Best Vegan Restaurants in San Diego [Watch Now]
Looking for the best vegan restaurants in San Diego? In this episode of Rated V, host Eunice Reyes explores the laid-back coastal charm of San Diego while diving fork-first into some of the cityโs most flavorful plant-based food. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, this vegan San Diego food guide highlights delicious must-try spots, proving that SoCal is a true paradise for food-loving vegans.
Watch the full video above to follow Reyesโ mouthwatering tour of some of San Diego’s best vegan restaurants, then keep reading to see which restaurants made the cut.
Donna Jean โ Comfort Food, Reinvented
First up is Donna Jean, a cozy spot near Balboa Park thatโs elevated plant-based comfort food into an art form. Chef Roy Elam named the restaurant after his late mother and has created a warm, welcoming space where the vibe is as good as the food. Every dish is made from scratchโright down to the pasta and sourdough pizza dough, both fermented in-house.
Reyes tries the Cast-Iron Mac and Cheeseโultra-creamy with a crunchy toppingโand the Beet Wellington, a clever twist on the classic meat dish, served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. Itโs gourmet comfort food with a rustic, soulful feel, and a definite highlight of the vegan food in San Diego scene.
The Yasai โ Vegan Sushi That Delivers
Craving sushi? The Yasai in Little Italy takes vegan sushi to the next level. This spot is completely plant-based and fully committed to the craft. Executive Chef Junya Watanabe has created an elegant menu with complex, layered flavors and stunning presentation.
Reyesโ picks include the Sunrise Roll, packed with marinated tomato, tofu, and avocado, and the rich, umami-filled Truffle Truffle Roll, made with truffle aioli, garlic chips, and mushroom. With innovative ingredients and fine-dining flair, The Yasai is a standout for anyone seeking upscale vegan food in San Diego.
Grains โ Cozy Thai Fusion With a Twist
Next up, Reyes visits Grains, a family-owned Thai fusion spot in University Heights. Known for its relaxing atmosphere and beautifully plated dishes, Grains offers something specialโtraditional Thai comfort food with modern, plant-based upgrades.
The Crispy Tofu Cubes served with housemade sweet chili sauce are a perfect appetizer, followed by the Pad See Ew and Tom Yum Soup. Flavors are rich and authentic, with the kind of heat and brightness Thai food lovers will appreciate. If you’re looking to impress both vegan and non-vegan friends, this place delivers.
Kindred โ Punk Rock Vibes and Killer Brunch
Over in South Park, Kindred brings high style, bold design, and over-the-top vegan brunch to the table. With its punk-rock aesthetic and eye-catching interior, Kindred is an experience as much as a restaurant.
Reyes orders the French Toast, topped with caramelized bananas and almond whipped cream, alongside the Benedict with smoked hollandaise and marinated tofu. Cocktails are creative and brunch is livelyโmaking this a must-visit for any weekend food itinerary. Itโs no wonder Kindred consistently ranks among the best vegan restaurants in San Diego.
Gelati & Peccati โ Vegan Slices and Sweets
Last stop? Gelati & Peccati, a retro-style slice shop in North Park thatโs serving up incredible vegan pizza and gelato. Their selection includes rotating vegan slice options, all with crispy crusts and savory sauces.
Reyes grabs a hearty vegan slice and tops things off with a creamy scoop of dairy-free chocolate hazelnut gelato. The vibe is chill, the flavors are bold, and the price is rightโmaking it a favorite among locals and late-night snackers alike.
Best Vegan Restaurants in San Diego You Need to Try
This San Diego vegan food guide proves the city is more than just beaches and burritos. From creative sushi to next-level comfort food, and from vibrant brunch spots to laid-back pizza joints, San Diego delivers some of the most exciting plant-based meals in the country.
Reyes highlights the passion and diversity behind the best vegan restaurants in San Diego, each with its own flavor, vibe, and story. Whether you’re into bold flavor combos or classic dishes reimagined without animal products, this list is packed with places worth putting on your map.
Hungry yet? Start planning your own plant-powered food crawl through vegan San Diegoโs must-try vegan restaurants.
Love this episode? If you missed her pizza-packed tour through LA, check out our post on the Best Vegan Pizza in Los Angeles for another mouthwatering adventure. Then keep exploringโwatch more Rated V vegan travel guides with Reyes, streaming FREE on UnchainedTV. From tacos in Mexico City to sweet finds in Seoul, sheโs mapping out the best plant-based eats around the globe.
(0:28) Hi, my name is Roy Elam. I am the chef and owner of Donna Jean. We have locations in both San Diego (0:33) and Los Angeles.
We opened our San Diego location back in 2017. The name Donna Jean is my mom’s name. (0:41) I named it after her.
