San Francisco, CA Vegetarian Restaurants
SF Vegetarian Restaurants
My veggie page ... Taquerias ...
(also lists fish)
Daveola.com ... GetDave.com

The most up to date guide of San Francisco Vegetarian Restaurants on the web!

receive email when this page changes
Contact Us

I live in San Francisco, which has a better vegetarian selection than most cities, but it takes time to find the good ones. I started to keep a list online, and then people started to use it, and so it goes..

NEW ENTRIES

2008/06/26: Powersource Cafe downtown breakfast/lunch
2008/02/27: Weird Fish has unique veggie options!
2007/10/11: Underdog Organic Sausage
2007/05/20: Yummie House
2007/01/28: CLG Thai
2007/01/24: Bissap Baobab Senegalese
2007/01/18: Gestalt Haus vegan sausage
2006/11/28: Layonna Vegetarian chinese veggie!
2006/11/22: geranium has closed!
2006/04/16: Golden Era 2 New location!
2005/10/17: World Sausage Grill has closed!
2005/04/16: Café Gratitude New locations!
2005/04/16: Cha-Ya opens!
2005/03/04: Royal Thai has closed!
2004/12/07: Feel Real review
2004/12/07: Judahlicious juice bar
2004/11/09: Mekong Thai most dishes avail vegan

Please send in your Suggestions/Submissions!
comic

Note on 'Vegan' ratings. This is only my approximation at the amount of vegan fare on a menu - but please realize that many restaurants may be using butter or ghee (such as Indian/Ethiopian) and fish sauce (such as much SE Asian food). Caveat Emptor. (Thanks to Jim at antsclimbtree.com for pointing this out)

Call first to make sure the restaurants haven't moved or closed!


Golden Era Buddhist Vietnamese 673-3136 572 O'Farrell St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Best pot stickers I've ever had, veggie or not. All food is excellent. Yum. Yum yum. Mmmmmmm.. This is probably my favorite restaurant, because I really like their variety of fake meats. Everything on the menu seems delicious, but I highly recommend the Spicy Gourmet Chicken, the Garlic Beef and the Mongolian Chicken. Did I mention how tasty their pot stickers are? Btw, as noted on the menu, the shrimp is not vegan, it contains egg or milk, I can't remember which.
Serves brown rice.

Golden Era 2 Buddhist Vietnamese 668-4888 832 Clement Street
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
There's a new Golden Era over on Clement!

Millenium Vegan American 345-3900 580 Geary St @ Jones (Savoy Hotel)
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Expensive, very classy healthy well-made food. This is one of SF's premiere veggie/vegan restaurants.
They use only local farmers and all food, beverages, spirits, and wine is organic.
For those of you who remember the Millenium before it moved to the Hotel California from the Abigail hotel, I finally got to visit to compare the two, and there are some differences. The restaurant is larger, brighter and more open. The menu is very similar though more expensive if my memory serves. The appetizers I tried were very fantastic, though the entrees I tried, while delicious, weren't as stunning as previous. The desserts were incredible, thanks to the talented Amy Pearce, even better than the previous Millenium desserts, which is saying a lot. They definitely have some of the best desserts, vegan or not, that I've tried, and the cannoli and chocolate cake is to die for.
If you were a previously a patron of the Millenium at the Abigail, I recommend trying the new Millenium, and if you do, please send me your comments. I'll be going back soon to try more.
Serves brown rice.

Greens Restaurant American/Zen 771-6222 Fort Mason, Building A
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Greens was opened by Zen Buddhists about 20 years ago. Their entire menu is veggie with lots of vegan. The view of the bay is incredible, the atmosphere is wonderful, the food is excellent, and the price matches it. Any tour of the veggie restaurants in SF needs to include greens.

Herbivore Veggie 826-5657 983 Valencia
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
All vegan, all the time. Many veggie's swear by it. It took a few trips for me before I started to like it, the food is really well-prepared but it doesn't have as much zing as my tastebuds like to see.
Serves brown rice.

