Your Stress-free

Vegan Guide
at MIT
Roasted
Beet and
Fennel
fr o m Tr u e
Bistro
PAG E 2 3

What's the most

Shop for books, beautiful place for
stay for a meal Indian food in Boston?
PAGE 23 PAGE 16
Get to know the vegan
Bring your squad to this cafe community behind the Heal the soul with
for a crowd-pleasing brunch scenes at MIT soul food at this dining hall
PAGE 25 PAGE 26 PAGE 8

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X at

abillionveg College Guide: Massachusetts Institute of Technology edition

 I n t r o d u c ti o n

Image: MIT

Explore plant-based food on & off campus!

My name is Riana, and I’ve been on the board of MIT’s vegan and vegetarian
society, named mitLEAF, since its inception two years ago. I have been a
vegetarian for as long as I can remember, though it’s a bit of a mystery how
I became one because neither of my parents were fully vegetarian when I
was growing up.

I became vegan about a year and a half ago after one
of my friends who had turned vegan inspired me to
learn more about the animal products industries. I
decided that I could no longer support the unnecessary
mistreatment and abuse of animals in the dairy and
egg industries, so decided over the next year I would
learn how to eat vegan. Though I primarily went vegan
for animal welfare reasons, I am also dedicated to
eating a healthy diet, and that’s why I strive to follow
a whole foods plant based diet, not just a vegan diet
(most of the time, obviously not in making this guide).
The environmental issues with consuming meat and
animal products from industrialized farms also further
convinces me that everyone should try to move to a
more plant based diet, whether that means going vegan,
pescatarian, or just reducing consumption of meat and
animal products. I am now a senior at MIT, and during
my time here I’ve seen a lot of changes in the dining
halls to support plant based and sustainable eating. I
also appreciate how considerate MIT has always been
in supporting dining policies like labeling all vegan and
vegetarian food and striving to always offer plant based
options. I had a really fun time making this guide, and I’m
so glad that I’ve been able to highlight some restaurants
and dining options in the community that have delicious
plant based options. I hope you enjoy it!

2 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019

 I n t r o d u c ti o n

In 2017 I started a company called abillionveg.

Make your We’re a startup that believes it’s everyone’s right to
live better, and that everyone means every person
impact with and animal on the planet. Killing animals for food or

an app!
things like leather is inequitable and harmful for our
bodies, animals and the planet, and so we’ve built a
platform that makes it easier to find better options. We’re all about improving
The research and work
choice, so we’ve designed a “poke” feature in the app that lets you vote for
of brilliant MIT students improvement! We share that feedback with owners, managers, even chefs,
has helped build the to shift the equation globally to more sustainable options.
world and technology Best part, we’ve got 20 amazing animal and
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we have today — and
When you make the choice to buy cruelty-free
you all are continuing to and review it on the app, we pitch in a $1 to your
build the future! We were choice of partners.
thrilled to collaborate We are so grateful for Riana, who spent the
last couple of months putting this beautiful guide
on this guide that
together with our team in Singapore. We hope
showcases the plant- you love it and if you do, please share it with your
based future that is friends and family, please check out our app and
already a reality at MIT. together let’s bring more focus to the biggest
part of the sustainability equation, food!

abillionveg founder,
Vikas Garg abillionveg.com

Re view Vegan
At abillionveg, veganism isn’t defined
just by what we eat but how we live.

F ood To Support That’s why we live compassionately

& donate $1 for each of your reviews
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One of them is Woodstock Farm

Sanctuary in High Falls, New York,
that provides sanctuary to neglected
and abused farmed animals. Start
supporting our partners now by
reviewing any vegan food you eat. You
can even review stuff from the grocery
store or your cruelty-free products like
cosmetics, shoes and more!

