Complete Guide to Vegan Options in Downtown Disney (March 2023)

Welcome to Downtown Disney! Let’s eat some vegan food!

A few tips and notes before we begin:

If these guides are helpful to you and you would like to show your appreciation, you are welcome to buy me a Dole Whip 🙂

Please note that I am just a guest, like you, and I have no control over any decision made at Disneyland. If you would like to express how you feel about the (lack of) vegan options, please send Disneyland an email or comment on one of their official social media accounts.

If you would like to eat at a table service restaurant in Downtown Disney, you can try to make reservation, but it’s usually fine if you can’t get one – just plan in advance, and do a walk up, just knowing that they might tell you that it’s a 30, 45 minute wait, for example.

If you go to Disneyland, DCA, or Downtown Disney and have any photos of the food, please tag me on Instagram!

By the way, nothing below is meant to be health food; rather, it is theme park food. Whenever I have access to ingredients lists, I do post photos of them, but this is not so that you can pick them apart for not being healthy enough. The point of showing the ingredients is that I’m trying to be helpful and show how the item does not contain meat, dairy, eggs, or honey. I have no control over what goes into the food, so I do not need to hear about it when you think something isn’t healthy enough. I pour a lot of time, effort, and money into maintaining this website, and I do all of this research for you for free, so I appreciate you not leaving negative, unhelpful comments about whether or not the food is healthy enough. Any health policing comments will be deleted 🙂

Table of Contents (Jump to a section!)

Black Tap Burgers and Shakes (Table service)
Ballast Point (Table service)
Salt and Straw (Quick service)
Wetzel’s Pretzels (Quick service)
Earl of Sandwich (Will soon reopen at old La Brea Bakery location)
Tortilla Jo’s (Table service)
Taqueria (Quick service side of Tortilla Jo’s)
Splitsville (Table service)
La Brea Bakery (Recently closed)
Starbucks
Naples (Table service for Naples; Quick service for Napolini)
Sprinkles Cupcakes (Quick service)
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (Table service)
Uva Bar and Café (Table service)
Catal Restaurant (Table service)
Jamba Juice (Quick service)
Marceline’s Confectionary (Retail location)
Sephora (Retail location)
Curl Surf (Retail location)

Black Tap

They recently changed this menu, and the Vegan Nashville Hot Sandwich seems to be gone, at least for the moment. The menu seems to be downsized.

Their main entree option is the Impossible All-American, and it comes vegan as is, with a vegan bun, vegan special sauce, and vegan cheese! This is a pretty epic burger, I highly recommend it if you’re in the mood for a burger!

It comes with fries (in a shared fryer), but if preferred, you can get the house salad as a side instead.

Also, don’t miss the Vegan Black ‘N White CakeShake! This epic shake has returned after a hiatus, and if you have a sweet tooth like me, you will love it.

It is a vegan chocolate milkshake with frosting and chocolate chips on the rim, topped with a giant piece of vegan chocolate cake and vegan whipped cream!

They also have the vegan version of their Classic Shakes on the menu. I have asked on different days and sometimes they tell me they have them, and sometimes they tell me they don’t.

You can order a shake from inside the restaurant as usual, or you can go up to their walk-up shake window outside the restaurant for a quick shake to take with you.

The vegan version of the shake is a soymilk based vegan ice cream. To order a vegan shake, ask for the vegan ice cream base on the Classic Shake, and then choose any flavor except for nutella (which has dairy). The vegan flavors are: coffee, vanilla, chocolate, black cherry, strawberry, caramel, peanut butter, and oreo cookies and cream. 

Note that their lactose-free whipped cream that comes with the classic shakes is not vegan; it is merely lactose-free, but still contains dairy. I remember asking before if we could get the vegan whipped cream that comes on the Vegan Black ‘N White CakeShake, but to my knowledge, that was not an option.

Below is a classic shake with the Black Cherry flavor.

Ballast Point

This menu changes often, and I do my best to keep it up to date, but it is hard to keep up with how often they change it sometimes!

