Eating out as a Vegan can be challenging, since very few restaurants have good vegan options on the menu. Fortunately, here in San Diego there are many great restaurant options that offer an entirely vegan menu for plant-based eaters in San Diego to enjoy. Here is a list of a few of our favorites.
One of the newer restaurants in the growing vegan space is Anthem Vegan in North Park and Chula Vista. You can also find them at various farmers markets around San Diego, including the Ocean Beach Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays and the SDSU Farmers Market on Thursdays. Their wide range of delicious faux meats and made-from-scratch sauces and dressings set this establishment apart and keep San Diego customers coming back for more!
Donna Jean on Bankers Hill is best known for its vegan pizza, but the Cast Iron Mac & Trees should definitely not be overlooked! The food is cooked with herbs from their on-site garden, making it extremely fresh and flavorful. If you’re looking for healthy vegan food, this may not be the place for you, but if you want delicious comfort food that’s plant-based, give Donna Jean a try!
Soulshine Vegan Café is a cute little spot in Mission Beach to get your plant-based fix. It offers healthy, organic, non-GMO food that’s tasty and fun. They even have a creative kids menu that’s sure to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.
Vegan Chain Restaurants in San Diego
If you aren’t opposed to chain restaurants, there are a few vegan-specialty restaurants that get rave reviews. Native Foods Café has three San Diego locations: Encinitas, Clairmont, and Midway. They have many flavorful options that could be most accurately described as “comfort food.” Everything is made from scratch, using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible.
Another option, if you don’t mind a chain restaurant, is Loving Hut. This international restaurant chain has more than 200 locations, and San Diego is home to two of them. You can find Loving Hut in North Park as well as in Mira Mesa. On their menu, you’ll find diverse items for almost every taste preference at affordable prices. Even though it’s a chain, each Loving Hut location has the freedom to create its own vegan dishes, so every Loving Hut location has a little bit of its own flavor.
Café Gratitude is a small chain of vegan restaurants that started right here in San Diego’s Little Italy. Their Little Italy location boasts a clean modern interior, with an inviting patio that’s perfect for people watching on one of San Diego’s many sunny days. The menu is creative and is a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike. They locally source ingredients and have an ever-changing seasonal menu to keep customers coming back to try what’s new.
