9 great meatless handhelds in Twin Cities-area restaurants right now

According to surveys from research firms Statista and YouGov, eating healthier is among the top five New Year’s resolutions. For many, the path to more wholesome food choices can include eating less meat.

Lucky for us, we have a solid local foundation of restaurant innovators in this arena, with newcomers adding to the mix. Here are some of the best vegetarian (some also vegan) dishes we’ve tried as of late. From sandwiches to wraps, we zoom in on handhelds or quicker bites because it gives us more time in our busy schedules to tackle some of the other top resolutions that made these lists, from spending more time with family and friends to exercising more (you’ve got this!).

This Seward-based cafe offers a good number of hearty, meatless dishes to go along with their double-smash burger and thick-cut bacon BLT. Thank chef Ray Roberts, the owner of health food franchise Peoples Organic and a former vegetarian, who clearly enjoys coaxing new life out of vegetables. For this tartine, Roberts marinates maitake mushrooms, bringing out their umami, well, meatiness ($15). He pairs that with housemade whipped ricotta, and pickled onions for brightness, all on fresh-baked sourdough. (Sharyn Jackson)

3311 E. 25th St., Mpls., darlingmpls.com

Since 1992, Hard Times Cafe has served the West Bank humble meatless comforts with punk-rock style. The “egg” salad sandwich is exactly what we want late at night or early in the morning, with chickpeas standing in for the eggs, all mashed and mixed with vegan mayo ($6.50). Topped with tomatoes and romaine and served on wheat bread that’s giving nostalgic school-lunch vibes, it’s a hearty bargain. Just be sure to bring cash — Hard Times doesn’t take cards. (Joy Summers)

1821 Riverside Av., Mpls., facebook.com/hardtimescafe

The menu at this plant-based burger joint is always evolving, and the new (very pink) East Lake location had this spicy beauty on a recent visit and it was fantastic. The Francisco is a chorizo patty that’s topped with cheese, chipotle-cilantro mayo, pickled jalapeños, tomato, lettuce, onion and fried tortilla strips, all sandwiched between a fluffy brioche bun ($17). It was bursting with Tex-Mex flavor, thanks to the well-seasoned Impossible meat substitution and potent jalapeños, while crunchy tortilla strips added welcome texture, something often lacking in plant-based burgers. It includes a side of the stellar fries, which were at peak crispiness. The meal is customizable, too: sub in a black bean burger or gluten-free bun, or upgrade your side to tossed greens or chipotle pasta salad. (Nicole Hvidsten)

2422 Central Av. NE., Mpls.; 3900 E. Lake St., Mpls.; francisburgerjoint.com

Let’s face it, tempeh is dense and, if not marinated or seasoned right, bland. But not here, where its full potential is realized. French Meadow serves up a flavor-laced grilled tempeh Reuben ($15), in which the fermented soybean cakes are marinated in ginger, garlic, tamari, Wisconsin pure maple syrup and a white balsamic vinaigrette for 48 hours, allowing all of that flavor to fully absorb into the star ingredient.

The supporting cast includes sauerkraut, a tangy, citrusy and creamy house slaw aioli as well as a plant-based “Swiss cheese” that all get sandwiched between French Meadow’s signature seeded sourdough. It’s a melty and melt-in-your-mouth sandwich that works famously — depth-of-flavor, textures and all — in this surprising vegan take on a Reuben.

The dish comes with side options, and you can’t go wrong with either the hand-cut fries or salad with a house white balsamic vinaigrette. The sandwich has been on the menu since owner Lynn Gordon opened the first location in the mid-’80s as a way to bring her passion for macrobiotic cooking to the masses. “My three children loved traditional corned beef Reubens, and when we became macrobiotic, meat was taboo. My goal was to create a plant Rueben they would eat and enjoy,” Gordon said. “It worked.” (Nancy Ngo)

Available at both locations, 2610 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls.; 1662 Grand Av., St. Paul; frenchmeadowcafe.com

Macaroni and cheese is better with several types of cheeses, so why wouldn’t it be the same case with a grilled cheese sandwich? That’s a solid argument and a case that’s won at Lynette, where there’s more to this slim grilled-cheese sandwich ($16) than meets the eye.

Chef Ben Siers-Rients stacks in rich Fontina, mild American cheese, sharp Parmesan and a creamy, stretchy house pulled mozzarella that all ooze out in every bite. Still, it’s debatable whether the cheeses are the best part, because the broccoli pesto it’s slathered with is also a wonderful detour from the classic. And no complaints about the cup of creamy tomato soup served on the side, either; it was just the right accompaniment. This goodness is available on the brunch menu, served daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (N.N.)

