In New York, a vegan Szechuan restaurant empire is growing while creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. In Berkeley, a beloved plant-based eatery is helping its city cap a landmark year of huge vegan wins (with doughnut-stuffed pancakes, no less). And all across the nation—even in the face of one of the most challenging years for the industry—vegan restaurants soldier on, offering comfort, creativity, and connection.
For the second annual VegNews Restaurant Awards, we flipped the script and let readers nominate and choose exactly which eateries (from fine-dining restaurants to doughnut shops to everything in between) are the best in the country. And as a bonus, we assembled a panel of expert judges to weigh in, break any ties, and vote for their favorites to share even more restaurant love.
Which city is taking home the most #1 wins? What brand-new bakery came out on top above a 26-year institution? And which restaurant did you choose as the best in the entire country? The votes are in, and we present to you the second annual VegNews Restaurant Awards.
Table of Contents
Best Vegan Fast-Food Restaurant:
Plant Power Fast Food (Multiple Locations)
Miss your Carl’s Jr Beyond Famous Star? Not if you’ve ever been to Plant Power Fast Food. The Southern California-founded chain has been specializing in mouthwatering fast food—everything from its signature Big Zac to its limited-time “Ribby” McRib dupe—for nearly 10 years. And with 10 locations satisfying plant-based cravings across California and Las Vegas, no wonder this chain calls itself “the future of fast food.”
1st Place: Plant Power Fast Food (Multiple Locations)
2nd Place: Veggie Grill (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Next Level Burger (Multiple Locations)
Judge’s Vote: Veggie Grill (Multiple Locations)
Crossroads Kitchen
Best Vegan Fine-Dining Restaurant:
Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles CA & Las Vegas, NV)
Fresh, tender pappardelle filled with luscious roasted honeynut squash, slicked in a cultured brown butter sauce with toasted pumpkin seeds and sage. Chargrilled lion’s mane steak with crispy truffle potatoes over a rich mushroom bordelaise. Almond sponge cake with silky apricot mousse and coconut chocolate. Whatever you order at this bastion of plant-based dining, you can expect elegance and perfection.
1st Place: Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
2nd Place: Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Planta (Multiple Locations)
Judge’s Vote: Planta (Multiple Locations) & Eleven Madison Park (New York, NY)
Plant Power Fast Food
Best Vegan Burger Joint:
Plant Power Fast Food (Multiple Locations)
Do you like yours with bacon, grilled onions, and secret sauce? Loaded up with housemade guacamole or crispy, golden onion rings? Want a “Hippie Patty” made with black beans, roasted cashews, and poblano pepper on Monday, then a thick and beefy pea protein patty on Friday? However you take your vegan burgers, Plant Power Fast Food has you covered.
1st Place: Plant Power Fast Food (Multiple Locations)
2nd Place: Monty’s Good Burger (Los Angeles, Culver City, & Riverside, CA)
3rd Place: Next Level Burger (Multiple Locations)
Judge’s Vote: Plant Power Fast Food (Multiple Locations)
Screamers Pizzeria
Best Vegan Pizzeria:
Screamers Pizzeria (Brooklyn, NY)
At Brooklyn’s first vegan pizzeria, they take their motto of “whole pies, fat slices, good vibes” seriously. Screamers is known for its punky-yet-laid back vibe and for slinging everything from plain cheese slices to Philly cheesesteak-inspired pies—and after its second Vegan Restaurant Award win, VegNews readers have made it clear: this pizza shop is a slice above the rest.
1st Place: Screamers Pizzeria (Brooklyn, NY)
2nd Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood & Redondo Beach, CA)
3rd Place: Boxcar Pizza (Portland, OR)
Judge’s Vote: Pura Vita (West Hollywood & Redondo Beach, CA)
Vertical Diner
Best Vegan Diner:
Vertical Diner (Salt Lake City, UT & Portland, OR)
Salt Lake City isn’t just known for its juicy housewives drama. Since 2007, it’s also been the place for juicy mango-habanero chicken tenders, all-day American breakfast classics, and even some not-what-you’d-expect diner fare like vegan escargot with carrot butter and crostini. And after 12 years of plant-based comfort, a second location in Portland popped up, solidifying Vertical Diner’s stronghold and making way for its first-ever VegNews Restaurant Award.
