Explore the best Boston vegan restaurant finds with Erica Korff, aka Vegan Kween, your guide to the city’s plant-based eats. This interview offers a peek into her vibrant Instagram, spotlighting the must-visit spots and lesser-known gems in our great city!

If you’re local to Boston and Cambridge or considering visiting, we’re getting some wicked good restaurant intel from someone who knows it best: Erica Korff, also known as the Vegan Kween. Whether you’re a Boston local, planning a visit, or simply curious about plant-based eating, Erica’s insights and stunning photography open the door to the best vegan eats the city has to offer.
Erica has transformed her passion for vegan dining into a dynamic Instagram presence, amassing over 18,000 followers who look to her for the latest in plant-based cuisine. From her early days of inspiration to her dedicated engagement with the vegan community, Erica’s work is a reflection of her love for vegan food and her commitment to sharing it with the world.
Her Instagram goes beyond just a list of recommendations. It’s a vibrant feed capturing the variety and richness of vegan restaurant options in Boston and Cambridge and beyond, making it an essential guide for anyone looking to explore the city’s vegan scene.
Continue reading to discover Erica’s journey from foodie follower to vegan influencer, her process of finding and documenting the best Boston vegan restaurant food, and her steadfast commitment to showcasing vegan options in both familiar and unexpected places.
How It All Began
Could you walk us through the origins of your Boston vegan food Instagram account? What inspired you to start, and how have you built your following?
Even before going vegan, I always loved following foodie accounts. I always admired those “drool-worthy” shots and how certain photographers and bloggers could really make food look so good. When I first went vegan, I started to follow the vegan-specific foodie accounts to help with my journey and transition into a plant-based diet. It was super helpful to find content creators making easy vegan recipes at home, and also just to find how amazing & delicious vegan food can really look.
During the summer of 2017, I went on a trip to San Francisco and while there, I started documenting all of the amazing vegan food I was finding. It was then that I realized I not only want to follow more vegan foodie accounts, but I want to BE one too. I had so many great recommendations that I was eager to show off!
It was then that I changed my handle to vegan_kween (a name & persona that fit me well) and started to be consistent with my food blogging, with a focus on the Boston restaurant scene alongside the occasional travel. I noticed that the vegan community in Boston felt rather small, and didn’t know of anyone else leveraging Instagram to its fullest potential to document local options, so my page became my inspiration to be a guide to the community, as well as for myself. I view my Instagram as my “food diary”—it is so fun to look back and see all of the wonderful cuisines and products I have tried over the years.
In terms of my following—consistency has been key. I have been posting, on average, every other day since 2017! I have been very fortunate to have created strong friendships within the Boston vegan community, as well as connections with restaurants, chefs, makers, and creators.

A Behind-the-Scenes Look
Your food images are so beautiful! Could you share your process for choosing restaurants and capturing such vibrant visuals, especially in low-light settings?
Thank you! My philosophy is that most dishes can look beautiful when you have natural light and just a pop of color somewhere on the plate. Whenever possible, I try to shoot content either outside (yes, you will see me bring a plate outside in the winter if I need to!) or by a nice window seat in the restaurant.
Along with that, I use a free editing app called Lightroom to sometimes enhance photos when needed, whether it be adjusting shadows, adding a hint of warmth, or playing around with contrast settings. I don’t try to alter the photo too much or make the plate look too different, but sometimes a pop is what helps make the photo and recommendation stand out on Instagram!
For low light settings or nighttime footage, I have been using a light from a brand called Lume Cube which is a total game-changer after using my iPhone’s flash for years—too harsh! The Lume Cube is great because it’s small enough to fit in my purse and you can also adjust how bright and warm you want it. It has saved me when it comes to capturing clear, high-quality nighttime content!

The Best Vegan Restaurants In Boston and Cambridge
In a city filled with wicked awesome food, can you point out some standout vegan restaurants in Boston and Cambridge, especially any hidden gems? Also, are there non-vegan restaurants you’ve found that offer particularly good vegan options on their menu?
Oh yes! Although Boston’s options may be smaller than other major cities, the quality certainly makes up for the quantity. Below are my favorite all-vegan or veg-forward spots:
- Lulu Green (South Boston)
- Red White Ramen (Back Bay)
- Zhu’s Kitchen (Arlington)
- Koshari Mama (Somerville)
- Saus at Bow Market (Somerville)
- Rhythm n Wraps (Allston/Brighton)
- Thrive Juice Cafe (Arlington)
- Green Leaf (Framingham – a spot near & dear to my heart – one of the first veg places I went to as a vegan!)
Non-vegan recs that accommodate/have vegan options:
- Sarma (Somerville)
- Oleana (Cambridge)
- Terramia (North End)
- Pagu (Cambridge)
- Sumiao Hunan Kitchen (Cambridge)
- Across the Border Tex Mex (Jamaica Plain – They are unfortunately closing their brick-and-mortar location at the end of March 2024. Their food truck will remain open and offer the same options.)
- Wusong Road (Cambridge)
- Catalina’s Pizza (Malden)
- Myers & Chang (South End)
- La Posada (Somerville)
- Nu Kitchen (Somerville)
- Donut Villa Diner (Malden, Cambridge, Arlington)
So much more than this list—be sure to check out my Instagram to see!

