The best plant-based meals in Tucson, according to local vegans

My little sister has been vegan for as long as I can remember. I so badly want her to fall in love with Tucson the way that I have — which means only taking her to the most delicious of restaurants.

Over the years, I’ve compiled a mini list of restaurants with tasty vegan options. Recently, I asked a handful of local vegans for their thoughts too.

I’m not talking about a burger restaurant that offers a singular mediocre black bean option. I’m talking about the restaurants that my vegan friends and community members frequent and love every time.

According to Tucson vegans, here are the best places to eat and what to order. ‼️ Important: this list includes vegan meals as of Jan. 21, 2026, based on online menus and calls to individual restaurants. Because of potential menu changes in the future, ask your server to confirm if a dish is still vegan-friendly.

If you’re a plant-based Tucsonan, what dishes would you recommend? Email me! For more recs, follow Death Free Foodie and Tucson Vegan on Instagram.

Mexican

• Barista del Barrio — Order a breakfast burrito with soyrizo, potatoes, beans and green chile. Two locations: 1002 N. Grande Ave. and inside Borderlands Brewing, 2500 E. Sixth St.
• Del Cielo Tamal — Fill your plate from the vegan breakfast buffet. If it’s not buffet time, order the vegan tamal breakfast plate or the green chilaquiles (ask for them extra crispy!). There’s also jackfruit mole, enchiladas and more. Location: 3073 N. Campbell Ave.
• El Torero — Tons of vegan specials, but also try the vegan green corn tamales. Location: 231 E. 26th St.
• JoJo’s — Lots of plant-based items, but the papas dorados should be at the top of your list. Location: 76 W. Washington St.
• La Chaiteria — There’s a rotating menu of veggie items but I’ve heard good things about the vegan tamales and al pastor. Location: 1002 W. Congress St.
• La Indita — Order a chimichanga with beans and rice or get combo #5, which comes with a potato taco, spinach enchilada and mushroom enchilada. Request no cheese on the beans! Location: 722 N. Stone Ave.
• Los Perches — Try the Beyond Burrito with Beyond meat, vegan cheese, veggies and vegan mayo. Location: inside The Boxyard, 238 N. Fourth Ave.
• Midtown Vegan Deli — Get the Crunchwrap Supreme, which comes with Beyond Beef crumbles and all the fixins of the Taco Bell favorite. Location: 5071 E. Fifth St.
• Seis Kitchen — Get the beer-battered crispy avocado tacos, which can be made vegan. Four locations.
• Taqueria La Esquina — Try the jackfruit birria and mushroom adobada tacos. Location: 4876 S. Sixth Ave.
• Tania’s 33 — Lots of vegan options here! Try the soya verde burrito. Location: 614 N. Grande Ave.
• The BlackTop Grill — Get tacos or a taco salad topped with mushrooms or soyrizo. Location: 8300 N. Thornydale Rd.
• Tumerico — Enjoy a rotating menu of plant-based items. Location: 2526 E. Sixth St.

Italian

• Barro’s Pizza — This pizzeria isn’t Tucson-born but it’s a chain that started in Phoenix. Get the dairy-free mozzarella. Two locations: 5825 Arizona Pavilions Dr. and 410 N. Wilmot Rd.
• Ceres and its sister restaurant Noodies — The bucatini, rigatoni and fusilli noodles are vegan and the tomato basil sauce can be made vegan upon request. Both pastarias offer rotating gelato flavors, one of which is usually vegan. Ceres location: 77 W. Washington St. Noodies location: 1730 E. Speedway Blvd.
• Falora — Order La Cauliflora: cauliflower puree, vegan mozz, roasted florets, poblanos, green olives and parsley. The kale salad is also recommended, as is the Sorta Torta for dessert. Location: 3000 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Fresco Pizzeria & Pastaria — Two signature pies can be made vegan or you can build your own with dairy-free mozzarella. Location: 3011 E. Speedway Blvd.
• Renee’s — Try the vegan takeout box that comes with garlic knots, spaghetti, penne pasta and a small pizza. Location: 7065 E. Tanque Verde Rd.
• Whole Slvce — Pizza slices and pies can be made vegan. Location: 160 S. Avenida del Convento.

