Vegan / Plant-Based Dishes Found at DC Wharf 

Veganuary (aka no meat, dairy, or eggs for January) may be over but for those still looking for a plant-based diet, many creative vegan dishes can be found at the District Wharf.

QUICK VEGAN BITES

Leading the path is the affordable, charitable and all vegan Falafel Inc. For $4, order the falafel sandwich. If you are really hungry, add on the Zaatar fries, they might be the best fries at the Wharf. You will feel extra good knowing that proceeds go to support refugees.

Chopsmith

Health-focused Chopsmith offers vegan dishes and recommended ingredient substitutions for their top menu items. Early morning diners can easily spot the vegetarian Breakfast Buddha and Fresh Fruit & Granola breakfast bowls on the menu. Hold the eggs and tahini on the Buddha and replace with more roasted potatoes or avocado and you’re in for a great start to your day. For your greens, swap the dressings out for oil and vinegar or Chimichurri sauce on the Raw Market and Mediterranean salads. Add the Crispy Miso Tofu instead of the tuna on the Tuna Teriyaki plate, or better yet Build Your Own Bowl/Plate/Salad/Sandwich and add the black bean and corn stuffed avocado, you won’t regret any of it.

Fill up on the Avocado Smash at Toastique or the PB Crunch. Hold any cheese on the remaining toasts, and there are plenty of options. Every bowl and every smoothie is vegan when you minus the honey. Our favorite bowl is the Cocolada with fresh pineapple, banana, coconut milk, lime and topped with sliced almonds, candied ginger, and granola. The staff is happy to tailor your experience for you.

When ordering vegan at Surfside  go for one of their four salads, just hold the cheese and chipotle ranch dressing and add guacamole and one of their delicious salsas. The Martha’s Vineyard quesadilla is especially good if you’re hungry, just hold the Jack cheese.

Bistro Du Jour is an exceptional choice for dietary options when you’re  expecting a French buttery bistro.

Bistro du Jour

The vegan symbol is conveniently found on several non meat/dairy/egg dishes, so hunger does not have to wait for the waiter’s answers. Avoine De Nuit is a fruity overnight oats breakfast. Add a hot or draft latte with Oat Milk and yum, the day has begun. For lunch there is the Salade Verte with a lovely red wine vinaigrette. Pair it with one of Natalie’s Fresh Squeezed juices. 

The roasted garlic tahini at Grazie Grazie, thankfully is a great tasting spread on multiple menu items. For a hearty and affordable quick bite, order the Forager aka the vegan ‘Philly cheesesteak’, the Cha Cha, Grazie’s version of falafel, or the cashew-inspired Luca sandwich. For lighter fare, we recommend the Amore Park and Loria salads, both vegan as is.

Along the waterfront, you can order veggie dumplings and crispy cauliflower steamed buns at Yatai by Nara-Ya. 

Build your own Santiago Bowl at Colada Shop, a rice or salad bowl made up of cilantro rice, quinoa or spring mix plus Romesco cauliflower & mushrooms and all the delicious offerings like Sofrito black beans, pickled onions, and slaw, cilantro aioli.

EVENING VEGAN EATS

Moon Rabbit

Moon Rabbit serves Ca Tim Xao, a twice cooked eggplant with sunflower miso satay. The Green Mango salad is beautifully served and the Hinona Kabu Turnip turns a simple turnip into a mouthwatering dish. Moon Rabbit also serves a variety of mocktails for a non alcoholic alternative.

Ilili, one of the most recent additions to The DC Wharf, is a Lebanese  small plate experience. Predominantly  vegetarian, Ilili offers many Lebanese vegan-friendly options like hummus, baba ghannouj and tabbouli. Grilled Acorn Squash and Brussel Sprouts are larger plates to add when dining with friends. There’s certainly a great and  fulfilling dining experience for non-meat eaters here.

Dine at Nara-Ya for your sushi fix. It’s hard to choose an appetizer when you have more than one option! We settled on the Seaweed Salad which  fulfilled our craving. Then the Green Tea Soba Noodles with baby bok choy and pickled turnips did not disappoint. There’s also a Tofu Platter, but the real experience (and occasion) is ordering the Chef’s Omisake, a mixture of small plates, savory hot dishes and sushi, available served vegan. 

Kaliwa

Kaliwa is a favorite for plant-based eaters. Both the Green Curry and the Vegan Kare Kare Fried Tofu, Peanuts, & Roma Beans fill you up and are incredibly delicious. Add on the Stir-fried Vegetables or Chinese Broccoli. Yum.

Vegan entrees and sides can be found at The Grill. The Eggplant Salad with olives and red peppers and the Grilled Sweet Potato with pistachios are large, tasty plates. Much like their other restaurant Bistro Du Jour, the vegan items are easily identified by a floral symbol.

One of our  favorite go to for a heavy lunch or dinner out is Mi Vida. Obviously, you can overeat all of the chips and guacamole, but the recommendation is to save room for the Tacos Vegetables. Made up of smoked carrots, roasted cauliflower, pistachio pipian and topped with scallions, these tacos are  filling and tasty.

DESSERTS

Last stop, order a non dairy cone at Ben and Jerry’s. The Wharf location serves Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Colin Kaepernick’s Change the Whirled™ and Cold Brew Coffee Fudge Chip, all certified vegan.