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Rad Radish serves up breakfast, brunch, and lunch with entirely plant-based ingredients.
Back of The House

15 Bountiful Restaurants for Vegetarians in San Francisco

These restaurants make plants the star, not the side

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Rad Radish serves up breakfast, brunch, and lunch with entirely plant-based ingredients.
| Back of The House

There’s a skyward line graph developing in San Francisco: on the x-axis, one finds the number of restaurants with vegetarian options, and on the y-axis, compelling reasons to ditch some or all animal products. Don’t take it at face value, though — there are numerous studies and articles on the impacts made by opting for almonds over animals.

And there are plenty of ways to eat vegetarian, not to mention vegan, that cultures and communities have made super delicious over thousands of years of trial and error. Indian cuisine often provides chances to ditch the meat, which makes sense given the subcontinent hosts the most vegetarians of any country on the planet. Here in San Francisco, these 15 restaurants either center on vegetarianism or offer dishes as compelling as their meaty alternatives on the menu.

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Greens Restaurant

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Since 1979, Greens restaurant has been a proving ground for wickedly talented women chefs — starting, of course, with founding chef Deborah Madison, whose kitchen family tree also includes Annie Somerville, Denise St. Onge, and current Greens executive chef Katie Reicher. The landmark restaurant has been all vegetarian since day one and continues to star pristine local produce in spring rolls, salads, and pizzas. This longstanding San Francisco vegetarian dining room also offers stunning views of the bay and Marin Headlands beyond, though you can dine al fresco if you’d prefer.

Enjoy Vegetarian

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Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant — which is run by a family of devout Buddhists — is also kosher, making the restaurants (one in the Sunset and one in Chinatown) a hit with those of many faiths. Where this Chinese-influenced spot really shines though is its soups, all of which are made with flavorful, hearty broths that put meat-based broths to shame.

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant

Nourish Cafe SF

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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. Both locations, which are completely plant-based, serve juice, smoothies, bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.

Thai Idea Vegetarian Restaurant

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While most Thai restaurants have plenty of meatless options, this Tenderloin restaurant removed the guesswork, as all its offerings are meat-free — yes, that even means fish and seafood are off the menu. Dishes include classics like papaya salad and pad Thai, and the spot also offers fresh takes on standards like fried rice and faux meat.

Rad Radish

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From the same team behind Wildseed comes breakfast vegetarian food (vegan, actually) every day of the week. The chicken and waffles are made of red velvet beets and flaxseed waffles and Tindle chicken. For lunch, there are loads of sandwiches, burgers, and even flatbreads.

A photo of food.
Chilaquiles at Rad Radish.
Paolo Bicchieri

New Dumpling King

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There are actually a number of legitimate vegetarian options on Balboa Street, including the vegan enchiladas at Cielito Lindo, but the vegetarian goose at New Dumpling King is worth a double take. For $10 one gets ten slices of soy protein, mushroom, veggies, and spices — this dish is a marvel of vegetarian cuisine. Plus, mapo tofu and garlic eggplant are worthy contenders, too.

A photo of a poster at a restaurant.
Do vegetarian dishes get any wilder?
Paolo Bicchieri

Beit Rima

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Beit Rima serves its exceptional hummus, falafel, and mezze to many Bay Area fans from its Castro and Cole Valley locations. It has a vegetarian-friendly menu, with the majority of items inherently free of meat. Must-orders include the ful (smashed fava bean spread with lemon relish, with a highly recommended optional soft boiled egg), shakshuka, and delicata squash with brown butter lebneh and pine nut dukkah.

Mezze sampler at Beit Rima Beit Rima

Craving tofuna? Shizen’s vegan sushi bar and izakaya offers a menu of rolls filled with creamy tofu and topped with imitation fish eggs made of tapioca, as well as tempura-fried veggies, bean curd skewers, and miso ramen.

