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Try the avocado truffle burger with your choice of patty including taro or black bean.
15 essentials · 3 signature dishes
Best Vegan Restaurants in San José
15 essentials
Where to eat first in San José
Ranked by overall rating, signature dish strength and how much reviewers praise the food. If you only have a weekend, start here.
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Fermented Bowls, Vegan Menu, Craft Beer
$$
The vibe: good for dates
Ethiopian Veggie Combo, Vegan Menu
$$
The vibe: good for groups
South Indian Dosa, Vegan Menu
$$
Worth ordering: #1 Dosa
Vegan Donuts, Gelato, Coffee
$$
Worth ordering: #2 Banh mi
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Vietnamese Pho, Fully Vegan, Combo Meals
$
Worth ordering: #4 Banh mi
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Pizza, Vegan Menu, Beyond Sausage
$$
The vibe: good for groups
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Vegan Burgers, Avocado Rolls, Desserts
$$
Worth ordering: #4 Boba tea
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Matcha Tea, Fully Vegan, Takeout
$$$
The vibe: good for work & study
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Pizza, Vegan Menu, Local Ingredients
$$
Worth ordering: #2 Pizza
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Cambodian Noodles, Vegan Menu
$$
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Indian Chaat, Vegetarian Menu, Vada Pav
$$
The vibe: good for relaxing
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Vietnamese Vegetarian, Vegan Dishes
$
The vibe: good for groups
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Asian Vegan, Vegan Menu, Catering
$$
The vibe: good for groups
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Ethiopian Vegan Combo, Omnivore
$$
The vibe: good for groups
3 signature dishes
What San José cooks best
The dishes San José's reviews name most and praise hardest, each ranked by how reviewers rate the vegan version.
signature #1
Best banh mi in San José
- Number 1. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 2. Vegan Bistro Donuts & Cafe Listed above as essential 05
Banh Mi Sandwiches, Vegan Menu
$
Worth ordering: #3 Banh mi
- Number 4. Tofoo Com Chay Vegan Cuisine Listed above as essential 06
Vietnamese Banh Mi, Vegan Tofu
$$
Worth ordering: #5 Banh mi
signature #2
Best boba tea in San José
Boba Tea, Plant Milk, Snacks
$$
Worth ordering: #1 Boba tea
Boba Tea, Vegan Drinks
$$
Worth ordering: #2 Boba tea
Coffee & Tea, Plant Milk
$$
Worth ordering: #3 Boba tea
- Number 4. Happiness Cafe Listed above as essential 08
Boba Tea, Vegan Milks, Outdoor Seating
$$
Worth ordering: #5 Boba tea
signature #3
Best dosa in San José
- Number 1. Mylapore South Indian Westgate Listed above as essential 04
South Indian, Vegan Dosas
$$
Worth ordering: #2 Dosa
South Indian Thalis, Vegetarian Menu
$
Worth ordering: #3 Dosa
South Indian, Vegan Menu, Outdoor Seating
$$$
Worth ordering: #4 Dosa
Vegan & omni
2 lists Fully vegan · Omni standouts
6 places
Fully vegan in San José
- Number 1. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 2. Vegan Bistro Donuts & Cafe Listed above as essential 05
- Number 3. Happiness Cafe Listed above as essential 08
- Number 4. Tofoo Com Chay Vegan Cuisine Listed above as essential 06
10 places
Omni standouts in San José
- Number 1. Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant Listed above as essential 03
- Number 2. Pizza My Heart Listed above as essential 07
- Number 3. Angkor Chef Listed above as essential 11
- Number 4. Selam Restaurant and Café 🇪🇹 Listed above as essential 15
By occasion
7 lists Breakfast spots · Lunch & brunch · Cozy hideaways · Work-friendly cafes · Group night out · Budget eats · Family friendly
5 places
Breakfast spots in San José
- Number 1. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 2. Vegan Bistro Donuts & Cafe Listed above as essential 05
- Number 3. Mylapore South Indian Westgate Listed above as essential 04
Breakfast Sandwich, Plant Milk
$$
The vibe: good for work & study
8 places
Lunch & brunch in San José
- Number 1. Fox Tale Fermentation Project Listed above as essential 02
- Number 2. Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant Listed above as essential 03
- Number 3. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 4. Mylapore South Indian Westgate Listed above as essential 04
7 places
Cozy hideaways in San José
Mexican Restaurant, Vegan Options
$$$
The vibe: good for dates
Vietnamese Tofu, Vegetarian Menu, Takeout
$
The vibe: good for families
Italian Pasta, Vegan Menu
$$$
The vibe: good for dates
