You are here

The official vegan restaurant review (U.S. and Canada)! (to be updated)

Please add vegan restaurants and reviews (kind of food, atmosphere, price, variety, service, flavor, etc.). I have added some restaurants that are not 100% veg*n, but have several easily discernible vegan menu options (not just taking away cheese, etc., so no guess work!). Feel free to add places with great vegan options. Also, please inform me if you know of a listed place that has closed/not very vegan friendly.

USA
Alabama

Alaska
Anchorage
Acai Alaska

Organic Oasis
Not strictly vegan, but they have a wide selection, and the options are labeled vegan (or gluten free). They have selections of vegan soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, entrees, and dessert. They also have smoothies, juices, teas, and other such things. I thought it was a very nice option to have. The food was not superbly special, but tasty. I had the hula tempeh sandwich with salad, and P had the Italian avocado sandwich with salad. The salad was nice and healthy, but the dressings were not very good at all. I tried about 4 different ones, and the Caesar was not Caesar like at all. Beware that they also don't label honey as vegan. We had the chocolate cake for dessert, which was good, but not amazing. The ganache and sauce were good. Overall, enjoyable. (AC)
Arizona
Carefree
Chef Sara Signature Creations

Flagstaff
Hip
nice little place in downtown area. I had a shaved seitan sandwich that was really good. (lebkuchen)
Glendale
Loving Hut

Patagonia
Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center Cafe

Phoenix
Chakra 4 Herb and Tea House

International Vegetarian House

Loving Hut

The Breadfruit
their tofu is so meat-like that I took one bite and must have made a horrible face because the waitress came to ask me what was wrong. I said, "Is this chicken or tofu??" Apparently, it was tofu! After I got over my squeamishness, I was able to enjoy the dish. But seriously, not for the faint-hearted!Also had ginger sweet potato pudding for dessert, which was actually a piece of pie, not a "'pudding." It was good but nothing to rave about. I liked this place a lot, though - very modern decor, great service, reasonable prices. (lebkuchen)
Sedona
Bliss cafe

D'lish
all I can say is, WOW. DH and I loved it!! We went twice because I had to get their gigantic Raw Platter 2 days in a row. It was absolutely fantastic and seriously enormous! DH had a Mexican dish (enchilada?) that was also really great. Prices were very reasonable to me for the quantity and quality of food. Highly recommended! (lebkuchen)
Tempe
Fresh Mint

Green New American Vegetarian
really great, funky little place. I had a chik'n parm sandwich that was to-die-for. The seitan was so "chickeny" that I actually wondered if I was eating real chicken! DH also had a chik'n-style sandwich that he still raves about to this day! The food was kind of comfort-food-greasy but really delicious. Also, they had soft serve ice cream! First time I ever got to have vegan soft serve, and it was GOOOD! (lebkuchen)
Okay, I like Green--the big exception would be the veggie burgers. I like veggie burgers that don't try to taste like hamburger. The ones at Green aren't trying to taste like hamburger, but I have no idea what they ARE trying to taste like. They are pasty, glue-like and pretty much gross, in my opinion. The pizza is just kind of plain--way too much emphasis is put on the fact that they have some vegan cheese on them. Not good enough to make me buy it again. But other than that, they have really delicious thyme fries, soynamis (best milkshakes out of all the vegan places I've ever been, though to be honest I've never been to any of the vegan ice cream parlors), crab puffs, nachos, etc. Green is good, just stay away from the fake hamburger type meat. (vikrrr)
Tucson
Govinda's Natural Foods Buffet

Lovin' Spoonfuls
if you are looking for vegetarian burgers/"chicken" items, etc.... (val)
I did the panic and get the veggie burger thing here the first time. It was meh. The cheese was weird. My little brother had the pasta magnifica I believe, and it was fantastic. Creamy and yummy. My dad got a rice thing called Buddha's delight I think, and he said it was meh. Second time around, I got a tuna melt and it was tasty. I liked the tuna part, but the cheese was a little strong. The little brother got a bbq sandwich that was tasty, but not amazing. The lady there is super nice and kind of quirky, and I'd go again. (ponycakes)
It's the only 100% vegan restaurant in Tucson. I go there quite often and have enjoyed most of what I've gotten. The service is really good and Peggy, the owner of the restaurant, is really kind. When she puts together projects for teaching (I think she guests at nutrition courses or the like) she always interviews her customers. One time she was putting together a slide show to show people that vegans look just like everyone else, which I thought was interesting. Anyway, back to the food. Peggy makes an outstanding sesame ginger salad dressing that I wish she'd sell by the bucket. I also love her fettuccine dishes, the lasagna, and the Mediterranean plate. It's a little pricey but worth it, although I'd say skip the desserts (though the milkshakes are good). (nikrrr)
Yoshimatsu
I love Yoshimatsu. The building also houses Sushimatsu. In both places, all vegan things are clearly marked. Vegetarian things are also clearly marked. My favorite is the ginger tofu bento. On the Sushimatsu side you can get ginger tofu as an appetizer. They also have an excellent mushroom appetizer (I think this is big enough to be a small meal), other vegan and vegetarian bentos that feature mushrooms, veggie patties, and sauteed veggies, and several noodle and soup dishes that are really good. They even have a vegan dessert though I wouldn't recommend it unless you're a fan of the bobas in boba tea (they taste like big cubes of that type of tapioca). There's even a cute little shop in the restaurant. (nikrrr)
Yuma
Nature's Express
The food was really good and decently priced. I had a veggie burger with swiss and mushroom topping--upon tasting the swiss I was positive it wasn't vegan, and I asked about it. They said it definitely was, but I felt weird about asking to see the packaging. I won't get anything with cheese again just in case, but even without it I think that burger would've been good. In addition, the waiter/cashier told me that they make fresh salsa daily. I also had a peanut butter chocolate chip shake - it was waxy and icy. Not so good. That aside, I'd go to Nature's Express again for sure. (nikrrr)
Arkansas
Decatur
Wellness Secrets

