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.
109 Reviews
First Review by condekedar
MakeItVegan
Points +114
Great food, open 22/7 - Edit
Love to support Minneapolis' employee-owned, local, all vegetarian staple.
Read moreLove the banh mi! Huge breakfast menu! Large portions. Cash-only. Yummy bakery items. Clean but on the grungey side.
Guest
Scoutyboy
Points +21
excellent Banh mi - Edit
We love this place! Everything we've had is really good especially the bahn mi (Vietnamese sandwich).
Read moreGuest
nsonnesyn
Points +150
Hangover Heaven - Edit
I was skeptical at first and confused with the ordering process, but the food was awesome. After visiting a few bars the night before, this was exactly the breakfast needed to recover. Huge helpings, delicious, greasy, well-seasoned vegan breakfast. Loved it.
Read morePros: Comfort Food, Vegan Breakfast, Well-Seasoned Tofu Scramble
Cons: Write your own tickets
Guest
GreenEyedMoFo
Points +78
Great Options - Edit
Stylish place to eat.
Read moreGuest
socalRob
Points +256
If you need early-morning beans, here it is - Edit
Lots and lots and lots of beans. I could not finish the whole plate. I liked the large selection and the prices, but wasn't crazy about the room-temperature water I got with my meal. Great hours.
Read moreWhy so many beans?
Guest
KashiTamang
Points +101
rice and bean realness - Edit
Ordered a tempeh lettuce tomato sandwich with red bean chili for 9.25. The Sammy was really good, and the soup was on point and spicy. Everything was well seasoned. Couldn't finish it. My friend got a plate of rice and beans which was only $3 and was about 10 inches wide. Three times as many rice and beans and she could eat. So worth the price.
Read morePros: open til early am , has wheelchair access ramp , is near many Pokemon go pokestops
Cons: rice and beans had zero seasoning, but for $3 who
Guest
m@earthville
Points +10434
Good value. Big menu. Quality depends on who is cooking. - Edit
Update in June 2016: The staff behind the counter told me that they are no longer using honey in any items marked "vegan," including their bread and buns. They have not updated the menu to reflect this (the first page of the menu still has the bizarre statement that items marked vegan might include honey), however, and two of the guys didn't even realize what was written in the menu, so it's unclear whether this is a deliberate change in policy or just happened to be the case today, so vegans are advised to ask about honey just to be sure (until they update the statement on the first page of the menu).
Read moreOriginal review, from 16 Oct 2012:
First off, vegans beware that Hard Times, for some strange reason, takes the liberty of redefining the word "vegan" to mean simply "no meat, eggs, or dairy." Apparently they don't realize that "vegan," by definition, means no animal products whatsoever, because they state on their menu that some of their items marked "vegan" include honey. So be careful.
That said, the food is tasty. Much of what's on offer is comfort food, but they also have some more salubrious selections. There are several vegan desserts.
Service varies depending on who you happen to get standing in front of you, ranging from really extra-good to pretty apathetic.
The location is very convenient to the Minneapolis campus of UM.
If they were to fix the erroneous "vegan" definition, clean the bathroom, and keep the tables wiped, i'd give them 4 cows.
As for the loo, well, i think "punk rock gas station" is a fair description.
Pros: Very affordable, extensive menu, delicious (depending on who is cooking)
Cons: Menu says some items marked "vegan" contain honey, quality of preparation varies a lot depending on w
Guest
cookiem
Points +5952
Crunchy dive deliciousness with patience and cash - Edit
You might not want to go here if you've never been here before because it's sort of a dive and has an energy that says: only those who know, will dine here. What's there to know? How to order, how to be patient and how payment is cash only.
Read moreAfter that, if you can find a menu... You're golden. The food here has maybe 5 healthful options!? The rest is comfort diner style college kid feed me I am mad hungry portions of food. Check your nutrition goals at the door and you're good.
Most people come for a beverage and pastry/ cookie/ muffin... But with crazy hours and an extensive menu... While there, you may order up some huevos rancheros or tofu scramble or hash browns or something else you didn't know you wanted until you say the orders other diners hauled to their tables after their names were beckoned.
Food is simple but fresh and good, satisfying and tasty. Bring cash. It would be a shame to miss out on something that peaks your tastebuds' interests!
Pros: Hours and prices and portions , Vegan friendly, Vegan baked goods
Cons: Divey , Cash only
Guest
salitrov
Points +40
yum yum yum! - Edit
Love this place and the vibes and the prices and the food is great! I had a vegan seitan philly cheese steak and an iced chai latte with soymilk :) Free wifi!
