America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities

#6 Santa Cruz, California

Along with San Francisco, Santa Cruz helps make Northern California one of the best areas in the country for vegetarian food. This ocean-side haven boasts beautiful beaches and an offbeat personality, along with a large number of vegetarian-friendly restaurants.

If you're hankering for a helping of humane huevos rancheros but don't dig the cruelty of the egg industry, head over to visit the folks at Walnut Avenue Café. They will hook you up with delicious vegan versions of a variety of classic egg dishes, made with tofu and avocado. Walnut's veggie burgers and vegan French toast are also primo choices. If you're passionate about pizza, enjoy soy-cheese pizza and quality beer at Engfer Pizza Works. And if you find yourself on the Santa Cruz campus of the University of California, eat up! Its cafeteria offers a large, ever-changing selection of vegan entrées, including fajitas, vegetable lo mein, and seitan wraps.

For Asian cuisine, Mobo Sushi has the best vegan sushi in the area, with 14 tempting vegan rolls on the menu. Meanwhile, the all-vegan Asian Rose is our pick for delicious stir-fries. For a super-funky dining experience with terrific all-American cuisine, head over to Saturn Café, where you can feast on a variety of veggie burgers and sandwiches. We recommend ordering the Fakin' Bakin Cheeseburger with a side of fries, followed by Dutch Apple Pie or chocolate cake. For more hot spots in Santa Cruz, check out the Bay Area Vegetarians' Web site.

Top Tip: Malabar should be at the top of your "to do" list while you're seeing the sights of Santa Cruz. Start off with the incredible avocado appetizer, which consists of two avocado halves stuffed with a mixture of tofu and vegetables and then drizzled with a sweet sauce and topped with bean sprouts.

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