BEARCAT CAFE UPTOWN

"This friendly neighborhood cafe first opened Uptown in 2017, offering what was at the time a rare vegan-friendly menu for breakfast and lunch. It’s since expanded with another location downtown, and both are a local favorite for vegan and non-vegan dining — the latter is satisfied by dishes like the Couyon Daddy with fried chicken, crab dip, and sunny egg on a biscuit, and everything from vegan breakfast potatoes and vegan huevos rancheros to paleo pancakes make up the vast menu. There’s reliably a line on weekends downtown, so the Uptown location is another option." - Clair Lorell, Beth D'Addono, Eater Staff

"Bearcat looks like any trendy restaurant that opened in the mid-to-late 2010s: huge windows, succulents all around, somewhat industrial decor, and a neutral color scheme. But it’s the breakfast dishes that make this place special, not the numerous jade plants. Go for the housemade chia pudding and the Cat Momma biscuit with spicy lemon butter crab sauce. The biscuits are soft, warm, and some of the butteriest on this guide. The vegan food here is also a highlight, particularly the ranchero bowl filled with black beans, avocado, and salsa, topped with creamy cashew crema and slightly spicy ranchero sauce. Order a butterfly matcha lemonade to pair with everything." - megan braden perry

"There are two locations of the beloved Bearcat Cafe which splits its menu into “good cat” and “bad cat” sections, depending on how much you want to indulge your inner beast. Most of the vegan items appear on the “good cat” side. It serves breakfast and lunch with vegan rancheros and quesadillas, chia pudding, vegan grilled cheese, vegan portobello Philly, and vegan queso, to name a few." - Eater Staff

"There are two locations of the beloved Bearcat Cafe which splits its menu into “good cat” and “bad cat” sections, depending on how much you want to indulge your inner beast. Most of the vegan items appear on the “good cat” side. It serves breakfast and lunch with vegan rancheros and quesadillas, chia pudding, vegan grilled cheese, vegan portobello Philly, and vegan queso, to name a few." - Eater Staff

"Bearcat is well-suited for a solo breakfast or lunch, with ample, coffee-shop-style seating and options like chia pudding tofu scramble and chai pancakes with pecans, as well as a vegan-friendly menu. For lunch, sandwiches and bowls satisfy without weighing down." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell