The Plot

The Plot is a plant-based, zero-waste restaurant that has redrawn what’s possible for food in Southern California. Chef Davin and Jessica Waite, the husband-and-wife team behind beloved Oceanside institutions including Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub, opened The Plot as something bigger than a vegan cafe. They call it a conscious movement, built on the belief that “badass food made from plants” can be a genuine force for environmental change. With locations in Oceanside and Costa Mesa, The Plot is one of the most thoughtfully run zero-waste restaurants in the country.

The Plot treats recycling as a last resort and composting as a close second. The goal is simple: nothing that comes into the restaurant ends up in a landfill.

Drawing on Davin’s “fin-to-gill” total-utilization philosophy from his years at Wrench & Rodent, and Jessica’s deep expertise in zero-waste systems, the couple applies the same logic to the plant kingdom. The menu centers on regenerative crops that restore soil health, rejects industrial fake meats in favor of house-made proteins like mushroom-based imitation crab and local tofu, and reimagines comfort classics: Beet Reubens, walnut Sloppy Joes, dishes that feel familiar but waste nothing.

The Plot has moved past the limitations of what “vegan restaurant” usually means and landed somewhere more interesting: a fully operational model of circular food systems thinking, plated as comfort food. Jessica and Davin aren’t just running a good restaurant. They’re showing what the next version of American dining could look like. For anyone who wants to see sustainability in action without sacrificing flavor, The Plot is the benchmark.