The Best Vegan Mexican Food in Seattle
Written by Stella Xu and Darby Bundy
Going out for Mexican food can be challenging for vegans. But who can live without it??
The thought of giving up nachos, tacos, and burritos has gotta be one of the top reasons why people think they can’t commit to a vegan diet. So I’m happy to let you know that finding vegan Mexican food in Seattle is easier and way more delicious than you might expect!
This life-saving guide has all the totally delicious vegan-friendly Mexican restaurants in Seattle to run to when the cravings hit.
If you aren’t too familiar with the ins and outs of Mexican food, below is a brief overview of ingredients and sides to be mindful of (depending on the restaurant), so you know what questions to ask if you’re somewhere new.
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Mexican food typically incorporates a large amount of meat and cheese - so those are the obvious things to avoid.
But there are also some “hidden” ingredients that are less obvious, and often not listed on a menu.
Like Verde sauce: Did you know that some restaurants add cream, but it’s such a small amount you would never guess?
Broth is another ingredient often used at Mexican restaurants to cook rice, and added to other dishes - and so often, restaurants use animal-based broth.
Rice And Beans: Rice and beans are usually cooked with oil and not butter, but refried beans can sometimes have animal fat in them, or animal broth.
Now that we know what foods to be conscious of, it’s time to eat! But what places in Seattle make it the easiest for vegans to dine?
That’s where we decided to help you (and let’s admit it - help ourselves, too) find the best and most accommodating restaurants for vegan Mexican food out there. Below is a solid list of Mexican restaurants loved by Seattle’s vegans, so let’s dig in!
Seattle’s Favorite Vegan-Friendly Mexican Restaurants
EL CHUPACABRA
Greenwood/Phinney Ridge, West Seattle
El Chupacabra is one of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in Seattle, and they’re kind enough to share the delicious love with us vegans!
Why We Love El Chupacabra:
Two locations! Phinney/Greenwood and Alki Beach in West Seattle
Outdoor patio at both locations
Vegan meat, cheese, and sour cream
Dia de los Muertos dive bar vibes
Almost everything on their menu can easily be made vegan, since they offer vegan beef, chicken, and cheese substitutes for all of their dishes. Their rice, beans, and three house-made salsas are also entirely free of animal products.
To start, we recommend chips with salsa, guac, and vegan sour cream. Then, choose from a large selection of all the Mexican food you can imagine--from classics like tacos and burritos to other Mexican dishes that are harder to find vegan versions of, like chimichangas, tortas, or enchiladas.
Visit El Chupacabra in Greenwood or on Alki Beach.
EL BORRACHO
Pike Place Market
El Borracho is another great Mexican restaurant that that just went 100% plant-based!
Why We Love El Borracho:
Fully vegan restaurant!
Happy Hour! 4-6pm Monday-Saturday
Choose from vegan tacos and burritos, as well as vegan appetizers like nachos and vegan queso.
Vegan meats and mains include Tajin Shrymp, Impossible Tex-Mex Beef Crumbles, Smoky Chorizo and Potato, Chikin Tinga, Seitan Barbacoa (made by Portland’s Snacrilege), Tofu and Pineapple Al Pastor, Chipotle Potato with Queso and Crispy Jalapeno, and Jackfruit Cochinitas Pibil. Talk about options!
Visit El Borracho in Downtown, 21+ certain hours.
ROJO’S MEXICAN FOOD
Pioneer Square
Rojo’s is a predominantly plant-based Mexican street food pop-up that is growing a huge fan base right now. (Hint: get there early)
Why We Love Rojo’s:
Just went fully vegan in 2023
House made vegan meats are super delicious
Super affordable - 3 street tacos with rice and beans for $10!
Rojo’s debuted as a vegan-friendly street food pop-up at Pike Place and South Lake Union markets. After taking a few months’ hiatus, Rojo’s is back- this time, in a brick and mortar space in Pioneer Square.