DOW NL O A D THE A P P HER E ››

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 3
 O n - C a m p u s / R e s i d e n tia l D i n i n g O p ti o n s
MIT is the perfect campus to find a variety
of delicious plant-based options everyday!
We have five dining hall dorms alongside
multiple cafeterias and snack shops on
campus. The menus for all of these places
can be skimmed via mit.cafebonappetit.com
AND you can even filter specifically for vegan,
vegetarian, gluten free, and halal only food.
This ultra-convenient website allows you to
check all the plant-based options on MIT
campus within minutes for not just that day,
but the future week as well. And if there’s a
dish you absolutely loved that you want to
recommend to a friend but you forgot what
4 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019
it was called, fear not, for you can see the
past week’s dishes as well. Ready for the
most amazing part? All of MIT’s dining halls
and cafeterias label each dish with stickers
detailing if they are vegan or vegetarian, so
no more having to read ingredient lists or
ask staff members what’s in a dish — you
Image: MIT
can just look at the stickers. Checking out all
the plant-based items has never been easier!
In addition to dining halls and cafeterias, MIT
also hosts two grocery stores on campus,
both of which are full of vegan options. Keep
reading to learn more about plant based
eating at MIT!
 O n - C a m p u s / R e s i d e n tia l D i n i n g O p ti o n s

Dorms
All five dorms on MIT campus offer a custom stir fry station, which is occasionally swapped out
for a custom ramen noodle station or another made-to-order savory dish. All dining halls also
offer a salad bar, a sandwich/bagel station, a tea/coffee bar, a soup station, a dessert station,
and an ice cream bar. Various other permanent stations make each dorm unique, and all dorms
have rotating special items such as custom sushi and panini bars. MIT dorms are all serviced by
the company Bon Appetit, which is dedicated to providing healthy, local, sustainable, and more
humane versions of foods, including many plant based options. Everything in the dining halls will
be labeled vegan or vegetarian if it is so, but if you want to chat with the friendly staff, they are
all trained annually on the labeling process and the definitions of vegan and vegetarian foods.

Baker Dining
362 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139
mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/baker

Baker dining is known for shorter lines to

get stir fry and a french fry and sandwich
hot grill. It is stereotypically the “athlete
dorm” and has some really great plant
based options to fuel an athletic adventure.
Besides the grill stations, everything is
serve yourself, which makes it easy to get
the portions perfect for you — and to go
back for seconds! Baker’s salad bar often
includes fruit and vegetable options that the
other dorms do not, and Baker in particular
has scenic seating: the upstairs tables look
out onto the Charles River and feature an
abundance of natural lighting. Baker is often
the sole dorm open for Holidays, so even
if you don’t have the chance to eat there
normally, you probably will at some point!

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 5

 O n - C a m p u s / R e s i d e n tia l D i n i n g O p ti o n s

Maseeh Dining
305 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139
mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/the-howard-dining-hall-at-
maseeh

Maseeh dorm has the largest variety of different

food items. It is also the only dorm that serves lunch
on a daily basis. Maseeh is also famous for having
a permanent kosher station as well as a burger and
sandwich grill. Sometimes they swap out their fries for
tater tots, or have both, so if tots are more of your style
keep an eye out for that! Maseeh has two separate
seating areas, so switch it up for some variety. The most
extensive dessert station is at Maseeh, but the most
vegan friendly dessert station is still to come below!
Note the vegan and gluten free stickers on the dish
description pictured!

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

E VERY RE VIE W M A K ES A N IMPACT!

You don’t need to be a superhero to help animals. We donate $1 to a non-profit partner of your
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 O n - C a m p u s / R e s i d e n tia l D i n i n g O p ti o n s

Speaking of
Simmons’
vegan chef,
meet Brian
McCarthy!
#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

“
I’ve been a vegan
chef at MIT for
6 years now. I
originally became vegan
23 years ago to lead a
healthier lifestyle, and on
Simmons Dining my journey I’ve authored
229 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139
mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/simmons
4 vegan cookbooks. MIT
is definitely ahead of
Simmons is the best known dorm for vegan options, because one of its key the curve on the vegan
chefs is a vegan chef with published cookbooks! Simmons often has vegan front. Anyone coming to
desserts like pies and apple crisp, which I couldn’t recommend more. Their MIT and hoping to pursue
vegan desserts are absolutely magnificent, and sometimes I make the trek
a plant based diet will
to Simmons just for a vegan dessert that I see on the online menu. Simmons
also has vegan pancakes and french toast on the weekend! Getting back to appreciate Bon Appetit’s
more healthy plant based food, Simmons’ salad bar is extensive, and they efforts to promote plant-
always have a vegan burger patty option. Their stir fry line is always the based, sustainable, and
shortest in my experience, so if stir fry is your style, be sure to check out
healthy diets.”
Simmons!