She died of breast cancer when she was only 55 years old. The second time (0:46) she was going to go through chemo, she didn’t want to do it because it was too much, so they (0:50) gave her a diet to follow instead, and it was primarily a vegan diet. So I started thinking, (0:55) why do we tell people this at the end of their life? So we decided to take this restaurant and (1:01) just make vegetables taste good so people want to eat them all the time, and that’s the whole (1:05) concept behind this.
On top of all that, we’re very much fully scratch as much as possible. We (1:09) make everything we can here. I feel like that’s the right way to do things.
We source local produce (1:14) in both San Diego and Los Angeles and try to work with small producers as much as we can. (1:19) Okay, so it’s Sunday morning in San Diego, so it’s brunch time, and you’ve got to come to the one and (1:24) only Donagene. It was actually one of the first places I tried vegan food when I was starting (1:29) my vegan journeys, but the reason this place is so special is because where else can you get pizza, (1:34) lasagna, calzones, frittatas, pancakes, the works, all the breakfast staples, and comfort (1:40) foods in one spot.
So it’s a must try, so let’s check out what they got. (1:51) All right guys, so we have our first two plates that we’re starting with. (1:54) It’s brunch.
I always have to have something like eggy, so I have a frittata here with zouk sauce (2:01) on top. Zouk is a green salsa that originates from Yemen, but it’s also popular in a lot of other (2:06) Middle Eastern countries. The frittata is made out of just egg.
If you’re not vegan, just egg is a (2:11) really good replacement for eggs, especially if you miss that eggy texture because they make it (2:15) spot on, and it’s just really good, no cholesterol, really healthy. It looks beautiful, looks delicious, (2:20) they even have some shaved cheese on this salad that looks real, so it’s amazing, and then I’m a (2:25) sucker for mac and cheese. So when I saw they have a cast iron mac and cheese, you best believe I had (2:30) to try that.
When you scoop this up, it looks just so good and creamy, so I’m gonna give this a try (2:36) first. It is so creamy. A lot of times, creamy vegan cheeses are cashew-based, or they’ll add (2:52) potatoes to give it that creaminess, and honestly, oh my gosh, this is… I’m gonna have to do another bite, (2:59) but now I gotta try this frittata with the zub.
Oh my word. Cheers. (3:10) Wow, the zub sauce is everything.
I could put that on everything. It’s so good. It really elevates the (3:18) frittata, and just goes to show how creative you can get with just your plant-based ingredients, (3:23) right? So I always tell people eggs was the hardest thing for me to get when I went vegan.
(3:28) It wasn’t even cheese, it was eggs. I used to love them so much, so I’m just happy to see replacements (3:32) like this. All right, so as you can see, the pizza has arrived.
Guys, I just love that I can have pizza (3:40) for brunch. Who doesn’t love that? So I always have to like the OG, like a classic pizza. This one’s (3:46) called the Bronx marinara with house-made mozzarella on top, and it looks absolutely delicious with (3:51) basil on there.
The crust looks amazing. Oh, let’s give this a try. (4:04) Everything is so flavorful.
The marinara has a great flavor, the cheese looks great, (4:09) it looks really melty, looks like real cheese. But guys, the best part is that they give you (4:14) dipping sauces for your crust. I freaking love that.
This one’s truffle cream because (4:18) I freaking love truffle. Oh yeah, I’m gonna be pouring that all over the pizza. This is so good.
(4:30) Okay, last but not least, you gotta have something sweet to end your brunch. So I couldn’t resist, (4:36) I had to get the skillet blueberry pancakes. They’re cooked in a skillet, then served on (4:40) this plate so they can drench all these blueberries on top, as you can see.
(4:44) They just look so fluffy and amazing, so let’s give it a try. I’m gonna just pack on a lot of (4:50) blueberries. The pancakes are very light and fluffy, melt in your mouth.
Blueberries are like (5:01) sweet yet tart, so I think it’d be great also to ask for the coconut whipped cream to add on top, (5:06) because that’s what I’m gonna do. I think it’ll take it to the next level. But you guys, overall, (5:10) Donagin is a solid spot.
There’s a reason it’s a local favorite. It has been a local favorite (5:14) for years, so make sure you check it out on your trip to San Diego. If you’re looking to walk off (5:21) brunch, you’ll be conveniently located just a short walk to Balboa Park, one of San Diego’s (5:26) most beautiful attractions.
This park began as 1,400 acres of land set aside in 1868 by San Diego (5:33) civic leaders, known as back then as the City Park. Today, the park has been reduced to 1,200 acres, (5:39) but offers 15 museums, various gardens, arts, and international culture associations, (5:44) and we happened to stumble upon the organs being played live. (5:49) One of the must-see attractions is the Botanical Building, but sadly, I couldn’t go inside because (5:54) it was being renovated.
