The Most Scrumptious Vegetarian in Oakland

Dimond Slice Pizza

★★★★★ 4.7 (761) • $$

"They have a set daily menu. Always different. Today I had their zucchini, red onion, pesto, and feta. Love their crust. This one was one of my favorites. And the green sauce is chef kiss!"

Shangri-La Vegan

★★★★☆ 4.4 (723) • $$

"The food was very good. They only have one meal option available each day. You can choose to have it in a large or medium portion. I was a little disappointed because I was craving broccoli. It's the first time I had seen this type of menu at a sit down restaurant but the food they had was very good. Friendly service and plenty of seats.(Please be careful about hiding all the valuables in your car if you park in the area. The car we used to get there was broken into and items were stolen.)"

Arizmendi

★★★★☆ 4.2 (713) • $

"I can't even begin to tell you how depressing it is to come here for a couple slices of pizza alone (the pizza always slaps so I never feel bad about that).It's been relatively lonely since I moved here and I've had pizza more times that I'd like to admit due to the social nature of the dish. But, oh my god was it weird to just bike up, lock up, walk in, order two slices for like $9, then eat it alone on the patio outdoors in sunny norcal with my backpack still on. The staff was so friendly and there were absolutely zero positive vibes emanating from me, not in an emo way, but in a, "man, this dude could use a friend or two-" kind of way.Really hoping I have some company the next time I come back. Would recommend when I'm not so pathetic."

Udupi Palace

★★★★☆ 3.8 (821) • $$

"We really love this place, but it's been a while. Today, we picked up three different dosas that we ordered over the phone. The woman on the phone was so kind and accommodating as we asked a number of questions. We ordered the Mysore Masala Dosa ($12.50), the Udupi Special Spring Dosa (requested no potatoes- $12.95), and the Spinach Paneer Dosa ($13.95). All of the dosas come with the coconut chutney, sambar, and spicy sauce. I always order the masala dosa, and as usual, it was perfect! Classic choice. The spring dosa was probably my least favorite of the three (and it was still good, to be clear). This may have been because we asked for the potatoes to be nixed. The vegetables could've been sautéed for a bit longer. The spinach paneer dosa was a surprise favorite. Whoa! The seasoning and textures were unexpected and worked perfectly. I forgot how good this place was (it's very no-frills in terms of decor) and my mom, sister, and I all agreed we'd be back very soon!"

Curry Up Now

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (983) • $$

"Unexpectedly surprised by this spot, had been here in the past when they first opened up and just thought of it as ok. BUT noowww though, yall better not walk and run that azz to your nearest Curry Up Now! The revamped menu from Chef Bikram is hittin with all the spices and flavors and I can guarantee there's something for everyone. Some heavy hitters for me were the:- Spicy fried chicken (that cilantro chutney cooked with them onions really made that sandwich)- Indian flatbread (never had something like this before, pleasantly surprised and would def order again)HOT TIP: this location is one that also has a bar, I had an early lunch there so I didn't wanna TU that early but that won't stop me next time LOLLService was great with that staff being very helpful in explaining all the dishes to me. Vibes def were there, I could see that being a nice spot to hit up after work with your coworkers."

Aama's Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (467) • $$

"I can't say enough about the service! They are welcoming, willing to converse with you on where they are from, and super accommodating! We came in around 8pm and it was just us. But more people started rolling in around 9pm to eat. This is a popular place to have traditional Indian/Himalayan/Nepalese dishes!We came for the Momo - -- so glad we were finally able to try these, they were pretty darn good. Little pockets of chicken goodness dipped in their sauce put me in a happy spot."

Tandoor Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (541) • $$

"Consistently good food. I order the butter chicken, chana sag, and tandoori chicken."

Nature Vegetarian Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (491) • $$

"I am very happy to dine at this restaurant tonight. I have been reluctant to eat at restaurants since the pandemic and am pleased we stepped out of our comfort zone. The place was sparkling clean, service excellent and offered many healthy choices. The meals my wife and I ate were fresh, delicious and large. Do not hesitate to step inside to enjoy the tasty, healthy and plentiful food served here. You will not regret it."

