeria: Norfolk, Virginia
   The hometown pizza favorite of PETA, Bella’s makes a delicious pie, piling plenty of soy cheese on top of a tasty New York-style crust and, if you like, topping it off with classic veggies. In the mood for something a little different? Try the white pizza, which skips the tomato sauce and uses an olive oil-garlic blend as the base under loads of soy cheese.
9. Pizza Fusion Franchise
   With 23 locations across the country, Pizza Fusion is definitely the biggest vegan-friendly pizzeria. As a company that prides itself on being “green,” Pizza Fusion’s got the right idea by giving the option to get vegan cheese on any pizza, because the best thing we can do for the environment is to go veg!
10. The Rudyard Kipling: Louisville, Kentucky
    The official pizza place of frontline warriors against Kentucky Fried Cruelty in Louisville is The Rudyard Kipling. The restaurant offers a super-duper healthy crust with more grains than you can shake a breadstick at. Word has it that you can even get polenta on your pies. Also, be sure to check out its famous Vegan Rudyard Burger.

Did I overlook an awesome pizza joint in your neck of the woods? If so, tell us about it!