Where I Ate in San Diego

SAN DIEGO.

Sometimes referred to as: "America's finest city". 

What do you think of when you hear San Diego? 

Balboa Park? Coronado Beach? Miles and miles of white sand beaches?

I think of FOOD.

Disclaimer:

I can't possibly elaborate all of the places I visited. That would make for a very, very long post. Plus - some of where I ate, I only filmed instead of taking photos, and vice versa - so I want to at least give them a mention here, in case I missed them in my YouTube vlog of San Diego Eats!

Regardless, let's begin.

Plant Power Fast Food

If you follow any YouTubers in the San Diego / SoCal area, you've probably seen them talk about PPFF at some point. That's how I heard about it! 

And how could you not get hyped to go there? It's literally only counter service and a drive-through. 

Yes. 

A 100% vegan food DRIVE-THROUGH.

I met some new friends here for brunch before they headed to their podcast photo shoot, and they definitely did not steer me in the wrong direction for vegan food. (Their podcast is The Vegan Chub Club, by the way. Go give Edyn & Joelle a listen! Body positivity, FTW!)

My photos are not the most blog-worthy from this visit, because I was busy vlogging and chatting and scarfing down a fast food vegan brunch. (Can you blame me?) 

Anyway, here's a taste.

This is the "chicken" and waffles breakfast sandwich with fake bacon and maple aioli. It's served with a hashbrown (a la McD's but wayyy better) and I also got coffee. Annnnd a strawberry milkshake. Because... brunch! Duh.

I ordered this with the warning from Joelle's boyfriend, Andy, that he likes it - but wishes that the waffles were more crispy and the chicken patty weren't so thick. I have to say, I agree. But again, for the concept of fast food (and not to mention the price!) it's a very generous portion and a fun menu item.

Tocaya

Tocaya is one of those California restaurants that bleeds aesthetic. If sleek Cali design vibes turn you on, then book it over here, pronto.

From the minute you walk in, you're in awe of the space and the ambience. Always a good sign.

There wasn't much of a line around 3:30 pm on a Monday, but the cashier still took her time with us to answer all of our  questions regarding options for vegans (me) and vegetarians (my friend).

Plantain chips and guacamole with pepitas and pomegranite seeds.

In the end, I chose a combo deal that was two tacos, a side, and a drink for $17. 

Plus some dessert, of course.

Pictured above, we have the Baja taco (right) with vegan chipotle jack cheese and picadillo (their mixture of Beyond meat, veggies, and spices) and also the Tulum taco (left) with vegan mozzarella and spicy adobo tofu. Served with a lime and some delicious salsa.

Lastly, they offer vegan churro bites with strawberries and a chocolate mousse-type dip.

Salt & Straw

I'm going to need you to not judge me for what happened next.

What's a vacation without... multiple desserts?!

Everyone back in Denver had told me:

"You have to visit Salt & Straw!! Their vegan options are amazing!" And, well, here we are!

As you can see, they have a few vegan options marked with a (V):

Freckled Mint TCHO-colate Chip

Dandelion Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies & Cream

Roasted Strawberry Coconut

Berries, Beans, & BBQ Sauce

I sampled the dandelion, but it was too warm for me to want chocolate. Then I sampled the "camping" special (ice cream with BBQ sauce?! I had to know!) but I eventually landed on a double scoop of the mint and the strawberry in a sugar cone.

And in case you're wondering: the BB&BBQ was pretty good! Mostly tasted like jam.

Thanks to all who recommended Salt & Straw. You were right - they were worth it!

Anthem Vegan

This is only Page 1 of their menu... they have a LOT!

I'd been recommended this place by my good friend, Tim Brogan, so I knew it was worth a stop.

A little hard to find, I eventually discovered Anthem tucked in the back of a bar called Tornado in the North Park neighborhood. 

It was dark, dingy, and one of the bartenders was a little crass - but I do have to say, the food was killer.

Here we have the Buffalo Chik'n Fries smothered in house (vegan) ranch, and a Sierra Nevada pale ale to wash it down. I wish I could've opted for some other items, but when you're traveling solo... it's hard to get to try more than one dish!

Bonus: this is the perfect bar (and neighborhood) to find a spot to sit with a beer while you work online. Always a treasure in the freelance community to find alternatives to coffee shops.

The Modern Vegan

It looks like this originally Vegas-based restaurant has expanded to San Diego!

For being open only two weeks, you could say it was nice that it wasn't super crowded. But that would be difficult, regardless, because they have SO MUCH space!

I'll leave the interior as a surprise if you ever visit, because it's really fun and quirky (still retaining that chic California vibe, though) but as for the menu... you're definitely going to want to look at that before you arrive - or at least come with some time to look it over.

And as for the portions... you're also going to want to bring a friend.

Not sure if you can gauge the size of this biscuit, but it's approximately the size of my head.

A fresh biscuit smothered in sausage and mushroom gravy with breakfast potatoes or mashed. The biscuit is perfectly sweet and crisp, retaining plenty of fluffiness. The gravy is extra savory (more of a broth-flavored gravy than a lighter, milky gravy) and the seasoning is excellent. 

Like I said, though... bring a friend, or bring your to-go container!

Plumeria

We're almost done... this is the last one. Let's finish strong!

Yet another local referral for Plumera. This entirely vegetarian and vegan-friendly spot has stellar service, an elegant atmosphere, and almost always a wait list for seating. And with good reason.

I nabbed the Thai Samosas for an appetizer with their sweet chili sauce and was in heaven!

My friend ordered the Broccoli Delight as pictured below, with the mock duck and a cute presentation.

My personal go-to for thai food is drunken noodles, but since that exact wording wasn't on this menu, I went with the Spicy Noodles and fried tofu.

While I love flat rice noodles and a plate overflowing with broccoli and carrots, this restaurant is one where you should step outside of your normal order and try something new. I was super jealous of my friend's mock duck rice dish, and wish I'd tried something new!

They have an abundance of fun cocktails and desserts that are vegan-friendly - and if I'd had more room in my belly, you can bet I would've gone with a classic mango and sticky rice thai dessert.

But... there's always next time.

As mentioned at the beginning of this post, there were a handful of other stops I made along my San Diego excursions... Guilt Tea Cravings, Sipz, Young Hickory, Java Earth Cafe, and others... but I simply couldn't grasp all of the items I tried and all of the places I stepped into. 

However! 

If you're curious to see a little more than what's here (or get some video insight into these joints) please be sure to follow my YouTube channel to catch my vlogs from the California trip. (**San Diego Eats VLOG coming Tuesday, July 16th! Subscribe on YouTube so you get notified when it's up!)

As always, stay classy, San Diego. 

And I'm... Ron... Burgundy?

Guilt Tea Cravings vegan matcha with white boba.