As of now, it looks like the below items are available and should be vegan, but they can change any day.

Appetizer section:

These Pretzel Sticks that there is a “vegan option” of that dish at the end, so they should be easy to make vegan when you order. Specify to your server that you’d like the vegan version.

Pretzel Sticks: Fathom Beer Mustard/California Kolsch Beer Cheese (Vegan option)

The two entrees below are already vegan, no need to modify:

Vegan Mushroom Sandwich: crispy Oyster Mushroom, Gochujang Chili Sauce, Kimchi Slaw, Kimchi Tofu spread, vegan Brioche Bun

Vegan Cauliflower Tacos: Cauliflower, Soyrizo, Garlic, Shallot, Pickled Red Onion, Pickled Fresno Chili, Tofu Aïoli (add Avocado $4)

Thank you so much to @saltyandsweetvegan for the photo of the Vegan Mushroom Sandwich below!

The three salads below say that there is a “vegan option” of that dish at the end, so they should be easy to make vegan when you order, specify to your server that you want the vegan version. Presumably by removing the meat/cheese, and they may have a vegan version of those to replace with. Please let me know if you get them and how they turn out!

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad: Baby Kale, crispy Quinoa, Feta, Red Onion, Lemon Vinaigrette (add Avocado $4) (Vegan option)

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Seared Ahi: Seared Ahi, Baby Kale, crispy Quinoa, Feta, Red Onion, Lemon Vinaigrette (add Avocado $4) (Vegan option)

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Chicken Breast: Grilled Chicken, Baby Kale, crispy Quinoa, Feta, Red Onion, Lemon Vinaigrette (add Avocado $4) (Vegan option)

They have a vegan dessert as well!

Vegan Brownie Sundae: vegan Fudge Brownie, Cashew-based Ice Cream, Chocolate Syrup, Macadamia Nut, Raspberry

Thank you so much to @saltyandsweetvegan for the photo of the Vegan Brownie Sundae below!

For the beers, they will be mostly all vegan except for the rare case of a milk stout type situation, or gelatin, or other types of hidden clarifying agents. Please use your best judgement and order whatever you are comfortable with. The beer selection rotates out pretty often, so please ask your server, or check on Barnivore.

Salt and Straw

Salt and Straw is a Portland based ice cream company with lots of vegan flavors! They are all marked clearly on the menu with a (V).

The two vegan flavors on the permanent menu are:

1. Marionberry Sherbet
2. Freckled Mint Tcho-colate Chip

Below is a scoop of the Freckled Mint Tcho-colate Chip from the permanent menu:

The sugar cones, which are pictured in all of these photos, are vegan. They are also sometimes called kid’s cones. The waffle cones (the larger ones) are not vegan; they contain egg.

You can also get scoops in a cup, as seen above.

They have seasonal flavors that rotate about once a month, and there is usually at least one vegan flavor among the seasonal flavors! Check my instagram for the most recent into about the ever-changing seasonal flavors.

Wetzel’s Pretzels

The original pretzels are vegan as far as the dough goes, but they typically brush them with butter when they come out of the oven. Not to worry though — they make new batches frequently, so all you have to do is request to have one without butter, and they’ve give you one from the next batch if you can wait for a minute or two.

The Pretzel Bitz without the butter are also vegan:

Earl of Sandwich

Earl of Sandwich had closed as part of the large refurbishment of the West side of Downtown Disney, but it was just announced (January 2023) that it will return – I believe it will temporarily operate in the space that used to be La Brea Bakery (which is permanently gone), and later, that space will be Porto’s. I’ll update this section as soon Earl of Sandwich reopens. You can check out the vegan sandwich on the Earl of Sandwich website, they have a vegan meatball sandwich.

Tortilla Jo’s

They have Vegetarian Burrito on the menu, which is vegan by default. It has house made quinoa meatballs, black beans, roasted tomatoes, poblano peppers, and red onion, topped with salsa ranchera and served with cilantro rice.

