25 Healthy Restaurants in Austin to Try in 2024
Mindful eaters looking for the best healthy restaurants in Austin have grade-A selections to choose from, no matter what they're hungry for. Providing gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian fare — or a mix of garden-fresh greens and local chicken, fish and beef dishes — this characterful town offers enough exciting spots to make healthier eating a simple and delicious prospect!
Which cuisine captures the spirit of Austin's healthy restaurant scene best? It's a bespoke blend of domestic and global dishes that give nutrition-curious eaters a variety of delicious options to explore.
We've cooked up our own special recipe of 25 healthy Austin restaurants primed for nutrition-minded eating, each offering its own distinctive character. With options this fantastic, you'll have no trouble finding satisfying dining made with a healthful touch.
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Find the Best Restaurants in Austin
Shorten your search for the best healthy restaurants in Austin by booking food tours in Austin that lead you right to the door. These excursions are ideal options for residents and visitors searching for cuisine-centered things to do in Austin. You'll walk with regional experts who've mapped out direct routes to a world of healthy food restaurants Austin can't wait to share.
Top 25 Healthy Restaurants in Austin
1. True Food Kitchen
True Food Kitchen creates artisanal dishes out of farm-fresh produce, accented by chicken and fish elements. The inventive touches may arise as part of a national chain, but the freshness and attention to detail make this healthy Austin restaurant feel like one of a kind.
The Vibe
Vegetable bouquets and earthy décor are the sweet setting for enjoying thoughtful dishes.
What to Order
Pile on the pesto pasta for a wholesome Italian lunch or dinner. You'll get peppers, artichoke, asparagus and mushroom tossed in a brightly flavored pesto made from pumpkin seeds and cilantro.
True Food Kitchen | Multiple Locations | $$
2. Flower Child
Wholesome is the name of the game at Flower Child, an eatery with throwback energy to spare. For this healthy Austin restaurant, food made from scratch is not only a necessity for nutrition, it's also the key to happiness.
The Vibe
Green striped awnings give the impression of a flower shop serving up earthy vegetable-based dishes.
What to Order
Anyone for a Glow Bowl? This mix of spicy and sweet potato noodles, greens and fiery jalapeños gets a cooldown with a sunflower butter and coconut milk dressing.
Flower Child | Multiple Locations | $$
3. Vinaigrette
As you may guess from the name, the menu at Vinaigrette is dominated by salad in all forms. Sustainable ingredients elevate simple selections to the realm of gourmet cuisine, with snacks, soups and sandwiches chiming in to make the options at this healthy restaurant in Austin more of a meal.
The Vibe
Community defines this charming property, a blend of pastoral outdoor seating, clean counters and cozy tables.
What to Order
Fans of fresh vegetable fare can get their fill with the Omega. Tomatoes, avocados, red onion and bell pepper make a fresh array of toppings for chopped greens. With blue cheese vinaigrette adding its own zing to the party, you have the salad to end all salads.
Vinaigrette | 2201 College Ave., Austin, TX 78726 | $$
4. Kale Me Crazy
Think of any health food category on the list, from juices to smoothies to wraps, and Kale Me Crazy has it in their lineup. For mindful eaters who appreciate word play in the names of their healthy Austin restaurants, this green-eating gem has that, too!
The Vibe
The epitome of a modern deli and juice bar, as clean and refreshing as the food served there.
What to Order
The poke bowls show off all the magic healthy Austin restaurants have to offer. Enjoy a generous dish filled with tuna, cucumbers, radishes and edamame for a deconstructed sushi experience with all the required freshness.
Kale Me Crazy | 8300 N. FM 620, Austin, TX 78726 | $$
5. Picnik
Picnik does its best to eliminate questionable additives like seed oils and refined sugar from its dishes. This healthy Austin restaurant also sticks to gluten- and peanut-free ingredients to ensure a nourishing experience for their guests.
The Vibe
Pretty, light-filled space with houseplants greening up the place.
What to Order
Smashed potatoes come loaded with creative fixings like queso made from cashews and bacon cured without sugar. Add carne asada or crispy chicken to fill out the meal and get nutrition and flavor in the same order. For vegans, pesto primavera is the choice for you, with a combination of vegetables and spaghetti squash tossed in house-made pesto sauce.
Picnik | Multiple Locations | $$
6. Galaxy Café
Come for the delicious versions of your favorite diner food, stay for the whimsical atmosphere that makes Galaxy Café a joyous entry among the healthy restaurants around Austin.
