Welcome to the final Foodie Hideaways blog!
You may have seen my top recommendations for the central coast's best all-vegan restaurants. Then you may have read where you can find some vegan menu items in Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Oceano...
You may have seen my top recommendations for the central coast's best all-vegan restaurants. Then you may have read where you can find some vegan menu items in Pismo Beach, Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande, and Oceano...
This is going to give you the third and final part in the mini-series I've dubbed Foodie Hideaways - where you can easily find some vegan grub in tucked away spots or at mostly-omnivorous places in the San Luis Obispo area. These places are perfect for stopping when you have non-veg family or friends and you're beach-ing it up together in this area.
Here we go!
SAN LUIS OBISPO.
Get yourself to The Habit and order their veggie burger (assuredly, vegan) on sourdough. Have you ever been to a Steak 'n' Shake? This sandwich reminded me of a steakburger... without the blood and guts, or whatever. Oh, also worth mentioning, we literally hiked up and down the street asking every host, bartender, or cashier if their veggie burgers were vegan – and this was the only omni place that said yes. Trust me – I've done the work for you!
Habit Hours: Mon - Thurs 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
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| Photo by Cayla Marie H. |
Friday - Saturday 10:30 am - 11:00 pm
If you're into Happy Hour (like me) then you'll want to swing by SLO Brew downtown or the SLO Brew: The Rock location just a hair south of town. They won't be able to feed you a totally vegan meal, but they can get you set up with a basket of fries for $5, Brussels sprouts (ask for no honey) for $5, or their Hummus Trio with lav crackers and veggies.
The Rock Hours: Sun 10am-9pm; Mon-Thurs 11:30am-9pm
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| Lavish Crackers, Veggies, Hummus/Beet Hummus |
Friday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm
Hands Down: Get the Vegan Paella for $17 and split it with a friend (or save for leftovers). It's plenty of food and they are not over-charging you. If you're strictly vegan, beware of the free rolls, for they are cheesy and not vegan-friendly, although they smell amazing. As for this Paella... I really have no words... it's epic. Whether you're vegan or not, just do it. They bring it out on a piping hot cast iron skillet and oh, my, my. It's hearty, savory, somehow "buttery" heaven! Nice work, Big Sky.
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| Vegan Paella |
Friday 7am-10pm; Sat 8am-10pm
Woodstocks Pizza
1000 Higuera Street
Woodstocks Pizzeria: Vegan cheese for any of your pizza choices. Need I say more?
Well, fine, I'll say a little bit more.
This is one of those spots where you'll find the college crowd gathering, but you'll also see a lot of families enjoying a night out. Woodstocks recently expanded their location as well as their tap beer selection. However, if you're one for nostalgia and "the way things were"... fear not, this set-up truly is better for all. They coined the new space as The Backyard with a cool outdoor vibe in their barely sub-street level seating areas, with plenty of cozy picnic-style seating. The staff is always friendly, and they'll steer you right with food or drink all night.
Woodstocks Hours: Sun - Thurs 11am - 12am; Fri - Sat 11am - 1am
Seeds
1133 Garden Street
Yogi and Yoginis: Assemble!
Juices, smoothies, avo toasts, and now, paninis. This small, minimally decorated store is a gem. I ordered a Kombucha from their tap and Toast #3: avo on some seriously thick squaw bread, with Himalayan pink salt, pepitas, and sunflower seeds. (Also where I tried my first charcoal lemonade.) They have an abundance of offerings for vegans and non-vegans, alike. Just be sure you look closely, if you're vegan - they do offer bee pollen, honey, and cheese products, as well.
Seeds Hours: 8am - 6pm Daily
1000 Higuera Street
Well, fine, I'll say a little bit more.
This is one of those spots where you'll find the college crowd gathering, but you'll also see a lot of families enjoying a night out. Woodstocks recently expanded their location as well as their tap beer selection. However, if you're one for nostalgia and "the way things were"... fear not, this set-up truly is better for all. They coined the new space as The Backyard with a cool outdoor vibe in their barely sub-street level seating areas, with plenty of cozy picnic-style seating. The staff is always friendly, and they'll steer you right with food or drink all night.
Woodstocks Hours: Sun - Thurs 11am - 12am; Fri - Sat 11am - 1am
Seeds
1133 Garden Street
Juices, smoothies, avo toasts, and now, paninis. This small, minimally decorated store is a gem. I ordered a Kombucha from their tap and Toast #3: avo on some seriously thick squaw bread, with Himalayan pink salt, pepitas, and sunflower seeds. (Also where I tried my first charcoal lemonade.) They have an abundance of offerings for vegans and non-vegans, alike. Just be sure you look closely, if you're vegan - they do offer bee pollen, honey, and cheese products, as well.
Seeds Hours: 8am - 6pm Daily
Whole Foods
1531 Froom Ranch Way
1531 Froom Ranch Way
I stopped in to Whole Foods towards the end of my stay on the central coast. Now, most people know that Whole Foods has a hot bar and salad bar and plenty of delis, right? Well, this one had plenty of vegan options. I swooped up a piece of jalapeno, pineapple, and tempeh "bacon" pizza with Daiya mozzarella... yum. I also got a vegan samosa - AND- they told me to take some free samples! (I believe I chose a version of a spicy asian "chicken"-broccoli, mac-n-cheez, and a lentil item.) Definitely give this one a go if you've got a group of semi-healthy folks who can't decide on a meal.