They can also make an off-menu vegan version of their fajitas with their grilled veggies (onions, peppers, zucchini, etc.), black beans, cilantro rice, etc. They used to have a portobello mushroom version of the fajitas, but those are not on the the menu anymore.

And they can make an off-menu vegan version of their enchiladas that are filled with those same veggies. I had the server verify with the chef that the green enchilada sauce is indeed vegan, doesn’t contain chicken stock or any other lurking animal products:

Just for reference if you want to get any sides or modify any menu items, the server told me that the red rice is made in chicken stock, and the refried beans contain lard. So the vegan alternatives to those are the cilantro lime rice and the black beans.

They have told me before that their horchata is vegan – no cow’s milk, just rice milk! Please double check when you order though.

Taqueria (quick service side of Tortilla Jo’s)

The Taqueria in Downtown Disney is the quick service side of Tortilla Jo’s, where you can get some similar menu items as the sit-down side of the restaurant, but a lot faster and a little cheaper. You can build your own tacos, burritos, bowls, or nachos, sort of Chipotle-style.

Choose one of the types: tacos, burritos, bowl, or nachos.

Choose your Protein: quinoa meatballs, which are labeled on the app menu as vegan now.

Choose your Fillings: beans (just make sure to do the black beans, not the refried beans, which contain lard), lettuce, onion-cilantro, and pico de gallo.

Make sure to choose the cilantro lime rice (the red rice contains chicken stock).

Choose your Toppings: salsa verde and guacamole. The salsa roja contains chicken stock.

For example:

Bowl with quinoa meatballs, black beans, cilantro-lime rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, and lettuce:

Burrito with quinoa meatballs, black beans, cilantro-lime rice, guacamole, lettuce:

Splitsville

The most obvious option is their Impossible Burger, where you just have to request no cheese and no special sauce to make it vegan.

The Veggie Roll is another solid choice. Make sure to specify vegan to your server, i.e. omit pickled radish, and you may substitute avocado instead. Make sure to get the regular ponzu sauce instead of the kimchi ponzu sauce, which contains fish.

Another good one is the Spicy Veggie Bowl. Make sure you’re getting the regular ponzu sauce instead of the kimchi ponzu and tataki; both of those contain fish.

La Brea Bakery

After being in Downtown Disney for so many years, La Brea Bakery is now closed (as of January 2023).

Earl of Sandwich had closed as part of the large refurbishment of the West side of Downtown Disney, but it was just announced (January 2023) that it will return – I believe it will temporarily operate in the space that used to be La Brea Bakery (which is permanently gone), and later, that space will be Porto’s. I’ll update this section as soon Earl of Sandwich reopens. You can check out the vegan sandwich on the Earl of Sandwich website, they have a vegan meatball sandwich.

Starbucks

Both Starbucks locations in Downtown Disney are now reopened and serving their full assortment of many different coffee drinks with soy, oat, almond, or coconut milk.

Naples (Table Service) / Napolini (Quick Service)

Naples is pretty far down on my list of the good vegan food in Downtown Disney; it is very old-school and not great for vegans. Nothing is labeled vegan, but you can ask your server if they can modify things for you, as in the examples below.

The menu board the last time I checked:

You can veganize the pizza by asking for no cheese, extra sauce, and toppings of your choice. The photo below is a pizza with eggplant, artichokes, black olives, and arugula:

The Della Casa Salad, which is pictured here with added chickpeas:

If they bring out bread before your meal, make sure to double check that it’s vegan, but last time I was there, they had two vegan breads – the ciabatta bread on left, pizza dough bread on right:

Napolini is the quick service side of Naples. You can get a pizza with no cheese and your choice of toppings. Here is the menu board to give you an idea of what toppings are available:

Sprinkles Cupcakes

Sprinkles has one vegan flavor, the Vegan Red Velvet. It is delicious and I highly recommend.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen

Here they have two main options – an Impossible Burger (make sure to double check with your server/chef about possible eggs/dairy in the bun and sauce) – and a Vegan Pasta on the special diets menu.

Below is the Impossible Burger – last time I went, the bun was fine, but I had to request to remove the aioli.