Many of the museums along Balboa Park are Spanish colonial revival (5:59) buildings originally constructed for the 1915 to 1916 Panama-California Exposition. It’s definitely (6:05) a place you could spend a few hours, but after that break, it was time for lunch near downtown (6:11) for a vegan sushi experience. Okay, so we got some starters here in our sushi roll.
We got (6:18) king oyster mushroom scallops on a polenta. They look beautiful. I just want to say the plating is (6:24) beautiful here, like everything.
Inari pockets. If you have not had inari, you have to. They are tofu (6:29) skin pockets, and they’re usually stuffed with a bunch of different things, so this looks absolutely (6:33) delicious.
Can’t wait to try that. And then of course, this is a specialty roll called the cherry blossom. (6:38) Inside is tofu cutlets, pickled cucumber, and carrots, a cherry yuzu aioli, which gives you that beautiful (6:45) pink color, and crispy fuji apples with a vegan cream cheese, so I can see why it’s their specialty.
(6:51) It sounds really extra. And then last but not least, look how beautiful this sampler omakase (6:58) vegan nigiri plate looks like. It’s topped with a veggie, so like you’ve got bell peppers, zucchinis, (7:04) eggplant, avocado, and it’s chef’s choice, right? That’s what omakase means, so I really appreciate (7:10) that they put a lot of effort into making these dishes look very presentable, use great ingredients (7:15) that substitute fish, so let’s give everything a try.
I can’t resist. I have to start with (7:21) this sushi roll because it looks absolutely beautiful. (7:28) This is delicious.
Reading off the menu, you might think, is it going to taste sweet, because that’s (7:33) what I thought. It has the perfect balance. It’s creamy, it’s fresh, it has a tiny touch of sweetness.
(7:40) Absolutely delicious. Now I gotta try the scallop oyster mushrooms. (7:47) They serve it with polenta now, but they’re gonna change it to squash (7:51) because it might complement better is what they were saying, so let’s try it this way anyway.
(7:57) This is really good. The oyster mushrooms give it a great texture. It gives it that like bouncy (8:02) scallop like texture, right? And it’s seasoned really well.
It doesn’t taste like you’re eating (8:06) mushroom at all, so props to them on that. The polenta’s good too. Okay, inari pocket.
(8:12) By the way, don’t get scared that it says eel sauce on the menu. There’s no eel, there’s nothing (8:16) related to eel. Okay, cheers.
(8:24) I already knew I was gonna love this. Anytime I see inari, I’m like, I’m getting it, I’m getting (8:28) it because it’s just so good. The tofu skin texture is amazing.
I love that they use forbidden rice (8:34) for all of their sushi here, so high nutrient value, which is great. Last but not least, (8:39) I gotta try this nigiri omakase. I’m starting with the one with the red bell pepper.
(8:49) Mmm. (8:50) I really enjoy that. Like, you can tell the texture is roasted vegetables, right? (8:54) But I like the roasted charred flavor on that red bell pepper.
And I like that it’s all natural (9:00) vegetables. Nowadays, some places top off like vegan nigiri with, you know, man-made vegan fish (9:06) substitutes, right? Which aren’t technically whole foods, which yeah, it’s fun to eat every once in (9:10) a while, but it’s not whole food vegetables like this, so I really appreciate this. And I would (9:14) prefer to eat sushi this way, so I’m just glad they put the effort and present it as if it were (9:19) nigiri, but it’s fine.
Yasai is a restaurant you must try when visiting San Diego. (9:26) After lunch, you can take a walk towards San Diego’s popular waterfront park and enjoy the (9:30) views of the sea, shops, and iconic kissing statue. But next was a dinner experience you (9:36) cannot miss in the beautiful Little Italy district.
(9:43) Okay, you guys, I am at Civico 1845 in Little Italy in downtown San Diego. Why? Because they (9:50) were the first restaurant to have a vegan Italian menu in the country. So I’m super excited to show (9:56) you guys all the dishes that they have, the sides, the dessert, the mains.
So let’s get to it. I’ve (10:01) gotten all the sides that we ordered. I’m already beyond excited because they look beautiful.
The (10:07) vegan mozzarella looks like real mozzarella, so this is beautiful. The pesto is vegan for (10:12) every customer, so that’s amazing. The squash blossom flowers with tomato sauce, (10:18) and then the lasagna, which is an eggplant parmesan that looks like a lasagna.
So you guys, (10:22) but first, you guys, the star is this fluffy bread that they bring to you in a paper bag, (10:28) which is perfect for dunking into pesto. I love carbs, I love bread, so let’s start with this. (10:40) Oh my gosh.
You guys, this is like a pillow in your mouth. It’s absolutely delicious. The pesto (10:46) is amazing.