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 7

 O n - C a m p u s / R e s i d e n tia l D i n i n g O p ti o n s

McCormick Dining
320 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139
mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/mccormick

McCormick is renowned for its soul food nights, but

some of my favorite items are its vegan ravioli and tofu
veggie medleys. McCormick is super conscientious
about providing halal options and accommodating stir
fry requests for different types of tofu and different
cooking conditions (ie no oil.) I’ve interacted most with
the staff of McCormick dining, and I can say that they
are super nice, always happy to chat, and more than
willing to help you if you have any questions or requests.
If you get to know them and they discover what you
like, sometimes they’ll even flag you down in the dining
area to let you know they have a special stock of your
favorite item in the back and bring it out just for you!
See an example of a daily menu as well as some of Bon
Appetit’s fliers in this photo.

#MITVegan
Next Dining See all student reviews here.

500 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139

mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/next

Next House is unique in that it is a primarily staff-served dining hall and that
their dining hall is upstairs. I’ve tasted some really delicious vegan soups
at Next, and I found their tofu fillet really filling and nicely textured. Their
grill also cycles through a wide variety of items, so check out what they’ve
got there day to day! Next is also a great location choice for larger group
dinners because they have lots of giant round tables and lots of space.

8 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019

 O n - C a m p u s / C afe s a n d C afe te r ias

Koch Stata Cafe #MITVegan

See all student reviews here.

Cafe
32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139
mit.cafebonappetit.com/cafe/forbes-cafe
500 Main St,
Cambridge, Stata is both famous and infamous for its eccentric
MA 02142 architectural layout. The food inside is delicious,
mit. regardless of your take on the building’s aesthetic. The
cafebonappetit. have a wonderful salad and soup bar with frequent vegan
com/cafe/koch- options, as well as a noodle bar, a sandwich bar, and two
cafe hot food bars. The hot food bars almost always have at
least one vegan main dish and side dish. If you’re a fan
Koch Cafe in of Indian food you’re in luck because this cafe routinely
MIT’s famous serves scrumptious Indian dishes. There are many other
building the cafes on MIT campus as well — find them on the online
Koch Institute menu!
offers a salad
bar, soup bar,
tasty treat bar, snack bar, build-your-own-bowl bar,
pre-packaged sushi bar, and sandwich bar. They often
bring in delicious vegan soups and there are always
vegan options in the bowl and sushi bars. My favorite
item to get at the Koch Cafe is their avocado salad
rolls. Delicious and full of avocado goodness!

Let’s talk to another MIT community

member about plant-based eating at
MIT! Meet Theo St. Francis, a freshman
at MIT and a member of Maseeh dorm:

“
I was raised pescatarian and was accustomed to eating out of my family’s garden
in wine country, California, so I’ve been fairly health-conscious all my life. However,
it wasn’t until I faced a paralyzing injury that I set out on a quest to find what type
of diet could give my nervous system the best advantage at healing. This lead me to
veganism, and I started researching how to construct nutritious plant based meals. The
environmental friendliness of a vegan diet only further persuaded me. Now at MIT, I can
pretty easily find vegan options at the dining halls, cafes, and restaurants in the area.”

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 9

 O n - C a m p u s / S to r e s

Tech Mart
Walker Memorial, 142 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142
studentlife.mit.edu/dining/retail-dining/techmart

Tech Mart is MIT’s brand new at-cost grocery store!

Although they’re rather small, they have a wide selection
of fresh and delicious fruits and veggies. The giant
wedges of watermelon will make your mouth water! They
also have an in-house custom soup and bowl station.

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
LaVerde’s
Market
Stratton Student Center,
84 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge,
MA 02139
www.laverdes.com

LaVerde’s is the most widely known

store on MIT campus. It has almost
everything you would want in a
hurry and is the perfect stop for
food, cooking, and house items if
the nearest Target or Trader Joe’s
is too far for a midnight walk. They
have been working to expand their
plant based items in the last couple
of years and they are doing a great
job! Some notable buys include
vegan ice creams, vegan mac and
cheese, vegan cookies, alternative
nut butters and chocolate spreads,
non-dairy milks, fake meats, vegan
frozen entrees, a salad and soup bar,
and fruits and frozen veggies. They
recently acquired a line of Macro
Vegetarian (most are vegan) dinners
too! I tried and was highly impressed
with the spinach noodles.

