Ultimate San Diego Vegan Guide: The Best Vegan Restaurants & Markets

20 Best Vegan Restaurants in San Diego

1. KINDRED

• Best for: Beers, burgers, and a side of eccentricity
• Location: South Park: 1503 30th St.
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KINDRED is a quirky vegan restaurant and bar located in South Park. The restaurant's ambiance is truly unique and has to be experienced while in San Diego. As for the meals, you'll find mostly American-style dishes with plant-based flair like their Memphis BBQ Jackfruit, ABBA Burger and Homestyle Mac.

 

2. Donna Jean

• Best for: Incredible plant-based pizza and pastas
• Location: Bankers Hill: 2949 5th Ave (& Quince)
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Donna Jen is a concept restaurant developed by chef Roy whose mother, Donna Jean, died from breast cancer at just 55. Roy believes his mother's death could have been prevented through the power of a plant-based diet should she have had the knowledge and resources earlier in her life. This led Roy to create Donna Jean, which has quickly become of the most iconic vegan restaurants in San Diego.

While it's 100% plant-based Donna Jean is not a bland "health food" restaurant, but a vegan establishment even meat-eaters will be blown away by.

 

3. Grains

• Best for: East meets West plant-based meals
• Location: 2201 Adams Ave. San Diego, CA
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Grains take iconic Eastern cuisine and adds their own flair to the meals. Here you can get anything from traditional Pad Thai to Tofu Nuggets. The once vegetarian restaurant now serves up all its meals vegan and is one of the best vegan eateries in San Diego.

 

4. The Plot

• Best for: An innovative menu
• Location: 1733 S Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054
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The Plot is the passion project of regenerative farmers Jessica and Davin Waite and a local food activist Bianca Bonilla. The trio came together to create a restaurant that, doesn't simply serve up delicious, boundary-pushing cuisine, but doesn't settle for food waste either. Together they have plotted to feed the evolution and we're definitely buying it.

 

5. Veg'n Out

• Best for: California burritos
• Location: Grantville: San Diego Vegan Market 4606 Mission Gorge Place San Diego, CA
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This 100% vegan deli serves up tasty breakfast burritos, BLTs, and bowls. The plant-powered deli is located in the San Diego Vegan Market and is open Wednesday through Sunday.

 

6. Veganic Thai

• Best for: Organic vegan Thai
• Location: Hillcrest: 1417 University Ave (& Richmond)
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Veganic Thai brings San Diego perhaps its finest Thai experience. Taste their aromatic curries, drunken noodles, and traditional Thai favorites. Most meals you have a choice of vegetables, tofu (your way) soy chicken, soy duck, soy beef or soy shrimp. When you get those Thai food cravings, don't miss Veganic Thai.

 

7. Vegan vs Fries

• Best for: Fries-stuffed burritos
• Location: La Jolla: 7979 Ivanhoe Ave (& Roslyn)
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Vegan vs Fries takes the usual sidekick, fries, and turns them into the hero. The concept is simple - you choose your fries, choose your toppings, and choose your style. This is definitely not a restaurant where fries sit on the sidelines.

 

8. Peace Pies

• Best for: Raw vegan food
• Location: Ocean Beach: 4230 Voltaire St (& Catalina)
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Peace Pies is the place to be if you're looking for tasty raw, soy-free, gluten-free vegan food in San Diego. The locally-owned restaurant works with local farmers who supply their organic ingredients. The conscious restaurant alos has a zero-waste policy, so you're doing good for yourself, animals, and the environment by visiting here.

 

9. Mothership

• Best for: A cosmic food and cocktail experience
• Location: South Park: 2310 30th St (& Juniper)
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Mothership is a concept restaurant and bar where you'll be on the Mothership in outer space, sipping on otherworldly cocktails and of course, enjoying "Earth Food", which is Mothership's name for their plant-based food which was salvaged from Earth. The restaurant is exciting and aesthetic, and its menu is well put together and super fun. Mothership is a spinoff from its parent restaurant KINDRED (See #1 in this list).