Burgers and sandwiches

• Ghini’s French Caffe — Vegan mozzarella is an option here, which means you can choose from three sandwiches, two burgers or three croque monsieur options. Location: 1803 E. Prince Rd.
• JoJo’s — Two vegan sandwiches are on the menu, including the Roasted Tomato & Chard and the Eggplant Caponata. Location: 76 W. Washington St.
• Lovin’ Spoonfuls — Everything’s vegan here, but start with the Wildcat Burger or the fried chicken. Location: 2990 N. Campbell Ave.
• Midtown Vegan Deli — I received so many recommendations here: burgers, the BLT, the reuben, the tuna melt and the Buffalo chicken sandwich. Trust me, order the fries. Location: 5071 E. Fifth St.
• Substance Diner — Both the Substance Burger and the Spicy Fricken Sandwich are recommended, but there are several other handhelds on the menu including a mushroom Philly cheesesteak and a take on a roast beef sandwich. Location: food truck currently parked at 3445 E. Benson Hwy.
• Urban Fresh — Get the BLT which comes with rice paper bacon. A burger, rueben and al pastor sandwich are also on the menu. Location: 73 E. Pennington St.
• 5 Points — Order the smoked beet sandwich, which includes cabbage jalapeño slaw and a toasted pecan puree. Location: 756 S. Stone Ave.

Japanese

• JA Ramen — Recommended dish here: the tofu curry. Two locations: 2643 N. Campbell Ave. and 54 W. Congress St.
• Kukai — The vegan spicy miso ramen should be at the top of your list here. Location: inside the MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento.
• Maru Plus — Vegan udon, vegan ginger tofu poke and vegan ramen are all on the menu here. Location: 2741 N. Campbell Ave.
• Obon Sushi — Order the Death Free Ramen, which comes with a mushroom base. Location: 350 E. Congress St.
• Raijin Ramen — I cannot tell you how many times Raijin Ramen’s veggie ramen was recommended to me. Location: 2955 E. Speedway Blvd.
• Samurai Sombrero — There are four vegan rolls on the menu. Two came highly recommended: the Death Free Foodie roll and the sweet potato roll. Location: inside American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.

Chinese

• China Szechwan — Try the salted and spicy tofu. Location: 1800 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
• Fatman Kitchen — There are lots of veggie and tofu dishes here. Try the green beans with tofu. Location: 2610 N. First Ave.
• Golden House Chinese — Order from a long list of veggie and tofu dishes! Location: 9431 E. 22nd St.
• Guilin Chinese Restaurant — There are so many options here that multiple people recommended ANYTHING off the vegan menu. I received specific recs for the drumsticks, General Tso’s Tofu and the Moo Shu veggie chicken. Location: 4445 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Jun Dynasty — Start with the vegetable chow fun with fried tofu. Location: 2933 E. Grant Rd.
• Kung Fu Noodle — Lots of vegetable, noodle and tofu dishes. Location: 3122 N. Campbell Ave.
• Potwhale HotPot — Try the mushroom broth with tofu and a mushroom medley. Location: 3620 N. First Ave.
• Noodleholics — Another one with recommendations from several different people: the Sizzling Garlic with tofu. Order garlic cucumber on the side. Three locations.

Thai

• Karuna’s Thai Plate — Lots of dishes here can be made vegan. Recommendations include pad see ew (no egg) with tofu, pad kee mao and tom kha soup. Location: 1917 E. Grant Rd.
• Kin Dee Thai — The Kruah Gai Noodles are a vegan favorite. Location: 5350 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Luckie’s Thai-Asian Cuisine — Most of the menu items at Luckie’s can be made vegan. One of the signature items is the panang curry. Location: 8110 S. Houghton Rd.
• Nattha’s Bann Thai Asian — Many items here can be made vegan upon request. A favorite is the green curry, in addition to the pad Thai with no eggs. Location: 6970 E. 22nd St.
• Sa-Ing Thai Cuisine — My favorite here is the pad see ew, which you can order without egg. Most other menu items can be made vegan. Location: 9136 E. Valencia Rd.
• Thai China Bistro — Like many others on this list, most of the menu items here can be made vegan. Try the thom kha, pad kee mao or any of the curries. Location: 7940 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Tuk Tuk Thai — Soups and curries can be made vegan, same with the pad Thai and pad see ew. Three locations: 2990 N. Campbell Ave., 12125 N. Oracle Rd. and 6878 E. Sunrise Dr.

Vietnamese

• Miss Saigon — Start with the fried tofu spring rolls, end with Com Rau Dau Hu Xao (#13) which is tossed veggies in a ginger sauce. Ask for fried tofu. Two locations: 1072 N. Campbell Ave. and 250 S. Craycroft Rd.
• Pho Can Tho 1 — Get the Pho Chay, which has veggies and tofu in a 100% vegetable broth. Location: 2746 N. Campbell Ave.

Indian

• Indian Twist — Lots of vegan options here. Start with the chana masala. Location: 4660 E. Camp Lowell Dr.
• Saffron Indian Bistro — There are also many vegan options here. Most of the curries are vegan — try the vindaloo. Location: 7607 N. Oracle Rd.
• Sher-e-Punjab — Lots of recs here: palak chana, aloo jeera, yellow dal and dal mahkhani. Location: 853 E. Grant Rd.
• Spice Garden — When at Spice Garden, dosas are a must-order. The menu also includes veggie-forward dishes and most of the curries can be made vegan. Location: 5815 N. Arizona Pavilions Dr.
• Twisted Indian — The chana masala, bainghan barta and veggie biryani are all vegan here. Location: 1999 E. Ajo Way.

