Work or live in downtown Kitchener? Always wondering the best places to grab lunch? Whether you’re looking for a quick and cheap bite or a place to impress a business partner, Plantiful KW’s got you.
Quick & Cheap
Queen Street Commons and Fresh Ground
Both spots are run by The Working Centre (bonus points for supporting an amazing local organization), Queen Street Commons is an all vegetarian cafe with plenty of vegan options. A soup, toast and side salad will set you back less than $6. Their chickpea burger is also a standing item on the menu.
Fresh Ground is an entirely vegan cafe offering a “hot” meal daily such as stew, soup or chili. They also have plenty of other whole food + vegan options. Healthy, light and cheap, and both offer the option of dine-in or take-out.
Found in Market Square, Elevenses offers salad and sandwich options that can be catered to vegans. While it might not be as cheap as Fresh Ground and Queen Street Commons, you will get the best service from Michelle (the owner) and her lovely staff. They offer vegan mayo and cheese options for sandwiches. Elevenses has also implemented the Ritual app, which you can use to order your food in advance for quick pick-up! Elevenses is also a great option for those who are gluten free.
Nova Era offers veggie sandwiches that can easily be made vegan. While they don’t have any fancy vegan options, their bread and produce is fresh, and their sandwiches are delicious. You also can’t beat the prices – a veggie sandwich is less than $5.
I don’t have to tell you all to go to Cafe Pyrus…It’s the best and we all know it. Be sure to watch out for their monthly specials that are always changing! Cafe Pyrus offers a great space for working + lunch dates, and they also deliver and do take out.
Okay, that was a lot of sandwich talk… Looking for tacos, burritos, salads, or burrito bowls? Holy Guacamole has vegan options for all of these and within moderate prices. Beware, there is often a decent line at lunch time if you are in a rush.
Vegan Banh Mi for $5…Need I say more? Be sure to request the vegan version with no mayo!
This family run business is a hidden gold mine! They offer falafel plates and falafel pitas that are easily made vegan. The owner is incredibly knowledgeable of vegan restrictions and even offers a vegan garlic sauce. Bring your own container to avoid Styrofoam!
Other Quick + Cheap (ish) Spots
Unique Lunch Options
Looking for something different for lunch in DTK? These spots have you covered.
This spot may not have many on-menu vegan options, but they are happy to omit meat and dairy from almost any dish to accommodate. Burritos, pupusas, nachos, enchiladas – what more could you ask for?
Another Latin American option, but one not to be missed. Guanaquita offers a huge selection of vegan options including nachos and even a vegan platter. The prices are modest and the food is authentic!
The East African Cafe offers a vegan buffet on Tuesdays for lunch. The spread is a variety of East African curries, chapati and some salad options. The buffet is small and will cost around $18 a person but is a great option to try something different. They also have a number of vegan options on their regular menu.
Both of these spots have a variety of noodle or rice dishes that can be made vegan. Be sure to specify no fish or oyster sauce and be clear about the use of eggs. There aren’t any specific on-menu options, but with a little extra communication, you can enjoy a vegan, authentic Vietnamese meal.
Upscale (ish) Options
If you are looking for options for a business lunch, this section is for you.
Gilt doesn’t have many vegan options on their lunch menu (compared to their dinner menu), but they are more than willing to accommodate and can offer even more options if you phone to give them some advanced notice. They do a daily soup and it is often vegan (and also to die for). They whipped up something for me last minute and it did not disappoint.
Rich Uncle has the perfect ambiance for a business lunch and they also offer an incredible vegan tofu bowl. A number of other options can be made vegan, but remember their menu changes seasonally.
Abe Erb is located in a terrific location for a business lunch. Close to the LRT and located inside the Tannery, it’s very accessible. They have a few great vegan options including their cauliflower wings and a tofu banh mi that is easily modified to be vegan.
There are an abundance of vegan options throughout Kitchener’s downtown core and new options are joining our community everyday. Crafty Ramen and Grain Food Lounge have most recently joined the Downtown Kitchener food scene and both offer vegan options. Any favourite DTK lunch spots that were missed?