San Francisco is a city that embraces the unusual—a fact that applies to everything from sexual to dietary preferences. If you prefer to abstain from eating meat, there are plenty of people who will join you on this journey. Thus, there is no shortage of truly delicious and innovative vegan and vegetarian food in SF. Most eateries offer a handful of vegetarian items, but some restaurants specialize in making a memorable experience for non-carnivores. Below, we share our favorite places that go above and beyond when it comes to delectable vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
Fang
When you think of vegetarian food, Chinese food might not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, at Kathy Fang’s namesake restaurant Fang, the petit chef makes it a point to offer plenty of healthy and mindful dishes for vegetarians. In fact, she was recently invited to the Today Show to teach Kathie Lee and Hoda how to make a more nutritious fried rice. At the restaurant Fang offers a variety of vegetarian dumplings, salads, soups, wok dishes, and sides. Fang personally loves the garlic peashoots with edamame and the tofu buns—steamed clamshell buns stuffed with crispy tofu, plum sauce, scallions and cilantro.
Rooh
Rooh is a relatively new restaurant in SOMA that specializes in seasonal Indian food. Chef Sujan Sarkar personally scours the farmers market for the best local produce. He uses this to showcase his connection with and love of Indian flavors. Order potato tikki with kale and spinach tempura; tandoori seasonal mushrooms with polenta-umps; or artichoke and grain pulao with vegetables and cashews.
The Plant Cafe
With eight locations in the Bay Area, the Plant Cafe has established itself as a go-to eatery for fresh, sustainable, organic food. Although the menu isn’t entirely vegetarian, there are plenty of options, including salads, sandwiches, and bowls. Unfortunately, we can’t tell you how any of these items taste because there’s one thing we always order at the Plant Cafe: it’s sensational veggie burger. The Plant Burger is the best veggie burger in the city! The vegan patty consists of lentils, mushrooms, beets, cashews, and bulgur wheat. We get ours with avocado and white cheddar. It’s to die for!
Gracias Madre
For vegan Mexican food, you can’t beat the beloved Mission restaurant Gracias Madre. All of the produce comes from the eatery’s farm, Be Love Farm, located in Pleasants Valley. All of the cheese and milk products are made from nuts. Tortillas and tamales are handmade from non-GMO organic heirloom corn. Indulge in flash-fried cauliflower with nacho cheese sauce, enchiladas with sauteed greens and black beans, or tacos piled high with grilled zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant.
Millennium
For many years, Millennium restaurant was the best place for vegetarian food in San Francisco. However, the restaurant relocated and is now the best place for vegetarian food in Oakland. It’s innovative and scrumptious plant-based fine dining served in an upscale, yet rustic environment. The menu changes often, so there is reason to dine at Millennium frequently. Devour roasted carrot and tomato farrotto, fresh corn and toasted pumpkin seed tamal, or coriander and arborio crusted king trumpet mushrooms.
Seed and Salt
For fast-casual vegan food there is no better place than Seed and Salt in the Marina. The restaurant is open all day and serves everything from breakfast sandwiches (with chickpea frittata, walnut chorizo, cashew ‘cheddar’ cheese, caramelized onions, and pimenton mayo) to green curry rice bowls (with roasted root vegetables and coconut milk). Everything is made in house and is 100% vegan. The BLT—with eggplant bacon—is so downright delicious carnivores would enjoy it.
Greens
No vegetarian roundup is complete without mentioning Greens, the city’s first restaurant devoted to plant-based cookery. Located at Fort Mason, Greens boasts stunning views of the Bay Area and is a great place to throw a party.
Chaya
If you’re in need of a vegetarian lunch downtown, look no further than Chaya Brasserie. The Japanese-inspired bistro, whose Embarcadero Street location boasts stunning views of the Bay, offers an assortment of vegetarian lunch options. There’s an Instagramable veggie bowl of quinoa, tofu and summer vegetables; fried tofu salad with mixed greens and cucumber; or corn ravioli with basil and burrata.
