World Vegan Day 2026: 10 Best Vegan Restaurants in the USA

From indianeagle.com

November 1st is World Vegan Day, and the plant-based food scene across America is hitting a different right now. Over 32,000 vegan and vegetarian restaurants are operating in the U.S., the food got way better, the chefs got way more creative, and even the most stubborn meat-eaters are catching on.

These 10 spots are the real deal.

Crossroads Kitchen, Los Angeles, CA

Mediterranean-focused, zero soy on the menu, everything built around vegetables, nuts, and house-made cheeses. That’s the playbook at Crossroads Kitchen on Melrose Ave in LA, where chef Tal Ronnen has been running the show since 2013. The restaurant earned the first Michelin star ever given to a plant-based spot in America, and the food is the reason why. No tofu, no tempeh, just vegetables and creativity doing all the heavy lifting.

Must-try: Spaghetti Carbonara, Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, Artichoke “Oysters”

Price: 50-100+ per person

Website: crossroadskitchen.com

Vedge, Philadelphia, PA

The word “vegan” doesn’t show up anywhere on the Vedge menu, and that’s not an accident. Owners Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby made that call on purpose when they opened the restaurant in a Center City brownstone back in 2011, because the mission was always about competing against every restaurant in Philly, not just the plant-based ones. Food & Wine named it one of the 40 most important restaurants of the past 40 years. Michelin recommended it in 2025. The bet paid off a long time ago.

Must-try: Seasonal tasting menu, custom-formulated seitan dishes, house-made bitters

Price: 50-80+ per person

Website: vedgerestaurant.com

Elizabeth’s, Washington, D.C.

Three Friday nights a month on the second floor of a row house in 2010, that’s how Elizabeth’s started. No full-time staff, no permanent menu, no guarantee it would last past the first year. Fast forward to 2026, and it’s a seven-course prix fixe tasting menu served inside a candlelit townhouse with 56 seats, the menu rotates monthly, the food is largely raw, and Big 7 Travel ranked it among the 50 best vegan-friendly restaurants in the world. From pop-up to world-class, the whole arc happened one course at a time.

Must-try: The full seven-course tasting (it’s the only option, and it’s worth every penny)

Price: $120 per person

Website: elizabethsgoneraw.com

Dirt Candy, New York City, NY

Chef Amanda Cohen’s Michelin-starred vegetable spot on the Lower East Side. Every dish focuses on a single vegetable, reimagined in ways nobody saw coming. Every single dish can be made fully vegan. Tip is included in the price, because Cohen was one of the first chefs in NYC to ditch tipping and pay fair wages instead.

Must-try: Carrot Waffles with peanut mole, Mapo Eggplant, celery bread with seaweed caviar

Price: $118 per person (tip included)

Website: dirtcandynyc.com

Plant, Asheville, NC

Scratch-made everything, globally inspired menu, bold flavours that don’t hold back, and just 47 seats in a cosy Asheville dining room. Plant has been doing all-vegan fine dining since 2011, pulling from culinary traditions across the globe and turning vegetables, spices, and creative techniques into plates that make people rethink what plant-based food can actually taste like. Asheville’s first all-vegan restaurant, and still the one everybody talks about when the city comes up in conversation.

Must-try: Peppercorn Crusted Seitan, Ginger Fire Sauté, Raw Enchiladas

Price: 13-35 per person

Website: plantisfood.com

Café Gratitude, Los Angeles, CA

Two locations in LA (Venice and Larchmont), organic everything, and every dish named as an affirmation like “I Am Beautiful” or “I Am Dazzling.” Chef Seizan Dreux Ellis runs the kitchen, the food draws from Ayurvedic principles, and the menu features mushroom “carnitas” and tempeh “ground beef” that actually slap.

Must-try: Buffalo Cauliflower, Chi-Rizo Breakfast Burrito, “I Am Caring” Nachos

Price: 20-35 per person

Website: cafegratitude.com

Norah, Portland, OR

Vegan Asian fusion with two Portland locations, named after “manora,” a traditional Thai dance. VegOut magazine put it on the 2024 list of the ten best vegan restaurants in the entire country. Fodor’s listed it among Portland’s fifteen best restaurants, period.