The Boston Vegan Restaurant Scene: A Distinctive Community
From your perspective, what makes Boston’s vegan scene unique compared to other cities?
I think what makes Boston stand out is that our community is more tight-knit/smaller, and the people really care about supporting these local businesses and restaurants. A lot of these businesses are also run by families who are plant-based themselves and their heart is really in it and the food they create.
You don’t always see that, and perhaps sometimes restaurants dive into veganism for the sake of getting on a “trend”. But the businesses we have here are in it for the right reasons and care a lot about the community, the planet, and the animals.
Insider Vegan Tips for Travelers: The Best Boston Vegan Restaurant Spots
For those visiting Boston, what insider tips can you offer for a memorable vegan experience? Are there any must-visit spots you’d recommend?
Along with the list above of my top recs, one could also check out a really nice vegan high tea experience at the Four Seasons on Dalton Street in Back Bay! It is a very special experience and delicious. It can be rare to find a spot for vegan afternoon tea, so definitely take advantage!

I know I mentioned Lulu Green already, but I do want to highlight that along with having the best vegan brunch in the city, they do an incredible dinner service, and it’s really the only spot in Boston that can offer an all-vegan finer dining experience and menu. Espresso martinis, cacio e pepe, charcuterie boards, and so much more!
Secret Vegan Tips
Do you have any lesser-known vegan tips for local spots, like secret menu items or hidden vegan-friendly places that vegans might not yet know about?
I discovered not too long ago that Boston’s 24/7 diner, South Street Diner, has substantial vegan options including Impossible burgers, chick’n tenders, quesadillas, and more! Super impressive & fun for some late-night munchies! Also, don’t skip the vegan hot Nashville cauliflower tacos at Borrachito, Seaport’s newer speakeasy.
How To Support Vegan And Vegetarian Restaurants
With the recent changes in the vegan restaurant landscape, what do you think are the best ways for both vegans and non-vegans to support vegan restaurants?
I am friends with a lot of foodies & bloggers in Boston, whether they are vegan or not, and it really makes me happy when those who are not plant-based still are open to trying and documenting some veg spots we have in the area. I truly believe one of the best ways to support veg businesses is by showcasing the options that people genuinely recommend, and when we can get the non-vegan foodies to also rally and share what they enjoyed, it reaches a whole other audience that maybe I didn’t reach on my page! So if people go to these spots and genuinely like what they have, reviews, posts, stories, etc. really do go a long way.

Looking Ahead
How do you envision the evolution of Boston’s vegan scene in the coming years? Are there any particular trends or changes you’re hoping to see or predict will happen in our great city?
Lately, I have been noticing more and more non-vegan restaurants, even steakhouses, rolling out more vegan options! I’m talking real, substantial options – not just a salad! For example, Oak Long Bar & Kitchen inside the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Back Bay has THE most delicious vegan eggplant piccata in a coconut cream sauce, as well as jackfruit tostadas. I thoroughly enjoy both of these dishes and it’s such a special and beautiful dining experience.
I think it is fantastic to see non-vegan restaurants have more options. It makes it so easy to go out to eat with friends or family with varying diets or preferences, and as a foodie, nothing makes me more happy than checking out new bars & spots around the city!
I believe more and more higher-end restaurants are going to learn & see the value of offering plant-based options, whether it be for the vegan consumer or the consumer who just wants to eat less dairy, red meat, etc. I can’t wait to see what else comes out!
Thank you, Erica, for sharing your knowledge and photography with us. I can’t wait to try more of these amazing restaurants and lesser-known spots soon, and I know our Boson-based readers will too. Even though I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, some of your recommendations are completely new to me, and I’m so excited to try them out. There’s so much to discover and be inspired by with your work!
Stay Connected: Follow Erica on Instagram!
For more conversations with bloggers, chefs, and artists, check out my interviews.
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