Go on Happy Cow for vegan and vegan friendly restaurants.
Ziggy’s is vegan junk food, a lot of it is frozen stuff but made well. I did enjoy their Crunchwrap. The milkshakes aren’t really worth it. Very pricy and not that good.
Shine Cafe in Morro Bay is good, but they don’t have the best hours. There’s Bliss Cafe downtown in the Network - I haven’t been but the reviews are good.
There’s an African fusion and an Ethiopian resturant in SLO that are both vegan, but I don’t know much beyond seeing them on Happy Cow.
Otherwise, SLO is full of BBQ and burger places, not the most vegan friendly. Ike’s Sandwiches downtown has a bunch of vegan options and is where I tend to eat the most. The Grape Leaf in Morro Bay is another favorite for something light and quick.
A few of the pizza places have vegan cheese - I go to Brightside in Los Osos, but Blaze in SLO and Pizza Port in Morro Bay also have it.
We have a lot of Thai Resturant’s around and they all have good vegan options.
Edited to add that Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods are where I shop to find most of my vegan staples.
Animal Care Clinic is fantastic. They’re so good that I drive down from Atascadero to use them. Bonus: if you need to wait a bit, Oak & Otter Brewing is across the street!
California Fresh market is my favorite grocery store for meat and produce. It’s a bit more expensive, but their quality is fantastic and their meat cuts some of the best in slo imo. They have a good salad bar and dairy selection too.
Petra has some Mediterranean vegan options. Urbane cafe too I think. Burger village has multiple vegan burger options too.
Kayak from Kayak Shack in Morro Bay Bayside Marina to the spit. Make sure to beach yourself in a spot that has access to the ocean side when the snowy plovers are around. (Ask the Kayak Shack folks, they'll know where to go.) Or you can go to Montana de Oro and get to the spit that way, as recommended.
Morro Bay by the rock or embarcadero to watch the otters.
The bluffs & coves of Estero Bay (any number of turnouts off 1N) are excellent, especially if you like to watch seals & otters.
Truly secluded & excellent is the Harmony Headlands hike, from 1N, park and walk about 1.5 miles to the ocean. Awesome and even if the parking lot is full, you probably won't see others. (Right now the road is a bit rutted from the rains.) Not really a beach at the end, just a bluff walk.
Moonstone Beach in Cambria is both a bluff and has coves to explore.
Fiscalini Ranch in Cambria has awesome views on the bluff walk or the trails, the wildflowers are fantastic right now, easy path (but only beach access on the north or south end).
San Luis Obispo Oriental Market has a great selection of Asian goods, I put together a vegan ramen there.
Luna Red in SLO has a very wide menu with well marked options for veg & vegan. The spicy potatoes (sans aioli) are awesome.
Kuma in Los Osos has vegan potstickers & a vegan ramen and of course veggie sushi rolls.
San Luis Obispo Public Market has a place called Veg on the Edge that looks good, but I haven't tried it yet. Kind of a food mall place, so everyone can get what they want.
Hands down, California Fresh in either Pismo or Foothill in SLO are the best grocery stores in the area.. Also the most expensive, so there's that.. but they have quality products you won't find elsewhere and great service. If you really want to blow a whole paycheck, there's also De Paolo and Sons in Shell Beach, which is a small but very very well curated market that will blow your mind. Finally there is the SLO Oriental market for all your authentic asian ingredients.
I do feel like you need to provide more parameters before I delve into restaurants. Are you a price no object person? Or at least a ... I only want quality homemade food kind of person? Or are you looking for budget dining?
Don’t know about the others but as for beaches there’s so many cool beaches for hours in both directions on the 101 and 1. I’d recommend taking half a day for each and starting out in Los Osos and Morro Bay and just working your way north into Big Sur.
Avila is nice when it’s not too crowded, there’s a dog beach just down the road. Also, park near the city of Oceano or Grand Ave in Grover and walk along the beach around there. I shop at California Fresh in Pismo and use Pismo Beach Vet. It’s downtown Pismo but has good hours.
Goddess Goods on the Morro Bay waterfront is my favorite vegetarian/vegan breakfast and lunch place. Shine Cafe also in Morro Bay is good but a bit *too* vegan for my vegetarian taste, but a true vegan would like it.
Montana de Oro past Los Osos has some nice small cove beaches. From there you can walk to the Morro Bay sand spit which is probably the longest, wildest, least populated (because it’s a little hard to get to) beach. Alternative do the shirt kayak across Morro Bay to get to it. The beaches from Cambria north to Ragged Point are also my favs. For an easy long (6 mile) walk I enjoy from Morro Rock up to Cayucos. If it’s not low tide you’ll have to do a very short easy rock scramble at the halfway point.
We use Dr Dorian’s mobile Central Coast Vet for our cat. Comes to you!
Grocery stores: Lassens in SLO or Spencer’s in Morro Bay.
