The PLANT EATER’S GUIDE to Indianapolis
FUTURO
THIS DOWNTOWN pizza shop is dialed in on perfecting its recipes, all of which can be made vegan without losing any of that saucy, gooey flavor. Co-owner Sarah St. Aubin recommends the Veglord Detroit-style pizza with vegan cheese and additional vegan Italian crumbles sourced from Nashville, Tennessee’s BE-Hive Deli & Market. The locally famous deep-dish pie pairs crispy, cheesy edges with a crust sturdy enough to support a layer of melty plant-based mozzarella and a mountain of toppings. If that’s not enough carbs for you, Futuro’s fat breadsticks can also be made vegan. Stay tuned for an upcoming sister restaurant, Grump’s Slice Stop. 19 Cruse St., 317-360-4725, futuroindy.com
10TH STREET DINER
A SIGN ON the red brick building along East 10th Street features a large tomato, the only clue from the outside that this near-eastside restaurant offers an all-vegan menu. Its loyal clientele of vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores who enjoy the food too much to miss the meat choose from the diner’s ever-changing blackboard menu of plant-based comfort food. Order at the counter and grab a seat while you wait for your Reuben stacked with vegan corned beef or faux chorizo chimichanga in its crunchy shell. Saturday brunch features a Monte Cristo, an indulgent breakfast sandwich with vegan bacon and waffles for buns, and huevos rancheros. Everything is made in house, guaranteeing no frozen veggie burgers cross the threshold here. 3301 E. 10th St., 463-221-1255
Union Jack Pub
CUSTOMER REQUESTS persuaded the owners of this traditional beer-and-pizza pub to create a selection of non-meat dishes—taste-tested by a local vegan meetup group and then tweaked to perfection before they were added to the menu. Diners seeking a plant-based feast can tuck in to watch the game while munching on updated versions of classic bar snacks, a Buffalo seitan wrap and barbecue pulled-jackfruit sandwich among the house favorites. In warmer months, catch Union Jack’s food truck as it takes vegan dishes on the go. 921 Broad Ripple Ave., 317-257-4343; 110 S. Union St., Westfield, 317-399-7454; unionjackpub.co
Bodhi
restaurants lack transparency with their menu items or find difficulty accommodating certain dietary needs. But Bodhi: Craft Bar + Thai Bistro will go as far as possible to tweak dishes to allow vegans to dine at the hot new Mass Ave restaurant. Popular choices like pad