Northstar Cafe
4241 N. High St., Clintonville
614-784-2233
951 N. High St., Short North
614-298-9999
Web: thenorthstarcafe.com
Before the first Northstar Cafe lit up the local restaurant scene, veggie burgers had a pretty dim reputation. In general, they were disappointing and unsatisfying replacements for the real thing. Those days are long gone, as anyone who's ever gleefully torn into a fulfilling and glorious Northstar Burger now knows - that thing is truly world-class. And Northstar (which serves meat, too) has other top-notch vegetarian options, like its health-bomb Buddha Bowl; its flavor, color and texture-fest High Street Veggie Flatbread; and rotating chalkboard specials like remarkable grilled artichokes and a zesty tomato soup.
Runners-up: Whole World Natural Restaurant, Dragonfly Neo-V