Vegan Friendly: Harvest By The Patio in Downtown San Diego

By Kelly Bone / Photography By Kelly Bone | June 18, 2018

Interior Restaurant Photos Courtesy of Harvest By The Patio

The Veg Foodie, Kelly Bone, is on the hunt for the best vegan options is San Diego. This week she heads downtown to a tucked-away spot serving seasonal cocktails, hearty vegan appetizers, and a vegan entree worth planning a meal around.

The Short and Skinny

In the shadow of the hot dogs and beer of Petco Park sits stylish, vegetable-forward Harvest by The Patio.

The Vibe

Tucked into the former Carnation Dairy Building, the walls of the first floor are lined with cold cases stacked with grab-and-go meals. The plastic clamshells beckon to game goers (you can bring your own food into the ballpark), while wooden stairs lead dine-in customers to the restaurant’s full-service bar and lounge.

Floor to ceiling images of rolling fields of wind swept wheat face the white subways tiles of the beer tap wall. The airy bar anchors the room with open wire shelving twinkling with an array of bottles.

A mix of seating choices are available, from perching at the bar in wicker and rattan stools to lounging in eccentrically carved club chairs under old world-style oil paintings.

The Food

The menu features clearly marked vegan options. The appetizer section offers three vegan dishes: a hummus trio served with za’atar dusted flatbread, crispy tofu wrapped in lettuce leaves and dressed in a tahini shallot sauce, and the intriguing coconut lime “ceviche”.

The ceviche glistens with citrus-marinated coconut flesh and lobes of avocado served under a flutter of toasted coconut; sharp red onion and bright cilantro filling the spaces between. A stack of corn chips makes it an easy dish to share.

Four salads also come vegan “as-is”, the young greens slicked with tart preserved lemon and sweetened with pomegranate seeds and juicy valencia oranges.

The vegan grain bowls are built on a mound of brown rice and quinoa, with the additional option to add seasoned fried tofu. They have heft and variety, dotted with the likes of warm hunks of sweet potato and roasted kernels of summer corn, accompanied by crunchy kale and romaine.

After 5:00pm, the one vegan entree becomes available. The Thai-inspired vegetarian curry is worth planning your visit around.

The Drinks

The cocktail menu seizes the flavors of the earth. Purple Rain, a summer sip, sparkles with lavender and lemon shaken through a Hangar 1 Vodka and lavender tea. The Weekly Harvest cocktail highlights an ever-changing selection of produce at peak of their season—executed recently as a citrus-spiked bourbon stirred with fresh thyme and served on the rocks.

What to Order at Harvest By The Patio

Coconut Lime Ceviche ($12): Cuts of avocado, yellow squash, tomato, onion, jalapeño, cucumber, and coconut with tomatillo salsa, herby cilantro, and spicy pepitas on butter leaf lettuce.

Harvest Salad Kale ($11): Ribbons of dino kale tossed in toasted hemp seed dressing with cubes of roasted beets, avocados, and julienned rainbow carrots.

The Seven Summits Bowl ($11 plus $5 for tofu): Stacks of bite-sized slices of roasted summer squash and threads of onion, served with cubes of sweet potato, tender brown lentils, lemony red peppers all tossed spinach and kale.

Vegetarian Curry ($19): A rich coconut broth comes loaded with roasted sweet potatoes, blanched spinach, cherry tomatoes, and tender coins of Japanese eggplant under a tangle of lightly battered shallots.