Updated January 2022

There are plenty of delicious places to eat here in St.George. However- if you are a vegan like me, you might have a difficult time navigating.

Before my writing and marketing career, I was in the restaurant industry for 4 years. I had met and served a handful of other out-of-town vegans in those days, and I was always asked the same question- How are you vegan here?

Well, let me tell you. It’s certainly not convenient here- but it is possible. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to live somewhere else, where there might be a larger vegan culture. (My dream place is Washington and Oregon, where hippie vegans are just LIFE!).

However, given that St. George is where I reside- I’ve had to learn quickly!

I am a complete and total foodie. So in addition to experimenting and making my own delicious vegan food at home, I certainly do love to go out and find vegan dishes as well.

So if you are a fellow vegan, traveling from out of town- here is my How To Eat Vegan guide for your trip to St.George!

Restaurants That Offer Vegan Options In St. George

Are you looking to eat out at any point during your trip to Southern Utah, but you don’t want the popular chain food restaurants like Chipotle, Costa Vida, or Tropical Smoothie?

Let me share with you, my favorite, local, vegan restaurant guide that will most definitely be your friend during your stay with us. Not only are they delicious and offer vegan options, but I also believe strongly in great service, which you will find at these places as well.

Gaia’s Garden Cafe

The one and only completely plant-based restaurant in St.George, which opened in 2020. Every darn delicious thing on this menu is not only vegan but high quality as well.

My personal favorites here are any of the homemade soups, the Roast Beef Sandwich, and the nachos. If those don’t tickle your plant-based fancy, perhaps a BYO acai bowl might? But don’t take my word for it– check out their menu, because they have a lot more than just my personal faves!

Vegan Food Trucks

The Hearty Beet

A recent development in the vegan scene here in St.George is The Hearty Beet food truck! You’ll have to go follow this lovely local business owner on Instagram to locate her truck daily, but wheen you do– everything is vegan.

I highly recommend the nachos, beet lemonade (yasss), and one of her raw vegan desserts. To die for.

Grow Food Truck

If you’re looking for a very clean and earthy flavors, head to the Grow Food Truck’s Instagram page to find out where their truck is that day! We personally loce the nachos the best, but we haven’t tried to burger. And I’m sure that’s going to be amazing!

Powerhouse Food Truck

While Powerhouse is not 100% vegan, almost everything on their menu IS vegan and organic, or can be made vegan very easily! They have coffee, smoothies, and soup! I have yet to try their coffee and soup (but I’ve only heard good things), I can tell you for a fact that their smoothies are unreal. I got the PB Dragon smoothie… I’m not kidding, it tasted like a cookie in a cup. Go check out their Instagram page!

Vegan Ethnic Cuisine in St.George, Utah

Zao Asian Cafe

#1 on my list was not hard to choose! If you are looking for fast Asian food with a healthy delicious twist?

Forget Panda Express, my vegan friends. Look no further than Zao Asian Cafe!

Nearly everything Zao offers (besides the obvious meats) is vegan and even half of that is gluten-free. It’s your choice between a bowl, tacos, a salad, or a Banh mi wrap:

• All rice/noodle bases are vegan
• Mix in some wok-seared veggies, Roasted Corn, and Tofu
• Teriyaki, Chili Lemongrass, and Yellow Curry sauces are all vegan – not the Green Curry
• Top that baby with carrot/daikon, cilantro, and guaca-mame (yes that is guac and edamame and it is ?)
• Peanuts, red chili sambal, Korean chili sauce are also vegan – not the crispy onions
• All lemonades are vegan – and incredibly delicious

This is a definite must-try and gets 5 stars from me. Go check them out!

Flavor of Seoul

The most underrated, hidden gem in Korean food our little part of Southern Utah has to offer. And my personal favorite (and only) Korean food in St.George. If you’re looking for a delicious stir-fried noodle dish or specialty seared rice dish, this is the place to be.

You can order either the Bibim-bop rice dish with tofu or the Japchae noodles with tofu (made of 100% sweet potato noodles). Pass on the Kimchi though– it contains fish sauce.

The japchae dish is to die for…

Red Fort Cuisine of India

If you love Indian food, this place is a must-eat!

Unbelievably delicious Indian food, right here in the heart of the town of St.George. It is new to the area- and seriously incredible.

There is nothing quite like this restaurant in this little town. It’s worth a visit!

Red Fort provides an entire vegan/vegetarian section on their menu for folks like us. AND if it isn’t placed in the vegan section, it will have a “V” icon next to the name of the dish, to indicate that it is vegan.

There are no “processed” vegan dishes here. Just delicious, authentic, vegan Indian food in decadent sauces! Top it off with a side of Naan- you will NOT regret it!

Ahi’s Taste Of Asia

If you aren’t sick of Asian food yet on your trip to St.George, stop by Ahi’s Taste of Asia!

