Most people think of Navy sailors and powerful warships when they hear the words “Norfolk, Virginia,” but this mid-Atlantic port city is also home to PETA’s headquarters, the Sam Simon Center. As a result, Norfolk has turned into a small-town vegan mecca full of culturally diverse cuisines. From options such as Turkish red-lentil cakes and award-winning hummus to Buddha sushi rolls and Gardein Pollo Parmigiana, here’s a concise go-to guide that will make finding a meat-free meal in Norfolk a piece of (vegan) cake.

Naomi Vegan Meets

Naomi Vegan Meets serves the whole Hampton Roads/Peninsula area, offering affordable catering for any event. The company specializes in healthy and hearty vegan meals, including patented dishes such as Na’Vegan Sweet Jerk Chic’n and Na’Vegan Curry Chic’n. It has weekly specials, giveaways, and free delivery.

Yorgo’s Bageldashery
Perfect for the casual breakfaster, Yorgo’s, located in the historic Ghent District of Norfolk, offers a laid-back atmosphere with a well-marked chalkboard, where vegan items are listed. Start your morning with a breakfast burrito packed with tofu scrambler, hash browns, and chili on a jalapeño cheddar wrap. Vegan cream cheese, chicken salad, egg salad, and hummus are also available.

Rajput Indian Cuisine
You’ll smell the enticing aromas of Indian spices from blocks away before you reach Rajput, also located in historic Ghent. The dining room walls are covered with traditional decorative décor, and ornate Indian objects have been placed throughout the restaurant. Rajput offers an array of menu entrées for the vegan set, including tofu vegetable biryani, mushroom dal makhani, and chickpea masala. Once a month, the restaurant sets up a special buffet for vegans, chock-full of tofu patia, cauliflower Manchurian, basmati rice, paratha bread, carrot pudding, and more.

Pelon’s Baja Grill
Just around the corner from Rajput is Pelon’s Baja Grill, home of the best California-style Mexican food around. You can make almost every menu item vegan with tofu, vegan chicken, and Daiya cheese. Its tasty tofu tacos are divine, and you’ll love the burritos, nachos, and made-from-scratch chunky guacamole.

Pasha Mezze
Tucked away on West 22nd Street in the historic Ghent District of Norfolk is Pasha Mezze. This authentic Turkish eatery houses an open, old-fashioned kitchen where chefs prepare entrées using only the freshest kale, lentils, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and other traditional fare. The dining room is comfortable and low-lit, with family-style wooden tables, Turkish kilim pillows, and hanging colored lanterns. Favored dishes include the spicy walnut dip (or muhammera), lentil soup, award-winning hummus, and the maiden cake, a grilled organic red lentil cake. For those with a more ferocious appetite, order the Anatolian Plate, an entrée consisting of quinoa cake, grilled eggplant steak, and a tomato stack garnished with sautéed julienne vegetables, black beans, and jalapeño tomato sauce. For dessert, if you have room left, try the organic date roll and a cup of Turkish hot tea.

Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant
Most people immediately think of raw fish when they hear the word “sushi,” but it literally means “sour-tasting” and refers to the vinegared rice used to make rolls. Kotobuki serves a popular Buddha Roll stuffed with shiitake mushroom, asparagus, shiso, and avocado. Another crowd-pleaser, the Mango Salsa Roll is rolled with vegan shrimp, sautéed red onions, scallions, avocado, and spicy-sweet mango salsa sauce, topped with a drizzle of sriracha. Don’t forget to try the PETA Roll, a mouthwatering favorite full of fresh seaweed salad, inari tofu, fried tofu, and steamed carrots.

Andrea’s La Bella in Ghent
Family-owned Andrea’s La Bella offers a generous menu of veganized twists on classic Italian favorites. The Margherita Pizza and Gardein Pollo Parmigiana and Pollo Marsala are favorites, as is the Gardein Piccata, seared vegan chicken breasts sautéed with vegan butter and capers in a lemon white-wine sauce, served over spaghetti.

Getting to Norfolk has never been easier. The city has an international airport as well as passenger rail service and is a short three-hour drive from Washington, D.C. Norfolk is surrounded by rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean, so no matter where you are, the water is never far away. You can take a tour of the Elizabeth River harbor on a majestic tall ship, watch world-renowned artists blow glass at the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio in the new NEON district, or, if history is your thing, stop by the MacArthur Memorial. No matter what you decide to do during your visit, rest assured that it won’t be on an empty stomach!

Erin Goldmeier is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The Virgin Atlantic Blog, Smart Meetings magazine, Convention South magazine, and other travel-industry publications. She’s always enjoyed reading about vegan foods and cooking and has recently developed a fascination with vegan beauty and fashion. When not working, she can be found “nerding out”—brainstorming new story ideas and planning her next travel adventure.