Tired of the same old food joints you visit weekly? Need some new places to try out to spice up your taste buds? Here are five vegan restaurants around the College Area you need to try.
Even though most dine-in options are limited during this time, that should not stop you from trying new foods. If dine-in isn’t available, give take-out a try, or you can order through a delivery service such as Postmates, GrubHub and UberEats.
Here are some of the best vegan spots in the College Area worth your time and money.
Plant Power
Want to visit a place that serves some old school burger shack vibes with a vegan twist? Check out Plant Power. Serving more than just burgers, you can stop to try some wraps, old-fashioned milkshakes, chicken nuggets, salads and more. A good combo to try out is their fried chicken tenders with a side of “iconic fries” which includes fries loaded with melted American ‘cheese’, caramelized onions and their secret sauce. Top it off with their flavor of the month milkshake.
Although the Plant Power located on San Diego State’s campus has a limited menu compared to other locations, they never fail to serve some classic American food with a vegan touch.
Cafe Gratitude
“I am adventurous,” “I am powerful,” “I am humble” and “I am generous” are just a few of many menu items at Cafe Gratitude.
Located in the Little Italy neighborhood, Cafe Gratitude offers a variety of plant-based dishes with a dose of positivity. You’ll find dishes such as hot and creamy pasta immersed in smokey cashew sour cream and topped with fresh herbs and spices, rice and noodle bowls with refreshing vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, lentils and spinach, sandwiches made with plant-based meat such as their ‘Chicken’ fried mushroom sandwich and their freshly made pizza served on ancient grain flatbread that you can customize by choosing your choice of toppings and sauce.
If you’re in need of an energy boost in the morning, Cafe Gratitude also offers breakfast options on the menu. You’ll find mouth-watering vegan pancakes, donuts, french toast and more.
You’ll leave feeling a sense of gratitude and also full of delicious food.
Trilogy Cafe
Located in La Jolla, Trilogy Cafe is the perfect place to recharge after feeling exhausted from a long week.
Connected to their yoga studio, the vegan cafe is located on a rooftop, where you can oversee the city while enjoying delicious plant-based meals.
Offering “vega-nachos,” buffalo cauliflower ‘wingz,’ “mac n’ cheeze” and “radical ravioli,” you can indulge in some comfort food or go the healthy route and choose from their smoothies, acai bowls or salads.
Shank & Bone
Shank & Bone isn’t a 100% vegan spot, but they do offer a few vegan options worth mentioning.
Located in Downtown, this Vietnamese spot offers a vegan dish called Phở Chay that includes bok choy, carrot, Chinese broccoli, mushrooms, and fried organic tofu in vegan broth.
They also have a vegetarian Bún Chay bowl and a vegetarian Bánh Mì Chay sandwich. To make those items vegan, ask for no mayo on the Bánh Mì Chay and sub the lemongrass tofu for pho tofu. For the Bún Chay bowl, sub the lemongrass tofu for pho tofu.
Loving Hut
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly joint that offers Asian accented vegan-friendly food such as fried rice, sushi, cheese wontons, shrimp and noodles, then Loving Hut is the place for you.
Not only do they have amazing entrees, but they also serve freshly baked desserts such as their vegan “panda” cake and cheesecake.
This “hole-in-the-wall” stop offers a unique experience with its variety in choices and personal touch with each dish. You can experience this for yourself right around the corner in El Cajon.
All in all, the vegan restaurants on this list are worth the visit. However, be careful. Once you get a taste of the food, you will fall in love with it.