Herbivore Veggie 885-7133 531 Divisadero
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Now open on Divisadero!

Minako Japanese home cooking 864-1888 2154 Mission @ 17th
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This tiny organic sushi joint is a hidden gem. The menu is not exclusively vegan, but has vegan sections contains such items as vegan "eel" maki and vegan desserts. This is a mom/daughter operation, and it feels more like you've been invited over to someone's house for a fantastic dinner rather than a restaurant experience, so don't make the mistake of asking them to change the music. The service sets new records for being slow, so if you're looking for snappy restaurant service than you should take your business elsewhere, but if you don't mind the wait, and you are prepared to be a guest at one of tables of this family, then Minako is a must-try experience in San Francisco.
Serves brown rice.

Café Gratitude Raw Vegan 824-4652 2400 Harrison St @ 20th
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Thanks to Judy from Minako I found Café Gratitude just as they had opened in early 2004. Café Gratitude offers live raw food, the menu is 100% vegan and all raw (except for rice, quinoa and ??). When I first visited this place I was overwhelmed with the positive energy that I found. The prices are slightly higher than normal veggie, but quite reasonable for raw foods, and it's worth it. The menu selection is quite large and all of the items have names like I Am Graceful and I Am Trusting. They carry plates of food as well as desserts, juices and "frozen nut cremes" which you hand crank at your table. The "I Am Passionate" pizza must be tried, as well as any of their dessert offerings. Café Gratitude is definitely on the short list of San Francisco vegetarian experiences.

Café Gratitude Raw Vegan 824-4652 1336 9th Ave @ Irving
Taste: ? Selection: ? Health: ? Vegan: ?
Café Gratitude has a new location, as well as a Berkeley (Shattuck @ Virginia) location.

Jasmine Tea House Chinese 826-6288 3253 Mission St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Jessie L. says (and I mostly concur): Not exclusively veggie, but they have the best meatless chicken I've ever had, including the the Chinese New Year in Malaysia where they're renowned for their assortment of meatless meats. Comfortable, cheesy, mandarinified classical music, with dim, cozy lights. Staffed with dry humor. Food is not too greasy, menu is flexible. Endless supply of fortune cookies. The restaurant seems to inspire good, long conversations, according to Jessie, though she ads that it's also true when she's there by herself, so your mileage may vary.
Note: I checked the ingredients on the fortune cookies, and they have no milk, though I can't remember if they had egg.
Tip: Try the orange mock chicken. It's not on the menu, but it's the best dish they have!
Serves brown rice.
Delivers!

Big Lantern Dim Sum Chinese Veggie and Dim Sum 863-8100 3170 16th St @ Valencia
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
Just discovered this place by chance, and it turns out they have a huge selection of fake meats and sauces to go with it. They have full dishes (such as Sesame Meatless Chicken, general Tsao's Chicken,...) as well as Dim Sum (which I actually haven't tried yet). They also deliver late, they have a menu online and can fax a menu if needed. They're also quite friendly and helpful, and they gave me a discount because it was my first time ordering from them. They have meatless chicken as well as meatless ham, which is frighteningly and deliciously ham-like, except for the fact that it has the texture and shape of little tofu cubes. The sauces are great, and they have sesame balls, too.
Delivers!

Cha-Ya Vegan Japanese 252-7825 762 Valencia St @ 18th
Taste: Selection: ? Health: Vegan:
Cha-Ya has existed in Berkeley and it just opened in SF (04/16/2006). They have a selection of vegan sushi as well as some udon and soups. I've only been once, and had some great sushi and some hearty soup, though it was a bit basic. They also make a good vegan cake. I'll definitely be back.

Maggie Mudd Ice Cream Parlor 641-5291 903 Cortland Ave
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
If you're near Bernal Heights, or even if you're not, you need to check out Maggie Mudd's for dessert. They have a large selection of home made vegan ice cream. They rotate through them and put about 10 flavors up on the menu. They can make shakes, and I'm told their waffle cone is vegan as well.

