I can’t believe this is the SIXTH edition of SoCal vegan eats on this blog.
Actually, I kind of can believe it.
San Diego continues to be my favorite place in the country, and it is always my happiest city to visit. I have a million friends here, the weather is always beautiful, the scenery is perfect and THE FOOD. The food is imply unparalleled. And this visit was no exception. A lot of old favorites, and stellar newbies. I am always thrilled with the availability of plant-based food almost everywhere, no matter where you go in SoCal.
San Diego, I love you so much and keep the amazing vegan food coming!
A forever favorite of mine, EVERYTHING I have ever had at Plant Power is both fast and insanely delicious. It’s the one place that all my non-vegan friends are dying to try because everything I post from there looks so legit. From their buffalo chicken sandwich with ranch, to their bacon cheeseburger and their crazy breakfast sandwiches, there isn’t a single item on their menu that isn’t a dead ringer for the carnivorous version. Everything is flavorful, with perfect texture and amazing dressings and sauces. And their eggs and cheeses are some of the most legit versions I’ve ever tasted. The prices are fairly cheap for what you get and I always leave feeling super full and satisfied. They’ve got convenient drive through locations in both Encinitas and Ocean Beach, which i hit at least five times during this trip!
ANTHEM VEGAN
I really don’t have words to accurately describe how insanely good Anthem is. Their menu is beyond massive, with more options I could even read off because I ordered half the menu is giddy anticipation of what I was about to eat. There are endless burttios, burgers, nachos, mozzarella sticks and breakfast sandwiches. Eevrything is elaborate and teeming with multiple vegan cheeses and faux meats that make their portions so large, I couldn;r eat half of what I ordered in one sitting. We went for their Caliofnira burrito, their beeg nachos and an epic hash brown, tofu egg, sausage and cheese biscuit sandwich. That breakfast sandiwch was likely one of the most delcious morning meals I have EVER consumed. Buttery, flaky and bursting with multiples textures and flavors, it was truly life0changing. Their nachos and burrito were equally as yummy and flavorful and I wish I could have literally sampled every single thing on their menu. I WILL BE BACK FOR MORE!
A new kid on the block, O.B. Garden Cafe is truly a force for be reckoned with. I had been anxious to try it, as many SoCal friends have been raving about it since it opened. I met some truly amazing Instagram friends here so we cold eat together in real life, and it was downright epic. Half of us opted for the brunch plate-sausage patties, hash browns, chickpea scramble and biscuits and gravy. which was insanely delicious. I also reveled in their iced turmeric lattes, some extra-sized portions of pesto avocado toast and had a bite of my friend’s breakfast sandwich. Everythig was super savory, had perfect texture and consistency and was full of overwhelming flavor. We all were also a bit hungover this morning, and this food, LITERALLY brought us back to life. This spot will be in regular rotation for me on my next trips, for sure.
Equally as new and delicious as O.B. GArden Cafe, Second Nature was a huge hit with all my friends and I. Though they are not strictly vegan, about half their menu IS plant-based, and everything was super impressive. We shared a bunch of plates so we could sample a few things, and it was hard to choose among their yummy options like parmesean truffle fries with ranch, Nashville hot shrooms or vegan flatbreads. We went with the fries, because DUH-fries! We also split the Yardbird Gardein chcikn sandwich which was an absolute A+ in my book. We also shared a chickpea Greek salad, cauliflower ceviche and indulged in enldless kombucha beer. Their outdoor patio and their adorable wait staff also give them high ranks in my book 😉
Though we now have a Flower Child in Boulder, I have yet to eat there. So I was totally down to dine at this Del Mar location and feast with my plant-based girls. I couldn’t resist the vegan ramen with tofu crumbles and was totally thrilled with this well-dense choice. Everyone else got Buddha bowls and salads and everyone walked away with happy bellies. Extra points for their amazing decor, massive outdoor space and beautiful wall art.
Eve, I just love you so so so much. I eat here often every trip and I am consistently blown away by how good it is. They’ve changed their menu up quite a bit since my last visit though, adding multiple versions of the Beyond Burger, with amazing toppings like a pizza variation, a Hawaiian one and a Cajun one. We opted for the buffalo cauliflower ranch flatbread, because I will almost NEVER turn down anything buffalo cauliflower based. We also had the Yippe-Ki-Yay burger which included arugula, tomato, aquafaba mayo, coconut bacon and gluten-free onion rings on a pretzel bun. And we all know pretzel buns are a game changer in my eyes. Delicious, delicious, delicious. We left dinner with a cinnamon roll for the morning and even though it was a little dry for us, it was heavy on the cinnamon and frosting which we always appreciate.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in La Jolla and NOT stopped at Trilogy. The views are amazing, the space is gorgeous and tranquil and there’s always a peaceful, soothing vibe about it’s rooftop cafe. I kept it simple this time and just went for their Nourish smoothie, as their juices and morning drinks are probably some of the best I’ve had in all my travels. It is definitely on the pricier side, so their entree items are usually a bit out of my daily budget, with even the $12 smoothie burning a hole in my wallet. But 100% worth the hefty price tag!
We all know Veggie Grill, don’t we? Probably the most well-known vegan fast food joint in the country, Veggie Grill is always sure-fire choice when I’m in a rush. So I stopped for my best friend and I on my way to the airport to come back to Denver and it was really great send off! They’ve got a really impressive and extensive menu that is always evolving, but always keeps their most popular items on deck, as well. You know me, I;m a sucker for anything fried chickn’ ish, and so I had to have their Nashville hot sandwich, which was a newbie to me. Lisa had the crab cake sandwich which was surprisingly just as good as my choice. Both crispy and perfectly fried, and paired well with both or regular and sweet potato fries with chipotle aioli. Well done, as always, Veggie Grill.
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