13 Best Vegan Restaurants in San Francisco

It’s true; San Francisco has a little bit of everything packed into its seven-by-seven square miles— it’s a mix of culture and community, including a vibrant food scene. San Francisco is incredibly vegan-friendly — it has graced many “Top 10 Places to Visit if You’re a Vegan” lists and was once ranked by Forbes as the #3 city to live in if you’re vegan or vegetarian. That’s saying something! If you’re planning a visit, here are the best vegan restaurants in San Francisco to check out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

For a creative lineup of burgers and crispy chick’n, look no further than Next Level (hidden inside Whole Foods)! Go wild with a Maverick burger loaded with crispy onion rings, tempeh bacon, and special house-made sauce, but you can’t have just the burger; it needs a sidekick! Tag on an order of golden tots, extra crispy sweet potato fries, or kick it up a notch with loaded Chilichz fries! And, as if that weren’t enough, they also have a sinful lineup of ultra creamy milkshakes!

This family-run Chinese restaurant has locations in Chinatown and Sunset making it even easier to get your hands on their fantastic steamed dumplings and veggie duck! Their veganized Chinese dishes are so delicious that even the most die-hard meat eater won’t miss the meat! The family draws inspiration for the menu from their Buddhist roots — it features lettuce wraps with mushrooms and vegan chicken, kung pao lamb, soups, and much more. The entire menu is vegetarian, and almost all items are vegan. All dishes also do not contain garlic, onion, or MSG and mock meats are made from soy, yam, or wheat gluten.

Fishless sushi? You got it! The creative menu at this Michelin-Starred vegan restaurant is much more than avocado rolls — the team has reinvented everything from the fan-favorite California rolls to a spicy tofuna. You can’t leave without tasting one of their 12 specialty rolls like the Secret Weapon, filled with marinated mushroom, avocado, spicy shredded tofu, pickled jalapeño, pickled pineapple, sweet shoyu, and habanero sauce. In addition to an incredible lineup of sushi, you’ll also find traditional izakaya small plates like kaarage, yakisoba, and bowls of bold ramen.

After a few too many slices of vegan ‘za and loaded burgers, you’re probably going to feel like you need a reset, and there is no better place to go than Judahlicious located near Ocean Beach and Golden Gate Park! This raw plant-based café and juice bar has all the colorful things you need to feel right as rain! Start with a Farm juice (greens, carrot, beet, daikon, ginger, and garlic) to get your system going, then check out one of their daily specials or grab an order of raw tacos wrapped in collard greens. While some might think a raw café might lack hutzpah in the flavor department, this spot is all about harnessing the flavor power of plants! You’ll also feel good knowing that most of their ingredients are locally sourced.

This colorful and modern fast-casual vegan eatery is brought to you by the same folks who run Wildseed (so if you love WIldseed, it’s guaranteed you’ll probably love this spot). The veggie-focused menu focuses on ensuring you enjoy your meal while getting the recommended allotment of seasonal superfoods, much of which has been sourced locally — what’s not to love about that? You’ll find just about everything on this globally-inspired menu — veggie-packed salads, creative Neatball masala, spicy sausage flatbread, and hearty burgers! Breakfast is also served every day, and brunch is on the weekend.

Looking for a spot to have a complete night on the town? Look no further than Peña Pachamama in North Beach! This Bolivian restaurant features an entirely plant-based menu, with half of the options cooked and the other half raw. You’ll find savory yuca fries with cashew cream, Bolivian-style Portapancho (tempura portobello), empanadas, and coconut cream pie! But that’s not all — every Friday and Saturday night, they host an array of talented musicians and their own Pachamama Band! The infectious music will have you on your feet; this will be an experience you won’t forget!

Move over Mickey D’s, Mr. Charlie’s has come to San Francisco to spread its vegan fast food love! The vegan fast food chain is a spoof on the golden arches and has recreated all of the classic food options, right down to a Frowny Meal — how can you say no to that? Aside from Not a Cheeseburger and Not a Double Burger, you’ll also want to devour their spicy chick’n nuggets, just don’t forget an order of those classic, salty shoestring fries!

San Francisco Vegan Map

Don’t worry about mapping out your vegan adventure, I’ve done it for you! This handy map highlights all of the must eat vegan spots throughout the city.

San Francisco Wrap Up: More California Vegan Dreams

San Francisco isn’t the only super vegan-friendly city in California! Be sure you don’t miss these guides and articles to other top cities in the state.

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