Hot Springs
Garden Secrets
So my husband took me there two times, I had to get it to go (they stayed in the car eating Burger King ....) but I was still excited!  The smothered burrito with chik'n was Really good! Since I live in very small town in East Texas, I am used to looking over a menu for the ONE or maybe TWO items I can eat, it was so awesome to have an Entire menu to choose from!! (stacydan)
the first time I got the garden panini sandwhich with sweet potato fries and a slice of turtle cheesecake - my very first vegan cheesecake!  The panini was good, but since I had to get it to go and I ate my sweet potato fries first, the bread was a little soggy by the time I ate it.  And the cheesecake was pretty good too, it had a good flavor, but I could tell that it had been frozen.  I was just so thankful that my husband actually took me there and didn't even gripe about it! (stacydan)
Rogers
Cooks Natural Foods and Cafe

California
Greater Los Angeles County
Alhambra
Loving Hut

Altadena
Oh happy days'

Arcadia
Bean Sprouts

Canoga Park
Follow Your Heart
Vegetarian, with clearly-marked vegan options. It's all different sorts of food. Straight-up, this place is amazing. I usually get their dinner specials, fill up on salad, and then have enough of the meal left over to eat for two more days. Nice atmosphere, nice people, delicious food (and desserts!) for relatively good prices. (lolkrys)
They have a pretty good variety of vegan items and vegan brunch items, and the food's pretty good, but not so great that I would suffer the traffic again getting there. Oh, and the French toast sucked. (fb)
Cerritos
That's Amore

Vegi Wokery

Claremont
Loving Hut
Very different menu (and prices!) from other Loving Huts. It's more American-ish cuisine. Their steak rolls are good (they're gardein beef stuff with hoisin sauce in green onion pancakes), and they have this sort of weird thing - battered cauliflower in orange sauce. That one's really great. Also, mushroom penne in a creamy garlic sauce - pretty good. BUT. They're real expensive. Like 11-14 dollars an entree, and the steak rolls (an appetizer) are 7. However, you do get a lot of food, so a friend and I shared the steak rolls and penne one time, and we totally stuffed. I don't know why they have a different menu here, but whatever. It's worth trying, just know it's not as cheap as other locations. Also, a lot (most?) of their dishes center around Gardein products. That might be delicious to you, or unexciting; it's mostly the chicken scallopini or beef stuff. (fb)
Colton
Cheezy Pizza
This place isn't vegan, but has a separate vegan menu and packages their vegan pizzas for retail sale as well. The soy chicken and sausage they use for their pizza is really good (I don't know what product it is). The best pizza I've had from them is the chicken alfredo, followed by the margherita. I didn't like the chicken bbq one (the barbecue sauce is VERY sugary), and the buffalo chicken ranch is ok, but doesn't really feel like pizza to me because of the components. I get the pizzas from Viva La Vegan (vegan store in Rancho Cucamonga), but at the actual place they have more stuff, including calzones, jalapeno poppers, and garlic cheese bread. The prices are a bit steep ($12-25 for a 14" pizza), and interestingly they're actually a bit cheaper if you get them at Viva La Vegan. (fb)
Covina
Covina Tasty
this is a former Tasty Freeze made vegetarian. Half the menu is tons of shakes/smoothies; not sure if any can be made vegan. The rest is all vegetarian fast food. There are a number of vegan items; just ask the guy at the counter (the owner, who is cool & has an old beetle parked out front). The food itself is pretty greasy fast food deliciousness: we got onions rings (favorite part), chili dog, chicken sandwich, and fries. It's pretty reasonable prices; more expensive than fast food, but cheaper than a sit-down place. There are benches out front to sit at and also a side room.  (fb)
El Segundo
Veggie Grill

Fountain Valley
Au Lac

Granada Hills
Vegetable Delight

Hacienda Heights
Garden Fresh

Hsi Lai Temple

Hermosa Beach
Planet Earth Eco-Cafe

The Spot Natural Foods

Hollywood
Pizza Fusion
brownies are vegan, they have salads and sandwiches that can be made vegan, and they have vegan soy cheese (FYH last time i was there, they may have switched). Their gluten free crust is not vegan, so do not get that. Ok pizza, probably not worth the price? I never paid for it, Dustin used to work there. (hesp)
Truly Vegan
Lots of people seem to love this place, but IMHO, not so great. I was spoiled by going to the Vegan Joint, and this place has much the same menu, but less quality. However, they do have some vegan smoothies that you wouldn't see else where - chocolate, mocha, strawberry, and whatnot. They also have sushi, but I haven't tried it. (fb)
Vegan House

Inglewood
Stuff I Eat
YES. It's like everything on their menu was tailored to my tastes. So, it's around $11 a dish, but it's a lot of food. For instance, you can get a half-size or full-size soul food platter; the full-size is $18, but it stuffs 2 people. They have this kilimanjaro quesadilla, where it's hard to see there's even a quesadilla in there. I didn't like their kale (too salty!) but everything else was great. Not a fan of sweet potatoes all the time, but theirs is delicious. It's a pretty low-key place. (fb)
Long Beach
Viento Y Agua Coffeehouse

Zephyr Vegetarian Cafe
remembering liking it, appreciating it's mostly vegan-menu, and simple, soup and sandwich selections. (saskia)
I dashed up there for lunch one day and just got a Fakin' BLT to go.  It was really delicious, and came with tortilla chips and tasty salsa.  You're right that it's mostly vegan; in fact they have asterisks next to the few things on the menu that aren't vegan.  All of the sandwiches had vegan mayo by default!  I wished I could go back for dinner and more fully explore the menu.  The salads they were serving while I waited looked incredible and people were drinking something out of a coconut shell.  The employees were nice and the regulars raved about the food.  They had interesting local art on the walls, various local papers and a generally pleasant atmosphere. (veggydog)
Pasadena
My Vegan

