Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just need a break from meat after watching the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, it's essential to have some go-to spots for fantastic vegetable-heavy dishes. From healthy places where you can get a jackfruit carnitas medianoche to a deli with the perfect lentil soup for a cold day, these are the 14 best places for vegan food in Philly.
THE SPOTS
If you’ve lived in Philly for longer than 10 minutes, you already know about Vedge and how great it is. You probably also know that it’s vegan, and every dish here is centered around vegetables. That makes it the perfect place to go whether you haven’t eaten meat since you saw Food Inc. or just want something other than a double cheeseburger. All of the food here is excellent, but the mushroom carpaccio, seared maitake mushroom, and wood-roasted carrot are some of our favorites.
This vegan BYOB is where your group can unpack your The Last of Us theories while feeling like you’re in a plant nursery—one that just happens to play throwback R&B. The candle-lit Northern Liberties space has velvety green booths and a chef’s counter ideal for sipping on a glass of your favorite rosé while watching smoked potatoes get sliced. There’s no wrong order here, but our favorite dishes include the crispy fried lion’s mane with persimmon jelly, tonnarelli with tofu, and heirloom polenta. We take smaller bites of the irresistibly earthy, creamy mix just to make it last longer.
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Primary Plant Based makes some of the best vegan food in Philly. Unlike other plant-based spots in the city that settle for serving fake meat burgers you can find in the frozen aisle of the supermarket, this Fishtown BYOB consistently dishes out things like carnitas medianoche made out of jackfruit, kimchi pancakes with chia seed caviar and kimchi sashimi, and comforting bowls of masa ball soup. The fact that they do it all in a space that works for both a nice night out or a cozy solo meal makes it even more impressive.
Walking through Reading Terminal Market involves a lot of zig-zagging, but that’s because it’s somewhere that tourists and locals alike come for a delicious meal, and this includes a delicious plant-based spread from LUHV Vegan Deli. They have everything from breakfast sandwiches packed with smoky seitan, tofu egg puree, and melty american “cheese” to staples like reubens and corned beef that will make you wonder why everything isn’t made out of seitan. Plus, since it’s a deli, you can also order vegan cheese, meat, and “tuna” and “chicken” salads by the pound. Stop by for a quick sandwich or soup, park up on a stool across from the shop, and dive into a hoagie that’s worth braving the crowds.
Unit Su Vege is a Chinese restaurant that serves exclusively vegetarian and vegan dishes. One of our favorites on their menu is the “shrimp” dumplings, which have a similar taste to that of imitation crab. The soft and chewy dumplings have a nice hint of crispness from the ginger and a nutty flavor from the bamboo shoots, and pretty much anything here works great when you're feeling lazy and want an excellent takeout meal.
Abyssinia, an Ethiopian spot right around the corner from Penn’s campus, has a lot of different vegetarian dishes. Your best bet, though, is the Vegetarian Combination, which includes six of their most popular vegetarian dishes—like split lentils in berbere sauce and spicy, sauteed collard greens—all served on top of spongy injera bread. You can probably split one plate between two or three people because the servings are so big, or just get one for yourself and bring home the leftovers.
For one of the best grab-and-go lunch spots in the area, stop by Pom Pom. They have things like salads mixed with charred cauliflower, salty capers, and tahini sauce, along with their version of the cheesesteak’s distant cousin: the chopped cheese. It’s a great place to go when the wait for Suraya and Cheu nearby is too long and you just want to get a burger and some za’atar fries and head home.
Memphis Taproom looks like your average dive bar. It’s got lots of beers on tap, a small outdoor patio, and at least three old dudes who hang out there all day. But what makes it unique is that, instead of filling their menu with burgers and chicken wings, about half of their dishes are vegetarian or vegan. There’s vegan chicken-fried cauliflower, an excellent roasted mushroom gyro, and a fried green tomato po’boy that’ll make you want to come back every weekend.
We suggest having a Thanksgiving-morning-light breakfast before coming to this BBQ restaurant in Midtown Village. You’ll want to be hungry enough for favorites like the Texas Reuben that stacks brisket, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut, and then gets topped with a house-made russian dressing. Plus, the extensive vegan menu features things like corn ribs, smoked watermelon, and plant-based mac and cheese, while most single servings come in under $20.
Goldie is the fast-casual falafel shop from the people behind Zahav, and it’s a good go-to for an early weeknight dinner or quick lunch. All of the options on their short menu, which has falafel, fries, and tehina shakes, are vegan. Everything’s great, but the best thing here is the falafel. It’s flavorful and crispy, and you can get it on a platter or in a sandwich with a few different sauces. If you’re still hungry when you’re finished, their tehina milkshakes are so good that you’ll wonder why they even make milk-based ones anymore.
You can bring your non-vegetarian friends to Charlie Was A Sinner, and they probably won’t even notice that it’s an entirely vegan bar. On top of cocktails, with ingredients like wheatgrass and dehydrated beet, they also have small plates like eggplant bao buns and a fake ricotta that tastes like the real thing. It’s small and dark inside, so use it for a first date with someone who likes vegetables a lot or post-work drinks and snacks with a coworker who’s tired of eating pizza for a week straight.
Bar Bombon, a vegan Puerto Rican place in Rittenhouse, is owned by the same people as HipCityVeg. But instead of being mostly a takeout spot, Bombon is where you want to go for a long lunch or an after-work Happy Hour. Everything is solid, from the blackened fajita tacos to a tempeh Cubano.
When going on a hike at Wissahickon Valley Park, knowing about a healthy option nearby is always a plus. At All The Way Live, there’s plenty of fresh, raw, and tasty vegan dishes and juices. One of our favorites, and a necessity in cold weather, is their hearty chickpea chili. This delicious blend of tender chickpeas with onions and peppers will probably do more to save you from the cold than any North Face jacket could.
Don’t be dissuaded by its corny name—this fast-casual spot in Rittenhouse actually has very solid vegan food. The best thing here is the chipotle fajita wrap, which comes with blackened plant-based “chick’n,” vegetables, pico de gallo, avocado, and chipotle crema. And if you want something on the lighter side, their udon noodle salad with spicy glazed chick’n is excellent as well.
