Where to Eat Vegan Food in Philly
Philly restaurants celebrating vegetables in all of their various forms — whether you're looking for a menu that's exclusively vegan or not.
A Latin-inspired spread with cauliflower tacos, vegan meatballs and empanadas from Bar Bombón in Rittenhouse / Photograph by Trevor Dixon; styling by Kelsi Windmiller
Whether you’re cutting back on meat after watching a devastating Polish film about a runaway donkey or you genuinely can’t remember the last time you came into contact with a cheeseburger, there are about 200 reasons why you might be eating more vegetables and fewer animal-based products right now.
Fortunately, vegan options abound. We’ve corralled all the Philly restaurants best celebrating the humble vegetable in all of its various forms. Whenever you see a 🌱 next to a restaurant’s name below, that business offers an entirely vegan menu. Count on the other places in this guide to offer vegan-friendly menus. That way, everyone in your group — regardless of dietary needs — can find something excellent to eat.
Bar Bombón 🌱
Bar Bombón is endlessly useful whenever you’re looking for a place to eat vegan snacks and drink a cocktail near Rittenhouse Square. Go for the fried yuca and sweet plantains — two dishes that the kitchens at this Puerto Rican-styled vegan restaurant and bar do really well — or buffalo-style cauliflower tacos, along with a mezcal and tequila-based cocktail. 133 South 18th Street, Rittenhouse.
Cabbage at Pietramala / Photograph by Casey Robinson
Pietramala 🌱
Meat eaters could easily eat an entire meal at Pietramala and not once ponder the absence of dairy or meat. That’s because this Northern Liberties BYOB lets vegetables sing, rather than recreate phony versions of non-veg dishes. Take their honeynut squash for example, roasted and filled with a cream made of husk cherries and both sweet habanada and spicy habanero peppers, and served with a pumpkin seed and porcini oil tahini. Their chicory salad is another great addition to the menu, with its base of heirloom chicories coming right from Campo Rosso Farm. Book a reservation in advance with someone who you want to impress. 614 North 2nd Street, Northern Liberties.
Laser Wolf
It can be tough to find a party time destination for a group of people who all have slightly different sets of eating requirements. The answer is often Laser Wolf, a high-energy Kensington Israeli restaurant where everyone wants to go anyway, and where the platters of salatim, hummus and pita are bottomless and totally vegan. After your first course hits the table, guests can choose their own adventure with an entree, but you’ll find that everyone will be happy to eat a creamy whole eggplant or the crispy, shawarma-spiced cauliflower. Heads up: When you look at the menu and briefly panic about an eggplant costing $37, know that these prices include your first course as well as a sour cherry sorbet for dessert. 1301 North Howard Street, Kensington.
Vegan pies from 20th Street Pizza / Photograph by Trevor Dixon; styling by Kelsi Windmiller
20th Street Pizza 🌱
Meet the slice shop dedicated to serving vegan pies topped with cashew-based mozz, pumpkin-seed pesto, and vegan parm. In a city that is so often meat-and-cheese dominant, owner Mark Mebus takes these high-hydration pies just as seriously as any of Philly’s other artisanal shops. Need convincing? Try the Balboa pie, which comes with cherry tomatoes, pistachio pesto, arugula, and chili flakes. 108 South 20th Street, Rittenhouse.
Triangle Tavern
Midnight strikes. You’re hungry and possibly drunk. Quit Googling “vegan food late night now Philly?” and beeline to Triangle Tavern in East Passyunk. This is a divey neighborhood bar in the heart of one the city’s most food-focused neighborhoods, and much of the menu focuses on vegan versions of classic bar comforts like burgers, pizza, and eggplant-parm sandwiches. Kitchen closes at 1 a.m. Cherish it. 1338 South 10th Street, East Passyunk.
Tattooed Mom
A dive on South Street with bumper-car seating, live shows upstairs, and temporary tattoos available for the taking is not necessarily the sort of setting you’d assume would work for a full meal. That’s where you’re wrong. The magic of Tattooed Mom is that it can be exactly what you want it to be, no matter the circumstances. About half of the (very good) food here is vegan, including a pickle-brined fried “chick’n” sandwich that will instantly convert you into a T-Mom’s groupie. Keep an eye on their Instagram for info on future pop-up collaborations, often featuring exciting vegan options. 530 South Street, Queen Village.
Miss Rachel’s Pantry 🌱
Dinner at Miss Rachel’s Pantry feels like being invited to a friend’s South Philly home for an elaborate, Italian-leaning five-course meal that’s completely vegan. Dinner for two will cost you $250, inclusive of service, N/A beverages, coffee and dessert. Chef Rachel Klein’s unique BYOB meals are scheduled months in advance and sell out quickly, so set an alarm for the first Friday of the month at noon, when the team releases reservations. 1938 South Chadwick Street, South Philly.
Goldie 🌱
Admittedly, this is not a guide to vegan milkshakes. If it were, Goldie would start and end the list. The tehina-based shakes at Michael Solomonov’s fast-casual spot are creamy, decadent, and delicious enough that many Philadelphians purchase them at lunchtime. You can be one of those Philadelphians, too. Throw in a crunchy hot falafel sandwich, topped with your choice of tehina sauce, and you’ll be set for lunch. A piece of advice: First-timers, start with the schug tehina on your falafel if you’re into a little heat. Multiple locations.