 

10. Trilogy Sanctuary

• Best for: Yogi soul food
• Location: La Jolla: 7650 Girard Ave #400 (& Kline)
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Its vegan restaurant is just one part that makes up the Trilogy Sanctuary. The three pillars of Trilogy Sanctuary are: yoga, spiritual healing, and vegan food. Trilogy has a rooftop restaurant and outdoor cafe where you can indulge in delicious - and conscious - soul food you won't soon forget.

 

11. Evolution Fast Food

• Best for: The original San Diego vegan fast food
• Location: Bankers Hill: 2965 5th Ave (& Quince)
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Evolution is San Diego's first-ever vegan fast food restaurant serving up all the tasty comfort foods we love - just powered by plants. Here you can find burgers, burritos, and sandwiches sourced from 100% organic and non-GMO ingredients.

 

12. Tacotarian

• Best for: Plant-based tacos
• Location: North Park: 4332 30th Street (30th & El Cajon) San Diego, CA
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Tacotarian was inspired by Mexico City's vegan street food. The Mexican vegan restaurant, originally in Las Vegas, now serves the tastiest tacos in San Diego with the widest range of plant-based tacos, burritos, taco salads, and ceviche. You don't need to go south of the border to get authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine that is also 100% vegan.

 

13. Eris Vegan Food Co

• Best for: Hidden San Diego gem
• Location: Oceanside: 302 Wisconsin Ave (& Cleveland)
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Eris Vegan Food Co is a small, artsy family-owned vegan restaurant in Oceanside. The restaurant has a wide variety of vegan foods, so it's perfect for a small group or if you're bringing non-vegan friends as they can choose from a variety of options. While there's nothing flashy about Eris, this place is a must when in the area.

 

14. And So It Vegans

• Best for: Jackfruit tacos
• Location: Barrio (Logan) Food Hub: 2707 Boston Ave (& S 27th)

New kid on the block, And So It Vegans brings a few fresh takes on vegan food in San Diego. Here you can try jackfruit tacos, vegan shrimp (hearts of palm), and beet-based vegan steak.

 

15. AVO Cafe

• Best for: Vegan brunch
• Location: 5808 Van Allen Way Suite 115, Carlsbad, CA
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The AVO Cafe (All Vegan Organic) is the place to be for breakfast, brunch, and lunch foods. The AVO founders have found the balance between nutritiously healthful meals and satisfying tastes. Their all-day breakfast menu means you can enjoy breakfast on your time.

 

16. Ben & Esther's Vegan Jewish Deli

• Best for: Bagel sandwiches
• Location/s: Oceanside: 1904 South Coast Hwy #101 (& Kelly ) & Rolando: 6663 El Cajon Blvd (& Montezuma)
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Ben & Esther's has two locations in the San Diego area and is one of the best places for a veggie-friendly breakfast in the city. This delicatessen specializes in bagels and deli sandwiches which they do better than most. Don't miss this place.

 

17. El Avocado

• Best for: "Sammies" and specialty drinks
• Location: La Jolla: 1025 Prospect #130 (& Girard)
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El Avocado is a great place to grab one of their famous "Sammies" and a cocktail. There's also a decent photo op with the "Don't Kale My Vibe" sign.

 

18. Sabor a Vida

• Best for: Sunday lunch
• Location: Vista: 735 Shadowridge Dr (& Watson Way)
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Sabor a Vida was born when its founders Mario and Veronica were faced with fighting cancer. They beat the disease, which they believe had much to do with their decision to eat plant-based. Now, Sabor a Vida features 100% plant-based meals aimed to reduce disease, maximize health and taste delicious.

 

19. The Green House [Now Closed]

• Best for: Vegan sandwiches
• Location: Oceanside: 212 North Coast Hwy (& Mission Ave)
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The Green House is a small, friendly, family-owned vegan restaurant in Oceanside. Here you'll find vegan deli classics, gluten-free deserts, and plant-based dishes made with love.

Update: This restaurant, unfortunately, closed its door permanently in January 2023.

 

20. Botanic Burgers

• Best for: Internationally-inspired plant-based burgers
• Location: La Jolla Jewish Community Center: 4126 Executive Drive (& Genesee)
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At Botanic Burger its burgers are inspired by real-world cities around the globe. Whether it's Jerusalem, Playa del Carmen, or Waikiki, Botanic Burgers will take your taste buds on a journey to deliciousness.