Located in a historic speakeasy in San Francisco's old Latin Quarter, 'Peña' means a circle of people coming together and 'Pachamama' means Mother Earth. In early 2023, the restaurant was certified as a Legacy Business in the City of San Francisco in recognition of its long history of service to the community and for being a valuable cultural asset and a part of the 'Soul of the City'. Peña Pachamama is the only vegan restaurant that is a Legacy Business in San Francisco. The restaurant serves organic vegan South American cuisine with live performances after dinner on weekends. The menu is half raw and half cooked, and mostly gluten-free. Uses all organic produce and only extra virgin olive oil or organic coconut oil in dishes. The kitchen makes vegan ice cream and raw kale chips in-house. Serves a selection of cocktails, wines, and sangria. Visit web calendar for schedule of live entertainment events. Open Mon-Thu 4:30pm-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 4:30pm-10:30pm. Closed Sun.
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1630 Powell St (at North Beach), San Francisco, California, USA, 94133
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 20 Feb 2025 by PenaPachamama
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145 Reviews
First Review by ·X·
Jenny20124
Points +68
secret hideaway - Edit
These people know how to cook. Put it this way, my husband dropped a kale chip and he ate it because they are that good! The entertainment started towards the end of our meal. They wanted donations- no problem! It was a family affair that made it feel as if we had crashed a wedding party, that was happening!
Read morePros: vegan cuisine , music, family
Guest
veganeconomist
Points +106
One of my fav vegan restaurants of all time - Edit
This restaurant is so good that I ended up going there twice during my 1.5 day stay in SF. I tried the vegan albondigas and portobello burger and they were both delicious. They also make the most amazing kale chips. Oh, and the coconut cream pie was heavenly.
Read moreThe service staff and the owner were very lovely and welcoming too. Would definitely go there again the next time I'm in SF.
Guest
edwardbc
Points +1035
Nice latin food - Edit
Very interesting concept of food and ingredients. I'd love to try some of the raw menu next time.
Read moreGuest
ClareBewick
Points +88
Amazing food! - Edit
This place was on my must eat list on my visit to SF and I was not disappointed!! The food was so so tasty. Lovely, little and independent place. Great authentic food with good customer service.
Read morePros: Location, Good value, Authenticity
Cons: Dated decor
Guest
foxtrick
Points +292
Great pizza in a quaint atmosphere - Edit
I had a pizza for lunch here and it was really tasty! Walked here from Fisherman's Wharf. Interesting place with a few different family members wandering around, waiting on tables and talking to customers.
Read moreGuest
VeganTing
Points +338
Best Vegan Meal in San Fran - Edit
I love this place. I had planned a trip to SF with my daughter and we were planning to go to Beach Blanket Babylon and so I wanted to see if there was a vegan-friendly restaurant close by. Turns out there was--Pena Pachamama. I went that night and have been there another 3 times since then--once with a dear friend from high school and two times with my husband.
Read moreLet's start with the ambiance. This place is adorable. It is cozy with lots of pillows so that you can be comfortable. They have live music and dancing.
They have two menus--one that is raw and one that is cooked. Everything is 100% vegan. Somehow I have a good eye for picking out the best dishes on the menu. The first night, I ordered the Raw Housemade Buckwheat Crackers with Guacamole and the Vegan Chef Plate. Both were amazing and I had to purchase their recipe book so that I could make my own buckwheat crackers. Amazing! I have tried the Bolivian style Portapancho and the Vegan Albondigas. Both were delicious.
Love this restaurant--a must if you are in South Beach!
Pros: Nutritious, Cozy, Absolutely delicious
Cons: None!
Guest
alexandra_vegan
Points +1549
Mediocre but fresh food. Way too overpriced. - Edit
We went there on a Saturday evening. We just wanted dinner but we got just in time for the show.
Read moreThe whole atmosphere made us feel like we were in a time capsule.
If you are there for the show you need to pay a ticket $18. If you only want dinner and don't stay for the entire show you don't need to buy tickets and they'll seat you in a separate part of the restaurant. More info on this on their webpage.
The food was ok, fresh and tasty, but really simple and portion size is medium.
I can't understand how they came up with the price, which is way beyond what it's worth. One of the most overpriced foods ever.
