Looking for vegetarian options in the Lake Norman area? Look no further, we’ve got you covered with suggestions for some of the best options around here.
Either you are living here or just visiting for several days and want to find a good spot to get a yummy healthy meal, there are so many restaurants that are sure to satisfy your taste buds. Most of the eateries in the area offer one or few meatless options on their menu but we are going to point you to the ones that are strictly or mostly offering healthy option catering towards vegetarian and vegan customers.
Update 5/24/2023: Davidson Ice House will be reopening under a new name Hot Mess and hopefully similar menu in the near future.
Number one and our top choice to get a vegetarian meal is Davidson Ice House located in the town of Davidson (as the name suggests) at 416 S Main St, Davidson, NC 28036.. Their phone number is (704) 895-5555 in case you want to place an online or to go order. They do deliver.
Their menu is absolutely fantastic and they offer a wide variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options. You can choose anything from salads and bowls to burgers and desserts. And everything is prepared daily from mostly locally grown produce in the kitchen in the back. The owner and chef Jen Brule is kind of celebrity ( she did indeed appear on a celebrity cooking show – The Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge on Food Network) and is the one that inspired the dishes and cooked them to perfection before offering them to you. She’s written two very popular cook books so it’s safe to say she knows what she’s doing.
You can choose to build your own salad, bowl or burger or choose one of the daily suggestions that chef Jenny has to offer if you don’t feel like having to make a quick decision. Some of the things you can pick from are quinoa, kale, grilled slow, caramelized sweet potatoes, lemon pickled cauliflower, vegan chicken, kale slow, edamame, caramelized onion, a variety of chopped veggies and so much more. Our favorites are the crunchy mushrooms, the buffalo cauliflower, the sidewinder fries with the pimento cheese and black bean hummus over lettuce and quinoa. All of their sauces are out of this world so we can really not say which one is our favorite. You can pick several with your order so we suggest if you are a group order one of each.
The brick building that Davidson Ice House is located in is kind of a mix of old and new. It used to be the old ice house of the town (hence the name) build back in 1922 and constructed and equipped by the Southern Ice Machine Factory of Charlotte. The building had changed hands multiple times throughout the years before finally becoming one of the most beloved restaurants in town today and you can definitely feel all of that in the charming building. You can sit inside or choose a sit at the front of the restaurant or on their back patio. Either way you will be sure to be graced by southern hospitality and southern soul food that will leave you wishing for more and have you coming back time after time.
Cava is another absolute favorite of ours that we (and I’m embarrassed to admit this) order at least once a week. Believe me if you try it you will understand. And we highly recommend you give them a go.
Cava restaurant is located in Birkdale village at 16845 Birkdale Commons Pkwy in Huntersville, NC. You can order in the restaurant or place an order online. You can also give them a call and place an order over the phone. Their phone number is 704-464-0614.
CAVA was started by three friends one of which was a chef. All of them were in some way involved with the Greek culture and had dinners around the table involving Mediterranean food. So they took notes and decided to bring the taste of Greece to you. Their initial restaurant can be traced back to Rockville, Maryland where it all started. Today they have about 80 chef inspired locations around the US and some of their products ( like the hummus they make, which is heavenly) can be purchased in various stores around the country.
Their concept is pretty simple. You can order a bowl or a pita. Just like Davidson Ice House you can build your own ( awesome, right! ) or pick one that they recommend. You start with the base which could be either salad, greens or grain and than add as you go. Some of the items you can pick from are falafel , spicy lamb meatballs, harissa honey chicken, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, grilled meatballs or braised lamb. Next you pick a dip. We absolutely love the crazy feta which is a just the right of spicy for our taste and the tzatziki ( no way we can do without that). There is also red roasted pepper hummus, harissa, roasted eggplant dip and just regular hummus. The toppings is where the fun begins. There are so many options you can choose from and you can add as many as you would like. Our favorites are the pickled onion, the cabbage slow, the Kalamata olives, the tabbouleh lentil and the oven roasted corn. Once you’ve chosen your toppings you can pick a dressing. There are about 10 toppings you can pick from and they are all absolutely divine. We’ll hold off on recommending any of them since we usually pick as we go depending on what we feel like that day.
If instead of the bowl you have decided to order the Pita just follow the same steps. There is a good amount of sitting inside the restaurant as well as some outside tables right to the side of the building and in front of it. We like the side sitting where it is usually quiet and warm in the winter thanks to the plastic covering.
