Along with the question, “What is American culture?” comes the question, “What is American food?” Is it just burgers and fries? (If you want a great selection of vegan burgers [and other “soda fountain” food, such as milkshakes {vegan and non-vegan{], go to Saturn Cafe in Berkeley, only 2 blocks away from BART). Or is there more to American food? When you study ESL abroad at EC San Francisco, you can find out easily.
Since nearly all of what we eat here comes originally from elsewhere, you could say that Chinese, or Thai, or Italian is “American” food, but if you want vegan versions of American traditional standbys like meatloaf, you should try Herbivore. The chain has three locations (two in SF, one in Berkeley), and I think the best of the three is the one on Divisadero. The venue is bistro-style, with a garden seating area at the back, for those rare warm days in San Francisco, and the food is as good as it gets. If you can, leave enough room for dessert – the cakes [all vegan] are super. This restaurant has a reputation that extends well beyond San Francisco.