West Covina
One World Vegetarian Cuisine
This place has a huge variety of food, sort of a mix of various Asian and American cuisines. What I liked initially is there menu is FULL of pictures of the food, which is helpful because some of the names of their entrées are weird (like Infinite Love and Secret Love and Passionate Tofu). Everything we tried was pretty good, but I think my favorite was the chili fries (fries are homemade). Aside from the chili fries, everything is pretty healthy. Not made-of-sprouts-healthy, but it seems all be influenced by Vietnamese cuisine - lots of fresh, raw vegetables added, rice noodles, brothy sauces. Tasty food without feeling like you're going to die when you're full (fb)
Los Angeles city
A Taste of Life
Vegan Soul Food is their specialty, but they also offer pizzas and salads and the like. It might seem expensive at first but I can share a meal with one other person and STILL have enough food left over for two MORE meals. PLUS the food is FANTASTIC. Oily, unhealthy, and delicious comfort food. Yummmm.  I cannot rave more about this place, aha. Oh, just don't be in a hurry. If you're impatient, you won't like the lax atmosphere. Another plus: The people are INSANELY nice. (lolkrys)
Babycakes

Cafe Flourish

California Vegan
This place is ok. It delivers to my area, so if I'm too lazy to cook and want Thai food without leaving home, I might call, but otherwise I'll probably stick to the Vegan Joint. This place charges a little more, but gives you a little less. One of their popular items is California Orange Chicken or something, and it's reeaaally sweet - the whole dish is a pile of saucy fried "chicken" and no veggies  - too heavy for even me. (fb)
Casa De Sousa

Chili Addiction
OMG THIS PLACE IS SO GREAT. Ok. They have a vegan menu that is just as big as their regular one. They make everything in-house, including the veggie burgers, veggie dogs, vegan sausages, sauerkraut, different mustards, different ketchups, pickles, and of course the chili. You can buy the flavored ketchups, mustards, and other sauces too by the bottle. They have stuff like curry ketchup, habanero mango ketchup, habanero mango hot sauce, etc. They had 2 vegan chilis when I went; I think that's how it normally is. They'll sample them for you, too. We had: chili cheese fries, nachos, two veggie dogs (a "street dog" and a "southwestern dog"; there are maybe 10 types. the street dog has sauerkraut, mustard, chili, and daiya, and the southwestern has jalapeno relish and some other stuff), a vegan sausage ("death wish", maybe another 10 types), a chili burger (maybe 10 types again), and onion rings. There are a couple things on the vegan menu that are only vegetarian (labeled as such), and from what I can tell it's because their cornbread is not vegan, and for the other items there is asiago cheese involved. The guys at the counter definitely knew what was up. The portions are good, the prices are so-so. For instance, the sausage was $11, and the veggie dog was $6 (but the difference in size was not so great, so it depends on what you get in terms of value). I find this totally acceptable for an independent place with plentiful vegan selections, though. Also, there is room to sit inside, but it's not really a sit-down type of place, kind of like a fast food joint.They're a few doors over from Real Food Daily, a popular vegan restaurant (which is probably not great for them, I dunno), and before we went in we were considering getting something from RFD too (we love them), but after ordering all the deliciousness from Chili Addiction, we didn't even consider it. J very much loved Weinerschnitzel, and I figured he might want to get one of their non-vegetarian things (especially because they have other daily (non-veg) chilis that are weird, like one made with ghost chiles/naga jolokia), but the selection of greasy vegan eats left him wanting nothing. GREAT (fb)
Cinnamon Vegetarian
It says it's vegetarian, but the Mexican owner is as fluent in vegan lingo as she is in her native Spanish tongue. A sweet woman, who, after I asked for a vegan entree, was quick to pick out a number of vegan menus off the extensive menu. The food was outstanding, healthy, hearty Mexican food. They serve Latin American dishes, as well as sandwiches, veggie burgers, salads, natural juices and shakes. It's a small restaurant, but one that is very clean and airy, and serves locals, visitors and a business clientele. I highly recommend this place to any omni, vegetarian or vegan if you are in Los Angeles (off the 110 freeway, not far from Pasadena). Sometimes servers look at me like I have 6 heads when I ask for something vegan. I love to spread the word when businesses are vegan-friendly. (saskia)
mmm yes tasty!  I like their tamales...finally some vegan tamales! (kennedy)
Good stuff. I can't quite remember what I got there now, but there were delicious empanadas and enchiladas involved. I did ask about veganness, and the server said they have vegan cheese, but when I got it I was pretty sure it was the casein-containing soy cheese (it wasn't daiya and was stretchy in that casein way) hmm. But otherwise the food was good, not too bad price. (fb)
Cru

Doomie's Home cookin'
(All vegan except that they offer real cheese as an option for some of their sandwiches) This place recently opened up in Hollywood and it's great!  They serve comfort food and soul food like vegan mac & cheese and fried chick-un. I went there with a friend who wanted to try it and I didn't think I'd really be able to eat anything because of my gluten-free diet but much to my delight they had spicy buffalo wings which coincidentally were gluten-free. My friend and I both thought the food was amazing and we plan to go back soon. Los Angeles is blessed with a lot of vegan/vegetarian restaurants but this one is at the top of my list! (angelamc)
Euphoria Loves Rawvolution

Flore

Flore Cafe

Garden Wok
Mostly vegan, with only a couple things that are only vegetarian.  Chinese/thai menu, with LOTS of options, and you get to choose between tofu, seitan, "chicken", "steak", or "pork" as your "meat".  Insanely good prices - they have a huge lunch special with soup, spring roll, and entree for a little over $6.00.  Everything I've had there is super good, they serve everything with tons of veggies, and the owners/servers are extremely friendly and helpful. (1stdrop)
Golden Mean Vegan Cafe
I didn't think this place was anything special. The portions are pretty small, and it's pretty expensive. None of the food is so great or elaborate that I couldn't easily make it at home. I'm glad I tried it, but probably won't be back. We had a chocolate coconut milkshake, enchiladas, and "chicken" pesto sandwich. The only cool thing is your side salad for the dishes is a selection of cold dishes rather than just a plain old salad. (fb)
Green Leaves Vegan

