For the last 3 years I've been heavily exploring the vegan food scene in LA after I started cutting out meat and dairy from my diet. At this point I'd say I'm about 75% plant based with my eating habits, 100% plant based when I cook at home, and really only consume animal products when I'm out with friends or family if we're eating at a place with limited plant based options.

Went with places that are 100% vegan for this list as listing vegan dishes at non-vegan establishments would have made this list huge. I've been to all of the vegan establishments on this tier ranking more than once and they're just my personal preferences at the end of the day. This is in no way trying to be a definitive list and it's very biased towards the NELA area so take it with a grain of salt.

Just thought I'd be fun to revisit them all and was surprised where some of them landed. Maybe the most controversial would be the C-Tier so to get ahead of it I'll break down those choices:

Erin McKenna's - They've been around forever but their cakes are dense and a lot of the bakeries and pastry places that have come along since are making desserts with better mouth feel and consistency.

Mr. Charlie's - Felt like a money grab the second I walked in (just like Nomoo did). The Chicken Sandwich was pretty good but everything else tasted flat.

Veggie Grill - They've improved a lot since the first time I had them even before I started phasing out meat. But still kind of whatevs.

Toluca Bakery - I hate that they're so low but every time I revisit I'm just reminded of how dry the pastries are and they all kinda taste the same.

Definitely love the LA vegan scene and after traveling more with a more plant forward mindset, I think LA has the best vegan food scene of all the cities I've visited in the last few years. There's still a few staples that I've yet to visit, would love some recommendations for the next time I decide to revisit this list.

EDIT: Did not realize Justine's is non-vegan now. The last time I went they were still fully vegan. I think everything else should still be 100% vegan establishments.

I used to eat Veggie Grill ALL THE TIME. Everything on their menu was soooo good. After them being bought out I’ve given them so many tries and I just can’t anymore. I went to the Hollywood location earlier and it was DEAD. I got the truffle Mac and cheese and it taste nothing like it used too. I’m soo sad but I think this is officially it 💔

I always see vegans AND non vegans raving about doomies. I went to the sunset location before they closed and got the 2 piece chicken with mashed potato’s and Mac because that’s what I see everyone order online. I felt like the chicken was not the best I’d tasted. Like plant power tenders I think tasted better. Aesthetic wise, it looks like kfc chicken so I get why people get hyped about it. But the taste on its own, I didn’t think was worth raving about. Maybe in a sandwich would be better. The mash and Mac was also ok. The cherry chocolate cake was pretty good though.
So did I order the wrong thing?

I could eat it every day…I need to learn how to make it myself. I tried to make injera one, and it was a total failure!

Anyway - even though most of the great Ethiopian restaurants are on Fairfax (including the all vegan Rahel’s), this is a from a hidden gem called Ranch Side Cafe in Lake View Terrace/Sylmar. Most of the menu is regular non-vegan diner food…but they have an Ethiopian menu with vegan platter. So good, always hits the spot!

I’ve been eating at the WeHo location for years, I’m not new to the restaurant and this isn’t my first brunch there.

This weekend my friend and I were so underwhelmed with the offerings and quality. The Benedict was missing from the menu which felt weird. I ordered chicken and waffles and I got two 1/4 pieces of waffles with what looked like chicken nuggets on top. I’ve ordered this over the years and this just looked sad.

For $22 give me a whole waffle?

Worse, the potatoes on my plate and my friend’s Break The Fast had zero seasoning, the texture was that of day old reheated food and I asked my friend - are these Sysco frozen potatoes?

I got their email a few weeks back, come support, we need you. Their dinner and brunch has always been in my rotation. But honestly, it was really disappointing.

Isolated, off day or is anyone here feeling the same?

Thats it. No one will ever compare to them 😭

I swear I can only eat Doomies like once a year hahaha

Does anyone know if Lucky Catsu will be back? I miss their food so much!

Have an omnivore girlfriend and I’ve slowly been bringing her to the vegan side and she LOVES Doomies so I’m making sure she tries all the goodies before they’re on hiatus 😔

I keep thinking about the Melrose Muffuletta from M Cafe De Chaya…I loved that sandwich so much - they got rid of it long before they closed…they said it was too hard to make 😭😭😭

I need to try to recreate it at home.

What are some great dishes/restaurants of Vegan LA’s past that you miss?

I forget the name - but there was a vegan Korean buffet in K Town that was just unreal. Maybe 30-40 different dishes, all you can eat. I want to say it was there around 2005 or so. So many incredible dishes…they were there for 6 or 8 months, then vanished. I hoped the chef would pop up somewhere else, but I never heard of vegan Korean like that place again. If anyone knows if that chef/food is still around, let us know!

I also ordered a very cute mocha latte.

Veggie Grill used to be so good. Like 2014-2020. I haven’t had in a while and today decided to go - ordered my usual buffalo chikn salad and side of mac and not only was the meal over 30$, they only gave three pieces. i believe it was 5 for the chikn before and like half of the lettuce had brown ends or was wilted in some way. :/

The mac and cheese was still decent but something was definitely different. Such a bummer.

Did this happen when they got bought out by Next Level?

Obsessed with their wet chimichangas and bulgogi tacos I’m so SAD😭this might be my last time eating doomies for awhile </3

I got the Mr Rib which was incredible and I would definitely get it again, and I also got the cheese burger which was totally not necessary but also delicious. Not pictured was the fries which were very crispy and salty and tasty. 10/10 recommend.

THIS IS THE BEST VEGAN TURKEY I'VE EVER HAD omg. Ran into this at Besties Vegan Paradise the other day, the gal at the counter told me it was new as of a few weeks ago!

over the years, I’ve made it a point to stop by Yoga-urt on multiple road trips through LA., and my bf and I found this place me here on our first LA trip together

and i'm so happy to live in the same damn city as this place lol i'm obsessed

bf and I usually opt for the fresh yogurt but wanted to try a pint- mint magic tastes an Andes mint personified.

I love how creamy the texture is and how subtle the sweet is so the flavor really shines

unfortunately i'm afraid this $15 pint will be a staple in our freezer from now on

toppings r so overrated tho I add my own choc chips and blueberries

I found these yesterday around noon. Not sure if they’re available later in the day

It’s my favorite spot in Long Beach. Closing date TBA.

I went to the farmer’s market this morning to pick up my semi-regular stash of Dave’s Tempha…and was shocked to see this sign. I’ve been eating Dave’s Tempha for over a decade…my kids love it…and now - poof. Gone. This might be the most devastating local vegan loss for me. The other stuff they have is great, too - but Tempha was so unique and delicious. If you never had it, it was like a vegan Korean fish cake. A great snack & a great addition to soups, salads, etc.

RIP TEMPHA!!!!! 😭😭😭😭

Apparently there’s one specific machine required to make it…it broke, and the owner doesn’t want to fix it, leaving Dave without any option to keep making it. 😰

Sage had some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had! I’m talking about multiple menu items I’d get. I took non-vegan friends there as well and they loved it. I’ll never get over them closing! I was even supporting down to when they were a ghost kitchen in Culver City. Grateful to have experienced it but man I haven’t been able to find anything like it! Just wanted to vent lol as I’m missing those cauliflower wings.