I ordered the vegan albondigas (3 vegan meatballs with onion sauce and peas, a couple of baked potatoes with spicy cashew sauce, some rice and fresh tomato salsa) and my husband got the vegan cheese burger (beet patty, vegan cheese, a couple of baked potatoes and a spoonful of salad). Each of them costed $17.
We also tried the lentil dip with fried plantains which costed $9.
The portions were medium, and the price was way beyond the true value of the dishes. The food was fresh and tasty, but not worth the price, and not something I'll never forget.
So, if you want to go there for the food, i wouldn't recommend it.
If you go there for the show, might be worth it, but I'm definitely not an expert in this and I can't [censored] the quality of the show.
Updated from previous review on 2017-01-15
Pros: 100% vegan
Cons: street parking hard to find, payed parking across the street, overpriced food
Guest
vegancheeks
Points +583
okay but empty at lunch...probably telling - Edit
All vegan with a raw and cooked menu.
Read moreI've been on and off raw so always amazing to find places for time intensive raw dishes. Had a combo raw pizza and corn taco plate. Pizza was only okay, but would never order again. The Greene Boheme makes amazing raw pizza in comparison. The taco was pretty good, but mainly avocado so how can you go wrong? At $17.95 really quite steep.
Ambiance was okay. A bit run down and hokey. Not a great place to bring non vegans. I imagine the evenings with crowds and live world music to be fun.
I'm not too likely to return. Wish I'd liked it more....
Guest
Quwilson1225
Points +16
Big Love!! - Edit
To call this place a restaurant is to not do it justice. It is an experience on many levels. The main ingredients being connection and kindness.
Read moreWe(my partner, Mother and I)came to SF from Santa Cruz and found this spot through a search engine. We walked in to a large crowd of people being entertained by a woman on stage. This woman welcomed us in and greeted us as family, openly and warmly. The large group soon after left and we the woman came to our table. Come to find out this was Quentin, the owner. So sweet.
Conversation flowed from our histories to dietary choices to living situations to music and all points in between. The food came out and we were blown away. This is not your typical vegetarian/vegan restaurant. The heart and soul of this place is present all over, and especially in the food. I don't feel the need to review the food individually as I say check the menu and you will see this is not your run of the mill food option. Many flavors present themselves as we passed around multiple plates. Finally, order the ice cream!
Thank you Quentin. You and your restaurant are a breath of fresh air.
Pros: Community vibration, Fresh/organic options, Love
Guest
DonD
Points +106
Great place for lunch (or dinner)! - Edit
We went to (all-vegan) Pena Pachamama for lunch today while in North Beach. A former speakeasy from way back in SF's history the restaurant—although a bit dark inside—was really welcoming and comfortable. I had the plantain chips with lentil dip, an empanada and their brownie with coconut ice cream. Fantastic food and Quentin, one of the ultra-friendly owners, stopped by to chat and we ended up staying another 45 minutes after our lunch. All in all an awesome time we'll be back soon! Don't mis this place!
Read morePros: Great food and nice big selection to choose from, Super friendly staff and owner, Convenient location near Columbus/Broadway
Cons: A bit darker inside but not a big issue
Guest
ABVC
Points +31
Tastey and friendly - Edit
Great little place with charm and character. Food was tastey and staff friendly. :)
Read moreHad lunch but would like to come back for dinner and show one day. :)
Guest
ScarlettNeary
Points +41
AMAZING - Edit
One of the owners, a very youthful looking lady, told us she has been vegan for 16 years. She was so lovely, as are all of the staff. Awesome food, we have been twice in less than 24 hours and will probably be back tonight. Must visit if you're in San Fransisco.
Read moreGuest
KathiKie
Points +70
OK - Edit
We didn't want to order a burger or a pizza and we didn't want to see the show. (Maybe this is the reason, why's lot of people are so flashed?!) Our food was ok.