Like, oh, you can get free refills on bread, so just make sure you do that, okay? (10:53) I’m excited. I’m gonna start with the caprese salad first. Oh my gosh, it looks so fresh on (10:59) this beautiful sunny day.
By the way, if you haven’t noticed, they have a beautiful outdoor (11:03) patio and indoor space. The caprese comes with pesto and fresh tomatoes and beautiful flowers. (11:10) Okay, let’s try this.ย Guys, this is summer on a plate. It’s so refreshing. The mozzarella is (11:24) creamy, so good.
The basil is perfect. Like, this is the perfect appetizer to start with. (11:30) The next thing that was highly recommended to us were the stuffed squash blossom flowers.
You guys, (11:35) I love squash blossom flowers, especially when they’re stuck. This is something typical you (11:40) will see in Italy and in Europe in general, so I’m just gonna eat it with my hands, (11:44) the American way probably, but when you just dunk it into that red sauce, oh my gosh. (11:56) Wow.
These are stuffed to perfection. It’s almost like an eggplant puree. (12:01) It’s so flavorful.
So far, everything’s 10 out of 10. I don’t know if you can go wrong here. (12:08) The entrees have arrived.
Handmade pasta. So, this first dish is the ragu di funghi, (12:14) which is handmade fettuccine noodles with a ragu, walnuts, lots of mushrooms. I love mushrooms, (12:21) so if you’re a mushroom fan, you gotta try this.
And then we also got a lasagna (12:26) staple. Can’t go wrong with that. But let me try this fettuccine.
Love me a good noodle lift. (12:39) It tastes like buttery, but it’s vegan. The noodles are the perfect texture, (12:46) the mushrooms are great, they have a vegan cashew parmesan.
Oh, by the way, (12:51) and in case anyone was wondering what the vegan caprese was made out of, (12:55) it was made out of rice flour, so it’s nut-free, allergy-friendly. (13:00) Moving on to the lasagna. Who else can’t resist the lasagna? I can’t resist a good lasagna, so (13:06) let me just go ahead and cut this.
Oh, it’s like drenched in this beautiful red tomato sauce, (13:15) layered to perfection. (13:22) Listen, if you haven’t noticed, I’ve been making the same face for all the food because it’s (13:26) that good. Everything is delicious.
I just love that they make their own (13:31) vegan pasta. You don’t gotta worry about eggs, you don’t gotta worry about butter, (13:35) you don’t gotta worry about anything. Everything’s vegan San Diego.
They made this with love for us. I would (13:40) come back to San Diego just to eat here. Oh, you guys, last but not least, they have vegan dessert.
(13:49) I have three desserts now. Three vegan desserts. I just want to say, my biggest pet peeve is when (13:57) you go to restaurants, they offer you this whole extravagant vegan menu.
Dessert, zero. I hate that. (14:04) I need to have dessert after every meal, so I highly appreciate that they don’t have one, (14:08) they have three.
So let me tell you what you got here. They have a vegan tiramisu, (14:13) delicious. Then you got an affogato, which is a cashew-based pistachio ice cream or gelato.
(14:20) And then you pour the espresso on top, amazing. And then of course, last but not least, we have (14:25) a stuffed pistachio cannoli. You can’t go wrong with pistachio anything.
So this is already here, (14:31) so let me go with this first. It’s stuffed with chocolate filling. It’s airy and light (14:43) inside, but the shell is crispy and beautiful.
Okay, but I am a huge fan of tiramisu, (14:49) so I gotta have this next. Oh my gosh. (15:03) Oh my gosh, that is so good.
There’s something that I’m picking up there that I haven’t tasted (15:10) any other tiramisu, but it’s delicious. Affogato, the espresso when they poured it on there, (15:15) it smelled so good. That pistachio ice cream is amazing.
You guys, I’ve already said this (15:36) multiple times before, 10 out of 10. Like, you can’t go wrong with anything. I highly recommend (15:42) the affogato and the tiramisu for sure.
Make sure you make room for a Civico 1845 on your trip to (15:49) San Diego. Now, I don’t know about you, but I like to party, and San Diego’s Gaslamp District (15:55) has you covered. It has a hot new rooftop bar called Techo Beso with Tulum vibes that I couldn’t (16:00) resist.
They also have mushroom tacos if you decide you want food there, and don’t forget (16:04) to take some photos. All right guys, so as you can see, San Diego has so much to offer. It’s just (16:13) beautiful.
It’s a cute city. There’s a lot of character, a lot of things to do, lots of vegan (16:18) food. There’s even more than I featured, but I mean, you guys can check it out for yourselves.
(16:22) Let me know which dish you would want to try first, and I’ll catch you guys next time when I’m ready to be. Bye! Best vegan restaurants in San Diego