Must-try: Butter Tofu, Pad Thai Nachos, Mushroom Linguine with coconut-galangal sauce

Price: 10-25 per person

Website: norahpdx.com

Greens Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

The OG of American vegetarian dining, open since 1979, sitting in a converted warehouse at Fort Mason with Golden Gate Bridge views. The New York Times credited Greens as “the restaurant that brought vegetarian food out from sprout-infested health food stores and established it as a cuisine in America.” Not fully vegan, but vegan dishes are always on the menu.

Must-try: Spring Rolls with coconut peanut sauce, Potato Griddle Cakes, seasonal pizzas

Price: 25-50 per person

Website: greensrestaurant.com

Native Foods, Multiple Locations

Fast-casual, fully vegan, operating since 1994. Native Foods has spots in California, Colorado, and Illinois serving a menu that looks like any American diner except there’s zero animal products anywhere in the kitchen. The chain almost went under a few years back, but former managers with 30+ years of combined experience bought what was left and kept it running. Prices sit between $13 and $22 a plate, the food is solid, and nobody at the table needs to know it’s vegan unless someone brings it up.

Must-try: Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Twister Wrap, BBQ Brisket Burger

Price: 13-22 per person

Website: nativefoods.com

The Veggie, Madison, AL

Image Source: Web

Started as a home-based business, grew into one of the most recognized vegan spots in the Southeast. Chef Adyre Mason has been on Food Network, and the menu blends Southern comfort food traditions with plant-based creativity. Proof that the vegan scene ain’t just a coastal thing.

Must-try: Chimichurri Impossible Burger, Cajun Konjac Shrimp

Price: 10-20 per person

Contact: (256) 893-4709

Conclusion

The vegan restaurant game in America is legit right now. Michelin-starred tasting menus in LA, $10 comfort food plates in Alabama, Asian fusion joints in Portland, fine dining brownstones in Philly, plant-based eating covers every price point, every vibe, every craving in between. The food got better, the chefs got bolder, and the scene ain’t slowing down anytime soon. Happy World Vegan Day 2026, go eat something that is different.

Disclaimer: Indian Eagle claims no credit for the images featured on its blog site. All the visual content is copyrighted to its respective owners only. We mention the source name of the image whenever possible and found. However, if we miss acknowledging the owner’s source, please contact us. In case, owners don’t want us to use their images, we will remove them promptly. We believe in providing proper attribution to the original author, artist, and photographer. https://www.indianeagle.com/traveldiary/10-best-vegan-restaurants-in-usa/

 

Philadelphia: Vegan Are Us brings plant-based comfort food to Chinatown

From 6abc.com

At Vegan Are Us in Philadelphia's Chinatown, founder and CEO Sharonda Harris-Bunton serves up plant-based comfort food with a mission to help people live healthier lives.

Popular menu items include vegan chicken and waffles, a shrimp po' boy made from white yams, the Philly V Steak, and hot bar favourites like General Soul Chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens.

Founder and CEO Sharonda Harris-Bunton serves up plant-based comfort food with a mission to help people live healthier lives

Harris-Bunton says her love of cooking started in the kitchen with her family. After losing loved ones to health-related issues, that passion evolved into a mission to promote healthier eating.

She built a following through social media cooking shows before opening restaurants in New Jersey and eventually bringing Vegan Are Us to Philadelphia.

Today, she continues that mission through her restaurant and her line of seasonings, juices, smoothies, and alkaline water.

Harris-Bunton plans to open a second Vegan Are Us location in Atlantic City next spring.