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The fries are in a shared fryer, so switch them out for another side if you prefer (salad, veggies, etc).

The Vegan Pasta on the special diets menu. I got this one quite a while back, so this photo might not look exactly how they are making it now, but it gives you a general idea:

They can also make an off-menu vegan version of their jambalaya, which I haven’t had yet, but there are some reports that they can make it for you.

They have a full bar, so they can make lots of cocktails and things. I got a virgin mint julep there for the first time and it was very refreshing! Quite different from the ones in Disneyland – less sweet and more fizzy. No cherry, though.

The Express side of the Jazz Kitchen just has a couple of items, nothing remotely veganizable unfortunately. They have a few drinks though, e.g. the virgin mint julep. Maybe one day they will have vegan beignets like they do at the Port Orleans Resort at Walt Disney World!

Uva Bar and Café

This menu changes often, so make sure to double check with your server whenever ordering something! That goes for everything that you read here on my blog, but especially for Uva.

I haven’t been able to get there during breakfast hours yet, but they list a Veggie Sandwich that may be able to be served vegan:

Veggie Sandwich
Vegan Sausage patty, White Cheddar, Tomato, Guacamole, Brioche Bun

If you omit the cheese, and ask about the bun (whether it contains eggs/dairy/honey), then it might be possible! Or they might have something else off-menu that they can offer you. Please let me know what they say if you go and ask!

They have a variety of brunch-style cocktails, most of which are vegan, and a variety of beers and wines. You can look up each one on Barnivore if you are so inclined!

For lunch and dinner hours, they have a Veggie Burger that has had many iterations over the years, and the current version is described on the menu as follows:

Veggie Burger
Impossible Burger Patty, Shredded Lettuce, Caramelized Onions, Secret Sauce, served with Sweet Potato Fries

Many thanks to @gunnerbeaglesmummy for the updated info and photos below!! The buns are now vegan (in the past they were sometimes, sometimes not), and the modification here is to omit the secret sauce. The fries are cooked in a shared fryer, and those who are concerned about cross contamination may get a mixed green salad as a side instead.

In the appetizer section of the menu, they have a hummus plate that seems to have replaced the older version of the trio of Mediterranean dips. The last time I asked, the pita bread wasn’t vegan, but they were able to substitute cucumber slices for dipping instead. Below is the older version, the Mediterranean dips, and the new version is just described as hummus, but it is probably similar:

They also have a buffalo cauliflower on the menu, and I don’t know whether it can be made vegan (by omitting cheese) – there may be egg in the breading or something to that effect. Please let me know what they say if you ask!

For the Manchego salad, omit the cheese and it should be good to go.

For the Beet and Quinoa Salad, omit the cheese and double check on the dressing. If they dressing isn’t vegan, they should be able to substitute one for you.

For sides, they have a mixed green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, fries, and sweet potato fries. For the latter two, just get them with ketchup only instead of ranch.

Sweet potato fries with ketchup:

They have a variety of cocktails, most of which are vegan, and a variety of beers and wines. You can look up each one on Barnivore if you are so inclined!

Catal Restaurant

Catal’s vegan paella used to be off-menu, but now they have it on the menu as the Vegetarian Paella:
Fideo Seco, Vegetable Sofrito, Peas, Market Vegetables.

I believe it is vegan by default, but with this newest version, please make sure to double check with your server.

The items below should be vegan, but make sure to double check with your server, since things can change often:

Pan con Tomate. Grilled rustic bread, vine ripe tomato purée, sweet garlic, evoo, sea salt (appetizer)

Vegetarian Paella. Fideo seco, broccolini, vegetable sofrito, smoked carrots, peas (entree)

Sautéed Mushrooms. Garlic, thyme (side)

Many thanks to @vanessa_ainsley for getting these photos of the updated menu! Below is her photo of the new version of the vegan paella!

