Top 6 Vegan Stops in Philadelphia (2025)
From Fine Dining to Hidden Gems: Eating Vegan in Philadelphia Here
When considering what Charlotte FC matches would make for a fun mini-vacation in 2025, Philly was an easy choice. With cheap flights on the budget airlines, we were ready to make a return trip to Philadelphia. On our first vegan tour of Philly, it was 2021 (see below) and there were still plenty of dining and mask restrictions, so the majority of our eating was done outside or just takeout. This time, we got to return to some of our favorites and have a totally different, fully immersive dining experience!
1. Vedge: The Pinnacle of Plant-Based Fine Dining
There is a reason that Vedge is still going strong after years of being a top vegan destination. Vedge was one of the greatest dining experiences we’ve ever had. They now have a tasting menu and each plate that came out was fun and delicious. Is it a little pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
2. Monster Vegan: Where Horror Meets Heavenly Comfort Food
Monster Vegan maintains its spot as one of my favorite vegan places. I loved Monster Vegan on our first visit in 2021, but the interior truly gives you the full experience. It’s got a fun horror movie theme throughout with classic horror movie scenes playing throughout. A nice touch was even a regular soda came in a fun horror themed tiki-ish skull cup. I saw on Instagram that they even host movie screenings in their back room! The General Tso’s Sandwich continues to be a favorite sandwich of mine, despite my one complaint that the bread tore up the roof of my mouth. The crispy brussel sprouts and eating general tso’s chicken in sandwich form work together perfectly.
3. Triangle Tavern: Our Unexpected Gem for Vegan Comfort Classics
Triangle Tavern was the best new find during our second trip to Philly. The front part of Triangle Tavern is a bar while the back section is a medium sized dining room. They have an outstanding selection of vegan food including mozzarella sticks, vegan wings, cheese steak, burgers, roast beef, chicken parm and spaghetti. It’s a crazy good menu for an establishment that is not totally vegan. The mozzarella sticks were up there for being the best vegan version we’ve ever found. The wings were excellent as well. Exactly what I want with the solid beer line up. It was nice finding they had Little Sip on draft.
4. Goldie’s: Philadelphia’s Hidden Vegan Falafel & Legendary Tahini Shakes
Goldie’s is a hidden vegan gem. They don’t seem to showcase it at all in-store, but their website acknowledges that they are fully vegan. They are comparable to Yafo in that they offer excellent falafel and hummus, but they stand out by a mile for their tahini shakes! The falafel caesar salad was a good way to get some green veggies in during our vegan food extravaganza.
5. Grindcore House: Fueling Up with the Best Vegan Breakfast Sandwiches (Two Days in a Row!)
I forgot to mention Grindcore House! They had the best breakfast sandwiches. It’s described as a punk-inspired, laid-back cafe with a grindcore music soundtrack. We went for breakfast two days in a row, sitting in the front window watching the stream of people stopping to pick up their coffee and breakfast. The Mickey G was perfection: baked tofu, Impossible sausage, cheese, and maple compound butter on a Miss Rachel’s Pantry biscuit. It was so good. The biscuit was perfect! The Costmo was another solid choice with tofu, jalapeno, avocado, cheese, and garlic aioli.
6. Batter and Crumbs: Our Go-To for Coffee and Divine Vegan Treats (We Went Three Times!)
We ended up going to Batter and Crumbs three times! We really enjoyed their coffee, so it became our go-to spot. The coconut cold brew (with cold foam) was great. Why not be surrounded by delicious vegan food/treat options while enjoying your coffee? They have an awesome assortment of desserts from mini cupcakes, rice crispy treats to full cakes available. While their inside is not too large, it is nicely decorated and has a fun vibe and we always found a spot. They have an assortment of prepared food options that they can heat up for you or to take with you. We grabbed a wrap to eat at the airport and it was perfect even without warming it up.
7. Tomo Sushi and Ramen: Vegan Sushi Excellence in Historic Old City
One more place to mention. Tomo Sushi and Ramen is located in Old Town across from the Betsy Ross House, so it is a solid vegan option located amongst the historic sites. Their menu has a vegan roll section and offers much more than the standard veggie roll. They have vegan cream cheese, spicy vegan tuna, seitan, Chao cheese – a unique assortment of rolls. They were excellent. They do have a vegan poke bowl and ramen as well.
Conclusion: Philadelphia – A Vegan Foodie’s Dream Destination (And Our New Annual Pilgrimage!)
