Best Santa Barbara Vegan Restaurants Part 2: Vegetarian Restaurants
So, not all of these restaurants are strictly vegan, but many offer vegan options on and off-menu.
Here are a few sure things, some of my favorite local vegan dishes, continuing with the vegetarian restaurants that offer vegan options:
Backyard Bowls
Image credit: Backyard Bowls
Protip: order your smoothie or bowl through their app or online to avoid the 30+ minute wait when these guys get busy (which is, like, all the time). I go for the Green Almond smoothie (no honey, add spirulina) between clients.
Blenders
Image credit: Blenders
We love their Recovery smoothie (no coconut, no stevia, add green blend) for a post-yoga refueling.
Green Table
Green Table is a dedicated vegetarian (but mostly vegan) restaurant - they also have loads of raw options, including some awesome desserts. I crave their raw veggie wrap (no cheese please) and whatever Whalebird kombucha they have on tap.
Handlebar Coffee
Image credit: Handlebar Coffee
Though technically a coffee shop, Handlebar offers some vegan menu and bakery items, yay! There’s no shortage of avocado toast in this town, but Handlebar’s stands out as being the quickest. Made in big batches all day long, it hits all the salty-crunchy-creamy notes a good avocado toast should. Ordered with a turmeric latte, you’ve got yourself some perfect study food.
Mesa Verda
Mesa Verde is a dedicated vegetarian restaurant that features loads of vegan options (they are organic and gluten-free too!). Spike and I appreciate their dog-friendly outdoor patio and their herbal coffee after a bike ride. Their servings are gigantic, so we usually split the falafel open-faced sandwich or the polenta fries.
Oat Bakery
Image credit: Oat Bakery
Not a restaurant per se, but I almost always have a boule of Oat Bakery in my freezer, specifically their shiitake shallot bread. Toasted in coconut oil, it’s divine topped with some mashed avocado, turmeric, lemon pepper, and crunchy salt (throw some fenugreek while you’re at it). If you can catch their farmer’s market focaccia before they sell out, ask if today’s batch has cheese in it, and grab a big hunk to snack on while you wander around the downtown farmers market on Tuesdays or Saturdays. Their superseed crackers are also a delight with hummus. Mindful that they’re open - they keep bakers hours!
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Check out all of my vegan-related blogs here!