It’s the most wonderful time of the year — The Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge is here! Each year, the Challenge brings together Twin Cities area restaurants and diners, showcasing amazing new plant-based dishes. This year, we have an astounding 30 participating restaurants in a Challenge that’s shaping up to be our most exciting yet! Get ready to dine your way across the metro area, sampling some of the best plant-based fare the Twin Cities has to offer.
What Restaurants Are in the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge?
From returning champions to brand-new contestants, this year’s Challenge is full of amazing restaurants to try. We are pleased to announce that last year’s three top-rated champs, Namaste Cafe, Reverie Cafe + Bar, and Food on the Fly are all back for more this year. They’ll each be featuring a brand-new dish for this year’s Challenge, so be sure to check out their new offerings. See for yourself how they stack up to the new participants and other returning favorites.
We are also excited to welcome eight restaurants joining the Challenge this year for the first time:
- The Copper Hen
- Channa Trinidadian Kitchen
- Gardens of Salonica
- Gatherings Cafe
- Golden Chow Mein
- Kumar’s Appley Valley
- Kumar’s Express Stadium Village
- Vivi Bubble Tea Apple Valley
The full list of Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge participants is now available — and you can see photos and descriptions of each restaurant’s Challenge dish. Featuring a diverse mix of delectable plant-based entries, this list will tantalize your taste buds and get you excited for the Challenge. Use it to plan out which dishes are must-eats for you!
Which Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge Restaurants to Try in 2026
With so many amazing restaurants to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to start. Of course, you can choose what you’re most interested in from the list of participants or head to your neighborhood favorites. But we highly recommend trying something new too! You just might find your new go-to spot for delicious vegan food!
Make it a family outing or bring along some friends — dine-in, takeout, there’s really no wrong way to do the Challenge. Try a few or try them all! With 31 days in August and 30 restaurants in the Challenge, you could visit one restaurant per day, treating yourself to a month’s worth of delicious restaurant food. Think you could handle the ultimate Challenge of visiting ALL the restaurants in one month? One family has been doing just that for the past two years! In 2024 and 2025, the Lundquist family found a fun new family tradition and bonding experience through the Challenge, eating their way through every restaurant on the list both years.
If you want to take on the Challenge and try as many restaurants as possible, the Lundquists offered a few tips. It can help to share dishes among your dining companions and visit several restaurants in one day. With this in mind, we’ve created a few routes that group restaurants together to make it easier to visit multiple locations in one trip.
Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge Suggested Routes
We get it. It can be tough to squeeze in all of the dishes you want to try in one month! Our suggested routes make it a little easier to visit multiple restaurants so you can maximize your Challenge experience.
Saint Paul Route
Visit the Capitol city for four amazing Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge dishes. This route takes you down West 7th, into downtown St. Paul, and then crosses the river into West Side.
Restaurants on this route:
- Golden Chow Mein Restaurant
- Tori Ramen
- Sawatdee Thai — Saint Paul
- Crasqui Restaurant
Downtown Minneapolis Route
For an easy dining trip through downtown Minneapolis, try this suggested route that includes six restaurants from the list. Visit the Northeast neighborhood, downtown, and the University area while you sample some delicious plant-based dishes.
Restaurants on this route:
- Gardens of Salonica
- Food on the Fly
- Lutunji’s Palate
- Gatherings Cafe
- Hard Times Cafe
- Kumar’s Express Stadium Village
South Minneapolis Route
A little south of downtown Minneapolis, you can complete a route with seven restaurants participating in the challenge. Make your way through several of south Minneapolis’ neighborhoods to find several of the Challenge contestants in one trip.
Restaurants on this route:
- Namaste Cafe
- The Copper Hen Cakery & Kitchen
- Channa Trinidadian Kitchen
- Gigi’s Cafe
- Pat’s Tap
- Reverie Cafe + Bar
- The Howe Daily Kitchen & Bar
West Suburbs Route
Just to the west of the Twin Cities, you can complete another route with six more participating restaurants. Start in southwest Minneapolis and travel west through the suburbs to try more delicious options.
Restaurants on this route:
- Book Club Restaurant
- Starling
- The Block — St. Louis Park
- Wells Roadside
- Pub 819
- Duke’S on 7
Enjoy the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge Your Way
No matter what routes you choose or which restaurants you visit, the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge is a way to discover new tastes, find new favorites, and be a part of the excitement of more plant-based meal options for all.
Every time you dine at one of the Challenge restaurants, you become part of the action and have a chance to choose the winners and win prizes yourself! Our online rating system will be available starting August 1st and open through August 31st. Rate every dish you try to help us crown the winner! This is your chance to be a food critic and participate in the fun of the Challenge.
You can also help us spread the word about the Challenge and share your experiences on social media. Follow @exploreveg on Facebook and Instagram for all the latest updates, and tag us on your posts about the Challenge too!
Posting and submitting your ratings can even win you prizes. Participate and you could win gift cards, t-shirts, and other fabulous prizes. How can you win? We have multiple ways to participate and have a chance at the prizes:
- Rate the dishes you try (weekly raffle winners)
- Complete the highest number of dish ratings during the challenge
- Post about the challenge on Instagram or Facebook (weekly raffle winners)
- Be the first to tag @exploreveg on Instagram or Facebook for 5 unique meals
Who Will Win the Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge?
The Twin Cities Vegan Chef Challenge is an exciting time and a great opportunity to support local businesses and enjoy new plant-based dishes. Enjoy a meal yourself or invite some friends and family to try it with you. Want to meet some new people and enjoy dining out in the Twin Cities? Check out our events page for several dine-out event options at participating Challenge restaurants.
Rate your dishes and post about them on social media and you could win awesome prizes! And the restaurants with the highest ratings will take home the top honors as winners of the Challenge. The winners will be announced at Twin Cities Veg Fest on September 20. Join us for an exciting and popular awards ceremony at the end of the festival. It’s a fun event that’s not to be missed.
One restaurant will be declared the winner of the Challenge. Several diners will win prizes for posting and rating dishes. But really, we’re all winners when there are more plant-based options for dining!