Green Temple

Happy Family Vegetarian Restaurant
personally recommend. small chain of Chinese restaurants with 100+ menu items with "exotic" fake meats (shrimp, kidney, shark fin, duck, etc). get the sweet and sour "pork" and fried taro/lychee  (fb)
Happy Family III

Happy Veggie

Happy Veggie Garden
very similar to Happy Family. Apparently it's run by the former & original chef of Happy Family, and almost the entire menu is the same. It's located in a shopping center of a 99 ranch market, so its location is convenient, but we've had some problems with consistent service. The food is essentially exactly the same and of the same quality, and between the two, I'd say this place's sweet & sour "pork" is fresher (crispier) than Happy Family's. Prices are about the same too. (fb)
J's Kitchen

Juliano's Raw Planet

La Thai Vegan

LA Vegan

Leaf Organics
Raw food... I like their almond/chocolate type smoothie, and they've got some of the tastiest raw vegetables I've ever had. But it's hard to get someone unfamiliar with raw food to like this place - too bad. The prices are pretty reasonable for raw food. (fb)
Lotus
supposedly vegan, but exposed to use non-vegan products (along with a few other restaurants) by a foodblogger out here... I'm going to post the article on here so other CA vegans who might've missed it will be aware... http://www.quarrygirl.com/2009/06/28/undercover-investigation-of-la-area-vegan-restaurants/ (1stdrop)
Madeleine Bistro
Super fancy vegan restaurant... well super fancy for me, at least.  $18-20 for an entree, and pretty small portions, but everything is SO good that's worth it every once in a while.  And they have alcohol, which most vegan places out here lack.  Their menu is seasonal, so they always have different options.  Run by an adorable vegan couple, very friendly and helpful. (1stdrop)
Mama Z Cuisine

Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe
It's not a 100% vegan restaurant or anything like that. But they have vegan offerings like the black bean tamales which are a favorite menu item of mine. They also serve fair-trade coffee and feature local artists. (saskia)
My Vegan

Native Foods
personally recommend. little pricier than the others. They're more "vegan American" fare (fake meats and fake everything and such) Get: the carrot cake  (fb)
other items to get are the Save the Chickens Wings with ranch, Cowboy bowl, Elephant Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, or hell, any dessert. They now own the place next door to them which is usually better air conditioned and has some vegan merchandise (like herbivore clothing) (fb)
very good! i have only eaten there once but would again.(hesp)
They've changed up their menu from what I mentioned before, and are now more focused on sandwiches and sides and stuff. The reuben is real good. I had the Oklahoma city burger (or whatever it's called), which goes so far as to have deep-fried pickle chips (what!), but I think the reuben was tastier. Everything I've had there is good, though the watermelon fresca drink is not as good as the lavender lemonade. The peanut butter parfait is super rich. Their newer Culver City location is a lot bigger than the Westwood one and has better parking. (fb)
One World Vegetarian Cuisine

Our Daily Bread

Pure Luck
The jackfruit carnitas from this place are AMAZING. They also give really generous portions, but they seemed understaffed in the service department. My boyfriend didn't really like them on account of soggy fries, but I liked the food and would return, if only because they're across the street from the ice cream place that makes vegan ice cream (Scoops). (fb)
OMG! so amazing! jackfruit carnitas, sweet potato fries, plaintains.. not to mention, their whipped cream actually tastes good. how the hell did they do that? (hesp)
Rahel Ethiopian Vegetarian Cuisine

Real Food Daily
great! last time i was there i sat back to back with Alicia Silverstone (veganzrule)
personally recommend. little pricier than the others. They're more "vegan American" fare (fake meats and fake everything and such) get the nachos and chocolate cake (fb)
Real Food Daily Bakery and Cafe
What's weird about this place is that it's not actually a bakery - they get all the baked goods from the West Hollywood location. That being said, they have some beautiful baked goods. Check their website for the monthly/weekly rotation - some nice items are Hostess-style Cupcakes and shakes. I like their Teecino latte too. The food isn't much - I liked it before when they had a tofu/miso tartine - but you can always get food in from the restaurant next door (you can order anything off their menu and they'll bring it over). (fb)
Sage Organic Vegan Bistro
Their menu sounds great, but the food was kind of underwhelming. I got a focaccia sandwich that had plaintains and other deliciousness on it, but eh, the plaintains weren't great, and neither was the bread (!). Also got some sampler plate of their spreads, and the (mint?) chutney was really the only thing that stood out. The bread it was served with sucked... I mean, if you're going to have bread with your foods, it should be like, good bread. =/ On the plus side, they have a KindKreme thing inside, where there are delicious & strange raw ice creams (some have honey, but the server knows which are which). (fb)
Seed

Seed Bistro

Shojin
All vegan, and all really really good.  I've only been there a couple times so far.  They're a little more pricey, but they have a HUGE selection of vegan sushi that is amazingly good.  They also have tons of entree choices, and a lot of desserts as well.  The staff is incredibly friendly, and happy to answer any questions. (1stdrop)
Love Shojin. They're on the 3rd floor of a partly empty mall in Little Tokyo, but hey, it's quiet! They get, like, everything right. Their prices are not terrible, but they have the service of a nicer restaurant (will take your bags and stuff), and the servers are just always nice and on top of things; last year we went there for my birthday and they brought out the cake J ordered (chocolate lava) plus a little sampling of the other desserts they had at the time, and decorated the plate and wrote stuff, AND took a picture for us, and that was $7. There's always a couple of new items, so nothing gets old if you frequent them. On some Mondays you can try new sushi rolls the chef makes, which might wind up on the menu. They have specials time to time (they have a newsletter and blog where you can find them). They have special meals for various holidays. In terms of budget, you can get a really heavy meal (ramen) for $11 or share it (definitely possible), or you can go fancy for a dinner entrée for ~$16 plus $6-7 (small) appetizers. Sushi rolls are $7-11, depending on what they are ($7 ones are more like regular sushi rolls, the $11 ones are fancier and big). There's also a bento box you can get for lunch which is a sampling of several dishes, and a larger dinner version (I think it's called Shojin Go Zen). Their cuisine is for the most part Japanese, some of the nouvelle Japanese cuisine too; there are some traditional things, some creative things: regular miso ramen, or mabo tofu ramen, shiitake tempura, shiso leaves stuffed with tofu stuff, garlic crunchy roll, seitan bbq roll, spicy tofu "tuna" roll, "steak" with garlic butter (it's one of the more expensive dinner items, but contains more 'meat' than any one person could eat. it also happens to be delicious). A number of things have meat subs in them, but it's easy to avoid if you don't want that. Some items imitate meat in presentation, but not at all in flavor (e.g. a rainbow roll with roasted bell pepper on top instead of salmon, or the spicy tofu "tuna" which is not an attempt at tuna). Also, they do individual chocolate lava cake and apple pie made to order (the cake is great). Two drinks I've gotten there have been not so great (green tea latte and cafe latte), both because of way too much soymilk. (fb)
Soul Vegetarian
this place is the best (lisapisa)
Sun Power Natural Cafe

