Trumpet Blossom Cafe

A hidden gem

In Iowa City lies a hidden vegan gem, Trumpet Blossom Cafe. In 2012, a former co-owner of another vegan restaurant, The Red Avocado, opened Trumpet Blossom Cafe as a restaurant and bar. This full-service cafe offers novel, handmade, all natural, 100%-vegan meals that use as much nearby produce as the season permits. The menu includes items that appeal to everyone, not just vegans. This calm, relaxing establishment also sports a fully stocked bar, where they treat their spirits with the same meticulous attention as the mouthwatering food they prepare.

A cozy destination

Trumpet Blossom Cafe has an intimately dim, cozy and homey feeling, featuring booths, lights, and décor that contribute to the cafe’s comforting ambiance. Customers are also welcome to bring books, laptops, and other items to work on while they slouch into a comfy booth or sit atop a mighty stool at the bar.

Hours of operation

Trumpet Blossom Cafe is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday; they are closed Mondays. The bar is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but customers can still order their favorite meals for pickup or delivery.

Customer favorites

Customer favorites include their savory take on nachos, their luscious tempeh reuben, their crispy sweet potato fries, their deeply satiating lentil curry soup, and their sprightly vegan Florentine platter. The cafe serves rotating specials on the weekends, which sometimes include Trumpet Blossom Cafe’s savory tacos, pictured to the right. Made with local radish, capers, beets, fresh greens, and herb aioli with kimchi from Iowa and tempeh from Minneapolis, this dish is bound to delight even the most hardened meat-eater!