10 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019

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Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 11

 O f f- C a m p u s / T h e Fr i e n d l y To as t
Around Cambridge and
Boston, there are delectable
plant based options from
indulgent vegan fast food
and pastries to nutritious
salads, bowls, and
smoothies. You can find a
bunch of vegan options even
within 15 minutes of MIT’s
main campus.
The Friendly Toast
1 Kendall Square B3101, Cambridge, MA 02139
www.thefriendlytoast.com
The Friendly Toast is a series of
iconic restaurants in the Boston and
Cambridge areas. They are known
for their funky, retro decor and their
fun, dynamic atmosphere. They
are also famous for their delicious
American-type food, including
delightful plant based options.
Some friends and I had the pleasure
of dining out at The Friendly Toast
in Cambridge right off of MIT
campus, and some of our favorite
12
dishes include the vegan blueberry
pancakes, the vegan nachos, and
the So It Ve-gan entree. At Friendly
Toast, they title their vegan dishes
with the word “vegan” so it’s super
easy and quick to identify all the
wonderful vegan items on the menu.
If you get the vegan pancake, get a
bowl of their fruit salad to go with it,
and ask for the special real maple
syrup from behind the counter for
a perfect experience! We found
Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019
#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
that the staff were incredibly nice
and helpful and were always happy
to make any accommodations or
substitutes in our order. We had
an inspiring chat with one of the
managers there, which you can
read more about below! Here are
a couple photos from our terrific
experience featuring the vegan
blueberry pancake, the Vegan
Valhalla burrito, the Vegan Nachos,
the Vegan Mac, sweet potato fries,
tater tots, and the So It Ve-gan.
Another amazing detail about the
Friendly Toast, is that they offer a
10% discount for anyone with an
MIT ID (anyone who is a community
member), and a 20% discount (25%
on Mondays!) for those involved in
medical and bio related research.
Just show your MIT ID and
mention your research affiliations
to a manager. So go grab some
delectable plant based dishes today!

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019
O f f- C a m p u s / T h e Fr i e n d l y To as t
Meet Jabari
Morgan, Front of
House Manager at
The Friendly Toast
“
There’s no addressing
climate change without
addressing how much
meat we eat. Considering that
fact along with a desire to reduce
cruelty for animals, I am a huge
fan of plant-based eating. And it’s
a process, but change happens
more quickly than it appears to
sometimes. Someone owned my
mother’s mother’s mother, but
that person’s granddaughter lived
to see Barack Obama elected. It’s
amazing how much progress can
come about in a few generations.
Innovations like the Impossible
Burger are great examples of this
and give me a lot of hope for the
future of plant-based eating.”
13
 O f f- C a m p u s / L i fe A l i ve

Life Alive
765 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
888 Commonwealth Avenue, Brookline, MA 02446
www.lifealive.com

Life Alive is a vegetarian restaurant that

also caters to vegans and health-focused
individuals and serves delicious, Instagram-
worthy food. Each of their restaurants has
a different vibe and setup, as well as menu
variations. Since I arrived in Boston four
years ago, Life Alive has been one of my top
restaurants, and it is my favorite place in the
Boston area to get healthy bowls with items
like quinoa, kale, and nutritional yeast. Life
Alive has a lot more than bowls though, with
wraps, sandwiches, salads, and soups. Plus
smoothies! If you’re going to go anywhere
in the city for a smoothie, definitely give
Life Alive a try! You can get anything from
an ultra-healthy and medicinal smoothie,
to a fruity sweet smoothie that tastes like
blueberry whipped cream. Their Cambridge
location rocks a comfy, relaxing, hippie vibe
and usually provides free mini cups of extra
smoothie if you keep an eye on the smoothie
station. Their Brookline location is a much
different scene — more elegant yet also
colorful and whimsical. They have an area
of the restaurant that is a secluded, comfy
eating area with pillows and dimmer lighting,
an area with beautifully vibrant yet peaceful
looking tables and elegant light fixtures, a
more modern, urban chic seating area, and
benchside seating that looks through their
giant windows and is surrounded by potted
plants. We visited in the evening, but we
were told that around lunch time, all their
windows let in a blanket of natural light that
gives the restaurant even more of a magical #MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
vibe.

