Since going plant-based, we definitely learned that it can sometimes be harder to find vegan options outside of metropolitan settings. You can’t just choose any restaurant and be guaranteed there will be plant-based or vegan food on the menu. With a little creativity and flexibility, we can go just about anywhere, rural or otherwise, and find some vegan options. We have pulled together a vegan guide for Hayward, WI for you!

Vegan Food in Hayward?

Nearly the first thing we do upon checking out a new destination is a restaurant search. As mentioned, it’s not as easy to be vegan in some areas. We’re not opposed to visiting areas that don’t easily offer up vegan menu options. Heck, we’ll even pack a cooler before we go to ensure we’ll have something to eat.

Our recent trip to Hayward in northern Wisconsin was no exception. We immediately took to the Hayward Area Chamber of Commerce website to see what our restaurant options might be. Upon first glance, it looked a little challenging but we found some great options!

Vegan Guide for Hayward, WI

Even in Wisconsin where they’re known for cheese, it’s possible to order things without the cheese. This reminds us of when we first went vegan how we basically stopped the jukebox when we said NO CHEESE to our waitress. Read about that experience here. We’ve done the research for you and created a vegan guide for Hayward, WI.

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Vegan Breakfast in Hayward

Breakfast was a challenge. There are a lot of breakfast options in Hayward, but they are all meat-based. We did find one spot that was a little unexpected and they did a fantastic job.

Robins Nest Cafe is a cafe that overlooks one of the many area lakes. There was basically nothing on the menu but we did find a side of hashbrowns. We asked for that to be cooked without oil or butter and to add some onions and peppers, also no oil or butter. They delivered! It was a huge and filling plate. The bloody marys were enormous too! It lived up to the “cafe” style where the portions were huge!

Coffee in Hayward

We found two options for coffee. We typically take our coffee black but it’s fun to get an iced coffee or more elaborate coffee from time to time. We always give our hotel a shot for the free coffee in the breakfast area but we knew upon the first sip we’d have to find a coffee shop for our time in Hayward.

Sehla Mobile Cofee is just beyond adorable. Check their schedule if you want to find their location. We happened upon them while leaving Millers Market and they seem to be in that parking lot often. They have seating available or you can grab your coffee and go. They have oat, almond, and soy milk alternatives available for any of their drinks.

Backroads Coffee and Tea is another spot to grab a cup of coffee or tea to start your day. They do have oat, almond, and soy milk alternatives as well. There were no vegan treats to select from for baked goods and they seemed surprised by the question so it’s unlikely they carry any.

Dusty chose an iced coffee which came from a mix. We can’t be certain of what was in the mix. We noticed this after we asked for vegan options.

Vegan Pizza in Hayward, WI

Spoiler alert: you will not find vegan cheese on the menu at either of these pizza places. BUT, you can modify a pizza by ordering veggie with NO cheese. It’s better than nothing, right?!

Sawmill Saloon was our favorite spot for pizza. Cool vibe and great service. Our waitress didn’t make a scene when we asked for a pizza without cheese. We had a good laugh with her about being in Wisconsin and not having cheese. The crust was thin and crispy. We ordered the Birkie Supreme which is everything veggie! Red onion, fresh mushroom, green peppers, black and green olives, and tomatoes.

Also, Kelly said she was in the mood for bloody mary’s the week we were there and we were really pleased to hear that the bloody mary mix, which was very good, was vegan! They use Sacramento Bloody Mary Mix as their base and then season it up from there. Also, just about anywhere in WI serves Spotted Cow chasers with their bloody mary so we were pleased about that, as it had been months since we’ve enjoyed a Spotted Cow.

Read about our New Glarus Brewery Tour

Coops Pizza is another option. They have a vegetarian selection of 3 pizzas so we ordered the Coop’s Veggie Special without the cheese. Ingredients were: mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black and green olives, tomatoes & hot banana peppers. It was so good. They also have a salad bar but at the time of our visit, there weren’t any dairy-free options for dressings.

Vegan Burgers in Hayward

Northwoods Burgers & Fries serves burgers & fries (as you may have gathered from the name) and we were excited to see that they had a Beyond Burger on the menu. Oddly enough, it’s not listed on their online menu but it’s on the printed menu at the restaurant. The owner makes house-cut fries each night to serve the next day so you’ll want to order those as your side.

We talked with the owner about the vegan burgers who said his non-vegan son prefers the Beyond Burgers to a traditional meat burger which is why he offers it on the menu! Specify no butter on the bun. We forgot and are pretty sure our bun was buttered.

Powell’s on Round Lake denotes vegan-friendly items on their menu but the choices are limited. For apps- french fries and portobello mushrooms, a garden salad, and a spicy black bean burger. We got the portobello mushrooms and the black bean burger. This was just a frozen pre-made burger patty. Also, they serve all the burgers on a brioche bun which we never even noticed- not vegan. So order your black bean burger without the brioche bun. It is certainly a beautiful setting right on the lake and looks like it would be a fun place to hang out.

TNT Sports Bar & Grill is a place that did not work out for us to eat at. This was a bummer because we wanted to support the fact that they have a vegan burger option listed right on their menu. We wanted to mention it here though so others don’t miss it. They also list gluten-free menu options if you need those.

Mexican

Most vegans or plant-based people know that menu choices can be easily modified since Mexican food is bean and rice-based. When all else fails, just leave off the meat and cheese.

Main Street Tacos knocked it out of the park! It was incredibly delicious with enormous portions. We modified a burrito to be just rice and beans and asked to add steamed veggies. It was huge! As were the margaritas. We loved it so much we ate here twice. Once, on the patio in downtown Hayward and the other time we brought it back to our hotel and enjoyed it on our patio that overlooks Hayward Lake. Highly recommend!

Sandwiches

Millers Market was not on our radar. A local recommended to go get a sandwich and we’re glad we did! This is like a food co-op with lots of bulk items for purchase. You could really do your grocery shopping here if you’re going to spend a few days in Hayward. We shared a veggie wrap and it was so good! We took ours to a park to eat. They even had Nutritional yeast for sale in bulk!

To sum up, it is possible to eat vegan in Hayward, WI. Have you been and did we miss anything? Would love to add to our list for our next visit- we loved the area!

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