San Diego Convention Center – Vegetarian Guide

Health-conscious California is filled to the brim with food options for vegetarian and vegan diners. Visitors to the San Diego Convention Center in search of meat-free meals have plenty of fantastic options close to the venue. All the restaurants listed below are conveniently 12 minutes or less from the San Diego Convention Center.

These eateries are not just for vegans and vegetarians, though: anyone looking for nutritious options will find something to love. Give these restaurants a try while visiting the San Diego Convention Center.

 

Gourmet India

Indian food is known for being vegan-friendly, which makes Gourmet India the perfect restaurant for diners who prefer their food to be meat-free. The food at this traditional Indian restaurant is sure to satisfy. Enjoy chutneys made from scratch, flavorful curries, and freshly baked naan to soak it all up. Their authentic Indian dishes can be customized to include various proteins that are perfect for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters. This makes Gourmet India a fantastic compromise for a group with varying dining preferences.

You’ll be pleased to see a dedicated vegetarian section on their menu. Options include tofu masala; paneer curry; and malai kofta, which features mixed vegetable balls cooked in fresh tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, and saffron sauce. Customers can also customize the level of spiciness. Gourmet India’s food is beautifully plated, making it that much more enticing.

Their prices are reasonable considering the downtown location, which is only seven minutes from the San Diego Convention Center.

 

Café Gratitude

Nine minutes from the San Diego Convention Center is Café Gratitude, an eatery that serves classic staples like pasta, salads, sandwiches, and wraps with a meat-free twist. The sweet “Vivid” dish contains quinoa cashew granola, berries, banana, coconut, and ginger syrup. Their “Committed” pulled mushroom sandwich features barbecue sauce, creamy coleslaw, and spicy aioli on a brioche bun. Fans of Mexican food will love the “Elated” enchiladas. Corn, black beans, tomatillo sauce, tempeh, avocado, and cashew queso fresco fill this delicious Mexican dish.

As you can see, Café Gratitude names each dish an uplifting adjective. In this way, their meals satisfy the heart as well as the stomach. When ordering a meal, servers encourage customers to begin their sentences with “I am…” and then the inspiring name of their dish. This encourages guests to share positive, smile-inducing affirmations.

Café Gratitude’s food is as beautiful as it is delicious. You very well may see customers taking photos of their smoothies, salads, fruit bowls, and lattes. If pressed for time before an event at the San Diego Convention Center, Café Gratitude’s premade wraps and sandwiches will be a convenient and healthy takeout option.

 

Evolution Fast Food

Another great quick, vegan meal option is Evolution Fast Food. At only 10 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, it’s the perfect place to grab a healthy and satisfying meal. Evolution’s name comes from the founders’ belief that fast food is evolving, and as time goes on there will be more healthy and nutritious meals available on the go. This is one of the only drive-through eateries that offers meat-free food, and they kick it up a notch by serving their meals in biodegradable packaging.

Evolution also has a pet-friendly back patio where patrons can chow down on burgers, tacos, or loaded fries. The menu uses words such as chicken, fish, and hamburger, but all of their food is made of imitation meat. Non-vegetarians have commented on how it’s barely noticeable, and they thoroughly enjoyed the food regardless.

Evolution’s street tacos are a popular dish. Guests have their choice of various imitation meats like carne asada, grilled chicken, fish, mushroom, or black bean. Their “chicken” tenders with Buffalo sauce and loaded fries are another finger-licking option. Evolution’s promise to their customers is that none of their food contains animal products, refined sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, or artificial additives. This is sure to be unlike any drive-through you’ve ever visited.

 

Civico 1845

In the heart of Little Italy, 10 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center, is one of the most vegan-friendly Italian restaurants in the city. Civico 1845 was founded by two brothers, born in Italy, who grew up working in their father’s restaurant. The Gallo brothers were inspired by their first visit to San Diego, and decided to open a restaurant serving homey Italian cuisine with a modern twist.

Civico 1845 stands out in a sea of Italian restaurants by investing time and effort into every dish. They make their pasta from scratch, bake fresh bread, and serve homemade pesto. This effort does not go unnoticed: Thrillist named Civico 1845 one of “The Best Italian Restaurants in San Diego,” and Modern Luxury listed it as one of “The 7 Best Spots in San Diego for Vegetarian and Vegan Meals.”

