Great Vegetarian Dining Options in Houston, Texas

Houston, Texas, may be located in the heart of longhorn cattle country, but they do not cater exclusively to the carnivores among us. If you are a vegetarian or vegan who has to travel to Houston, you can rest assured that there are several vegetarian- and vegan-friendly restaurants around town, offering a variety of ethnic flavors and cuisine styles to choose from.

Pepper Tree's menu looks nearly identical to almost any other Chinese buffet restaurant, except that it has entrees with titles like "General Tso's Vegan Chicken" which are unlikely to appear in too many other places. Most meals are around $10 and are low cholesterol, high protein, low carb and MSG free. They have also recently installed water filtration, so their water is also chlorine-free - and therefore so are your washed vegetables. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11am, closing at 9pm through the week and 8pm on Sundays.

Another great choice is Madras Pavilion on Kirby Drive. Authentic Indian cuisine which is also vegetarian is offered for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. They offer pizza, thali, curry, masala, and more with entrees starting at $7 per person. They have 10 different dessert choices, as well, all vegetarian.

Quan Yin on Bellaire Boulevard is not for celiacs, as they have replaced all animal, egg, and seafood products primarily with soy products and wheat gluten. If gluten is not a problem for you, Quan Yin is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. The link is broken, so no word on pricing, but their fried mushrooms look delicious.

They aren't strictly vegetarian and offer some very carnivorous choices like Bison, but they do have many, many veggie and vegan menu choices, including one macrobiotic option, at A Moveable Feast at Katy Freeway and Echo Lane in Houston. Soups start at $4, meals at $8. They are open Monday through Saturday 11am - 9pm.

If you are a vegetarian who will be dining late, then Mango's on Montrose may be the right place for you. Mango's has vegetarian and vegan food including pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and, of course, salads. They open at 5pm Monday through Saturday and stay open until 2am. On Sundays, they open up at 11am. In addition to the veggie food, they have a bar and live music. A large pizza is only about $10 and other entrees are around $6-8, including their grilled PB&J with bananas!