Sacramento – the city of trees and farm-to-fork living – is quite accommodating to its vegan friends. While not many restaurants are 100% vegan, you can often find totally vegan menus or offerings at many most-loved hot spots.
After going vegan about a year and a half ago, I’ve eaten my way through the city to find the best of the best—well, and the worst—but I won’t talk about that today.
Below are my tried-and-true top vegan picks for any occasion. Looking for a recommendation that wasn’t covered here? Leave a comment; I’m here to help!
Best Baked Goods: Pushkin’s Bakery
If you’re a Sacramento native, this will absolutely come as no surprise. Holy moly does Pushkin’s do vegan goodies well. If you have time to spare, my best piece of advice is to visit on a Sunday when they offer an array of vegan doughnuts. The line around the block is proof of their goodness!
Best Brunch: Hook & Ladder
While I absolutely love everything at Pushkin’s Restaurant, no brunch is a true brunch without a Bloody Mary. And Hook & Ladder does it well. And fortunately, they have a yummy vegan menu for that other important part of the brunch deal.
Best Lunch: Vibe Health Bar (on Broadway)
From juice cleanses to acai bowls, I’ve tried it all here. But, my favorite menu items happen to be fall in the lunch department. Their “Root Awakening Wrap” is insanely, good, boasting ginger beet hummus, quinoa, avocado, fermented veggies and carrots. They also have the best Avocado Toast in town.
Best Dinner: Veg Café
Veg Café comes from Suleka Sun-Lindley, owner and chef of the Thai Basil restaurant family. This cute and quaint little spot is directly above Thai Basil on J. The menu is bright and flavorful, and totally vegan. Order from the delicious assortment of daily specials!
Best Pizza: Hot Italian
I’ve ordered the #21 “Muti” vegan pizza so many times I can’t even count. It’s simply seasonal vegetables, tomato sauce and arugula. Should you please, you can also add Daiya vegan cheese. Regardless, do NOT forgot to ask for spicy oil and rosemary oil.
Best Thai: The Coconut on T
Whether you’re dining in or ordering delivery, The Coconut makes it super simple to vegan-ify your order. I often mix it up, but one of my favorite dishes is Cashew Nut with Organic Tofu. Bonus: they even have vegan vanilla ice cream!
Best Indian: Curry Club
Living only a block away, I often find myself ordering takeout from the Curry Club on a busy weeknight. The staff is so friendly and the food is so, so good. My favorite dishes are Channa Masala and Aloo Muttor. Ask, and they will special-order vegan naan flatbread for you!
Best Sushi: Lou’s Sushi
I loved Lou’s before, but I’ve come to appreciate this spot even more as a vegan. They have a vegan appetizer and sushi menu, and everything is truly dynamite. Order the “Vegan OMFG” roll and “Vegan Firecracker” ASAP!
Best “Burger”: Broderick Roadhouse (Midtown)
If you’re not munching on a “Carrot Nutburger” from Mother, and looking for more of an “it tastes like the real thing”-kind-of-burger, Broderick is the spot for you. They offer Beyond Burgers and/or Impossible Burgers, and vegan items are clearly marked on the menu (including buns!), making it easy to order tasty vegan accompaniments.