50 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in San Clemente

“The Owners/Staff were very friendly from the time I took 1 step into their door. This was my first time here since I am visiting my family here in California from Pennsylvania. The food was delicious and came to me nice and hot as well as my coffee. When I finished EVERYTHING on my plate which was eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and a bagel with cream cheese, I was so full and very sleepy. I would definitely and highly recommend eating HERE instead of the other breakfast places nearby. You will thoroughly enjoy your meal.“

“We were visiting friends in San Clemente and had dinner at Vine Restaurant & Bar. The service was outstanding and the food was delish. Great experience“

“We had. not been here in years and our recent visit did not disappoint. Our server Cole was excellent. The food was superb. Highly recommended.“

“Just had a fantastic lunch at HotnChili! The garlic naan was so yummy. We also had the chicken tiki masala & the tandoori chicken. It was all delicious & served quickly. We will be back! 💯💞💞💞💞“

“Super great food and staff! Our waitress was awesome and the food had great flavor. The fried pickles were perfect. The brisket sandwich had some great flavor combinations! Would absolutely recommend to anyone! The frozen huckleberry lemonade is a must try and the Pineapple Express martini is as well. Love it“

“Came for lunch with my gran about a month after my grandfather passed. It was my gran's first outing since the funeral and i was worried but our server was this adorable silver haired woman named Rebecca. She had my Gran laughing the whole time. We ordered combos and the suggested jalapeño watermelon margaritas, which were spicy and refreshing. We needed a nap afterwards because we were too stuffed! My gran won't stop asking when we can go back. Thank you South of Nicks for lovely meal, and Thank you Rebecca, for helping a family member feel normal after tragedy. You are in our prayers“

“A Hidden Gem in Surfer’s Paradise – Super Bowl Express Delivers a Knockout!”

Tucked away in the heart of surf heaven, Super Bowl Express is the kind of place you stumble upon once—and never forget. The staff? Absolute legends. They literally fired up the kitchen after hours just to make me dinner. That kind of hospitality is rare.

The food? Fresh, flavorful, and made with heart. The BBQ with brown rice and vegetables is a game-changer—smoky, wholesome, and perfectly balanced. And don’t sleep on the sushi—it’s ocean-fresh and melts in your mouth.

If you’re chasing waves and crave something real, this spot is your post-surf paradise.“

“Great views, good food, and fabulous service. What more could I ask for 😊

The restaurant is located right on the pier in San Clemente Ca on one side is the bar with bar type bites and the other side houses the restaurant. Both sides share views of ocean, surfing action, and pier.

My husband and I both had a shrimp cocktail and tacos. Sourdough bread is excellente 🥰“

“Great place and pretty authentic food and top margaritas.“

“good service food it's so delicious 😋 atmosphere everything is incredible“

“Best Indian food in town, never disappointed here, super authentic and delicious.“

“Valentine's Day at Buona Forchetta - San Clemente never disappoints. The ambiance is warm, the service is attentive, and the food is consistently excellent. I ordered the Lasagna Bolognese and my husband had the Cacio e Pepe with burrata. The lasagna was rich, hearty, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Each bite felt like comfort on a plate. The Cacio e Pepe was creamy, perfectly balanced, and the burrata elevated it beautifully. Buona Forchetta always delivers a memorable dining experience.“

“So happy we finally tried this place and will be back. Sunday lunch- Excellent Belgian Bistro that checks all the boxes for high end tasty food and drinks in a clean and bright professional non pretentious great service. Belgian beer on tap and Beef bourguignon w fresh warm bread and butter was perfect. Partner had the salad and cocktails. Dessert Crepe w ice cream wrapped inside was unique and delicious. Been wanting to eat at the Laguna beach location for years and saw they have a San Clemente location. Wanted to try places other than favs like Nick's, Oak- LB, Bloom in SJC, Houstons and am happy that Brussels Bistro is a new fav as well. Thanks & please keep up the great work!“

“Always have had a great experience here, and I have going here for over 40 years!!!“

“Great food and cocktails and good service“

“Amazing venue, Great beers and pizza! A must do if you are in the area!“

“Outstanding Burgers, Salads, Carnitas sandwiches, hot dogs! I’ve had them all.. Best place to enjoy with family and friends.“

“Great Food. Creative interior design. Wonderful staff. Unique comfort food. My favorite is the Smoked Meatloaf Breakfast Sandwich. Very cozy. Only 12 tables, that are always full. Lots of “Regular” customers. This is a place that you want to return to, time and time again.“

“I’ve visited several times, and each time I’ve tried different dishes. Every staff member is very friendly, and the food never takes too long to be served. The food is authentic and delicious, and you can really feel the chefs’ dedication in every dish. It’s hard to find another Japanese restaurant with such great quality and value!“

“Amazing pizza and atmosphere! Can’t wait to come back again!“

“First time, and our family is sold on Smashburger. My wife who does not like eating beef, really liked the smash chicken burger while my boys and I really enjoyed our smashburgers. Fries are quite delicious, also. Next visit we will try their shakes.“