The Vibe
Mid-20th-century space-themed décor will keep visitors of all ages dazzled as they dine.
What to Order
Galaxy's grilled chicken chipotle wrap takes free-range chicken, tosses it together with black beans, cheddar and a schmear of smoky chipotle mayo and twists it into a burrito-style bite that's a flavor-filled rocket to the stars.
Galaxy Café | Multiple Locations | $$
7. Soup Peddler
The quirky and artful Soup Peddler offers several locations around town to give the healthy Austin restaurants a jazzy kick. This local legend originated with owner David Ansel delivering soups by bike — hence the colorful name!
The Vibe
A walk-up juice bar with outdoor seating merged with an airy indoor café.
What to Order
Get your vitamins and minerals in liquid form with a Moonage Daydream juice concoction. The sun-filled goodness of oranges, apples, lemons and carrots shares the tumbler with anti-inflammatory add-ins like turmeric and ginger to give healthy Austin restaurants a powerful punch.
Soup Peddler | Multiple Locations | $
8. Blenders and Bowls
Blenders and Bowls brings the best breakfast-style food to their customers at all hours of the day. Proprietors and besties Erin and Kara hit the healthy Austin restaurant scene as an acai-centered food truck before taking on a permanent space in the city for nourishing eats.
The Vibe
A clean, minimalist, uncluttered space where natural textures warm up the white walls.
What to Order
If sweetness is the flavor you're looking to savor, settle in with the Sesher. This dessert-style smoothie bowl includes peanut butter and blueberries blended with chocolate almond milk to make eating well a pure pleasure.
Blenders and Bowls | Multiple Locations | $$
9. Bouldin Creek Café
Craft coffee beverages and plant-forward food fills the counter at Bouldin Creek Café, a woman-owned healthy Austin restaurant that prizes community involvement as much as healthful meals. You'll find buzzy energy in the form of fundraising efforts and support for local causes, elements as vital as the incredible fresh food being served.
The Vibe
A funky meeting space standing at the crossroads of hippie and hipster.
What to Order
Have a heaping helping of humor with your healthy Austin restaurant dining by choosing the McFib, a tempeh rib sandwich brimming with piles of coleslaw, all resting between a ciabatta roll. Your choice of sides completes a meal that leaves fast food behind in favor of slow-paced good eating.
Bouldin Creek Café | 1900 S. First St., Austin, TX 78704 | $$
10. Casa De Luz
Casa de Luz is more than just another of the healthy Austin restaurants you'll encounter in this colorful city. The integral studies center emphasizes whole-plant nutrition as a valuable aspect of a more vital way of life.
The Vibe
A serene holistic center, where whole plant healing is part of the menu.
What to Order
The main plate brings together basmati rice salad, beans and vegetables in a satisfying selection that goes beyond the garden variety salad selection. You'll be eating organic and gluten-free plant recipes crafted with care.
Casa De Luz | 1701 Toomey Rd., Austin, TX 78704 | $
11. Counter Culture Vegan Food Trailer
A healthy Austin restaurant on wheels, Counter Culture Vegan Food Trailer shows off the flexibility of plant-based eating with global dishes that stack up the flavor in luscious layers. A cozy patio space provides delightful outdoor seating for this bistro-on-the-go.
The Vibe
Quirky and quaint, with an outdoor dining area bearing splashes of aqua among the red tiled pathways.
What to Order
Mac and cheeze is a simple yet imaginative crowd-pleaser, serving up pasta made with rice flour and plant-based cheese sauce made in-house. Add vegetables and protein to fill the bowl even fuller.
Counter Culture Vegan Food Trailer | 2908 Fruth St., Austin, TX 78705 | $$
12. Arlo's Curbside
Plant-based comfort food is the order of the day at Arlo's Curbside. It may not be the best healthy restaurant in Austin for lighter fare, but with cruelty-free options that satisfy your deepest cravings, your happiness quotient will be off the charts!
The Vibe
Food truck fun found in the grooviest locales around Austin.
What to Order
The Frito Pie burger may be the most creative use of plant-based ingredients ever presented by a healthy Austin restaurant. Vegan chili, Fritos and non-dairy cheese smother a house-made plant patty in the kind of goodness that won't go unappreciated, even by carnivores.
