Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Take-out
Breakfast
Twin Cities vegetarian cafe with an extensive menu. Includes vegan pancake, stir fry with choice tempeh, tofu, or seitan, and greasy spoon style dishes like breakfast eggs, toast, and hash brown. Worker-owned with punk-rock atmosphere. Open for dine-in and takeout (no patio as of 2022). Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-12:00am.
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1821 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, 55454
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Last update on 01 Dec 2023 by condekedar
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96 Reviews
First Review by condekedar
dangan
Points +24
Great alt space for hot drinks and food - Edit
A go-to place for an easygoing meal. Loads of vegan options. Wide variety of non-alcoholic drinks.
Read morePros: The baked goods, The good portions, Affordability
Guest
mandaziegelman
Points +330
Nostalgia - Edit
Being vegan for over 20 years, the flavors taste like comfort and the vibes take me back to playing D & D til’ 4am here drinking the best coffee. I love their vegan treats! Every time I’m in Minneapolis i come here at least once for that classic veggie food. Hard Times cafe forever!!!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-29
Pros: Classic MPLS vegan punk, Low key, Tofu scramble
Guest
macymoo
Points +1432
Love the muffins - Edit
I tried a bunch of pastries while I was in Minneapolis. Most pastries are vegan, but not all—I made the mistake of eating the non-vegan coffee cake. The muffins are great ($4).
Read morePros: Prices include tax, Mostly vegan pastries
Cons: Cash only
Guest
VeganVMD
Points +110
Punk rock community - Edit
Great options. All vegetarian and most items are also vegan. They were playing the Stooges while I was there. All cash but they have an atm inside. Some take away baked goods and sandwich options.
Read morePros: Excellent community, Delicious food, Excellent baked goods
Cons: Wish there was a bottomless coffee option
Guest
Redlurcher
Points +48
Cash only - Edit
Wanted to go as the food looks good, got an Uber there from our hotel to the cafe to find it was cash only and none of us had cash. So disappointed 😞
Read morePros: The menu looked really good
Cons: Cash only!
Guest
SparrowPraxis
Points +145
Good, but not always reliable - Edit
A great spot for coffee, food, and atmosphere, i definitely go here often. However the food can be hit or miss, and isnt always seasoned well.
Read moreGuest
Zurv
Points +1180
Delicious - Edit
Not fully vegan but great place. Awesome vibes in here. Very different and unique place. The chai with oat milk was great and the muffin and rice crispies are delicious.
Read morePros: Chai, Food, Vibes
Guest
xEarlx
Points +93
Absolutely Incredible - Edit
I ordered a vegan S'mores bar and the vegan breakfast (two biscuits with mushroom gravy, sausage patty, hash browns, and tofu scramble) and it was perfect. The gravy was reminiscent of old school Tofurkey gravy but way better seasoning. The service was great as well!
Read moreGo here. Right now.
Guest
Emma_XVX_Omaha
Points +212
Must Stop in Minneapolis - Edit
Awesome values and great food to go along with it.
Read morePros: CHEAP AF, Tons of vegan options
Guest
AmandaLackey
Points +75
Really good - Edit
I had the vegan breakfast biscuit meal. It reminded me of KFC biscuits from when I was a kid. They also have a huge selection of vegan pastries. I got the orange and cardamom muffin. Big note: they only take cash
Read morePros: So many selections, Vegan pastries, Cute place to bring a computer and chill
Cons: Cash only
Guest
TrevorKMDay
Points +42
Classic vege place - Edit
Always a good spot to drop in after a night out
Read moreGuest
Cheyenne2116
Points +124
Great place, low cost - Edit
Punk rock coffee shop and bomb not-so-greasy spoon. Self-ordering and don’t expect any “Minnesota nice”, but baked goods and griddle food and soups are amazing. #Veganuary
Read morePros: Baked goods , Biscuits and gravy, To go items
Guest
SaraNorlin
Points +3547
Punk vibes, tasty food - Edit
Always excellent. The food is great and the vibe is laid back to the extreme with a directness not easy to find in the Midwest. I come here every time I need some vegan protein and a break from my family.
Read moreGuest
CoryS
Points +11
Bad Atmosphere - Edit
The girl at the counter had a terrible attitude. Rude and condescending. I’m sure the cooks tips are down on days that she works
Read morePros: Great coffee, Good vegan options , Very tasty bake goods
Cons: Some of the music was terrible!, Atmosphere is grungy, Definitely for a younger crowd
Guest
smithkevinc
Points +276
Good food & atmosphere - Edit
I loved the atmosphere. Food was fairly standard breakfast fare. There are a lot of vegan options, which is a nice change. They take cash only.