Vegan Are Us| Instagram | Facebook
1016-1018 Race St,

Philadelphia, PA 19107

https://6abc.com/post/vegan-are-us-brings-plant-based-comfort-food-chinatown/19965941/ 

Philly’s vegan scene still has plenty on its plate

From billypenn.com

While data shows fewer plant-based eateries around the U.S. in recent years, Philadelphia's vegan restaurants are still vibrant 

Is the vegan restaurant scene in America struggling? That’s the concern expressed in the latest data from vegetarian restaurant guide HappyCow, which notes that the United States “no longer leads the world in vegan-friendly cities — that honour goes to London and Berlin.” 

However, while New York has been hit the hardest, going from 173 vegan restaurants in 2022 to 132 in 2026, and high veg-demand cities like Portland, OR and Los Angeles have also seen a drop in eateries still open, the Philly vegan and vegetarian restaurant scene has been holding its own in everything from award-winning fine-dining (see: Vedge and Pietramala) and weekday classics (e.g. Monster Vegan and the Nile Cafe) to global flavours (e.g. Casa Borinqueña, Unit Su Vedge and Say She Ate) and plant-friendly menus at places where meat is also available. 

What is causing the drop in sustainability for vegan businesses? According to VegNews, “Overall, diners are eating less, thanks to GLP-1 drugs, drinking less, dining out less and ordering in more. And there’s the matter of what they’re choosing to eat.” 

Vedge chef Rich Landau told the magazine that “the protein craze” – and not plant-based proteins like tempeh, tofu, lentils or other options – has been a factor. 

“But it’s a business,” Landau told VegNews. “You’ve got to know what you’re doing. Never take your eye off the ball.” Or in his case, never take your eye off the plates. He watches what comes back to the kitchen after each meal to assess which of his dishes are selling and which aren’t. The charred delicata squash with hominy fritters may make the angels sing, but if not enough people order it, Landau takes it off the menu. “It’s about changing, adapting yourself, your business,” he says. “You grow and you learn.”

It helps that Philly has a history of being welcoming to plant-based diners. It was the home of the American Vegan Center from 2021 until August of this year. It hosted several vegan festivals, history tours, open mic and game nights and other events since (note: World Vegan Month is coming in November, so keep an eye on their calendar!). It was the brick-and-mortar welcoming center for the American Vegan Society (AVS) — the longest-running national vegan organization in the United States, founded in 1960 in Malaga, New Jersey. 

Whether you’re veg-curious or fully onboard the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle or somewhere in between, Philly is fortunately a great place to be. We’ve compiled a list of some of the vegan-focused options around the city below. 

The local staples 

The Nile Cafe (6008 Germantown Ave.) is the oldest and longest-running vegan restaurant in the city. The diverse menu offers a vegan take on classic soul food dishes with a Caribbean-American twist that includes jerk chick’n, Jamaican patties, chick’n & gravy, vegan cakes and more. 

The restaurant also places an emphasis on supporting local farmers markets. 

LUHV Vegan Deli (& LUHV Vegan Bistro) – With a booth at Reading Terminal Market and a bistro at 1131 S. 19th St., LUHV was founded by Argentinian immigrants Silvia and Daniel Lucci and offers cold cuts and vegan sliced cheeses to go along with top-rated sandwiches, like their Reuben on rye and vegan tuna salad, which blends chickpeas and seaweed.

Known for their mushroom-based “chick’un” sandwiches and vegan cheesesteaks, Nourish (177 W. Girard Ave.) is a staple that brings diners from around the region to Northern Liberties for weekly fridge restocks and a cozy atmosphere. 

Also in Northern Liberties in Joy Cafe (630 N. 2nd St.), run by Alice Leung, whose menu of comforting noodle soups, unique sandwiches and more in a small, but thoughtfully decorated space is intended to serve as a third space that spreads “free joy” with notes in takeout orders.

20th Street Pizza‘s (108 S. 20th St.) reputation precedes them beyond Philly for their delicious vegan pizzas with vegan sausage, mozzarella and cashew cheese. 

The fast casual chain HipCityVeg closed two locations in the past year, including their Center City space on Broad Street, but still has their Rittenhouse spot at 127 S. 18th St., serving filling burgers, fries, shakes and more. 

