BILLED AS “Red Hook’s first burger bar,” WildFlower Café serves traditional burger bar fare—minus the meat and dairy. On the other hand, you can adopt a stray kitten after lunch.

The space, previously occupied by Morgan’s Cat Café (a combination eatery and cat shelter) is now devoted strictly to food service, though diners are welcome to bring their lunch upstairs to the relocated, enlarged and redesigned shelter. (The shelter and the cats can be observed from behind glass panes.)

Owners Bobbi Jo Forte and Martin Pucino believe that bringing accessible plant-based versions of familiar foods into the mainstream will ease people into a healthier lifestyle. 

The café’s Cheezburger and WildFlower Burger are made with “Beyond Burger”—a meat alternative that “has more protein than a beef burger” and “is literally leaving customers speechless,” according to Forte. Jumbo vegan franks and fish-less fillet specialties also are menu highlights. Want fries with that? WildFlower’s fries are baked, not deep fried, as are the onion rings. Wash everything down with a dairy‑free milkshake.

For the “veg-curious”—those who want to taste what all the vegan fuss is about but aren’t quite ready to give up the meaty flavors and textures they’ve become accustomed to—WildFlower Café would be a good place to start. Have lunch, adopt a homeless pet, then visit the adjacent retail store that offers vegan handbags and other Fair Trade accessories and home goods.