Most dishes here can be made vegan upon request– just ask for no fish sauce and add tofu or extra veggies. My personal go-to is the Vegetable Pho (ugh OMG order me some please) or the Pad Thai with tofu!

Slurpin’ Ramen Bar

If you are a soup person like me, you’ll want to try the Vegan Ramen at the Slurpin’ Ramen Bar. Yum! As an appetizer, go ahead and indulge in the Vegetable Gyozas, seaweed salad, or edamame!

Don’t discredit this small little ramen gem. They may only have 4 dishes total to their name, but there’s a reason why even with 4 dishes, this place is POPPIN off!

Sakura Japanese Steakhouse

St.George’s favorite Asian cuisine. You’ve got some great options at Sakura if you are looking for delicious Japanese food.

Appetizers:

• Vegetarian Spring Rolls
• Miso Soup
• Fried Tofu
• Vegetable Tempura
• Edamame

Entrees & Side Dishes:

• Teriyaki Noodles with veggies (ask for no fish sauce)
• Sautéed Hibachi veggies with rice
• Vegetable Ramen
• Steamed white or brown rice
• Avocado Roll
• Vegetable Roll

I’m a real comfort eater. When I eat at Sakura, I order the same trio of dishes every time- Spring Rolls, Miso Soup, and an Avocado Roll. Incredible!

Local Coffee Shops

Perks Espresso & Smoothies

Looking for a local coffee shop you won’t be disappointed with? Try out Perks– my personal coffee go-to, with the bonus of a yummy on-the-go vegan menu as well!

Feel Love Coffee

While I am not a huge fan of the coffee this joint has to offer, I can tell you that it has a unique, adorable boho coffee shop vibe. At night, this place turns into a hipster hang-out, with pretentious cocktails and live music. It’s definitely worth a shot– your wallet may be empty the next morning though!

Feellove lists a (V) next to coffee faves and even has a few vegan items.

American Classics with a Vegan Twist

Xetava Garden Cafe

This hidden beauty is tucked away on the edge of Snow Canyon State Park, in a little town called Kayenta. It’s about 15 minutes outside of St.George and well worth the drive.

Not only does this place offer delicious Vegan Cauliflower Tacos for lunch or dinner, but it’s located in what we call Kayenta Art Village. A collective handful of local art galleries, studios, and gift shops. Grab a specialty coffee and shop for local handcrafted goodies while you wait for your table!

Vegan entrees at Xetava:

• Vegan Cauliflower Tacos
• All salads can be made vegan upon request.
• Veggie Ciabatta (without aioli, pesto, or Havarti)
• Wild Mushroom Burger (without aioli, slaw, or Havarti)

Appetizers:

• Hummus Plate
• Garlic Mushroom plate (without goat cheese, and ask for GF crackers instead of the non-vegan pita)
• Cajun Brussel Sprouts
• Olive Tapenade

Twisted Noodle Cafe

This hidden gem is definitely one to try during your stay. For the most part, this homey cafe can make anything on the menu vegan, and they sure are delicious. Make it even better by pairing it with a tasty locally brewed beer!

All Twisted Noodle Salads, Noodle dishes, or flatbreads can be made vegan upon request. Add tofu to any dish for only $2.50 too!

Burger Theory

While this hotel-hidden burger joint has some often confusing hours, if you’re craving a damn good vegan burger, this is where you’ll want to go.

Build your own burger with a rice-oriented veggie patty that can be singled or doubled. Choose buffalo sauce, ketchup, mustard, and yummy bbq sauce. And I would argue they have the best french fries in the whole town!

Vegan Mexican Food

Tias Artisan Bakery & Restaurant

Oh my gosh, you guys! This place is incredible, brand new, and adorable! Tias has a delectable, greasy vegan menu that you can actually taste the authenticity in.

Everything they have that’s vegan is listed with a (V) following it. Between delicious chikin’ tortilla soup, homemade pupusas, tacos, and nachos, you will end up coming here more than once on your Southern Utah vacation, and that’s a guarantee! Check them out!

Angelica’s Mexican Grill

A smash-hit I recently discovered this month is Angelica’s! If you’re craving a tasty vegan street taco, you’ll want to end up here. These tacos may not seem like much upon ordering (you’ll want to ask for veggie street tacos, beans with no cheese, and no rice).

The bell peppers, onions, and purple cabbage these babies are piled high with are packed with flavor! Add half of an avocado to really make your day. I think I’ll actually go there for lunch today…

Cafe Sabor

I worked here for a brief period of time, back in my restaurant past, and I personally made sure certain dishes were vegan or could be made vegan. So if you are looking for some delicious authentic Mexican food, that’s still vegan- this should be your go-to place.

Pair your meal with a House Margarita- you won’t regret it!

