San Francisco is known for its sourdough bread and strong opinions on how to eat burritos. So it’s understandable if you believe it will be difficult to find good vegan food in San Francisco. But that is not the case. We have a plethora of excellent vegan-friendly restaurants that serve everything from healthy and unprocessed options to not-so-healthy comfort food. Here is the list of the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco where you can enjoy a vegan meal.
Shizen Vegan Sushi Bar & Izakaya (370 14th St, San Francisco)
There aren’t many vegan sushi restaurants in town. However, this laid-back Mission spot stands out for its inventive plant-based speciality rolls bursting with textures. The excellent prime suspect is topped with creamy gochujang aioli, crunchy sweet potato crisps, and slabs of soft marinated eggplant. The surprise ending is topped with tiny rice crackers and vegan caviar (where one piece is secretly spiked with habanero aioli). The best dish to order in one of the finest vegan restaurants in San Francisco is the Boddy and Soul, a lightly fried roll topped with spicy aioli and shichimi togarashi for extra heat. And, vegan or not, eating dinner in a restaurant that resembles the interior of a Swedish sauna is always entertaining.
The Vegan Hood Chefs
Vegan Hood Chefs is a roving food truck with a mission: to provide local disenfranchised communities with access to 100% vegan meals. And these recipes are nothing short of revolutionary. The menu changes frequently, but expect shrimp tacos, crispy grit cakes, “poke” fries, po’boys, jerk chicken and waffles, and other battered, fried, and coconut-marinated dishes. Pineapple slaws and tangy chipotle sauces and aiolis brighten many dishes. Their locations vary, so you’ll have to put in some effort to find the greatest vegan restaurants in San Francisco.
Wild Seed (2000 Union St, San Francisco)
Wait times at Wildseed in Cow Hollow can often exceed 90 minutes. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying some of the city’s best vegetarian and plant-based meals. Each of their seven menus includes familiar options with a 100 per cent vegan twist. The menu of Wild Seed, one of the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco changes frequently, but expect beet poke, rigatoni bolognese, and a variety of salads, pizzas, shareable plates, and sandwiches. Order their Meyer lemon agave cheesecake with whipped coconut cream and coconut shavings for a late-night treat.
Burma Love (211 Valencia St, San Francisco)
Burma Love, now with two locations, has been serving some of the best Burmese food in town for nearly 30 years. This restaurant has an extensive menu that includes everything from handmade yellow bean tofu to Shan noodles—rice noodles cooked in a Burmese tomato sauce with pickled mustard greens, cilantro, peanuts, and sautéed tofu. Many dishes from the best vegetarian restaurants in San Francisco can be veganized, so don’t be afraid to ask.
VeganBurg (1466 Haight St, San Francisco)
VeganBurg has been a fixture in San Francisco’s plant-based burger scene since 2015, and everyone continues to return for their delectable burgers. The Haight fast-casual spot is decked out with mirrors and benches lined with astroturf, giving the impression of eating outside. The nine burgers on the menu feature soy, plant protein, imitation fish, and crab patties, with a well-balanced mix of toppings such as pineapple and teriyaki or pico de gallo. Everyone’s favourite is the one with creamy mushrooms, which is filling but light enough that we don’t need to nap right away. For an extra kick, order a side-of-the-house sriracha aioli from one of the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco.
Dancing Yak (280 Valencia St, San Francisco)
This Nepali restaurant in the Mission serves vegetarian and vegan fare under the gaze of a large red yak painting. Begin with the momos, which are filled with mixed vegetables, chives, and homemade masala, before moving on to the baigun tarkari, which is a hearty minced eggplant cooked with onion, garlic, and spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Keep in mind that you can order all of the house specialities and curries as vegetarian or vegan, so this is an excellent place to sample as many dishes as possible.
Nourish Cafe (189 6th Ave, San Francisco)
Nourish cafe, one of the finest vegan restaurants in San Francisco strives to serve food that is not only delicious but also nutritious. All of their ingredient plans are available online, including mentions of dates in baked goods and oil-free salad dressings to entice you from behind your standing desk. Order the Warrior Bowl, which includes spinach, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, sprouted beans, and avocado as the base for a quinoa-and-black-bean Nourish burger patty with red pepper almond dressing. Alternatively, try the “Tuna” sandwich, which is made with sunflower seeds, celery, almonds, onions, tahini, kelp flakes, and mustard, as well as cashew mayo, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts.
The Takeaway
It’s challenging to identify all of the vegan dining options in the Bay Area. So getting some of it down pat seems like a good place to start. From Corte Madera to San Mateo, there are plenty of vegan restaurants in San Francisco that can hold the fish sauce or substitute bacon for avocado. We hope you enjoyed this guide to the best vegetarian restaurants in San Francisco, California!
FAQs
Q1. Is San Francisco vegan friendly?
Ans: San Francisco is extremely vegan-friendly — it has appeared on numerous “Top 10 Places to Visit if You’re a Vegan” lists, and Forbes recently ranked it as the third-best city to live in if you’re vegan or vegetarian.
Q2. What are the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco?
Ans: The Vegan Hood Chefs, Wild Seed, VeganBurg, Nourish Cafe, and Burma Love are some of the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco.
Q3. What are some highly rated vegan restaurants in San Francisco, California?
Ans: Vegan Plantasia, the vegan hood chefs, crepe hearts, wild seed, nourish cafe and more are some of the highly-rated vegan restaurants in San Francisco, California.
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