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More diners want plant-based choices on menus, and they’re speaking up.

In 2019, reviews that mentioned plant-based dining increased by 136% compared to 2017. In contrast, less than 100 reviews before 2016 even mentioned the term “vegan.”

Our 50 Best Restaurants for Vegetarians in America, based on an analysis of more than 12 million verified diner reviews of 30,000+ restaurants across the country, brought to light plenty of plant-friendly sentiment. One review described the vegetarian Chaatable as “some of the very best food in Nashville.” Of NYC’s Dirt Candy, a diner wrote, “The variety, complexity, and harmony of the dishes was quite surprising.” Equinox, in Washington, D.C., was praised as a “fantastic vegan buffet brunch.”

In addition to California, Pennsylvania, and New York – where plant-based dining is the norm – both Washington, D.C. and Washington state received high marks, as did Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Arizona. Here, we talk to chefs who have mastered plant-based to learn their tips.

Make it profitable

Plant-based dishes are among the bestselling items at The Golf Club at Newcastle, a city known for its views of Seattle, Lake Washington, and the Cascade mountains. Golfers love the restaurant’s power salad, which features lacinato kale, butternut squash, broccoli, and quinoa, doused in a pickled-ginger vinaigrette.

“Ever since the implementation of plant-based items in our restaurant menus, we have seen an incredible amount of sales and the reception has been very positive,” says Charlie Solis, Newcastle’s director of food and beverage. “Not only vegans, but also meat eaters have been drawn to items like the forager’s mushroom risotto, which uses coconut cream instead of dairy. Others are adding plant-based patties to salads.”

Newcastle tops its Beyond Burger with cashew spread and avocado for extra fat and flavor. Salads of grilled romaine and a fennel-arugula mix offer healthful greens. The menu’s plant-based dishes have been so successful, Solis says, that he’s planning to expand that section.

Adding vegetarian and vegan options to fine-dining menus gives diners an excuse to visit restaurants more often. Additionally, plant-based dishes can boost check averages and win over diners.

For example, Jaryd Hearn, chef of Washington, D.C.’s Brasserie Liberté, serves a mushroom bourguignon designed to mimic the texture and flavors of traditional beef bourguignon. “I wanted vegetarians to crave this dish and come back more than one time a week,” he says. “As a neighborhood restaurant, it is important to have options for our guests.”

Stay one step ahead on flavor

To have the right dishes on the menu, you need the right talent in place. When Solis interviews young chefs, he makes sure to ask relevant questions. “I’m always asking about the trends they see in the industry nowadays,” he says. “More often than not, I hear them talk about plant-based items, so they are very present in our restaurants.”

At The Bandit in Chicago, Chef Daniel Pineda honors guests’ desires to know where their food comes from and gives them new ways to enjoy it.

“It’s so important to really be aware of what consumers are looking for, and being able to explain that the food on the table is from a local farm provides a huge advantage,” says Pineda. “2019 has come with such a demand for more plant-based options, but in order to deliver a dish that people crave, it needs to maintain an equally strong flavor profile as its meat-centric counterparts.”

The Bandit may be known for its cheesy “Diplomat” burger, but diners can also find photo-worthy beet hummus with farm vegetables, Brussels sprout and quinoa salad, and spiced carrots with creamy feta.

“The best plant-based options have various stand-out aspects like perfectly paired textures with diverse flavors,” says Pineda. He points to The Bandit’s Kung Pao cauliflower, flavored with soy sauce, roasted almonds, and Fresno chilies – that’s a perfect example of how to elevate a plant-based dish with a nutritious vegetable and intense flavor profile.

Reimagine the classics

Speaking of cauliflower, the crucifer is a go-to for chefs adapting dishes to include more vegetables. (Case in point: cauliflower crust mentions have increased by 487% since 2017.)

At Mohawk Bend in Los Angeles, Chef Carolina Concha applies a holistic approach to plant-based cooking in dishes that will appeal to all diners. Her menu spotlights vegan dishes, including the Buffalo cauliflower, which reminds diners of a vegan Big Mac.

At Virginia’s Vim & Victor, Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn starts with seasonality for plant-based dishes, just like he would for any item. “Don’t just rely on soy products because there’s so much variety – I encourage taking some risk,” he says.

In Nashville, too, chefs have embraced the plant-based phenom. Brian Riggenbach, former Chopped champion and chef of The Mockingbird, puts plants front and center on his global comfort food menu. One of his most popular dishes is a vegetarian Reuben, featuring seitan boiled with mirepoix, then sliced and marinated in beet juice and “corned beef” spices, heavy on coriander and black peppercorns. To serve, they grill the seitan with sauerkraut, caramelized peppers and onions, then top it with melted Swiss cheese between grilled rye bread.

“This sandwich looks and tastes so familiar and hearty that guests often are dumbfounded that it is not meat, so it’s a win for vegetarians and carnivores alike,” says Riggenback. “This ideology is carried along in a lot of the grains and other items that we prepare.” His quinoa crunchies, featured in salads and crudo dishes, are mixed with nuts and spiced with furikake for added flavor.

D.C. diners drive demand for Chef Ethan McKee’s vegetable antipasti board at Urbana. Cheese makes an appearance, but vegetables (and a touch of edible flowers) are the stars. “We added this antipasto board to give vegetarians the experience of our cheese and salumi boards without the meat, and it has been well-received by our guests – by both vegetarian diners and those who enjoy meat,” he says.

Especially in plant-based dishes, presentation is everything. (Just ask Instagram.) McKee changes his board with the seasons, but his current dish features fresh eggplant, roasted pepper and almond dip, plus Tuscan hummus and house-made giardiniera. Tomato relish, roasted red peppers, and Mediterranean olives add more savory punch.

Have fun (and get creative)

Plant-based options “provide endless room for creativity, and they can be transformed and retrofitted into almost any cuisine,” says Riggenbach.

Luis Cuadra, chef of District in Los Angeles, marinates a cauliflower steak in a curry spice blend, then grills it until charred and crispy. The dish can be entirely plant-based or not, depending on a guest’s choice of side dish. He also offers Impossible® patties with lettuce wraps instead of buns, and yucca fries instead of potatoes.

“Get your creative caps on and think of special ways to improve what is out there,” advises Solis. “The vegan audience is vast and educated. It is the future.”

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