The Vegan Joint
personally recommend. Thai/American (and they deliver!). get the pad thai and yellow curry, and fresh spring rolls and "chicken" saté! recently we went there and the curry and saté were not as great, just different, so I hope they didn't change chefs or something Sad but any noodle dishes and spring rolls are still definitely great. (fb)
We went back recently, and their chicken sate is back to the same old good stuff. They have also added a number of menu items, including hot wings, gyoza, and extremely ridiculously tasty garlic fries ($3!). (fb)
Vegan Plate
This is another vegan Thai place that has pretty much the exact same menu as any other (suspicious -_-...), but the food's not quite as good as the Vegan Joint, and the curry portions are smaller. (fb)
Tirupathi Bhimas

Vegan Express

Vegan Factory

Vegan Glory

Vegan House

Vegan Village Internet Cafe

Veggie and Tea House

Veggie Life Restaurant

Vinh Loi Tofu
Vietnamese, completely vegan, and sooo good.  The owner makes his own tofu and soymilk, which you can get at the restaurant to take home.  They have loads of options, including bbq duck (sounds weird but is SO good) and lots of seafood dishes.  Everything I've had there is really tasty, and the portions are HUGE.  The prices are way decent for the amount of food you get and how yum it is. (1stdrop)
Southern California
Aliso Viejo
Native Foods
super delish! They even have vegan soft serve! I love their Baha Tempeh Tacos as well as their Cesar Salad with Save the Chik'n Strips... every non-veg I bring there loves it! They have a variety of vegan deserts and are not too expensive... sweet potato fries are super yum as well. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable...5 stars! (amymylove)
Brea

Costa Mesa
118 Degrees
This is a raw food restaurant.  I went there for lunch.  The food portion was small, but fine for a light lunch.  I got the mole enchiladas.  The filling wasn't inspired, but the sauce on the top was absolutely fabulous.  I'm not sure I'd go back, but I'm happy with the meal I had. Note:  When we got there the staffperson told us that everything on the menu was vegan, but some of the beverages had bee propilis or bee pollen.  We were told that none of the food items contain bee or other products. (hh)
Avanti Cafe

Mother's Market

Native Foods
They have great, great all vegan food at good prices! (jonimarie)
awesome-- they're all over CA but Costa Mesa location is the original (dalida)
very blah (walk up and order your food like fast food...staff is mostly disinterested teenagers).  (hopfrog)
Garden Grove
Hoa Sen Vegetarian Restaurant

Thuyen Vien

Huntington Beach
Bodhi Tree Vegetarian Cafe

Good To Go

Mother's Market

Irvine
Greens Cafe

Mother's Market
another favorite (saskia)
Veggie Grill
omg omg omg!!!  This place is amazing.  It's a vegan "American fare" fast food place with burgers, salads, and amazing sweet potato fries.  I have never had such flavorful meat analogs.  I got the V Burger for $8.95 (June 2009).  It was a steak burger with the works and a side of slaw.  My omni friend got a chicken burger and was half done with it when he asked if I was sure it wasn't chicken.  It's that good.  The other vegan American fare chain in SoCal is Native Foods.  The Veggie Grill wipes the floor with Native Foods, tastewise. (hh)
(campus dr) Really good. I went to the one is west hollywood once, and it was all right, not amazing, mostly because both of their fake meats (supposed to be different) totally tasted the same (and tasted of orange juice; i think they were the carne asada and the chipotle bbq). This time and at this location I got the Crispy Chick'n thing, which was great. My friend got the chipotle bbq thing, which was better here. I guess it might have been just that time I went, or they vary by location. (fb)
Wheel of Life
awesome! Very friendly owners who always make sure to ask you how you liked your meal. Quite and peaceful... their combo fried rice is AWESOME! Their Orange "Chicken" and "Cream Cheese" Wontons are to die for.  I didn't like their pad thai when I tried it (sauce was bizarre) 5 stars! (amymylove)
yes! I used to live near there when I lived in Orange County. Thank you for reminding me of what a wonderful place it is. Next time I go I want to try your recommendations. (saskia)
Ladera Ranch
Loving Hut
I went here for my birthday dinner and it was really good! Not too expensive, beautiful environment, friendly staff. The dessert was selection was so so, I wish they had more offerings. I thought the Strawberry "Cheesecake" I had was amazing my Sisters Chocolate Banana Cake was alright. The vegan shrimp dish (Spicy Cha Cha) was good, the texture was awesome. My BF had the Asian BBQ Chik'n which was amazing (I sampled some of his). They had an large drink selection and I got to try my first Thai Tea which was really good. 4 stars overall. (amymylove)
... maybe it varies by location but most meals and desserts i've had are okay at best... they do have the cheap price factor on their side... i had lemongrass tofu and it was the driest tofu dish ever! maybe i will try the dishes you recommended next time... the service wasn't good either, they kept rushing us to order "are you ready" like 5 times but the food itself took awhile to come out and they weren't even very busy...(amymylove)
i guess as my vegan restaurant experiences grow i start to realize that the food really wasn't that great... Loving Hut in my opinion is mediocre at best... but the cheapness kinda makes it worth it on occasion compared to other vegan restaurants that can be pretty pricey (amymylove)
Laguna Beach
The Stand

