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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- Cash only
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Last update on 01 Dec 2023 by condekedar
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89 Reviews
First Review by condekedar
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
xEarlx
Points +85
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 +154
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 +44
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 +3271
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 +184
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 +274
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 +270
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 +114
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
izzyvegan
Points +173
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 +1121
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 +710
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
Ryah.Mayer
Points +301
Fun Place - Edit
We stopped here quickly on a road trip and were very much impressed. Ordered the breakfast burrito, turkey on rye, two pastries, and a coffee. This was all under $30 including tip! What?! Everything tasted amazing and the turkey on rye was my favorite. Will definitely go back!! (Vegetarian but most things can be made vegan)
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, clearly marked , Affordable! , Quality food
Cons: Cash only
Guest
savsmalls
Points +717
amazing food at an amazing price - Edit
one experience w a rude worker when they were doing covid takeout but since then the workers have been so kind especially the brunette w two braids. the food is sooooo good. they have oat milk now too!! so not just soy milk. i loved their breakfast sammy bagel, kinda dry doesnt come with a sauce but i still enjoyed it a lot. i think i just missed breaky sammies, wish they had avocado to put on it😒bicuits and gravy was awesome, gravy was absolutely delicious. loved the fresh green onions and tomatoes on top. amazing hasbrowns hand cut in store. really yummy pancakes too but ridiculous for them to charge $3 for real maple.. for one little cup.. c’mon. anyways hubby got the vegan rancheros and he loveddd it, not something up my alley so imm not gonna comment on it but it had a lot of flavor to it
Read morecook at the time (maybe owner?) told me they used to use store bought vegan chz but thought it smelled super strange and not like real food so they started making their own homemade v chz with sunflower seeds from northern MN!!!!!! so amazing and thoughtful!!!
i love this place
Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12
Pros: homemade v chz is amazing!!!!, reasonably priced
Cons: dining open!!, no avocado :(
Guest
Phthisis
Points +72
Unbeatable value - Edit
I've been stopping here every time I'm in the city for years now and it never lets me down. The food is all fresh and inexpensive. I particularly recommend the vegan pancake
Read morePros: Worker-owned, Unpretentious , Tons of vegan options
Cons: Cash only
Guest
Nutmylk
Points +374
Delicious, inexpensive, employee owned - Edit
We went here for breakfast and I got the vegan biscuit breakfast, a muddy waters coffee, and a carrot cake muffin. I also got a pretty hail seitan sticker 💅🏽 the breakfast was HUGE. the gravy was how I remember a home cooked meal on a cold day. Everything was perfection. No indoor eating and cash only but not a problem as they have an atm and a park nearby. The muddy waters iced coffee was great, but a little on the sweeter side. The person who took our order was a sweetheart and the cook in the back was cool too. Wish I could bring them all back home so I could eat this daily.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Inexpensive, Employee owned, delicious food
Guest
longnoideatime
Points +17
Good, but hard - Edit
The food is delicious, the prices aren’t bad, and I believe in their principles, but like… it is the biggest pain in the [censored] to eat here. You can’t call ahead and it’s cash only. Probably less of an issue if you like eating out vs take out and carry cash, but I don’t.
Read moreGuest
Tigra220
Points +10603
Do Better - Edit
It must have been an off day for the kitchen because I just didn't love it.
Read moreVegan Biscuits and gravy:
The scrambled tofu was good AFTER I added salt, pepper, and hot sauce to it. Before those additions it was a bland mess. The hash browns and biscuits were good. The gravy however, was a very thin dinner gravy. Those biscuits needed a nice thick country gravy or breakfast sausage gravy to make them complete. The sausage patty was decent.
I ordered a pancake because I love a buttery soft pancake. I received something overcooked, partially burnt, and hard. A far cry from what a pancake should be. I couldn't even cut it. And with the $3 they charge for a side of syrup, it was an uncalled for waste of my money. They need to really do better.
The cherry chocolate chip muffin that I had was excellent though.
Guest
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