I am so grateful to live in a state where vegan and vegetarian restaurants are the norm. I am even more grateful to live in a state that has amazing vegan restaurants that never fail to provide stellar food for a reasonable price. I always use HappyCow to help me find the best vegan restaurants wherever I am at. Here are five vegan restaurants that I have personally visited in New Jersey and would recommend to anyone looking for some great food. Whether you are vegan or not, you need to try these places!

1. Veganized -- New Brunswick

Veganized is one of the first all-vegan restaurants that I ever tried. It has a plethora of delectable options that will satisfy anyone--vegan, carnivore, or anyone in between!

When I went to this restaurant, I ordered the Deluxe Burger. This burger is made from lentils, mushrooms, and eggplant and comes dressed with charred onions, tomatoes, and lettuce on a sweet potato bun. You can even get vegan cheese on it if you are feeling extra hungry. It comes with sweet potato wedges and a wonderful cashew cheese sauce for dipping. This burger will make you question why you ever ate meat burgers to begin with. The wise words of my mother still remain with me: "That is the best burger I've ever had."

2. Heartbeet Kitchen -- Westmont/Collingswood

I recently tried this all-vegan restaurant that is located in a quaint town close to Philadelphia. It was so hard to make a decision at this restaurant because everything on the menu looks wonderful and healthy. I decided to order the Zucchini Noodles, a dish I normally wouldn't get. It came with Zucchini Noodles ("Zoodles") and three eggplant meatballs made from chickpeas, walnuts, and eggplant. This was served with a wonderfully sweet marinara sauce.

Boy am I glad that I tried this! It was tasty, healthy, and satisfying. Since the noodles were made from zucchini, it was a lighter meal, so I didn't feel overly full after eating here. If you go here you need to try this dish!

3. The Moth Coffeehouse -- Allentown

This coffeehouse is, hands down, the cutest place I have been to in a long time. It is located in a building that was built over 300 years ago and retains its old vibe. Although a coffeehouse, The Moth Coffeehouse offers many vegetarian and vegan options that normal restaurants would offer. When I went here, I ordered the Beet Burger, which was a mixture of beets, oats, some other grains, and spices. It came on fluffy naan bread with cucumber slices. It was served with a small side salad.

I can say that this was one of the best burgers that I have ever had. It tasted like a cross between pizza and a burger and it was moist without falling apart. Coupled with the fluffy naan bread, this burger was both satisfying and unbelievably tasty. If you love great food and atmosphere, come to this coffeehouse!

4. Kaya's Kitchen -- Belmar

This is another all-vegan restaurant located right on the Jersey Shore. Kaya's Kitchen has a "normal" vibe that some vegan restaurants lack. Walking into this restaurant, it just felt like the conventional restaurants that I would go to in my childhood. Don't get me wrong--this is a wonderful atmosphere for vegan restaurants because it normalizes vegan food.

I ordered the Tempeh Black Bean Tacos. If you don't already know what tempeh is, it is a nutritious food made from fermented soybeans. It has a grainy and nutty flavor and is very versatile.

These tacos came with ground tempeh, shredded lettuce, guacamole, cashew sour cream, black beans, salsa, and alfalfa sprouts and was served on corn tortillas. It also came with a tasty "cheese" sauce.

All I can say is, wow! This meal was one of the most satisfying (and largest!) that I had eaten in a while. This restaurant has both cheaper options and more expensive options. The burgers are reasonably priced, but meals such as the one that I ordered are on the pricier side, but definitely worth the cost! If you are looking for a wonderful vegan restaurant next time you are going to the beach, definitely give this one a shot.

5. Cafe Con Leche -- Newtown

Cafe Con Leche is not a vegan restaurant. In fact, it's not even a vegetarian restaurant. However, it does have an entire section of its menu devoted to those who follow a plant-based diet. When I went to this restaurant, I decided to order a salad, but not just any salad. I ordered the Energia. The Energia came with tossed wakame seaweed, slightly blackened tofu, red onions, poached pears, and chia seeds over baby mesclun and a sesame red chili vinaigrette on the side. I wasn't sure this was enough, so I added a black bean burger to the salad for only $3. Boy was it enough.

I don't enjoy salads that aren't loaded with enough extras to make them proper meals. Given that stipulation, this salad certainly met and exceeded my expectations. Adding the burger (which was wonderful) to this salad certainly made it a mega meal. The salad itself was wonderful and the tofu made it even heartier. The burger was very large and had a moist texture, making it quite satisfying.

New Jersey is filled with so many great places to eat. Why not try out a vegan restaurant next time you go out to eat? I'm sure you won't be disappointed.