Central Coast of California: The Best All-Vegan Restaurants

When reality first sank in that I was relocating to the west coast (one year ago), the first thing my mother said was:

“There's going to be so much vegan food!” 

Well... she was right - mostly.

Pin-points like San Fran, L.A., and San Diego are definitely going to have the most accessible or well-advertised vegan eats. The central coast was a little more subtle about it, even when scrolling through Happy Cow. But regardless, after moving here and searching high and low on foot and wheels, I've found the best places for you to enjoy. 

Let's get into it.

Number 1:

Bliss Cafe 

(778 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo)
Hours: Sunday - Wednesday 9:00 am - 7:00 pm; Thursday - Saturday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Bliss Cafe Website

Reuban Sandwich from Bliss Cafe

Bliss Cafe is my number one recommendation for vegan food in the central coast, specifically, in San Luis Obispo (also known as “SLO”). And coincidentally enough, Bliss was also my first all-vegan restaurant to hit up in California. Nice.

Nestled inside downtown SLO, it's tucked in a mini-mall of cute stores with a friendly vibe. You'll find it at the back of the hall, with their giant menu plastered on the wall above their registers and juice bar.

In the ten months I spent on the central coast, Bliss went from solely menu items to expanding their cold (salad) bar into a hot (entrees) bar, AND adding a breakfast bar. This means vegan waffles, soft serve, yogurt, and all the topping fixin's.... oh yeah.

You have to try: The All-Day Breakfast Burrito (gluten-free). 

Breakfast Burrito from Bliss Cafe

This burrito was my first and last meal at Bliss, and it has by far been the best. A close second would have to be their breakfast sandwich. They also make killer smoothie bowls and healthy desserts. Not to mention the local kombucha is on tap (Whalebird Kombucha), occasionally CBD-infused, too.

While waiting in line, check out some of their light refrigerated beverages and produce to-go. After a drink purchase, you'll notice they won't hand you a straw - but they sell metal straws and can toss you a compostable one, if you're in dire need.

The only downside? 

Parking can be a beast. But if you park over by the Mission, you can take the back entrance over a lovely creek and through the back patio. (Check out the back patio, regardless.)

Number 2:

Planted Juice Bar & Eatery 

(201 E. Branch St., Arroyo Grande) Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Daily
Planted Website

Hercules Bowl

Planted was a location I stumbled upon as a happy accident. My boyfriend, Kyle, actually looked up vegan restaurants and found this one day while we were jonesin' for a brunchfest. They keep the word “vegan” pretty low-key around there, but they use all whole food ingredients and they are 100% plant-based.

Located on the adorable AG strip among all the other brunch-y and boozey spots, keep your eyes peeled for their bright-colored sidewalk tables so you don't miss it. (Although Planted does not offer booze - just booch - here's a tip: stop into Cafe Andreini a few stores over if you're in the mood to hang at a boozey coffee shop).

Parking: Again, it's in your best interest if you just head around back. There's a public parking lot, and you can enter through the back alley near Branch Street Deli.

YOU HAVE TO TRY: 
Smoothie Bowls or the Chocolate Chip Waffle which comes with sliced bananas and strawberries (and it's gluten-free, too!)

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Waffle with Fruit

Anything else?
 Seating can be tricky if it gets busy. Although I mentioned “brunch”, this does not include booze, and is very family-friendly. They also close fairly early, so it's primarily a breakfast and lunch spot – plan ahead!

Number 3:

Shine Cafe 

(415 Morro Bay Blvd, Morro Bay)
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Sunday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.
Shine Cafe Website

A short drive northwest of SLO, you'll find that Morro Bay satisfies most of your crunchy, thrifting, and outdoorsy needs. You could truly spend an entire day just walking around downtown and hiking on Morro Rock. It was one of my favorite “getaways” when the Five Cities or SLO was getting a little boring for my taste.

Anyway – put Shine Cafe in your GPS, enjoy the abundance of thrift store fronts on the way downtown, and be sure you take the time to check out the health food stores on either side of Shine.

YOU HAVE TO TRY: 
The TLT – their take on a BLT with tempeh, adding avocado (this IS California, after all).

Tempeh Reuban on the left VS TLT on the right

Any downsides?
Not really. You can almost always nab an outdoor patio table, which coincides well with people-watching – Did I mention it's a crunchy little beach town?

And there you have it! My favorite all-vegan restaurants in the central coast of California.

The only other all-vegan restaurant around that I didn't get to try is Y'Not Organic. They're located in Pismo Beach and definitely worth checking out, although I somehow never got around to it in the time I lived there.

If you try any of these, let me know in the comments below - I'd love to hear how it was (and what you got).

Thanks for reading, and happy grub-hunting!