Vegan Restaurant Opening in Encinitas

Native Foods Café, an organic vegan restaurant, is opening in November at the Encinitas Village shopping center off Encinitas Boulevard and El Camino Real. 

Founded in 1994 by chef Tanya Petrovna, the restaurant chain aims to satisfy vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike. That’s achieved through some creative spins on traditional fare. Case in point, the portobello and sausage burger: grilled mushrooms and homemade seitan sausage, topped with caramelized onions, salsa pomodoro, sweet roasted garlic, creamy pumpkin seed pesto and mayo. The menu also includes vegan versions of nachos, pizza, chili-cheese fries, meatball subs, and cheesecake—just to name a few. There are also interesting made-from-scratch drinks, such as lavender lemonade.

Keeping with its vegan roots, Native Foods Café is also big on giving back to organizations that promote compassion for animals and the environment. Most recently it supported Surfrider Foundation, and past recipients include the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Elephant Sanctuary, and Animal Acres.

Headquartered in Orange County and with locations in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Los Angeles, Native Foods Café is now expanding into Chicago. It opened its first location there last week, and two more will follow in a couple of weeks. The tentative opening date for the Encinitas location is Nov. 1, though that’s subject to change. Check Encinitas Patch for updates as they become available.