Palm Desert
Native Foods
ok but not great (hopfrog)
It was insanely, stuporously slow.  So slow that we never got anything to drink with our food.  Not even water.  We had a waitperson sighting twice:  when we ordered and when the food came.  Incidentally, it's the only fully vegan restaurant I've been to. (hh)
Palm Springs
Native Foods
Everything on the menus is vegan, which is nice for a change.  Some of my faves are the Chicken Run Ranch Burger, Soba Dan Dan, Greek Pizza, Chili Cheese Fries, Elephant Chocolate Cake, and Peanut Butter Parfait.  There are also restaurants in Palm Desert, CA, Los Angeles, CA,  and Costa Mesa, CA.  (willwolf)
We love the Palm Springs Native Foods. The staff is always attentive and the food is always very good. Hmmm...it may take a little while to get a food, but it has never been that long. (hopfrog)
Rancho Cucamonga
Bright Star
We were hopeful for this place, because it's way closer to Pomona than our beloved Vegan Joint. Going inside, everything smells great, but the food to me isn't as good. Everything is very sweet (there seems to be some sugar in everything), to the point that even the sweet & sour sauce is more of a syrup than having any tartness. Also, the entrée portion is pretty small. However, they seem to be well-liked by local veg*ns, maybe because it's the only game in town. We agreed they probably wouldn't make it in L.A... (fb)
San Diego
Che Cafe

Evolution fast food
This is an all-vegan fast food restaurant with a small counter and patio seating.  The Mushroom Swiss Burger was great--messy and delicious. The fries were kind of soggy, though.  I got a New York Cheesecake to go and it was a wonderful treat that evening.  It was rich and creamy, with a crunchy almond/amaretto crust. (FYI - Bus route 3 stops right outside.) (veggydog)
Jyoti-Bihanga
All vegetarian/Many vegan options. Wonderful vegan "neatloaf" served with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy. Amazing "mock duck" sandwich (think loose "meat" bbq sandwich). Good salad and wraps. Great chocolate mousse cake and apple pie (both vegan). (erikajessica)
Nature's Express

Pokez
Really good and cheap mexican food. not all vegan, but the vegan options are clearly marked on the menu. terrible customer service, though! sometimes you will get food that ain't quite hot anymore. still worth it! (hesp)
OK, so it's not the greatest service in the world (I'm pretty sure our order got misplaced until after he tried to give us someone else's food), but the tofu, mushroom and potato taco was so delicious!  The tofu was really nicely textured and seasoned.  They had good chips and salsa, but so-so guacamole. The concierge at my hotel recommended it too.  She said that they really "get it" and have separate cooking areas for the veg and meat stuff. (veggydog)
Ranchos Natural Foods
many vegan and vegitarian options. Authentic Mexican. Tamales are very good and soyrizo burrito. (erikajessica)
Roots

Sipz Fusion Cafe

Sipz Vegetarian Express
Amazing all vegan chinese and thai restaurant. All the favorites (sweet and sour "pork", spring rolls, summer rolls, cashew nut "chicken" and many other greats). (erikajessica)
awesome!  (purpledancer)
Stephanie's Bakery

The Greenery Raw Food Cafe

Vegan Zone

Upland
Loving Hut (formerly Veggie Era)
It's kind of a mix between Thai and Vietnamese food. It's pretty good (had the orange "chicken"), but not in a way that I have to go there again. It's better than Bright Star, plus it's closer and I think a little cheaper considering portion size. The people who work there are really nice. (fb)
Ventura
Mary's Secret Garden

Central California
Buttonwillow
Taste of India
along the I-5 stretch from SoCal to the Bay area at the 58 offramp to Bakersfield.  There's a large sign along the freeway that says it serves vegan food.  I ordered a Vegetable Biryani Wrap (basmati rice, mixed veggies, spices in ramali roti) to go for $5.99 (on June 15, 2009).  I asked for it to be "medium spicy," but it was pretty mild.  The menu is separated into non-veg and veg items.  I picked up a paper menu on the counter and found the vegan options hand circled (makes it easy).  The wraps are specifically to go and the vegetable biryani wrap is the only vegan option.  For the other entrees, which were $9-$10, they have aloo matter (potatoes and peas in a curry sauce), aloo gobhi (cauliflower and potatoes with herbs & spices), palak aloo (chopped spinach and potatoes), mixed veggies (caluiflower, carrots, potatoes, and peas in a curry sauce, chana masala (garbanzo beans in a curry sauce), and yellow dal (yellow lentils cooked in spices). (hh)
Fresno
Au Lac Cafe

New Stars Vegetarian Cuisine

Morro Bay
Shine Cafe
fucking delicious. I have never had anything there that i didn't like. it used to be 100% vegan but they added a salad with cheese . they use really fresh, local, delicious produce and there is a lot of it. i like it because it just focuses on what vegans can eat rather than trying to imitate other things. (hesp)
There are precious few places that offer anything remotely healthy and vegan. Imagine how happy I was to find Shine Cafe. Over this last Summer, I have eaten there 10-12 times. Got food poisoning twice. The food is tasty, for sure. The fact that they leave food out of the refrigerator all day is not so awesome. (in2insight)
San Luis Obispo
Big Sky Cafe
have some vegan options noted on menu which includes meat/dairy/egg/whatever. What I have had has not been stellar, but I keep hearing rave reviews. (hesp)
Smiling Dog Yoga Cafe
totally yum. mostly raw, but 100% vegan. amazing dressings.  (hesp)
Sweet Earth Chocolates
yum! delicious vegan chocolates like peanut butter cups, turtles, peppermint patties, caramels.  (hesp)
Thai Classic
Probably the best thai place I've ever been. Not 100% vegan, but it has a separate vegetarian menu that pretty much everything is or can be made vegan from. I always get a curry that isn't on the vegetarian menu and they are able to make it vegan. and the tofu satay is so good. i don't even have other words for it. (hesp)
Vrajas Kitchen
good food and it's not too expensive. all vegan. most ingredients local and organic. (hesp)

I ate at Cafe Bamboo in New Orleans yesterday - and forced my omni relatives to give it a go too. They didn't care for the place. I ordered the Bourbon Chik'n dinner. I did enjoy my dinner, but I personally didn't find it something to rave about, it was OK. It could be that I am not used to chik'n pieces like that, I thought they were hard and too chewy, the sweet potatoes seemed to be lacking something; but I am still very happy to have such dining options in New Orleans.