Appetizers:

• Chips and salsa (they’re amazing here!)
• Guacamole (ask for no fresca cheese)

Entrees/Side Dishes:

• Veggie Fajitas (ask for no cheese or sour cream)
• Veggie Burrito (this one comes vegan!)
• Black Bean Soup (amazing! just ask for no sour cream or cheese on top)
• Rice and Black Beans (ask for no cheese on top of the beans)

I would certainly say Cafe Sabor is one of my favorite places to eat here in town. It’s worth checking out, especially if you’re like me, a foodie-fan of Mexican food but hasn’t had much good Mexican food as a vegan. Give it a shot!

Vegan Pizza in St.George

River Rock Roasting Company

While this delicious river-facing restaurant is technically in La Verkin, it is certainly on my favorites list. Whether you are looking for coffee, midday sandwiches, or a night of pizza and beer, River Rock’s got you.

Admittedly, the coffee here is not my favorite. However, their pizza has to be my favorite in all of Southern Utah. You can get any pizza made vegan with their homemade cashew cheese. My personal favorites are the Beetza Pizza or the Phuket Peanut pizza- freaking YUM.

The food is fabulous, but the back patio’s canyon view (at sunset I suggest), is unbeatable and unlike anything, we have here in St.George. Actually, can you take me with you if you decide to go here? Thanks!

Blaze Pizza

Oh yes, Lebron’s very own pizzeria has made its way to St.George. Luckily, Lebron is a bit of a dabbler in vegan cuisine, which is beneficial to us right?!

Build your own vegan pizza here with these options:

• Classic, Gluten-free, or high-rise dough
• Red sauce or spicy red sauce (I prefer the classic red, the spicy is a bit too spicy for me)
• Sprinkle some vegan cheese on that bad boy!
• Choose from any of the veggie toppings
• Bonus: Blaze offers vegan tofu chicken on request, and soy-rizo!
• Lemonades here are perhaps my favorite in town!

Other restaurants that offer vegan options in St.George, but haven’t made my personal faves list

And it’s not because they aren’t good, but maybe it’s for one of four reasons:

1. They’re just not my cup of tea
2. They’re commercial and not local
3. They only have like one option that can be made vegan, so it wasn’t worth mentioning
4. They have a “vegan” option, but I can’t vouch for the validity of it because of bad experiences.

Now I won’t say which is which, you’ll just have to take that risk:

• Cliffside Restaurant
• Benja’s Thai Garden
• George’s Corner
• Chronic Tacos
• Teriyaki Madness
• Teriyaki Grill
• Cup Bop
• Pieology
• Mad Pita
• The Habit Grill
• Tumeric Grill
• Morty’s Cafe

If You’re Looking For A Local Brew

Washington County has strict liquor laws. So if you’re planning on going out for a few drinks and head back to the hotel– don’t bet on it. YOUR SERVER LEGALLY HAS TO MAKE YOU ORDER FOOD. Or they can’t serve you anymore.

Even if you’re not hungry. All you want is to have a good time, drinking a few beers with your buddies, and head back to the campsite/hotel. You’re out of luck my friend.

That’s the moral of the story. Utah is nuts.

We do have a couple of fully licensed bars here where this rule does not apply:

• Wing Nuts
• Station II
• Hive 435 Tap House
• The Office
• Spiritual
• Wood Ash Rye

Other Local Bars

Other than the only fully licensed bar in town, you do have other options. Yes, you will undoubtedly have to order chips and salsa or a side of fries (because that’s about all that will be vegan at these places) to get you by. Here are just a few other options that might be worth looking into:

• Guru’s Sports Bar & Grill – ask for Lauren!
• George’s Corner

Of course, there are more places to find a beer around town, like Chilis’ and BWW, but these are some of my local suggestions!

Best Grocery Stores To Shop Vegan In St. George

Perhaps you’re staying in town for an extended period, and therefore don’t plan on eating out the whole time. Maybe you’re one, like me, who loves to indulge in delicious cooking with local produce.

Well, that may present another challenge for those out-of-towners who may not be too familiar with our not-so-vegan-friendly city of St.George.

Of course, we have popular grocery stores such as Walmart and Smiths, which have little to offer us, vegans. (Side note- Smith’s has been bringing in a lot of vegan options as of late, which is awesome!).

But unfortunately, we’re too small to offer an awesome Whole Foods or Sprouts here.

That’s why you have me! Let me share with you my favorite local grocery stores to shop at for the best produce and vegan options available here in our small town.

My vegan grocery store guide- just click the links and Google will show you the rest:

• Natural Grocers
• Dixie Nutrition
• Harmons Grocery

I hope my little vegan guide helps you navigate your way to our most tasty vegan options in town! Feel free to leave comments with any questions you might have, or any other blogs you would like to see from me!

Until next time,

Namaste ༂

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