Yummie House Veggie & Ice Cream Restaurant 933-8938 6903 Geary Blvd
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Ice cream, tapioca, and a dim-sum style menu which has a large number of veggie-fied asian food. It's not clearly marked, but, for example, the fried chicken pieces are actually fried gluten. Everything on the menu is supposedly veggie (though not vegan), and I noticed that they did sell a few items with gelatine, so it's not 100%. But it's good food, and it's a quaint "local" atmosphere. The tapioca drinks are also excellent, and very fresh, mostly made from fruit and the like, as opposed to powder. Try the Rainbow Angel drink, very tasty.

Weird Fish Weird Fish and Veggie/Vegan Food 863-4744 2193 Mission St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Interesting otherwise-fish joint has a number of excellent veggie and vegan selections, such as vegan buffalo wings (gluten free batter available!) a vegan fish and chips, as well as some fantastic veggie tacos. Check out the Yam and spinach taco for a treat. The vegan cheesecake is the bomb. The soy cheese is actually vegan, though sadly the horchata is not. Be warned that they have vegan and non-vegan versions of the same item, and sometimes the kitchen isn't as careful as you might want. I've received non-vegan items after ordering vegan more than once. :-(

Judahlicious Juice Bar 665-8423 3906 Judah St @ 44th St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This juice bar is not all vegan, but they have some vegan smoothies that are fantastic. I tried the classic OJ/Strawberries/etc.., and it was somehow supersweet without sugar, the way I like it. They also carry some raw foods/desserts, the owner is trying to figure out his menu, so now would be a good time to go in with suggestions. I got to try the raw vegan pizza, which was excellent. It's not quite as good as Cafe Gratitude, but that's not saying much considering how good Gratitude is.
They used to carry Maggie Mudd vegan ice cream and shakes, but now they have their own raw vegan soft serve which is phenomenal. It's by far the best raw vegan ice cream I've had, so they've got Cafe Gratitude beat on that count, and they even make delicious vegan waffle cones. Hallelujah.
Definitely worth checking out, and see Feel Real and the organic grocery all within a block.

Kowloon Buddhist Chinese Dim Sum 837-0982 909 Grant Ave
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Extremely cheap, and great if you get the buffet, all the dim sum is on the buffet for an extremely low price. The Gluten based meats are kind of sloppy, but I like them that way. Open 10a-9:30p (no MSG)
UPDATE: 10/2001: Kowloon is closed. :-(
UPDATE: 2002: Kowloon is re-opened!. It's new management, and it's half-vegan, half-meat now, with a much smaller menu, and no more buffet - I haven't tried it yet. If you have, please let me know. UPDATE: 2005: I'm hearing a report that Kowloon is closed again. Does anyone know for sure?

Lucky Creation Vegetarian Chinese Vegetarian 989-0818 854 Washington
Taste: ? Selection: ? Health: ? Vegan: ?
Downscale, good cheap food. Crowded at lunch. Personally I liked the old Kowloon's gluten better, but I've had many tell me they like Lucky Creation's gluten more than any other Bay locatoin.
Here's an extensive review courtesy RichiesPicks
UPDATE: 3/2005: Lucky Creation is not closed. I was informed by 'versusmyadidas' that they sometimes close for a couple weeks once or twice a year, so they sometimes seem closed. Call first!

Alive! Organic Raw Vegan 923-1052 1972 Lombard @ Webster
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Considering the fare, it would be impossible to not compare this to Café Gratitude. Unfortunately it doesn't quite measure up. The prices are the same, but the selection is smaller and I wasn't as impressed with the food, though it's still very well done. The dessert selection, while also small, had some excellent choices worth checking out.
The restaurant itself is a small storefront on Lombard, and has a very simple and clean layout.
If you're looking for some variety or you're into raw, it's worth a try.
Also known as the "Lombard Coffee Shop". Closed Mon/Tues.

