Calling all Vegans! If you are a seasoned vegan or just starting out with your new diet, there is a bounty of resources for you in the SF Bay Area, including listings in our SFB3 directory. If you embrace the principles of veganism, you’ll feel even better about supporting Black-owned vegan businesses.
According to Wikipedia, “veganismis the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan.”
There are several groups of veganism. Dietary vegans (or strict vegetarians)do not consume meat, eggs, dairy products, and any other animal-derived substances.An ethical veganis someone who not only follows a plant-based diet but opposes the use of animals for any purposeand tries to avoid any cruelty and exploitation of all animals including humans. Environmental vegans avoid animal products on the premise that the industrial farming of animals is damaging and unsustainable.
That said, regardless of the type of vegan you choose to be, there are multiple places in the SF Bay Area, especially Oakland, that offer vegan products and dining. Let’s start with local restaurants and eateries…here are Black-owned listings in the SFB3 directory that offer vegan eating:
VEGAN MEALS
Grandeur offers foods made from falafel, jackfruit, cauliflower, baobab, and other plant-based ingredients. They also serve “hallal” meats, which are slaughtered by a Muslim by hand (not a machine), blessed, and completely drained of its blood. Like Kosher foods, hallal meats are considered healthier because hallal animals must be fed vegetarian diets, which means that many chickens and cows raised on U.S. farms don’t qualify (some feed contains animal byproducts). Halal animals also can’t be treated with antibiotics or growth hormones, since the hormones may contain pork-based ingredients.
The VegHub besides running an on-site bistro, they plan to offer cooking classes soon. They offer plates, sandwiches, detox drinks, and other items.
Vegan Food Chefs offers a catering menu, including dishes like Nubian Salad, Asparagus Rolls, Dirty Rice, Mardi Gras Pasta, and Vegan Gumbo. You can order by text or calls.
Vegan Mobcites its mission boldly: “to honor the heritage, sacredness and practices of cultural foods. Their goal is to increase health education and access for disenfranchised communities (particularly Black and Brown) through their culinary work.” They operate via an SF Food truck or Oakland pickup. They offerings include plant-based BBQ, Da’ Divisadero (aka Nacho Cheesesteak), Bella Burgers, Mob Nachos and Tacos, Spaghetti, and multi-sized Mob Plates (with your choice of vegan proteins and sides)
Malibu’s Burgers is a fast-food truck that sells 100% plant-based burgers, sandwiches, salads, “tenders,” drinks, etc. You can also order online.
The Grind Caféis a Vallejo dinery that offers “Vegan Thursdays.”
VEGAN DESSERTS
And you can get vegan dessertsfrom these Black-owned locations:
Kubé Nice Cream offers vegan ice cream in unique flavors like Goddess Empowerment Mint, Passion Fruit, Bitter-sweet Chocolate, Toasted Pecan & Salted Caramel, and Madagascar Vanilla.
No Cookiesis available nationwide at over 400 health and natural food stores. They sell five kinds of delicious vegan cookies with NO dairy, NO eggs, and NO wheat. According to their website: “95% of our customers are not vegan. They buy The No Cookie Cookie because it’s delicious, and it just happens to be made with good clean ingredients.”
Sugar Coated Cupcakes (besides non-vegan products, they offer vegan and gluten-free products)
Yashi Bakes (besides non-vegan products, they offer vegan and gluten-free products)
SHOPPING VEGAN
There are also a few Black-owned Bay-Area places to shop and pick the food items to sustain a vegan regimen. These include:
Better Chew Foods offers a variety of pre-packaged plant-based foods like meatballs, chicken tenders, sausage patties, fried fish, etc.
Way to Life Foods offers a variety of vegan cookies, granola, and buns.
There was a time when your ability to shop and eat vegan would have been limited to a “health food store” or Whole Foods, buying at “off the chart” prices. It’s wonderful to see how broad and varied the offerings are for vegans and wanne-be vegans. And these are Black-owned businesses!