Vegans and vegetarians have plenty to choose from on Civico 1845’s health-conscious, vegan-friendly menu. As an appetizer, try the quattro bruschette. This dish is a mix of four types of bruschettas: tomato, artichoke, castelvetrano olives pate, and caponata. For a main course, the gnocchi violetta is a great choice. It consists of fluffy Idaho potato dumplings, San Marzano tomatoes, and vegan mozzarella. Civico 1845 also boasts a great wine selection to enjoy with your handcrafted meal.

 

Kindred

Kindred is a trendy, eccentric restaurant and bar that just so happens to be vegan. The ambiance at Kindred is chic and contemporary, and one of the main things their customers love about it. Their walls open up to the sidewalk, creating an open-air environment where diners enjoy the fresh breeze as much as their handcrafted libations.

Their Psychic Venom cocktail blends together bourbon, ancho verde, apricot brandy, absinthe, cane, and mint. The Crown of Thorns, consisting of gin, rose-infused cocchi americano, crème de pêche, and sparkling rosé, is also a great choice.

After ordering an enticing cocktail, dig in to some skewers made with chargrilled setian, chimichurri, harissa, and horseradish aioli. As a main course, consider the dip sandwich, which contains shaved seitan, grilled peppers and onions, garlic butter, tapioca mozzarella, and porcini mushroom au jus. Another great option is the Rice Above dish, which consists of crispy risotto, mint carrot top pesto, roasted rainbow carrots, carrot confit pureé, toasted pistachios, and pink peppercorns.

Some customers have gone as far as to say that Kindred serves the best and most satisfying vegan food they’ve ever had. This is not your everyday vegan restaurant, which is why visitors to the San Diego Convention Center should pay it a visit.

 

Veganic Thai Cafe

Fans of Thai food will love Veganic Thai Cafe whether or not they eat meat. The intimate restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with simple decor and dimly lit paper lanterns. Their classic Thai dishes are completely vegan and thoroughly delicious. The quantity and quality of their meals makes the price worth it, and contributes to Veganic Thai Cafe’s popularity.

Their expansive menu provides plenty of choices, such as the mock duck larb, yellow curry, wonton soup, veggie tempura, and drunken noodles with mock chicken. On top of Veganic’s engaging flavors, you can customize your meal’s spiciness level. For dessert, many customers recommend the coconut ice cream.

Veganic Thai Cafe shows everyone that vegan food does not have to be boring; you can still indulge in amazing Thai dishes without any guilt. Veganic Thai Cafe is located only 11 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center.

 

Donna Jean

Home cooking with a plant-based twist awaits you at Donna Jean. This seasonal, rustic restaurant was inspired by Chef Roy’s mission to share the health benefits of going vegan. Donna Jean’s goal isn’t to be a delicious health food restaurant but instead to be a great restaurant in its own right. They’ve had success in this area by serving up award-winning pizza that vegans and non-vegans alike can enjoy.

Chef Roy named his homey eatery after his mother, Donna Jean, who passed away at an early age. He believes that a plant-based diet would have helped his mother prevent and battle her health ailments. Because of this, his dream is to normalize vegan eating and its nutritional benefits.

Donna Jean’s satisfying dishes include pizza, handmade pasta, sandwiches, tempeh, and risotto. These indulgent meals continue with Donna Jean’s dessert menu, where you can order pies, cobblers, shortcakes, and more.

Donna Jean welcomes you to be a part of their family, so settle in and enjoy some healthy home cooking. The restaurant is only 11 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center.

 

Loving Hut

The furthest vegetarian option on this list is just 12 minutes from the San Diego Convention Center. Loving Hut, an internationally successful vegan chain, does not have one set menu. Instead, they create one based on the locally sourced ingredients available in the area. This ensures that there’s a rich selection of local, sustainable, and thoughtful food on Loving Hut’s menu.

Their expansive options include meals for even the pickiest eaters. Their varied dishes include pho, stir-fried noodles, burgers, wraps, tacos, and imitation seafood. Loving Hut’s San Diego location embraces the its seaside location with imitation shrimp they call “soy sea nuggets.”

One of the biggest appeals of this eatery is the affordable pricing. The founders of Loving Hut knew that in order to encourage plant-based eating, their food needed to be affordable. All in all, this widely celebrated vegan chain is worth a visit.