The 10 Best Places to Eat Vegan or Plant-Based in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a great city for food. This historical destination is as beautiful as it is filled with incredible restaurants, featuring every cuisine to satisfy any craving. Plant-based and vegan diners don't need to miss out on any of the action, because fortunately, Philly is also great for vegan food, with plenty of spots dedicated to vegan cuisine, as well as many other vegan-friendly restaurants with a robust lineup of meatless and vegetarian menu options.

Here are a few — in no particular order — of Philadelphia's best vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants to visit on your next trip to the city.

Calling all: Extremely online Philadelphians. Algorithm is a food truck, and they travel to locations all over the city — follow them on social media to find out where they’ll be next. Recent frequent places include Love City Brewing, Clark Park, Drexel University, and Philadelphia Brewing. They also cater events, so check them out if you’re planning a wedding and want vegan options that won’t be the usual sad steamed vegetables.

Plant Yourself: Wherever you find Algorithm that day. Most locations are near parks/park-like areas, or at breweries where you can sit down for a pint with your meal.

Order for the Table: The tacos come in pairs and are perfect snacks to share with a friend. Current offerings include watermelon “tuna” with wasabi aioli and huevos rancheros.

Don’t Miss: The Nashville Hot Chicken has a very spicy origin story. Algorithm’s version is vegan — they use crispy seitan — and it’s as hot as the original. If you like heat, you’ll love this.

Address: Various, follow their Instagram to stay up to date

Calling All: Eaters looking for a bar/restaurant for dinner with veg-averse friends. Triangle’s menu includes plenty of choices for vegans as well as omnivores. And you can go late because their kitchen stays open until 1 a.m.

Plant Yourself: At the nice big outdoor seating area on their wide sidewalk; you can dine al fresco without cars bearing down on you.

Order for the Table: Get a vegan pizza, and share it like an appetizer. The buffalo chicken or white pizzas are always a great choice.

Don’t Miss: If the vegan lasagna is on the specials menu when you go, just get that; it’s fantastic. It’s very labor-intensive to make, so they don’t have it all the time. If it isn’t a lasagna night, consider the cheesesteak. They make one of the best in the city, which is saying a lot.

Leave Room For: A cocktail. Triangle makes a terrific Black Manhattan.

Address: 1338 S 10th St, Philadelphia

Calling All: Seeking a special dining experience. Miss Rachel's Pantry is the place. Dinner is fixed-price, fixed menu, and BYOB. It isn’t easy to get in; spots sell out fast as soon as they open up. Get on the email list, and be ready to smash that reservation button fast. Follow them on social media to find out about last-minute openings. Or if you have a larger group, you can book the whole Pantry for a private party.

Plant Yourself: In the dining room, which seats about 20, so the vibe is less like a typical restaurant and more like a dinner party.

Order for the Table: Miss Rachel’s meals often start with biscuits. Don’t skip these; they’re always right out of the oven, and they’re so good.

Don’t Miss: The menu is fixed, so you won’t have the usual choices to make. But if you’re looking at the schedule and you see a pasta night, go then. They make their pasta in-house, and you’ll probably find it’s the best you’ve ever had.

Address: 1938 S Chadwick St, Philadelphia

Calling All: Japanese food fans who want lots of veg options. Tomo is a vegan-friendly restaurant with a veggie menu bigger than most. They have lots of vegan rolls on their menu, as well as some ramen that can be customized. It’s BYOB, so don’t forget the sake.

Plant Yourself: In the cozy dining room, or if the weather’s nice, at an outdoor table. Make a reservation, especially if you’re going on a weekend, because seating is very limited.

Order for the Table: The vegan cheesesteak sushi roll includes braised seitan, cucumber, oshinko, vegan cheese, and fried onions. Sounds very weird; is very delicious.

Don’t Miss: The vegan miso ramen, and ask them to top it off with some seitan teriyaki.

Leave Room For: Vegan green tea mochi. Make sure you specify dairy-free because they also have dairy-based desserts.

Address: 228 Arch St, Philadelphia

Calling All: Daytime food fans — breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Batter and Crumbs is a sweet little all-vegan café on a corner in South Philly. They also carry a big selection of prepared items from some other places — Cheezy Vegan, Yalla Oats, and gluten-free options from High Fidelity.