Arlo's Curbside | Multiple Locations | $$
13. Citizen Eatery
With zero meat on the menu, Citizen Eatery brings plant-forward café plates to discerning diners who favor old-fashioned favorites prepared with style. This member of the healthy Austin restaurant brigade also offers cocktails and sets aside time for a daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
The Vibe
Low-key boho-chic with splashes of art to entertain your eyes.
What to Order
Bring a friend and try a few shareables you won't mind splitting. A plate of rosemary skillet potatoes paired with Citizen's custom coleslaw and a few spears of flame-grilled asparagus should hit the spot.
Citizen Eatery | 5011 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX 78756 | $$
14. Fresas Chicken Al Carbon
Fresas Chicken al Carbon transforms their take on a healthy Austin restaurant into a flavor fiesta, with mindful takes on traditional Mexican and Latin American favorites. This thoughtful eatery treats school staff to a 15% discount with every visit.
The Vibe
Ice cream colors and sherbet shades create happy visuals, while a walk-up window serves customers in cool courtyard seating.
What to Order
Get your seafood fix with a crab tostada topped with a slew of exotic fruits and vegetables, including jicama, pineapple and fresh salsa that marries cool mango and fiery habaneros.
Fresas Chicken Al Carbon | Multiple Locations | $$
15. Hillside Farmacy
The wordplay in the name is a hint to the nourishing intentions of Hillside Farmacy. Using food as a form of preventative medicine, this healthy Austin restaurant gathers its green-leaning ingredients from a bevy of local farms and growers, including artisan breweries to provide sudsy sips.
The Vibe
An artful patina decorates every antiqued corner, from the repurposed counter to the inverted soup pot pendant lamps.
What to Order
The fried egg sandwich keeps things straightforward yet flavorful. Enjoy it topped with fried green tomatoes and garlic aioli to get a blast of freshness that helps keep your sunny side up.
Hillside Farmacy | 1209 E. 11th St., Austin, TX 78702 | $$
16. Modern Market
Modern Market doesn't pretend that healthy food restaurants in Austin have to be high-minded in their pursuit of nutritious cuisine. Clean proteins, salads loaded to the croutons and primo pizza stake their claims on the menu as much as all-day breakfast and upscale sandwiches.
The Vibe
A cheerful, contemporary dining room with plenty of café tables on the patio.
What to Order
The BBQ pizza is easy to love, with smoked chicken, two kinds of onion and organic mozzarella riding an artisan crust. Make it personal or bring someone to share it with.
Modern Market | Multiple Locations | $$
17. Wilder Wood
Gluten-free dishes that tread lightly on the local community make up the considerate marquee of Wilder Wood. Sink your teeth into magical Tex-Mex selections or go for traditional diner delights that make supporting healthy Austin restaurants feel decadent.
The Vibe
Relaxed bar and grill sensibilities, with a side of live music.
What to Order
Veggie tacos turn the traditional trend on its ear in a delicious and nourishing way. Prepare for sauteed portobellos mingling with grilled vegetables and creamy avocado to greet you at the table. For meat lovers, the Wild Guacamole burger is a spicy, guac-filled delight.
Wilder Wood | 1300 E. Seventh St., Austin, TX 78702 | $$
18. Mr. Natural
Mr. Natural is the relatable everyman of the healthy Austin restaurant scene. If you've been on the lookout for a vegan bakery, sandwich shop, salad bar and breakfast joint all rolled into one, the search is over.
The Vibe
A no-frills corner bakery and market that keeps the food in full focus.
What to Order
The MOABB, or Mother of All Breakfast Burritos, is a healthy Austin restaurant must-try, if only for the fun name! With fluffy eggs, gooey cheese, tender potatoes and creamy beans sharing the tortilla, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more satisfying way to start your day — or your afternoon.
Mr. Natural | Multiple Locations | $
19. Thai Fresh
You'll find an expansive selection of Asian specialties along with craft tacos and more traditional breakfast fare at Thai Fresh. Owners Jam and Bruce are fixtures on the Austin landscape, having spent more than two decades bringing their creations to the healthy restaurants that Austin offers locals and visitors.
The Vibe
Low counters give customers a chef's-eye view of an energetic working kitchen.
What to Order
Check out the stir-fries and choose your favorite. Whether you go with a Summer Squash Remix or a Love Meal with seasonal vegetables, you'll have healthy Austin restaurant dining you can feel good about digging into.
Thai Fresh | 909 W. Mary St., Austin, Texas 78704 | $$
20. The Vegan Yacht
Such a fancy name suggests lavish tastes are required to enjoy The Vegan Yacht. When you see the laid-back presentation and street food stylings up close, you'll realize this healthy Austin restaurant is ground-level enjoyment for plant-forward diners of all stripes.