Tattooed Mom (530 South St.) is a Philly street art staple and relaxed hipster bar that takes its vegan options more seriously than many vegan-friendly menus do at mainstream spots. Think: vegan pickle fried chicken sandwich, vegan cheesesteaks, vegan potato and onion pierogi, vegan Nashville hot chicken and more. 

Similarly, Monster Vegan (1229 Spruce St.) brings personality to its plant-based dishes, cocktails and mocktails — combining owners Ron Tadeo and Lauren Margaretta’s love of horror films and great vegan cuisine.

All-vegan diner The Tasty (1401 S. 12th St.) combines an old-school counter-space-only diner vibe with tofu scrambles, tofu egg and cheese, pancakes waffles, in-house baked donuts and more. 

Other popular local staples include: 

• Board game cafe Queen & Rook at 123 South St. (which is soon to expand into the former Thirsty Dice space on Fairmount Avenue)
• 
• Vegan eats and board games at Queen and Rook. (Heather J. Chin/Billy Penn)
•  
• Grindcore House (1515 S. 4th St.) offering coffee, lattes, breakfast sandwiches & vegan baked goods in Dickinson Narrows, 
• Lightbox Cafe (704 S. 4th St.), 
• PS&Co (1706 Locust St.) emphasizing an organic, gluten-free, kosher vegan food in a bright, airy space, 
• All the Way Live’s (6108 Germantown Ave.) raw and vegan cafe, and 
• Yellow Bicycle Canteen (soon to reopeon at 12th and Sansom streets by the end of the year). 

For date nights

Whether you’re planning a date night, girls’ night out or fancy dinner for family, Landau’s James Beard-nominated Vedge (1221 Locust St.) was one of a wave of fine-dining establishments in and before 2011 to normalize and elevate vegan cuisine in the mainstream. 

Then there is relative newcomer and Michelin-recognized Pietramala (614 N. 2nd St.) with its mouth-watering inventive seasonal menus that bring regulars back for more. 

Frequent mentions on Philly message boards also always include Fitz on 4th (743 S. 4th St.) combining a go-to kosher menu with crowd-pleasing tapas, Bar Bombón’s (133 S. 18th St.) signature vegan fare with a Latin flare, Charlie Was A Sinner (131 S. 13th St.) making vegan small plates and cocktails sexy in a moody, dark atmosphere, and Miss Rachel’s Pantry (1908 S. Chadwick St.) offering elevated comfort food and a prix fixe menu. 

Global flavours 

While veganism and vegetarianism are still considered out of the mainstream in the United States, people in the Asia-Pacific region, South Asian and Latin American countries have large populations who follow vegetarian diets. 

Data from YouGov and Veganuary calculated that approximately 25.8 million people globally tried veganism in January 2025. 

That comfort level with plant-based eating is also reflected in Philadelphia. 

• Casa Borinqueña (2557 Amber St.), billed as California’s first vegan Puerto Rican restaurant, soft-launched its second location in East Kensington last year, bringing vegan mofongo cups, tostones, bori fries, pasteles and alcapurrias to the city. 
• Unit Su Vedge (2000 Hamilton St.) has an extensive menu of Chinese classics
• La Llamita Vegana (4500 Worth St., Suite A303) serves traditional Peruvian cuisine with organic, gluten-free and vegan ingredients at both their store and at events around the city. 

• Vegans Are Us (1016-1018 Race St.) inside the Chinatown Square food court comes courtesy of chef Sharonda Harris-Bunton, whose health-centred approach to delicious vegan cooking comes with “a touch of soul.” 
• BTW, It’s Vegan (William H. Gray III 30th Street Station) keeps commuters healthy and stomachs happy thanks to Shon “Chef Sunflower” Emanuel’s menu of hand-crafted bowls, wraps, desserts and dishes like shrimp and broccoli, curry chick’n and bbq ribs. 

