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
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
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
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
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 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
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
La Thai 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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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)
Just took a road trip to Colorado to visit family and attend a conference, and had lots of yummy vegan food all around!
Root down
http://www.rootdowndenver.com/
This place was GREAT!!! Be sure to make a reservation, it is pretty busy. They specialize is local food, so while it is not a totally vegan menu, there were plenty of vegan options! I had the vegan risotto and it was absolutely delicious!!! Great, fancy atmosphere as well!
Himalayan Cuisine
Frisco, Colorado
http://www.himalayancuisinefrisco.com/Himalayan_Cuisine/About_Us.html
Yummy, went here for the daily lunch buffet and had samosas, dal, and naan...good food, the restaurant iteslf is a little small, so the tables are a bit too close togetehr, probably better for lunch than dinner!
Da Kind Soup
Evergreen Colorado
http://www.dakindsoups.com/
This was a nice, quick lunch spot, we had tomato soup in vegan bread bowls (I made them double check, but they are not listed on the menu as such). A cute, eco-friendly, quick lunch. Not 100% veg, but there were about 4 veg soups that day.
Little Nepal
http://www.lnepal.com/littleNepal/
Colorado Spings
Oh my gosh, this was BY FAR the best Indian food I have ever had, (and Indian food is my fav. kind of food). The staff was extremely nice, we had dal, samosas, and aloo naan, and even though I order this everywhere, it has never tasted so good!!! A nice, spacious restuarant, with big comfortable booths! A MUST if you are in CO Springs and like Indian food!
Great reviews!!!
VG Burgers--Boulder, CO
This place is awesome. I found out about them through Happy Cow and I'm so glad I did. The restaurant is in a really small building with local art for sale on the walls. Everything is vegan, local, and organic...which blew me away. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger which was huge. They're tempeh bacon was exceptionally good. It was sliced really thin, so that it was pretty crispy, and really flavorful, as well. The patty was pretty typical. I kind of wish I'd gotten a black bean patty, I think the one I had was made with some typ. The bun was fabulous. It was huge, but it was a nice combination of crusty and soft. I liked that they used their own vegan queso instead of commercial vegan cheese. I guess they have to if everything is local. ha. I wish I could've ordered more, but I didn't have a way to keep to-go food. Oh, I almost forgot, they top the bacon cheeseburger with two fried onion rings. They, combined with the tempeh bacon really made the sandwich. This place has some healthier options than what I got, and everything on the menu looked awesome. I would definitely drive out of my way to eat there again.
VG Burgers--Boulder, CO
Yes! I love that place. I crave it sometimes..can't wait to go back!!
Asheville, NC
Laughing Seed Cafe
I think Cams and I must be the only people who were not blown away by Laughing Seed. The food we had was good, but not spectacular. Cams had the Maple Glazed Seitan, which was good, but a very small portion. I had the Havana Cuban sandwich. The bread was very good, but I thought the sandwich was lacking in flavor. They use local tempeh, which was delicious, but I found the almond havarti spread to be a bit bland. My sandwich came with a side of orzo pasta salad. Again, it was a small portion, but I think it was probably enough. The pasta salad had an unexpected lemongrass flavor and it was pretty delicious. We split the coconut creme tart with ginger oat crust and blueberry compote. The tart was very good. I would've liked more ginger in the crust, but the coconut custard was smooth, creamy, and tasty. We were both disappointed with the blueberry compote. The blueberries tasted bland and had a grainy texture. I'm sure they were frozen. Finally, Cams got a glass of the local Kombucha, ginger with cayenne (on tap!). It was absolutely delicious, but very expensive at this restaurant. We got larger glasses much cheaper at another restaurant in town. Overall, the food was good, but we didn't think it was worth the price.
Rosetta's
I can't rave about this place enough. I love it. We ate here everyday we were in Asheville. I end up getting the tempeh reuben every time I eat at Rosetta's. You have to substitute vegan queso for swiss cheese, but the queso is delicious. Cams got tempeh wings, which looked like a small portion, but they were really filling. Also delicious. The vegan ranch is the best I've ever had...it's kind of thin though. Next I had "The Mountain," Sauteed kale with brown rice and tempeh with a sauce made from tahini and korean bbq sauce. Fantastic. Cams got "The Family Favorite," Peanut Tofu with kale, mashed potatoes and gravy. It was really good, especially the potatoes and gravy. We both got the small option and were full. This morning we went back for breakfast. ha. We had biscuits with sausage gravy. Huge fluffy biscuits, smooth gravy and tempeh sausage for $2.50! Amazing. The local Asheville tempeh is the most delicious I've ever had. The texture is wonderful. I love that so many restaurants use it. We also got pints of local ginger cayenne kombucha on tap at a reasonable price. Great food with an awesome, chilled out atmosphere. Reasonably priced.
