Whether you’re vegan or focused on adhering to dietary restrictions, finding meals, desserts or a quick bite that also satisfies your cravings can be frustrating.
But what if we told you there’s a way to maintain your diet and indulge your cravings all within a 30-minute drive from campus?
Covering everything from fast food to soul food and more, here are some tasty, restriction-friendly food joints around Sacramento that will have you fiending for more.
Pure Soul
Highlights: Vegan, Gluten Free
Right across the parking lot from The Mill at the edge of Sac State’s campus sits Pure Soul, a hidden plant-based food joint for those whose taste buds are in search of more than what’s offered on campus.
Pure Soul is completely vegan, with gluten-free options available. It features a wide variety of options, from classic diner-style burgers and hot dogs to comfort food like macaroni and cheese and barbecue jackfruit “sandos.”
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Among the vast menu is the “Baby Got Bacon” burger, which features soy-based bacon, an Impossible patty, coconut oil-based cheese, veggies and house “soul sauce.”
A perfect spot to dine in after a hot summer walk on the American River, Pure Soul is sure to keep you cool and relaxed like no other. Top your afternoon off with one of their hand-squeezed lemonades or oat milk-based ice cream and milkshakes.
To look at Pure Soul’s menu or order, click here.
Burger Patch
Highlights: Plant-based, vegan and dairy-free
Midtown’s Burger Patch flips the script on fast food, offering a variety of delicious vegetarian burgers, vegan “chicken” sandwiches, sides and other gut-filling meals without having to sort through the limited options of your typical American burger chain.
The joint’s most popular item, the “Patch Burger,” contains fresh veggie toppings along with a slice of oat-based cheddar cheese and a juicy, deliciously meaty Beyond patty that tastes almost too good to be true.
Unlike most restaurants featured in this list, Burger Patch’s fast food approach to vegetarian food makes it a perfect spot to grab lunch before your next class, during a road trip or as a last-second bite before a job interview.
Whether you’re on the go or in need to fulfill your cravings, Burger Patch’s plant-powered menu is sure to meet every desire.
To view menu options for Burger Patch, click here.
Mother
Highlights: Plant-based and offers vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and seed oil-free options
Two doors down the block from Burger Patch is Mother, a vegetarian restaurant that serves a variety of culturally diverse comfort food for all taste palettes.
One of the restaurant’s hotter dishes is the Oyster Mushroom Po’Boy Sandwich, served with crisp kettle chips. Bursting with zesty and creamy flavors and a delightfully crisp texture from the mushrooms, the sandwich is sure to bring the full bayou experience to those looking for vegetarian alternatives.
The restaurant offers more than just a trip to the bayou, serving other comfort dishes from Italian pastas to Mediterranean salads and Mexican-inspired tortilla soups.
This delicious sit-down restaurant, in all its warm and inviting glory, is the ideal spot for a dinner with some friends or a simple date with a loved one.
To read about Mother and view the menu, click here.
Himalaya Vegan and Organic Restaurant
Highlights: Vegan, organic and plant-based
Out in Natomas off Northgate Boulevard is Himalaya Vegan Organic Restaurant, a small and refreshing joint tucked away from the main road.
Focused on clean eating and organic, locally-sourced foods, Himalaya Vegan Organic Restaurant combines health and stunning veggie-powered flavor with the meals they serve. Its colorful menu boasts gluten and sugar-free choices, from dinner platters and vegan banh mis to pies and fresh juice.
And the restaurant’s star dish? It’s simply too good to have a name.
The unnamed platter is only priced according to portion size: full, moderate and a la carte. Whichever platter you decide on getting, it will contain six rich and vibrant side dishes, from garbanzo beans and mixed vegetable soup to delightfully sweet sautéed carrots, daikon, zucchini or red beets.
When you get there, don’t be surprised to see that the menu looks a bit different; the restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus change daily to ensure that the freshest organic ingredients are being served.
Although completely veggie-based, the dish’s complex, diverse flavors will have even the most voracious of carnivores think twice about their diet. Who says you have to mimic meat to appeal to them anyways?
Learn more about the restaurant and its Buddhist-inspired dishes here.
Pushkin’s Bakery
Highlights: Wheat, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options
Nestled right between Rice Alley and S Street in Midtown, Pushkin’s makes it their mission to provide sweet treats without the worry for those with wheat allergies. The entire facility is wheat-free, and consuming outside food in their facility is strictly prohibited.
The menu has a variety of options, ranging from cookies to cakes that change weekly every Monday.
One of their staples, the Mudpie cookie, features a rich, crisped outer layer with a delightfully chewy inside and gooey chocolate chunks throughout. Another confection, the toasted almond apple cake, is a delectably moist apple cake topped with dried apple slices and powdered sugar.
With a large array of items to satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping the dietary downers out the window, Pushkin’s Bakery is one to look out for.
Find out more info about Pushkin’s menu here.