Jamba Juice

Many of Jamba Juice’s smoothies are vegan by default, i.e. the following smoothies in the “Plant-Based” section of their menu:⁣
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Blackberry Smoothie⁣
Apples ‘n Greens⁣
Mega Mango⁣
Smooth Talkin’ Mango⁣
Strawberry Whirl⁣
Greens ‘n Ginger⁣
Pomegranate Paradise⁣
Peach Perfection⁣
Amazing Greens⁣
Vanilla Blue Sky⁣
Protein Berry Workout⁣
⁣
They also have smoothie bowls, which are smoothies with toppings such as granola, berries, chia seeds, and nuts. The following bowls are vegan without modifications:⁣
⁣
Vanilla Blue Sky Bowl⁣
Peachy Green Goodness Bowl⁣
Nutty Almond Butter Bowl⁣

Many of the other smoothies can be veganized with a substitution or two as well! For example, omit the Greek yogurt and swap it for oat milk.

Here is the Vanilla Blue Sky, which is unsweetened almond milk, vanilla coconut milk, bananas, pineapples, and blue spirulina:

They also added a breakfast sandwich with an Impossible patty recently. You have to remove the cheese and egg, but the bread is vegan, so it’s still feasible. I have heard that they come pre-made and that they just throw the egg and cheese in the trash if you order it that way, so for me, that is not ideal at all, because it doesn’t indicate that I ordered it without, and as far as the ledgers look, I bought the cheese and egg. So I won’t be getting this one until they make it fully vegan or at least until I’m confident that it can be modified in a way that makes a difference.

Marceline’s Confectionary (Candy Shop)

The plain kettle corn is vegan, but the other varieties have milk (e.g. caramel, cheddar, etc.). Back in the day there was a Sriracha flavor that was vegan too, but I haven’t seen it in a while. For now, just look for the regular kettle corn:

On Fridays and sometimes Saturdays, they have the plain candied apples, the ones with just the red candy glaze and nothing else, and those are vegan.

You will also find these lollipops and other various candies that are at several locations around Disneyland, DCA, and Downtown Disney:

It has been a while since I have seen the Snacks with Character pictured below, but hopefully they will return soon, so I’m keeping them here just in case. Many of them are repackaged Enjoy Life allergy-friendly products. Most of them are vegan, for example the ones below:

Some of the Chip & Dales snacks are vegan, but some contain dairy. Below, I have photos of each of the ones that are vegan, but make sure to always double check the ingredients lists before purchasing, since they can sometimes change.

There are also a variety of packaged candies, and while some of them have gelatin, beeswax, or other animal products, there are a few that are accidentally vegan, or vegan as far as is discernible. There are no obvious animal products in them. I discuss obscure ingredients like dyes, etc., in my FAQ here on my website, but please make your own decision about them.

Heads up on the Cocoa Dusted Dark Chocolate Almonds pictured below: for many years, they were vegan, with no dairy involved, but now (as of November 2022), they are showing milk in the ingredients list, no longer vegan. Maybe one day they’ll change back, but for now, they’re not vegan anymore!

And of course these lollipops, which are almost always there:

Sephora

There is quite a bit of vegan and cruelty-free makeup and skincare here. Last time I was in there, they told me I wasn’t allowed to take photos, so unfortunately I can’t give you a very detailed update on what is currently available. But Sephora’s website will tell you whether any given product is vegan.

Curl Surf

I looked into Curl Surf quickly and saw that they do still stock the vegan sunscreen Sun Bum. Most of Sun Bum’s products are vegan, just look for the word vegan on the label.

That’s going to do it for now! I’ll update this post whenever I get more info. If you go to Disneyland, DCA, or Downtown Disney and have any photos of the food, please tag me on Instagram!

If these guides are helpful to you and you would like to show your appreciation, you are welcome to buy me a Dole Whip 🙂

I hope to see you in the park real soon!

If you’re looking for vegan options in other parts of the Disneyland Resort, please see my most recently updated Complete Guides for those:

• Complete Guide to Vegan Options in California Adventure
• Complete Guide to Vegan Options in Disneyland
• Complete Guide to Vegan Options in the Hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Grand Californian, Paradise Pier)