• Say She Ate (1408 South St.) is a Mumbai-inspired vegan cafe offering cheesesteaks, kofta bowls and samosas.
• Hibiscus Cafe (4907 Catharine St.) serves Jamaican-inspired vegan cheesesteaks and fresh smoothies in University City.

https://billypenn.com/2026/10/14/vegan-restaurants-philadelphia-vegetarians-plant-based-dining/

America’s 19 Best Vegan Restaurants Have Been Chosen. Here Are the Winners

From vegnews.com

With nearly 350,000 votes cast, the fourth annual VegNews Restaurant Awards has broke records. Now it’s time to celebrate who you chose as the country’s best plant-based restaurants

In  Oakland, a new all-mushroom restaurant is serving up KFC-style bowls and saucy lasagne to hungry weekend diners. In Orlando, a 100-percent vegan Cuban spot is racking up local awards for its sour orange-lime-marinated mojo pork and Malecón-style fish sandwiches. And all across the country, eateries are bringing next-level plant-based eats (think Texas toast tuna melts in Detroit, Indian-Mediterranean fusion in Los Angeles, and caviar-stuffed croissants in Manhattan) to hungry vegan and veg-curious diners alike, proving beyond a doubt that plant-powered eating is still hot. So we say, it’s time to celebrate!

VegNews editors gathered more than 300 vegan brick-and-mortar nominees, and readers voted to crown the best of the best. The votes are in: which city is taking home the most wins? 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 fourth annual VegNews Restaurant Awards.

Plant Power Fast Food

Best Vegan Fast-Food Restaurant

Plant Power Fast Food
California & Nevada

Four years in a row, VegNews readers have spoken and named this San Diego-born chain the best when it comes to quick, convenient vegan food. Is it the saucy, crispy Western Burger with onion rings and bacon? The In-N-Out-esque Iconic Fries layered with melted cheddar, grilled onions, and secret sauce? The impossibly thick oat milk “Blizzards”? Yes, yes, and yes.

2nd Place: Slutty Vegan (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Mr. Charlie’s (Multiple Locations)
Editors’ Vote: Mr. Charlie’s (Multiple Locations)

Best Vegan Fast-Casual Restaurant

Next Level Veggie Grill
Nationwide

Next Level Veggie Grill

The “All-American Vegan” renaissance is here, and it’s powered by two fan-favourite vegan forces. When Oregon’s Next Level Burger acquired the famed Veggie Grill brand, it birthed Next Level Veggie Grill, a fun and casual eatery specializing in comforting handhelds, fresh salads, wraps, bowls, superfood smoothies, and desserts. And now as one, Next Level Veggie Grill is giving America a new reason to crave vegan.

2nd Place: Chloe’s (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Native Foods (California & Colorado)
Editors’ Vote: Winter Park Biscuit Co. (Orlando, FL)

Best Casual Vegan Restaurant

Monster Vegan

Monster Vegan
Philadelphia, PA

From the classic monster movies played as backdrop to the jack-o’-lantern candles to the skeleton standing in at the DJ booth—Monster Vegan is campy, a bit creepy, and designed to be craveable. And with a menu with everything from souped-up cheesesteaks and hoagies to butter chicken and plant-based clams and linguine, it’s no wonder horror fans and vegans are hooked.

2nd Place: Follow Your Heart Cafe (Canoga Park, CA)
3rd Place: BeeWali’s Vegan AF (Los Angeles, CA)
Editors’ Vote: The Plot (Oceanside, CA)

Best Vegan Upscale Restaurant

Crossroads Kitchen
Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV

Jakob Layman

After 13 years in the spotlight, Crossroads Kitchen continues to raise the bar for vegan fine dining. New sleek booths and banquettes have refreshed its Los Angeles dining room, while special dinners with culinary heavyweights like Jet Tila, Cat Cora, and Michael Voltaggio keep the concept of elevated dining exciting. With polished service, ambitious plates, and plenty of Hollywood history—Crossroads remains the destination for a special night out.

