Vegan Breakfast in Modesto | Good Day Sacramento Feature
Your Neighborhood Vegan on Good Day Sacramento
Co-hosting with “Caravan Cody
I was invited to co-host a segment on Good Day Sacramento! After my recent spotlight on Good Day Yesi’s Birthday Special, Cody Stark invited me to travel with him around town to share some vegan breakfast options at three local cafés. I am honored to not only have the opportunity to share my passion, but also to showcase some incredible businesses, their community impact, and, of course, their vegan food!
My goal is always to share how tasty and accessible vegan can be, even here, in the heart of the Central Valley. That being said, vegan breakfast still seems to be the trickiest to come by, so I am stoked to highlight three local cafés that offer vegan fare. The best part? Most of these options are available all day, along with others for lunch and dinner.
Cody and I visited The Alchemist Café & Elixir Bar, Queen Bean Coffee & Social House, and Penny University in downtown Modesto to try some of their vegan options and highlight their community involvement.
While these cafés are not fully vegan, they offer vegan options, making them a great choice for mixed groups.
Watch our full segment below, and read on for more on each café.
Alchemist Cafe & Elixir Bar
Newest on the block, literally, is the Alchemist Café & Elixir Bar.
What began as a mobile mocktail bar has expanded into 209’s only Kava Bar + alcohol-free café. After founder Candace quit both bartending and drinking, she found a lack of creativity in the alcohol-free space, and the mobile elixir bar was born. This year, the mobile bar became a full café, offering elixirs, treats, and a menu full of fresh finds. Every ingredient has a purpose beyond taste and presentation, as you tend to the garden within.
Everything on the menu at the Alchemist Café can be made vegan or gluten-free (if it isn’t already). From parfaits to loaded toasts and cheesy flatbreads, there’s a dish for every time of day and craving. They also source local ingredients from farmers and bakers, such as One Hot Mama’s Salsa and KH Mushrooms for their vegan “Taco Tuesday” specials, and Nama’s Kitchen Sourdough for the flatbreads!
We had the privilege of tasting an assortment of loaded toasts, a berry parfait, a cinnamon roll, and kava.
We shared the Sunrise Parfait layered with coconut yogurt, chia seeds, agave, and organic fruit.
I dove into the Blossom Toast loaded with dairy-free spirulina cream cheese, berries, nuts, and agave.
We shared the Sacred Toast layered with oregano vegan pesto, sprouts, KH Mushrooms, red onions, tomato, and balsamic drizzle.
Cody’ favorite was the Harmony Toast with an herb whip, chickpeas, arugula, cucumber, carrot, and topped with lemon tahini.
To end our meal, Candace surprised us with a GF + V Cinnamon Roll that was hard to share and is a part of her rotating treat menu.
Stop by for Alchemist Café’s new “Sunset Markets” held on Saturdays from 5-8 PM, running from August 29th-September 19th, with rotating vendors, live music, and eats! Then pop in for “Sunday Service” on the first Sunday of the month for holistic health and wellness activities. Follow Alchemist Café on Instagram to stay updated on upcoming events.
Alchemist Café Address: 1311 E St, Modesto, CA 95354
Find my full review of Alchemist Café here.
Queen Bean Coffee & Social House
The Queen Bean has been a coffee shop and beloved hangout since 2005. A converted 1908 bungalow, the Queen Bean is the oldest establishment of the three we visited, but is under new ownership as of 2024. Once listed on the market, married couple Ruhi Sheikh and Sam Pierstorff leaped into business ownership to ensure the building remained a part of our community. As Sam stated in the Modesto Bee, the goal is “to create a space to highlight local artists, creators and small business owners, as well as to provide a safe hangout for the city’s youth and a place to form connections and network.”
The Queen Bean has long been “the” spot for artists and creatives to collaborate and share. It was where my sister and late brother hung out after JC classes, and eventually became the same for my friends and I in high school (once we were old enough to drive). I am so thankful for the new ownership, and they have made much-needed upgrades to the space. They’ve also updated the menu with Chef Lorena of Café Deva. The menu uses bread from Stockton’s Genova Bakery and “Slug Slime” from Los Bagels. The menu now includes vegan options, so Cody and I tried them all.
Vegan without modifications is their Vegan Breakfast Bowl with Just Egg. This comes with scrambled plant-based Just Egg, vegan cheese, soy chorizo, potato, onion, black beans, and Chef Lorena’s salsa.
