The Ripken Experience Aberdeen – Vegetarian Guide
An incredible baseball experience awaits you at The Ripken Experience Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Maryland. This facility is named after Cal Ripken Jr., a baseball legend who played for the Baltimore Orioles for over 20 years. This facility treats players to a big-league experience with fields that are recreations of famous major league stadiums.
After watching a competition or working up an appetite out on the field, guests and athletes alike will be in search of places to eat. Luckily, The Ripken Experience Aberdeen is surrounded by restaurants and casual eateries in Aberdeen, so it isn’t hard for guests of any preference to find options.
The Olive Tree
The Olive Tree is a casual Italian restaurant located five minutes from The Ripken Experience Aberdeen. For 20 years, this local favorite has been serving up large portions of classic Italian cuisine made from the freshest ingredients.
Vegetarians have plenty of options when it comes to Italian cuisine, as there’s no shortage of pizza and pasta dishes. Start off with a refreshing Greek salad or a Margherita flatbread appetizer. Main courses include a satisfying eggplant Parmesan and the fettuccine Gypsy. This popular pasta dish features tomatoes, olives, artichokes, mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, and a white wine sauce.
Enjoy these filling meals in a modern environment featuring a large bar in the center of the restaurant. Grab a glass of vino to pair with your meal, and you have an ideal dining experience for vegetarians and carnivores alike.
The Greene Turtle
Those looking for a place to bring the entire team for a meal should head over to The Greene Turtle. The Greene Turtle is located just five minutes from The Ripken Experience Aberdeen and offers an environment where groups of all sizes and customers of all ages are welcome. There’s plenty of room for everyone to enjoy a meal or just watch a game with some beers and appetizers. There are even arcade games for kids to play.
While your entire group is enjoying the energetic atmosphere and satisfying food, vegetarians can find some satisfying options. The Green Turtle’s menu includes pizza, black bean burgers, and plenty of soup and salad options. One of the most-recommended appetizers is the fried pickles, a finger food perfect for the whole table. Wash it down with some of their locally sourced beer, some of which is brewed exclusively for The Greene Turtle. Sports fans, teams, solo travelers, and everyone in between is bound to have a fun experience at The Green Turtle.
Johnny’s Poki Bowl
More adventurous eaters will want to head over to Johnny’s Poki Bowl, located six minutes from The Ripken Experience Aberdeen. This restaurant is popular due to its fresh food and modern approach to poke, a traditional Hawaiian dish. Poke is a fish-based dish served in a bowl and filled with toppings such as rice, noodles, edamame, cucumber, avocado, and green onions. It’s similar to deconstructed sushi.
At Johnny’s Poki Bowl, diners can completely customize their meal or go with a pre-determined option. The vegetarian Garden Bowl, for example, contains ingredients like mango, cucumber, edamame, avocado, and pickled radish.
In addition to a wide array of poke bowl combinations, Johnny’s Poki Bowl also serves sushi burritos. Vegetarians can get the ingredients of the Garden Bowl in a sushi burrito if they choose. Mix and match your ingredients, choose a bowl or roll, and you’re ready to go!
Mamie’s Cafe
Wholesome meals and a homey atmosphere are two things that make Mamie’s Cafe so wonderful. The owner named the restaurant after her grandmother, who spent her life raising a family and focusing on love and hospitality. This is the same approach the cafe takes to serving its customers: treat everyone like family and make them feel at home.
The restaurant is decorated like a grandmother’s home with numerous kitschy items covering the walls, such as memorabilia, framed photos, paintings, and more. Knick knacks take up almost every inch of the wall, making the dining room feel somewhat like an antique shop.
In addition to the unique decor, the menu at Mamie’s Cafe features lots of comfort food. For dinner, meat-free options include breaded and fried mushrooms, baked stuffed shells, cheese ravioli, and Spaghetti ala Mamie. This pasta dish contains broccoli, tomato, and onion sauteed with garlic and olive oil.
The best part is, Mamie’s Cafe is BYOB! So sip on a drink while you nestle into this cozy and comfortable eatery.
La Tolteca
For more than two decades, La Tolteca has been bringing a taste of Mexico to the Aberdeen area. Their meats and seafood are fresh, they handmake their corn chips daily, and their cantina is stocked with drinks. It’s a fun atmosphere with colorful green and orange walls covered in traditional Mexican art. Rainbow banners hang over the bar, where there are plenty of televisions for guests to watch a fútbol game while sipping on a margarita.
In terms of vegetarian food, La Tolteca has a vegetarian menu with plenty of meat-free options. Past patrons rave about their tableside guacamole, which is a great way to start off the meal. Guests then choose from a menu of classic Mexican dishes like vegetable fajitas, spinach chimichangas with queso, and enchiladas filled with rice and beans. Delicious, authentic Mexican food awaits you at La Tolteca, only seven minutes from The Ripken Experience Aberdeen.
Vintage Cafe
Support a small, family-owned, local business by having breakfast at Vintage Cafe. Vintage Cafe is a charming breakfast joint on Main Street Aberdeen, 15 minutes from The Ripken Experience Aberdeen. They serve up classic, satisfying breakfast options like pancakes, waffles, French toast, and eggs your way. If you’re more interested in brunch options, vegetarians can choose between the egg salad sandwich, veggie burger, fresh vegetable wrap, or grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.
One of the most unique parts about Vintage Cafe is its old-fashioned soda fountain. With this retro equipment, the owners of Vintage Cafe are able to hand-make fresh soda for guests to enjoy. They can also create one-of-a-kind concoctions like a strawberry and cream milkshake or a classic root beer float. So whether you’re having breakfast before a big game at The Ripken Experience Aberdeen or filling up with some lunch afterward, Vintage Cafe is a great option.