With baseball season starting today and the Mariners back on the field, bars around the city are gearing up for several months of game day gatherings. Whether you’re pregaming at a neighborhood bar or chowing down at the stadium, food is part of the ritual. Sports food culture often defaults to meaty wings and sliders, but there’s plenty for plant-based, sports-loving foodies to munch on, too. As a long-time vegetarian myself, here are some of my favorite meat-free snacks to eat around town before the game or while watching the Mariners step up to bat.

And if you’re heading into T-Mobile Park, there’s plenty to eat there, too—soft pretzels, churros, potato and cheese piroshkies, garlic fries, and ube coconut Rice Krispies.

Life on Mars

Part cocktail bar, part vinyl shop, Life on Mars also specializes in vegan bites. This funky Capitol Hill establishment is the perfect spot to pregame, complete with daily happy hour and a creative rotation of tipsy libations and NA bevvies. The entire menu is made for plant-based foodies, from sliders to disco fries, but the Ghostfish beer-battered cauliflower wings are a must, named one of the best vegan wings in the country by PETA. Pair these delicious bites with your choice of sauce, including mango habanero and garlic butter parmesan. 

Georgetown Liquor Company 

A staple in Seattle’s vegan scene, Georgetown Liquor Company has perfected bar food without a trace of meat in sight. Think loaded tots, Reubens, and burgers. This neighborhood favorite makes all its own meat substitutes in-house. The move here is the cheesesteak: a messy, delicious mix of seared veggie beef, grilled onions, and smoky cheese sauce in a French roll. The nachos are another crowd-pleaser, stacked high with all the fixings and perfect for sharing. 

Pitch the Baby

At Capitol Hill’s new-ish women’s sports bar, Pitch the Baby, the kitchen leans Mexican-inspired. Although not exclusively plant-based, the menu has plenty of options that can easily go vegan. The standout dish is the mushroom picadillo tacos, topped with slaw, pickled red onion, and salsa on homemade tortillas. Skip the crema to make it vegan. 

Rhein Haus

Rhein Haus brings a Bavarian twist to game day, pairing plenty of screens with steins of beer, bocce ball, and a lively atmosphere. While sausages are usually the star of the show, vegetarians are not excluded. The veggie brat holds its own, served in a toasty bun and topped with onions, sauerkraut, and pickled peppers. Name a better veg-friendly game day combo than a plant-based brat with a German lager. The Bavarian pretzel dunked in beer cheese and mustard is a close second.

The lentil nachos, loaded with cashew queso, pico, avocado sauce, lime crema, pickled red onion, and radish, are another easy pick at Box Bar.

Photo courtesy of Box Bar

Box Bar

West Seattle’s Box Bar proves that vegan bar food doesn’t have to sacrifice comfort or flavor. At the refined neighborhood bar, go for the vegan BLTA. This grand slam of a sandwich layers crunchy tempeh bacon with crisp greens, tomato, cucumber, guac, and creamy lemon mayo on grilled sourdough. It’s simple, classic, and pairs perfectly with a cold beer. If you’re feeling less traditional, the tangy jackfruit tacos are a tasty option with a kick on a sunny Seattle game day.

Rough and Tumble

Rough and Tumble—the women’s-focused sports bar with locations in Ballard and Columbia City—is a welcoming spot for game day. The menu features elevated, Pacific Northwest-inspired pub food with plenty of veggie options, including corn ribs, cheese curds, and jalapeño poppers. The tofu sliders take home the gold here: ginger-glazed tofu on a Hawaiian roll topped with grilled pineapple, scallion slaw, and a gochujang glaze.