Imagine Vegan Cafe is a laid-back café in Memphis that serves comfort food with a side of compassion. It's been lauded in publications such as Veg News, Forbes, PETA and more. Enjoy entrees such as raviolis, veggie plate, or The Southern Staple - greens with brown rice and black beans drizzled with a house garlic sauce. Save room for The Bianca dessert - a warm peanut butter brownie stuffed with Oreos and topped with ice cream, chocolate sauce and chopped nuts. Ice cream by the scoop or three with toppings is also on the menu.

The guess work is taken away at Rock’n Dough Pizza & Brewery in Jackson where you can be sure vegan are clearly marked on the menu. Choose from dishes like salads like The Underground Burger, a plant-based patty with roasted tomato aioli on pizza bread. The vegan white sauced pizza is a Daiya cheese pizza with zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, roasted red peppers and Kalamata olives.

Clean eating is simple at City Silo Table + Pantry in Memphis. The menu is simple to navigate, tailored to vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diners. City Silo strives to make their menu inclusive so they can welcome every eater. Vegan mayo, cheddar or provolone, buns and salad dressing are available for the sandwiches, burgers and salads. Acai bowls, bowls of quinoa and brown rice or grilled zucchini noodles topped with delicious ingredients like avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, pico de gallo, roasted sesame cauliflower and roasted spaghetti squash among other toppings, tacos with portabella mushroom and so much more will have you wanting to make a return trip.

Nashville's first 100% plant-based, southern-style eatery is The Southern V. Make a trip for comfort food like made-from-scratch biscuits, fried chicken, Nashville hot chicken, barbecue nachos and more. The family-owned and operated restaurant provides an extensive menu for their vegan guests, making ordering easy and delicious. Cap your meal with one of their fresh donuts, cookies or Mylkshake – a tree nut based ice cream with various mixtures like cookies ‘n’ cream, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate.

Juicy’s Wellness Café is an all-vegan restaurants with locations in McMinnville, Murfreesboro and Cookeville, Tennessee. The menu is extensive with craveable dishes like the barbecue sandwich, spicy tuna, salads, sandwiches like the white bean avocado club sandwich, the Peggy Sue sandwich (named after the owner’s mom) with corn, tomato, ranch and greens, BEYOND and IMPOSSIBLE burgers and wraps like the cranberry chickpea wrap. Organic juices and desserts like the peach cobbler and a variety of bars like the chocolate chip/peanut butter bar complete your meal.

Get a taste of the Mediterranean at Café Rakka, the area’s best kept secret, in Hendersonville. Many vegan options are available and you can note the specific dish and your dietary needs. Start off with the vegan Mujadarah – Burgul with green lentils topped with pomegranate seeds and crispy onion, or the lentil soup. The Mousakka will have you wanting seconds. Rice bowls, hummus and the falafel wrap round out the menu.

Don't Have A Cow Vegan Cafe + Takeaway in Clarksville serves up plant-based sandwiches, salads, soups, desserts and more. Order up savory wraps like barbecue chickpea and cranberry walnut chickpea salad, meatball and marinara subs, and grain + veggie burgers. If you're craving something sweet, a variety of cupcakes are available with flavors like banana, vanilla with buttercream frosting, strawberry, chocolate and more.

Step into Southern Squeeze for salads, bowls, wellness lattes and more in Chattanooga. Their slogan is “Health is Wealth” and you can find plant-based options from the Incredible kale salad full of seasonal veggies, dried fruit, sunflower seeds and sauerkraut topped with tahini dressing to the loaded Thai sweet potato bowl and poke bowl. Get an eye-opening wellness latte like the turmeric latter full of cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, black pepper and maple syrup or the High Vibes – a blend of Matcha, cacao, fresh ginger juice and maple syrup. Try the signature Squeeze Latte made with a mushroom blend, cacao, espresso and maple syrup. Iced and herbal teas, local kombucha on tap and more make the Southern Squeeze your one-stop shop to fuel your body.

The plant-based, vegan café, Cashew Vegan Cafe in Chattanooga offers made from scratch and in-house cuisine full of flavor. Settle in for an entrée like the Jackfruit Nachos, beet burger, Southwest loaded sweet potato, buffalo bowl with brown rice, pinto beans, buffalo tofu and garlicky kale or the “meatball” sub featuring meatballs made with mushrooms, walnuts and quinoa, marinara and cashew cheese.

Blossom Bowls in Knoxville is predominantly vegan, gluten-free and plant-based. Bowls, smoothies and toast are made with super-food ingredients and fresh produce to help you fuel up and feel your best. Try one of their signature bowls like the Blossom Bowl - acai, pitaya and chia pudding topped with banana, strawberry, blueberry, banana, granola, almond butter and coconut flakes or the and the Bowl of Heaven - a pitaya base with strawberry, banana, blueberry, granola, cacao nibs and peanut butter. You can build your own bowl as well with a variety of ingredients. Avocado toast and smoothies packed with nutrients like the Kale Killer - kale, mango, banana, chia and spirulina or the Avo-Cardio - spinach, pineapple, avocado, flax and apple juice make a great start to the morning.

For vegan sweet treats, go to Sunflower Bakehouse while in Nashville. The flavors rotate on a regular basis, so every visit can be full of different flavors. Try a vegan Chocolate Dream cupcake; or, a seasonal pumpkin spice cupcake. Maple pecan scones and pumpkin chocolate muffins make each morning great. Sunflower Bakehouse also has salads, burgers, sandwiches and breakfast items, as well as tea and coffee available throughout the day.

In Goodlettsville, Healthy Body Bakery helps you indulge with ease, offering dairy-free, gluten-free, low carb, and vegan sweets. Everything is baked fresh and flavors are rotated daily. Order a vegan Raisin War slice of cake with cinnamon frosting, dairy-free carrot muffin, or carb black cocoa peanut butter cookie.

Healthy donuts actually exist. You just have to visit Five Daughters Bakery in Franklin (other locations are in East Nashville, at the L & L Market and 12South neighborhood in Nashville). The paleo donuts are free of gluten, dairy, sugars and grains. Try the paleo salted caramel apple donut or vegan Purist donut dipped in a vanilla bean glaze. Flavors change monthly, so be sure to check out the menu before visiting.

What started as a beloved vegan food truck is now a brick-and-mortar in Johnson City. Desserts like cookie cakes, delicious cupcakes and cookies are available daily. If you want a sweet smoothie with no added sugars, choose a banana peanut butter, strawberry banana or mango and pineapple concoction. You can even add sea moss gel to your smoothie. The pretzel bites are a fan favorite and entrees like southern barbecue, black bean and pecan tacos, veggie nuggets and heart of palm ‘lobster’ rolls have guests coming back for more.

First seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Cinnaholic serves award-winning, gourmet cinnamon rolls with more than 30 different frosting flavors and toppings. Located in the Lakeside Village of Knoxville, Cinnaholic is 100% vegan and is made with high-quality ingredients. All cinnamon rolls are dairy and lactose-free, egg-free and cholesterol free. Choose from signature flavors like Cookie Monster – cream cheese frosting, cookie dough, chocolate chips and chocolate sauce or the Campfire S’mores – marshmallow frosting, graham cookies, marshmallows and chocolate sauce.

Jaybear Bake Shop in Bartlett offers specialty sweets that are vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and low carb. Vegan offerings include cookies, cake pops and cupcakes like vanilla, coconut, blueberry and pineapple upside down. Low carb peanut butter cookies and coconut cookies as well as keto pound cake and cheesecake are available. 

Follow your nose to find even more warm and inviting restaurants in Tennessee.