Hot girl summer? More like hoes in Tahoe, am I right??? OK, that was bad, I admit it. But you know what’s NOT bad? Lake freaking Tahoe. It is seriously one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The weather is perfect. The water is crystal clear. Everyone is so friendly (almost so friendly that I thought I was in a horror film where everyone turns into serial killers at sunset). 

Plus, there are plenty of vegan options all around Lake Tahoe and near the airport in Reno, Nevada. 

Bella, my friend Jay, and I stayed at The Landing Resort and Spa in South Lake Tahoe. The restaurant inside the hotel, Jimmy’s, had dairy-free milks, avocado toast, and a vegan dinner entree, which we didn’t get to try. I just wanted to mention that in case anyone else was staying there or looking for a lakeside restaurant to wine and fine. 

Another amazing element about staying at The Landing was that we got free shuttle rides to and from the nearby town, Heavenly Village, which had plenty of vegan options. We didn’t check out everything, but here are some of the options below.

1. Starbucks (self-explanatory) 

2. Raleys Supermarket – a VERY vegan friend supermarket. Almost like a mix between Whole Foods and Ralphs. I was so surprised at how much of the food (fresh and packaged/products) was vegan. Super convenient. Below pic is from our TikTok video of us having a little picnic at the beach with a few things from Raleys (tiktok is @cohen_twins if you want to check us out/follow!)

3. Subway! Can’t go wrong with a 6 inch, am I right? #thatswhatshesaid4. Big Bear Ice Cream Shop – they have vegan vanilla chocolate chip ice cream and vegan chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were AMAZING. Melt-in-your-mouth-goodness. Plus, the guy who worked there was cute and gave us free cookies, so win-win? 5. Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop – This candy store was SO much fun. They had retro candy, the classics, candy from my childhood I forgot even existed, Mexican Candy, etc. They also had like every single flavor of soda imaginable, including cucumber soda and even buffalo wing soda. No, we did not try either lol. All of the candy wasn’t vegan, but there was a large selection of vegan candy to satisfy my raging sweet tooth. Some of the options are pictured below:  

6. Driftwood Cafe – This was a really cute (and popular- the wait was 45 mins) cafe in Heavenly Village near our hotel. They had a few vegan options on the menu which was so awesome. I got the vegan scramble and my sister got the veggie sandwich. Not sure if it was beacuse we were starving, but everything was SOOO good and delicious. 10/10. The scramble had the most delicious hash browns in it and the french fries were so good. Deff recommend if you are looking for a hearty brunch in Tahoe.

7. Cuppa Tahoe – This bookstore/cafe was SO fricken cute, it was straight out of a romantic comedy. It doubles as a cafe, workspace, and bookstore with comfy couches and cozy fake fireplaces. The cafe is super cute. It has a couple vegan options such as a bagel with vegan spread, one or two vegan pastries, vegan milk options for lattes, and a vegan breakfast sandwich. We got the bagel with vegan spread and were a little disappointed. The spread isn’t really a vegan cream cheese but rather like a veggie tofu spread? Eh. My sister loved the actual bagel though. I got an iced matcha with vanilla syrup which was fine and my sister got the mocha which she loved. If I went back, I’d love to try the breakfast sandwich. Deff go there for the vibes and a nice coffee though. And if you get hungry, they have vegan options!

 

The last place we went to on the trip was Sizzle Pie in Reno, Nevada – only 13 mins from the airport.  I know this one isn’t in Lake Tahoe, but it’s an honorable mention because it’s literally my FAVORITE VEGAN FOOD ON THE MOTHER F*CKING PLANET!! If you have not been to Sizzle Pie, I’m sorry, honey, but you have not LIVED. My life is split into two sections: before Sizzle Pie and after Sizzle Pie. Bella and I have actually been to the one in Portland and Seattle (now closed), so we knew we had to go to the Nevada location to round it all out. 

We ended up getting frozen cocktails, a 12-inch vegan pepperoni pizza, garlic knots with 3 dips (vegan ranch, marinara, and caramelized onion), AND cinnamon bun knots with cream cheese frosting. All vegan and all SO AMAZING. My friends and I ate it in a silent frenzy like sharks attacking a sea lion after days without food. It was a magical experience. It was a spiritual experience. The lame pictures I took did not do it justice. So, if you want to experience the magic, it’s literally worth a flight to Reno or Portland. 

All in all, we left the beautiful Tahoe with our tummies full and our hearts even fuller. What an amazing place with amazing company and amazing vegan food. 10/10 recommend.