Monster Vegan 🌱
Some meat-eaters may blindly associate veganism with pure, health-oriented vegetable experiences. And that’s true sometimes, sure. But restaurants like Monster Vegan in Center City serve as a reminder that much of vegan food is slutty junk. When you want the junk, Monster Vegan will be at the ready with fried macaroni and cheese balls, stacked sandwiches, penne alla vodka, and the like. The restaurant also shows horror movies on Wednesdays in their private screening room. Get it? Monster Vegan. Okay, we’re done. 1229 Spruce Street, Midtown Village.
Crust Vegan Bakery 🌱
Crust does it all: breakfast sandwiches, homemade pop-tarts, cinnamon rolls. Find them at coffee shops and bakeries across the city, including Grindcore House in West Philly and South Philly. If you want to go straight to the source, head to their storefront in Manayunk. 4409 Main Street, Manayunk
Grindcore House 🌱
Bagels with tofu cream cheese, blueberry-spiked coffee cakes, breakfast sandwiches made with baked tofu and vegan ham from West Chester’s Love Again Local and vegan bacon from the Be-Hive — these are what you come to Grindcore to eat. 515 South 4th Street, Pennsport, 4134 Chester Avenue, West Philly.
Batter & Crumbs 🌱
A great spot for some grab-and-go eats, but you’re really missing out if you don’t stop in the dining area, where the cool grey and beige shades that coat the walls meet bright pops of color from the seating. With Phillies-themed pastries, sandwiches made in-house, and an erbazzone (a.k.a. their spinach jawn), what’s not to like? 1401 Reed Street, Point Breeze.
Good Dog Bar
Where can I get a decent vegan cheesesteak? Rest assured, this question comes for all Philadelphia vegans eventually. One satisfactory answer is Good Dog Bar and their complicated, sloppy, delicious mess of mushrooms and onions, glued together with pepper jack cheese and loaded onto a seeded hoagie roll. 224 South 15th Street, Center City.
A pie from Down North / Photograph by Jauhien Sasnou
Down North
Vegan pizza can get a little complicated with meat replacements and vegetables that may or may not appear like they’ve attended the Met gala. But sometimes you just want a straightforward, delicious vegan pizza. When that’s the case, order the vegan “No Betta Love” from Down North. It’s their signature take on a square pie, with Norf sauce (a proprietarily perfect, lightly sweet tomato sauce) topped with vegan cheese and parm. Add on some of their vegan cheese-topped fries and the cauliflower wings for a classic pizza night. 2804 West Lehigh Avenue, North Philly.
Dahlak
Ethiopian and Eritrean food usually works well for a vegan meal, and this family-owned West Philly restaurant makes some of our favorite versions of okra wat, collards, and stewed lentils and chickpeas in the city. Come on a night where there’s live music and you’ll get a $17 veggie combo platter and a show. Alert your gluten-free friends (hello, spongey-sour injera made with teff flour). 4708 Baltimore Avenue, West Philly.
Hardena
Hardena is one of those glorious Philly restaurant nucleuses where someone who is vegan and a meat-eater might order the same exact meal without realizing it. The Indonesian food simmering on the steam table kicks ass across the board — be it a large platter of rice topped with super-savory oseng tempeh, collards stewed in coconut milk, sayur lodeh, or a vegetable stew. Come for a casual weeknight dinner (or for takeout) when you want home-cooked food but wish someone else would make it. 1754 South Hicks Street, South Philly.
Unit Su Vege 🌱
Vegan diners and dim sum rarely see eye to eye, since shrimp and pork tend to be some of the main protagonists in a Cantonese or Shanghainese meal. But Unit Su Vege stands out as exception to this rule. They offer a wide array of vegetable-based dumplings and bao as well as entree-sized platters you can share. Especially notable are the veggie soup dumplings made with mushrooms, garlic and veggie broth. The restaurant is also kosher. 2000 Hamilton Street, Fairmount.
Vedge 🌱
When Vedge opened in 2011, it paved the way for a thriving vegan scene in this city, declaring that rutabaga and chard and beets shouldn’t simply be relegated to the side of your plate — they should be cared for and crafted as the main event of your meal. This guide (and this city’s restaurant landscape) would look distinctly different without its legacy. If you need a place bring family members for an upscale vegan meal, the Locust Street mansion still impresses. 1221 Locust Street, Midtown Village.
Front Street Cafe
If you’re in Fishtown, Front Street Cafe is the place to take your friends or coworkers for happy hour if you want to hang out and eat bar food with plenty of vegan options. Order the buffalo cauliflower, which is pan-fried, spicy, hot and crunchy, and has that distinctive junk-food feel. 1253 North Front Street, Fishtown.
Vegan sushi rolls from Tomo Sushi & Ramen Bar in Old City. Photography by Trevor Dixon; styling by Kelsi Windmiller
Tomo Sushi & Ramen Bar
Subtract the fish, and you’ve got vegan sushi. But chef Andy Kho isn’t just removing the fish — he’s adding layers of flavor and texture with new approaches to veggies, fruits, and meat alternatives. From the simplest avocado or oshinko maki to more complex creations like the Straw-Veggie (with oshinko, seasoned kanpyo gourd, shibazuke pickles and avocado, topped with sliced strawberry), this is the place to go for vegan sushi. 228 Arch Street, Old City.
HipCityVeg 🌱
Burgers, shakes, and fries — but make it all vegan. Rely on this regional chain the next time you need to satisfy any and all fast-food cravings. Multiple locations.
