Paninis, Crepes, Taqueria, Soups/Salads, Beer, Wine, Coffee at City Lights in Sylva
Tempeh panin sub vegan cheese at City Lights in Sylva
City Lights Cafe on Spring off Main in Downtown Sylva. at City Lights in Sylva

  • City Lights
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  • White Veg-options
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American
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Beer/Wine
Take-out
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Serves meat, vegan options available. Cafe offering vegan cheese, tempeh and plant milks for menu options. Can make many menu items vegan. Serves soups, paninis, salads, crepes and more. Open Mon-Sat 8:00am-9:00pm, Sun 9:00am-3:00pm.

Venue map for City Lights
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12 Reviews

First Review by FloridaVegans

Avatar camilleion

camilleion

Points +118

Vegan
14 May 2024

Yummy vegan options & a bookstore cat!

I love city lights and always make sure to stop by if I am coming near the area. They have vegan breakfast sandwiches and crepes that can be made vegan. And then it gets even better when you visit the bookstore and are welcomed by Cedric, the bookstore cat!

Cedric 🖤 at City Lights in Sylva

Vegan cinnamon sugar crepes at City Lights in Sylva

Avatar VegAmber

VegAmber

Points +48

Vegan
17 Nov 2023

Great vegan breakfast option!

Another reviewer said they’re now serving vegan eggs but I was skeptical since it’s not on the menu. They do! We picked up breakfast here twice while in the area for a weekend trip (Nov 5 and 6th 2023). Both times we ordered and then browsed their impressive bookstore. They have indoor seating and the patio area is dog friendly. We tried the sourdough panini with tempeh and vegan cheese, the breakfast burrito with vegan egg and our favorite was the v egg, v cheese and v sausage biscuit. It was heaven!! Can’t speak to their coffee options but my son had a hot cocoa with oat milk which he really enjoyed. Definitely stop here for breakfast if you can!!

Register area at City Lights in Sylva

“Garden Breakfast Burrito” sub for vegan eggs and vegan cheddar, with sautéed peppers and onion, spinach and tomatoes. Choice of sauce. at City Lights in Sylva

“Build Your Own” Vegan sausage, vegan egg and vegan cheddar on a biscuit. at City Lights in Sylva

“Vegan Brekkie” organic tempeh, vegan cheddar, spinach and tomato on sourdough with salsa on the side. at City Lights in Sylva

Avatar Noms4Veganz

Noms4Veganz

Points +109

Vegan
18 Jul 2023

Great options in the heart of town

We always stop here when we’re going hiking in the area. They have lots of vegan options including sandwiches, baked goods, and are now offering vegan eggs. The vegan brekkie sandwich is a great start to the day. Also the connected bookstore has a friendly store cat.

Pros: Clearly marked options, Outdoor dog friendly seating

Avatar kenny.cakes

kenny.cakes

Points +1601

Vegan
08 Jan 2023

Home away from home

I love a bookstore cafe combo. Always have food and dessert options and great coffee.

Avatar GoodNewsVeg

GoodNewsVeg

Points +366

Vegan
22 Nov 2022

Warm, Friendly Place with Comforting Food

We loved this place! Been on the road with our service dog for a few weeks, and found this place through Happy Cow as we were heading towards the Great Smokey Mountains. Being there felt like getting a big, warm hug. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, from the customers to the owner. We could have stayed there chatting for a few more hours (but the road beckoned). Lots of tempeh options, which were good - panini and burrito hit the spot. Bonus: There's a nice little book store upstairs, and I scored a copy of a book I'd been wanting to read (Lessons in Chemistry). Wish I could give City Lights 5 stars, but Happy Cow doesn't allow it because it's not 100% vegan. Thanks, City Lights, for welcoming strangers to your town!

Pros: Warmth, Food (tempeh burrito and panini), Vibe

Avatar bullcityveg

bullcityveg

Points +195

Vegan
30 Mar 2021

fast, easy, dog friendly

because it's COVID, we just ordered online and sat outside, then told the barista we were there. A lot bigger than it looks from the outside.

I got the tempeh sandwich and subbed vegan cheese (which was kind of mustardy, but it was still good and I was happy to have a nicely balanced option for breakfast), my partner (non-veg) got the tuna melt and said it was fine.

The server was very nice and brought us water and treats for our dogs too. Overall a good breakfast option before hitting some of the area hikes.

Pros: fast, reasonably priced, dog friendly

Cons: none

Avatar JenniferSheley

JenniferSheley

Points +47

Vegan
04 Oct 2020

Limited but great options!

I absolutely adore City Lights! They are the go to spot for college kids around here and also for tourists coming in for a weekend. Their coffee selection is amazing and they offer oat, almond, and soy milk options. My favorite meals from here are their pasta salad and their vegan brekkie! You can ask for vegan cheese on your pasta salad rather than their traditional parmesan cheese, which is really awesome. I recently had their vegan brekkie and it was life changing because it was the first time I had tried tempeh and now I am hooked. They are really taking COVID-19 seriously, so they are emphasizing take out, and their service is still great. You can order online and your order is ready in 15 minutes, which is how long it takes me to get there. The staff are always super friendly and willing to help you.

Pros: wide range of milk alternatives, friendly staff, quality food

Cons: limited vegan options, higher prices

Avatar MellyRoseC

MellyRoseC

Points +68

Vegan
10 Feb 2020

Adorable

Our server was great, the food was good, the atmosphere inviting.
Very vegan accomadating. Small town homey feel.
Visit the book store, sit and read while eating!

Pros: Vegan options, Price, Great service.....Book store!!!

Avatar carlanocarne

carlanocarne

Points +80

Vegan
06 Jul 2019

Favorite place in Sylva

I come here numerous times when we’re in Sylva! Almost anything can be veganized and they now have amazing homemade vegan cashew cheese. Highly highly recommend 💚

Tempeh panini sub vegan cheese add guacamole. Amazing!! at City Lights in Sylva

Tempeh panin sub vegan cheese at City Lights in Sylva

Avatar rsanders

rsanders

Points +33

Vegan
20 Jun 2019

Plenty of vegan options!

Nice place. Dog friendly on patio (they have frozen pup cups with yogurt also). Tempeh and cashew cheese substitutes. Nice to have options in a small mountain town.

Avatar ThomasDatt

ThomasDatt

Points +27

Vegan
01 Nov 2018

Amazing

Would give five stars if possible. Coffee is great and they have almond, coconut, and soy milk. Lots of vegan options for the food, many end up being made with cashew cheese as well as tempeh. Wonderful find in a tiny town in the mountains.

Very tasty pumpkin pie latte, with coconut milk. at City Lights in Sylva

Vegan chili and vegan burrito at City Lights in Sylva

Avatar FloridaVegans

FloridaVegans

Points +45

Vegan
22 Jul 2018

Sweet Gem, Excellent

Found this cozy place on Happy Cow. Can’t believe it’s not reviewed more. Patient, friendly service. Excellent, authentic food. Wide variety of options for all diets. Great community philosophy and servicing from the ethically sourced food down to the detailed recycling. Plenty of seating in or out. They have small bakery, Local komboucha, local drafts and delicious food. They are connected to a charming used book shop that is great to browse with your coffee and scones. Don’t miss this place if you are in Sylva or anywhere near it.

Pros: Plenty of vegan and GF options, Helpful and friendly staff , Ethical food and recycling

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