Despite the last-second loss, we may be in for an annual trip to follow Charlotte FC to Philly. I should also recommend signing up for the Brauhaus Schmitz bus that takes you out to Suburu Park for the Union matches. For $35/person, they drop you off right at the gate and pick you up at the same spot and includes beer on the bus. Not the best beer on the bus, but it was cheaper than two Ubers that don’t drop off that close either. There are few cities in the USA or the world that can top Philly when it comes to finding excellent vegan food. There are more great places to explore, but we only have so much money, time, and can’t really fit in more than 4 meals every day.
Top 5 Vegan Stops in Philadelphia (2021)
It’s hard to pick my Philly favorites when there were so many solid options. Philadelphia may be the number one vegan destination we have visited. Definitely in regards to being able to hit so many spots without leaving the downtown area. We stayed near Rittenhouse Square which was a fantastic home base. There were so many options nearby, we didn’t even get a chance to try out the vegan pizza place (20th Street Pizza) that was only a block away. We walked or rode the Indego bikes around town.
Here’s a list of the places we made it to or were on our radar.
Batter and Crumbs – We had an early flight into Philly, so this was our first stop for coffee, a breakfast sandwich, and some treats. “We’re on vacation” mode activated. The sandwiches are premade by Cheezy Vegan, but that didn’t make them any less delicious. We had the Chicken and Waffle sandwich and I would get that again.
Dottie’s Donuts – Obviously, you need to go to the vegan donut shop. Per their website, “We always have chocolate, vanilla, vanilla sprinkles, cinnamon sugar, Boston cream, apple fritters, cinnamon buns and brownies.” For changing daily flavors, here is their Instagram.
The Tasty – We could have gone to this all vegan diner located in south Philly for multiple meals, but we only made it for breakfast one morning. We had a tasty (accidental usage of restaurant’s name) breakfast burrito sitting on a bench out front. Per their Instagram, the big park across the street is now open so while they are still doing call ahead/pickup only, there will be better seating options across the street.
Vedge – Vedge has been on our vegan radar for years and we almost missed it by nearly missing out on securing a reservation. Note: they allow reservations up to 4 weeks in advance. We tried a few things like the Rutabaga Fondue, spicy Dan Dan Noodles, and Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms. It really is a great veggie-forward experience if you’re up for a fancy/expensive night out.
Charlie Was a Sinner – Another fancier than our usual dining out experience, but another good meal. Unfortunately, we sat outside here as well and it got a little warm in the outdoor dining structure. The food was great and the Beast of Burden cocktail was excellent. (Takes reservations)
Monster Vegan – This ended up being my wild card favorite place we tried because it wasn’t really on the must-try list, but I had it on the radar in case we found ourselves in need of some food in the area. As it turned out, there was a wait to get a table at Monk’s Cafe (one of the few places on the east coast where you can find Pliny the Elder). So we walked down to Monster Vegan and ordered a General Tso’s Hoagie. It was a hefty size hoagie, a bit of a mess to eat, but it was super good. I loved everything about the sandwich, especially the Brussel sprouts.
HipCityVeg – This is another place where you could eat breakfast, then come back for the next meal and the next. Plus, they have milkshakes. We picked up our food and walked over to Rittenhouse Square to eat. After spending well over $100 at Vedge, the $14 breakfast meal for 2 was a great option. It comes with 2 breakfast sandwiches and 2 hash browns. Not too shabby.
Goldie – Tahini milkshake sounds odd, but it is definitely worth grabbing one while in Philly. Goldie is a vegan, Israeli-style falafel shop
Bar Bombon – I couldn’t recall any stand out dishes here, but when asked for what to say about this place, I was told, “It was yummy.” (Takes reservations)
Luhv Vegan Deli – Unfortunately, we did not get to eat here, but a vegan deli sounds amazing. It is located inside Reading Terminal Market.
Grindcore House – Vegan coffeehouse serving breakfast, lunch, and treats.
Good Dog Bar – Only one vegan option, but it turned out to be a pretty good Vegan Cheesesteak.
A few spots slightly northeast of downtown in what I’m guessing (per Google Maps) is the Northern Liberties area.
Bourbon & Branch – Several vegan options including wings, pizza, cheese steak, and burgers.
Silk City Diner – Cool looking diner with garden offering quite a few vegan options.
Blackbird – Apparently, they transitioned from a pizza joint to a sandwich shop in early 2021, but it still looks like they have an awesome menu. They don’t really address the transition on their website that still says pizzeria, but this is what I’ve gathered via their IG posts. If you’re looking for their old #1 selling pizza, the Haymaker is available at their sister shop, 20th Street Pizza.
Not sure if this will work, but here is the Google Maps list I made.