Love 'N Haight Deli & Cafe Deli/Cafe 252-8190 553 Haight St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This deli has many fake meats, such as pepper steak, mock duck, chicken, etc.. They make a large selection of sandwiches and salads, most veggie, and many marked vegan (they even note which of their breads are vegan.) They also have a good selection of chips/snacks and drinks.

Medicine Eat Station Zen "Shojin" Cuisine 677-4405 161 Sutter St
Taste: ? Selection: Health: Vegan:
If you've ever wanted to eat like a Zen Buddhist Monk, then you can eat at this mostly traditional but hipster "shojin" restaurant. The menu is fairly expensive from a portions perspective, but you'll find things here that don't otherwise exist in San Francisco. Seating is first come first serve at large communal tables, yet they still manage to make it feel reasonably private for couples or groups. Their menu warns about some items having more "challenging" flavors for some diners, but don't let it scare you off unless you've wandered into the restaurant from off the street by mistake. I've only tasted some of their appetizers, so expect more of a review in a week or two.

Yum Yum House Chinese 861-8698 581 Valencia St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This is yet another restaurant that is gracious enough to let you substitute mock chicken in the menu. The sauces are pretty good, but the mock chicken is very fried, so it's tasty but not too healthy. I'm told the owners are friends with the owners at the Jasmine Tea House, and their are many similarities, but I like the selection and taste of the mock chicken at Jasmine a bit more, but the orange chicken and five flavor chicken sauces were tasty, and in the heart of the Mission it's closer for most people.
Serves brown rice.

Angkor Borei Cambodian 550-8417 3471 Mission St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
The veggie menu has a bunch of mock meats. The curry is excellent. I haven't gone here enough yet, but the Peanut Duck is fantastic. Most of the other dishes are mushroom and/or vegetable heavy, which isn't quite my style, but the sauces are great.

Royal Kitchen Chinese 824-4219 3253 Mission St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
Huge portions of food for cheap. You will be stuffed like a pig.
Update 11/6/2001: I've been told that they've reopened under a new name and new mgmt, and the food isn't as good. :(

Neecha's Thai Thai 922-9419 2100 Sutter St @ Steiner
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
I love the gluten satay (though I confess I haven't asked yet if the peanut sauce is veggie). This isn't a veggie restaurant, but they have a good veggie menu.

Rotee Indian 552.8309 400 Haight St @ Webster
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Not exclusively veggie, but they are generally veggie aware and can modify *some* of their dishes to be vegan. Other than that their horribly pun-riddled menu is low in vegan fare, but of particular note is the Biryani which is the best Biryani I've ever had, and the reason they are being listed here. They can also make vegan Aloo Palak which is surprising since most Palak dishes have cream.
Delivers!

Modern Thai Thai 922-8424 1247 Polk St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
They have a veggie menu that you sometimes have to ask for.

Sawã/Sawa Coffee Shop African.. 441-8182 1655 Divisadero St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
African restaurant shop opened up right near my house, and about half the menu is vegetarian. It's not much of a coffee shop anymore, but Divis is infiltrated with Coffee shops anyways...
This has the best African that I've tried in SF. The food can take a long time to arrive, but it's worth waiting for.
If you don't mind a little oil, try the veggie sambusa appetizer, it's delicious and my meat friends tell me it's even better than the meat sambusa (though the lentil sambusa is somewhat plain). Like any african restaurant, the best way to go is to bring many friends and eat family style off of one of their massive platters.
They have a dish I haven't seen anywhere else called Hilbt, and it is very good. Very, very good. That's two "verys" which translates to a whole lotta good. The description doesn't make it sound good ("whipped fava beans"??), but it is. Did I mention how good it was? Unfortunately it's not on their menu anymore, but if you call up in advance and ask very nicely, they might make it for you.
Delivers!

Valentine's Cafe Thai, Mexican, Italian.. 285-2257 1793 Church Street @ 30th
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: 4?
Small menu, tiny place, but pretty good
Update 11/6/2001: Valentine's has closed and opened as an Asian-fusion noodle place - they still had the vegan-happy brunch menu recently, but don't know if that's going to stay that way.