Savor Cafe

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Mohamed Aboghanem’s newest outfit in the Inner Sunset is just getting started, and the unsuspecting shop already shows promise. The former owner of Saha in Berkeley, Aboghanem has been cooking vegetarian and vegan food for well over a decade. Bread pudding, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, baklava, and almond bear tortes are all on deck.

Almond bear torte at Savor.
Almond bear torte at Savor.
Savor

Lomo Libre Cantina

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Yes, Peruvian food is better known for carnivorous dishes including ceviche and various riffs on steak. And while Jose Calvo Perez’s newest restaurant certainly packs a protein punch, some of that power comes from the shop’s tofu saltado. The dish is nourishing and a fine alternative to the other saltados, and an order of yucca fries puts one soundly on vegetarian cloud nine.

A photo of tofu and rice.
The tofu saltado is a nourishing delight.
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. They’re back to indoor dining, takeout, and delivery five days of the week, Wednesday through Sunday.

Udupi Palace

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Udupi Palace has faced some controversy over labor issues in the past but promises to turn over a new leaf suggest vegetarians are free to enjoy the South Indian restaurant’s giant dosas, spicy curries, and sweet chutneys free of guilt over human or animal exploitation. Entree prices top out at around $14, even for dinner, so they’ll also fill you up without breaking the bank.

Udupi Palace

3rd Cousin

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This Bernal Heights restaurant is not exclusively vegetarian, nor does need it to be. Chef-owner Greg Lutes’ Michelin Guide New Discoveries 2021 restaurant has an expansive patio, a YOLO (you only live once) wine pairing, and, thankfully, vegetarian items for the high-end diners such as potato leek soup, casarecce (available gluten-free), and porcini mushroom and black truffle ravioli “francese.”

Dinosaurs

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A favorite for sandwich-seekers on Ocean Avenue, Dinosaurs keeps two vegetarian options on its menu at all times. For $11.75 diners can score crispy tofu or roasted portobello bahn mi at any of the business’ three San Francisco locations. Plus, the $10.90 tofu and taro spring rolls, complete with shreds of jicama and rice noodle, make a choice vegetarian side.

The Vegan Hood Chefs

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Rheema Calloway and Ronnishia Johnson, the talented chefs behind this pop-up turned mainstay at Speakeasy in Bayview, can not be praised enough. They cater, host classes online, and are big brunch advocates — plus their mac n’ cheese, a coconut milk-based riff, entirely changed the vegan game in San Francisco.

Greens Restaurant

Since 1979, Greens restaurant has been a proving ground for wickedly talented women chefs — starting, of course, with founding chef Deborah Madison, whose kitchen family tree also includes Annie Somerville, Denise St. Onge, and current Greens executive chef Katie Reicher. The landmark restaurant has been all vegetarian since day one and continues to star pristine local produce in spring rolls, salads, and pizzas. This longstanding San Francisco vegetarian dining room also offers stunning views of the bay and Marin Headlands beyond, though you can dine al fresco if you’d prefer.

Enjoy Vegetarian

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant — which is run by a family of devout Buddhists — is also kosher, making the restaurants (one in the Sunset and one in Chinatown) a hit with those of many faiths. Where this Chinese-influenced spot really shines though is its soups, all of which are made with flavorful, hearty broths that put meat-based broths to shame.

Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant

Nourish Cafe SF

Nourish Cafe has two locations in San Francisco: one in the Inner Richmond, and another at 1030 Hyde Street in Nob Hill. Both locations, which are completely plant-based, serve juice, smoothies, bowls, and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.

Thai Idea Vegetarian Restaurant

While most Thai restaurants have plenty of meatless options, this Tenderloin restaurant removed the guesswork, as all its offerings are meat-free — yes, that even means fish and seafood are off the menu. Dishes include classics like papaya salad and pad Thai, and the spot also offers fresh takes on standards like fried rice and faux meat.