Read morePros: free wifi, sweet culture, delicious cheap food
Cons: wish parking was easier/cheaper
Guest
happycowgirl
Points +6041
Phenomenal! - Edit
Excellent vegan and vegetarian choices. Breakfast served all day. Amazing espresso drinks and tea varieties. Hip interior. Cheap street parking in front. Highly recommend!!
Read moreGuest
ErikPaulson
Points +20
Super cool - Edit
Hardtimes has a expansive menu of vegan items ranging from breakfast to desert. It's hard to complain with prices this low and food this good.
Read morePros: Cool staff, Great food, Home to memories
Cons: one jerky server I've met
Guest
KellyMason
Points +34
Hard Times Cafe Best for Vegan Comfort Food! - Edit
The best place for vegan comfort food. Prices are amazing, staff very supportive of vegans; bakery even offers great vegan muffins, cupcakes & cookies . Great, friendly casual atmosphere. Very generous portion sizes. Very convenient also, closed only 4-6 am every day. Down side: cash only.
Read morePros: Great food veg/vegan., Very inexpensive., Large portions.
Cons: Cash only.
Guest
ashleyvse
Points +22
yum! - Edit
Cheap veg/vegan diner food. What more could you want! Biscuits and gravy are my jaaaaaam. Cash only.
Read moreGuest
veganbrittany
Points +32
eh. - Edit
So this place had pretty good food, I will admit. However, due to its atmosphere I probably won't be going back.
Read morePros: good food
Cons: creepy atmosphere
Guest
EverydayTastiness
Points +2744
Awesome Bakery Case - Edit
At first I was turned off by the looks of the place, and then I tasted the food. Awesome. One of my favorite vegan places in Minneapolis. I am in love with the vegan rancheros and the bakery case. The gyro, biscuits, and others are good but those are my faves. Walk in, write your order on the ticket, pay cash only, and get a vegan cupcake while you wait. Day old muffins are usually $1 and huge. I can always count on hard times for cheap, tasty vegan muffins and cupcakes.
Read moreI added pictures for all six pages of their menu since they don't have a website.
Pros: Cheap, Tasty, Hours
Cons: Cash Only, No website
Guest
alyvanheuk
Points +94
ugh. - Edit
Terrible atmosphere. Very unfriendly staff. Blaring obnoxious heavy metal music.
Read moreGuest
TableForOne
Points +310
Greasy spoon with metal soundtrack - Edit
This place is great. Punk. Rock.
Read moreThere's a sign on the door letting you know they have a puncture repair kit in case you've got a flat tyre on your bike.
And they played the whole of Iron Maiden's 'Somewhere In Time' album while i was in there. So for music, and pleasant regression to teenage metal days, five stars.
As for the food, I had the seitan fajita's and a side salad. The portions were large and the prices were cheap.
Awesome place!
Pros: Music, inexpensive, vegan friendly
Guest
fitmetalvegan2013
Points +86
Deliciousness at a Reasonable Price - Edit
Super cheap with delicious vegan options and options for non-vegans. I had the vegan pancake which was the size of my plate and super thick. The vegan pancake with organic maple syrup and a cup of coffee came to a total under $6, and man was it filling!
Read moreEven though some may see the interior of Hard Times Cafe as dirty, I see it as original, down-to-earth, and as if you are just at a friend's house. It is simple and the food makes up for any "eyesores" you personally encounter.
This will definitely be a regular restaurant for me from now on!
Pros: vegan options, prices, pancakes
Guest
warmstorage
Points +242
delicious, affordable, funky, real! - Edit
Hard Times is just awesome - period. Came twice in two days, and if i lived in MPLS, I'd be here at least a couple times a week.
Read moreI had a wonderful bahn mi sandwich with house-made seitan, and the vegan biscuits and gravy breakfast with hash browns and tofu. All wonderful. The breakfast plate (image uploaded!) is a massive asking of food for $7.50.
As for the people complaining about the bathrooms, they really should travel more. And maybe try leaving the suburban areas of the United States. Punk rock gas station is about right - tons of graffiti and about a hundred layers of paint, but it was fine - the toilet was as clean as a lot of people's homes (be honest -.when was the last time YOU scrubbed your toilet?) and it had soap, running water, and paper towels. What are you doing in there that you need it cleaner? (waaaaait - pretend i didn't ask that, i don't want to know.)
Pros: delicious food, huge portions, super vegan friendly
Cons: no web presence
Guest
juliotnunes
Points +744
Hard Times Cafe - Edit
This grungy restaurant has plenty of seating and many different vegan options to chose from. The breakfast was excellent, tofu scramble, and the desserts were good as well. The vegan muffin and chocolate chip cookies. Hope to be back soon.
