The results are in for PETA’s 2019 ranking of the top 10 vegan-friendly cities in the U.S.–and for the first time, San Francisco has secured the top spot on the list, thanks to the vegan options available everywhere from restaurants to Oracle Park to the San Francisco International Airport. PETA has sent Mayor London Breed a framed certificate and a letter of congratulations, and PETA’s “Lettuce Lady” and “Lettuce Lad” celebrated the Bay Area’s accomplishment with a special cable-car ride. (More photos are available here.)
“From mushroom ‘neatball’ masala in San Francisco to Buffalo ‘mozzarella’ sticks in Berkeley to dairy-free gelato at Oracle Park, the Bay Area is a golden gate to delicious vegan dining,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “The number of American vegans grew by 600% in just three years, and the cities on PETA’s list are meeting the skyrocketing demand for animal-friendly fare.”
The Bay Area has boasted a bevy of vegan restaurants such as VeganBurg and Wholesome Bakery for years, but new eateries such as Goldie’s Vegan Deli–which whips up dishes like miso matzah ball soup and Goldielox, “lox” made from carrots–helped boost San Francisco to the top of PETA’s list. Also new on the scene are Wildseed, home of dishes like Beyond Sausage paella, and Oakland’s Vegan Mob, known for its smoked vegan brisket, vegan BBQ fried shrimp, and more. Berkeley is home to The Butcher’s Son–try the mozzarella sticks–and in Oakland, you’ll find the Michelin Bib Gourmand award-winning Millennium Restaurant. For sweet treats, there are favorites like Nourish Cafe and Donut Farm–and don’t forget the vegan fare that can be found at Oracle Park, Levi’s Stadium (which just took second in PETA’s ranking of the top 10 vegan-friendly football stadiums for its selection of Beyond Brats, Field Roast franks, and more), the new Amy’s Drive Thru outpost at the San Francisco International Airport, and James and Suzy Cameron’s soon-to-open all-vegan elementary school.
Rounding out PETA’s list are Los Angeles; New York City; Portland, Oregon; Detroit; Orlando, Florida; Dallas; Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, D.C.; and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
PETA–whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”–opposes speciesism, which is a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
