If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Mexico is a blast! Who doesn’t wanna hang out in the sun with tacos, guacamole and margaritas galore? For this trip, I was in both Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita. Don’t worry, I’ll outline which vegan food in Mexico was from each area, so you can skip the guesswork.
Now I’ll be honest, eating vegan in Mexico can be a bit challenging! Especially if you’re used to the variety and progress happening in major cities, like new vegan products and specialty restaurants. But if you go into your trip prepared, eating vegan food in Mexico is totally doable – if I can do it, so can you! A lot of traditional Mexican cuisine can be super veg-friendly if you ask for no cheese/dairy/eggs (“sin queso”, “sin leche”, “sin huevo”). You’ll also want to keep an eye out for lard (animal fat) being used in products. On this trip, I just made up a lot of meals by using sides! A lil’ creative thinking and a basicAF Spanish vocabulary goes a long way.
hot for food approved
Coco’s Kitchen (Puerto Vallarta)
First up was Coco’s Kitchen, which is the perfect example of how I would put together a veg-friendly meal! We ordered hash browns, tomatoes, avocados, dry toast, and jam. This was a spot we visited a couple more times for a repeat of this order! I also tried the green juice during another occasion when we revisited.
verdict: Coco’s has a good amount of options for you to craft a vegan meal!
Blondies (Puerto Vallarta)
Next up, booze was a definite must while in Mexico! We grabbed boozy slushies from Blondies that were all kinds of delicious. Mine had mango, strawberry, vodka and rum!
verdict: this should be at the top of your to-do list when you arrive in Puerto Vallarta!
Pancho’s Tacos (Puerto Vallarta & Sayulita)
Pancho’s is another great example of how ordering vegan isn’t difficult at all! By getting our tacos “sin queso” (without cheese), we got to happily munch ‘em without worrying about animal products. They came with mushrooms, onions, herbs and spices and a ton of cilantro on top! On another night I tried the zucchini tacos and mushroom poblano tacos which were also delicious.
verdict: hefty plates of Mexican food with a ton of salsa options? That’s what I’m taco’ing about! Pancho’s is a popular chain in Mexico with locations in both Sayulita and Puerto Vallarta, but the menus are different.
Salud Super Food (Puerto Vallarta)
Salud seriously upped the vegan breakfast game on this trip! I had an amazing wrap with soy rizo, tofu, black beans and potatoes. We paired it with fruit salad and a mixed berry, guava and hibiscus smoothie. Thank god for this place, since it cured my massive tequila hangover!
verdict: the wrap and smoothie were outta this world, and definitely a way better breakfast than dry toast! If you’re looking for vegan food in Mexico you’ll likely end up here
Yeikame Traditional Mexican Cuisine (Sayulita)
Shoutout to Yeikame for having a bunch of vegetarian taco options! These were definitely the most interesting and inventive tacos I had on the trip. The ones I ordered were on blue corn tortillas and had mushroom, chard, peanuts, poblano peppers and corn. I loved them! Guac and craft beer accompanied this meal for a 10/10 dinner.
verdict: super impressive tacos, and quite a few vegetarian taco options! A win-win!
Choco Banana (Sayulita)
Major bonus points go to Choco Banana, cause they had soy milk for coffee! Hallelujah! Along with that I had a toasted bagel with no butter, potato wedges, and avocado and tomato on the side. Veggie sides were a constant theme throughout this trip, if you can’t tell!
verdict: make sure you visit this place if you’re in Sayulita! It’s the largest restaurant in the area and in a fairly central location. You’ll likely drop in for breakfast at some point, and the free wifi is an added plus.
Mary’s Tacos (Sayulita)
To make sure I didn’t commit solely to eating tacos on this trip, I made sure to grab a vegetarian burrito from Mary’s! It was stuffed with mushrooms, spinach, rice, beans, avocado, and poblano peppers! It was delish, but my recipe is a pretty close competitor.
verdict: Nat was convinced this place is better than Pancho’s! The food was BOMB and that burrito really hit the spot.
Well y’all, I made it through my Mexico trip eating totally vegan! Like I said, it just takes reading menus, knowing a few Spanish specifications, and getting creative sometimes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many tacos, burritos, avocados and tomatoes in my LIFE, but I’m not upset about it. Let me know in the comments if you try out any of these while you visit Mexico!
noted, not notable
- Cafe de Olla
- Barra Light