14 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019

 O f f- C a m p u s / L i fe A l i ve

The Brookline location features a large,

#MITVegan fully open kitchen and a fruit and vegetable
See all student reviews here.
display behind the counter. But that’s
enough about the decor, let’s get to the food!
Beyond their bowls (all of which I would
highly recommend for anyone looking for a
healthy, plant-based option), I also cannot
recommend more their blonde miso ramen
(vegan if you get it without the egg). If you’re
going for a smoothie, I’d recommend the
Spring Alive, or the Blue Ocean for a latte.
But no matter what you order, it is sure
to be a pleaser! Be sure to keep in mind
that Life Alive is partially self served (ie.
you bus your own dishes); in addition Life
Alive is dedicated to sustainability and eco
friendliness and uses only recyclable or
compostable to-go containers. Life Alive has
graciously given me a pile of free breakfast
cards in which you can get any breakfast
entree at their Brookline location for free!
Contact mitLEAF club (MIT’s vegan and
vegetarian society) at mitleaf-exec@mit.edu
to get one for yourself!

Need help f inding

vegan dishes ?
As vegans/vegetarians, we all know what it’s
like to go to a restaurant and ask for a slight
change to a dish. It might not happen that
frequently but if you’re looking for something
vegan it happens almost every day! You’re
usually speaking to a waiter, and your feedback
doesn’t really help the business improve or
make lasting changes. Another problem is that
vegan options are usually in short order at most
restaurants, and we wanted to build a platform
that improved the selection and quality of vegan
options around the world.

Simply tap on ‘Near Me’ to find your next best meal!

Download the app here ››
Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 15
 O f f- C a m p u s / D e s i D h a b a
Desi Dhaba
401 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
www.cambridgedesidhaba.net
Desi Dhaba is a BEAUTIFUL restaurant just off MIT
campus. The wall paintings and charming decor
make Desi Dhaba the prettiest restaurant I have been
to in the Boston area. Desi Dhaba serves wonderful
Indian cuisine, and they have a variety of vegan
entrees and breads, so head on over for a meal of
delicious plant based food in a beautiful setting.
We tried the aloo gobhi, the bhindi masala, and the
tarka dal, along with chapati, tandoori roti, and poori
breads. My personal favorite dish alone was the aloo
gobhi, but the dal went best with the breads, and
16 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019
#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
all around each item was impressive. If you’re going
to chose just one bread and one main dish to go
together, I would highly suggest the chapati bread and
the tarka dal. Delicious! I’m very sensitive to spice,
and one thing I love about Desi Dhaba is they can vary
the spice level to your personal taste, and nothing
on the table was too spicy for me. They had great
service and were super friendly and accomodating, so
I will definitely head back in the future! If you’re in the
Boston area and craving Indian food, this place is first
on my list to suggest.
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Red Lentil
600 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472
www.theredlentil.com

Red Lentil is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant in

Watertown. They have a wide variety of delicious
cuisine, from pizza to nachos to ginger miso soup.
It’s impossible to choose what my favorite Red Lentil
dish was, because there were so many that were 10/10
delicious, so it just depends what mood you’re in. The
gobi manchurian was an all around crowd pleaser with
perfectly crisp breading and cauliflower that retained
its flavor and matched the sweet sauce on the dish
perfectly. And if you’re in more of a burger mood — the
Zen Veggie Burger was so much more than I expected.
The sauce on the burger was one of the most amazing
sauces I’ve tasted. And regardless if it’s dinnertime
or brunch time like when we visited, if you’re going to
get a dessert I highly recommend the tiramisu! All of
the dishes we tried were tastefully presented, and the
tiramisu powdered sugar setup was a breathtaking
surprise. The restaurant is decorated in a cute yet
professional way that feels very comfortable and seems
appropriate for any type of outing. I highly recommend
heading over to Red Lentil or catering from them.
Delicious food combined with great service and a cozy
vibe, what more could you want? Check them out today!

