Vegan in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
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Vegan food is abundant, even in Amish country. Here's a look at the possibilities in Lancaster, PA.
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This weekend I traveled to Lancaster, PA to visit a friend. As the only vegan in a group of five, dining options required a bit of planning but I was pleasantly surprised by what we found.
We started off with lunch at The Seed, a community space and veg cafe. From their menu:
Our Mission is to provide local, sustainably sourced food and beverage in an open, safe space for Lancaster’s progressive community; a place to gather and continue the work of social justice, community-building and service to each other and the planet.
Their ingredients are locally sourced and organic whenever possible. While they do use eggs and dairy in their vegetarian items, anything on the menu can be veganized. Everyone in my group really liked their meals.
Classic grilled cheese made with Daiya on sourdough bread, with chips and a pickle.
The Party Girl: Falafel with hot sauce, housemade Babba Ganouj, micro greens, onions and carrots on a roasted red pepper wrap.
The Musical Fruit: Spicy, handcrafted vegan bean patty, melted cheese (Daiya for vegan option), micro greens and soy-free Vegenaise on a rosemary and olive oil wrap.
There is kombucha on tap at The Seed, and it’s great! They also have vegan baked goods (the chocolate chip cookies were delicious). All sandwiches, wraps and paninis are served with choice of (vegan) soup, micro greens, chips or a daily side. The day’s soup was a tomato bisque.
Yep, those coffee stirrers are spaghetti.
I really loved the food and the space. I made a return trip the next day to pick up a Musical Fruit (gotta love the name), potato leek soup (fantastic!) and kombucha to go for the ride back to New Jersey. If I lived in Lancaster, I’d be at The Seed often!
For dinner, we went to El Rodeo, a Mexican restaurant with a vegetarian section of the menu. I had vegetarian fajitas which came with rice, beans, and a ton of green peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms. There was also plenty of fresh made guacamole to go with warm, fresh tortilla chips.
We bunked – literally – at the The Red Caboose Motel that evening. Quarters were tight and I can’t say I had a restful night’s sleep (top bunks and middle-of-the-night bathroom runs don’t go together!) but it was an experience!
Unfortunately, as we were in the middle of Amish Country and therefore tourist central, the motel offered buggy rides and a “petting zoo.” I watched my friends feed seemingly starving goats and sheep and I say this because I saw one goat literally tackle another to the ground making his way to an outstretched hand. It was also hard to see all of the dairy cows and horses in the vast farmland of Pennsylvania. We saw one horse lying in the middle of a field while driving somewhere and I can’t help but fear he wasn’t breathing.
We had coffee and a small breakfast the next morning at the motel – a bagel and peanut butter sufficed – before heading back to Lancaster for the end of our weekend. Brunch was to be had at On Orange, and the vegan option on the menu was Swedish pancakes or waffles (same batter; I chose the waffles) with applesauce. I also ordered a side of homemade vegan sausage (yum!) and spearmint tea.
Swedish waffle with non-dairy butter, homemade vegan sausage, and a side of applesauce.
I was so grateful for the vegan options I was able to partake in during this weekend getaway. I must point out that there were diners and Subways a-plenty in the area, as well as convenience stores and supermarkets. It would have been easy to veganize meals at any of these places, but I’m sure you’ll all agree with me that it’s nice to go somewhere new and find a spot that makes you welcome.
Thanks to all of the establishments for their service and product, and to my friends for patiently allowing me to photograph everything!
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HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.
Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…
Went to El rodeo and their rice that comes with he fajitas is NOT VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN it is cooked in chicken broth.
I am one of the Lancaster 5 that Daria just wrote about. I am a vegetarian who doesn’t really care much about eating in general, but I had the Party Girl at The Seed and it was the BEST meal I have eaten in years! And the Swedish pancakes were awesome at On Orange. I wish we lived closer to these places because I would definitely be a regular customer. Kudos to both restaurants! And to Daria for finding these places…