Runners-up

Strawberry Fields Inc 306 W. Springfield Ave., U 328-1655
Radio Maria 119 N. Walnut St., C. 328-0411
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With mismatched chairs and multi-colored bricks, the Red Herring, at 1209 W. Oregon in Urbana, creates an eclectic atmosphere with a menu to match. Hand-written on a blackboard, the menu changes twice daily and rarely repeats each month.

This project of the Channing-Murray Foundation strives to provide the community healthy food at an affordable price. Organic vegetables, mainly grown by local farmers, deliver a unique freshness to the vegan restaurant, but the Red Herring caters to more than veggie lovers.

“Everything here is vegan, which means there are no eggs, no meat, no dairy, but we still have people who come in who have wheat allergies. We can put something together for those people since we’re here all day and know exactly where all of our food has been,” co-manager Lisa Vironda said.

With such specialty service, the Red Herring keeps customers coming back. College of Engineering Senior Cheryl Weyant considers herself a regular.

“The Red Herring has a strong following. It’s made up of people who really care about the food they eat, the community they live in, where their food comes from and where their money goes,” Weyant said.

Check out CU’s best vegetarian menu at The Red Herring, open Tuesday thru Friday 11a.m. to 8p.m.