Rochester, NY
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Rochester's plant-based kitchens, from a Park Avenue vegan comfort-food room to a Monroe Avenue natural-foods cafe, per CITY Magazine and 585 Magazine.
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Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in 585 Magazine, (585) Magazine, and CITY Magazine. Updated September 2026.
The Red Fern · Park Avenue
Andrea Parros was apprehensive about launching The Red Fern with an all-vegan menu, CITY Magazine writes, unsure whether vegan food was mainstream enough in Rochester. She opened at Park Avenue and Oxford Street in September 2013 and the comfort-food menu was a quick hit, with plant-based remakes of the city's junk-food canon. Order the vegan take on a Rochester classic, and expect a full room at dinner.
The Owl House · Downtown
The Owl House turned fifteen in a converted Victorian in Wadsworth Square, (585) Magazine's Ashley Mason writes, where chef Brian Van Etten once spent his Mondays darting around the building to get prep done. He and founding partners Jeff Ching and Andrea Parros opened it in their twenties. Order the vegan buffalo cauliflower wings, then work through the rest of the plant-forward menu.
Natural Oasis · Monroe Avenue
Natural Oasis at 288 Monroe Avenue is an all-vegan kitchen and natural-foods store that 585 Magazine covered in 2021, with a chef who applies fine-dining technique to plant-based small plates. Most dishes run about five dollars, and the menu accommodates gluten-free and other restrictions. Order the bhajia, crispy broccoli fritters in spiced chickpea flour, and a cup of the caffeine-free coconut-milk chai.