Read moreGuest
LiviaMvanHeerde
Points +66
One of the best dining experiences - Edit
My boyfriend and I went for an early dinner there because we were wandering through San Francisco and found this place on Happy Cow (didn't even read the reviews!). We had a pretty crappy day and our mood wasn't the best. When we got there, the restaurant was completely empty which was quite interesting. But we decided to eat there anyways. That was such a good decision. We ordered roasted potatoes as a starte. My boyfriend called them the best potatoes he ever had. As main dishes we had the beet cheese burger and the Chef's plate. Both was super good! The spinach was a little bit too salty but I loved the dish anyways! We ordered the brownie with ice cream and the chocolate crepe which were both perfect too. The atmosphere was really pleasent. The service was high quality too and we had a super nice talk with the owner (woman) who recommended us our mains. We were too early for the show but we'll definitely come back when we're in San Francisco. We left this restaurant with the best mood and a big smile, totally satisfied and it saved our day! All in all: This place is just perfect. The price is good, the food is excellent, the portion size is satisfying, the atmosphere is nice and you can bring omnivores (they'll love it!). We are just sad that we don't live in San Francisco otherwise we'd come here all the time.
Read morePros: perfect food, perfect atmosphere, excellent service
Cons: NONE
Guest
kulwant
Points +122
[censored] was OK - Edit
Food was OK. We went at 2 pm and we were alone in the restaurant.
Read moreGuest
jackie.r.7289
Points +141
Fun environment with interesting food - Edit
Pena Pachamama was an all-around enjoyable dining experience. It's a tiny spot in North Beach that you'd miss if you weren't seeking it out. Upon entering, the hostess told us they had a show starting in 20 minutes, so we'd either have to do their dinner special or pay $20 each for the show, on top of whatever we ordered. While the show aspect was unexpected, it was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant had many 8-10 tables surrounding a small stage - the decorations and atmosphere were very festive, there also seemed to be a small bar in the back of the restaurant. It's Peruvian food but all vegan, a very rare twist!
Read moreFood - The menu was generally quite vast, but the food was strongly good at best, not anything particularly special (if anything, a bit salty). I had the tacos and my boyfriend had the spicy chef's plate. The tacos were definitely preferred - there was a generous helping of guacamole, cashew cheese, some type of fake meat and spices. His chef's plate had tapioca, a black bean sauce and quinoa served in a pyramid-type structure and was surrounded by cashew cheese cooked-kale chips. His had a lot of flavors going on but they didn't necessarily work perfectly together, I did like the texture the kale chips were cooked to however. We'd split plantains with a black bean dip with friends for an appetizer - while they were a bit greasy, the sweetness combined with the saltiness from the black bean dip worked well together. For dessert we had a white chocolate cheesecake - particularly impressive and the texture was spot on with the creaminess and denseness of a true cheesecake - I loved the crust!
The show that evening was a flamenco show - three ladies singing and dancing and a guitarist, in total about 40 minutes long (two separate 20 minute segments). They were quite entertaining and a nice diversion from a typical dinner out. Service was as attentive as possible given the show going on as well. All in, it was a bit pricey given the overall experience, but it was a fun evening out with friends. While I wouldn't run back, I'd definitely go back again.
Guest
Chris from NZ
Points +16
beautiful place run by lovely people - Edit
I found this place while passed through San Fran with my dad. I walked in at about 1pm feeling kinda average and hungry. After hearing Eddie and His wife play and sing some Bolivian music, eating a cheeseburger that my omnivorous father loved, and talking with the owner about veganism, travel and music for about half an hour; I walked out with a full stomach a positive mood and a new friend. I will be back to the this place every time I pass through San Fran if I can. it was amazing.
Read moreIn short:
Fully gluten free menu. half raw menu and half cooked. Raw deserts. go there. we played $70 for one platter (for two) one cheese burger, one desert and a glass of wine. definitely worth it
Pros: Fully vegan, live music, fully gluten free, lovely
Cons: a tad expensive compared to others but you pay for
Guest
lullabelle
Points +33
WOW!!!! - Edit
I can't praise this place enough, it was spectacular! I will recommend it to anyone who will listen. I loved everything about it. I went in for lunch and got chatting to the owners Eddy and his wife Quentin who were just charming lovely people. They told me all about their music and I had a great chat with Quentin about raw food cooking. My husband ( carnivore) came back with me the following night for dinner and a show. I had the raw sampler plate which had a bit of everything on it and he had some from the cooked side menu. We enjoyed our evening which included a show from some supremely talented musicians ( Eddy is a famous Bolivian musician) and a divine raw dessert. I love this place and if I lived in San Francisco, they'd probably have to give me a job there!