Mexican Taco Shop, Veganizable Tacos
$$
The vibe: good for groups
6 places
Work-friendly cafes in San José
- Number 1. Vegan Bistro Donuts & Cafe Listed above as essential 05
- Number 2. Sinceretea Listed above as boba tea 05
- Number 3. The Orange Tabby Listed above as essential 09
Cafe, Plant Milk, Artisan Coffee
$$$
The vibe: good for work & study
8 places
Group night out in San José
- Number 1. Fox Tale Fermentation Project Listed above as essential 02
- Number 2. Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant Listed above as essential 03
Ethiopian Restaurant, Vegan Section
$$
The vibe: good for groups
Custom Burger, Vegan Patties
$$$
The vibe: good for groups
10 places
Budget eats in San José
- Number 1. Tofoo Com Chay Vegan Cuisine Listed above as essential 06
- Number 2. Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant Listed above as essential 03
- Number 3. Fox Tale Fermentation Project Listed above as essential 02
- Number 4. Mylapore South Indian Westgate Listed above as essential 04
8 places
Family friendly in San José
- Number 1. Vegetarian House Vegan Listed above as essential 14
Ethiopian Vegan Sampler, Gluten-Free
$$$
The vibe: good for groups
Pakistani Biryani, Vegan Menu
$$
The vibe: good for groups
Indian Pizza, Vegan Cheese
$$
Worth ordering: #1 Pizza
By dish
1 list Best pizza
10 places
Best pizza in San José
- Number 1. Cali Pizza Listed above as family friendly 04
- Number 2. Pizza My Heart Listed above as essential 10
Pizza, Vegan Menu, Miyoko’s Cheese
$$
Worth ordering: #3 Pizza
Pizza, Vegan Cheese, Fusion
$$
Worth ordering: #4 Pizza
By cuisine
3 lists American · Italian · Vietnamese
10 places
American in San José
- Number 1. Fox Tale Fermentation Project Listed above as essential 02
- Number 2. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 3. Vegetarian House Vegan Listed above as essential 14
Vegan Bar & Burritos, Jamaican Jerk
$$
The vibe: good for groups
10 places
Italian in San José
- Number 1. RĀW Superfood Café Listed above as essential 01
- Number 2. Pizza My Heart Listed above as essential 10
- Number 3. Pizza My Heart Listed above as pizza 03
- Number 4. Cali Pizza Listed above as family friendly 04
10 places
Vietnamese in San José
- Number 1. Đông Phương Tofu Listed above as cozy hideaways 02
- Number 2. Vegetarian House Vegan Listed above as essential 14
- Number 3. Tofoo Com Chay Vegan Cuisine Listed above as essential 06
Vietnamese Vegetarian, Vegan Menu
$$
The vibe: good for families
vegan food guide
san josé · 244 places on the map
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other cities
More cities that run on vegan banh mi
Cities where banh mi is a signature dish too.
Questions about eating vegan in San José
Are there vegan restaurants in San José?
Yes — San José has 244 vegan-ready venues. The top-ranked are RĀW Superfood Café | San Jose, Fox Tale Fermentation Project, Kategna Ethiopian Restaurant. Spinach ranks them on overall rating, signature dish strength, and reviewer praise for the food.
Is San José good for vegans?
San José scores 49.4/100 on the Spinach vegan city index. The city has 30 vegan-friendly venues and 47 high-quality restaurants out of 244 analyzed.
How many vegan restaurants are in San José?
San José has 18 fully vegan restaurants and 21 vegetarian restaurants. 30 venues score B or higher on the Vegan Friendliness grade.
What dishes is San José known for?
San José's top signature dishes for vegans are banh mi, boba tea, dosa, and the city also does burger and pizza well. Signature dishes are ranked by how the city's venues score against the other 157 cities we track.
What are the best cuisines for vegans in San José?
The vegan scene in San José leans American, Italian, Vietnamese. American is particularly strong, with 10 venues serving quality plant-based options.
What's the best vegan restaurant in San José?
RĀW Superfood Café | San Jose is ranked #1 in San José by the Spinach Essentials algorithm, which weights rating, signature dish performance, and reviewer praise. See all 15 Essentials for the full ranking.
How does Spinach rank these venues?
Spinach ranks vegan venues by formula: a composite of Google Maps rating, the Spinach Rating (Wilson-confidence scored), dish-quality Wilson scores from extracted review signals, and city-specific signature dish strength. Essentials add a tier weighting; category lists add their own mood/occasion weights. No pay-to-play.
How fresh is this data?
The last refresh is stamped at the foot of this page. Rankings come from public reviews on Google Maps and HappyCow, read by Spinach's own analysis. We never republish the reviews themselves.