Read morePros: Vegetarian , Good amount of vegan options , Atmosphere
Cons: Cash only
Guest
ineed_b12
Points +304
The MPLS version of the Chicago Diner - Edit
Hard times has been around for ages. While not fully vegan it does have an extensive vegan menu. Grungy vibe.
Read moreI haven’t been since COVID but they used to be cash only.
Pros: Extensive menu
Cons: Brunch, Cash only?
AmandaLackey
I agree. Similar to Chicago diner
Read moreGuest
beerika
Points +41
Amazing food and great vibes - Edit
Loved the food as well as the atmosphere! Also very friendly staff. The menu has also vegetarian items but it’s very easy to swap many of them for vegan versions.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-08-16
Guest
RagingMango
Points +278
Tasty, fresh and cheap - Edit
I've dined here twice and need to more often! Prices are super low and there's a lot to choose from. The biscuits and gravy were great, hash browns were a little soft for my liking but OK. Our friends who got the breakfast burrito liked those too. The tofu scramble I had was under seasoned.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-08-14
Pros: Cheap, Many options , Fresh food
Cons: Cash only, Dark and hot inside , Just OK food sometimes
Guest
DavidParker
Points +148
Tasty - Edit
The vegan menu 'looks' nice and the prices aren't bad. However, my breakfast burrito meal was more than half chips, which felt like filler. House made salsa was excellent.
Read morePros: House made salsa
Cons: Too many chips, Burrito seemed small
Guest
KahlerNygard
Points +44
Affordable vegan fare - Edit
I come here for the pricing, very affordable as they off half size options which are still very filling. Check out my YouTube short showcasing the food https://youtube.com/shorts/Qu8rtw0VL-M?feature=share
Read morePros: Affordable, Lots of vegan options, Can also bring non vegan friends
Cons: Cash only, Also cooks eggs and cheese in kitchen, No alcohol served
Guest
izzyfrances
Points +310
Hearty food, unique atmosphere - Edit
We had a good breakfast here (good value for money, big portions, loads of clearly-marked vegan options), but it's a shame that they only take cash, and the ATM inside the cafe has about a 10% charge. I liked the atmosphere (unique decor and metal music playing), but if that's not your thing (or you expect to be served at the table like some other cafes), it may not be for you!
Read moreGuest
Tofuttib00ty89
Points +1256
Best ever - Edit
Such a great little laid back place. Back before covid it was open til 3am, it was a fun spot to hang out late night and meet people, jam out play music or whatever. I have a lot of fond memories here. There’s board games and activities. The food is amazing and it was cheap! I haven’t been in a while. I would make a trip to Mpls just to go here though 🤣 if I could! The baked goods are great too. I love everything about this place. Every time I visit the twin cities this is my first stop!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-03-25
Guest
KaleWalch
Points +26
A Staple - Edit
Hard Times got me through a lot of hard times — late nights, and rough mornings. It’s the kinda place you feel cool eating at — and the food’s always been fantastic. The vegan rancheros has been my favorite for years, but you can’t go wrong on the large menu. Baked goods are especially great.
Read moreGuest
ponchoswindow
Points +730
CASH ONLY - Edit
But there is an atm inside.
Read moreAnyway this place is cool. It’s really weird to write your order down yourself but you get used to it I guess. Food is good as hell and you get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of portion size.
Pros: Damn good.
Cons: Cash only, Parking sucks
Guest
bearvegan
Points +26
Good, cheap vegan comfort food - Edit
Was having a really bad day, feeling very alone and upset because most people in my area eat meat. Decided to come here for the first time. It looks a little intimidating from the outside, but inside, the workers are very nice. I didn't feel judged or looked down on. I just showed them on the menu what I wanted to buy, asked for it in a to-go container, and then it was ready in a few minutes. They have seating indoors now, but I wanted it to-go anyway. I got full-size vegan biscuits and gravy for $8, portion size was huge, super good and super worth it. Today I was going through a hard time and hard times cafe helped me feel a little better about the world. I can't think of any cons about this place. Thanks :)
Read morePros: Inexpensive, Clean, Good comfort food
Guest
Jerrbur
Points +309
Great vibe. Great food. - Edit
Had a working lunch here and food was amazing. Had the bahn mi and it’s a great portion and amazingg prices.
Read moreGuest
Dykstrtr
Points +35
Cool vibe! - Edit
Delicious breakfast with an impressive cake/baked treat.
Read moreGuest
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