Orange County Vegetarian Restaurants

by Judy Asman

If you live in or are traveling through Orange County, California, you'll be happy to know there a number of vegetarian restaurants alongside the county's most popular resort areas. Some restaurants have been serving the vegetarian community for more than a decade and are situated in the same building as organic-food and vegetarian grocery stores. Others are small intimate restaurants that cater to a wide range of dining tastes but are particularly friendly to vegetarians. One thing many of Orange County vegetarian dining spots share in common is their incorporation of ethnic cuisine.
Mother's Market and Kitchen

There are six Mother's Market locations throughout Orange County, each of which is a short drive from the Disneyland Resort area, the popular Huntington Beach and the trendy coastal areas such as Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. Mother's use eggs from cage-free hens and also offers vegan dishes such as Ma's Classic Tofu Scramble and the Acai Rio Bowl for breakfast. Pasta dishes include Spinach Lasagna and Ma's Pesto Pasta with Broccoli. http://www.mothersmarket.com.

Rutabegorz

Rutabegorz has three locations in northern Orange County in the cities of Orange, Tustin and Fullerton. While its menu does not exclude meat eaters, many of its offerings are vegetarian friendly. Enjoy a Veggie Thai salad, which consists of rice, raisins and veggies with peanuts, crunchy noodles and Thai dressing. If you're in the mood for a burger, there's the Boca Burger, served on sourdough garlic bread with melted cheddar, lettuce and tomatoes. http://www.rutabegorz.com
Veggie Grill

In Orange County, there are two locations, both of which are in Irvine. One is in the Irvine Spectrum shopping center and the other near UC Irvine. Veggie Grill is fast-casual, which also offers gluten-free dishes. Menu items include a number of dishes that include "chillin' chickin" and veggie steak, both of which are seasoned and marinated protein items. The entrée's and appetizers reflect an ethnic flair and include Asian-fusion and Latino-fusion items. http://www.veggiegrill.com.
Au Lac

Au Lac has been serving vegan cuisine in Fountain Valley, California since 1997. Located near South Coast Plaza, Huntington Beach and a short distance from the other coastal and children-friendly resort areas, Au Lac serves Vietnamese delights such as "egg-less" egg rolls, noodle soup, roasted soy-chicken and stir-fried soy-seafood noodles. http://www.aulac.com.