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A few hands and some food.
A spread of plant-based dishes at Hayes Valley’s Rad Radish.
Rad Radish

13 Phenomenal Vegan Restaurants in San Francisco

These are the best places to get your plant on

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A spread of plant-based dishes at Hayes Valley’s Rad Radish.
| Rad Radish

There are a host of stereotypes about the Bay Area and NorCal dining scene, and one well-earned trope is the region’s cornucopia of all-inclusive menu options. For the vegan and plant-based diners out there, San Francisco restaurants are a true treasure. That means it’s relatively easy to find restaurants to accommodate your recently plant-based pal or if you’re looking for a way to get a few more legumes into your diet. Here are 13 restaurants built for the vegan diners in your life.

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Wildseed

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Wildseed, local restaurateur Adriano Paganini’s plant-based restaurant and bar, is one of the buzziest players on the plant-based restaurant scene, with a menu of local, vegan, and seasonally-driven dishes like “neatball” masala and a rigatoni bolognese (with Impossible “meat”). The Meyer lemon cheesecake feels and tastes so genuinely cheesy that you’ll think a mistake has been made.

Nourish Cafe

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Nourish Cafe has two locations in San Francisco: one in the Inner Richmond, and another at 1030 Hyde Street in Nob Hill. Completely plant-based, the restaurants serve juice, smoothies, bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch (the Nob Hill location also offers dinner). Just Date, a whole-sugar fruit company run by Bay Area-based M.D. Sylvie Charles, provides the date-based syrup.

Golden Era Vegan

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Long before the Impossible Burger, Golden Era was confounding vegans with its fake “chicken” and “beef” in flavorful Chinese dishes. It’s worth nothing this spot is owned and operated by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai, so while the food is indeed delicious, folks uncomfortable with religious propaganda should probably steer clear.

Rad Radish

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This recent addition to the Hayes Valley corridor is an all-day cafe for the animal-avoidant diner in your life. There are Vietnamese iced coffees in the morning, served with “chicken” and waffles, and a new line of pizzas at night. A bright palette with a fast-casual service style makes dining at Rad Radish a colorful pleasure.

A photo of waffles. Paolo Bicchieri

The Greek fast-casual chain Souvla partnered with Black Sheep Foods to be the first restaurant in San Francisco to offer plant-based lamb. Now eaters can try the vegan alternative in salads and wraps at any of the locations around the Bay.

Wholesome Bakery

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Wholesome Bakery isn’t just vegan, it’s also free of gluten, soy, and trans fats. At the Divisadero Street cafe you can find a solid selection of sandwiches, bowls, and salads, but go for the baked goods, including indulgence-worthy brownies, cookies, and cakes. Online ordering is available, and local delivery is free.

Vegan Mob (food truck)

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Oakland barbecue sensation Vegan Mob has yet to expand to San Francisco with a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but for now fans can find a food truck parked on the corner of Valencia and 18th streets. Place your order online for pick up and choose from tacos, sandwiches, or any of the mob plates, which come loaded with your favorite protein and a few sides.

Senor Sisig Vegano

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Down the street from Vegan Mob’s food truck, you can now visit Senor Sisig’s first brick and mortar location. The food truck success story serves a meat-free menu of Filipino-inspired dishes including burritos stuffed with adobo garlic rice and fries topped with your choice of protein, nacho cheese, sour cream, guac, and pico de gallo. You can also get your fix at the Ferry Building outpost.

Vegan pork California sisig burrito Señor Sisig

Ina Jungin Lee’s newest fast-casual Korean restaurant, which takes over the space of her former restaurant Korner Store on Valencia Street, is an affordable delight. While many of the chobap — Korean handrolls — on the menu are not vegan, there are options ranging from seaweed and cucumber to an Impossible meat-stuffed roll for those looking to leave the animals on the side.

A photo of a handroll. Paolo Bicchieri

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant

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Cha-Ya serves some of the tastiest — and prettiest — vegan Japanese fare you can find in the city, including delicate salads, hearty noodle dishes, and inventive sushi rolls. The restaurant is open for dine-in on a first come, first served basis. It closes at 8 p.m. but get there by 7:45 p.m. if you want to place your name on the list.

Beach'N SF

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Michael Petite’s first vegan hangout Judahlicious, which is just up the street on Judah Avenue, serves bowls and smoothies for a bit of lighter fare. Beach’n and its riffs on breakfast burritos and scrambles are worth trying, if the numerous other attempts to encourage diners to get hyped on Michael Petite’s restaurants haven’t yet worked already.

Firefly Restaurant

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This Noe Valley restaurant is a mainstay for neighborhood residents craving an affordable night out, and more so for those with dietary restrictions. Yes, just about everything is gluten-free, but pretty much all the items can be prepared plant-based, too. The Japanese sweet potato tostones, laden with a citrus and ginger glaze, are one such vegan delight.