Whole Foods Hours: 8am - 10pm Daily
950 Orcutt Road
Double Whammy!
Bang the Drum is a quirky warehouse-lookin' area that looks like it relocated to SLO from the southwest. They serve up cold, tasty brews with fun names (like "I Call B.S." for their Belgian Strong, or the "Life is a Beach" Porter). Stop down on a Tuesday between 5pm-8pm and you'll see the Taqueria 805 food truck posted out front. Beer and vegan tacos?! Yes!
(Perk: Free side of guac if you check in on Yelp.)
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| Vegan Soyrizo Tacos with Hot Salsa, Cilantro, Onions |
Tacqueria 805 Hours: Tuesdays 5pm - 8pm
SLO DESSERTS.
This super yummy, all-vegan, small batch ice cream can be found at my blog's aforementioned #1 vegan restaurant recommendation on the central coast: Bliss Cafe. (Also available at an adorable gluten-free bakery in Paso Robles called Bless Your Heart - which I haven't been to, personally. But you should take Free Me's word for its adorableness!)
If you go to their Facebook page (linked above) you can find more info to contact them about SLOcal (local in SLO county) delivery and pick-up. Right now they're offering Peanut Butter Coconut Cayenne, their "OG and yogi favorite" Goldenmilk (with turmeric), Mint Chip with Spirulina, Chocolate Maca, EVOO Vanilla, Pistachio, and Churro - with more cozy fall flavors coming soon. I didn't get to try all of these... but my personal faves are Goldenmilk and Mint Chip.
Make sure you get a taste!
If you go to their Facebook page (linked above) you can find more info to contact them about SLOcal (local in SLO county) delivery and pick-up. Right now they're offering Peanut Butter Coconut Cayenne, their "OG and yogi favorite" Goldenmilk (with turmeric), Mint Chip with Spirulina, Chocolate Maca, EVOO Vanilla, Pistachio, and Churro - with more cozy fall flavors coming soon. I didn't get to try all of these... but my personal faves are Goldenmilk and Mint Chip.
Make sure you get a taste!
Tucked away on a ped mall near the freeway end of downtown, you'll find Nite Creamery, probably with a long line out the doors. But this one is an experience - everything is made with liquid nitrogen!
As your vegan choice: Pineapple Picante is the WAY TO GO.
Just be sure to mix it all up first so you don't burn your tongue with the spice!
Both of these are creamier textures, not a bland, water-y sorbet. So, eat your heart out, and enjoy the charming pedestrian mall atmosphere.
Nite Hours: 3-10:30pm Daily
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| Photo by Erika S. |
Near your entrance back on to 101 South and the California Fresh Market SLO location, you'll find a 24-hour study hall/coffee & donut shop... and they have an entire case of vegan (some gluten-free) donuts. I'd recommend you get there early in the day, though - they tend to run out of these fast!
Their Vegan Maple donut is a delight.
SloDoCo Hours: 24 hours!
Their Vegan Maple donut is a delight.
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| Photo by Lauren T. |
BONUS ROUND!
Okay - so I couldn't just give you the deets on the SLO scene, and I had to throw in dessert... but now I have to give some honorable mentions nearby!
Okay - so I couldn't just give you the deets on the SLO scene, and I had to throw in dessert... but now I have to give some honorable mentions nearby!
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| Vegan Breakfast Burrito |
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| Strawberry Lemonade: Galley Bite |
Returning from a long flight/shuttle back from the Midwest after my summer acting gig, Kyle took me straight to Moxie Cafe for some nurturing California food. This house-made veggie burger hit the spot - and they even threw some fresh fruit on the side! Stop in here for a classic American diner vibe and healthy choices.
As you can see, there truly are endless options for finding something vegan along the central coast. It can be difficult without some research, and Happy Cow didn't seem to pull through as much as I'd hoped they would. Luckily, Californians are mostly open-minded, and there is plenty of fresh fare to be had all along the coast.
For fast food...
You can always hit up Panera (vegan black bean bread bowl), Domino's (their thin crust is vegan), or Taco Bell (vegan crunchwrap, anyone?) but I say:
Save these for the road travels when you don't have time to spend searching for a new vegan spot in your long travel days. Try something local! There are plenty of other one-time stop options I couldn't even squeeze in here to mention.
And if you end up going somewhere besides these places, just call ahead, or try your hand at asking your server what they can do for you (nicely, of course). A lot of folks will surprise you with their vegan knowledge, and the ones that don't know much will hopefully at least seek out an answer for you.
Thanks for keeping tabs on this mini-series of Foodie Hideaways: California.
Are you from the central coast? Do you have any favorite vegan eats that I've missed? Please comment down below to share your favorite hideaways!
Safe travels and happy eats!
For a drool-worthy gallery of foodie photos from these places and more, head over to my Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook page: @UprootedFoodie.
 Any and all Photo By's in this post were used with prior permission. |
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