San Francisco leans Japanese ramen on signatures with 18 venues serving it, but the 5-star essentials tell a different story, running from Moya on the Ethiopian end to LH Bakeshop and whack donuts! on the dessert end, with The Butterfly Joint holding down American and Torraku Ramen anchoring the ramen side. The real surprise sits in the sweets lane: LH Bakeshop leads the 5-deep cake lineup while Bi-Rite Creamery tops ice cream and Next Level Burger - Potrero Hill anchors the burger five. American and Mexican cuisine both go 10-deep.
Ranked by overall rating, signature dish strength, and how much reviewers praise the food. If you only have a weekend, start here.
★ MUST GO · #1 Photo via Google Maps 
Must go · #2 Try the pandan custard bun or unique seasonal cake flavors for something special.
Try the vegan miso ramen with black garlic or seaweed toppings
Must go · #4 Try the Freckled Mint Chocolate Chip vegan ice cream for a creamy, coconut-based treat
Must go · #5 Try the oyster mushroom skewers, a highly recommended standout dish.
Must go · #6 Try the cinnamon spice, Thai tea, and horchata donut flavors
Must go · #7 Try the vegan spicy miso and creamy ramen for rich, flavorful broths.
Must go · #8 Try the vegan sorbet and fruit-flavored gelatos like mango and raspberry.
Must go · #9 Try the coconut vegetable curry for a creamy, flavorful vegan dish
Must go · #10 Try the fully vegan omakase tasting menu for a unique sushi experience
Order vegan brunch on Sundays from 12-3 PM for unique plant-based comfort dishes.
Must go · #12 Try the Kale Caesar salad with the famous vegan dressing
Must go · #13 Try the vegan siu mai, xiao long bao, and fried glutinous dumplings for authentic dim sum flavors.
Must go · #14 Note the fixed menu pricing includes service fees, so the prices you see are what you pay plus tax.
Must go · #15 Try the creamy vegan ramen and green gyoza, both highly recommended by many guests
Dishes ranked by how well this city's plant-based venues make them, compared to the other 157 cities we track.
17 places worth stopping for ramen
Try the vegan miso ramen with black garlic or seaweed toppings
Try the Niwa Ramen, it’s a highly praised vegan option with delicious broth.
Try the vegan spicy miso and creamy ramen for rich, flavorful broths.
Try the creamy vegan ramen and green gyoza, both highly recommended by many guests
7 places worth stopping for donut
Try the cinnamon spice, Thai tea, and horchata donut flavors
Try the vegan and gluten-free mochi donuts, which are crisp outside and moist inside with balanced flavors
Vegan donuts are clearly labeled in green on the menu for easy selection
Try the vegan chocolate and passion fruit doughnuts, praised for balance and flavor
5 places worth stopping for banh mi
Order the Teriyaki Tofu Banh Mi without mayo for a vegan meal
Try the crispy tofu sandwich and mushroom banh mi for tasty vegan bites
Order the lemongrass tofu banh mi with vegan mayo for a flavorful vegan sandwich.
Try the tofu banh mi sandwich; specify vegan to avoid mayo and sauces that may not be vegan
spinach · Vegan Food Guide All 529 San Francisco venues on the map. Filter by what's open, save what you'd return for, get walking directions in two taps.
Completely plant-based kitchens. No swaps, no asking, no surprises.
Try the pandan custard bun or unique seasonal cake flavors for something special.
Try the oyster mushroom skewers, a highly recommended standout dish.
Try the Nekked Burrito, a customer favorite with fresh, hearty ingredients
Try specialty rolls like Boddy and Soul, Secret Weapon, and Missing Piece.
Mainstream restaurants where the vegan side of the menu is treated seriously.
Order vegan brunch on Sundays from 12-3 PM for unique plant-based comfort dishes.
Specify vegan when ordering to ensure dishes are made without fish sauce
Note the fixed menu pricing includes service fees, so the prices you see are what you pay plus tax.