I also ordered the Mafe rice bowl to take back to the hotel and eat at a later time; I really liked that dish. I thought that the sauce, rice and veggies were an excellent and tasty dish, I highly recommend this dish."West African peanut sauce includes broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and onions"
We also ordered the appetizer sampler and all of us enjoyed that combination of yummy goodies.

Bourbon Chik'n
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/awnree1/mydish2.jpg
"Soy Chicken marinated in special Bourbon BBQ sauce served with corn bread, wilted spinach and mashed sweet potatoes"

Appetizer (after it had been nibbled on...)
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g307/awnree1/IMG_2849.jpg
Sol Chik'n nuggets, collard green rolls, caramelized cauliflower crustini, hummus and veggie sticks.

0 likes

The Wild Cow (Nashville, TN):

So stoked to hear about a vegetarian restaurant opening in Nashville! It's been open a few weeks now, and I finally made it there to check out their eats. So the menu is pretty casual. Lots of salads and sandwiches, hoagies, grinders, etc. AND!  Everything on the menu is vegan unless you add cheese to it (thankfully, there's a vegan cheese option as well). The menu is full of salads and sandwiches. I had the Vegan queso dip which was really good. Tasted just like the shitty processed canned nacho cheese I used to be so fond of in my omni days. For my main course, I ordered the Buffalo Tempeh Grinder. This sandwich comes with your choice or tempeh or tofu, slathered in a homemade vegan ranch with lettuce, tomato and buffalo sauce. Lubi got the vegan philly cheesesteak. Both sandwiches were baller! Apparently, they have a sunday brunch. I'm going to check it out next week.

0 likes

Nothing on Sacramento yet?

Andy Nguyens: Buddist, very popular. All vegetarian mostly vegan. Lots of fake meat and seafood selections. My wife got the "salmon" and said it really tasted like salmon.
2007 Broadway Street, Sacramento, CA‎ - (916) 736-1157‎

Au Lac: Buddist, great food! Again, fake meat selections. My ten year old son got the teriyaki beef. He was half way through it when I told him it was not meat. He didn't believe me at first. My kids always ask to go back. They thought it cool that there were a couple of Buddist monks eating there. All vegetarian and might be all vegan.
Small, clean, great food and service. Not the best part of town.
3500 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA‎ - (916) 451-6842‎

Addis Ababa Ethiopian Restaurant: I have heard it is great. It has great reviews with vegetarian offerings but I don't know about vegan.
2598 Alta Arden Expressway
Sacramento, CA 95825-1938

0 likes

Gorilla Foods (Vancouver) - I split an Ital Veggie pizza, some Thai fresh wraps, and a Hempstar smoothie with my pater. Everything was really beautifully flavourful and of course fresh. I hugely enjoyed the blending of flavours in the pizza. The chutney I got with the wraps was so spicy and tangy and sweet and succulent and WOW. I could have eaten it with a spoon. The smoothie was good as smoothies go. I did not get to sample their desserts, but they LOOKED amazing. There's not much seating, which can get a little problematic when the weather is, well, Vancouver weather. The decor is fab, and they have unobtrusive but pleasant music. The entire kitchen is on view, so you can watch all the magic and alchemy of the chefs - who are all pretty cool cats. Prices were pretty good, and service was prompt. Honestly, I liked everything about it except the lack of seating.

0 likes

Minneapolis

Ecopolitan

YUMMY! This place has tons of delicious raw food! Some of my favorite dishes are the "sausage" pizza, the cashew cheese log, the kale and pinenut cheese plate, the taco pizza, the pancakes, the ice cream dessert smoothie thing, (don't remeber what its called.)  It gets a little expensive, as organic raw food does, but its totally worth it!

French Meadow Bakery

Home of the many delicious breads! The hemp seed bread is great, tons of baked goods, some vegan, some not.  A pretty extensive menu.  for breakfast and lunch you order at the counter and then someone brings you the food, like at Panera.

Hard Times Cafe

This place is right by my campus, so I stop there to grab baked muffins and treats.  It looks a little/lot grungy, and the area is just a tad on the sketchy side, BUT they do have a big menu with lots of vegan options, (many you have to request to be made vegan.  Reasonable prices. 

Pizza Luce

This is one of my favorite spots! I pick up a take out pizza and vegan cheese bread from here every couple of weeks.  they offer vegan soy mozza-cheddar type cheese,
(that melts!) and a nut riccota.  There are also vegan sausage, and mock duck options. The vegan up-grading can get expensive so I usually just get the vegan cheese and some veggies, but when I'm splurging the sausage is good too.  There are locations in St. Paul and two in Minneapolis.

0 likes

Thanks, bgs! I like reading those.

0 likes

INDIANA, Bloomington

Roots
Absolutely delicious and my favorite restaurant! They have sandwiches (all vegan), entrees (vegetarian or vegan, you decide), and Thai dishes (pick vegetarian or vegan). They also have awesome smoothies and juices. Sometimes they have vegan desserts, and I've heard of a vegan cheesecake, although I've never seen it on the board when I'm there. I've taken many omnis there, and everyone always loves it. 2 people eating there can range from $22-42, depending on appetizer, drink, and dessert options.

