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A restaurant window with a neon sign that says "100% VEGAN"

Yelp’s Top 100 Vegan Restaurants of 2024 Highlight Demand for Whole Food Options

In anticipation of World Vegan Day (November 1), crowd-sourced review platform Yelp has released its list of the Top 100 Vegan Restaurants in the United States, its second-ever round-up of the buzziest and most popular plant-based eateries around the country. And while fast-food burger restaurants and trendy cafes focused on meat-and-dairy dupes made the list, Yelp notes that many of the vegan restaurants in its Top 100 are focusing on fresh fruits, vegetables, and other whole or minimally processed ingredients.

Yelp’s in-house trend expert Tara Lewis suggests that plant-based restaurants’ shift toward whole foods is motivated by consumers’ two-fold desire to improve personal health and be kinder to the environment. “Sustainability and plant-based foods go hand-in-hand,” says Lewis, “and choosing to eat unprocessed foods is a mindful way for consumers to play their part.”

Top honors went to Lil’ Vegerie, in Redondo Beach, California. In addition to being vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free, the takeout restaurant has a strong whole-food focus. “We avoid processed ingredients every chance we get,” they state on their website.

The Mushroom Carne Asada Bowl at 'Lil Vegerie

Just 15 miles north, in Culver City, is Yelp’s No. 4–ranked vegan restaurant, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, which also boasts a menu where vegetables, grains, and minimally processed ingredients are the focal point.

“Our bowls are the most popular menu item, specifically our Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl with Sunshine Rice,” says Heather Golden Ray, who co-founded the fast-casual restaurant with her sister, Jenny Engel, in 2023. Reviewers call the top-selling dish “delicious,” “flavorful,” and even “perfection.”

At smoothie bowl destination Boomchia in Montclair, New Jersey—No. 5 on the list—diners rave not just about the naturally sweetened acai and chia pudding bowls piled high with fresh fruit, ancient grains, and hemp seeds, but about the friendliness of the staff and the bright, clean atmosphere.

Boomchia is a whole vibe,” says the cafe’s owner Josh Baek. “We’ve created a space where people can eat healthy without missing out on the fun or flavor. Our customers come in for the same excitement you’d expect from eating dessert, but they walk out feeling great, knowing they’ve had a meal packed with nutrients.”

A smoothie bowl from Boomchia

Interest in Vegan Dining on the Rise

The rise in popularity of healthy plant-based foods tracks with Yelp’s annual food trend forecast, which suggested that foods prepared without animal ingredients would find a growing fan base in 2024.

To pinpoint dining trends, the Yelp team analyzes searches on their website and compares them to the previous year’s data. The latest analysis revealed a 12% increase in searches for “vegan food” in 2023 compared with 2022. “This data-driven approach allows us to uncover what users are loving and helps us predict what will continue to shape dining choices,” says Lewis.

Wondering if your favorite vegan restaurant made the cut? Check out the complete Yelp Top 100 Vegan Restaurants list here.

About the Author

Headshot of vegan writer Aurelia d'Andrea

About the Author

Aurelia d’Andrea

Since going vegan in 2000, writer and editor Aurelia d’Andrea has covered every imaginable topic related to plant-based living, from travel and wellness to fashion and food. In between freelance assignments, she’s taught how-to-be-vegan classes, led plant-based tours in the U.S. and France, and traveled the world to explore the myriad ways people are thriving on plants. She is the co-founder of Vegan Epicure Travel and currently lives, eats, and writes in the Loire Valley, known as “The Garden of France.” Find her on Instagram and discover more of her work at aureliadandrea.com.
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