Try the vegan platter including hummus, dolmas, tabouli, and falafel sandwich
Open before 10, good coffee, the kind of place you walk back to on day two.
Try the vegan and gluten-free mochi donuts, which are crisp outside and moist inside with balanced flavors
Try the Nekked Burrito, a customer favorite with fresh, hearty ingredients
Try the Vegan Beast burrito or breakfast plate for a hearty vegan meal
Try the cinnamon spice, Thai tea, and horchata donut flavors
Weekday fuel and weekend stretches.
Try the Wild Mushroom Knaffe, a standout vegan dessert.
Order vegan brunch on Sundays from 12-3 PM for unique plant-based comfort dishes.
Try the vegan miso ramen with black garlic or seaweed toppings
Try the vegan siu mai, xiao long bao, and fried glutinous dumplings for authentic dim sum flavors.
The reason you planned the trip.
Try the 13-course vegan tasting menu for a full experience
Try the vegan paella, frequently praised as a standout dish.
Try the oyster mushroom skewers, a highly recommended standout dish.
Try specialty rolls like Boddy and Soul, Secret Weapon, and Missing Piece.
Date night. Birthday. Tell them you're celebrating.
Highly recommend the coconut dessert 'God's Own Coconut variation'
Attend on a weekend night to enjoy live Latin music and traditional dance performances
Try the 13-course vegan tasting menu for a full experience
Try the mushroom and corn empanadas, a standout vegan dish.
Ice cream, pastry, and the honest dessert case.
Try the cinnamon spice, Thai tea, and horchata donut flavors
Try the vegan sorbet and fruit-flavored gelatos like mango and raspberry.
Try the Freckled Mint Chocolate Chip vegan ice cream for a creamy, coconut-based treat
Vegan donuts are clearly labeled in green on the menu for easy selection
Try the Nekked Burrito, a customer favorite with fresh, hearty ingredients
Try the acclaimed vegan lasagna with almond mozzarella
Try the Vegan Mess tofu scramble and the Devil Burger with seitan and veganaise.
Try the vegan French toast, frequently praised for its great texture and flavor
Highly recommend the coconut dessert 'God's Own Coconut variation'
Try the baingan bharta and tofu chana saag for flavorful vegan mains
Try the vegan thali for a balanced, flavorful meal.
Ask for no dairy to make many dishes vegan-friendly.
Order a variety of vegan dim sum items like siu mai, xiao long bao, and fried dumplings for a full experience.
Vegan options are clearly marked with a green leaf on the menu.
Try the Lemongrass Deluxe soy chicken dish, a favorite among many guests.
Try the Szechuan mapo tofu, a standout vegan dish with a tingly, bold flavor
Cities where the ramen signature also earns a spot in the top essentials — pack a weekend around one.
Yes — San Francisco has 529 vegan-ready venues. The top-ranked are The Butterfly Joint, LH Bakeshop, Torraku Ramen - Lombard. Spinach ranks them daily on overall rating, signature dish strength, and reviewer praise for the food.
San Francisco scores 79.2/100 on the Spinach vegan city index. The city has 67 vegan-friendly venues and 154 high-quality restaurants out of 529 analyzed.
San Francisco has 25 fully vegan restaurants and 14 vegetarian restaurants. 67 venues score B or higher on the Vegan Friendliness grade.
San Francisco's top signature dishes for vegans are ramen, donut, banh mi, and the city also does ice cream and cake well. Signature dishes are ranked by how the city's venues score against the other 157 cities we track.
The vegan scene in San Francisco leans American, Asian, Japanese. American is particularly strong, with 10 venues serving quality plant-based options.
The Butterfly Joint is ranked #1 in San Francisco by the Spinach Essentials algorithm, which weights rating, signature dish performance, and reviewer praise. See all 15 Essentials for the full ranking.
Spinach ranks vegan venues using the same algorithm the mobile app runs: 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.
The ranking refreshes daily from Supabase. The last refresh is stamped at the top of this page. Venue data comes from Google Maps, HappyCow, and Spinach's own review-analysis pipeline.
