Alex K.
Yelp
First off I gotta give The Happy Vegan major props for opening up at such a difficult time during COVID! I was pumped to find out about this cafe after our favorite place to get a vegan bagel closed down a while ago (RIP Katz... real ones know!). Tucked away on a little side street in SOMA (near my work, YAS!), it's a quaint coffee shop style spot with a couple of small tables outside. I was stoked to see that everything they offer is gluten free and vegan (of course), with options like bagels, toast, smoothie bowls and pastries.
For our first visit, I went for a "Californian," ($6) which is cream cheese and avocado on a bagel. I appreciated the variety of cream cheese offerings (plain, scallion or "lox"), and the fact that you can choose a plain or everything bagel. I decided to go for scallion on a plain bagel. My partner got "The Works," ($7) which was cream cheese, avocado and tomato which they ordered on an everything bagel. I absolutely loved that their cream cheese tasted homemade; it had a nice tanginess to it and a good texture! It was a little thicker than traditional cream cheese but I liked that. Overall the bagels were fluffier than expected being gluten free, and albeit a little small, we enjoyed them! Next time I'll definitely get the everything bagel for some added flavor and I can't wait to try their "egg" bagels, which looked delicious but I just wasn't hungry enough this time around!
The Happy Vegan is such a little gem in SOMA where food options, particularly vegan ones, are scarce. I love that they have so many grab and go items if you need a quick snack or a coffee fix. Service was friendly and helpful, as well. I can't wait to stop by on my way to work in the future, especially since I'm a poor food planner and always end up hungry halfway through my shift, lol. I'll definitely be back for more bagels and to try their smoothie bowls and toasts!