If you’re vegan, determining where to eat out can be challenging. There are a few restaurants in Carrboro that cater exclusively to vegetarians and vegans – Spotted Dog comes to mind – but overall, it can be hit or miss. A new website, Carrboro Vegan Dining, aims to solve those problems by curating every single vegan meal option at every single restaurant in Carrboro. The guide is the brainchild of Claire Curtis, a Carrboro resident for the past decade. Curtis lays out prices as well as how to modify existing dishes to make them vegan.
We thought this was awesome and a great resource for the community – and also wondered when it might expand to Chapel Hill. Our interview with Claire is below.
How’d you come up with this great idea?
Eating out is one of my favorite things to do. Transitioning to a vegan diet inspired me to create a website as a resource, cataloging all vegan dishes in Carrboro. People may think that eating vegan can be challenging and I want to share that it can be fun and easy.
How do you find the dishes?
I find the dishes by going to each restaurant’s online menu. If it’s unclear whether a dish is vegan or can be made vegan, I give the restaurant a call to confirm. All of the restaurant staff I spoke with were very helpful.
What’s your favorite vegan meal in Carrboro?
My favorite vegan meal in Carrboro is the veggie BBQ sandwich at The Spotted Dog. It is slow-cooked NC soy chicken in an eastern style NC barbecue sauce topped with coleslaw. I always get it with a side of homestyle chips and vegan ranch.
Do you plan to expand beyond Carrboro?
I am planning on doing a Chapel Hill vegan dining website as well. There are so many great restaurants in the area, and I am excited to see all the vegan meal options that are available.
What has the feedback been so far?
We’ve had a number of visitors to the site already and I’ve received positive feedback from friends and family.