Dairy-Free North Dakota: The Best Restaurants & Shops by City

Last Update in March 2023! We’ve created this ever-growing guide to restaurants, bakeries, cafes, ice cream shops, and stores in North Dakota that are friendly to dairy-free diners. It’s a collection based on research and reader recommendations (send yours!) that’s divided into restaurants & shops by city (first) and major chains found throughout the state (second). And we’ve started a section for specialty dairy-free foods produced in this state.

We Update Continuously! You can ignore the original date on this post going forward. We update the information below whenever we’re alerted to a new recommendation, change, or closure.

Photo from Mehl’s Gluten-Free Bakery in Fargo

Dairy-Free North Dakota: Recommended Restaurants & Shops

North Dakota is still pretty young on the special diet scene. Vegan restaurants have trouble taking hold, and not every town is allergy aware. But they do have a growing list of restaurants accommodating vegan, gluten-free, and on the periphery, dairy-free needs. We’ve listed these recommendations alphabetically by city and then by the restaurant or shop name. For large chains with locations throughout the state, see the Major Restaurant & Grocery Chains section below. We have dedicated posts with dairy-free details for many of the big guys.

⭐️ = Restaurant is either dairy-free, has a dairy-free menu, has dairy-free labels on their menu(s), or lists top allergens with menu items. (At the time of our last review.)

Bismark

Anima Cucina – This cafe, trattoria, and wine bar has a few surprising vegan items on the menu, some dairy-free tapas, and several dairy-free optional items like sandwiches, toasts, boards, and entrees.
Fireflour Pizzeria & Coffee Bar – They have a “Saucy” pizza on the menu, which is naturally dairy-free (no cheese). You can add your choice of toppings to it. They also offer some vegan oatmeal cookies and jam bars, and have almond and oat milks for their coffee drinks.
HuHot Mongolian Grill – See our Hu Hot Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
I Heart Mac & Cheese – This is a build-your-own mac and cheese bowl or grilled cheese sandwich chain. They offer vegan cheese, various meats and vegan meats, and several other toppings. They have several pasta, base, and bread choices. Gluten-free options are available.
Kaity Kakes – This bakery typically offers some vegan and paleo treats. She also can also bake custom order dairy-free or dairy-free, gluten-free cakes.
Natural Grocers – They offer a big selection of dairy-free and other special diet products (refrigerated, frozen, and shelf stable) at competitive prices.
Noodlezip – This Asian restaurant labels vegan options on their menu and most of the menu is naturally dairy free.
Oahu Hawaiian BBQ Sushi Bar & Thai Cuisine – This is one of Bismark’s best for Asian food. They have a huge menu with many naturally dairy-free options.
Power Plate Meals – This is a prepared meals service that has order pick-up, delivery, and in-store purchase options. Their menu changes bi-weekly, but they always have at least a few dairy-free options, and the ingredients and allergens of each meal are prominently disclosed.
Stonehome Brewing Company – They are helpful toward special diet guests, and offer vegan cheese (and a few sauce options) for their pizzas and stromboli. They also have gluten-free pasta available.
Terrys Health Products – This local shop carries supplements, herbs, and specialty natural and allergy-friendly food products.
The Tavern Grill – They’re friendly toward special diet and allergic guests with an allergen menu and dairy-free tips. They offer a couple dairy-free appetizers, custom order salads with various dressing choices, dairy-free gluten-free burger and sandwich options, and a few dairy-free seafood entrees. At last check, their fish and chips were also dairy free!

Dickinson

Yum Froyo & More – Enjoy a swirl of dairy-free almond milk ice cream at this local shop. They typically have a couple flavors on hand, with options like fudge brownie, cotton candy, or pistachio.