Oops! Forgot these!
Firestorm Cafe--Asheville, NC
Love this place! It's a wonderful coffee shop and bookstore. I'm pretty sure everything on the menu is vegan, but I think they have dairy cream cheese available for bagels, if you want it. I went a while ago with Little2Ant and had a vegan Gyro. The tzatziki was super delicious. Cams and I went again this weekend to have coffee there. I had a simple dark roast, which was fresh and tasty. Cams had a double mocha with almond milk. While ordering, we were enticed by their selection of half priced baked goods (left from the previous day) and got a gingersnap cookie. It was probably the best cookie I've ever had in a coffee shop/restaurant. It was wonderfully chewy with tons of ginger flavor. The atmosphere is chilled out and the staff is incredibly friendly. We loved it so much, we decided to go back on Sunday for more coffee and an early lunch; that's when we found out the only thing we don't like about this place....they are closed on Sunday. :(
The Green Sage--Asheville, NC
This cafe seemed a little more upscale than some coffee shops, but still a nice place to sit and chill. Not everything is vegetarian/vegan, but there are tons of options, such as vegan biscuits and tempeh sausage. They also have smoothies and miso mugs. I just had an americano, but Cams got a coconut chai with almond milk. It was pretty delicious. We didn't have any food there, but I would like to go back to eat when I'm in Asheville again. The staff was friendly and the place had a really nice vibe.
:( Sad to hear about that experience, mdv! Hopefully (for the restaurant's sake), it was just a bad/busy/something time.
eta my own review:
Alaska
Anchorage
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.
Watkins Glen, NY
The Great Escape Ice Cream Shop
Not exclusively vegan, but they have a whole vegan menu of soft serve ice cream. They do that whole "24 flavour system" that a lot of non-vegan places do. They have a homemade soy-based soft serve ice cream. Sadly, the ice cream only comes in size medium (or so they say...) and it comes in a 12oz cup, not a cone. I split one with my mum. Sadly, I let her choose the flavour and she chose cheesecake, which I thought was too sweet but I don't dig cheesecake that much. The texture was nice. I'm not a big fan of ice cream shoppes, so I found the atmosphere to be cramped, crowded, and clausrorphobia-enducing. I would consider going back there the next time I go to the Glen. I just think it's cool that there is such an offering in an area like that amongst the nascar fanatics.
omfg vegan soft serve?! so jealous!
omfg vegan soft serve?! so jealous!
I know! I was shocked. I just wish mum would have chose a different flavour XP I didn't want to get my own, 12oz of ice cream is too much for me on my own.
omfg vegan soft serve?! so jealous!
I know! I was shocked. I just wish mum would have chose a different flavour XP I didn't want to get my own, 12oz of ice cream is too much for me on my own.
dude! how many times do you get to have vegan soft serve?! live a little baby girl! <3
omfg vegan soft serve?! so jealous!
I know! I was shocked. I just wish mum would have chose a different flavour XP I didn't want to get my own, 12oz of ice cream is too much for me on my own.
dude! how many times do you get to have vegan soft serve?! live a little baby girl! <3
true, true! I'll know better next time XD Hopefully I'll be volunteering at Farm Sanctuary next summer, so I'll be in there for at least a month! Wooo!
MDV:
how weird, my 2 experiences at Loving Hut were totally opposite... 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...
MDV:
how weird, my 2 experiences at Loving Hut were totally opposite... 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...
Which ones?
Looking at the review thread, Amy went to two in California.
Yes, well obviously I checked the review thread!!!!!!!!! I only see a review for one of them, and it was positive!
Yeah, well check it again. There are two. >:D
Seriously! Where is the other one that is not Ladera Ranch? :now!:
sorry AC, i didn't review my bad experience... both 2 times were at the Loving Hut in Ladera Ranch... 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
FYI: For Michigan, the Lansing restaurant Magdalena's Tea has closed down, which is too bad, since it was an all vegan place (with raw food options). Even though the place was pricy, it was tasty food and the owner and her staff were nice and friendly.
Thanks! Too bad they closed.
Thanks! Too bad they closed.
Yw. I know, it is too bad they closed. I wish more veg-friendly restaurants would come to the Lansing area.
Pages