Anatolia
Turkish food, absolutely delicious. They have both vegetarian and vegan options. 2 people can eat a lot there for less than $20.

Laughing Planet Cafe
Great burritos, many unique options. Vegetarian and vegan options. I think cheese is a default, so just tell them to make it vegan. 2 people can eat there for about $15. Downstairs is Soma coffee house, which has vegan baked goods.

0 likes

Columbia, SC

Z Pizza

http://www.zpizza.com/

Not exclusively vegetarian, but great options!  Daiya cheese, all organic ingredients, wheat crust option, gluten-free crust option.  A little pricey, but buy one get one free deal on Tuesday.

0 likes

for the present moment cafe in st augustine, fl- it's sooo good!! nearly all raw and amazing. everyone ive taken in there loves it.

0 likes

New vegan  restaurant in Hartford!  http://www.firenspiceveganrestaurant.com/index.html
Looks awesome!

0 likes

Thought I should mention that the Garbanzo Grill no longer exists in Pagosa Springs, CO. We're back to having no veggie restaurants! :(

0 likes

Thought I should mention that the Garbanzo Grill no longer exists in Pagosa Springs, CO. We're back to having no veggie restaurants! :(

Sorry to hear that. It has been removed.

0 likes

alright, cause i ate cooked food while i was in sf.. lol

underdog - http://www.myspace.com/underdogorganic
this was really awesome. everything was organic, even their condiments. a bunch of different vegan dogs/sausages and a vegan potato salad that was really great

the front porch - http://www.thefrontporch.net/
fancy. has one vegan item that changes every day. it was really really good food though. exepnsive! their vegan option was $17.

amici's
i was unimpressed by daiya and the crust wasn't that great.

gracias madre - http://www.gracias-madre.com/web/
it was good, but nothing you can't make at home. i think i make better mexican food. i really liked that it was seasonal and all organic, though.

... and because this one apparently was never added. (SLO)
vraja's vegan kitchen - http://www.vrajasvegankitchen.com/
good food and it's not too expensive. all vegan. most ingredients local and organic.

sweet earth chocolates -http://www.sweetearthchocolates.com/
yum! delicious vegan chocolates like peanut butter cups, turtles, peppermint patties, caramels.

0 likes

amici's
i was unimpressed by daiya and the crust wasn't that great.

Was this on our trip, or a different time? They still had cheezly when we had it, and I was sad to hear they switched to Daiya. I loved that pizza.

Is Vraja's different from Smiling Dog, and does Smiling Dog still exist?

0 likes

vraja's is totally different than smiling dog. smiling dog still exists but only as an ordering food kind of service and doesn't currently have a store front.

different time.. i just went to sf last weekend.

0 likes

I just realized some others that i should add

Pokez (in San Diego) - http://www.pokezsd.com/
really good and cheap mexican food. not all vegan, but the vegan options are clearly marked on the menu. terrible customer service, though! sometimes you will get food that ain't quite hot anymore. still worth it!

Thai Classic (San Luis Obispo) - (no website)
Probably the best thai place I've ever been. Not 100% vegan, but it has a separate vegetarian menu that pretty much everything is or can be made vegan from. I always get a curry that isn't on the vegetarian menu and they are able to make it vegan. and the tofu satay is so good. i don't even have other words for it.

0 likes

You could add this one in Lafayette, Indiana:

It's a vegetarian restaurant called "Peaceful Greens."  Everything on the menu is either vegan or can easily be veganized.  They use as much local produce as possible, and their bread is from the local bread company, Great Harvest Breads.

I tried this place out this weekend and I was impressed.  P.S. They have vegan chocolate cake!  :)

0 likes

Lanesplitter (Oakland, CA)

http://www.lanesplitterpizza.com/

I was stoked to hear that this place served vegan pizza and calzones with their house "Notta Ricotta" which, upon reading their menu, appears to just be some sort of tofutti concoction. So we got the herbivore pizza (olives, mushrooms, onions, spinach) and we added fresh basil to it. The pizza was pretty good. I've made better homemade cheeses before, and it lacked sodium something serious. So after adding salt and tons of crushed red pepper, it was pretty good, but the crust was so thin that it was flimsy. Next time I'll definitely order the Sicilian thick-crust style pizza or the calzone (which is supposedly REALLY good). They do serve some really good beers though (lots of microbrew stuff), and that always rules. Anyway, I need to give this place another shot when I'm back in town and try some of their other items.

0 likes

Ethos Vegan Kitchen

After many months of wanting to try this place I finally went.  I had the Sheep's Pie and the Healthy Trio.  I ate half of the Sheep's pie there and took the rest home.  It was really good.  Perfectly seasoned and piping hot when it arrived at the table.  The Healthy Trio was my dinner and was good too.  I'm not sure what kind of bread comes with it but it is good.  The olives and hummus are salty but that is to be expected.  The salsa is good but not hot enough for me.  My omni parents enjoyed the Samson(sp?) burger which was a good surprise.  My mom like it (minus everything except the lettuce) and she is a picky eater.  The staff was friendly and welcoming.  It is a nice little place that is inviting.  I can't wait to go back and try their cookies and other dishes.  I'm just glad I live 2 hours away because I may be addicted to this place.  Its nice to be able to walk into a resturant and not have to worry about how something is prepared or if it contains animal products. ;)b

0 likes

Flacos (Berkeley, CA)

http://www.flacos.com/

I am so stoked that they have a storefront now. You can visit them at the Berkeley Farmer's Markets, which is where I had always gotten. Everything is vegan, which is awesome, and they have a great selection of off-beat mexican favorites. Everything tastes VERY authentic. Try the taquitos, and the tamale, both are not to disappoint. DISCLAIMER: THE HOT SALSA IS FUCKING HOT. I love hot shit, so it was perfect for me... but this stuf is no joke. Anyway, the Pozole they have is excellent too. Love love love this place!!!

0 likes

Pages

Log in or register to post comments