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 17

 O f f- C a m p u s
#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
FoMu
140 Brookline Ave, Boston,
MA 02215
fomuicecream.com
FoMu is a chain of vegan
ice cream shops! They
have mostly coconut based
ice creams, but also a few
almond based ones. My
favorite is the peanut butter
chocolate. They also sell
ice cream cakes and some
locations sell other vegan
pastries as well.
W HY GO
PL A NT-B A SED ?
Image: REVIEWER @ECOGODDESS
18
By Chloe
100 Van Ness St, Boston, MA 02215
eatbychloe.com
By Chloe is a fast-food-type chain
of vegan restaurants. Some of
their crowd favorites are their Guac
Burger, Pesto Meatball, and Mac N’
Cheese. They also have a delicious
section of vegan ice creams and
cupcakes. The two By Chloes
I’ve been to also had very cute,
Flour Bakery
charming decor.
190 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge,
MA 02139
Image: FOMU
flourbakery.com
Flour is a cafe right up the block
from MIT that has a wide variety
of pastries along with drinks,
sandwiches, and salads. They have
multiple types of vegan muffins, like
the low fat chocolate ‘’cake” featured
here, but don’t wait too late in the day
to order because they go fast! It’s
very convenient that they list which
of their sandwiches and salads are
vegetarian and can be made vegan.
They make a delicious steamed
almond milk with vanilla as well,
which is the perfect drink to warm
you up on a cold winter day!
Going plant-based is the most powerful
decision an individual can make. Learn
more about the profound impact on
the environment, animals and your
health after going plant-based.
PART 1 ›› PART 2 ››.
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 O f f- C a m p u s

My Thai Vegan Cafe

3 Beach St #2, Boston, MA 02111
mythaivegancafe.com

My Thai Vegan Cafe is my go to place for both vegan

birthday cakes and for vegan fake-meat dishes. My
favorite dishes there are the ones with tofu, but they
specialize in vegan chicken, pork, seafood, and beef,
so bring some meat loving friends there to give it a
taste! And for dessert try their vegan chocolate and

Max Brenner #MITVegan peanut butter cake or their vegan cheesecake!

See all student reviews here.

745 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116

maxbrenner.com

Max Brenner is known for their delightful and

extravagant chocolate desserts. While it is not a very
vegan-friendly restaurant, vegetarians and omnivores
alike will be sure to love their desserts. And if you
do end up there as a vegan, their staff were very
accommodating towards me and my friends and let us
make the custom pasta dish featured below. I’ve also
been told their dark chocolate fondue may be vegan,
but I’d ask to make sure.

Oath Pizza
181 Massachusetts Ave Ste 1,
Cambridge, MA 02139
oathpizza.com

Oath Pizza is only a couple blocks

from MIT campus and serves mouth-
watering individual pizzas. They are
not a vegan restaurant, but they do
have vegan cheese and they mark all
of their toppings if they are vegan,
so it’s easy to make your own vegan
pizza. One of my favorite things
about Oath is that they don’t charge
Image: OATH PIZZA
per topping, so load them on!

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 19

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Penang
685 Washington St, Boston,
MA 02116
penangmalaysian.com

Penang is a Malaysian
restaurant, and my favorite
item on their menu has got
to be their Satay Bean Curd
appetizer. It was the perfect
mix of sweet, spicy, crunchy
and soft. This appetizer will
make any meal you get there a
hit! None of their menu options are listed as vegan, #MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
but their staff was happy to answer any questions
I had about the dishes, and it was easy to find
some vegan options there.

Opinionated
about vegan
alternatives ?
We love so many vegan
products out there but we’ve
Image: roxy’s
also had a few that need a lot
of improvement! So we decided
that our review platform
Roxy’s Roxy’s is a grilled cheese restaurant
combined with an arcade in the
would be an awesome tool for
everyone when it comes to
292 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, basement! They recently added two finding plant-based products
MA 02139 more vegan grilled cheese to their from around the world and
roxysgrilledcheese.com menu for a total of four now. My giving companies feedback on
favorite is still their Vegan Rookie how they can do better.
Melt, but which one will yours be?
Download the app here ››

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 O f f- C a m p u s

Shabu and Mein

148 First St, Cambridge, MA 02141
shabumein.com

Shabu and Mein was my first hot pot

experience, and it was definitely a good
one! I ordered a custom soup of soybean
broth, broccoli, variety tofu, potatoes,
and vermicelli noodles. I’m not entirely
sure the soup base is vegan and not just
vegetarian, but you can inquire about full
vegan options. I highly recommend all the
ingredients I ordered and it was a super fun
dining experience. It’s a great place to go if you have a group with different dining preferences because everyone
can customize what they want!

