Yelp's Top 3 Vegan Restaurants In The US Have One Thing In Common
Yelp is already most people's top spot for getting a quick assessment of the best restaurants in their area. This year, the platform wants to shine a brighter light on the best vegan restaurants; not just in your neighborhood, but in the entire country. People eating entirely vegan or plant-based diets may still be a small portion of the population, but many Americans are still opting to eat more plant-based meals as part of their diets, making vegan restaurants and even vegan-friendly menus at chain restaurants increasingly viable and some of the most exciting in the country.
To highlight just how widespread these restaurants have become, Yelp is releasing the Top 100 Vegan 2024 list, showcasing its top-rated spots across the U.S. But while the list shows great vegan restaurants in almost every corner and region of the country (sorry Montana vegans), there is one interesting thing about the three best: They are all located in the nation's warm and sunny southern regions.
The number one spot on Yelp's list is Lil Vegerie, in the oceanside town of Redondo Beach, California, just outside of Los Angeles. Catering the surfing denizens of Southern California isn't a surprise for a vegan restaurant, but the other two top vegan restaurants are in spots less known for the plant-friendly cuisine. There is The Mediterranean Chickpea in Tampa, Florida and Urban Fresh in Tucson, Arizona. The Northern U.S. is not lacking in good vegan food, but something about the sun must make those grain bowls and green smoothies extra satisfying.
Most of the top vegan restaurants on Yelp are located far south in the U.S.
Not only is the Northern U.S. and all its large cities — from New York to Seattle — outside of the top three, there are only two spots in the top ten that are likely to see snow in a given year. Only BoomChia in Montclair, New Jersey and Kelley Farm Kitchen in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia made the top reaches of the list. Once you get a little farther down, you start getting some real Northern representation, with the Ethiopian spot Ras Plant Based in Brooklyn and Francis Burger Joint serving Vegan Juicy Lucy cheeseburgers to Minneapolis, but the dominance of California and Florida is pretty notable.
That isn't the only big trend on the list either. According to a press release from Yelp, 34 of the top 100 are woman-owned, which is actually the most common single trait on the list. Less surprising but no less meaningful to your mouth is how popular Mediterranean cooking is for vegan meals. Tampa's The Mediterranean Chickpea isn't just number two this but also took the top spot on the list two years ago as well. Perhaps the most impressive thing is just how much diversity is on the list in terms of both region and cuisine. The top 20 features a vegan deli plus Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Italian, and even soul food spots. This year's list shows that vegan restaurants really can be for everybody.