Mediterranean

• Caravan Grill — The falafel here comes recommended! Location: 2825 N. Country Club Rd.
• Istanbul — Start with the falafel wrap without feta, but there are also several vegetarian plates on the menu. Location: 2945 E. Speedway Blvd.
• Lovin’ Spoonfuls — Get falafel on a salad or on a flatbread. Location: 2990 N. Campbell Ave.
• Opa’s Best — Falafel sandwiches and wraps here, plus vegetarian platters. Location: 4590 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Zayna Mediterranean — Multiple people recommended both the falafel sandwich and the cauliflower sandwich. Order a side of grape leaves too. Location: 1138 N. Belvedere Ave.

Ethiopian

• Cafe Desta — Share the vegan signature plate, which is a sampling of all the vegan dishes on the menu. Location: 758 S. Stone Ave.
• Zemam’s — Order the veggie sampler, which comes with three vegetable dishes of your choice. Location: 2731 E. Broadway Blvd.

Egyptian

• Eatgypt — Koshary is the national dish of Egypt and it’s vegan. Location: usually at Heirloom Farmers Markets on Saturdays at Steam Pump Ranch, 10901 N. Oracle Rd. and Sundays at Rillito Park, 4502 N. First Ave.

Breakfast

• Barista del Barrio — Order a breakfast burrito with soyrizo, potatoes, beans and green chile. Two locations: 1002 N. Grande Ave. and a pop-up location inside Borderlands Brewing, 2500 E. Sixth St.
• Blue Willow — Order the vegan burrito which includes tofu, avocado, black beans, salsa and potatoes. Location: 2616 N. Campbell Ave.
• Bubbe’s Bagels — Ask for an everything bagel with vegan chive and green onion cream cheese. Two locations: 1101 N. Wilmot Rd. and 1865 E. River Rd.
• Del Cielo Tamal — Fill your plate from the vegan breakfast buffet. If it’s not buffet time, order the vegan tamal breakfast plate or the green chilaquiles (ask for them extra crispy!). Location: 3073 N. Campbell Ave.
• Ghini’s French Caffe — Order French toast, omelettes and more vegan items made with Just Eggs. The signature item here is the Eggs Provencal, which can be made with Just Eggs or tofu. Location: 1803 E. Prince Rd.
• Kneller’s Delicatessen — The Death-Free Sandwich comes with marinated tofu, chimichurri and other toppings on a bagel. Kneller’s also offers vegan cream cheese. Location: 2545 E. Speedway Blvd.
• Lovin’ Spoonfuls — Breakfast favorites here include biscuits and gravy and the French toast, but the all-vegan menu is expansive. Location: 2990 N. Campbell Ave.
• Midtown Vegan Deli — Vegan breakfast served all day! Try the bacon, egg and cheese sandwich. Location: 5071 E. Fifth St.
• Tohono Chul’s Garden Bistro — There are a handful of vegan items here. Start with the Garden Bistro Skillet. Location: 7366 N. Paseo del Norte.
• Urban Fresh — Choose from French toast, chilaquiles, biscuits and gravy, a breakfast burrito and a breakfast sandwich. Location: 73 E. Pennington St.

Baked goods

• Bubbe’s Bagels — Order an everything bagel and top it with the vegan chive and green onion cream cheese. Two locations: 1101 N. Wilmot Rd. and 1865 E. River Rd.
• Cal’s Bakeshop — Lots of vegan conchas, donuts and other pastries here. Location: 2707 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Houlden’s Rise Above — Everything at this bakery is vegan. Favorites are the donuts, croissants and oatmeal cream pies, but you can’t go wrong with anything. Location: 5029 E. Fifth St.
• La Baguette Parisienne — The shortbread cookies are vegan! Location: 7851 E. Broadway Blvd.
• Lovin’ Spoonfuls — Desserts rotate daily … and dessert is a must here. Location: 2990 N. Campbell Ave.

Fine dining

• BATA — The menu changes often, give ’em a ring to see what’s being served today. Location: 35 E. Toole Ave.
• The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain — The restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton offer a handful of vegan dishes including a charred nopales salsa. Location: 15000 N. Secret Springs Dr.
• Feast — The menu here changes every month, but there’s usually something vegan. Check their website for the most updated menu. Location: 3719 E. Speedway Blvd.
• The Coronet — Like the others on this list, the menu changes frequently. Visit their website to see what’s on the menu currently. Location: 198 W. Cushing St.