We also shared the two sandwiches that can be made vegan with slight modifications. The Veggie Del Sol generally comes on honey whole wheat, but when subbed with sourdough and a dairy-free cream cheese spread, the rest is already vegan: sprouts, avocado, cucumber, roasted red pepper, and red onion.
The Los Bagels Cucumbin Bagel is a toasted bagel loaded with cream cheese (sub for vegan) and cucumbers, then topped with Los Bagels’ “Slug Slime”– an everything bagel seasoning, and a creamy mustard and dill sauce.
There is always something to do at the Queen Bean, as they host an endless list of events, from comedy shows to movie nights and beyond. Follow them on social media to stay updated on what’s to come!
Queen Bean Address: 1126 14th St, Modesto, CA 95354
Penny University Coffee
Located off the bustle of Modesto’s J Street is Penny University, a woman-owned café. With a shared dream, the duo Laurel Rehkopf and Auni Slatten expanded their pop-up coffee business into a brick-and-mortar location in the summer of 2023, in what used to house Café Deva.
Penny University is “coined” (pun intended) after 17th-century coffee shops in London. At the time, coffee cost just a penny, making coffeehouses a community and social-class equalizer where people from all walks of life could congregate to socialize and learn. Our own Penny U is hoping to do the same by fostering community and offering menu options everyone can enjoy (but adjusted for inflation, of course).
Penny’s menu includes options for breakfast and all day. Their coffee beans are from Valor Coffee, and the bread used in their dishes is sourced from the local bakery, Alchemy Bread (if you know, you know). Cody and I shared several items, including their NEW vegan bakery case items, and enjoyed a latte and a mocha, both made dairy-free.
Both of us favored the Vegan Tartine (who wouldn’t?). It’s a thick-sliced sourdough that’s loaded with seasoned potatoes, seasonal squash, caramelized onions, and a vegan garlic aioli.
The Avocado Toast is the only vegan menu item technically not available all day. Toasted sourdough topped with fresh avocado, arugula, pickled carrot ribbons, and sprinkled with everything seasoning.
We were also impressed by the shareable White Bean Hummus. The hummus is made in-house as a blend of white beans and chickpeas with garlic and lemon. It’s served with sourdough crostini and veggies for dipping.
They also have a fresh bakery case with newly added vegan items that should soon be on regular rotation. We split the Sugar Cookie Bar, and I am not ashamed to admit I ate most of the Chocolate Cake– it had peanut butter frosting!
Penny U is a go-to for morning meet-ups, but is also a great stop for after-work drinks (they serve beer & wine) or pre-event bites (they’re within walking distance of Gallo Arts Center & The State Theatre). Additionally, you can find them serving coffee at the Modesto Certified Farmers Market on Thursdays and Saturdays. Follow them on social media to stay up to date on future events, such as their previous “Latte Art Competition” (I hope it makes a comeback)!
Penny University Address: 1202 J Street Modesto, CA 95354
List of Restaurants in Modesto with Vegan Options
These locations offer vegan options that range from pastries to scrambles to smoothie bowls. Please note that options and ingredients can change, so please always check with your server.
- Alchemist Cafe & Elixir Bar – My Review
- Toasts, parfaits, pastries, and more. Everything on their menu can be made vegan.
- Bauhaus Brunch – My Review
- Offers vegan options at brunch and dinner.
- Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters
- V + GF pastries from Killer Sweets.
- Good Day Lucille
- Avocado toast or breakfast sandwiches (with modifications).
- Nektar Juice Bar
- Smoothie bar with bowls and more.
- Penny University Coffee
- Assorted pastries on rotation, Veggie Sandwich, Vegan Tartine, Avocado Toast, White Bean Hummus Plate, Marinated Olives.
- Protein House
- Tofu bowls, smoothies, vegan pancakes, and more.
- Queen Bean Coffee & Social House
- Vegan Breakfast Bowl with Just Egg, Veggie Del Sol Sandwich (with modifications- ask to make vegan), and Los Bagels Cucumbin Bagel (with modifications- ask to make vegan)
- Squeeze In – My Review
- Vegan section on their menu including burrito, chilaquilles, spuds with tofu, and more.
- Vitality Bowls
- Smoothies, bowls, wraps.
- Yogurt Mill
- Smoothie bowls, smoothies, and dairy-free fro-yo.
Leave a Reply