2nd Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)
3rd Place: Anixi (New York, NY)
Editors’ Vote: Little Saint (Healdsburg, CA)

Best Vegan Diner

Doomie’s Home Cookin’
Los Angeles, CA

Doomie’s Home Cookin’

Late-night LA eaters had a scare this year when Hollywood institution Doomie’s lost its Fountain Avenue location after landlords pushed out the restaurant for redevelopment. But luckily, it found a new home—a colourful, brighter location on storied Melrose Avenue where it’s doling out loaded cheesy fries, gargantuan chicken sandwiches, and hand-scooped milkshakes without missing a beat. Doomsday averted: long live Doomie’s.

2nd Place: The Modern Vegan (Las Vegas, NV)
3rd Place: The Tasty (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: The Tasty (Philadelphia, PA)

Best Vegan Pizzeria

Boxcar Pizza
Portland, OR

Boxcar Pizza

“Keep Portland Weird” may be The Rose City’s unofficial motto, but Boxcar Pizza takes the command seriously. Which is why on any given weekend, you can expect out-of-the-box creations like its thick Detroit-style pies piled with fried chicken, coleslaw, and honey mustard; jerk soy curls, pineapple, and barbecue sauce; and yellow curry chicken, banh mi pickles, and sweet chili mayo. Who knew weird tasted so good?

2nd Place: Donna Jean (San Diego, CA)
3rd Place: Double Zero (New York, NY)
Editors’ Vote: Paranormal Pizza (Bethlehem, PA)

Best Vegan Deli

Ben & Esther’s
Portland, OR & San Diego, CA

Ben & Esther’s

Ben & Esther’s has mastered the art of the vegan Jewish deli, from perfectly schmeared and loxed bagels to towering Reubens, knishes, latkes, matzo ball soup, and plenty of pickles. Plant lovers looking for the full-fledged deli experience—with all the salty, schmaltzy, carb-loaded comfort you could hope for—you’ve found your spot.

2nd Place: Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli (Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley, CA)
Editors’ Vote: The Herbivorous Butcher (Minneapolis, MN)

Best Vegan Italian Restaurant

Pura Vita
West Hollywood, CA

Linda Pianigiani Photography

Good Italian food has never needed much reinvention, and Pura Vita knows it. Diners return to this eight-year-old landmark for its house-made ravioli, silky cacio e pepe, elegantly layered eggplant parm, and Neapolitan-style pizzas with blistered crusts—all made with plants, yes, but just as timeless and perfected as the originals.

2nd Place: Tarantino’s Vegan (Las Vegas, NV)
3rd Place: Monster Vegan (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)

Best Vegan Asian Restaurant

Spicy Moon
New York, NY

Spicy Moon

Spicy Moon is taking over New York, one spicy, savoury plate at a time. With a new Long Island City outpost joining its Manhattan empire—and a Bed-Stuy location on the way—there are more chances than ever to dig into earthy cumin tofu, chili oil-slicked dan dan noodles, and numbing dry pot. Plus, with bakeries, cafés, bar programs, and rooftop dining joining the expansion plans, the Spicy Moon universe is getting deliciously crowded.

2nd Place: Chef Kenny’s Dim Sum (Las Vegas, NV)
3rd Place: Alice & Friends (Chicago, IL)
Editors’ Vote: Spicy Moon (New York, NY)

Best Vegan Sushi Restaurant

Planta
Multiple Locations

Planta

Planta’s next move? Bigger, bolder flavours and even more locations. The Miami-headquartered chain sharpened its focus in 2026 to become a US-exclusive brand, with its sights set on expanding the reach of its upscale, globally inspired menu from its current California, New York, Chicago, and DC outposts to new cities like San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland. Get your chopsticks ready: unagi eggplant, ahi watermelon, and carrot salmon rolls are coming.