Image: sate

#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

Sate within 30 seconds) and incredibly

20 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA 02139 tasty. You choose your base (ie.
sategrill.com rice, salad, and sandwich) protein
type and then you’re ready to go!
Sate Food Truck (Vietnamese I love their BBQ tofu as a protein,
cuisine) is my favorite place to and I’ve been more than happy
get food on MIT campus!! Their with their brown rice, rice noodle,
service is incredibly fast (they’ll soup, and bahn mi as bases. Be
have your food ready for you sure to check them out!
Image: sate

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 21

 O f f- C a m p u s

Tatte
205 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139
tattebakery.com

Cute cafe with great atmosphere,

and the best part is you can make
any of their drinks vegan!

Silk Road #MITVegan

See all student reviews here.

645 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141

silkroadcambridge.com

Silk Road is a small restaurant that serves authentic Uyghur cuisine in the
heart of Cambridge. Their pumpkin manto are a sweet yet also savory,
plump dumpling-like appetizer that everyone is sure to love. Their hot and
sour potatoes are another vegan option, and many of their dishes can be
ordered without meat. Not only is Silk Road an excellent restaurant, but
it feels great to support an Uyghur restaurant at a time when the Uyghur
people (a Turkic minority who are currently being persecuted in China) are
fighting to keep their culture alive.

The Cheesecake Factory

100 Cambridgeside Pl, Cambridge, MA 02141
locations.thecheesecakefactory.com

The Cheesecake Factory is a classic place to go for cheesecake, but most

people also eat dinner there. If you go to the one in the Cambridge Mall, it’s
a nice escape from the mall atmosphere. The restaurant is not currently
super vegan-friendly, but they have a fair amount of vegetarian options (like
the avocado egg rolls, and if you do end up there as a vegan, try their vegan
cobb salad or edamame!

22 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019


True Bistro
1153 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144
truebistroboston.com
#MITVegan
See all student reviews here.
O f f- C a m p u s
Trident Booksellers
and Cafe
338 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115
tridentbookscafe.com
I always go for their Co Co Banana smoothie with added
peanut butter. Besides smoothies, they have a lot of
wonderful breakfast and lunch items that are vegan or
vegetarian. It’s convenient that their menu has all the
vegan items marked, and after your snack or meal you
can shop for books and trinkets in the bookstore below!
True Bisto is definitely the fanciest vegan restaurant I’ve been to. It’s a little
further from main MIT campus, but if you’re a foodie or interested in trying
a variety of fancy looking and tasting vegan foods, definitely add True Bistro
to your list! Their Kataifi Nest featured below is one of the most creative
vegan desserts I’ve seen and it’s the perfect combination of crunch and
sweetness. Try the apple tart as well! And the cheesecake! And basically all
of the desserts and entrees :)
Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 23
 O f f- C a m p u s

Veggie
Image: veggie crust

Crust
445 Somerville Ave,
Somerville,
MA 02143
vegcrust.com

Veggie Crust is
my go to place for
ordering pizzas
online and pizza
catering. They are
a vegetarian pizza
chain, but you can
make the pizzas
vegan by selecting
one of the vegan
sauces, vegan
cheese, and vegan toppings. They have soy meat and a variety of
different unique ingredients and sauces (like vegan alfredo).

Zhu
Image: YELP

166 Massachusetts
Ave, Arlington, MA Veggie Galaxy
02474 450 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
zhuvegan.com veggiegalaxy.com

Zhu is my favorite Veggie Galaxy is one of my top go-to

Grubhub order. places for vegan American food. Their
They serve vegan stuffed french toast is amazing
pan-asian, and by far the best sweet vegan breakfast
vegan dishes food I’ve had. Everything at the restaurant
with delicious, can be made vegan if it isn’t already, and
crispy vegetable the best part about Veggie Galaxy is that
tempura. Their their entire pastry and milkshake sections
chocolate cake is are completely vegan. Bring on the vegan
also delicious and muffins, cakes, and frappes! Come by
very soft with a #MITVegan during the winter season for the special
See all student reviews here.
creamy frosting. gingerbread frappe pictured here!

