The 10 Best Sustainable Vegan Restaurants Across the U.S.

Due to the high environmental impact of animal agriculture, any restaurant that serves exclusively vegan food is going to be more environmentally-friendly than one that serves animal products. However, there are also those plant-based restaurants that go above and beyond for the planet, and incorporate significant sustainability practices on top of being vegan. We rounded up 15 of the best sustainable vegan restaurants across the U.S., and asked our audience to vote for their favorites.

The 10 winners of this Green Matters Approved contest are listed below. Read more about our Green Matters Approved contests here.

Café Gratitude Kansas City, located in Downtown KC, is a 100 percent organic and plant-based restaurant, and even has its own farm to grow organic microgreens. Additionally, Café Gratitude KC is run on solar panels, the tables are made from reclaimed wood, lights are made from wine bottles, and all takeout items are biodegradable. There are also three Café Gratitude restaurants in California, which are part of the same chain as the KC location, but owned separately.

Le Botaniste serves 100 percent organic, vegan, and gluten-free food at its five locations in New York City, as well as its two outposts across the pond in Belgium. Le Botaniste is certified carbon neutral, the restaurant/wine bar upcycles food waste into other recipes (for example, beet pulp from the red beet detox juice is used to make beet caviar), and the company is partnered with Too Good To Go to sell surplus food from its restaurants to app users at a discount.

Detroit Vegan Soul, located in the North Rosedale Park neighborhood of Detroit, aims to provide nutritious and tasty vegan food to the community, as well as "support a sustainable earth." The Black-owned restaurant's ingredients are fresh, mostly organic, and free of GMOs, refined sugar and flour, preservatives, and additives. Detroit Vegan Soul's menu is filled with tasty options like the the Soul Platter, the BBQ Tofu Rib Sandwich, and the Okra Stew Bowl.

Planta is a collective of vegan restaurants, with locations in Atlanta, Chicago, the DMV area, Florida, Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto, and led by Executive Chef David Lee. Planta is focused on using "the power of plants to change the world," and different Planta restaurants have different specialities, ranging from decadent sushi to upscale pizza. Planta also has a number of sustainability practices, including using seasonal and local produce when possible; various waste reduction measures; and growing produce on the rooftop garden above its Miami restaurant.

Located in the Houston area of Texas, Wisdom Bakery & Cafe specializes in veganized versions of popular dishes; highlights include the Mac & Cheese, Chick'n Parm Sub, and Spicy Chick'n Sandwich. Wisdom, which was founded in 2017 by Oricha & Nemanja Plavsic, is also known for its plant-based pastries, which include the Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit, Cinnamon Roll, and Kolache. Wisdom is committed to sustainability, and that is just one of the reasons the cafe is completely free of animal ingredients.

In Los Angeles County's Culver City, you'll find Shojin, a vegan Japanese restaurant led by executive chef Jun Matoshiro, a Hiroshima native. All food at Shojin is plant-based, gluten-free, macrobiotic, and free of artificial ingredients, refined sugar, and salt; most food is organic, as well. All food is created from scratch with fresh ingredients, and recipes are crafted with health in mind.

Avant Garden, found in Manhattan's East Village, is a modern restaurant that offers small plates centered around fresh and flavorful vegetables — and you can find this spot listed in the Michelin Guide. After Avant Garden opened in 2015, it wound up evolving into an entire vegan restaurant group called Overthrow Hospitality, which now owns other establishments like Cadence and Soda Club. The group is mission-driven and guided by values including compassion, community, inclusivity, charity, and sustainability.

Vegan sushi bar Shizen, located in San Francisco's Mission District, was created as "an experiment in ocean conservation." Shizen aims to combat the harm inflicted on oceans through overfishing in the sushi industry, and the restaurant's mission is to serve the community with food that is kind to animals and has a low environment footprint. Shizen offers a number of unique specialty sushi rolls, including the Proud Peacock and Surprise Ending.

Upscale Japanese restaurant Tane Vegan Izakaya, located in Honolulu (and with a second location in Berkeley, Calif.), is the Hawaiian capital's first completely vegan sushi restaurant. Chef Kin Lui chose the name Tane as a nod to the restaurant's sustainable spirit, as it means seed in Japanese. One of Tane's key sustainability practices is crafting meals around the use of produce that is fresh, in-season, and sourced locally.

Anixi, located in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, aims to leave "a gentle footprint on the Earth." The vegan mediterranean brasserie's menu is influenced by the cuisine of Greece, Lebanon, and Turkey, and features incredible dishes ranging from Khachapuri to Mujadara. Anixi is owned by City Roots Hospitality, the same restaurant group behind other NYC vegan spots like Beyond Sushi and Willow.