From vegnews.com
VegNews readers have spoken: these are the plant-based restaurants redefining dining across the country
So we say, it’s time to celebrate! We gathered more than 250 vegan brick-and-mortar nominees, and you voted in a month-long campaign to crown the best of the best—and the votes are in! Which city is taking home the most wins (hint: it’s a Pacific Northwest landslide)? Who was named Chef of the Year? And which restaurant did you choose as the best in the entire country? We present to you … the third annual VegNews Restaurant Awards.
Plant Power Fast Food
Best Vegan Fast-Food Restaurant:
Plant Power Fast Food (California & Nevada)
With veganized versions of nostalgic favorites like super-stacked Big Zacs, crispy chicken snack wraps, In-N-Out-style fries, and thick Blizzard-like ice cream concoctions, Plant Power Fast Food—with drive-thru outposts in Las Vegas, Sacramento, and throughout Southern California—has cracked the code to satisfying just about any fast-food craving.
1st Place: Plant Power Fast Food (California & Nevada)
2nd Place: Face Plant (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Slutty Vegan (Multiple Locations)
Editors’ Vote: Next Level Veggie Grill (Nationwide)
Crossroads Kitchen
Best Vegan Fine-Dining Restaurant:
Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
Chef Tal Ronnen’s two vegan dining institutions draw diners from all over the world (including celebs like Ariana Grande, Beyoncé, Alicia Silverstone, and Joaquin Phoenix), and with perfected dishes like chicken scallopini parmesan, chestnut tortellini in rosemary brodo, and grilled lion’s mane steak with truffle potatoes, it’s easy to see why.
1st Place: Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
2nd Place: Planta (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Feral (Portland, OR)
Editors’ Vote: Miss Rachel’s Pantry (Philadelphia, PA) & Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV) (tie!)
Doomie’s Home Cookin’
Best Vegan Diner:
Doomie’s Home Cookin’ (Los Angeles, CA)
Where to go when the late-night vegan munchies hit? For diners in Hollywood, it’s Doomie’s Home Cookin’, where you can chow down on some next-level indulgent grub. Pulled pork-mac and cheese sandwiches? Peanut butter bacon cheeseburgers? A bucket of crispy fried chicken (complete with skin and bone)? Check, check, and check.
1st Place: Doomie’s Home Cookin’ (Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Vertical Diner (Salt Lake City, UT & Portland, OR)
3rd Place: The Tasty (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: 4th & State Diner (Columbus, OH)
Vtopian
Best Vegan Deli:
Vtopian (Portland, OR)
Where else can you pick up a Muenster-honeynut squash-fennel marmalade sandwich, a to-go container of garlic oil-drizzled potato salad, and a wedge of Brun de Noix cashew cheese? Portland mainstay Vtopian’s new cheese shop-deli-marketplace, of course.
1st Place: Vtopian (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Ben & Esther’s (Portland, OR & San Diego, CA)
3rd Place: Providence Vegan Deli (Providence, RI)
Editors’ Vote: The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley, CA)
Boxcar Pizza
Best Vegan Pizzeria:
Boxcar Pizza (Portland, OR)
It’s official: for the best vegan Detroit-style pizza, head to the West Coast. Boxcar Pizza’s sourdough pies hold some seriously ingenious fillings within their tall, caramelized cheese-lined crusts. Go classic with the Bianca (mozzarella, ricotta, sausage, garlic, basil, and parmesan) or keep an eye out for specials like the Bayou Blues (with cheddar, mozz, andouille sausage, garlic shrimp, blue cheese, and green onions).
1st Place: Boxcar Pizza (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Donna Jean (San Diego, CA)
3rd Place: 20th Street Pizza (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Boxcar Pizza (Portland, OR)
Kate’s Ice Cream
Best Vegan Ice Cream Shop:
Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
At Kate’s Ice Cream, owner Kate Williams’ luscious, coconut cream-based scoops are crafted with local farm-grown ingredients in collaboration with woman- and minority-owned businesses, which makes treats like marionberry cobbler brownie sundaes, salted peanut butter brittle ice cream sandwiches, and custom ice cream cakes all that much sweeter.
1st Place: Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Like No Udder (Providence, RI)
3rd Place: Vaca’s Creamery (Chicago, IL)
Editors’ Vote: Via Lactea (New Haven, CT)
Orange & Blossom
Best Vegan Bakery:
Orange & Blossom (Portland, OR)
With its second consecutive win, this two-year-old bakery has now been named best in the nation every year it’s been open. Might it have something to do with its fluffy sticky buns dripping with maple caramel and sprinkled with crunchy pecans? The plum frangipane tart with white chocolate? The boysenberry bostock, featuring vanilla syrup-soaked brioche topped with almond frangipane and housemade boysenberry jam? We’d say so.