Read morePros: food was spectacular, hospitality of the hosts, music
Cons: I don't live in SF so can't go all the time!
Guest
CourtlandtButts
Points +18
Great Energy! Almost a mystic vibe - Edit
The food tastes really good. I had something from m both the raw side and cooked vegan side of the menu. I like be on the east coast but I'm coming back here. The owners are music artists and took time to tell me their story. It's a cool one. A special special place for sure.
Read morePros: The food is local, organic, raw, vegan
Cons: Just a tad bit pricey
Guest
KerryLydon
Points +88
delicious - Edit
Went here for lunch after seeing it on Happy Cow. It was very quiet but the reception was very friendly. The menu is great and our food was delicious. Some of the best food I've tasted. Also loved the history of the place. Next time I'm in San Francisco, I'll definitely go back for one of the nights they have music.
Read moreGuest
kecors01
Points +120
Delicious - Edit
Entirely vegan Latin fare. The food was extraordinary. I ordered a dish with quinoa, greens, and kale chips as well as the plantain/black bean dip appetizer. I wish I had time to go back and try more items from the menu!
Read morePros: all vegan, moderately priced, cozy atmosphere
Cons: none!
Guest
JohnDavis
Points +32
Excellent - Edit
An intimate and atmospheric restaurant. We went on one of the evenings without music, and found it to be wonderfully peaceful. However, I imagine it would be rather more lively when bands are playing. Service was excellent - then again, compared to the UK, service everywhere in the US is excellent - and the food was interesting, offering something different to the usual vegan options of burger, pasta or salad. We particularly recommend the beetroot neatballs.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Wednesday November 18, 2015
Pros: Atmospheric, Friendly staff, Interesting menu
Guest
NicoleLoumeau
Points +17
LOVED it!! - Edit
This place is so cute. I went in there to eat by myself and they made you feel like you were part of a community. It's owned by a married couple who are so sweet. When I was there they took turns entertaining us and serving us. The man brought me lots of food and drinks that I didn't even order to try them! I ended up buying their book. 100% recommend this place.
Read morePros: Ambiance, Entertaining, Cultural
Cons: If you like eating quietly, it's noisy
Guest
sarahlovesfood
Points +173
All vegan Bolivian food! - Edit
Very tasty food, nice atmosphere, a real experience.
Read moreAll the food tastes fresh and healthy. Though I have no experience of Bolivian food I really enjoyed my meal.
Pros: All vegan menu, Vegan desserts
Guest
nickb
Points +251
Wonderful Dining Experience - Edit
Pena Pachamama is a wonderful dining experience. With little knowledge of Bolivian cuisine, my family & I sampled a wide range of dishes including raw, cooked & desserts. The raw food in particular were extremely creative & delicious.
Read moreThe atmosphere in the restaurant was a little lacking on the night we dined (very quiet with no music), however the restaurant had great character & a feeling of nostalgia. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant for those seeking a special dining experience.
Pros: Creative, delicious, healthy food, Nice restaurant interior, Great service
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
DSpocklington
Points +44
A New World of Excellence - Edit
Everything about this experience was a pleasure. Being new to Bolivian cuisine, we asked our host to choose small plates and entrees that would give us a sense of the tradition. Everything was wonderful. Delicious complexity, wonderfully seasoned. It was all just exceptional. We went on one of the nights when they didn't have live music, so we had enjoyed a quiet, intimate atmosphere, but the food was so wonderful that we imagine the music would only add an extra layer of enjoyment. We were only in SF for a week, but chose to go back for a second dinner later in the week, which we enjoyed even more. By the way, save a little room for the desserts... they are exceptional.
Read morePros: Top quality food/delicious, Creative recipes, well executed, Great place/great people
Cons: forget your diet
Guest
scottje
Points +30
A must-do in San Francisco! - Edit
This place is amazing! Delicious menu set in an intimate, historic site with wonderful live performances and a sweet staff. Definitely a place for special occasions (the bill goes up quickly, but it's worth every penny). Plenty of vegan and raw food options, and the food is splendid. Can't wait to go back.
Read morePros: Quality food, Excellent live shows, Historic site and good atmosphere
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
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