La Burrita

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (666) • $

"This is my favorite burrito in the world.Let me start by saying that I try to travel all over the Mexican world--there is no other name for this geographical region, that spans from East Texas to Northern California to Chiapas. New Spain? I have favorite food items and restaurants in amazing meccas like Mexico City, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Sonoma. While La Burrita is casual in ambience, the food is stellar.The boiled chicken wins (Take that, Claude Levi-Strauss!). Moist and almost earthy in flavor, it pairs perfectly with the plum pinto beans and the pillowy tortilla (you may need to read my other posts, which are beginning to spell out a burrito typology). But the jalapeno salsa is simply the best I have ever had, rivaled by a mole I once consumed in Oaxaca City. Tart and spicy, the salsa acts as the perfect counterpoint to the warm and welcoming home flavors of the wrap.Other things I like about this place are the ability for the customer to order different sizes of burrito with different levels of decadence and different prices.This is my 30th anniversary of visiting La Burrita...and some of the employees have been working there as long as I have been eating there. Treat yourself.-MPS This is a business owned by a lovely local family whom I have gotten to know."

Komala Vilas

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (749) • $$

"Amazing food, consistent taste! Idli is always soft, sambar piping hot and chutneys with perfect balance of spiciness. The dosa, vada, uttapam everything is always spot on too. Filter coffee smells so good and tastes even better. Service is also very courteous and prompt. Ambiance is pretty basic. This is our go to spot for South Indian food for years now!"

Green Lotus

★★★★☆ 4.1 (430) • $$

"We came around 1:45pm on a Tuesday, and the place was empty so we didn't have to wait in line or anything. Service was good. Ambiance is fine. Parking might or might not be difficult to find depending on the day and time you come.For the food, I tried the Crispy Oyster Mushroom and the Shaken Beef. They were both pretty good. I don't like mushroom, but I kept eating their crispy oyster mushroom. It really doesn't taste like mushroom. Overall, pretty good. I will probably come here again."

Obelisco Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (325) • $$

"Now let's talk about this salad. I had the Tostada salad with chicken. Served on a fried corn tortilla shell without black bean, spring mix, romaine lettuce, red cabbage, without radish, carrots, queso fresco, pico de gallo, homemade balsamic vinaigrette on the side. I just realized my salad was not topped w/ guacamole but it was still good. Service was amazing, everything is freshly cooked and the ambiance was nice. It gets busy during lunch so I can imagine it gets busy during dinner as well."

Guru Curry House

★★★★★ 4.5 (335) • $$

"What a wonderful experience.Easily accessible location near Lake Merritt, Oakland. The establishment is clean, spacious, and beautifully decorated. Comforting colors and esthetics with a picturesque mural on the back wall. Looks like a geat location for a family meal.I can tell this a small operation however I am sure if the owner will prepare for large groups when contacted ahead of time. Anyway, I was there for lunch.We ordered Samosa Chaat to start, which I found to be very good. Those Samosas were well made and the different textures of the dish complemented each other well. The other dishes we ordered were Baingan Bharta (eggplant), Prawn Karahi, Garlic Cheese Naan, basmati rice, and (for fun) Acher. The prawn dish, spice level (optional) "hot", delicious !!!! Two stars there. The rice was perfectly cooked, the Naan was hot and tasty. Now, the eggplant was pounded or processed into almost a paste, seasoned well, but once I tasted that prawn dish, the eggplant came second. I love eggplant and missed the bite of it that I usually get. Overall, a very good meal with great customer service.The server was so nice he gave me four quarters for my meter when I asked for change which I thought was very sweet. He insisted that I keep my dollar bill-super sweet. He also guaranteed that the Prawn Karhari dish would be good and said to let him know if it wasn't however it was! He made good on that!Oh, Complementary Chai Self Serve station! Awesome"

Sakana Sushi and Roll

★★★★★ 4.8 (245) • $$

"Ok, so imagine a sushi restaurant inside an Ace Hardware store. And then, imagine a small, casual room. And then, imagine the best sushi you've had -- rolls and nigiri and specialty rolls that are meals inandof themselves. You have pictured Sakana!!The location up in Kensington protects this spot from over-exposure and there's rarely much of wait (if there's a wait at all). If you're looking for casual, easy, authentically well-crafted sushi, Sakana will hook you up!!"

