New Study Reveals the Best Cities in the US for Vegan Tourists

Austin is the best city for vegans and vegetarians looking for a city break staycation, according to new research. 

The study, conducted by food sensitivity experts YorkTest, analyzed the menus of hundreds of restaurants close to tourist destinations in the US, to reveal the best staycations for Americans who follow a meat-free diet this year. 

With an estimated  9.7 million Americans now being plant-based, YorkTest conducted the research to highlight the best areas for people who might struggle to find enough options when on vacation, with over 368,000 searches a month for “vegan restaurants”. 

Austin, Texas, was revealed as the best city for tourists, with 223 vegetarian and vegan options in restaurants close by to spots such as Lady Bird Lake Hike and the Texas State Capitol Building. 

Philadelphia also has a number of creative vegan offerings, coming in second place in the index. And along with the Mediterranean-like climate in California, there’s hundreds of vegan meals available in San Jose, San Francisco and San Diego.

The top 10 cities for vegans and vegetarians are: 

With only ten options out of the 25 restaurants analyzed, Mesa in Arizona came bottom of the rankings, suggesting that visitors to its Museum of Natural History and the Mesa Arts Center could struggle if they’re averse to meat. 

The research also looked at the best areas for gluten-free restaurants, with up to 20 million people in the US estimated to be gluten-sensitive. There’s also been a 306% increase in Americans searching on Google for “gluten free restaurants” in the last year. 

Austin was among the top five, cementing its position as a perfect vacation destination for food lovers. 

However it was Chicago which was given the title as the best city for tourists with a gluten sensitivity, with over 260 options in popular destinations.  The city, known for its one-of-a-kind architecture, cultural offerings, live music and deep dish pizza, is full of gluten-free options and menus available for everyone. 

The top 10 cities for gluten-free menus are: 

Kerri Ferraioli, expert nutritionist at YorkTest, commented on the research: 

“One of the best things about going on vacation is being able to experience new tastes, so you don’t want to have to do an extensive Google search prior to going out for dinner each evening to make sure the restaurant caters to your needs. 

“Plant-based innovation means that, for many of the menus in Austin, Raleigh and San Jose, there’s not just one vegetarian option on the menu anymore, there’s now hundreds of options in some popular vacation cities across America. 

“There are some cities where it appears that the bulk of their menus are still very meat-friendly, especially the areas where BBQ food is the popular cuisine. As more people are deciding to opt for a plant-based diet due to the health benefits, animal welfare and environmental reasons, it’s a sensible business idea for more restaurants to cater to these dietary requirements – especially as tourism grows in America.” 

Read the full research here: https://www.yorktest.com/us/blog/best-cities-for-plant-based-tourists/

Methodology

YorkTest took the 50 most populated cities in the USA, according to WorldPopulationReview.com. 

It then used TripAdvisor to find five popular tourist destinations in each city, and then looked at the menus at the restaurants closest to each destination, according to TripAdvisor. A meal was counted as vegan, vegetarian, or gluten-free when it was labeled as such, and there was no extra cost to get the meal substituted. 

To discover the increase in Google searches for various terms in the United States, YorkTest used Google Keyword Planner. 

Data is correct as of March 2022.