Where to Eat Vegan: Herbivore - San Francisco, CA

Green Juice

There should be a theme forming here if you've been following these posts:

 Breakfast is my favorite meal! 

San Francisco is one of those cities that gets veganism. There is vegan food everywhere, whether the restaurant is a professed veggie joint or not. 

Herbivore is a local chain of restaurants that are all fully vegan. On one of our mornings in San Francisco, Pang and I went over to the Divisadero Street location for our morning fix. 

I've had tofu scramble and pancakes everywhere I've been able to find them on my travels. Some serve soupy tofu scramble coated in oil. Some tend towards the spicy. Some are just bland. Don't get me started on all the weird pancakes I've had.

The food at Herbivore just tastes fresh and full. No tasteless, over cinnamoned pancakes here. 

A test is always to try the "green juice" at a restaurant. Every health conscious restaurant has one these days and I've found that most of them serve me apple juice with a few kale stems thrown in there. 

Why? Because apples taste better than parsley and you get more juice for your produce from apples. 

I'm happy to report that Herbivore's green juice was a healthy mix of celery and parsley and a kick of ginger. 

Breakfast every day from 9am - 2pm

Sunday - Thursday 9am - 10pm

Friday - Saturday 9am - 11pm

Where to Eat Vegan: St. Francis Fountain

Take a seat at the counter in St. Francis Fountain next to mustachioed bike enthusiasts and tottering local ladies and you might feel like you've been taken back in time: a time when you could go to diners and order pancakes and milkshakes all day. For me that time was a few years ago before I was vegan.

On a block bordered by giant murals of chicano heroes, stands selling lucha masks and colorful jewelry and a collection of spanish bakeries to give your whole family a sugar rush, the Fountain looks a little out of place - but the Fountain has actually been fueling this neighborhood since 1918.  

The vanilla soy gelato milkshake - geltao curtsy of local La Copa Loca served with old fashioned paper straws is where I always start a meal at a diner while I decide on the feast that will shortly ensue. 

While the Fountain is mostly your traditional eggs and bacon diner, most things can be made vegan by subbing out tofu scramble, vegan pancakes (blubbery, strawberry or banana-walnut if you please) and veggie sausage patties. There is even the enticing Devil Burger piled with seitan. I resisted.

In the end I went for the Vegan Thing - spuds, cheese and guacamole, blubbery pancakes and a side of sausage for my glutinous treat - and I was not disappointed. 

2801 24th Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

415 - 826 - 4210

Monday - Saturday 8am - 10pm

Sunday 8am - 9pm

Where to Eat Vegan: Gracias Madre - San Francisco, CA

Burritos are a big thing in San Francisco. They are THE thing, if I can be so bold to say so.

But I kinda think San Fran has it all wrong. 

How can burritos be THE thing when the empanadas are so incredibly out of this world? 

Some rice and bean and yeah maybe some smoked tofu in a tortilla? Done that.

Gracias Madre is in the vibrant, bustling part of town known as The Mission. 

True to travel-Lacey's rules I ordered three dishes:

Plantain Stuffed Empanadas with Mole

Guacamole Con Tortillas 

Sweet Potato Flautas 

The dishes were flavorful, fresh, and best of all - plant based.  Not only that, Terces and Mathew Engelhart are also committed to organic and non GMO food. 

2211 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

415-683-1346

11am - 11pm