The Best Vegan-Friendly Cafes & Restaurants In Palm Springs

When I arrived in Palm Springs a few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it has become more vegan-friendly.

Back when I used to live in the area (about 7 years ago) and the last time I visited (about a year ago) there were hardly any vegan-friendly restaurants making it hard for vegans to eat out confidently. The growing veganism trend sweeping across the United States (& the world!) has restaurants adapting and offering vegan options. Not only that, but there are now more and more fully vegan cafes popping up everywhere!

Being the vegan foodie that I am, I took it upon myself to try the most raved about vegan-friendly restaurants and cafes in the greater Palm Springs area to put together this list for you. This post is in partnership with Visit Greater Palm Springs – thanks for the support! Bookmark it for when Coachella rolls around – or whenever you want a relaxing, vegan-friendly, weekend getaway in the desert!

Heirloom Craft Kitchen

Neighborhood: Indio 

Heirloom Craft Kitchen is one of the best vegan-friendly options in the Indio area. This is more of a healthy-fast service concept, where you order upfront and the food is brought to your table within a few minutes. They offer a variety of lunch food items like salads, sandwiches, burgers, and small plates, but what I really enjoyed was their vegan menu. The veganism trend has had many restaurants offering some vegan-friendly options, but most fast-service restaurants will have a limited menu for this. Heirloom kitchen has its own separate menu of vegan-friendly options so you can feel confident when ordering. No accidental cheese added to your sandwich! I tried the blistered shishitos (delicious roasted peppers, like the Spanish pimientos de padrón!) and avocado toast (duh, 🥑 addict here!) and they were both delicious! They also offer vegan bruschetta, a farmers salad, and sandwiches – plenty of healthy lunch options to keep vegans happy! Perfect place for a quick lunch in-between sightseeing (or before heading to Coachella!). Heirloom Craft Kitchen also offers brunch on the weekends.

Cork & Fork

Neighborhood: La Quinta 

Cork & Fork is another great option if you’re looking for a vegan dinner. Like Heirloom Craft Kitchen (same owners), they also offer a separate vegan menu which include items like a farmers salad, avocado toast, vegan tacos, crispy cauliflower, and vegan pizza. They also offer a peach sorbet for dessert- which is really refreshing. I tried the crispy cauliflower as a starter and the vegan pizza for the main – they were both good, although my spot for favorite vegan pizza still goes to Pieology (I like choosing my toppings! 🤷🏻‍♀️) Nevertheless, Cork & Fork is a great option if you’re looking to have a nicer dinner. The service is attentive, space is romantic, and there is something for everyone – vegan or not! The portions are also a great size. I was only able to eat 1/4 of my pizza after the cauliflower. I would probably split the meal next time.

Side note: one thing I really appreciate about vegan food in the states is vegan pizza! It’s surprisingly hard to find in Europe 😢

Must Read: The Ultimate Palm Springs Packing Guide!

Pieology

Neighborhood: Rancho Mirage 

Pieology is a chain that’s become increasingly popular in the past 2 years because it has great pizzas. Simple as that. I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll mention it again – I’m not a fan of chains – BUT Pieology seriously has the best pizzas. The concept is simple: choose your crust, choose your sauce, and add as many toppings as you’d like. I like that, getting to add as many toppings (and whichever toppings as I’d like). Being vegan, I’ve learned to LOVE veggies (used to hate them up until 2 years ago…) and I like to add as many of them as possible to everything. So my vegan pizza at Pieology HAS to be eaten with a fork & knife, only because each slice is so heavily packed with veggies. It’s SO good. They offer vegan (order the gluten-free crust & vegan cheese) and regular pizzas. There’s a pizza for every liking. Yum!

The Best Underrated Photography Spots In Palm Springs

Blaze Pizza

Neighborhood: Rancho Mirage 

Same concept as Pieology, but their vegan pizzas are not as great – in my opinion. They are still delicious, but for some reason, I prefer Pieology. Nevertheless, it’s still a good option if you’re looking for vegan pizza, and I will choose it over Pieology occasionally (I don’t like routines).

Citrus And Palm

Neighborhood: Indian Wells

Citrus and Palm is a gorgeous restaurant located inside the equally stunning Miramonte Resort. This restaurant has a poolside terrace where I, of course, chose to have lunch. Their menu is varied, offering a little something for everyone – vegan or not. Their lunch options are all on the healthier side, and they have a few very delicious vegan options. I really enjoyed the ‘grain bowl’ which is a hearty bowl of quinoa, wild rice, and a mix of roasted veggies (including my favorite – roasted butternut squash!). It was SO good, and even better accompanied by the sugar-free pineapple ginger agua fresca and finished off with some hot green tea. The perfect lunch! I came here with my mom, a non-vegan, and she ordered the avocado and turkey sandwich which she also loved. Overall we loved this vegan-friendly restaurant.

Have you tried any of these vegan-friendly cafes and restaurants in Palm Springs? Have any other favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

xx, Karen

Heading to Palm Springs soon? Pin this post for your trip!

Thanks again Visit Greater Palm Springs for partnering on this post!