Read moreThe restaurant is a bit dirty and looks run down, and the restroom is dirty but I hope this doesn't reflect the cleanliness of the food and if you can put up with the dirtiness to have a good meal then it's not to bad.
If you are use to restaurants such as, Real Food Daily-Santa Monica, CA or Angelica's-New York, or even Mizuna's-Spokane, WA then this place is not for you.
Guest
jegraef
Points +70
Support all vegan cafe! - Edit
This place is great. My husband and I come to MPLS fairly often to visit family and there are few all-vegan eateries. The staff is friendly and efficient, the food absolutely delicious and the coffee as good as it gets. Feels good to support a place doing all the right things. Would be nice if they cleaned once in a while, but, hey, guess we can't have everything.
Read morePros: great value, tasty food, big portions
Cons: dirty, music too lout
Guest
jujutsuka
Points +552
ewww - Edit
I got a tofu breakfast sandwich and coffee. It was greasy and bland. This place is unfortunately a typical dirty hippie establishment. One man took off his shoes and was cleaning them at the table, and another was eyeing my bag trying to spark up a conversation/asking me to take his picture and 'just come over here for a sec'. If you want to go here you probably shouldn't wear nice clothes because people will stare.
Read morePros: coffee good, soymilk available
Cons: dirty, creepy, rude
Guest
ashschmid
Points +43
Huge selection of vegan food. - Edit
Three of us went here for lunch today, we are all vegans. There were so many choices on the menu it was almost hard to choose. Of the things we got I would say that the gravy was definitely the best. Next time I think I would just order the gravy on whatever else I was ordering. The vegan muffins were OK, but a little bland. The hash browns were pretty tasty but next time I would order them extra well done.
Read morePros: Great selection, Friendly Service
Cons: grungy atmosphere
Guest
veganchick80
Points +31
It's a dive bar but the food is so awesome! - Edit
Once you get past the not so friendly staff and the dirtiness of the place the food is quite wonderful. It's far from healthy fare but super delicious. They have a lot of great vegan choices and I've never been disappointed. I really love this place. It's a great place to people watch too. There's always an interesting array of people eating here. Hard Times is a really unique place and an asset to the Twin Cities. Just use the bathroom before your visit!
Read morePros: All vegetarian, Lots of vegan options, excellent food at a good price
Cons: A bit dirty but cool atmosphere, Staff can be rude, Bathroom gives me the heebie jeebies
Guest
samanthamuffin
Points +139
Great Breakfast Food - Edit
My husband and I stopped here for breakfast. The guy taking my order was really helpful and nice. I got the vegan biscuits and gravy and the vegan breakfast bagel (so what! I was hungry!!!) The food was amazing. I actually ate it out in the parking lot. It certainly wasn't health food, but it was delicious.
Read moreI would recommend getting your food to go. Also, pee before you leave the house.
Pros: Great food, Inexpensive, Friendly staff
Cons: Not someplace you want to stay to eat
Guest
·X·
Points +27974
Awesome Dive Bar/Restaurant - Edit
Wow was this place interesting - its dive bar beyond dive bar, but so neat. This place has a community type-feel, like a local hang out for a diverse range of people. I really liked the feel here; there were random things on the wall, random writings on the wall, etc.
Read moreI thought the food was good, although I didn't like a spice that was on my Vegan Philly Cheese Sandwich. The other two individuals with me absolutely loved their entrees. The Vegan Chocolate Mint cookie was amazing; apparently the brownie was quite good as well (my friends loved it).
Prices were VERY reasonable - CASH ONLY.
Guest
noah
Points +71
must visit place - Edit
This place rocks. Its setup is kind of odd, but i wouldnt expect anything less from a collective like this. the food was amazing. i had a vegan helter skelter and a vegan pancake. the pancake was insanely huge. bigger then the plate it was served on. both items were delicious. it IS greasy breakfast food, what you would expect to eat at a diner for breakfast that served vegan food. i wasnt looking for the healthiest of options, so i didnt mind the increased taste. oh, and the oj was delicious. they also had a large selection of teas and coffees. it is right next to some uni, so its a popular hang out for college kids. the music wasnt loud. i read a little bit of my book while i waited for my food, which did take a bit of time, but i didnt mind the atmosphere, thus waiting wasnt that big of an issue. the kitchen is small, and i would rather have food prepared for me, and a longer wait, then prepared food with no wait. service is best described as efficient. dont go here if you want bougie type service, but they seemed willing to help if asked. overall, a great place. ill be back before i break out of this cold place. oh, atmosphere is kind of like saturn in santa cruz or pokeyz in san diego.
Read morePros: food, cheap, atmosphere
Cons: kind of long wait, parking
Guest
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