Lemat

★★★★★ 4.5 (264) • $$

"Great food.Great service.Great portions with the meats, less so with the legumes, but I don't know why.Highly recommend.No gluten reactions.Please come here and enjoy"

Idly Express - Milpitas

★★★★☆ 4.3 (286) • $$

"Big fan of Mylapore express for the taste,consistent quality and cleanliness.I love that I can take my children here without having to worry about stale food or unclean utensils,a problem prevalent in many Indian restaurants, especially when dining during the week.I am so glad bay area has a restaurant that has our trust.Today I wanted to leave a review about the owner Jay .I had messaged the business about a specific request I had for black coffee.I immediately got a call from Jay asking for details. It is really impressive for a thriving business, to go out of its way and take care of each and every individual's needs.I am not surprised at the success of Mylapore express because their business model is rightly based on Customer Satisfaction and they do it very very well.Kudos Jay!"

Ugadi

★★★★☆ 3.6 (405) • $$

"The food is good.The prices are great. ( 2 unlimited Thalis for $26)Service is fast and friendly.First things first, the food.The thali came with Bhindi Kurkure, Fry, Chole, Saag, Dal, Sambar, Rasam, Chutney, Lemon rice, Yogurt, and the star of the show 2 hot, freshly made pooris. The food is on the tart side and I really loved it. It's just very simple vegetarian food. Of course, the simplicity didn't stop me from pigging out.I was a bit taken aback when the total came out to $26 for the two thalis and they didn't even give me a chance to tip them. This makes it the most reasonably priced place. The only thing negative about the place is that it needs a deep cleaning. They got the tough part, the food, right... a deep cleaning of the place will fix everything wrong( ...and that's very little) with the place."

Tirupathi Bhimas

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (612) • $$

"The lunch meals were exceptional!!!! A typical South Indian lunch mess with the fragrant spicy aromas floating around the dining area. The non-spicy meals is an easy must for parents sharing by their meals with their child. And the non-spicy meals are top notch as well.The food service was quick and they are courteous to offer additional accompaniments, if requested.The taste was not adulterated and is very authentic to the cuisine.A must try for anyone wanting authentic South Indian food near Milpitas, Santa Clara and Fremont."

Go Chaatzz

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (653) • $$

"I ordered the catering veg biryani yesterday and it was amazing, one of the best veg biryani I have had in Bay Area It had a lot of flavor, lots of vegetables, they even honored my request of no nuts I had asked for mild/ medium-ish and was surprised to see that they gave enough vegetables and flavoring without the mirchi I have ordered similarly from other places in Fremont, buut they give pulav if you ask for mild instead of biryani . Will definitely order from here more for My catering needs Other things I have tried from here multiple times - Vada pav, chole bhature- all very good Indo- Chinese was ok I have always ordered custom stuffeed paranthas for kids - without nuts and mirchi and they have always been accommodating"

A2B Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (522) • $$

"I do love their masala dosa. It is very crispy and awesome size. I like that they have four different chutneys to dip the dosa. I like the coconut chutney the most.But their ordering system is little tricky. It is through the website and the order history disappears after refresh. last time I went with my friends, we had to wait for an hour to get our dosa. Maybe since we were 6 people, i believe this can happen, but it was disappointing."

Annapoorna Authentic Indian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.5 (385) • $$

"It is THE place for authentic Maharashtrian / Mumbai street food. Got their chilli cheese toast which the waiter recommended (over their grilled sandwich). Also loved their sabudana vada and kothimbir vadi - both were excellent. Plenty of other dishes I'd have loved to try! The staff was very friendly and helpful. Ambience is alright. All-gender, clean restrooms. Free parking in the lot outside."

