Flagstaff, Arizona, is not only a gateway to the Grand Canyon but also a burgeoning hub for healthy and delicious food. Whether you're a dedicated vegan, a vegetarian, or simply someone looking for fresh and flavorful options, Flagstaff's restaurants offer a diverse range of choices to satisfy your cravings. From cozy cafes to innovative eateries, here's a guide to some of the best spots for healthy food in Flagstaff.
Eat n’ Run: Fresh, Flavorful, and Fast
Eat n’ Run offers a diverse menu designed to cater to various tastes and dietary preferences:
- Breakfast: Start your day with hearty breakfast burritos and bowls, fresh fruit smoothies, and waffles. The bake case is always stocked with treats.
- Lunch: Enjoy wraps, paninis, salads, and hot sandwiches.
- Dinner: Signature lavosh flatbreads, hot sandwiches, and comforting classics are available.
- Dessert & Gelato: Indulge in handcrafted gelato, rich brownies, and sweets.
- Smoothies: Refreshing smoothies packed with real fruit.
- Espresso Bar: Expertly brewed drinks made with locally roasted beans.
- Catering: Fresh, flavorful catering services for office lunches and special events.
- Picnic Lunches: Perfectly packed picnic lunches for exploring.
The Toasted Owl Cafe: A Flagstaff Staple
The story of The Toasted Owl Cafe began with a simple dream. One spring day, while walking downtown Flagstaff, Cecily envisioned combining her three favorite things into a unique eatery. She found a small storefront in a bank on Birch Avenue, a space just big enough to make her dream a reality. The initial kitchen was modest, equipped with only a sink, convection oven, a three-plate burner, and a toaster.
Cecily created a small rotating menu that featured a breakfast burrito and three other dishes. She decorated the little shop with owls she had collected, and the doors of the first Toasted Owl Café opened in the fall of 2013. Later, Cecily found an old house a mile away on 12 Mike’s Pike, which she felt would be perfect for the new Owl. After extensive remodeling, including a new kitchen, dining room, retail display space and a 1200 sq. ft. Feeding the need for an east-side location in Flagstaff, Cecily then found another space on Cortland St. After extensive remodeling, this location opened in March of 2017.
The Toasted Owl Cafe has become a beloved spot in Flagstaff, known for its quirky decor and delicious food. Outstanding media coverage and “best of” awards continue to support the brand as being the “best place to have breakfast and lunch” in Arizona. Cecily says, “I have to pinch myself every morning when I wake up to know that this is not a dream. Today, after thousands of meals, millions of smiles and a lot of hooting, the Toasted Owl Café® is now available as a franchise.
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While not exclusively vegan, The Toasted Owl Cafe offers designated vegan menus for both lunch and breakfast (served “owl day”), allowing for customizable plant-based options. A local favorite is the vegan cheese steak sandwich with grilled onions and bell and red peppers slathered with gooey white cheese on a crunchy Hoagie roll. The "steak" is actually savory sauteed mushrooms, a unique and delicious surprise. The lively atmosphere of this vintage-decorated Flagstaff restaurant is a must-experience. You’ll sit at 60s dining sets with mismatched chromed-legged chairs upholstered in avocado or mustard-colored vinyl. Admire the owner’s ceramic owl collections displayed on the dining room walls while chatty servers pour endless coffee.
- Address: 12 S Mikes Pike St, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Daily 7 am-3 pm
- Outdoor dining: Yes, in spring, summer, fall
- Pet-friendly: Yes
Red Curry Vegan Kitchen: Authentic Thai Cuisine
For those seeking fully plant-based options, Red Curry Vegan Kitchen stands out as one of the most popular Flagstaff vegan restaurants. This unassuming café, located on one of the liveliest avenues in historic downtown Flagstaff, presents authentic Thai cuisine with a 100% vegan menu.
The menu offers everything from egg-free veggie rolls to coconut-milk-based curries to vegan chicken. Diners can choose from pineapple red curry, lemongrass green curry (Mussamun curry is a local favorite), or traditional Tom Yum soup, among other Thai dishes. Nab a table near the picture windows and watch the world of Flagstaff characters walk by.
Morning Glory Café: A Vegan Transition
Morning Glory Café recently transitioned to an all-vegan menu, making it an easy choice for Flagstaff vegan food. The café’s interior decor, a testament to Flagstaff’s rich cultural tapestry, has likely remained unchanged over the past four decades since its opening. The iconic Morton Salt girl still spills her salt from one end of the hand-painted mural on the north wall. As loyal locals enter, the wooden screen door bangs behind you as it closes and the original oak floor creaks a bit, like at your boho Grandma’s house.
