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Let’s not pretend otherwise—eating organic is easier in some places than others. Many parts of the United States boast long growing seasons and year-long farmers’ markets, while others offer little beyond fast food salads for those who want to eat fresh. But, while it’s easy to assume that sunny California has a monopoly on sustainable food, other regions around the country are increasingly known for their organic eating options.
While this list is far from exhaustive, it highlights some of the top regions for organic food in the United States today. So, if travels take you through Texas, Maine, or even Minneapolis, you can rest assured that options abound for eating nourishing, naturally grown food.
#1. Sacramento, California
California’s capital city is often overlooked compared to the rest of the state, but it truly holds its own when it comes to sustainable food. Thanks to its landlocked location, Sacramento boasts lower rent costs than other California cities, which makes it a potentially profitable location for new restaurants to get established.
Likewise, Sacramento is home to stellar farmers’ markets and food co-ops that make it easy for home cooks to source ingredients from the surrounding organic farms.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- Localis – Fine-dining tasting menu based around local, seasonal ingredients
- VEG Café – Plant-based food with an international flair made from seasonal, organic ingredients
- The Waffle Experience – Serves Fair Trade coffee and breakfast foods made from locally sourced and organic ingredients
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Certified Farmers’ Market of Sacramento County
- Midtown Farmers’ Market Sacramento
- Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op
#2. Portland, Oregon
Considered by many to be the crunchiest city in the United States, Portland, Oregon is a top destination for hipsters, vegans, and farm-to-table enthusiasts.
The city’s relatively mild weather means that farmers’ markets boast local produce long into the winter, and its abundant farm-to-table restaurants are always willing to push the envelope on experimental flavor combinations—including Fermenter, which boasts a menu based entirely around homemade ferments.
But despite the emphasis on innovation, there’s plenty of sustainable comfort food available for locals and tourists alike.
Top Three Organic Restaurants:
- Farm Spirit – Plant-based eatery with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients and biodynamic wine
- Fermenter – Innovative craft ferments made from local organic products
- Higgins – Oregon’s original farm-to-table restaurant
Best Farmers’ Markets:
- Portland Farmers’ Market at PSU
- Shemanski Park Farmers’ Market
- Lents International Farmers’ Market
#3. Portland, Maine
The country’s other coastal Portland also deserves some celebration for its organic culinary options. Portland, Maine, is known for its hyper-local food scene and award-winning restaurants, including Vinland, which boasts of menus based entirely around ingredients sourced from New England. Even cooking staples like olive oil and black pepper won’t show up on its menu if they can’t be found locally.
Note: Vinland closed in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Seafood enthusiasts can enjoy the day’s fresh catches of haddock, cod, and lobster while enjoying fresh cheeses and seasonal organic produce from area farms—many of which have operated for centuries.
Top Three Organic Restaurants:
- Daily Greens – salads made from local, organic ingredients whenever possible
- LB Kitchen – Casual breakfast foods and wellness drinks made from organic, local ingredients
- Flatbread Company – Pizzas made from local, organic ingredients when possible
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Deering Oaks Park Market
#4. Los Angeles
Las Angeles is a true melting pot of cultures, and its thriving organic food scene reflects that diversity. The city is renowned for its food trucks, which represent just about every culinary delight enjoyed by its diverse population.
And, thanks to the city’s year-long summery weather, local farms grow an abundance of organic produce that makes its way into boutique restaurants as healthy juices and other wellness products. Even Peta considers Las Angeles a “vegan heaven” for its plethora of plant-based dining options.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- SunCafe Organics – 100% plant-based, dairy-free menu that prioritizes seasonal ingredients
- Real Food Daily – LA’s premiere organic vegan restaurant
- Backyard Bowls – Nutritious bowls of plant-based, mostly organic ingredients
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Hollywood Farmers’ Market
- Wellington Square Farmers’ Market
- Historic Core Downtown LA Farmers’ Market
#5. Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale’s abundant sunny days make for an excellent vegetable gardening climate, and local chefs have taken notice. The city offers fresh produce year-round at its local farmers’ market, and its restaurants offer spicy flavors that harken to the region’s Spanish heritage.