1st Place: Orange & Blossom (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Vegan Treats (Bethlehem, PA)
3rd Place: Cinnaholic (Nationwide)
Editors’ Vote: Bakers Bench (Los Angeles, CA)
Doe Donuts
Best Vegan Doughnut Shop:
Doe Donuts (Portland, OR)
From Petunia’s gluten-free treats to Voodoo’s iconic dolls, Portland takes its vegan doughnuts seriously, but Doe Donuts remains the city’s—and now, the country’s—most reliable standout. The shop turns out consistently excellent raised doughnuts with rotating, world-class flavors, ranging from traditional chocolate hazelnut bombolini to ingenious chicken pot pie-stuffed doughnuts.
1st Place: Doe Donuts (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Donut Friend (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Dottie’s Donuts (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Doe Donuts (Portland, OR)
Coffee Beer
Best Vegan Coffee Shop:
Coffee Beer (Portland, OR)
“No dairy, because we’re a vegan shop. No decaf, because it’s just hot, brown water.” No problem for Portlanders. In fact, the city’s queer-owned, all-vegan, coffee shop-slash-beer bar is one of the best places to stop by for a cardamom Americano, a cheesy tofu scramble burrito (a few draft beers depending on how your day’s going), and a ton of super-cute vibes.
1st Place: Coffee Beer (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Grindcore House (Philadelphia, PA)
3rd Place: Memento Mori Coffee (Portland, OR)
Editors’ Vote: Memento Mori Coffee (Portland, OR)
Mothership
Best Vegan Bar:
Mothership (San Diego, CA)
Few bars commit to atmosphere quite like Mothership. With its sci-fi movie set interior, an original soundtrack playing in the background, and plenty of mouthwatering cocktails, the San Diego hot spot is as immersive and fun as it gets. Innovative, ultra fun, and completely vegan—exactly what a night out should be.
1st Place: Mothership (San Diego, CA)
2nd Place: Ladybird (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Charlie was a sinner. (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: June (Beaverton, OR)
Mis Tacones
Best Vegan Mexican Restaurant:
Mis Tacones (Portland, OR)
Mis Tacones continues to set the bar for vegan Mexican food in Portland and nationwide. But beyond the al pastor nachos and the chanterelle birria ramen, this restaurant is making a name for itself with its steadfast commitment to community. A trans POC eat free program, pop-up collabs with local vegan businesses, winter supply drives, immigrant rights training sessions, block parties, drag brunches, and merch made from community art submissions—Mis Tacones proves veganism is better together.
1st Place: Mis Tacones (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Jajaja Mexicana (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Tacotarian (Las Vegas, NV & San Diego, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Chicana Vegana (Fullerton, CA)
Spicy Moon
Best Vegan Asian Restaurant:
Spicy Moon (New York, NY)
Next time you find yourself with a hankering for vegan Szechuan while traipsing around Manhattan, bad news … you’re going to have to decide which of Spicy Moon’s four always-busy locations to head to. Then, a choice between classics like mapo tofu, dry pot, or double-cooked mushrooms. Then finally, a slice of strawberry matcha cake at the table or a few fluffy red bean buns to go? Ahh, decisions, delicious.
1st Place: Spicy Moon (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Obon Shokudo (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Chef Kenny’s Dim Sum (Las Vegas, NV)
Editors’ Vote: Jade Rabbit (Portland, OR)
Planta and Beyond Sushi
Best Vegan Sushi Spot:
Beyond Sushi (New York, NY) & Planta (Multiple Locations) (tie!)
Now this is a tie that we can get behind. Planta brings sleek, crowd-pleasing rolls to buzzy, beautiful dining rooms across North America (go big and—why not?—order a 96-piece maki roll platter for your party), while Beyond Sushi has spent more than a decade proving that vegan sushi can be inventive, showstopping, and craveable in Midtown Manhattan (the black rice mango-avocado roll is a must).
1st Place: Beyond Sushi (New York, NY) & Planta (Multiple Locations) (tie!)
2nd Place: Shizen (San Francisco, CA)
3rd Place: Nori (Austin, TX)
Editors’ Vote: Nori (Austin, TX)
Souley Vegan
Best Vegan Soul Food Restaurant:
Souley Vegan (Oakland, CA)
The pandemic knocked Souley Vegan off its throne as the premier vegan soul food restaurant on the West Coast. But 2025 saw the triumphant return of Chef Tamearra Dyson’s Louisiana cuisine institution in an even bigger and better location in Oakland. Generous plates, no-corners-cut recipes, and enough comfort to lull you to sleep almost immediately after your last bite of Cajun white cheddar mac—Souley Vegan is back.