Abhiruchi

★★★★☆ 4 (284) • $

"Outstanding. Undiscovered. Togo only. They pivoted from a dine in to completely togo business. Incredible. Have to go back and try the rest of the menu; consistent with other reviews. The authentic taste seems to be preserved without compromise for profit. Not aware of any restaurant which has this much pride in their food. Can see why there are so many accolades for the quality of their food in the other reviews. All about portion size and preserving authentic taste. Not optimized for profit. No mandatory 20% tip as a cashier hovers over you when paying like Starbucks.The dine in photos are obsolete. There is no dine in area now. Only togo. Other review comments on portion size and quality is better than any other South Indian restaurant seem accurate. Not a destination for Instagram diners. Female owned and not geared to generating returns for investors. Extension of home cooking. Vegetables fresh, high quality fresh coconut in chutneys Pre pandemic a 5 star dosa experience was a deep brown perfectly crispy shell with filling in the center. Mostly hollow and mostly shell. Post pandemic with increase in labor costs for sit down restaurants, the pivot to togo means the experience has to change. Can't have the 3ft mostly hollow cylindrical dosas stay crispy in a container. Nobody buys the hollow dosas in a togo container. The steam renders it soggy and there is little logic in paying 13$ for a soggy mess. Eat the dosa ASAP after ordering. I ate it in the car. The ToGo dosa changed to a cheese/potato masala/red onion/peas/carrot filling where very little of the dosa is an empty shell. Unlike the sit down experience most of the dosa is filled. Raises the cost. Very filling. No appetite for dinner. Other restaurants serve a soggy dosa but not here. This is the equivalent of many dosas in one because of the amount of inside stuffing. Can split between 2 people. Was full after eating 25%. Spring Dosa = Spicy Sauce, potato masala, red onions, cheese, cilarntro, peas, carrot, cabbage, podi. Melted Cheese kept the dosa hot. Ate in car. Best experienced fresh to capture the aroma and texture of hot melted cheese. Like a giant quesadilla for 12.50. They use hIgher quality cheese, not the standard salty low grade cheese pizza parlors use. Mind blowing experience with a dosa crust crispier than a grilled cheese sandwich, the different flavors and textures with the 3 different chutneys and melt in mouth cheese and potato mixture. LIke a cheese stuffed baked potato but 10x better. The red onions bring out the flavor of the masala. They could cost reduce with a cheaper yellow onion. This is closer to a shallot.The peas and carrots didn't have the overcooked frozen veg texture. Don't know how they did this. Bright green and crisp. Tasted like fresh peas. Coconut chutney: superior to madras cafe and ulavarcharu. Nut watered down. Thick. Tempered with small curry leaves, dal, mustard seeds. Can see the fresh small curry leaves. Not iold dried out leaves. Looks like fresh coconut in the chutney. Peanut Chutney: can see the tempered cut bright dried red chili peppers. Not old dark red ones. The flavor changed from a first bite cool sensation to a deepening peanut taste and slight spice you savor the bite. Tremendous. Definitely higher quality than the ulavarcharu peanut chutney. Spinach chutney: never seen this before. Delicious. Slightly spicy. Spring dosa must be 1k+ calories. 2 people meal. Overate but delicious. Reduced appetite for 2 days. Incredible binge experience. Equivalent to a super large quesadilla and more. Have to go back for the other items. Their idly might be better than idly express."

Shangri-La Vegan On Telegraph

★★★★★ 4.7 (199) • $$

"This restaurant came highly recommended by two people - one vegan, one not. My colleague and I needed a good lunch after a day of networking, glad-handing and greeting strangers at a grand opening event, and since we didn't know the area, came to rely on the two aforementioned people's advice on places to go.The restaurant was actually close to closing by the time we walked in, but the owner still met us with a smile and invited us to pick a table. The drinks - water and tea - were self-serve and the menu is fixed, so it was easy to settle in and wait for the food.I should clarify: the menu being fixed refers solely to the food items you're served that day. You do get a chance to choose the serving size. We both went with the half or regular plate, and it was more than enough food to fill us up.We were first served a lentil soup, and I knew from the first slurp that I'd love everything coming out of that kitchen. The soup was delicious, spiced but not spicy, warm but not hot. And the serving size was generous, given the amount of food you got for the main dish.The main dish had a wide variety of plant-based options, from a fresh green salad to roasted veggies to boiled greens to lentils prepared a different way to rice. Everything was delightful, but my favorites were the green salad (the dressing was phenomenal) and the other lentils, which were so tasty. I also put a hurtin' on the greens in a cream sauce, because cream. Haha.The owner was super friendly and accommodating, and seemed genuinely pleased when we gushed over the flavor, quality and freshness of the meal. This is definitely worth the drive and a visit, even if you're not a vegan!"