1st Place: Vertical Diner (Salt Lake City, UT & Portland, OR)
2nd Place: The Tasty (Philadelphia, PA)
3rd Place: Spiral Diner (Fort Worth, TX)
Judge’s Vote: Doomie’s Home Cookin’ (Los Angeles, CA)
Mis Tacones
Best Vegan Mexican Restaurant:
Mis Tacones (Portland, OR)
For the second year in a row, Portland’s queer-Chicano-owned hot spot Mis Tacones takes the top spot, and one look at the menu, it’s easy to see why. Hand-pressed nixtamalized tortillas, crispy bean curd chicharron, sunflower cotija cheese, and a slew of thoughtful, tasty options that go beyond the humble taco (think pambazos, mulitas, and empanadas)—for the best vegan south-of-the-border food, head to the Pacific Northwest … and go hungry.
1st Place: Mis Tacones (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Tacotarian (Las Vegas, NV & San Diego, CA)
3rd Place: Gracias Madre (West Hollywood, CA)
Judge’s Vote: El Cocinero (Van Nuys, CA)
Spicy Moon
Best Vegan Asian Restaurant:
Spicy Moon (New York, NY)
Last year, Spicy Moon snagged the award for Best Vegan Asian Restaurant, thanks in part to the opening of its third NYC location (the city’s largest vegan restaurant). This year, a brand-new, fourth location in Chelsea has helped make it a threepeat. Where else can you enjoy a drag brunch plus plant-based Szechuan staples like char siu buns, cumin tofu, and dan dan noodles?
1st Place: Spicy Moon (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Chef Kenney’s Dim Sum (Las Vegas, NV)
3rd Place: Kusaki (Los Angeles, CA)
Judge’s Vote: Spicy Moon (New York, NY) & Kusaki (Los Angeles, CA)
Beyond Sushi
Best Vegan Sushi Spot:
Beyond Sushi (New York, NY)
New Yorkers have been spoiled with Chef Guy Vaknin’s dark soy-roasted chicken ramen, garlic-ginger pork shumai, and black truffle udon since 2012. But what makes the rest of us really envious are the fish-free treasures on the rest of the menu at Beyond Sushi. So chopsticks at the ready, because with rolls stuffed with everything from torched salmon to spicy crab to charred avocado, it’s clear that Beyond Sushi isn’t just a name—it’s a promise.
1st Place: Beyond Sushi (New York, NY)
2nd Place: Planta (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Shizen (San Francisco, CA)
Judge’s Vote: Shizen (San Francisco, CA)
Linda Pianigiani Photography
Best Vegan Italian Restaurant:
Pura Vita (West Hollywood & Redondo Beach, CA)
West Hollywood, CA is known for high-end shopping, top-tier nightlife—and, why yes, oyster mushroom “scallop” linguine. That’s because Pura Vita has put plant-based Italian on the map right on Santa Monica Boulevard. Chef Tara Punzone’s creations attract hungry diners from all over the country, and one taste of her Black Magic Lasagna will help you understand why.
1st Place: Pura Vita (West Hollywood & Redondo Beach, CA)
2nd Place: Coletta (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Tarantino’s Vegan (Las Vegas, NV)
Judge’s Vote: Pura Vita (West Hollywood & Redondo Beach, CA)
Dirty Lettuce
Best Vegan Soul Food Restaurant:
Dirty Lettuce (Portland, OR)
What happens when a Mississippi chef brings his homestyle veganized Southern cooking to the plant-based mecca that is Portland? A soul food revolution, that’s what. In fact, Portlanders love Alkebulan Moroski’s Dirty Lettuce so much (and between barbecue ribs and fried catfish, what’s not to love?) that they’ve awarded it another Best Vegan Soul Food title.
1st Place: Dirty Lettuce (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Souley Vegan (Martinez, CA)
3rd Place: Cadence (New York, NY)
Judge’s Vote: Cadence (New York, NY)
The Butcher’s Son
Best Vegan Butcher Shop & Deli:
The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley, CA)
Berkeley has had a big year. In 2024, it became the first US city to ban factory farms, was named America’s healthiest city, and gained Miyoko Schinner as an instructor at UC Berkeley. Now, it can add home to the Best Vegan Butcher Shop & Deli in America to its accolades. How to celebrate? A fried chicken BLT with avocado will do the trick.
