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People generally think that being a vegan or vegetarian is a difficult task. I’m often asked things like, “How do you get your protein?” or “Don’t you miss eating good food?” or “Do you only eat salad?”, which only illustrates how many misconceptions there are about a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. However, I won’t be addressing those questions in this post, but will merely be talking about being a vegan in Durango and how easy it really is to do.

I went vegetarian about three years ago, during my freshman year of college. Originally, I made the change for environmental and health reasons, but eventually absorbed vegetarianism into my ethical framework and made the transition to vegan. I, like many others, did not know what being a vegetarian or vegan would entail.

Being from Oklahoma, I thought that the switch would make going out to restaurants impossible and that all I’d be eating were wilted salads and pale chunks of tofu, crying out for protein tearfully in the night. However, that hasn’t been my experience at all. When students come to tour the college, I make sure to emphasize that both on-campus dining and off-campus restaurants are very accommodating to a vegetarian– and even vegan-lifestyle.

When I first made the switch, I didn’t know many vegetarians or vegans on campus. Further, I didn’t notice a whole lot of food options available during dinners. However, in recent years, Sodexo has been working with vegetarian and vegan students to make sure that alternative foods are available for those with alternative dietary preferences. For example, if a vegetarian student would like a sandwich for lunch, there is Tofurkey available in the sandwich line. If students prefer soymilk over 2%, Silk is available near the cereal.

Besides these small options, there are always vegan and vegetarian meal choices at San Juan Dining and the General Manager, Donna Bauck, is extremely open to feedback from students. There will always be a vegetarian burger, sandwich, pasta, and soup option during lunch and dinner. For on-the-go options, East By Southwest supplies their veggie sushi rolls every day and Sabra hummus pods can almost always be found around campus dining. Suffice to say, I will never go hungry on campus.

So, I found myself some good meal options on campus, but I still hadn’t found the community of vegetarians and vegans on campus. I realized that although there were tons of vegetarians and vegans around campus, there was not a club available for veg-heads (and non-veg-heads) such as ourselves to get together. So, my friend Caleb and I started a club last year called The Veg Society. Throughout the year, we had all sorts of potlucks and lectures on the implications of a vegetarian or vegan diet. I found out that there were TONS more vegetarians and vegans on campus than I had previously thought. Our own vegetarian professor, Sarah Roberts-Cady, even came in to lead a discussion about the ethical implications of the animal agriculture industry – it was fascinating.

This still leaves one with the question: what about being a vegetarian or vegan in Durango? Are the restaurants good and do they have many options? The answer to this is a resounding yes. Throughout my time working as a student ambassador, I have received these questions a lot more than I would have even expected.

While it’s taken me a while to figure out which restaurants are the best in terms of variety of offerings and deliciousness of meals, I have come up with a nice list of restaurants around town that would satisfy even the pickiest vegan. I hope that if there are any vegans, vegetarians, pescetarians, freegans, dairy-free, or even gluten-free prospective students out there, that they’ll see this and know that Durango is indeed extremely veg-friendly.

My Recommendations for
Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Restaurants in Durango
*Indicates vegan options available

*Durango Natural Foods (575 E. 8^th Avenue)

Vegan and vegetarian deli located in the back, features daily soups and to-go sandwiches as well as a full menu of amazing sandwiches, juices, and smoothies. Vegan options are available with veganaise and vegan cheeses.

Suggested: The Cali or The Reuben with tempeh

*Himalayan Kitchen (992 Main Avenue)

Vegan and vegetarian friendly Nepalese, Tibetan, and Indian cuisine. The menu’s offerings are almost all vegetarian friendly with two amazing vegan dishes. Each dish is phenomenal and they offer a buffet from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm which is also vegetarian friendly. They have their own vegetarian menu for your convenience. The naan is incredible.

Suggested: Veggie Korma, Kumari Tarkaari, or Malai Kofta

*Carver’s Brewing Company (1022 Main Avenue)

Owned by the Carver family in Durango, Carver’s has arguably the best locally brewed beer in town (Ska Brewery and Durango Brewing Company are stiff competition) and features a number of vegetarian options. The wild cherry salad can be modified to be vegan if requested without cheese and the Navajo Taco can be made without cheese and sour cream. They have featured some amazing vegetarian daily soups as well. The food and service here are amazing. Two full bars.

Suggested: Navajo Taco, Sundried Wild Cherry Salad, Veggie Pot Pie

*Durango Dawg House (600 Main Avenue)

Locally owned hot dog stand featuring veggie dogs, falafel, and awesome fries. The Dawg House offers dressed-up dogs like Chicago style, a Reuben Dog, and a Rasta-style dog. The hot dogs are vegan friendly, although the falafel may not be.

Suggested: Chicago-Style Veggie Dog and Fries

*Diorios South Pizzeria (600 Main Avenue – the same small plaza as the Dawg House)

Features NY style slices bigger than your head. Many of their specialty pizzas are vegetarian and salads can be made vegan by asking for no cheese and requesting a vegan dressing.

*Gazpacho (431 E. 2^nd Avenue)

Voted Durango’s best Mexican food! Gazpacho has their own vegetarian menu and are willing to accommodate vegans by omitting cheese or sour cream from popular veg dishes. They have fantastic salsas for those with a taste for mild or EXTREMELY spicy. Full bar.

Suggested: Vegetarian Tamale Plate (can be made vegan without cheese) or Vegetarian Green Chile Garden Burger (features soy cheese)

Mutu’s Italian Kitchen (701 E. 2^nd Avenue)

Mutu’s features a number of vegetarian friendly pastas and salads. Soups of the day are occasionally but not guaranteed to be vegan or vegetarian. The pastas are amazing and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Vegans could only eat the field greens salad without cheese, so I would not necessarily suggest this restaurant for anyone with a vegan diet. However, the vegetarian pasta dishes are incredible. Free bread with sundried tomato butter given at the beginning of the meal. Gluten free pastas also available. Mutu’s is higher on the price range and is more of a formal dining environment. Full bar.

Suggested: Penne Piedmontese, Fettuccini Primavera, or Eggplant Parmesan

Cyprus Café (725 E. 2^nd)

Cyprus Café is widely recognized as one of Durango’s best restaurants. However, it is a bit pricey. Their menu is constantly changing so it is difficult to say whether there will be a vegan offering at the time of your visit to Durango. However, they always make sure to incorporate vegetarian options in their menu and you can be assured you will not be left with no options. Their menu is available online on their website.

*East by Southwest (160 E. College Drive)

East by Southwest is a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant. They have a number of vegan and vegetarian options, from appetizers to veg sushi rolls. The atmosphere is modern and relaxing, a great place to come with friends or family. Full bar.

Suggested: Thai Veggie Roll, Crunchy Asparagus Roll