a healthy ranking

Houston tops Texas as the best place for vegans in new report

Houston is home to Verdine, which is a big deal in the vegan restaurant scene.

Photo by Michael Ma Photography

Houston made the top 10 in a new survey of the top cities in the U.S. where it's best to be a vegan, coming in at No. 6 on the list — making it the best city in Texas, ahead of Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Fort Worth.

The survey by the team at Meal Delivery Experts set out to determine which cities have the most vegan food options. They compiled the 20 most populous cities in the U.S., then used data from TripAdvisor to count how many restaurants or food venues in each city offers at least one vegan option.

New York is No. 1, blowing everyone else away with 1,464 restaurants or food venues offering vegan options — more than double the number than any other city on the list.

No. 2: Los Angeles is in second place, with 705 restaurants or food venues offering vegan options. Los Angeles has among the widest variety of cuisines including vegan Korean, Ethiopian, and Thai food.

No. 3: Chicago, with 489 restaurants or food venues offering vegan options, which is a surprise since Chicago is such a big meat town, although the city is best known for deep-dish pizza, and many Chicago restaurants now offer a vegan alternative.

Houston earned its No. 6 ranking thanks to its total of 312 restaurants. Diners have a range of options, from dedicated vegan restaurants like Verdine and Mo' Better Brews to vegan-friendly fine dining options like Theodore Rex and Le Jardinier, the restaurant at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston with sisters locations in New York and Miami that each hold one Michelin star. The city's Indian and Pakistani restaurants offer plenty of vegan fare — think of chef Anita Jaisinghani's Meatless Mondays at Pondicheri as one example.

Whether motivated by health, environmental, or ethical reasons, the number of vegans in the U.S. is rapidly increasing, reaching new heights in 2022. One in ten, or 10 percent, of Americans now consider themselves vegan or vegetarian.

The dollars are also there, with the plant-based industry worth over $7 billion in the US in 2022.

The milk substitute market is valued at over $3 billion in 2022, and the meat substitute market is valued over $1 billion in 2022.

Austin was the only other Texas city to make the top 10, coming in at No. 8 with 286 restaurants.

Dallas was No. 12, boasting 209 restaurants that are vegan or offer vegan options, followed by San Antonio at No. 13, with 202 vegan- or vegan-friendly establishments.

Fort Worth came in last place, with 68 restaurants or food venues offering at least one vegan option, despite Fort Worth's buzzy vegan scene with places like Pizza Verde, Zonk Burger, Mariachi's Dine-In. Fort Worth is also home to Texas' most famous vegan restaurant, Spiral Diner.

The full list, by ranking:

New York - 1464
Los Angeles - 705
Chicago - 489
San Francisco - 467
San Diego - 385
Houston - 312
Seattle - 309
Austin - 286
Denver - 261
Philadelphia - 258
Phoenix - 234
Dallas - 209
San Antonio - 202
Charlotte, NC - 176
Jacksonville, FL - 140
Indianapolis - 140
Columbus, Ohio - 137
San Jose - 80
Oklahoma City - 80
Fort Worth - 68

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H-E-B names 3 innovative Houston food companies among 'Texas Best'

H-E-B Quest for Texas Best Hive Food Co.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Hive Food Co. is known for its infused honey.

After months of pouring over video submissions, H-E-B is entering the final leg of its annual grocery games. The San Antonio-based supermarket chain has narrowed down the finalists for its annual Quest for Texas Best competition, including three from Houston.

Ten innovative Texas entrepreneurs were chosen from a record-breaking 978 entries representing more than 500 companies spread across the Lone Star State.

Now in its 13th year, the contest asks Texas small businesses to put their best foot forward for the chance to win a combined $100,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to be stocked on H-E-B shelves. Since the competition's beginning, the grocer has discovered more than 1,000 unique products, many of which have become literal household names.

“Quest for Texas Best is more than a competition; it is a launchpad for Texas entrepreneurs,” said James Harris, senior director of diversity & inclusion and supplier diversity for H‑E‑B, in a release. “H‑E‑B began as a small business, and we know firsthand how powerful the right opportunity can be.”

This year, the San Antonio and Houston regions were at the head of the pack with three finalist nods each. But the entrepreneurs hailed from all over the state — from border town Roma to Fort Worth suburb Haltom City. The top 10 hopefuls include:

Boerne — Coley’s Foods Inc., a frozen cookie dough company
Floresville — Dean & Peeler Meats, a beef producer known for its smoked Gouda sausage and Angus tallow
San Antonio — WFN Foods, maker of heat-and-serve taco fillings like beef barbacoa, pork carnitas, and carne guisada
Roma — In Your Smokin' Face, a spice company specializing in bold chile piquín and carne asada blends
Haltom City — Sol Dias, a gourmet paleta and Mexican ice cream company
Glenn Heights — Uncle Marc’s, a manufacturer of barbecue seasonings, rubs, and sauces
Houston — Doggie Express, a small-batch maker of decorated treats for canine celebrations
Houston — Big Bayou Cocktail Sauce, a saucy supplier branching out to Bloody Mary and margarita mixes
Houston — Hive Food Co., beekeepers known for gourmet infused honey
Bastrop — La Fregona, creators of a chile sauce for elotes and esquites

The final contenders will pitch their products on October 8 at H-E-B's headquarters in San Antonio, where judges will determine the top four winning products and award $50,000 to the Grand Prize winner and the "Texas Best" title — an honor that guarantees placement on H-E-B store shelves.

The first-place winner will receive $25,000, the second-place winner will receive $15,000, and the third-place winner will receive $10,000.

Since 2014, H-E-B has handed out nearly $2.75 million in prize money to Texas entrepreneurs. But Quest for Texas Best isn’t just about capital: the winners receive marketing, mentoring, and supplemental support to grow their brands. Fifty-five Texas small businesses that took part in the contest have achieved $1 million in sales and earned a commemorative H-E-B Million Dollar Club belt buckle.

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