1st Place: The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley, CA)
2nd Place: Ben & Esther’s (Portland, OR & San Diego, CA)
3rd Place: The Herbivorous Butcher (Minneapolis, MN)
Judge’s Vote: The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley, CA)
Orange & Blossom
Best Vegan Bakery:
Orange & Blossom (Portland, OR)
Just barely a year old, Marisa Kroes’ new Portland patisserie is already shaking the table—or at least, dropping off an oat milk matcha and a miso butterscotch sticky bun at the table. Kroes brings her experience from James Beard Award-winning restaurants, and in Portland, she’s channeling her creativity into stunning pastries. Hazelnut apple financier, anyone?
1st Place: Orange & Blossom (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Vegan Treats (Bethlehem, PA)
3rd Place: Chaumont Vegan (Los Angeles, CA)
Judge’s Vote: Vegan Treats (Bethlehem, PA)
Kate’s Ice Cream
Best Vegan Ice Cream Spot:
Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
PDX continues its VegNews Restaurant Award sweep, picking up another win thanks to the scoops at Kate’s Ice Cream. Using ultra-creamy coconut milk and sourcing local ingredients from Pacific Northwest farms, this North Portland hot spot wows patrons with indulgent flavors like triple chocolate brownie, rosewater cardamom almond, and, of course, marionberry cobbler. Pro tip: don’t miss out on the Choco Tacos.
1st Place: Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
2nd Place: Ice Queen (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Dear Bella Creamery (Los Angeles, CA)
Judge’s Vote: Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
Donut Friend
Best Vegan Doughnut Shop:
Donut Friend (Los Angeles, CA)
Founded by music producer Mark Trombino, Donut Friend has been reigning supreme over Los Angeles’ vegan doughnut scene since 2013, whipping up egg- and dairy-free riffs on classic pastries with pop-punky pun-filled names like “Green Teagan and Sara” (a classic raised with matcha glaze with black sesame seeds) and “Jimmy Eat Swirl” (a classic cinnamon roll). Add in a sister ice cream concept, Creamo, and you’ve got a duo that proves that delicious and ethical make a perfectly sweet pairing.
1st Place: Donut Friend (Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: Doe Donuts (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Dottie’s (New York, NY)
Judge’s Vote: Donut Friend (Los Angeles, CA)
Timeless Coffee & Bakery
Best Vegan Coffee Shop:
Timeless Coffee & Bakery (Oakland, CA)
Want better quality coffee? Roast your own beans. That’s the approach of this 12-year-old legacy business (helmed by RJ Leimpeter, former head roaster at San Francisco’s famed Sightglass Coffee), and you can taste the difference. Stop by one of their two cafés, choose from anything from a sweet pistachio latte to Papua New Guinea Korgua Estate medium roast, pair with one of their stellar bakery items, and sail off into caffeinated bliss.
1st Place: Timeless Coffee & Bakery (Oakland, CA)
2nd Place: Grindcore House (Philadelphia, PA)
3rd Place: Jet Black Coffee (Portland, OR)
Judge’s Vote: Timeless Coffee & Bakery (Oakland, CA)
Kindred
Best Vegan Bar:
Kindred (San Diego, CA)
Sticky counters, discarded peanut shells, flat beer—you won’t find them at Kindred. Instead, waltz up to the beautiful marble bar and go for a strawberry-jalapeño tequila-mezcal cocktail with green peppercorn. Or maybe a Blackened Manhattan with “sonically-enhanced” whiskey, vermouth, and plum tincture. Zero-proof? How about a pineapple-coconut mocktail with passion fruit, Thai basil, and lemongrass? You can’t go wrong at this next-level watering hole.
1st Place: Kindred (San Diego, CA)
2nd Place: The Bye & Bye (Portland, OR)
3rd Place: Monster Vegan (Philadelphia, PA)
Judge’s Vote: The Bye & Bye (Portland, OR)
Civico 2064
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant:
Civico 1845 & 2064 (San Diego & Los Angeles, CA)
Created by Italian-born brothers Dario and Pietro Gallo, Civico was one of the first omni restaurants to add an entirely vegan Italian menu back in 2015. Combine the brothers’ fresh Calabrian cuisine with Executive Chef Pietro’s personal conviction to ensure great vegan options (having been plant-based for years himself), and diners are reaping the rewards with dishes like fried zucchini blossoms, eggplant parmigiana, fettuccine with slow cooked mushroom ragu, and of course, cashew mascarpone tiramisu.