Owner Daniel and his team also ditched the dairy from their menu with their grand opening, going fully vegan. Choose from flavorful plant-based meats like carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, or chicken. Get these delicious meats as street tacos, tortas, or in a filling burrito, and wash it all down with a house made horchata, agua fresca, or soda.
Pro-tip: You can get a burrito to-go and bring it into the Mariners games! Way more delicious and cheaper than anything you’ll find inside the park.
PABLO Y PABLO
Wallingford
Another Mexican restaurant with great vegan options is Pablo y Pablo in Wallingford.
Why We Love Pablo y Pablo:
Cashew queso on nachos is so good
Dessert
They’re in the same restaurant family as Barrio in Capitol Hill (another Mexican restaurant that offers a few options like their top-rated vegan nachos), however, Pablo y Pablo offers more vegan options in its regular rotation. They even serve a vegan chocolate mousse.
If you’re feeling like Mexican food for brunch, Pablo y Pablo can make easy vegan substitutes for their delicious breakfast tacos. Visit Pablo y Pablo
FRELARD TAMALES
Greenlake
Looking for something a little different and still incredibly delicious? Check out Frelard Tamales in Greenlake for some scrumptious half-pound tamales.
Why We Love Frelard Tamales:
Savory and sweet vegan tamales
Tamale Lunch Deal with rice and beans for $9 plus tax!
Sells frozen tamales for later :)
They offer fajita veggie or sweet potato ready-to-eat tamales, which you can eat along with vegan rice and beans. And don’t miss their rotating seasonal tamales, often featuring a vegan option!
You can buy them frozen, too, for an easy and delicious meal at home.
Visit Frelard Tamales in Greenlake.
For more vegan tamales in South Seattle, we recommend Cafetal Quilombo Cafe in Beacon Hill. Choose between nopales (cactus leaves), chipotle black bean, or vegetable tamales. Visit Cafetal Quilombo Cafe
MAS VEGGIES TAQUERIA
Downtown & University Village
Mas Veggies Taqueria is a fully vegan and Mexican-inspired quick service eatery created by Veggie Grill. What started as a delivery-only concept during the pandemic operating out of Veggie Grill kitchens is now a part of the Seattle Veggie Grill menus. Yay for more options!
Why We Love Mas Veggies:
Fully vegan menu!
Quick and easy, with dine-in, take-out, and delivery
Tons of plant-based protein options
Mas Veggies has a Chipotle-esque build-your-own menu, with 5 different fillings you can choose from to be made into tacos, a burrito, a bowl, or even nachos. They serve classic Mexican sides as well, like chips with salsa, guac, and even vegan queso. Order from Mas Veggies Taqueria
BANG BANG KITCHEN / Bang bang Cafe
Othello / Belltown
For Mexican food with a New Mexico twist, check out Bang Bang Kitchen and Bang Bang Cafe - two super rad, women-owned (and sister-owned!) restaurants with flavors you’ll love.
Why We Love Bang Bang:
Women-owned!
Hatch chiles come straight from New Mexico!
Super vegan-friendly menu
Many items on Bang Bang’s well-labeled menu are available vegan, from their fan-favorite sweet potato and black bean taquitos to enchiladas and more.
They even have vegan queso - and if you’ve never had their iconic Shaun’s Vegan Mac and Cheese, you’re probably gonna love it. And like many other vegan-conscious Mexican restaurants, Bang Bang’s rice and beans are made vegan, so they can accommodate as many eaters as possible. Their late night menu features some amazing nachos, too.
Bang Bang Kitchen located in Othello near South Beacon Hill, just off the light rail stop! Find Bang Bang Cafe in the heart of Belltown. Visit the Kitchen / Cafe
EL GRITO TAQUERIA
South Lake Union
El Grito Taqueria, located in South Lake Union, is another delicious Mexican restaurant with a substantial vegan menu. Not to mention, it’s absolutely gorgeous inside.
Why We love El Grito:
Super cute inside (did we say that already?)
Accommodating and unique vegan menu (squash blossom tacos!)