The Vegan Hood Chefs

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Ronnisha Johnson and Rheema Calloway have been doing the vegan thing for a good while now, and they’ve just recently brought their services to Spark Social for a nighttime pop-up. The duo made an appearance at El Rio in the Mission in early 2023, too, though following the business’ Instagram is the best way to stay up-to-date.

Wildseed

Wildseed, local restaurateur Adriano Paganini’s plant-based restaurant and bar, is one of the buzziest players on the plant-based restaurant scene, with a menu of local, vegan, and seasonally-driven dishes like “neatball” masala and a rigatoni bolognese (with Impossible “meat”). The Meyer lemon cheesecake feels and tastes so genuinely cheesy that you’ll think a mistake has been made.

Nourish Cafe

Nourish Cafe has two locations in San Francisco: one in the Inner Richmond, and another at 1030 Hyde Street in Nob Hill. Completely plant-based, the restaurants serve juice, smoothies, bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch (the Nob Hill location also offers dinner). Just Date, a whole-sugar fruit company run by Bay Area-based M.D. Sylvie Charles, provides the date-based syrup.

Golden Era Vegan

Long before the Impossible Burger, Golden Era was confounding vegans with its fake “chicken” and “beef” in flavorful Chinese dishes. It’s worth nothing this spot is owned and operated by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai, so while the food is indeed delicious, folks uncomfortable with religious propaganda should probably steer clear.

Rad Radish

This recent addition to the Hayes Valley corridor is an all-day cafe for the animal-avoidant diner in your life. There are Vietnamese iced coffees in the morning, served with “chicken” and waffles, and a new line of pizzas at night. A bright palette with a fast-casual service style makes dining at Rad Radish a colorful pleasure.

A photo of waffles. Paolo Bicchieri

Souvla

The Greek fast-casual chain Souvla partnered with Black Sheep Foods to be the first restaurant in San Francisco to offer plant-based lamb. Now eaters can try the vegan alternative in salads and wraps at any of the locations around the Bay.

Wholesome Bakery

Wholesome Bakery isn’t just vegan, it’s also free of gluten, soy, and trans fats. At the Divisadero Street cafe you can find a solid selection of sandwiches, bowls, and salads, but go for the baked goods, including indulgence-worthy brownies, cookies, and cakes. Online ordering is available, and local delivery is free.

Vegan Mob (food truck)

Oakland barbecue sensation Vegan Mob has yet to expand to San Francisco with a brick-and-mortar restaurant, but for now fans can find a food truck parked on the corner of Valencia and 18th streets. Place your order online for pick up and choose from tacos, sandwiches, or any of the mob plates, which come loaded with your favorite protein and a few sides.

Senor Sisig Vegano

Down the street from Vegan Mob’s food truck, you can now visit Senor Sisig’s first brick and mortar location. The food truck success story serves a meat-free menu of Filipino-inspired dishes including burritos stuffed with adobo garlic rice and fries topped with your choice of protein, nacho cheese, sour cream, guac, and pico de gallo. You can also get your fix at the Ferry Building outpost.

Vegan pork California sisig burrito Señor Sisig

BoBop

Ina Jungin Lee’s newest fast-casual Korean restaurant, which takes over the space of her former restaurant Korner Store on Valencia Street, is an affordable delight. While many of the chobap — Korean handrolls — on the menu are not vegan, there are options ranging from seaweed and cucumber to an Impossible meat-stuffed roll for those looking to leave the animals on the side.

A photo of a handroll. Paolo Bicchieri

Cha-Ya Vegetarian Japanese Restaurant

Cha-Ya serves some of the tastiest — and prettiest — vegan Japanese fare you can find in the city, including delicate salads, hearty noodle dishes, and inventive sushi rolls. The restaurant is open for dine-in on a first come, first served basis. It closes at 8 p.m. but get there by 7:45 p.m. if you want to place your name on the list.

Beach'N SF

Michael Petite’s first vegan hangout Judahlicious, which is just up the street on Judah Avenue, serves bowls and smoothies for a bit of lighter fare. Beach’n and its riffs on breakfast burritos and scrambles are worth trying, if the numerous other attempts to encourage diners to get hyped on Michael Petite’s restaurants haven’t yet worked already.

Firefly Restaurant

This Noe Valley restaurant is a mainstay for neighborhood residents craving an affordable night out, and more so for those with dietary restrictions. Yes, just about everything is gluten-free, but pretty much all the items can be prepared plant-based, too. The Japanese sweet potato tostones, laden with a citrus and ginger glaze, are one such vegan delight.

The Vegan Hood Chefs

Ronnisha Johnson and Rheema Calloway have been doing the vegan thing for a good while now, and they’ve just recently brought their services to Spark Social for a nighttime pop-up. The duo made an appearance at El Rio in the Mission in early 2023, too, though following the business’ Instagram is the best way to stay up-to-date.

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