New Delhi Chaat

★★★★☆ 4.2 (235) • $

"I think this place makes pretty good North Indian dishes - like chole bhature. The street snacks like dahi poori, papdi chaat, etc are good as well, but they lack a twist in taste, maybe if it could be a bit spicy, had some chaat masala then it'd taste even better.My pav bhaji tasted well, but next time I'd recommend adding some more chili to it, to up it another level. Similar with Dal Makhani and chole. The service is pretty slow but the staff is very nice. We had ordered one dish with no onion and no garlic and we found some onions in the dish so the staff was nice enough to even replace the bhature with chole instead of just chole. Next time I come I'd want to try their parathas with dal makhani."

Rajwadi Thali Chaat & Sweets - Fremont

★★★★☆ 3.6 (292) • $$

"Delcious unlimited Thali's!!!!! My boyfriend and I had a an amazing time at Rajwadi Thali Chaat and Sweets. Since it's unlimited, you can literally get refills on anything! My favorite was their shahi panner, I love how creamy it was. I just ended up drinking it at the end haha With your unlimited Thali, it also comes with dessert! My boyfriend loved the mango ras!!!I highly recommend this place, not only was the food amazing. The staff was so friendly and very attentive. They came around bringing out refills of the thali's, roti's, samosas,... and more!Thank you so much for inviting me to come enjoy delcious Thali's. I had an amazing time"

Jayna Gyro - Emeryville

★★★★☆ 4.1 (218) • $$

"Workers didn't seem friendly. Minimal conversation--just wanted you in and out.Food was eh *personally*. The other reviews are great so I wouldn't deter you from trying. Ordered the chicken pita and just didn't think it had good flavor. Arugula overpowered everything. I thought the diced potatoes were going to be fries...again those didn't taste like much.When I went home I added lemon juice, cado de pollo seasoning, and garlic sauce to my food and it was soooooo much better. A little doctoring up did the trick!"

Blue Nile Ethiopian

★★★★☆ 4.4 (184) • $$

"Solid Ethiopian food in walking distance from Bart! It was so delicious and packed full of flavor. You can't go wrong with any of the choices here! I loved eating up every last bit with the injera. Now I know a great go-to near Lake Merritt whenever I'm craving Ethiopian food in the area!"

Petit Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (155) • $$

"Adorable sunny cafe with the best coffee I've had in a very long time. Staff is the nicest in Oakland. Plus so many gluten free options. I love it here."

Madurai Modern Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (219) • $

"A hidden gem that has slowly become my family's go-to spot for homely, vegetarian South Indian food. While there's no shortage of Dosa-Idli places in the Bay Area, I keep coming back here because the food is just as good--if not better--than some of the more well-established spots like Madras Cafe and Saravana Bhavan. The ambience here is quiet and cozy and the focus is on the food. One note: don't confuse this place with its namesake, Madurai Idli Kadai, which is also just five minutes away. What draws me here is that it's less crowded, the food is always freshly prepared (my test is the Idli and Vada combo). Many places tend to pre-make these and serve them warm or even cold, but I've consistently had them hot and fresh here, no matter the time of day I order.Be sure to try their three-flavor dosa, featuring Mysore, Malli, and Kara chutneys, all in a single dosa topped with some podi and onions. I loved it! Definitely worth a visit--you won't be disappointed."

DOSA EXPRESS

★★★★☆ 4.4 (142) • $$

"The best Thatte idly hands down !And Ghee roast masala dosa made Kerala style with coconut oil for extra crispiness is so good!We will need to come back as this very very soon !"

