(Plant) Forward Thinking
At Penn Dining, vegan and vegetarian options are mainstream. We’re proud to serve plant-based dishes at every meal across campus and celebrate plant-based eating through our Wellness Cup competition every year. We invite you to view our online menus to see what vegan and vegetarian options we are cooking in the cafés today!
Get To Know Our Icons
Quickly scope out vegan and vegetarian options using our green icons. Icons are found on our online menus and café signage.
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Contains absolutely no animal or dairy products, including honey. | Contains no meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, or products derived |
Tips for Dining
Our team has some pro tips to get you started with plant-based dining:
- Menus and ingredient information can be viewed online and are mobile-friendly. Save time by checking the menus before arriving at the café.
- Plant-based options can be identified by our vegan and vegetarian icons. Find these icons on our online menus and café signage. At least one vegan and/or vegetarian special is served in every café!
- Jain icons are used at Global Garden at 1920 Commons. Additional Jain menu offerings across campus will be described as “Jain-friendly”.
- Non-dairy milks are available for coffee and tea at all residential and retail cafés, including Joe’s Café, Accenture Café, The Market Café, Café West, Starbucks, and Pret A Manger.
- Concerned about cross-contact? Ask your server to change their gloves and use new utensils before serving your food. You can also ask a manager for food to be served directly from the kitchen to avoid cross-contact at the serving line.
- Have a question? Café managers are available to assist you during your visit. Photos of our managers are located at the front of every café and Chef Managers wear dark gray chef coats. Ask a cashier for assistance locating one.
- Looking to use your dining dollars? A variety of plant-based soups, snacks, and frozen meals are available for purchase at Gourmet Grocer. Vegan and vegetarian grab-and-go salads and sandwiches are also available for purchase under Meal Exchange.
Residential Dining
Here’s what you can expect when visiting our residential dining cafés:
- Vegan and/or vegetarian menu items are available daily at all cafés. Common plant-based proteins include tofu, tempeh, seitan, and a variety of legumes. A diverse array of cuisines is offered, from handhelds to plant-based Comfort options.
- Dedicated meatless stations are located at Hill House, Lauder College House, and 1920 Commons. These stations offer a full plant-based meal featuring protein, starch, and vegetables served in a separate space without meat.
- At 1920 Commons, Global Garden offers a full vegan meal and full Jain vegetarian meal. Menu offerings may include but are not limited to naan or roti bread, rice, stews or curries, samosas or pakoras, and assorted fresh toppings and sauces.
- At King’s Court English House and Falk Kosher Dining, daily vegan and/or vegetarian specials are served alongside the Comfort option.
- Looking for an elevated experience? A vegan feature entrée is served nightly at Lauder College House and Quaker Kitchen at Gutmann College House.
- Mix and match items from different stations to customize your meal. The salad and mezze bars provide the perfect addition to any dish!
- Our salad and mezze bars feature plant-based proteins like beans and tofu with house-made vegan and vegetarian dressings available to finish. Jain-friendly dressings include sesame-soy and maple thyme vinaigrette.
- House-made vegetarian overnight oats are available daily on the fruit and yogurt bar for breakfast at Hill House. Hot oatmeal and Greek yogurt also provide a filling base for fresh fruit, peanut butter, and other toppings found throughout the café.
- A vegan made-to-order tofu scramble is available daily for a hot breakfast option at Hill House. Pair this with our house-made breakfast smoothies, available for breakfast at Hill House and Kings Court English College House.
- Build-to-order Expo stations feature vegan and vegetarian options. At Hill House, vegetarian or vegan options are served daily at Global Fusion and a made-to-order omelet bar is available at breakfast & lunch.
- Our build-your-own pasta station at Hill Grill in Hill House is available Monday-Friday. This station features vegan Barilla Protein Plus pasta along with plant-based sauces and toppings, including Jain-friendly cacio e pepe sauce. Ask your server for your order to be made in a vegetarian (green) pan.
- Check out Kettles for the vegan and/or vegetarian soup of the day.
- Vegan alternative milks are available at all residential dining locations.
Retail Dining Commitments
At Houston Market, you’ll find a variety of plant-based offerings on Meal Exchange. Expect to try:
- Customizable Mediterranean-style grain bowl or wrap
- Customizable salad with house-made falafel and Jain-friendly fried tofu served with a variety of house-made dressings, including Jain-friendly balsamic vinaigrette
- Wild mushroom and black bean dan dan noodles
- Roasted garlic white pizza or traditional cheese pizza
- Falafel smash burger
- Caprese panini
- Rotating seasonal soups
- Vegetable sushi roll (McClelland Café only)
Premium options are available for purchase with Dining Dollars. Looking to customize? We take out the guess work in our Vegan and Vegetarian Dining Guide below.
Spruce St. Garden
Spruce St. Garden is a plant-forward destination at Houston Market. Menu offerings are prepared in a separate area of the kitchen to minimize cross-contact from animal proteins. To start, you'll find customizable Mediterranean-style wraps, bowls, and falafel smash burgers alongside weekly specials and grab-and-go offerings.
Grab and Go
On the move? We’ve got you covered with plant-based grab-and-go options across campus. We offer to-go salads, sandwiches, and hot meals at Joe’s Café, Accenture Café, and Houston Market with at least one plant-based offering per category. Find additional plant-based grab-and-go options at Café West and Gourmet Grocer.
Don’t forget to grab a beverage – we offer non-dairy milks for coffee and tea!