How to Eat Vegan and Gluten Free in Madison, WI, USA

I moved to Madison in the summer of 2020. As a vegan with celiac disease, I quickly learned the ins and outs of eating safely in Madison.

Whether you live in the Madison area or are just visiting, you will find everything you need in this article to eat vegan and gluten free in Wisconsin’s capitol.

Wisconsin State capitol building in Madison. [Photo by Sean Pavone from Getty Images]

Can you eat vegan and gluten free in Madison, WI?

Yes! It's pretty easy to eat vegan and gluten free in Madison if you know where to go. There are plenty of options for everything from a quick drive-thru meal to more upscale restaurants downtown.

Does Madison, WI have vegan and gluten free options?

There are a number of restaurants with both vegan and gluten free options. A few are even dedicated gluten free and/or vegan.

Some restaurants in Madison have gluten free options marked on their menus but are not safe for celiacs due to a high chance of cross contamination or the staff not being trained on how to prepare gluten free items.

There are also some unique ethnic restaurants with vegan and gluten free options that I highly recommend trying.

Continue reading for a list of restaurants I have been to and feel confident recommending in the next section.

What are the best vegan and gluten free restaurants in Madison, WI?

These are my favorite places to get vegan and gluten free food in Madison, in no particular order. I have researched all of these restaurants and asked them about their preparation practices and training. These restaurants are included in the map above.

These are recommendations based on my experiences, please use your best judgment when choosing a new restaurant.

• BeneBlends

  • Dedicated vegan and gluten free

  • Smoothies

• Miko Poke

  • Dedicated gluten free

  • Vegan options

  • Hawaiian poke bowls

• Madison Chocolate Company

  • Dedicated gluten free

  • Limited vegan baked goods

  • Great for coffee and chocolates

• Jardin

  • Dedicated vegan

  • Multiple gluten free options

  • By reservation only

• Forage Kitchen

  • Bowls and salads

  • Assembly line style

  • Staff are knowledgeable

  • Take precautions

  • Each ingredient has a dedicated scoop

• Sookie’s Veggie Burgers

  • Dedicated vegan

  • Staff are trained on cross contamination

  • They use new utensils when preparing your food

  • Dedicated gluten free air fryer

  • Swap out buns for lettuce wraps

  • Breakfast and dessert options too!

• Green Owl Cafe

  • Menu is marked and many items are naturally gluten free and vegan

  • Staff are trained on cross contamination

  • They clean all surfaces, use clean tools, and take extra precautions

• Little Tibet Madison

  • Himalayan restaurant

  • Staff are knowledgeable

  • Menu is clearly marked

  • Takeout menu on their website does not include all the options on the dine in menu

• Buraka

  • Ethiopian restaurant

  • Staff are knowledgeable

  • Try the gluten free injera!

• Himal Chuli

  • Nepalese restaurant

  • Staff are trained on cross contamination

  • Food is prepared in separate area

  • Many items on the menu are vegan

  • You can substitute bread for gluten free rice

• Everly

  • Most menu items can be made gluten free and vegan

  • Staff is trained on cross contamination

  • Food is prepared in a separate area

  • Dedicated gluten free fryer

• The Melting Pot

  • Hot pot style restaurant

  • Pricy

• Bloom Bake Shop

  • Vegan and gluten free items are prepared in a separate area

  • Vegan and gluten free menu

  • You can also order full sized cakes in advance

• Yola's Cafe and Coffee Shop

  • Limited options

  • Staff are knowledgeable

  • Menu is marked

• Settle Down Tavern

  • Limited options

  • Staff are knowledgeable

  • They prepare food with new utensils and pans

  • I love the gluten free grain bowl (leave off the egg)

  • They also have gluten free fries

• Chipotle

  • Assembly line style

  • The only things that are not gluten free are the tortillas

  • Chips are gluten free but have a possibility of cross contamination

• Ollie’s

  • Gluten free and vegan options

  • Vegan menu

  • Menu well marked

  • Dedicated gluten free fryer

  • Many gluten free vegan options including pizza and cheese curd

• Bartaco

  • Gluten free and vegan options

  • Most menu items are gluten free or can be modified

  • A few plant based options

Vegetable thali from Little Tibet in Madison, WI. [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

Notify Staff

You should always double check a restaurant’s menu and share your dietary needs with restaurant staff. This ensures they will prepare your food in a designated allergen free area or take extra precautions while preparing it.

