Go Meatless This Thanksgiving at These 7 Satisfying Los Angeles Restaurants

Thanksgiving can be tricky for those avoiding meat. When feasting with an omnivorous crowd, having access to only a handful of plant-based sides can make one feel like they are stuck at the kids’ table or even wholly left out. Los Angeles’s vegan restaurants are here to help, offering delectable pies, sensational sides, and delicious proteins — all of which are marvelously free of animal products. Here now are seven local restaurants serving plant-based feasts for dining in or taking to-go this Thanksgiving.

Crossroads, Melrose and Calabasas

Both locations of Crossroads Kitchen are open from noon until 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving day. Chef Tal Ronnen’s is serving a four-course prix fixe menu for $75. Reserve a table and try the celery root soup for the first course, followed by a Waldorf salad, then breaded mushroom scaloppini with herb gravy and sweet potato biscuits, plus all the sides like mashed potatoes, stuffing, and more; they even have pumpkin pie for dessert.

Jakob Layman

Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli, Highland Park

Highland Park’s vegan deli is preparing a trio of Thanksgiving dishes including a $45 turkey loaf with gravy that feeds half a dozen people, a $55 charcuterie platter (salami, mushroom-walnut pate, fig jam, gherkins, and almonds), and a pumpkin spice bread. Email hello@macielsplantbutcher.com or DM on Instagram to place an order by November 17.

Nic’s On Beverly, Beverly Grove

Chef Randy Leon’s Thanksgiving menu includes an 8-inch turkey pot pie, stuffing, mac and cheese, Caesar salad, and apple and pumpkin pies, along with herbed gravy and wood-fired vegetables available in 3-quart servings. A preset menu for up to six people is available for $60 per person. Order on Nic’s website before November 20 and pick up on either November 21 or 22.

Pura Vita, West Hollywood and Redondo Beach

Pura Vita combines Italian flavors with classic Americana for its Thanksgiving menu. Chef Tara Punzone is preparing smoked maple jackfruit, potato chowder, candied or crispy Brussels sprouts, potato croquettes, ciabatta stuffing, and more. Place orders by November 19 by calling the West Hollywood store at (323) 688-2303, or (424) 304-2247 for Redondo Beach.

Real Food Daily, West Hollywood and Pasadena

Open since 1993, Real Food Daily is one of the city’s oldest plant-based restaurants. For Thanksgiving, both the Pasadena and La Cienega locations have a buffet running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. priced at $49 for adults and $25 for children. Thanksgiving dinner to-go is priced at $60 per person and includes hickory-maple jackfruit, sage walnut corn stuffing, pecan praline yams, apple pie, and more. Order by November 21, and visit Real Food Daily’s website for all the details.

Sage Plant Based Bistro, Pasadena, Highland Park, and Culver City

Sage Plant Based Bistro has a huge holiday menu this year that includes traditional mac and cheese, collard greens, and roasted smashed maple yams, along with jackfruit tamales, a lentil meatloaf, and roasted delicata squash. For dessert, order a salted caramel cake, nut-free cinnamon rolls, or ginger carrot cake. Sage is also a brewery, so pick up a beer and/or growler brew pack. Sage’s website has all the details.

Vinh Loi Tofu, Reseda and Cerritos

Vinh Loi Tofu’s puffy, gluten-filled, deep-fried tofu turkeys are available for $60. Owner Kevin Tran only offers this specialty during the holidays, so get over to Instagram to find out how to place an order.