San Francisco is a plant based foodie’s dream, and there’s so many delicious spots to try!
Vegetarian and vegan options aren’t an afterthought in this city. In fact, they’re the main part of the menu, which is one of the reasons I love San Francisco so much.
With that being said, here’s what I ate in San Francisco! Everything listed below is vegetarian or vegan, and I hope this list gives you some ideas for your next trip to the Bay Area.
Gram San Francisco is a Japanese cafe, serving the best breakfast food in the world: PANCAKES! It’s also a female-owned small business, which I absolutely love supporting. They have sweet pancakes, like caramelized banana, hazelnut chocolate, and premium strawberry. There’s also savory options, like chili beans and eggs benedict.
These bad boys were #1 on my foodie dream list in San Francisco, and they’re still the best pancakes I’ve ever had. It was amazing to try them, especially after stalking them on Instagram for so long! And YES, they really do taste as good as they look, since they’re so light and fluffy. This cafe is a special treat because you can’t find Japanese pancakes at any old breakfast spot.
Gram Cafe is located inside Stonestown Galleria Shopping Mall.
Fueling Station is definitely a place where locals go, and they have great outdoor seating. I stopped in for a coffee, and I was pleasantly surprised by the food menu. I ordered a vegan Bahn Mi, and I still dream about that sandwich.
San Francisco has a lot of amazing Asian cuisine, and it was pretty cool to try the vegan version of this popular Vietnamese sandwich.
Beacon Coffe & Pantry was close to my hotel, so I grabbed breakfast and coffee here several times. I also enjoyed the walk because I was surrounded by the iconic San Francisco homes on the hills.
The dining room wasn’t open (and I believe it hasn’t reopened as of 01/2022 when I’m writing this). During this trip, a lot of coffee shops were still closed because of COVID, so I was thankful for this as an option.
What I loved most was the breakfast menu because I get way too excited when there’s vegetarian options. There were a lot of locals ordering their morning coffee, and the staff was friendly too.
4. Bowl’D Acai
There’s something so refreshing about eating an acai bowl by the ocean. I stopped at this food truck after biking across the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was super tasty. If you’re looking for a delicious smoothie to-go, or you have some time to eat a fresh acai bowl and chill by the bay, this place is a must. My favorite part about this spot was the amazing views!
Check them out of Instagram, to see more of their beautiful bowls and smoothies too.
I found this place on Instagram, and I definitely went out of my way to eat here. I love Mexican food, so a vegan Mexican restaurant sounded like a dream.
Gracias Madre made me excited for Mexican food again because their food is super fresh. They have tempeh, tamales, flautas, bowls, nachos, burritos… and they’re serving it all vegan. I ordered a bowl and the guacamole was super fresh.
This would be a good date night spot, or a nice spot to grab some drinks. Gracias Madre is located in Mission, which is a working class neighborhood with lots of local shops. As a solo traveler, I wouldn’t recommend roaming this area at night. But I didn’t have any problems during the day and you can definitely find the best Mexican food in this area.
This burger spot is in Haight-Ashbury, which is the quintessential “hippie” area of SF. It’s close to some fun thrift spots, the That’s So Raven house, and the famous Painted Ladies. I stopped here to grab something quickly after exploring all day, but I also love to take advantage of eating at a vegan “burger” spot.
American food isn’t my first choice, but it was awesome to find a plant based fast food restaurant. I ordered a burger and fries, and it was pretty average. I think this would be a great place to bring someone who is hesitant to try vegan food. Someone who is used to eating a traditional American diet would really like this place.
I was so excited to stumble upon this place, and it’s the best boba tea I’ve ever had! The location is also five stars because it’s in the heart of Chinatown. It’s located next door to the famous fortune cookie factory, which you must check out while you’re there.
I’ve been to Chinatown in NYC, Chicago, and DC, but nothing beats San Francisco’s Chinatown. In fact, it’s the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and it’s a true cultural experience.
I ordered a mango tea with regular boba, and I really enjoyed watching the locals shop at the flower shop across the street.
