The California Bay Area is known for many things: its burgeoning tech industry, foggy coastal weather, culturally diverse communities, and now, its vegan food scene. From comforting soul food to unbelievably cheesy, meaty deli-style dishes, you can find pretty much anything made vegan, including brunch.
Is California’s Bay Area good for vegans?
Over the past few years, the Bay Area has evolved into quite the foodie haven, and good news for vegans: it has an abundance of plant-based fare on offer (beyond brunch).
Celebrity vegan chef and restaurateur Reina Montenegro teamed up with Filipinx restaurant Mama Go’s to bring vegan Filipinx food to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in 2023. The eatery offers vegan meals such as OmniPork vegan spam and Lechon Kawali (vegan pork belly).
A vegan ice cream shop also opened in Marin Country Mart in Larkspur, CA, which also features a varied collection of artisans and merchants. This marks the first California location for Seattle-based Frankie & Jo’s. Sweet-toothed patrons can now indulge in scoops of Frankie & Jo’s core flavors such as Brown Sugar Vanilla, Mint Brownie, and Strawberry Milk.
IKEA also opened one of its first plant-based food halls in San Francisco. IKEA’s Swedish parent company, Ingka Group, launched Saluhall, a plant-focused food hall centered around Nordic culture, earlier this year 2024.
Vegan brunch in the Bay
Right now, we’re focused on our favorite meal of the day—brunch!—and all the places where we can get our pancake, scramble, and omelet fix sans animal products in the beautiful Bay. Here are 11 spots (listed in no particular order) to try.
Sarah McLaughlin
1 The Butcher’s Son
Berkeley, CA
If you haven’t been to this vegan mecca yet, it’s an absolute must-stop. Get there early because the line will stretch out the door, but don’t worry if you’re a late-riser; you can contemplate your order in line. There are options like chicken fried tofu and gluten-free banh mi. Hit the road with a slice of New York-style cheesecake or a salted chocolate chip cookie to go.
Find it here
@timelesscoffee/Instagram
2 Timeless Coffee
Oakland, CA
Step inside this all-vegan coffee roaster, bakery, and chocolatier shop and inhale that sweet espresso scent. This perpetually busy, order-at-the-counter shop serves up rotating brunch specials on the weekend but always offers doughnuts, cakes, cookies, scones, frittatas, quiches, cream cheese danishes, dipped biscotti, and so much more. Get a dreamy, creamy oat milk mocha without the fear of accidentally getting dairy milk in your drink, and chow down on dishes like gluten-free crispy chicken and waffles or a slice of tiramisu cake.
Find it here
Rad Radish
3Rad Radish
San Francisco, CA
From the owners of Wildseed (another popular San Francisco-based vegan spot), comes this fast-casual concept that serves up breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Customers can order from kiosks (or employees at a counter) and can dine in or take their plant-based food to go. Go savory with a filling breakfast sandwich with plant-based egg, American cheese, and herb aioli, or go sweet with an order of French Toast made with Levain bread, seasonal fruit, and whipped coconut cream.
Find it here
@harpeatz/Instagram
4 Souley Vegan
Martinez, CA
After serving the Oakland community for over 16 years, this East Bay soul food institution has made its way to Martinez, CA. The menu is packed with comforting classics, including Creole Cheddar Mac, buffalo tenders, and vegan chicken and waffles.
Find it here
@healthy_ho/Instagram
5 Nourish Café
Oakland, CA
With two locations in the City by the Bay, this light-filled, millennial-focused eatery is all about healthful dishes like fully loaded açai and smoothie bowls, towering avocado toasts, and warming chia and oatmeal bowls that are so pretty, they’re practically begging to be posted on Instagram. Their menu for toasts alone will call your name. Go for the perfectly pink Dragonfruit Bowl with pineapple, buckwheat granola, and coconut. Plus, grab an Espresso date-sweetened shake to go.
Find it here
@dothebay/Instagram
6 Vegan Mob
San Bruno and Santa Rosa, CA
This Bay Area spot quickly became an Oakland destination, making a name for itself when it sold out in six hours on opening day. And once you try their food, you’ll totally understand why. With only limited outdoor seating, come prepared to order and go, or take it to the nearby Lake Merritt for a brunch picnic. The California Breakfast Barbequito stuffed with plant-based nacho cheese, bacon, eggs, fries, guac, sour cream, and green onions is enough to keep you full all day long, but if they happen to be serving their peach mobbler, you better grab a piece to go, as well!
Find it here
@thetravelingtofudie/Instagram
7 St. Francis Fountain
San Francisco, CA
The oldest ice cream parlor in the city might seem like an unlikely place to find a truly great vegan brunch, but that’s just the beauty of San Francisco. They serve up diner-style pancakes—sans eggs or dairy—and you can add strawberries, chocolate chips, bananas, walnuts, and blueberries to your stack. Craving savory? Go for the vegan jack cheese-stuffed breakfast burrito or black bean-loaded vegan rancheros.
Find it here
@sarahannsanchez/Instagram
8 Crêpes Bistro
San Jose, CA
This hole-in-the-wall, local favorite crêpe shop can veganize almost any of its menu items—from savory to sweet crêpes and buzzy cacao smoothies. If you’re really feeling sweet, go for the French Affection with coconut whipped cream and homemade caramelized walnuts. And if you’re feeling savory, go for the Royal Veggie with vegan cheese, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, avocado, marinated white onion sauce, and lemon tahini sauce. Even better? Go for both!
Find it here
@wildseedsf/Instagram
9 Wildseed
San Francisco, CA
A gorgeous, well-stocked full bar awaits behind the glass doors of this totally plant-based, health-leaning restaurant. Come for the bustling atmosphere and stay for delicious eats such as carrot lox on sourdough bread, banana fritters with chocolate-tahini sauce, and JUST Egg omelets with Beyond Meat sausage.
Find it here
Beach’n SF
10Beach’n SF
San Francisco, CA
The motto at this cozy oceanside spot? “House-made everything.” You’ll find classic tofu scrambles alongside ground fennel sausage-stuffed breakfast burritos, and plates of powdered sugar-dusted French Toast. Try their specialty smothered hashcakes with cashew cheese sauce, ancho crema, or mushrooms and vegan mozzarella for a savory start to the day.
Find it here
@jodiesveganeats/Instagram
11 The Happy Vegan
San Francisco, CA
You won’t find gluten or soy on this pickup-only eatery’s menu, but we can promise you everything is tasty! Some menu stand-outs include vegan chicken pesto omelets, avocado bagels, vegan pesto–egg-mozzarella breakfast sandwiches, plant-based chicken and waffles, and golden Belgian waffles. Order ahead for a super speedy pick-up! Note: The eatery is currently closed for renovations, but will be open very soon.
Find it here
For more on vegan brunch, read:
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Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is always on the search for the newest innovations in plant-based food.
