Vegetarian Indian in Columbia Heights

The Vegetarian is a relatively new addition to the Twin Cities' sparse but growing number of 100% vegetarian restaurants. It lies just over the Minneapolis/Columbia Heights border on Central Avenue.

The menu features both north and south Indian dishes, and all of the vegan items are clearly marked. They've also vegan-ized entrees not marked as vegan upon request, so it's worth asking.

The food is excellent, though the portions are a little on the small side. It's enough for a meal but you may not be taking leftovers home. One of my favorite appetizers is the onion bhaji, a plate of batter-fried onions. Basically, it's Indian onion rings. The samosas are also delicious, with a very moist and fragrant potato filling.

The entrees are all delicious, and the curries are very intensely flavored. If you're looking for something a bit lighter, try a dosa, which is a large crepe made of rice and lentil flour, which can be served with various fillings and sauces.

The Vegetarian has really stand-out service. They seem to have only one waiter, and he's incredibly friendly and helpful. On my last visit I mentioned to him that I wished they had soy milk so they could make soy mango lassis. A few minutes later, the waiter walked across the street to a Chinese restaurant, bought a few cans of soy milk, and then came back and presented my table with several soy mango lassis! This was above and beyond the call of duty, especially given how incredibly cold it was that day.

I'd encourage everyone to go check this place out. The Twin Cities has so very few vegetarian restaurants, so let's support the ones we do have. With such great food and service, supporting The Vegetarian is no hardship.