Club Waziema Ethiopian food 346-6641 543 Divisadero St @ Oak St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This bar also doubles as an "all-you-can-eat" ($6.50) restaurant.
The food is actually pretty decent (though I still prefer most of the other African restaurants) but the service can be very slow.

Cafe Ethiopia Ethiopian/Sandwiches 285-2728 878 Valencia St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
This is a deli, and it looks like one too, but the food is fantastic African. Update! They have remodeled, they removed the sandwich side of their business and they now look like a restaurant. The service can be a bit snippy, but the food is good.

New Ganges Vegetarian Restauarant Indian 681-4355 (old: 661-7290) 775 Frederick St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: 4?
Their hours are weird, call before you go.
This restaurant has changed hands (and quality) many times. I haven't tried it recently.
Dr Edelstein adds: The music was too loud, though they graciously turned it down. The owner made recommendations, and food took less than 20 minutes to be served. I was good-tasting and largely standard vegetarian Indian fare. The brown rice is not genuine, it is basmati with sauces/spices.

Samila Thai Thai 752-4310 5336 Geary Blvd
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: ?
This narrow restaurant has great atmosphere and fantastic service. The food was on our table right after we ordered it, though a word of caution, there was a short wait for a table even in the middle of the afternoon. This is one of my new favorites.

Ananda Fuara Indian/American 621-1994 1209 Market St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan: 4?
Strange atmosphere - some people really like the cuisine, it isn't quite for me.
Serves brown rice.

Barney's Gourmet Hamburger Hamburgers 563-0307 3344 Steiner St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
With a selection of GardenBurger (has milk) and Wildwood Tofu burgers (vegan) this otherwise not veggie place gets kudos. I tried the Carribean Tofu (with Jerk sauce) and it was good. It's too bad they don't have more juicy selections like Saturn in Santa Cruz.
Laura B says: great tofu burger...i think it's the wildwood brand? anyway, they can make it anyway you like it...it's reallly good with artichoke hearts and sauteed mushrooms. the fried vegetable basket is a delicious heart attack waiting to happen. and i do mean heart attack. and i do mean delicious. i wish they made non-dairy milkshakes but the fact that it's a burger place that serves both tofu AND garden burgers gets it 4 stars from me. stay away from the falafel though, super funky!!!
Update: Mallory Geitheim read the ingredients for Barney's in San Rafael and they list "partially hydrogenated / and or meat fat" for their french fries. Bummer. Wake up Barney's!

Juicy Lucy's Organic Juice & Food Bar 786-1285 703 Columbus Ave @ Filbert
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
If you're looking for a place where you can drink a fresh, organic smoothie from a stone bowl while sitting on a hay bale, then Juicy Lucy is the place for you. They have a small selection of sandwiches, salads and raw foods, all vegan, and all very fresh. Their smoothie selection, on the other hand, is quite large. I tried a cool mint smoothie and a tamari tofu sandwich and they were both very comforting and well made.
Steve Wyrostok says: On the raw food side, very very clean. Kind of a hippie place, would fit in Bolinas ;)
Update 2/4/2003: I am mailed a nice letter by the restaurant:
Greetings,
I just wanted to let you know that I exist. Juicey Lucy's-San Francisco's only all organic juice and food bar has been at the corner of of Columbus & Filbert in the heart of North Beach for the past 6 years. I'm proud to say that I have been featured in Gourmet magazine,Lonely Planet's " world food cuisine" book, San Francisco magazine, Italy, Japan, Europe,South Afr ica and many more.


Layonna Vegetarian Restaurant Veggie Chinese 666-3883 1829 Clement St @ 19th Ave
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Opened Nov 2006.
Right across from Bok Choy is a sister to Layonna in Oakland. Lots of fake meats, but nothing that knocked my socks off, pretty basic Chinese fare with a variety of tofus and such. Perhaps I just prefer my chinese mock meat to be deep fried. I tried the abalone as mentioned by Mary Allen (below) and was surprised with how strange and slippery it actually was to eat.
Mary Allen says: We had: Sesame Chicken, sauteed string beans, abalone w/greens, Mandarin beef, steamed pot stickers, brown rice.
All of it was excellent. The abalone was difficult to eat w/ chopsticks because it was sliced thin and was slippery.
I'd give it 5 stars in all categories
Serves brown rice.