Many of Scottsdale’s restaurants are also known for dishes that highlight traditional Native American ingredients like cactus fruit and Anasazi beans.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- True Food Kitchen – rotating dinner menu based around local, in-season ingredients
- Arcadia Farms Café – Lunch and brunch menu made from organic and local ingredients in every recipe
- Flower Child – From-scratch food made from local, seasonal ingredients (usually organic)
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Old Town Scottsdale Farmers’ Market
#6. Austin, Texas
This booming Texas town is known for more than just barbeque. Austin is growing fast and getting weirder, and its restaurant options are keeping pace with national trends towards clean eating. The city was an early adopter of the farm-to-table movement, and it’s possible to find organic meals everywhere from food trucks to fine-dining establishments today.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- Counter Culture – plant-based foods made from scratch with local, organic ingredients
- Trace – sophisticated restaurant featuring Central Texas fare from local farms
- Pacha Organic Café – casual eatery where 90% of all ingredients are certified organic
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Sustainable Food Center Farmers’ Market
- Barton Creek Farmers’ Market
- Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller
#7. San Francisco and Oakland, California
San Francisco might be more known these days as a tech mecca, but this central California city has a thriving organic food scene. Surrounding San Fran is Oakland, which is considered one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States. This influences the local food culture and ensures you’re never far from a restaurant serving produce sourced from nearby farms.
Home cooks will also enjoy the abundance of options for signing up for farm CSA’s or organic grocery delivery services.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- Judahlicious – vegan café and juice bar specializing in organic ingredients
- The Plant Café Organic – All food is made from organic ingredients and is usually sourced from local farms
- The Organic Coup – USDA certified organic fast food
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Noe Valley Farmers’ Market
- CUESA’s Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market
- Heart of the City Farmers’ Market
#8. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is home to more than 800 organic farms, and the City of Brotherly Love is certainly a beneficiary of all this sustainably grown produce. Philadelphia is home to innovative farm-to-table restaurants and has a food scene that’s deeply influenced by the local Amish communities. Shop the city’s farmers’ markets for organic veggies as well as decadent donuts and other baked goods made from clean(ish) ingredients.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- Naked Lunch – make-your-own-meals from a variety of organic plant-based bases and toppings
- Bareburger – locally sourced chicken and beef products from sustainable farms (ingredients are organic whenever possible)
- Fare – artisan kitchen featuring local, sustainable ingredients
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Headhouse Farmers’ Market
- Clark Park Farmers’ Market
- Fitler Square Farmers’ Market
#9. Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota
The Twin Cities are making a name for themselves in the world of organic food. Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to more than a dozen farm-to-table restaurants that have been bringing attention to local Midwest farms for decades.
The area is surrounded by sustainable farming operations that offer everything from organic dairy and grass-fed beef to certified biodynamic produce and even local wines.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- People’s Organic – Casual chain with local, organic food and healthy beverages
- Tao Café – café and bakery offering vibrant, organic fare that’s sustainably sourced
- Wise Acre Eatery – a farm-to-table restaurant that highlights food grown through regenerative agriculture principles
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Minneapolis Farmers’ Market
- Northeast Farmers’ Market
- Mill City Farmers’ Market
#10. Washington, D.C.
Politics aside, the appeal of Washington D.C.s organic food scene is something we all can agree on. This surprisingly diverse city benefits from its proximity to robust farming communities in Virginia and food trucks offering every type of fast-casual organic fare imaginable.
Organic grocery stores are also easy to find throughout the district, and the city is known for its are hidden gem restaurants with stellar happy hours where you can enjoy dishes made from sustainably grown ingredients.
Top Three Organic Restaurants
- Fruitive – plant-based casual meals and wellness drinks
- Mr. Chen’s Organic Chinese food – a healthier take on traditional Chinese cuisine
- DC Harvest – upscale dining that highlights locally grown, seasonal foods
Best Farmers’ Markets
- Eastern Market
- Dupont Circle
- Downtown CityCenter Market
How to eat organic where you live
We compiled this list to give a “shout out” to those enviable parts of the country where organic options exist in abundance, but if you don’t live in one of the areas listed above, there is still hope.
For example, my husband and I live in western Michigan on a 33 acre organic hobby farm. No one would identify Michigan as a hotbed of organic food options, but with some creativity you can get the job done and put healthy (and tasty) organic food on your families table.
Some of the best organic food is the food we grow ourselves in our own gardens. It’s never too late to start cultivating a small patch of produce in your backyard, or take advantage of a community garden if you live in a more urban environment.