Restaurant Winners Announced For Marin Vegan Challenge

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The 2025 Marin County Vegan Challenge has ended and the award winners were announced Wednesday.

About 500 ratings and reviews were submitted for the dishes during the October Challenge, and Marin County residents who dined at the participating restaurants chose the winners.

The inaugural Marin County Vegan Chef Challenge, organized by Vegan Outreach and Vegan Marin, was created as way to encourage more vegan options at local restaurants.

"Our vegan community does find naturally vegan entree items in some Asian, Indian and Mediterranean restaurants and stores," Aurora Doyon, a volunteer Vegan Chef Challenge organizer, told Patch. "We have also recently started seeing more restaurants and delis with clearly marked vegan options, esp those highlighting fresh, healthy cuisines, and several chains are adding vegan items to their menus."

Local chefs were recognized and honored thanks to the support of community members and local foodies who rated the participating dishes and chefs.

Doyon told Patch the push for more plant-based options is a mutual benefit: it satisfies the growing demand from vegans and general food enthusiasts alike, while also helping restaurants attract a larger customer base, the organizers told Patch.

“If a group of friends is planning a dinner out on the town, and one of them is vegan, the entire group will skip a restaurant without good vegan options,” former chef Alex Bury told Patch.

List of winners:

The Burren House: Diners' Choice First Place & Best Entrée / Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Flores Kitchen & Bar: Diners’ Choice Second Place & Best Overall Menu

Tony Tutto Pizza: Diners’ Choice Third Place & Best Dessert / Tiramisu Cake

Squared Pizza: Most Creative / Baked Potato & Meatball Pizza

Uchiwa Ramen: Best Appetizer / Sesame Tofu Fingers

Le Garage Bistro: Best Soup / Formule Le Garage

Salt & Pepper Restaurant: Best Salad / Mediterranean Salad

Barrel House Tavern: Best Presentation / Fall Vegetable Risotto

Mi Casa Cafe: Worth Every Bite Award / Pambazo

Humbowl: Healthiest Bite / Seasonalbowl

Bakery 6: Comfort Food Champ / Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Red Rooster Brick Oven: Vegan Adaptation Recognition

Julie’s Hummus Bar: VCC Featured Participant

Related Articles:

Chefs And Owners Talk About Their Experience In The Marin County Vegan Chef Challenge

Vegan Chef Challenge Coming To This Bay Area County