Radhe Chaat

★★★★☆ 3.7 (190) • $$

"I used to frequent this place at their previous location before the fire accident and would always order the dal baati. It was my first time visiting at their new location and I eagerly looked for the dal baati but was told they don't serve it anymore. So we decided on the Bhel thali and a few orders of chana batura along with samosa chaat.Across the board the dishes were delicious. Not the best I ever had category but very decent. I personally got the Bhel thali, the Bhel was a tantalizing flavor mix and the seasonal pomegranates they put on top lent a nice tart kick. The thali also came with dal, two curries, two roties, rice and pappad. The dal was light and tasty. The curries were also not overpowered by excessive spices. I can definitely see myself coming back again."

Bhavika's Indian Vegetarian Food

★★★★☆ 3.6 (200) • $

"Small vegetarian cafe with many snack, meal, and beverage options. Order at the counter and pay if you're getting food-to-go. Otherwise, the owner will keep an open tab for you where you sit-and-eat and then pay when you're done. When you're done eating and paying, then you can dump out your trash in the trash can right outside the cafe. The owner is nice and open to explaining many of the menu items since I wasn't sure what they were. So if you are unsure what something is, just ask :)Sev Puri || $5Comes with 7 little fried and hollowed puffs that are filled with a potatoes mixture and topped with yogurt, a red sauce, cilantro and spices. A great snack food to try! The red sauce is spicy in case you're sensitive to spicy.Roti Thali || $7.992 warm pieces of roti accompanied with rice, a samosa + spicy red sauce, green sauce, plain yogurt, red beans in gravy, mattar paneer, stewed potatoes with green beans, and a ball of cashew paste with walnut for dessert. Most of the little dishes are spicy, except for the red beans and samosa (without sauce). The mattar paneer (peas with cheese cubes in a yellow gravy) is delicious and my favorite out of the thali plate offerings. Mango Lassi || $2.50A small cup of mango juice thickened with a bit of yogurt. The version here didn't really seem like an actual mango lassi to me -- it's more of a watered down, juice-like version instead of a thick creamy yogurt drink. Still tasty though. The thali and sev puri were perfect to split between 2 people for a satisfactory lunch. If you're feeling hungry, you could probably down an entire thali plate by yourself. Overall nice place to come by if you want to try out Indian snacks and vegetarian foods."

Bombay Chaat House

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (248) • $

"Just hits all the right spots, uff. I keep coming back and have never had a less than 10/10 experience!!!"

Surya Darshini Dosa Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (134)

"Super excited to have found this unique South Indian Bangalore "Darshini" style dosa...been here recently to explore this unassuming tinted glassed location in midst of corporate buildings (near great mall). Tried their crispy Benne Butter masala dosa, kesari bath and my friend tried the Vegan set dosa. Very filling and tasty akin to home made style chutneys and sambar. The grainy semolina(Sooji) kesari was tasty and less ghee unlike many other places..Plenty of parking and it's only take out hence served in to-go box. Large space to dine right there though to savour the hot piping dosa(can't do take out dosa for me). I really hope they would sometime in future set up a full service dining spot with delish crispy dosa like CTR, Vidyarthi Bhavan classic spots in Bangalore ifykyk"

Saattvik Indian Dhaba

★★★★☆ 3.8 (104)

"Saattvik Indian Dhaba has been here for years. Outside & inside dining options. Both just a few tables. No decor. Menu posted on wall behind food counter.Offering: thalis, Indian vegeterian food. Chaats & most items available only on weekend. Order at counter, pay, get food..Eats: 2 non paneer entries thali (9.99) + chai..-choose eggplant & spinach from steam table. Each scoop+, generous serving. Both had bold favors from Indian spices & herbs. Not bland at all.-ate some (basmatic) rice. (Usually do with curries).-rice was also a big serving. -2 tawa roti tasted better than the usual naan. Chai wasn't a disappointment. Seem made to order. When i asked how much? Was Told $15. I Paid it . Didn't question the math. Older counter person was helpful navigating my ordering. I was lost, just followed his lead. I wanted to take leftovers to go in a box. He scoop a spoon of panner curry on top of my rice. Informed me a box would cost me $10, Since they only use it to sell take out orders. We settled on aluminum foil to cover my plate. Win-Win!4.5 stars food tasted great! Paneer curry too. If repeat, need to come weekends for full menu. Place probably busier..."