Once known as the "Hog Butcher of the World," Chicago is now officially the most vegan-friendly city in America, according to PETA’s 2025 rankings. That’s right—the city famous for deep-dish pizza, hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches is crushing the plant-powered game.
This is not just about beans, greens and grains. You can still get a delicious deep-dish pie or an Italian beef—just without the animal products. At Kitchen 17, the pizzas are cheesy, gooey and 100-percent vegan. Buona offers a beefless version of its iconic sandwich and Runaway Cow in Bridgeport serves vegan Chicago dogs and oat milk soft serve Snowstorms that rival Dairy Queen’s Blizzard. Over at the Chicago Diner, the Radical Reuben is a local legend, while Majani brings plant-forward Southern flavors to the South Shore.
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Other vegan options that are Chicago to the core include decadent nondairy cheesecakes at Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen, the meat-free Chicago Style Frank at Soul Veg City, the plant-powered Meatball Sub with dairy-free provolone at Native Foods, Soy Al Pastor tacos at Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria and the Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls at Spirit Elephant.
"From Chi-town’s meat-free Chicago-style franks to dairy-free deep-dish pizzas, America’s former meatpacking capital is now a paradise for vegan eating with an abundance of animal-friendly restaurants," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk.
The recognition might seem at odds with the meat-heavy scenes in The Bear, but real-life Chicago is ahead of the curve. Veganism isn’t a fringe movement here—it’s part of the city’s evolving identity.
Hot on Chicago’s heels is Philadelphia, snagging second place with heavy hitters like Vedge, The Nile Cafe and Monster Vegan. Washington, D.C. came in third, repping spots like PLNT Burger, NuVegan Cafe and even the classic Ben’s Chili Bowl.
10 most vegan-friendly cities in the U.S.
- Chicago
- Philadelphia
- Washington, D.C.
- Denver
- New Orleans
- Atlanta
- Charlotte
- Detroit
- Los Angeles
- New York