My Favorite Vegan Restaurants in SoCal

So you think you can’t eat at any vegan restaurants? Or have you asked yourself, where do vegans eat? Well let me just say, Los Angeles has a large selection of amazing vegan restaurants. Options span from full vegan to vegan-friendly/possible and most of these locations have amazing food! Let me share my top 8 favorite vegan restaurants and secret spots with you😄

Now I won’t lie, when I first started dating as a vegan many men thought “what the hell does this girl eat” Well there are many protein heavy veggies, beans and grains that provide more enough nutrients for our bodies. If you are curious to know why I became vegan, it was a part of a 22 Day Challenge to myself or if you want to know why I decided stayed vegan you can explore my link. But for now, below are some of my top 8 favorite vegan restaurants I have enjoyed the past 4 months.

1. RAKKAN Ramen

Enough said. So many of the ramen places I go to have miso-based broth but at Rakkan Ramen, their vegetable-based broth was creamy and very flavorful. My favorites are Bekko Spicy and regular Bekko both of which are vegan changeable; I think the spicy is very mild but it was simply the best ramen I’ve had.

An honorable mention has to be Daikokuya which is a few doors down from Rakkan Ramen however, my boyfriend says Rakkan is the better ramen and thus tops the list as one of my favorites vegan restaurants. If you are skeptical about vegan ramen and how delicious it can actually be, Rakkan is a must try!

2. Elf Café

This has to be the best intimate first-dinner-date down Sunset Blvd or at least one of the best vegan restaurants in the area. The ambiance in Elf Cafe is very romantic and intimate with a slight hipster vibe which I do not mind. The location is very small so reservations are highly encouraged if you arrive a little early, you can grab drinks next door at Mohawk Bend (mentioned later on the lis). Elf Cafe is a vegan friendly restaurant which means you will need to ask for the vegan option. Now food, OMG you have to try the Avocado Tahini with freshly made pita, Chickpea crepe with truffle cream and Greek risotto of course all vegan option. Let’s not forget, their wine is organic and delicious! I often mention this place to my friends and it is the number one intro for a vegan dinner.

3. Crossroads Kitchen

Vegan lasagna. THE BEST. I know I said Elf Cafe is a great first-dinner-date but Crossroads is one of the top date-friendly vegan restaurants. It has an upscale classy and romantic ambiance located in the center of Melrose. Intimate sexy dinner date. Ding ding ding👀!! Crossroads is entirely a plant-based so no need to ask for vegan options, but it never hurts to double confirm (any sales people 😂💀). Crossroads is more of a tapas style dinner and for 2 people, 5-7 dishes are recommended. Their best dish IS the vegan lasagna, IMO the lasagna is just sooo perfect but their Spicy meatball pizza is a close second (although I love pizza). They also have the Impossible Burger which is a famous vegan patty that closely resembles the real thing👀. Honorable mention!! I will say the Spiced Chickpeas and Artichoke Oysters dish is mediocre so you can skip but the Crab Cake is a very delicious twist on the original dish.

**UPDATE: Their brunch as of Fall 2018 is aiiight. I’ve had better. Unfortunately.

4. Tocaya Organica

When you first walk into Tocara Organica, you notice the amazing casual decor and see the kitchen staff working on all the organic healthy food. Tocara is a vegan friendly-option restaurant with great non-vegan food. Honestly, I came here for the tacos LOL. The way vegan tacos work, first you choose your protein, Vegan Picadillo or Adobo Tofu, second you choose a cheese (optional) and third, a style my favorite being Baja Chipotle. Spicy level is mild-spicy depending on your tolerance which btw, has changed now that I am vegan. I cannot handle spicy food as well as before and it is quite sad because I would eat really spicy food before😅. Nevertheless, these tacos are amazing and so is the brussels sprout dish but don’t forget to ask for it vegan.

5. Cafe Gratitude

Now this place has the best damn vegan burrito or so according to my meat loving boyfriend. Their burrito is called the Original (under sandwiches and wraps) it is made out of mushroom carnitas with adobe de mixiote, guac, cashew nacho cheese, black bean and brown rice. To this day, he says that IS the best burrito he has had. What I love about Cafe Gratitude is their restaurant theme it’s all about gratitude, showing appreciation and being thankful. When approached by the waiter you are given food for thought which makes a great conversation starter. If you are looking for a casual all vegan restaurant look no further than Cafe Gratitude conveniently located in the Arts District near all the local breweries😉

6. Mohawk Bend

Mohawk Bend is located in the heart of Echo Park. A vegan friendly place, Mohawk is super cute, casual with slight hipster vibes and will always be special to me. Mohawk Bend is the place where I had my first lunch date with my boyfriend. Awww how cute! So we went here for lunch because homeboy wanted to take me to dinner on our first date. I had to check him and suggest we go on a lunch date instead😅😂.

All I have to say is, get their pizza! I am a pizza junkie and I regret not choosing their pizza (I got the tofu scramble, mediocre) but you know, first date and all I didn’t wanna eat with my hands and be messy😅💀. I was wearing a white shirt! haha. Their pizza is delicious and so are the Bloody Mary’s. They have a large selection of craft beer and they sure make a bomb dirty martini. Boom!

7. The Wild Chive

This is a cutest pop-up restaurant ever! The Wild Chive is located down Pine St. in Long Beach inside Made by Millworks (right next to the Starbucks). The Wild Chive is a MUST place for Vegan Breakfast/brunch. They are only opened on Sunday’s from 9am – 3pm and it is soooo worth it. Both my boyfriend and I had the Vegan French toast and it was beyond delicious you could not tell it was vegan AND the portions are huge! It comes with 2 slices of thicc sliced bread stuffed with hazelnut spread, fresh organic strawberries, bananas and coconut whip. I swear it’s an orgasm in your mouth. I also had their Thai Coffee which had a super cute presentation and was delicious and strong. Grab all your girlfriends and go to this all vegan restaurant on your next brunch because alcohol is served as well.

8. True Food Kitchen

Last but not least is True Food Kitchen located in Santa Monica Place, their outdoor mall near the pier. It’s very convenient to have a good vegan spot inside the mall so you have a place to go after working up an appetite from shopping all day😜. Here is my pizza trend, their Butternut Squash pizza is so good and I think their vegan almond ricotta makes it even better! They also cater to gluten free and vegetarians which made it great because I am trying to lower my gluten intake. They have a nice selection of wines worth the mention and their cocktails looked amazing. I am not a big fan of dessert but my boyfriend was craving chocolate so we had the Flourless Chocolate Cake so soo good! You wouldn’t be able to tell it is both vegan and gluten free.  I really recommend this place if you are curious about vegan food. Their restaurant has many non-vegan options but if you are feeling wild, you can make the jump.

If you have any vegan option restaurants you would like to share with me in the Los Angeles or Orange County area, please feel free!😄I love visiting new spots and trying all sorts of new foods!

XO Andie