If you are watching someone prepare your food at a restaurant like Chipotle for example, I ask them to change their gloves to minimize cross contamination from any previous orders.

For my steps on how I find vegan and gluten free food, check out my article linked below.

Related: Step By Step Guide to Finding Vegan and Gluten Free Food Options

Is it hard to be vegan and gluten free in Madison, WI?

Nope! I don’t think it’s hard to be a gluten free vegan in Madison. There are a lot of different types of restaurants in the area.

The only downside is that most of the restaurants are not dedicated gluten free. Many restaurants train their staff well and know how to prepare safe gluten free food. I know of a few owners who even have celiac disease themselves.

If you’re visiting Madison and are concerned at all about safety or just want to have options, you can always shop at the grocery store and make your own meals.

Shopper reading label on package in health foods store. [Photo by Jupiterimages]

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What are the best grocery stores for vegan and gluten free food in Madison, WI?

Pretty much any grocery store you go to in Madison will have some selection of vegan and gluten free items. You will always be able to get fresh fruits and vegetables. For prepackaged products, some stores have more options than others.

Woodman’s

My favorite grocery store for vegan and gluten free groceries is Woodman’s. Woodman’s West Madison location has an entire aisle of gluten free and/or vegan items. This makes it easy to find what you’re looking for all in one place.

In my experience, Woodman’s has the best selection for vegan and gluten free frozen meals and snacks. They typically carry up-and-coming products that other grocery stores might not have yet.

They do have several gluten free items that aren’t vegan, and vice versa, so you will have to read the package to double check. Despite this, there are plenty of gluten free and vegan options once you know what to look for.

Woodman’s also has an app that allows you to make a list based on available products and it will even tell you what aisle it’s in. This is perfect for people who are visiting Madison and don’t know their way around the store.

Festival Foods

Festival also has a good selection of gluten free and vegan options. They don’t have as many frozen items as Woodman’s but they have a few options. They do have a pretty good selection of crackers, cookies, and other snacks.

While most of their gluten free and vegan products are in one or two aisles, a few other products are scattered throughout the rest of the store which can be confusing.

Pick N Save

Pick N Save (aka Kroger to people outside of Wisconsin and Illinois) does have a selection of vegan and gluten free frozen meals and other prepackaged products.

They have most basic ingredients like tamari sauce, gluten free flour, vegan cheeses and more. For bread, they have gluten free Schär products, some of which are vegan.

Willy Street Co-op

While Willy Street Co-op doesn’t have a large selection of vegan and gluten free prepackaged foods, they do have some. They have a few chips, crackers, and cereals as well as a handful of frozen options like Daiya Pizza.

Willy Street Co-op does have multiple choices for vegan butter, mayo, and cheeses. As of my last visit, they did not have much of a selection for gluten free and vegan bread.

I think it’s a good place to shop for quality ingredients. If you are baking or cooking a meal from scratch you should be able to find what you need.

Whole Foods

I think Whole Foods is comparable to Festival Foods for their selection. They actually have a decent amount of frozen meals, baking ingredients, cereals, cookies, chips, and other snacks.

Whole Foods has an ok selection for vegan cheese and yogurt. They don’t have many bread options though.

Search for products

You can always search the specific store’s inventory before you go to see what options they have. I would select the specific store to make sure they have what you’re looking for in stock.

You are able to search the products available at each of these stores either on their website or app, except for Willy Street Co-op.

What are some of the best places to visit in Madison, WI?

If you are visiting or recently moved here, this is a list of our favorite places to visit in the Madison area as well as a few other popular locations.

Magnolia trees blooming at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in April ‘21. [Photo by Courtney Vanorio]

• University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum

• Chazen Museum of Art

• Wingra Park and Boat Livery

• Brittingham Boats

• Memorial Union Terrace

  • See more information and events here

• Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center

• Wisconsin State Capitol

• The Sylvee

  • Check out their event calendar here

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens

  • Indoor and outdoor areas you can visit year round

• Vilas Park

  • A great ice skating spot in the winter

• Epic

  • There are times for self guided tours every day

• Picnic Point

• Pheasant Branch Conservancy

  • Perfect for a nice, scenic hike in any season

Do you have any tips or restaurants I didn’t include? What’s your favorite vegan and gluten free restaurant in Madison? Leave a comment below!