Plant Yourself: In their sunny, bright, and cheerful dining room — it’s guaranteed to put you in a good mood for the day.

Order for the Table: The Batter and Crumbs Jawns, what’s known in Italy as "erbazzone" — a flat, savory pie with a flaky crust. It’s delicious either cold or hot, and it’s easy to share. The Spinach Jawn is the one they’re famous for, but they make other versions as menu specials.

Don’t Miss: The 'Bacun' Cheddar Scone is buttery, smoky, cheesy, and heavenly.

Leave Room For: Dessert If you’re just getting a little something for yourself, try a seasonal cupcake. If you need something for a party, the confetti cake serves 8-12 guests and can be customized with a message.

Address: 1401 Reed Street, Philadelphia

Calling All: Looking for a vegan restaurant that’s stood the test of time. Nile — located in Germantown — holds the distinction of being Philadelphia’s longest-running vegan restaurant. They’ve been open since 1995.

Plant Yourself: In the plant-filled dining room, or outside at one of their garden tables. Or take your food home — these are mostly stews, so they travel really well, and are just as good the next day.

Order for the Table: The veggie beef pattie — it’s a protein-filled pastry that makes a great appetizer.

Don’t Miss: On your first visit, get a combo platter. You’ll get two proteins and two sides, so you’ll get to try a lot of different things. If you’re a vegetable-averse vegan — we know a few! — you might be tempted to skip the combo and go straight for the a la carte jerk chicken or roast duck. But the vegetables are prepared really well, with a lot of depth to the flavor, so don’t miss them. No dinky little salads here.

Address: 6008 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia

Calling all who are looking for a place that feels a little more like a bar than just a restaurant. This space used to be Valanni, and the sign is still on the building. If you want a quiet dinner experience, Monster Vegan might not be the place for you. But if you like old monster movies, goth, and new wave, you’ll love it here.

Plant Yourself: at one of the lounge-y tables in the second room.

Order for the Table: The fried mac and cheese balls come in two per order. House-made cheese, panko crust, San Marzano red sauce, delicious.

Don’t Miss: The cheesesteak hoagie is made with Impossible meat, so it’s a little non-traditional. It’s messy though, so skip it if you’re on a first date and you’re trying to impress. The pesto penne is excellent and always wins over people who think they won’t like vegan food.

Leave Room: For a mocktail. Monster Vegan also has a full bar, but their non-alcohol drink menu is bigger than most. And even if you know you’re sticking to water, take a peek at the drink menu just for the names.

Calling All: who miss old-school pizza shops, where you can order by the slice. Paulie Gee's goes a little further — they have a pool table, a bar with wine and beer, and they sell vinyl records.

Plant Yourself: At the bar for a beautiful view of the street through the giant windows.

Order for the Table: The vegan cheese pizza is simple and delicious made with the famous and hard-to-find Numu mozzarella.

Don’t Miss: The vegan Freddy Prinze is an upside-down Silician with mozzarella, sausage, tomato sauce, Parmesan, and sesame seeds on the bottom. Make sure you specify vegan because they also make an omnivore version.

Address: 412 South 13th Street

Calling All: Who want to eat well while supporting a bigger mission. Unity’s founders firmly believe that investment in people who have overcome obstacles benefits all of us. They focus on hiring people who are in recovery or returning from the justice system — both factors that can make it difficult to get hired.

Plant Yourself: Outside, when the weather’s nice.

Order for the Table: Get the chips with vegan queso and an extra side of guacamole. (Unity is not exclusively vegan, so make sure you specify.)

Don’t Miss: The burrito names on the menu reflect three different sizes, and then you customize them. They can be made with beans, of course, but Unity has two additional vegan protein options: Varnitas, and roasted chick’n. They also offer vegan sour cream and shredded cheese.

Leave Room for: A Reveal drink. It’s a prebiotic antioxidant drink, made with avocado seed extract and apple cider vinegar, and Unity usually has a few varieties available.

Address: 5420 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia

For delicious plant-based fare in your neighborhood, check out The Beet's Find Vegan Near Me articles.