The Vibe
The yacht is an octopus-muraled airstream delivering plant-based goodness to eaters through the streets of Austin.
What to Order
With a gluten-free Buffalo bowl, you get smoked tempeh infused with spicy Buffalo goodness resting on rice and a nest of shredded organic garden vegetables.
The Vegan Yacht | 2000 Southern Oaks Dr., Austin, Texas 78745 | $
21. Chez Zee American Bistro
Chez Zee has been making Texans happy with its locally sourced dishes for more than 30 years. This fanciful dining room redefines healthy Austin restaurants as eateries that serve a mélange of well-thought-out plates that celebrate the offerings of growers and producers from the region.
The Vibe
Eclectic and colorful, especially the cherry-red grand piano and twinkle light curtains.
What to Order
Fried avocado Benedict adds a hip twist to both eggs Benedict and avocado toast by sliding wedges of breaded and fried avocado into the mix and topping it all with green chili cream sauce. "Indulgently healthful" is the phrase you're looking for.
Chez Zee American Bistro | 5406 Balcones Dr., Austin, TX 78731 | $$
22. The Beer Plant
A gastropub with clean eating leanings, The Beer Plant gives vegan dining its best shot at a gourmet upgrade. The trim menu and straightforward ingredients create a healthy Austin restaurant where herbivores and carnivores happily coexist.
The Vibe
This thoroughly modern eatery offers a serene setting featuring exposed wood and minimalist furnishings.
What to Order
A Beer Plant curry throws together seasoned rice with roasted potatoes and cauliflower and tosses it with chhonk, a special combination of spices and fat that makes eating at healthy Austin restaurants a daring endeavor.
The Beer Plant | 3110 Windsor Rd., Austin, TX 78703 | $$
23. Nissi Vegan Mexican Cuisine
With all your Mexican favorites reimagined as flavorful plant-based counterparts to the original dishes, healthy Austin restaurant Nissi Vegan Mexican Cuisine bucks tradition in favor of a modern take on some of the best-known recipes in the Southwest.
The Vibe
The atmosphere is as clean and fresh as the food served here.
What to Order
Plant-based birria lets vegan and vegetarian eaters get in on this savory Latin favorite. With soy protein substituted for meat, the rest of the flavors stand firmly with tradition.
Nissi Vegan Mexican Cuisine | 9012 Research Blvd. Unit C-6, Austin, TX 78758 | $$
24. Sour Duck Market
Beautiful oversized baked goods, sustainably-grown coffee and a broad range of global treats define Sour Duck Market as a healthy Austin restaurant with a personality all its own. There's a pastry list that's almost as long as the entrée menu, which is always a good sign!
The Vibe
Live music is as much a part of the cozy atmosphere as the homey décor and comforting cuisine.
What to Order
This may be the only healthy Austin restaurant where you can find vegan schnitzel served on honey porridge bread, so take advantage. It's a plant-based nod to the German original that uses sunflower seeds as a protein base.
Sour Duck Market | 1814 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., Austin, TX 78758 | $$
25. Fat Cats Organic Coffee & Desserts
What good is cleanish eating at healthy Austin restaurants if dessert doesn't show up somewhere on the list? Fat Cats rotates a collection of house-baked pastries and treats that make you feel good about eating sweets. Organic and fair-trade coffee round out the variety of thoughtful offerings.
The Vibe
Charismatic vegan bakery with classic storefront appeal makes this hub a great add to your list of date ideas in Austin.
What to Order
Order an Italian cream cake to experience a sincere bakery classic, or slice into a blackberry espresso cake for a more inventive flavor palate. You'll win either way!
Fat Cats Organic Coffee & Desserts | 7020 Easy Wind Dr., Ste. 140, Austin, TX 78752 | $
Join 200,000+ Culinary Enthusiasts
Who knew there were so many healthy restaurants in Austin offering such a huge variety of tempting tastes? Even if you're a veteran on the city's dining scene, there's always another healthy Austin restaurant waiting around the next corner.
These vibrant eateries make it much easier for nutrition-minded folks in town to learn how to start eating healthy without feeling deprived of wonderful flavors. You can make your way through as many healthy restaurants in Austin as necessary to discover which ones work best for expanding your well-being. Healthy eating in this colorful town happens one bite at a time!
For even more ways to explore Austin and beyond, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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