1st Place: Civico 1845 & 2064 (San Diego & Los Angeles, CA)
2nd Place: True Food Kitchen (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Triangle Tavern (Philadelphia, PA)
Judge’s Vote: True Food Kitchen (Multiple Locations)
Tal Ronnen
Best Vegan Chef:
Tal Ronnen, Crossroads Kitchen
This year, he’s cooked with Metallica’s Rob Trujillo, launched his first-ever Thanksgiving buffet, collaborated with local omni restaurants to increase the scope of stellar vegan food in Los Angeles, and partnered with superstar chefs Jet Tila, Dominique Crenn, Dave Beran, among much more (keep reading). But hey, it’s all in a day’s work for the Best Vegan Chef in America, Tal Ronnen.
1st Place: Tal Ronnen (Crossroads Kitchen—Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
2nd Place: Pearl Steffie (Kusaki—Los Angeles, CA)
3rd Place: Chloe Coscarelli (Chloe—New York, NY)
Judge’s Vote: Pearl Steffie (Kusaki—Los Angeles, CA) & Guy Vaknin (Anixi, Beyond Sushi, Coletta, Le Basque, Sentir, Willow—New York, NY)
Feral/Illustration by VegNews
Best New Vegan Restaurant:
Feral (Portland, OR)
Wild and foraged foods take center stage at Portland’s newest vegan institution Feral, where owners Ryan Koger, August Winningham, and Kianna Bell’s résumés include local heavy hitters like Fermenter, Ichiza Kitchen, Farm Spirit, Folklore, and Blossoming Lotus. But at Feral, they’re cooking up a magic all their own. The menu changes regularly depending on what’s seasonally available, but if you happen upon the baked leek fondue with Vtopian cheese and fried Triscuits, the sourdough cavatelli with kohlrabi soubise, or the cheesecake miso-apple cider butterscotch, don’t second guess it—order them all.
1st Place: Feral (Denver, CO)
2nd Place: Chloe (New York, NY)
3rd Place: Astera (Brooklyn, NY)
Judge’s Vote: Kusaki, Los Angeles, CA
Crossroads Kitchen
Best Vegan Restaurant in America:
Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
If you haven’t been able to make it to LA or Las Vegas to try the two-time Best Vegan Restaurant in America, no worries. For the first time ever, Crossroads Kitchen is available nationwide through Goldbelly delivery, so food lovers everywhere can indulge in dishes like chicken scallopini parmesan and mushroom scallops and linguine with kombu-lemon butter. Maybe you’re the kind of person motivated solely by your sweet tooth? Well, Crossroads launched its entirely vegan bakery pop-up Sweet Stop, whipping up perfected treats like crisp-shelled macarons and flaky croissants. But all in all, Crossroads is known as a gold standard for vegan restaurants, and its world-class menu, high-end ambiance, and passion for elevating plant-based cuisine is unmatched.
1st Place: Crossroads Kitchen (Los Angeles, CA & Las Vegas, NV)
2nd Place: PLANTA (Multiple Locations)
3rd Place: Monster Vegan (Philadelphia, PA)
Judge’s Vote: Kusaki, Los Angeles, CA
Our panel of expert judges
An extra-special thank you to this year’s superstar panel of judges for their help in our 2024 VegNews Restaurant Awards. Follow them for more plant-based recommendations!
Eunice Reyes @ratedvfood
Jessica Cruz @veganstreetfair
Makayla @veganmak
Nemanja Golubovic @nekacgolubovic
Nzinga Young @veganzinga
Priyanka Naik @chefpriyanka
And the grand prize winner is …
Just by voting in the 2024 VegNews Restaurant Awards, all were entered into our Grand Prize Giveaway for an all-expense-paid, six-day vacation for two to the luxury wellness destination Palmaïa on Mexico’s breathtaking Riviera Maya. Congratulations to VegNews reader Michaela Penzes on winning this once-in-a-lifetime vacation!
For more plant-based winners, read:
Richard Bowie (@wichiebowie) is VegNews’ editorial director based in Los Angeles, CA.