2nd Place: Beyond Sushi (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Shizen (San Francisco, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Ma-Kin Sushi (Agoura Hills, CA)

Best Vegan Soul Food Restaurant

Souley Vegan
Oakland, CA

Souley Vegan

A year into its triumphant return to Oakland, Souley Vegan is firmly in its rebirth era, with plenty to celebrate. Chef Tamearra Dyson’s plant-based Creole cooking now has more room to shine, with expanded hours, Sunday brunch buffets complete with DJs spinning live music, and a menu packed with mouth-watering Southern staples like okra gumbo, Louisiana hot links, and Cajun spaghetti.

2nd Place: Dirty Lettuce (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Soul Veg City (Chicago, IL)
Editors’ Vote: The Land of Kush (Baltimore, MD)

Best Vegan Latin Restaurant

Tacotarian
Las Vegas, NV & San Diego, CA

Tacotarian

Seventeen tacos, two cities, and more locations on the way: Tacotarian doesn’t mess around when it comes to helping vegan Mexican go mainstream. Born in Las Vegas and inspired by Mexico City, the fast-growing chain serves everything from saucy al pastor and chili-braised jackfruit barbacoa to crispy avocado Baja tacos. And with franchising opportunities in the works, expect to see a whole lot more Tacotarian in the near future.

2nd Place: Mis Tacones (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria (Chicago, IL)
Editors’ Vote: The Cocinita (Miami, FL)

Best Vegan Healthy Restaurant

Cafe Gratitude
Los Angeles, CA

Cafe Gratitude

If there’s anywhere that can turn a healthy meal into a full-on affirmation sesh, it’s Los Angeles. At Café Gratitude, special collaborations (don’t miss wellness influencer Radhi Devlukia’s limited-time Ayurvedic menu), organic ingredients, and dishes with names like “I Am Whole” and “I Am Mindful” help fuel LA’s health obsessives—and anybody else looking for a nourishing, plant-forward meal.

2nd Place: Le Botaniste (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Caravan of Dreams (New York, NY)
Editors’ Vote: Trilogy Sanctuary (La Jolla, CA)

Best Vegan Doughnut Shop

Donut Friend
Los Angeles, CA

Donut Friend

Donut Friend has been satisfying Los Angeles’ sweet tooth since 2013, when musician Mark Trombino traded drum kits for doughnut pans and opened his DIY pastry playground in Highland Park. More than a decade later, the shop is still serving up its hardcore- and pop-punk-inspired doughnuts, from triple chocolate Fudgegazi bismarcks to the Saves the Danish bullseye filled with cream cheese and blueberry jam.

2nd Place: Doe Donuts (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Dottie’s Donuts (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Vegan Doughnut Company (Lakewood, OH)

Best Vegan Ice Cream Spot

Like No Udder
Providence, RI

Like No Udder

Providence’s Like No Udder is doing dairy-free ice cream the old-fashioned way: delicious. Recently named the best ice cream shop in all of Rhode Island, vegan or not, Like No Udder now takes home this national title thanks to its menu of small-batch scoops, swirls of soft serve, ice cream sandwiches, shakes, floats, ice cream-topped fruity slushes, and endlessly customizable Dairy Queen-inspired “Unicorns.”

2nd Place: Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Awan (West Hollywood & Los Angeles, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Runaway Cow (Chicago, IL)

Best Vegan Bakery

Vegan Treats
Bethlehem, PA

Vegan Treats

At Vegan Treats, dessert comes with options—dozens upon dozens of them, to be exact. Danielle Konya’s Bethlehem bakery has spent two decades perfecting an enormous line-up of treats, with something to sate any palate. In the mood for an oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookie, or a raspberry white chocolate brownie? How about a strawberry crunch cannoli, a fluffy coconut bun, or a whole French silk pie? It’s indulgence taken to the next level—and it’s the best in America.

2nd Place: Cinnaholic (Nationwide)
3rd Place: Houlden’s Rise Above (Tucson, AZ)
Editors’ Vote: Délice de Bernay (New York, NY)

Best Vegan Coffee Shop

Grindcore House
Philadelphia, PA

Grindcore House

Sixteen years in, Grindcore House is still Philadelphia’s caffeinated punk-rock institution. The all-vegan South Philly mainstay serves its own signature roasted coffee alongside bagels, tofu breakfast sandwiches, and hearty deli-style fare, all with a soundtrack that thumps harder than your morning. Add its tight-knit community and unapologetically DIY spirit, and there’s plenty to celebrate about this Philly original.

