Vaunted vegan fare abounds in and around downtown Dallas

Always known for its great barbecue and Tex-Mex, Dallas has recently also stepped up its vegan game. Whether you're solely vegan or just looking to try it out, these downtown Dallas restaurants have some great options. From "non-chicken" to Impossible Burgers, the list is extensive.

When it comes to plant-based meats, V Eats Modern Vegan in Trinity Groves has got it down. A must-try dish is the General Tso’s Chick-Non, which has crispy battered oyster mushrooms, a tangy sweet sauce with coconut milk rice, and Chinese broccoli. There’s also Southern fried Chick-Non and Chick-Non fried steak, and don't forget to order an Ultimate Texas Frito Pie for the table.

Spice in the City, a unique Indian Tex-Mex spot, also offers a delicious substitute for meat — some may dare to say it's even better than the real thing. The vegan curry cauliflower steak is expertly baked with coconut curry sauce over cashew and raisin pulao rice.

If you're craving Vietnamese food, Sapa House has incredible veggie pho. And if you've been searching for meatless Moroccan meals, get the vegetable couscous and tomato soup from Medina.

Try a vegan twist on classic bar food at Anvil Pub in Deep Ellum, long known as a vegan haven. There you'll find everything from nachos to loaded cheese fries, with vegan cheese and sour cream as an option, of course. But the must-try grub here is the vegan chili, concocted with Smart Ground, onions, and vegan cheese and sour cream.

Pizza Lounge has an entire menu section dedicated to vegan pies, all of which are 100 percent vegan. You can't go wrong with any of them, but one that stands out is the Vegan Wild Calabrese, with garlic-infused white sauce, crowns of calabrese broccoli, and cremini and wild mushrooms.

For the healthiest of health nuts, there's Gather Kitchen. One of the best vegan options is the quinoa basil pesto bowl, which is a mouthwatering mixture of quinoa, falafel, oven-roasted basil tomatoes, seasoned mushrooms, butternut squash, fresh basil, and a basil-cashew-pesto sauce.

To keep the quinoa trend going, try the quinoa and hummus fritters at 3Eleven Kitchen. Or you can build your own bowl with veggies and your choice of starch.

For fresh salads and wraps, Freshii and Cafe Izmir are the places to go. At Freshii you can create your own salad, wrap, or bowl by choosing from falafel and tofu for protein and kale or quinoa as a base. Cafe Izmir's Turkish salad combines cucumber, tomato, red onion, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and Izmir spices, and you can make it an even heartier meal by ordering the spicy grilled eggplant as a starter.

Mudhen Meat and Greens has several great vegan dishes, but the must-try is the spring rolls. The flavorful combination of carrots, avocado, cabbage, and kelp noodles is all comfortably wrapped in collard greens with a side of tahini-miso vinaigrette for dipping.

For burgers, you can find the famous Impossible Burger — which has the texture and flavor of real beef — at Rodeo Goat and Uncle Uber's, while the bars Vetted Well and Crafty Irishman are each serving up the Beyond Burger for your vegan pleasure.