Try their squash blossom tacos or the vegan quesadilla for a delicious meal. And don’t fear their sides; El Grito’s beans, rice, chilis, and house habanero sauces are always made vegan, and they offer vegan cheese and sour cream substitutes for all the other dishes on their menu. They even note that their vegan dishes are cooked on a separate grill.
All this considered, El Grito is a great option for Seattle’s plant-based community. Visit El Grito Taqueria
ROCKET TACO
Capitol Hill
Following Rocket Taco’s success on Whidbey Island, they finally opened a location in Capitol Hill.
Why We Love Rocket Taco:
Fun and unique vegan taco options
Vegan churros! (not the sauce tho..but they’re perfect without it!)
Horchata!
Choose between sweet potato, lentil quinoa, or cauliflower tacos - all of which are vegan (without crema) and absolutely delectable. Pair your tacos with some a Horchata, a delicious vanilla-cinnamon Mexican drink made with rice milk, and save room for some churros - because those are vegan, too! Visit Rocket Taco
LUNA AZUL
Greenwood
Luna Azul in Greenwood is a cozy joint that’ll remind you of the Mexican restaurants you went to growing up.
Why We Love Luna Azul:
Cozy and friendly
Some outdoor seating!
Portion sizes (food and drinks)
They’re also very vegan-friendly, and just friendly in general! The food portions are more than generous, as are the margaritas, which are served in big fishbowl chalices.
Making it even easier for us, their rice and beans are made vegan, and they offer a selection of burritos and tacos which can be made vegan with a few omissions. Visit Luna Azul
BIMBO’S CANTINA (21+)
Capitol Hill
For vegan Mexican food, a mean drink, and a very colorful atmosphere, visit Bimbo’s Cantina in Capitol Hill.
Why We Love Bimbo’s:
The luchadores decor
Cheap eats and drinks (be sure to specify vegan)
Bimbo’s is essentially a luchadores dive bar on Capitol Hill (think Nacho Libre) - complete with Mexican wrestling posters, Pride flags, and random trinkets literally everywhere. And their cocktails are seriously delicious.
What’s more to love? Bimbo’s food menu includes vegan nachos, tacos, a quesadilla, and a burrito. Plus, you are around so many other vegan gems in Capitol Hill to hit up before and after! Visit Bimbo’s Cantina (21+)
CARMELO’S TACOS
Central District, Capitol Hill
It’s hard not to love everything about Carmelo Gaspar, owner of Carmelo’s tacos.
Why We Love Carmelo’s:
What’s not to love about Carmelo?
Made with so much love
Did we mention Carmelo is absolutely the sweetest?
From our friends at Intentionalist.org: “After first working as a miner in Mexico, Carmelo worked for Cactus Restaurants for 28 years before he was finally able to open his own Mexican street-style taqueria in 2018 with his family.”
Stop by his brand new location in the Central District, or the original taco window in Capitol Hill to meet Carmelo and try his delicious tacos, burritos, and more. They have lots of veggie options and also make their tortillas from scratch!
Visit Carmelo’s Tacos: Central District, Capitol Hill (Food Window)
MAIZ
Pike Place Market
Maiz might first catch your eye as a super Instagrammable tortilla and Mexican street food shop at the iconic Pike Place Market, but it’s so much more. They use traditional methods and heirloom corn varieties to keep both tradition and biodiversity alive.
“Native corn throughout the Americas is at risk if we don't learn and recognize the biodiversity richness that we've had for thousands of years in our lands,” Maiz says on their website. “There is much more than those cans of yellow corn on the shelves or those hybrid white seeds that are commercially harvested each year.”
Maiz works with small-scale heirloom corn farmers who harvest an astonishing 59 varieties of corn! You can purchase a pack of fresh-made tortillas made right in front of you, or grab a vegan taco or beverage from their shop as well.
We hope you enjoyed our guide to vegan Mexican food in Seattle! Let us know in the comments if you have any other vegan-friendly recommendations!
Now - who makes your favorite Mexican food in town? Tell us below.