Rad Radish

From the same team behind Wildseed comes breakfast vegetarian food (vegan, actually) every day of the week. The chicken and waffles are made of red velvet beets and flaxseed waffles and Tindle chicken. For lunch, there are loads of sandwiches, burgers, and even flatbreads.

A photo of food.
Chilaquiles at Rad Radish.
Paolo Bicchieri

New Dumpling King

There are actually a number of legitimate vegetarian options on Balboa Street, including the vegan enchiladas at Cielito Lindo, but the vegetarian goose at New Dumpling King is worth a double take. For $10 one gets ten slices of soy protein, mushroom, veggies, and spices — this dish is a marvel of vegetarian cuisine. Plus, mapo tofu and garlic eggplant are worthy contenders, too.

A photo of a poster at a restaurant.
Do vegetarian dishes get any wilder?
Paolo Bicchieri

Beit Rima

Beit Rima serves its exceptional hummus, falafel, and mezze to many Bay Area fans from its Castro and Cole Valley locations. It has a vegetarian-friendly menu, with the majority of items inherently free of meat. Must-orders include the ful (smashed fava bean spread with lemon relish, with a highly recommended optional soft boiled egg), shakshuka, and delicata squash with brown butter lebneh and pine nut dukkah.

Mezze sampler at Beit Rima Beit Rima

Shizen

Craving tofuna? Shizen’s vegan sushi bar and izakaya offers a menu of rolls filled with creamy tofu and topped with imitation fish eggs made of tapioca, as well as tempura-fried veggies, bean curd skewers, and miso ramen.

Savor Cafe

Mohamed Aboghanem’s newest outfit in the Inner Sunset is just getting started, and the unsuspecting shop already shows promise. The former owner of Saha in Berkeley, Aboghanem has been cooking vegetarian and vegan food for well over a decade. Bread pudding, gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, baklava, and almond bear tortes are all on deck.

Almond bear torte at Savor.
Almond bear torte at Savor.
Savor

Lomo Libre Cantina

Yes, Peruvian food is better known for carnivorous dishes including ceviche and various riffs on steak. And while Jose Calvo Perez’s newest restaurant certainly packs a protein punch, some of that power comes from the shop’s tofu saltado. The dish is nourishing and a fine alternative to the other saltados, and an order of yucca fries puts one soundly on vegetarian cloud nine.

A photo of tofu and rice.
The tofu saltado is a nourishing delight.
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. They’re back to indoor dining, takeout, and delivery five days of the week, Wednesday through Sunday.

Udupi Palace

Udupi Palace has faced some controversy over labor issues in the past but promises to turn over a new leaf suggest vegetarians are free to enjoy the South Indian restaurant’s giant dosas, spicy curries, and sweet chutneys free of guilt over human or animal exploitation. Entree prices top out at around $14, even for dinner, so they’ll also fill you up without breaking the bank.

Udupi Palace

3rd Cousin

This Bernal Heights restaurant is not exclusively vegetarian, nor does need it to be. Chef-owner Greg Lutes’ Michelin Guide New Discoveries 2021 restaurant has an expansive patio, a YOLO (you only live once) wine pairing, and, thankfully, vegetarian items for the high-end diners such as potato leek soup, casarecce (available gluten-free), and porcini mushroom and black truffle ravioli “francese.”

Dinosaurs

A favorite for sandwich-seekers on Ocean Avenue, Dinosaurs keeps two vegetarian options on its menu at all times. For $11.75 diners can score crispy tofu or roasted portobello bahn mi at any of the business’ three San Francisco locations. Plus, the $10.90 tofu and taro spring rolls, complete with shreds of jicama and rice noodle, make a choice vegetarian side.

The Vegan Hood Chefs

Rheema Calloway and Ronnishia Johnson, the talented chefs behind this pop-up turned mainstay at Speakeasy in Bayview, can not be praised enough. They cater, host classes online, and are big brunch advocates — plus their mac n’ cheese, a coconut milk-based riff, entirely changed the vegan game in San Francisco.

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