Fargo

Babb’s Coffee House – They have a couple vegan wraps on the menu, dairy-free fruit smoothies, and offer almond, soy, coconut, and oat milk for their lattes and other drinks.
Becky’s Treats ⭐️ – This is a gluten-free, dairy-free home baker that sells at local evens and takes orders. She bakes cookies, donuts, holiday pies, and more.
BernBaum’s – This bagel shop offers a whipped tofu spread, and has some unique vegan menu options like vegan lox, vegan reuben, and a veg bagel plate. Some additional items can be ordered dairy-free.
Black Coffee & Waffle Bar – They offer gluten-free, vegan waffles and make all of their toppings in-house, so they are knowledgeable on dairy-free options. They offer soy and almond milks for coffee drinks.
Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Breadsmith – They do use dairy in many of their products, but you’ll find some milk-free surprises, like biscotti, apple cinnamon pecan bread, blueberry cornbread, and more. Many of their classic yeast breads are also made without milk.
Brew Bird ⭐️ – This retro chicken restaurant is very accommodating to special diet guests. Their grilled and crispy tenders are dairy-free and gluten-free, most of their menu can be made gluten-free, and many menu items are dairy-free or can be made dairy-free on request.
CherryBerry Frozen Yogurt Bar – The flavors rotate at this Midwestern chain, but at any given time, you can usually find at least a few dairy-free flavors. They offer creamy vegan Silk almondmilk frozen yogurt in Chocolate and Vanilla. And they swirl numerous dairy-free sorbets, including Chocolate Fudge and a variety of fruity flavors. The staff has ingredient information, and can open new topping bags if cross-contamination is a concern. They have two locations in Fargo.
Chick-Fil-A – See our Chick-Fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Crisp & Green – You can enjoy their full menu of smoothies and acai bowls, and they offer a great allergen menu to help you custom order their savory bowls. They also cater to vegan and gluten-free guests, and even have some dairy-free grab ‘n go dessert treats.
HuHot Mongolian Grill – See our Hu Hot Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Insomnia Cookies – This sweet chain offers a few flavors of vegan cookies year round, like Birthday Cake and Double Chocolate Chunk. But they also bake up seasonal vegan flavors throughout the year.
Leeann Chin – This quick serve Asian restaurant is based in Minnesota, but they have a few outposts in other states. This location is at the airport. At last check, all of their entrees and other menu items were dairy-free, except most desserts and the cream cheese appetizer. They also have many gluten-free options, a few soy-free options, and don’t appear to use tree nuts. They have a great allergen guide. Thank you to Anna for the recommendation!
Mahana Fresh – This Hawaiian-style build-your-own bowl spot has a great allergen menu, which reveals that much of their menu is dairy free. They also offer dairy-free Dole Whip and Dole Whip floats for dessert.
Mehl’s Gluten-Free Bakery -This little bakery was created by a celiac family, so they are quite aware of special diet needs. They have daily dairy-free pastries, including cookies and cupcakes, and make both seasonal and custom order desserts (including cakes!). We recently spotted an apple pie topped with their house-made dairy-free caramel sauce. They also serve soups, sandwiches, and pizzas for lunch. Most of their dishes are naturally dairy-free, or can be made dairy-free with their vegan cheese alternative.
Natural Grocers – They offer a big selection of dairy-free and other special diet products (refrigerated, frozen, and shelf stable) at competitive prices.
Poke Bowl – Yes, you really can order poke in Fargo. At last check, their simple poke bowl menu was dairy-free, but check!
Power Plate Meals – This is a prepared meals service that has order pick-up, delivery, and in-store purchase options. Their menu changes bi-weekly, but they always have at least a few dairy-free options, and the ingredients and allergens of each meal are prominently disclosed.
Ruby Tuesday – See our Ruby Tuesday Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Sandy’s Donuts – Every Monday and Saturday they bake vegan donuts in several classic yeast-raised flavors. Be sure to verify availability before making the trek.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
The Tavern Grill – They’re friendly toward special diet and allergic guests with an allergen menu and dairy-free tips. They offer a couple dairy-free appetizers, custom order salads with various dressing choices, dairy-free gluten-free burger and sandwich options, and a few dairy-free seafood entrees. At last check, their fish and chips were also dairy free!
Tochi – This small health food store houses quite a few dairy-free and vegan surprises, including dairy alternatives and unique international items.
Twenty Below Coffee Co. ⭐️ – This local coffee shop bakes their own breads, and has dairy-free and vegan loaves daily (usually a gluten-free option, too). Their menu is labeled for special diet guests, and includes a couple dairy-free breakfast items and some vegan desserts.
Wild Terra Cider – This local cidery has many cider flavors on tap. They also offer some eats with dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Young Blood Coffee & Sourdough Bakery – They offer vegan treats like donuts and cookies, and of course, offer fresh baked sourdough and toasts. They have almond and oat milks for coffee drinks.