Locals’ favorite dishes include blue corn pancakes-breakfast available all day, btw,-the Grilled Tempeh and Avocado Salad, and the Deluxe Hemp Burger served on a toasted organic wholewheat bun. One popular dish is the tamale breakfast, which includes a spicy red chile jackfruit tamale, savory pinto beans, a tofu scramble and a veggie garnish atop the tamale’s corn husk.
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- Address: 115 S. San Francisco St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9 am-4 pm
- Outdoor dining: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
Local Juicery: Organic and Intentional
Local Juicery is more than just a juice bar; it's a place where health and flavor converge. Founder and Sedona author Summer Sanders developed recipes with the intention of making you feel better. She uses only quality organic ingredients (no soy or GMOs) sourced from sustainable companies. The atmosphere is inviting, with live plants on the tall walls drawing your eyes upward while the whirl of Vita-Mix blenders welcomes you to the space.
The Legacy Smoothie, made with pitaya dragon fruit, pineapple, raspberries, banana, orange juice, orange oil, almond butter, and dates sprinkled with coconut, is a standout. Lunch goers often choose the Classic Açaí Bowl of unsweetened açaí blended with banana, blueberries, almond butter, coconut butter, almond mylk, hemp seeds and honey, topped with house-made gluten-free granola, berries, almond butter and honey.
- Address: 601 E Piccadilly Drive, Ste 85, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Daily 8 am-5 pm
- Outdoor dining: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
Macy’s European Coffeehouse & Bakery: Vegetarian Delights
One of the first Flagstaff vegetarian restaurants, Macy’s European Coffeehouse & Bakery features a cozy gathering space and an entirely vegetarian menu with vegan options.
- Address: 14 South Beaver Street, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Monday-Thursday 6:30 am- 2 pm, Friday- Sunday 6:30 am- 4 pm
- Outdoor dining: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
SoSoBa: Unabashedly In-Authentic Ramen
SoSoBa has developed its own unique styles of ramen, tagging itself as an ‘unabashedly in-authentic’ approach to traditional ramen shops. It combines elements not typically found in traditional Japanese ramen. Diners can grab a spot at the long counter adjacent to the busy open kitchen to watch the cooks flip fresh ingredients in black skillets or lift strainers of noodles out of the noodle boiler. Another option is sitting in the timeworn bar area where mixologists prepare craft cocktails or pour Japanese sake. The full-service restaurant offers a more diverse drink selection than you’d get at typical ramen shops.
- Address: 12 Historic Rte 66 #104, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Open daily 11 am - 12 am (Happy Hour 5 - 6 pm)
- Outdoor dining: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
Forêt Flagstaff: French-Influenced Breakfast
French-influenced Forêt Flagstaff is an excellent addition to Flagstaff’s breakfast scene. Techno music plays as customers wait in line to order. The sandstone walls of the historic building peek from behind the kitchen, where two cooks pump out dozens of orders. Chef Sam brings a fine-dining approach to breakfast and lunch to this mountain town.
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The layers of flavor in the Yukon Gold Hash Bowl are a standout. It features local mushrooms, house-pickled chiles, white onion, radish, toasted garlic, sesame seeds, and savory roasted tomatillo salsa. Avocado replaces the organic cage-free egg, making it 100% vegan.
- Address: 2 S Beaver St #170, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
- Hours: Open Wednesday - Sunday 8 am - 3 pm
- Outdoor dining: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes
Tourist Home Flagstaff Café: Vegan Huevos
Scope out the Vegan Huevos with country potatoes, spicy black beans, house-made ranchero sauce, avocado and scrambled vegan “eggs” at Tourist Home Flagstaff Café.
Urban Pine Eatery: Bold Flavors and Laid-Back Vibes
Located in the heart of downtown Flagstaff, Urban Pine Eatery redefines comfort food with handcrafted flatbread pizzas, vibrant salads, crave-worthy subs and sides. From signature knots to perfectly seasoned fries, every bite is made to satisfy. The dog-friendly patio provides a relaxed atmosphere for guests to enjoy beautiful downtown Flagstaff.
At Urban Pine Eatery, food is meant to be shared, savored, and celebrated. The space is designed to bring people together, whether you’re stopping by for a casual lunch, catching up over dinner, or fueling up after an epic Flagstaff adventure. The menu features fresh ingredients and creative combinations.
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