24 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019

 O f f- C a m p u s

Whole Heart Provisions

Image: v02 vegan cafe

298 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

wholeheartprovisions.com

I would eat their salads everyday!! Whole Heart is the

perfect stop for any salad or bowl lovers. They have
a collection of pre-set salads you can choose from if
you want to try a carefully constructed perfect blend
of flavors, or if you’re feeling adventurous, design
your own! You can choose your base, toppings, and
sauces and make it as healthy as you want (no sauce,
steamed veggies) or as indulgent as you want (grilled
veggies, sauces, and extra toppings.) They have seared
avocados and falafel dogs as well. Go make a custom
salad bowl today!

VO2 Vegan Cafe

1001 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
vo2vegancafe.com

I’ve been to VO2 vegan cafe several times for brunch,

and it is always a crowd pleaser! I have loved all of their
sandwiches, sides, and smoothies that I have tried but
some of my favorites are their Bahn Mimi and Tofurky
Melt. The nachos are also delicious and go great with
any sandwich; they might not be quite what you expect
when you think “nachos” but give them a try and I’ll bet
that you’ll love them. Round out the meal with a sweet
and soothing smoothie!

Koreana #MITVegan
See all student reviews here.

158 Prospect St, Cambridge, MA 02139

koreanaboston.com

Not a restaurant I would typically think to go for a vegan meal, but they
actually have a whole section dedicated to vegetarian cuisine, with
most of them looking vegan as well. I had the Vegetable Tofu Dolsot
Bibimbop, or basically mixed veggies and tofu in a hot bowl. I greatly
enjoyed this meal and would definitely order it again. The hot bowl
Image: YELP kept the food warm the whole dinner, and the flavors were excellent.

Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 25

 O r g a n iz a ti o n s a n d U p c o m i n g Eve n t s
Mermaid
Want to get more involved in the plant- Purple
based eating community at and around Cauliflower
Rice Burgers
MIT!? Here are some clubs, activities,
RECIPE ››
and events to check out:

mitLEAF
mitLEAF is MIT’s vegan and
vegetarian society! Our name is
a parody of mitBEEF club, and
we have been an official MIT club
since fall of 2017. This semester,
we are hosting weekly documentary screenings of
movies about nutrition, the meat industries, and
health living such as What the Health, Carnage (a
mockumentary), and Earthlings. In the past we’ve also
held ice cream socials, study breaks, and restaurant
outings. Our documentaries have recently moved to Veganise Comfort
7-9pm on Fridays for the month of April, and likely for
May as well. Add yourself to our mailing list (mitleaf@
F ood & Sweet Treats!
If you’re a kitchen whiz, why not make these vegan
mit.edu) or email mitleaf-exec@mit.edu to add you
versions of comfort foods & sweet treats? Here are
to the mailist list or with any questions, comments, some of our exclusive abvPost recipes contributed by
or suggestions, including how to get involved in the The Rustic Vegan, one of our amazing members who
documentary screenings! My friend Zehreen and I are is driving the vegan movement in California!
running the club until we graduate this spring, so come
say hi to us this semester and also meet some of the
members who will be taking over the club next year!
You may also be interested in MIT’s Food and
Agriculture club or Active Minds, a club at MIT
dedicated to mental health on campus. Bon Appetit
MIT’s dining service also hosts events related to food
and sustainability, so check those out on a recurring
Raw Chocolate Raspberry Quinoa Sweet
basis. And if you’re still looking for more, join one of Avocado Cake Potato Bowls
the dozens of vegan and vegetarian related Meetup
groups in the Boston and Cambridge communities.
In addition, here is a specific list of some upcoming
events:
■ 10 May, 7-9pm: mitLEAF Documentary Screening
■ 17 May, 7-9pm: mitLEAF Documentary Screening
■ 11 May, 9pm-midnight: Active Minds Froyo study
break in the Coffeehouse Lounge (there will be vegan
Red Falafel Tacos Unicorn Banana
options) Nice Kream Muffins

Images: THE RUSTIC VEGAN

26 Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019
 Ke e p I n To u c h

Thank you for

reading our guide
We’d love to hear from you. For enquiries
or feedback, please write to:

abillionveg, Inc:
schools@abillionveg.com
www.abillionveg.com
@abillionveg on Instagram, Facebook &
Twitter.

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Copyright: abillionveg, Inc 2019 27