2nd Place: Timeless Coffee (Oakland, CA)
3rd Place: Coffee and Plants (Studio City, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Clownboy Coffee (Rochester, NY)

Best Vegan Bar

Mothership
San Diego, CA

James Tran

Mothership has crash-landed on an uncharted planet and, frankly, seems pretty happy about it. The San Diego bar’s elaborate sci-fi universe imagines a stranded space crew making a new home among tropical plants and intoxicating spirits, with the spaceship itself transformed into a psychedelic watering hole with excellent cocktails, stellar bites, and absolutely no return flight.

2nd Place: Ladybird (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Charlie was a sinner. (Philadelphia, PA)
Editors’ Vote: Ladybird (New York, NY)

Best Vegan Chef

Tara Punzone
Pura Vita—West Hollywood, CA

Heidi Calvert

Italian food and hospitality are in Tara Punzone’s DNA. Raised in a Brooklyn Italian-American family with neighbourhood sandwich shop owners for grandparents, Punzone first dreamed of opening a vegan Italian restaurant at just 12 years old. Fast-forward through jobs at some of the country’s best vegan restaurants (like New York’s Pure Food & Wine and Los Angeles’ Real Food Daily) plus a stint living in Rome to learn about Italian flavours, Pura Vita was born. Since the restaurant and wine bar’s opening in 2018, Punzone has become a bona fide staple in the Los Angeles food scene. And with her 2025 cookbook Vegana Italiana, she brings her food philosophy into home kitchens across the world, cementing Punzone as one of the defining voices in vegan Italian cooking.

2nd Place: Haley Duren (Long Count—New York, NY)
3rd Place: Tal Ronnen (Crossroads Kitchen—Los Angeles, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Tara Punzone (Pura Vita—West Hollywood, CA)

Best New Vegan Restaurant

Fungi Foods
Oakland, CA

Fungi Foods

For Jake Stolz, mushrooms are at the heart of everything. Having only grown his first ‘shroom in 2022, the Oakland entrepreneur’s trajectory is as fast-growing as his hallmark oysters. An apartment-born mini mushroom operation soon took root and blossomed into a full-scale farm. Then, Fungi Foods was created as a pop-up, serving fried mushroom wings and sandwiches at local farmers’ markets. And now, Stolz’s brick-and-mortar is showcasing all the versatility mushrooms have to offer, slinging everything from loaded mac and cheese and lasagne to KFC-style mashed potato bowls and Pittsburgh Caesars—umami-rich salads topped with oyster mushroom anchovies and a pile of crispy fries. It’s a mushroom renaissance, and Fungi Foods is just getting started.

2nd Place: Not Ya Mama’s Vegan Café (Salem, MA)
3rd Place: Mother Other (Denver, CO)
Editors’ Vote: Secret Vegan Kitchen (Oceanside, NY)

Best Vegan Restaurant in America

Crossroads Kitchen
Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV

Crossroads Kitchen

There are vegan restaurants, and then there’s Crossroads Kitchen. With locations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Chef Tal Ronnen’s fine-dining fixture has spent more than a decade proving that plant-based dining can be ambitious, expansive, and downright fun without ever feeling like a compromise. The menu covers an impressive amount of ground, from inventive takes on meat and seafood to handmade pastas, indulgent sides, creative desserts, and a brunch spread that goes especially big in Vegas. With its eighth consecutive VegNews Restaurant Award win, Crossroads proves it remains the touchstone for modern vegan dining, with the influence and staying power to make plant-based food part of the mainstream conversation.

2nd Place: Monster Vegan (Philadelphia, PA)
3rd Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood, CA)
Editors’ Vote: Little Saint (Healdsburg, CA)

https://vegnews.com/restaurant-awards-2026