Fresh Chef is another great option if you are looking to grab a vegetarian meal and the best part is that the restaurant has 3 locations around Lake Norman so you are never too far from one of them. There is one in Cornelius at 20601 Torrence Chapel Road, one in Mooresville at 645 Brawley School Road and one in Denver at 179 Cross Center Road.
Their house smoked salmon with fresh herb aioli is delicious. The pimento and fresh guacamole, topped with Pico de Gallo and served with corn chips is always on point and the creamy spinach, with jalapenos, tender artichokes and melted cheeses melts in your mouth. All of their salads can be ordered without meat and are outstanding. The herb marinated Portobello mushroom topped with roasted red pepper, feta cheese, red onion and lettuce, finished with a balsamic glaze on a brioche bun is pretty much always our go to and it has always been mouthwatering although their salmon dishes tease us very often and we end up with one of them just so we can share.
We love Pinky’s and the the atmosphere at this spot. It is so laid back and kind of homie and the staff is so very friendly. They run drink specials all the time and even if you are not feeling like a big meal they have a good selection of small plates to share or snack on while chatting away with your company.
They have a soup of the day which is always prepared fresh, homemade veggie chili, homemade fries topped with homemade pimento cheese ( you can substitute for vigan) , fried dill pickles, white bean and rosemary hummus that is so good. They have a very good selection of salads and all of them can be made to be vegetarian. But what is our favorite item on their menu is the Nature Boy ( a homemade veggie burger, deep fried, topped with pepper jack, red onion, tomato and lettuce and served with their yummy chipotle-mayonnaise on a toasted whole wheat bun. Our second favorite is the one and only -Charlotte’s first vegetarian hot dog but you can order anything from their wiener wonderland section and substitute with a veggie hotdog that is 100% plant- based and is always boiled.
There are about 10 sandwiches on their menu you can pick from. One of the best ones are the grilled Greek pita sandwich with provolone, fetta, Kalamata olives and oregano as well as the falafel sandwich which will definitely transport you to Greece.
Pinky’s Westside Grill has two locations. There is one in Huntersville at 9818 Gilead Road Suite 101B and one in Charlotte at 1600 W Morehead St.
#5 Killington’s Restaurant and Pub
Killington’s is located in Huntersville at 10010 Rose Commons Dr. They have a second location in Fort Mill in SC at 940 Market St.
Killington is one of our favorite casual date day or date night spots and we frequent it very often. they have a good amount of sitting inside and several tables outside. We love the chill atmospheres here and the friendly stuff. The food is always quick to arrive and always cooked perfectly.
I have a slight obsession with pretzels and Killington’s has probably one of the best pretzels in the are ( and I know my pretzels) In the many years we have ventured to restaurants around I am yet to find one that I like as much. The pimento cheese sred and spicy mustard it comes with are divine and the size of its is bigger than my head ( literally).
If a pretzel isn’t your thing all of their salads are amazing and always on point. Their pepperjack spinach dip melts in your mouth, the toasted ravioli are outstanding and the stuffed banana peppers are fire. But the black bean burger stack is where it’s at. The perfectly cooked black bean burger is served in pita bread and comes with avocado pepper jack cheese, tomato, lettice and red onion. It is a must if you are here. If you are looking for something lighter their soups are great as well and they typically have a soup of the day cooked daily.
Brixx pizza in Birkdale located at 16915 Birkdale Commons Pkwy. is another great option for a quick casual food grab. They have multiple locations around the state and beyond and often run deals if that is something that interests you. Sign to their reward program and get a small pizza immediately upon ordering another item. This way you will get the chance to check out several of their dishes before making a decision if they will be a regular dinner or lunch spot for you. On Tuesdays they often offer buy one get one as well so that’s a good time to plan a visit here.
We love all of their pizzas and salads. Most of them you can just request to have meatless and all of them are delicious. We like to sit at the bar and have a drink if we are on a date here or grab a boot and enjoy the laud mess if we are bringing the kids with us. We often take the kids however since they absolutely love this place ( as do all the other kids that we have seen around) and if there was a chart somewhere we would probably rate Brixx Pizza at the top of it for family friendly restaurants in the area. It is also very hard not to like this spot since what they offer as desert is the marshmallow smores pizza which our kids drool over.
For more dining option check our the other articles on our website and follow us on Instagram were we share daily inspiration on things to see and do around here.