Grand Forks

CherryBerry Frozen Yogurt Bar – The flavors rotate at this Midwestern chain, but at any given time, you can usually find at least a few dairy-free flavors. They offer creamy vegan Silk almondmilk frozen yogurt in Chocolate and Vanilla. And they swirl numerous dairy-free sorbets, including Chocolate Fudge and a variety of fruity flavors. The staff has ingredient information, and can open new topping bags if cross-contamination is a concern.
Chick-Fil-A – See our Chick-Fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
HuHot Mongolian Grill – See our HuHot Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Natural Grocers – They offer a big selection of dairy-free and other special diet products (refrigerated, frozen, and shelf stable) at competitive prices.
Pita Pit – See our Pita Pit Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
Power Plate Meals – This is a prepared meals service that has order pick-up, delivery, and in-store purchase options. Their menu changes bi-weekly, but they always have at least a few dairy-free options, and the ingredients and allergens of each meal are prominently disclosed.

Jamestown

Babb’s Coffee House – They have a couple vegan wraps on the menu, dairy-free fruit smoothies, and offer almond, soy, coconut, and oat milk for their lattes and other drinks.

Mapleton

4e Winery – Wine tasting in North Dakota? Why not?! This winery offers some vegan wines and also has a small food menu that is mostly vegan. They offer vegan banh mi and chicken sandwiches and some shareable nibbles.

Minot

Elevation – They offer a vegetarian menu with some unique vegan options, like kale vegetable potstickers, Mediterranean linguine, paella, “bacon” avocado burger, and chocolate fondue. A couple more menu items can be ordered dairy free.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
Uncle Maddio’s – This build-your-own pizza or salad chain offers Daiya dairy-free cheese alternative and has two crust options to choose from (including gluten-free). They also offer a plethora of toppings and a good handful of dairy-free sauce and dressing options.

Watford City

Stonehome Brewing Company – They are helpful toward special diet guests, and offer vegan cheese (and a few sauce options) for their pizzas and stromboli. They also have gluten-free pasta available.

West Fargo

Nautical Bowls ⭐️ – This smoothie bowl shop has signature blends, but also has a build your own bowl option, where you even choose the base (acai, pitaya, mango, cacao, coconut, blue majik, or chia). All of their ingredients are reportedly gluten free, dairy free, and plant-based.
Power Plate Meals – This is a prepared meals service that has order pick-up, delivery, and in-store purchase options. Their menu changes bi-weekly, but they always have at least a few dairy-free options, and the ingredients and allergens of each meal are prominently disclosed.
Sandy’s Donuts – They offer vegan donuts on select days of the week. Be sure to verify availability before making the trek.

Williston

Fresh Palate – This local natural food store specializes in healthy and organic foods, and they also carry a wide variety of dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and other special diet products that can be hard to find.
Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.

Photo from Brew Bird in Fargo

Restaurant & Grocery Chains found throughout North Dakota

Some recommended restaurant and store chains are getting too big for our city listing britches. They have many locations, or are rapidly growing, and you might stumble across them in a number of towns in this state. Click on them for more dairy-free details.

Dairy Queen
Qdoba

Photo from 4e Winery in Mapleton

Local Dairy-Free Food & Drink Producers in North Dakota

These dairy-free friendly companies don’t have their own retail location, but are in North Dakota. So you have a good chance of finding their products at grocery stores, restaurants, and/or other shops in this state. Keep an eye out!

We’ll add them as soon as we find them or you recommend them!

Photo from Black Coffee & Waffle Bar in Fargo

This Guide is Continuously Updated with Recommendations

We welcome you to recommend other dairy-free friendly restaurants. Leave a comment or contact us and tell us why you like a certain restaurant. Restaurant owners and employees are also invited to reach out and let us know how you welcome dairy-free customers.

Please kindly let us know in the comments if any of these restaurants close. We want to keep this list current for you, but aren’t always notified when a restaurant closes. Let us know and we will quickly update!

This Guide is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.

North Dakota: A Range of Dairy Free-Friendly Restaurants & Shops