Vegetarian Restaurants in San Diego, CA

1. Civico 1845

Tucked away in Little Italy, Civico 1845 is a charming eatery that serves a menu of contemporary Italian fare with a variety of vegan options.

Furnished in reclaimed wood with comfortable tables and chairs and an outdoor patio, the restaurant has several signature dishes that have diners returning time and again. These include delights such as the Caprese Calda, which is a warm Caprese salad stacked with rice mozzarella, oven-roasted heirloom tomato, and arugula pesto.

Another favorite is the Ravioli al Basilico, which is filled homemade basil pesto and served with roasted almonds in a thick tomato puree.

1845 India Street, Little Italy, San Diego, CA 92101, Phone: 619-431-5990

2. Evolution

Established in 2009, Evolution is San Diego’s original vegan fast food outlet and the vegetarian’s answer to the universal fast food burger joint, including the drive-thru window.

Following the successful formula of meat-centric burger joints, the restaurant has a menu of burgers, tacos, and wraps, including the gluten-free Evo Burger with either a black bean or house-made tempeh patty stacked with fresh lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, cheddar cheese, tomato, and a creamy Thousand Island dressing.

Pair burgers with a side of chili cheese fries and organic shakes or smoothies. While the hut-like restaurant caters to mostly take-out fans, it also has some modest patio seating for diners wanting to eat in.

2965 Fifth Avenue, Hillcrest, San Diego, CA 92101, Phone: 619-550-1818

3. Jyoti-Bihanga

Jyoti-Bihanga is a casual spot with an inventive menu of vegan and vegetarian fare run by local students of spiritual master Sri Chinmoy.

The tranquil eatery offers a creative menu of delicious food for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday and an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on a couple of Sundays every month.

Tuck into whole-wheat blueberry pancakes, challah French toast, tofu scrambled eggs, and French biscuits for Sunday brunch, fresh salads, homemade soups, wraps and sandwiches for lunch, and a variety of entrées, sides, and desserts for dinner. Signature dishes include a daily special, vegan meatloaf, curries, and Thai stir fry.

3351 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116, Phone: 619-282-4116

4. KINDRED

A French Gothic cathedral meets a death metal bar in this unique and eclectic eatery. Located in the former Alchemy space in South Park, KINDRED is an exclusively vegan restaurant with the aesthetic of a European comic magazine blended with a 1920s Parisian cocktail bar and a menu to match.

Offering an array of unusual and delicious food, the menu features dishes such as cornmeal-crusted tempeh on a rye pita with kale fennel kraut, smoked beets, and Sriracha Thousand Island sauce, spicy Grilled Seitan skewers, and Memphis BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich with crispy house-made potato chips.

Wash it down with a La Fin Du Monde-based Doom Gazer beertail or a Cosmic Key cocktail and end on a sweet note with caramelized banana pancakes with bourbon butterscotch glaze.

1503 30th Street, South Park, San Diego, CA 92116, Phone: 619-546-9653

5. Loving Hut

Renowned as the world’s largest vegan restaurant chain, Loving Hut has two outlets in San Diego that serve an array of standard dishes along with signature plates that suit local tastes.

Loving Hut uses fresh locally sourced ingredients to create hearty, healthy, and tasty cuisine, including favorites such as udon soup, spring rolls, spicy cha, and the signature Heavenly Salad. Other items range from noodle soup and crispy wontons to chow mein, eggplant tofu, and grilled seaweed.

1905 El Cajon Boulevard, University Heights

9928 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Mira Mesa, San Diego, CA 92116

6. Plant Power-Fast Food

Relatively new on the vegan culinary scene, Plant Power-Fast Food was opened by the founders of Hillcrest’s Evolution Fast Food and offers a broad menu of plant-based sandwiches, salads, wraps, and burgers along with super smoothies and decadent desserts.

Signature dishes include the Rambler Burger with crispy onion rings, American “cheese,” BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato, the Southwest Avocado Wrap filled with a zesty black bean and “beefy” medley of chipotle “aioli,” avocado, salsa, and kale mix, and the raw Jumbo Veggie Wrap packed with spinach, avocado, cashew hummus, sprouts, and cucumber in a whole wheat tortilla.

2204 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA 92116, Phone: 619-450-6845

7. Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant

Plumeria Vegetarian Restaurant is an upscale Thai and vegetarian restaurant at the end of Park Boulevard in University Heights that offers an outstanding vegan dining experience.

Boasting a menu focused on South Asian cuisine with a particular focus on Thai flavors, the restaurant promises a culinary feast of dishes such as pumpkin curry in red curry sauce, mock chicken satay with peanut sauce, glass noodles with mixed vegetables and tofu, and petite flower-shaped crispy wonton cups.

The environmentally-friendly restaurant also offers a dollar discount for to-go customers who bring their own food containers.

4661 Park Boulevard, University Heights, San Diego, CA 92116, Phone: 619-269-9989

8. Sipz Vegetarian Fusion Cafe

Set within a strip mall on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Sipz Vegetarian Fusion Cafe offers casual vegan and vegetarian dining in relaxed, informal surroundings. The family-friendly restaurant serves an extensive menu of 100% vegetarian and mostly vegan Asian cuisines, ranging from Vietnamese and Thai to Chinese and Japanese.

The menu features sushi rolls, glass noodles and veggies, and spicy Thai curry alongside super smoothies and fresh juices with signature dishes including cashew stir-fry, vegetable paella, and teriyaki.

5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92117, Phone: 858-279-3747