When Beans & Barley opened as a hippie health food store in the early ’70s, it was a beacon in a wilderness of vegetarians and counterculture kinds crying out for a place to score meatless meals and additive-free munchies. Now it’s an East Side institution that serves a menu of wholesomeness that attracts a bevy of visiting and homegrown vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike. Diners can enjoy a laid-back meal in the atrium-like cafe or take away market favorites, like garden salads loaded with fresh shredded carrot, cherry tomato, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green pepper, sprouts, oh, and lettuce. It’s Beans’ rich, creamy homemade tahini dressing that makes these greens stand out among the rest.

Beans & Barley
1901 E. North Ave.
414-278-7878

http://www.beansandbarley.com/

Runners-up (Vegetarians): Comet Cafe, Riverwest Co-op Café