3753 42nd Av. S., Mpls., lynettemn.com

This plant-based restaurant is in its 10th year, half of that at its current south Minneapolis location. It’s given Jeffrey Therkelsen and Kirstin Wiegmann plenty of time to dial things in at their counter-service, 50-seat neighborhood eatery at 35th Street and Bloomington Avenue S.

They’ve hit their groove when it comes to flavors and textures in everything from house veggie patties for the burgers to a marinated tempeh “bacon” for the BLT. But for us, the real treats are the brunch and breakfast items, because getting a vegan housemade breakfast “sausage” this tasty can be more elusive.

We’re particularly smitten with the biscuit sandwich ($12), in which locally made tempeh (Tempeh Tantrum) and cremini mushrooms make up the patty base, then spiced to spec with traditional breakfast sausage seasonings while getting additional tasty bits from cashew cream and barley. The dish is served with an egg patty, American-style cheese and creamy garlic aioli held between a thick yet flaky buttermilk biscuit made in house. Savory and packed with flavor, this loaded egg “sausage” biscuit is as delectable as it is satisfyingly filling. Available on the brunch and lunch menus. (N.N.)

1517 E. 35th St., Mpls., reveriempls.com

It had been too long since we visited this Shoreview gem, but walking in immediately felt like home. And that’s what Carly Gatzlaff had in mind when she opened Churchill Street in 2021 with the goal of becoming a community gathering space. The menu reflects that, too, with trieds-and-trues (burgers, pasta, walleye, chicken), shareables and salads all having a place.

There are several vegetarian options, and among them are these flavor-packed lettuce wraps. Gochujang roasted cauliflower is served with sides of pickled carrots and daikon, housemade kimchi and ssam sauce, with plenty of bibb lettuce to hold it all ($18). The cauliflower was prepared to the ideal crisp, the pickled vegetables provide bite (both in texture and flavor) with the kimchi and ssam sauce weighing in with umami funk and fun. It was spicy, messy and a delightful change of pace.

Bright and airy yet cozy, the former hardware store with a stellar patio is such a pleasant place to have a meal. Don’t forget to check out the small but well-curated market on the way out to pick up everything from gifts to milk, seasonings and ice cream from the Churchill kitchen and local makers. (N.H.)

4606 Churchill St., Shoreview, churchillst.com

Rather than try to emulate the flavor of meat, the beet patty used as a beef substitute goes in an entirely different direction at Jonathan Gans and Josh Hoyt’s Le Burger 4304, and you’ll be glad you went along for the ride. At the new Linden Hills burger hot spot, you can swap out any of the wagyu handhelds (starting at $12) for a beet patty at no extra charge. That’s in addition to other vegetarian options already on the menu, such as fried oyster mushroom or chickpea patty burgers.

For the beet patty, ingredients including shredded beets, cremini mushrooms, garlic and feta go big on flavor. But how to form them into a sumptuous patty that’s pliable is a bigger feat, which the team has mostly figured out (the patty starts to separate when you bite into it) with the use of binding agents that include oats and gluten-free flour. All told, in the world of vegetarian patties, this one gets bonus points for flavor, presentation and originality. (N.N.)

4304 Upton Av. S., Mpls., leburger4304.com

A PB&J for grown-ups? There are those who will be firmly in the “I can make this at home” camp, but we are quite all right with this restaurant-made, sophisticated take on the lunchbox staple ($12). In fact, we’d take any of the open-faced sandwiches from Toastique, a cafe that opened last fall in Wayzata with a menu at the intersection of healthy and yummy. The foundation for any toast is, naturally, good bread, and the walnut raisin bread is a sturdy and subtly sweet base for a slathering of honey-roasted peanut butter and a starburst of banana slices that ring its edges. Strawberries and blueberries nest in the center with some crunch from granola and peanuts. It’s messy, joyful nostalgia on one beautiful board. Vegetarian; gluten-free bread available. (S.J.)

320 Engel St., Wayzata, toastique.com

And we didn’t forget about these gems that dedicate their entire menus to vegan fare, J. Selby’s in St. Paul and Herbie Butcher’s Fried Chicken in Minneapolis, that we’ve highlighted previously. The eateries are both now run by the Herbivorous Butcher’s pioneering siblings Aubry and Kale Walch.