Go on Happy Cow for vegan and vegan friendly restaurants. Ziggy’s is vegan junk food, a lot of it is frozen stuff but made well. I did enjoy their Crunchwrap. The milkshakes aren’t really worth it. Very pricy and not that good. Shine Cafe in Morro Bay is good, but they don’t have the best hours. There’s Bliss Cafe downtown in the Network - I haven’t been but the reviews are good. There’s an African fusion and an Ethiopian resturant in SLO that are both vegan, but I don’t know much beyond seeing them on Happy Cow. Otherwise, SLO is full of BBQ and burger places, not the most vegan friendly. Ike’s Sandwiches downtown has a bunch of vegan options and is where I tend to eat the most. The Grape Leaf in Morro Bay is another favorite for something light and quick. A few of the pizza places have vegan cheese - I go to Brightside in Los Osos, but Blaze in SLO and Pizza Port in Morro Bay also have it. We have a lot of Thai Resturant’s around and they all have good vegan options. Edited to add that Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods are where I shop to find most of my vegan staples.
Ebony, the Ethiopian food place, is amazing.
Thank you!!
Veg on the Edge is pretty new and it’s really good. It’s at the slo marketplace
Bliss Cafe has delicious and healthy vegan food
Bliss is amazing and very hippyish. Coming from a non vegetarian/vegan that place is goooood.
Animal Care Clinic on Tank Farm always took great care of my gato. Highly recommended.
Animal Care Clinic is fantastic. They’re so good that I drive down from Atascadero to use them. Bonus: if you need to wait a bit, Oak & Otter Brewing is across the street!
California Fresh market is my favorite grocery store for meat and produce. It’s a bit more expensive, but their quality is fantastic and their meat cuts some of the best in slo imo. They have a good salad bar and dairy selection too. Petra has some Mediterranean vegan options. Urbane cafe too I think. Burger village has multiple vegan burger options too.
Kayak from Kayak Shack in Morro Bay Bayside Marina to the spit. Make sure to beach yourself in a spot that has access to the ocean side when the snowy plovers are around. (Ask the Kayak Shack folks, they'll know where to go.) Or you can go to Montana de Oro and get to the spit that way, as recommended. Morro Bay by the rock or embarcadero to watch the otters. The bluffs & coves of Estero Bay (any number of turnouts off 1N) are excellent, especially if you like to watch seals & otters. Truly secluded & excellent is the Harmony Headlands hike, from 1N, park and walk about 1.5 miles to the ocean. Awesome and even if the parking lot is full, you probably won't see others. (Right now the road is a bit rutted from the rains.) Not really a beach at the end, just a bluff walk. Moonstone Beach in Cambria is both a bluff and has coves to explore. Fiscalini Ranch in Cambria has awesome views on the bluff walk or the trails, the wildflowers are fantastic right now, easy path (but only beach access on the north or south end). San Luis Obispo Oriental Market has a great selection of Asian goods, I put together a vegan ramen there. Luna Red in SLO has a very wide menu with well marked options for veg & vegan. The spicy potatoes (sans aioli) are awesome. Kuma in Los Osos has vegan potstickers & a vegan ramen and of course veggie sushi rolls. San Luis Obispo Public Market has a place called Veg on the Edge that looks good, but I haven't tried it yet. Kind of a food mall place, so everyone can get what they want.
+1 for Luna Red.
I love Mission Animal Hospital, in SLO right next to trader joes!
Shalimar also has excellent vegan options. We go almost weekly
Gosi's
Hands down, California Fresh in either Pismo or Foothill in SLO are the best grocery stores in the area.. Also the most expensive, so there's that.. but they have quality products you won't find elsewhere and great service. If you really want to blow a whole paycheck, there's also De Paolo and Sons in Shell Beach, which is a small but very very well curated market that will blow your mind. Finally there is the SLO Oriental market for all your authentic asian ingredients. I do feel like you need to provide more parameters before I delve into restaurants. Are you a price no object person? Or at least a ... I only want quality homemade food kind of person? Or are you looking for budget dining?
I will get back with more!
Don’t know about the others but as for beaches there’s so many cool beaches for hours in both directions on the 101 and 1. I’d recommend taking half a day for each and starting out in Los Osos and Morro Bay and just working your way north into Big Sur.
I think Woodstock pizza has vegan pizza. Also, SLO do co. (donut shop) has vegan donuts
Avila is nice when it’s not too crowded, there’s a dog beach just down the road. Also, park near the city of Oceano or Grand Ave in Grover and walk along the beach around there. I shop at California Fresh in Pismo and use Pismo Beach Vet. It’s downtown Pismo but has good hours.
Goddess Goods on the Morro Bay waterfront is my favorite vegetarian/vegan breakfast and lunch place. Shine Cafe also in Morro Bay is good but a bit *too* vegan for my vegetarian taste, but a true vegan would like it. Montana de Oro past Los Osos has some nice small cove beaches. From there you can walk to the Morro Bay sand spit which is probably the longest, wildest, least populated (because it’s a little hard to get to) beach. Alternative do the shirt kayak across Morro Bay to get to it. The beaches from Cambria north to Ragged Point are also my favs. For an easy long (6 mile) walk I enjoy from Morro Rock up to Cayucos. If it’s not low tide you’ll have to do a very short easy rock scramble at the halfway point. We use Dr Dorian’s mobile Central Coast Vet for our cat. Comes to you! Grocery stores: Lassens in SLO or Spencer’s in Morro Bay.
Wow awesome information. Thank you.