“Great wines and knowledgable plus friendly staff!“

“The owner/chef is a nice dude with portions as big as his personality. For those unfamiliar- think home cooked “el pollo loco” if you will. His wife is the other chef and prep cook. I like simple food and the Half chicken with rice and beans is my go to since 2018. Local tip: this is a couple who’s been running the joint for over 40yrs, the husband is the only cook and sometimes his wife hopes over to help turn out meals. Sometimes the chicken is underdone when they’re super busy, but in almost 10 years I’ve maybe gotten 3 under cooked meats and when I bring it up, he cooks it more, sometimes throws in a free leg or wing and some extra guac or beans. This is as close to hole in the wall/family as it gets. For what this place is, I hope it stays Open until they retire or a son/daughter takes over. Think el pollo loco before it became mainstream, for a day I’m not feeling burgers, I love coming here and sitting on the. Lot of good fish on the menu too, makes me think Baja or south gulf. Very refreshing eats“

“Moulin in San Clemente is this adorable French bistro that's totally transporting. The vibe's cozy and it feels like a mini getaway. We sat outside and it was perfect, beautiful sunny day and the outdoor seating is gorgeous. I went for the omelette special with mushrooms and French ham and it hit the spot, eggs were perfect and the flavors were great. My wife loved the Croque Monsieur sandwich. Customer service was outstanding, the staff were super friendly and on point. Oh, and the fresh squeezed orange juice was amazing! They've also got this cute little market thing going on which was a nice touch. If you're in San Clemente, Moulin is a solid pick for a chill French meal. We'll be back.“

“Excellent food
Excellent service
The portions are an amazing size and the food is authentic and delicious with real cilantro and lemongrass. Oh my goodness! I love this place.
The family that runs it is so sweet!“

“Food is absolutely delicious! The ramen has been hitting with these rainy days so happy this place is nearby. You can order online for pickup or on the phone too. The staff is super nice and the food is moderately priced but the quality is worth it.“

“great food!!!! reasonable pricing!!! please experience their food!! nice people fast service!! love this place!!!“

“Wow! Super yum to say the least. It’s always great when the new local restaurant hits it out of the park! My wife & I started with the bacon & meatballs appetizer. She then had the fried green tomatoes & French onion soup while I had the ribeye. Delicious!“

“Amazing taco 🌮 experience“

“Great place & Beer list. Smokehouse & plenty of room. Very friendly place“

“Always the best of everything and the staff is fabulous“

“When we searched for the best sushi place in San Clemente, Malulu Sushi came up first on the list.

Good things come in small packages, right? Well, this is a small place, but it doesn't matter because the food & service are excellent.

To me, service is very important!!! At Malulu, the Japanese hospitality is on full display. Then, the food came, and we realized that we had found our favorite sushi place in SC.

Everything we ordered was tasty. And to our surprise, the female sushi chef made the best spicy yellow tail handroll. It reminded us of a sushi roll that we could only get at a sushi restaurant in Laguna Niguel (sadly, the chef moved to Japan).

We are already planning to go back this week & bring some friends along.“

“Great Service, Knowledgeable Staff.“

“This is very much a classic diner the food is quick to arrive delicious and well prepared and almost so beautiful to look at but you feel bad eating it… You stop feeling bad after the first bite then you start to feel wonderful thinking that there’s no possible way you could ever put an end to this joy. I ordered the cheeseburger with fries and let me tell you each bite welcome the next they have wonderful parking outdoor dining and like I said before a classic feel. This is definitely one of those places you wanna come back to.“

“I ordered a dish that is not commonly found at the Thai restaurants I go to. Pad Prig King. I think I've only had it at two other places. I'm not going to claim to be an expert on that particular dish but I thought it was very good. I arrived exactly on time and the food was so hot it was hard to carry in my bare hand. Even the rice was very hot. I will be going back and trying other dishes“

“My daily simple lunch for remote work offers many options for a pescatarian/vegetarian. Clean, organic, and delicious!!! 🙌🏾👏🏾👍🏾“

“This is the coolest place i ate at during my 10 days in San Clemente. Good food full bar offerings, outdoor seating was great in mid-September. Indoor bar seating and tables, too. Attractive staff, friendly, lots of locals. Surfer hangout. Believe there is a parking lot adjacent to the ramp up to the place (I walked there from a rental). Loved it.“

“Wonderful, Fresh Fish!! Best Macaroni Salad & Sesame Slaw!! Great Vibe!!! San Clemente!!“

“I spent years in Japan and for an hour I forgot I was in California! The food is outstanding and authentic. ありがとうございました!“

“Just popped in and ate here for the first time tonight. I ordered the shawarma chicken bowl. It was soooo good!!! Like hands down! So good 😊“

“DELICIOUS !!! food and wonderful people“

“The food and service was amazing“

“Stopped here yesterday with a bunch of hungry Harley riders the staff was super cool & friendly my hamburger was out of this world now that’s what I call a hamburger & fast service we all left a good tip for the hardworking staff I gotta hit this spot again soon“

“Always a great time at The New OC Tavern . Kevin the owner is the greatest host. Always checking on us . Making sure we’re having a good time. The bartender are great. Love how they know what I like to drink 🍹.“

“Great service and great food“

“This place is a fantastic choice for a quick and worthwhile meal. They serve affordable, high-quality dishes inspired by SoCal and Latin cuisine. Even though it’s part of a chain, you can truly taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients in every bite.“

“Very high quality / fresh combined with highly skilled chefs“

“Best pizza I’ve had since moving to CA from NY. Amazing food, great atmosphere and impeccable service. My go to place!“

“everything we ordered was good.. I recommend the bbq rib tips (honey bbq).“