Cheapest Place to Eat Vegan in NYC (and Portland, Maine!)

I have two words for you: Little Lad’s. That’s the name of my hands-down most favorite place to eat—ever. In fact, this café and I were made for each other because Little Lad’s makes cheap, healthy, vegan food and I am One Cheap Vegan. Best of all, it is served buffet style, so there’s no waiting for your meal. If you’re hungry, grab a plate and eat!

With one location in the veg-mecca of the East Coast, New York City, and another in my old stomping grounds of Portland, Maine, it was fate that brought us together. I remember going to the Portland location in the mid-1990s when they served all-you-can-eat meals for $3. Nowadays, with inflation and the growing cost of food, Little Lad’s has had to raise its prices to (brace yourselves) $4 for one plate and one bowl, with $1 additional plates. I know, I know.

How’s the food, you ask? For starters, it’s all vegan except for the use of honey in some baked goods. Second, it’s home-style and prepared with your health in mind. I recall some kind of explanation about abstaining from onions and vinegar in Little Lad’s recipes. Something about these items is harsh on the body’s digestive system. Instead, Little Lad’s uses a plethora of vegetables, grains, and legumes and there is never a piece of tofu or seitan in sight. While visiting, patrons are invited learn about the benefits of what they’re eating, as Little Lad’s has a library of nutritional books, brochures, and sometimes even videos.



The foods you see pictured here are: delicately spiced lentils and chickpeas; carrot, raisin cous cous; succotash; herbed mashed potatoes; salad with creamy dressing; potato salad; hummus; and a fruit parfait with the most delicious sweet cream I’ve ever tasted. Also, I have to confess, I am not a huge fan of ice cream (vegan or dairy varieties), but I do dream about Little Lad’s homemade ice cream. I love its chunky, crunchy texture, though true ice cream connoisseurs may stick their noses up at it.

One of the things Little Lad’s is famous for is its popcorn. People come from all corners of the country to eat this stuff. It is covered in nutritional yeast and herbal goodness that I have failed to re-create at home. If you live in Maine, you’re lucky because this popcorn is sold in local grocery stores. Otherwise, you have to rely on a kindhearted soul to mail you some (thanks, Mom!).

Little Lad’s is owned by Seventh Day Adventists, a religious sect that often leans towards vegetarianism under the belief that pure foods leads to pure body, mind, and spirit. Unfortunately, for a heathen like me, this translates into one of the biggest disappointments I have with Little Lad’s: it is never open on the weekends. Now that I live in Philadelphia and the closest Little Lad’s is in New York City, the stars really have to be aligned for me to be there on a weekday. But when I am, it’s all the more reason to pile my plate high with food. After all, it has to last me until I can get my next Little Lad’s fix.