The Vegetable Hunter in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — a reported favorite restaurant of celebrities, including rapper Kendrick Lamar and actor Steve-O — is turning its menu vegan.
The restaurant has been vegetarian since it opened five years ago, but owner Kristin Messner-Baker recently revealed it would be transitioning to a fully plant-based menu.
A new second-floor concept at the restaurant, named Upstairs at the Vegetable Hunter, will also serve a fully vegan menu — including Pina-Kale-Ada cocktails, small-batch beers, vegan cheese plates, and cauliflower steaks — from the outset.
“It’s really exciting,” Messner-Baker told Penn Live. “It’s something so unique, and really right now is the time a lot of people are switching over or want to have more healthy food in their life.”
The Vegetable Hunter aims to pull in not only vegans but also those who are simply curious about plant-based foods — the number of which is consistently rising. Flexitarians are the biggest consumers of vegan food.
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Is Kendrick Lamar Vegan?
According to a study published earlier this year, nearly 114 million Americans are trying to eat more vegan food to improve their health. And given his attendance at The Vegetable Hunter, Lamar could be among them.
The rapper hasn’t confirmed if he follows a vegan diet or not, but he does like to look after his health, abstaining from alcohol and cigarettes, reports Epic Dash.
Lamar was also close with the late slain rapper Nipsey Hussle, who followed a vegan lifestyle. In a tribute after Hussle’s death, Lamar referred to the rapper as a “vessel from God” and praised “his integrity as a person.”
Pennsylvania Embraces Meat-Free Living
The Vegetable Hunter isn’t alone in catering to the growing number of vegans and flexitarians in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this month, restaurants in Philadelphia participated in a meat-free restaurant week. More than 40 eateries launched a vegan menu in honor of the week, donating proceeds to animal welfare organization Misfit Manor.
According to restaurant locator Happy Cow, there are more than 1,000 vegan and veggie-friendly eateries across the state, with the highest concentration in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In Harrisburg, the home of the Vegetable Hunter, there are 15 listings.
