A typical vegetarian plate at an Ethiopian restaurant, where everything comes with free bread!

The school year has only just begun, and yet we’ve already suffered through at least a week of dining hall food. Many people on campus have sensitive allergies or food preferences that they adhere to, and it can be difficult to find places outside of the labeled options in John Jay that will cater to your needs. For those of you looking to eat out with friends without being relegated to a side salad or having that awkward back-and-forth with your server, here’s a brief list of options to get you started!

• The Pita Grill, located on Amsterdam and 111th, is delicious, inexpensive, has a kosher menu, vegan and gluten-free options, serves mostly nut-free items, and will deliver and cater.
• NY Brat Factory, located on Amsterdam and 106th, is fully kosher and home to a diverse menu of “dawgs”, usually for under $10.
• Community, located on Broadway near 1113th, has a plethora of options for vegans (including offfering to make any of their salads dairy free) and labels all food that either is or can be made gluten-free, but is more expensive.
• Masawa, located on Amsterdam near 121st, is an Ethiopian restaurant with a vegan menu already available. Though the restaurant atmosphere is not at Community’s level, the prices are good, and they deliver via Seamless.

• Mill Korean, on Broadway and 113th, has vegetarian dishes and rice-based dishes that they’re willing to customize to make vegan or gluten-free (for those with a severe reaction, they do still cook things together). It’s a fun place to eat, and you can walk away with a huge plate of food without spending more than $15.
• Dig Inn, on Broadway and 112th, has everything labeled with whatever potential allergens are in a dish, so it is a great fast-and healthy-food place to grab lunch or dinner on the go at a super reasonable price.
• If you’re willing to make the trek all the way down to the Upper West Side, there are great options for specific food needs. On 83rd and Columbus, Spring Natural Kitchen offers organic food with an abundance of labeled vegan and gluten-free options. It is a little more expensive, but their Sunday brunch includes vegan and gluten-free pancakes! Another favorite is Peacefood, located on 82nd and Amsterdam, which is an all-vegan cafe with a ton of gluten-free options. Though it is further and you’re definitely paying slightly above-average, this is the only place on the list with vegan, gluten-free baked goods (so good, they’ve won awards!) They also label any nut-free baked goods, so you always know exactly what you can order.

And if all else fails, there’s always Chipotle!

Delicious vegetarian fare via Bwog Staff