1st Place: Souley Vegan (Oakland, CA)
2nd Place: Dirty Lettuce (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Vegan Mob (Vallejo, San Bruno & Oakland, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Mo Brunch and Brews (Houston, TX)
Pura Vita
Best Vegan Italian Restaurant:
Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)
Pura Vita has become a fixture in West Hollywood, and for good reason. The menu is decadent, familiar, and satisfying, luring vegans and non-vegans alike with ease. Whether you’re celebrating a special day or just craving pasta done right (the avocado egg carbonara with macadamia romano cream is a perennial favorite), this is the reservation that keeps delivering.
1st Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)
2nd Place: Lilla (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Coletta (New York, NY)
Editors’ Vote: Pietramala (Philadelphia, PA)
Veggie Galaxy
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant:
Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge, MA)
Every menu item at this 14-year-old Boston-area vegetarian diner can be made vegan—a blessing for plant-based eaters looking for corned beef hash Benedict, Oreo pancakes, or a casual Mac ‘N Stack (fried chicken, bacon, and sriracha between two crispy mac and cheese waffles). Just be sure not to miss the goodies from the on-site vegan bakery—the hybrid cinnamon-roll cake slice is to die for.
1st Place: Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge, MA)
2nd Place: The Chicago Diner (Chicago, IL)
3rd Place: Rudy’s Pizza (Portland, OR)
Editors’ Vote: Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge, MA)
Best Vegan Chef:
Aaron Adams Casañas (Astera—Portland, OR)
Located on a lively, walkable corridor in Southeast Portland—known for its indie cafés, vintage storefronts, and steady flow of patrons in and out of neighborhood haunts—Astera sits as one of the fine-dining bastions of the West Coast, thanks in large part to Chef Aaron Adams Casañas. Here at the intimate, 18-seat dining room, he and Chef de Cuisine Saxon Stites transform farmed-and-foraged plants from the Pacific Northwest into exquisite tasting menu experiences, with nods to fascinating fermentation techniques, Adams Casañas’ Cuban heritage, and even the mulchy forest floors of Oregon. After three decades in the kitchens—and a string of influential Portland restaurants, including Portobello Vegan Trattoria, Farm Spirit, and Fermenter—Adams Casañas is expertly shaping the trajectory of vegan dining, and shows no sign of stopping soon.
1st Place: Aaron Adams Casañas (Astera—Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Tal Ronnen (Crossroads Kitchen—Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Amy Noonan (Kindred, Vulture—San Diego, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Aaron Adams Casañas (Astera—Portland, OR)
Face Plant
Best New Vegan Restaurant:
Face Plant (Portland, OR)
Face Plant wasted no time making a first impression. From the jump, the Portland newcomer arrived with a clear point of view (“All that matters is if it tastes better than McDonald’s. All that matters is if you feel something.”), confident flavors (“It took us three years to craft our burger. It took us two years to get our shake right”), and a simple-but-perfected menu that Portlanders can’t get enough of. With the help of rising food star and New York Times bestselling cookbook author Molly Baz as Head of Culinary, Face Plant’s nostalgic roster of burgers, nuggets (plus a nugget burger), and hand-spun shakes is becoming the talk of the town. And now, it’s the Best New Vegan Restaurant in America.
1st Place: Face Plant (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Mission Burger Co. (Austin, TX & Atlanta, GA)
3rd Place: Reverie (Brooklyn, NY)
Editors’ Vote: Mission Burger Co. (Austin, TX & Atlanta, GA)
Crossroads Kitchen
Best Vegan Restaurant in America:
Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
At this point, Crossroads Kitchen is operating in a category of its own. With its polished dining rooms, consistent high-level cooking, and a menu that treats plant-based cuisine with the same seriousness as legacy fine-dining institutions, these restaurants are among the most influential players helping to shape how vegan food is perceived by the world. Chef Tal Ronnen and his team create thoughtful, seasonal menus that both longtime vegans and the plant-curious can marvel over. Blistered, bubbly Neapolitan-style pizzas have a fluffy chew that always please crowds. An ingenious eggplant short rib—served with truffle potatoes and mushroom bordelaise—is an elegant, buttery-yet-meaty simulacrum of the luxury dish that wows gourmands. Pasta aficionados revel in the selection of plates ranging from a cheeseless mafaldine cacio e pepe to the white wine linguine scallops. The desserts are top-notch, brunch is extensive (taking shape as a full-on buffet in Las Vegas), and the cocktails are flawless. Crossroads Kitchen has moved from being a destination to being a reference point, firmly at the center of the American vegan dining conversation.
1st Place: Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
2nd Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)
3rd Place: Monster Vegan (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
Our VegNews Restaurant Awards Prize Winners!
Everyone who voted in the 2025 VegNews Restaurant Awards were automatically entered to win one of 10 $100 gift cards to the great Next Level Veggie Grill! With 20 locations across the country and some of our all-time favourite dishes (think chik’n tenders, a steakhouse burger, the all-hail kale salad, crispy organic tofu, superfood smoothies, and the best-ever carrot cake), congratulations to all of our winners.
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