Red Victorian Peace Cafe Vegetarian Cafe 864-1978 1665 Haight St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Also a bed and breakfast, the Red Vic is definitely fitting in with the aura of Haight Street. If you can't do milk, then the menu suddenly shrinks surprisingly, but they do have some eclectic items that are interesting to try.

Caterers / Personal Chefs

Jesse Miner Vegan Personal Chef 650-274-8089 San Francisco
Taste: ? Selection: ? Health: ? Vegan:
Jesse is one of the original contributors to this list, and his knowledge and expertise of vegan food is staggering. After graduating from Bauman, he's become a high-end personal vegan chef. More info on his website.

Not Quite Veggie comic


Houston's American Restaurant 392-9280 1800 Montgomery (near Embarcadero)
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This place, while a fish/steak joint and while a chain, has the best veggie burger I've tried in SF. It's "homemade" - and a large juicy bean burger with all the fixin's - plus their homecut fries are excellent. Unfortunately the burger also weighs in at $12. But if you're looking for a great burger (and a decent enough place by the wharf to bring friends for fish), then it's worth a try. Back in 1995 they had a great dish called the "California Salad" that was off the menu but still available. I'll have to call someday and check on that.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill Sausage Grill 437-6851 545 Haight St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
So, yes, this is a sausage grill, and they make sandwiches with sausage, but their menu has a spicy vegan sausage option (don't know if the bread is vegan). They could do a better job of keeping vegan/non-vegan items seperate on the grill, but the vegan sausage (tofurky based?) with peppers and onions is quite good, and kudos for adding a non-meat item to their menu.

Underdog Organic Sausage Joint 665-8881 1634 Irving St @ 18th
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
They have 4 vegan and 4 veggie sausages. Please note that the "new" veggie sausages listed *under* the list of vegan sausages are *not* vegan (egg whites). Cute small place with a bunch of sausage and organic snacks. Could use some more condiments.

Gestalt Haus Vegan Sausage, Beer Haus ???-???? 3159 16th St
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
I got to try this place. It's sad that we lost World Sausage Grill but got Gestalt because the selection is so much smaller, and there are almost no condiments. It has an interesting bar atmosphere. Suggested by Ant LaVia

Moki's Sushi and Pacific Grill Sushi and Grill 970-9336 830 Cortland Ave
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Review by abby trouble: Several vegan maki rolls including one called the Kahuna Roll which has mango, tofu and macadamia nuts. Ask the friendly staff about which rolls are vegan. Lots of vegan small plates including one frequently on the special's menu: a vegan spring roll with a peanut dipping sauce. Sometimes there's a wait, but it's always woth it.

Jay's Cheesesteak Cheesesteak 285-5200 3285 21st Street @ Valencia
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
If you like Cheesesteak, you'll love this place. It has good, greasy food in the cheesesteak and fries family, in particular a veggie cheesesteak sandwich!

Jay's Cheesesteak Cheesesteak 771-5104 553 Divisadero @ Fell
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
Jay's just opened up shop in my neighborhood!

Atlas Cafe Cafe 648-1047 3049 20th St
Taste: ? Selection: ? Health: ? Vegan: ?
Has some nice veggie things (tofu sandwich and vegan soups).

Amira Pan-Arabic Cuisine 621-6213 590 Valencia St @ 17th
Taste: Selection: Health: Vegan:
This place isn't specifically veggie, but the word "vegan" is scattered throughout their menu. On top of that, the atmosphere is great, and they have belly dancing and live music Tues-Sun!

Great India Restaurant Indian/Pakistani 751-4433 6127 Geary Blvd
Taste: