Cafe Bamboo: New Orleans' only fully vegetarian restaurant

Collard Green Rolls at Cafe Bamboo
photo by Derek Goodwin

Located at 435 Esplanade Ave in the same building as the Dragon's Den bar, Cafe Bamboo is the only restaurant in New Orleans that has a fully vegetarian (and mostly vegan) menu.

Bamboo's menu is based around comfort foods and ethnic dishes. The mainstays of the menu are Rice Bowls, with options from various world cuisines:

• Savor the flavors of New Orleans with the Creole - Louisiana-style tomato sauce with tofu, Creole tomatoes and sweet bell peppers.
• Travel south to Mexico with the Mole Poblano - seasoned with a chocolate and nut sauce mixed with soy "chicken", zucchini, cauliflower and sweet peppers.
• Jump across the ocean for the Mafe - West African peanut sauce with broccoli, carrots, onions and Creole tomatoes.
• Enjoy the exotic spices of the east with Thai Curry - including assorted veggies and soy "chicken".
• The Indian influenced Vindaloo will make you feel like a multi-armed deity - a fiery hot curry blended with tofu, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers

Any of the rice bowls can be made into wraps with a salad or sweet potato fries on the side for about the same price. Bamboo has lots of great appetizers, salads, soups and sides too. You can go healthy with one of their salads or their collard greens, or go decadent with their Sol Chick'n Nuggets or Bourbon Chick'n Po-Boy. Save some room for desert though, because you will definitely want to try a piece of their Key Lime or Chocolate Mousse Pie.

Cafe Bamboo also has a Late Night Menu featuring their Po-Boys and some of their fried appetizers. And of course they have a full bar and drink menu all day and night. This is New Orleans after all, and vegans like to let loose as much as anyone else, in spite of rumors to the contrary.

If you are hosting an event Cafe Bamboo is available for catering: check out prices on their web site.

Cafe Bamboo is also a supporter of local vegan outreach efforts. They host the New Orleans Vegetarian Meetups quite frequently, and also hosted the first annual New Orleans Veggie Fest in 2009.

Regular menu hours are Monday thru Saturday from 11:30 AM to 10 PM. Enjoy their Late Night Menu from 10 PM to 2AM. $10 minimum delivery is free to the French Quarter and the Marigny (Sometimes Bywater and CDB). Call them at (504) 940-5546.