Anaheim Convention Center – Vegetarian Guide

Being a major city in California, Anaheim has diverse culinary offerings that will satisfy every palate. California is also a great state to be in if you’re vegetarian or vegan. There’s no shortage of meat-free restaurants or eateries that are willing to accommodate a meatless diet.

For vegetarians and vegans, there are many restaurants available within close proximity to the Anaheim Convention Center. Rather than you having to research veggie-oriented options for your trip, here’s a list of some of the best vegetarian options in the city.

 

Green Tomato Grill

The goal of Green Tomato Grill is to serve healthy and affordable food in a sustainable manner. That is why fresh ingredients and a ton of vegetables fill the menu. To enjoy a meal made from scratch, take an 18-minute drive from the Anaheim Convention Center over to Green Tomato Grill.

When you view the menu, you’ll notice that it is not fully vegetarian. However, vegetarian and vegan dishes are clearly indicated. If you want something light, ask for a barbecue crispy tofu bowl or Greek tofu salad. Other meatless options include a Beyond Burger; various soups and stews, such as quinoa chili and tomato bisque; and combination plates like hummus, shishito peppers, and salads. Should you decide to pop in for breakfast, they serve vegetarian and vegan dishes then as well, including vegan eggs and organic oatmeal.

 

Hoa Sen Vegetarian Restaurant

Nine minutes away from the Anaheim Convention Center, this small restaurant offers fresh food and fast service. Hoa Sen Vegetarian Restaurant is a Vietnamese eatery that caters to the vegetarian crowd with a predominantly meat-free menu.

Their menu does feature many fish dishes though. However, there are still quite a lot of traditional Vietnamese cuisines made with no meat or a tofu alternative. Noodles, mixed vegetable dishes, and soups are some examples of these meatless options.

 

Thuyen Vien Vegetarian Restaurant

Unlike Hao Sen, which has many fish dishes mixed with vegetarian choices, Thuyen Vien Vegetarian Restaurant has a fully vegetarian Vietnamese menu. Any meat mentioned in a dish is soy meat, meaning it is a textured soy protein. Additionally, all of the sauces used in their dishes are vegan, even the fish sauce.

Start your meal off with an appetizer of fried tofu in a tiger mint and peppery lime sauce. Then choose an entree from their à la carte menu. Consider having their famous pho soup that is cooked with allspice, chives, rice noodles, mushrooms, and tofu. You’ll also be able to add in either soy chicken, soy beef, or mixed vegetables.

Another customer favorite is the garlic chicken that comes in a garlic tomato sauce with green onions. These dishes are packed full of flavor and sure to delight your taste buds.

To enjoy this vegetarian take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine, take a short five-minute drive from the Anaheim Convention Center to Thuyen Vien.

 

Loving Hut

For even more vegan and vegetarian-friendly Asian cuisine, check out Loving Hut. With the vision of living in harmony with the planet, Loving Hut created a fully vegan menu using wholesome ingredients. Whether you are vegan or just want to try a new dish, take the 12-minute drive from the Anaheim Convention Center to enjoy a health-conscious meal.

Begin with an appetizer of spring rolls filled with rice noodles, soy sea nuggets, tofu, and lettuce with peanut sauce for dipping. For an entree, try chow mein, which is made with stir-fried yellow noodles, mixed vegetables, and soy protein slices. You could opt to order one of their various rice dishes, such as kung pao rice, hainam grilled rice, or tangy orange rice.

If you came here with friends and maybe aren’t in the mood for Asian cuisine, there are alternative dishes, such as wraps, burgers, BLTs, pasta, and burritos. And they’re all meat-free!

 

Healthy Junk

Located 11 minutes from the Anaheim Convention Center on Center Street Promenade is Healthy Junk. Center Street Promenade is one of the livelier streets in the city, so it’s nice to know that you won’t have to go out of your way to find a vegan restaurant when you’re there.

You might find yourself on Center Street Promenade shopping or taking photos of the palm tree-lined street. Sightseeing in this area of Anaheim gives you the perfect excuse to stop into Healthy Junk for a quick snack, such as the Nacho King. This dish comes piled high with corn chips, black beans, taco “meat,” salsa, cilantro sauce, and chez sauce, which is Healthy Junk’s non-dairy cheese sauce.

If you’ve built up quite an appetite from exploring this part of the city, order one of the Buns with Junk. Enjoy spicy food? Get the Anaheim Chili-Pepper Burger made with a Beyond Burger, chez-fried chili peppers, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, and sriracha sauce. For those who prefer barbecue, there’s the BBQ Chick Burger that comes with coleslaw and fried pickles. Whatever entree you choose, pair it with one of the organic beers or wines served at the bar.

Save room for some Sweet Junk too. Some vegan desserts offered at Healthy Junk are the Bunny Love carrot cake, triple chocolate brownie, and non-dairy soft serve and milkshakes.

 

Pour Vida Latin Flavor

Pour Vida Latin Flavor is located down the street from Healthy Junk, placing it roughly 11 minutes from the Anaheim Convention Center as well. Chef and owner, Jimmy Martinez, always had a passion for cooking. He wanted to merge the flavors of Mexican and Puerto Rican cultures into his unique taco creations. Fortunately, Martinez created a section of meatless tacos, so now even vegetarians can enjoy his flavorful Latin fusion cuisine.

There are four tacos on the vegetarian portion of the menu at Pour Vida. The first choice is a carrot and potato taco with melted queso fresco and spices. The Gold of the Incas taco comes with quinoa, lettuce, house-made Caesar dressing, and queso fresco.

For a lighter option, try the cauliflower taco that comes with pickled cabbage. And if you never thought Brussels sprouts could go on a taco, think again. They make a delicious Brussels sprouts taco topped with a soy ginger glaze and queso fresco.

The sides served at Pour Vida are also suitable for vegetarians. Some of these sides include nacho fries, black beans, habanero plantains, jalapeno corn, and blue corn tortilla chips that you can pair with salsa or guacamole.