So sad to just finding out this restaurant CLOSED forever since July 1st ???. This restaurant was part of some of the most amazing moments of my life. We always came from far just to come here. We are now moving out of state and it is so sad I did not get to try it one more time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Priya Darshu
It’s closed today.
Eddy Tong
Truly a tragic day on the Mesa. I am in mourning. The origin of innovative, maximalist, ethnically-informed, plant-based cuisine has closed their doors forever. My favorite restaurant since its inception nearly 10 years ago. When I didn't feel well this food was the medicine I sought. When there was cause for celebration this is where we reveled. When I just needed something I knew would be consistently delicious this is where I would go. I remember fondly countless meals shared with family and friends and always leaving feeling happy, healthy, and nourished. Mesa Verde you will forever be in my heart ???
Ellia Rodriguez
Amazing vegan location. So much variety with dishes and drinks. Just sad I haven't try each item yet. Staff is super friendly and food is something Amazing! Love the location easy parking in front and earth inspired chill interior design worth it for the trip alone. Cute dog prints along the floor as a cute bonus. ??
Vegetarian options: A lot of choices for once ?
Wheelchair accessibility: Smooth flooring and no stairs
Whether you're a vegan or not, you're going to love this place! My boyfriend and I spent two and a half hours enjoying every morsel of food, and I can't stop thinking about it.
The food here is truly some of the best I've ever had. Every dish was zesty and mouthwatering, making it hard to choose a favorite. The atmosphere is bright yet private with natural light pouring in through the big windows and plenty of space throughout the dining area.
Also, I highly recommend ordering tea. It comes in an individual-sized teapot with honey and milk on the side. I had the chai, and my boyfriend had the herbal coffee. Both were so delightful! The tea alone is worth the visit.
Mesa Verde has a real homecooked meal feel as everything is made in-house, including the tea! Service was excellent, and the food came out surprisingly fast. Don't skip dessert; trust me, you won't regret it.
To top it all off, I just found out they have a Michelin star too! That makes so much sense. This place is a gem and definitely worth a visit. Highly recommend! I seriously can’t get enough of it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Street Tacos
Preetha Subramanian
Completely vegetarian. Loved the food options. Service was great. Please check it out !
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Umami Mushroom Burger, Jackfruit Tacos, Street Tacos
CharlesDugan
Unfortunately, currently, I agree with the previous poster - disappointing.
I was really looking forward to their opening when a local weekly paper stated that they would be vegan. However, a friend of mine and I spotted one of the owners of the restaurant when it was under construction. He told us that it would be vegetarian, not vegan, but that they would be very careful to avoid cross contamination. They did have a lot of vegan options that were quite good. Eventually, they supposedly became fully vegan - but they kept selling honey.
For a while they were very good and I would have given them four stars. However, post lockdown, they condensed their menu, stopped updating it, and continuously raised prices on what became a bland and boring menu from which their best dishes were removed.
I kept hoping that they would get back to their former level as a great local restaurant. However, when a friend of mine and I stopped by this past Friday,, we discovered that they are closing for good on Monday July 1. Santa Barbara is returning to its vegan restaurant wasteland days.
A few years back, there was an announcement about a new vegan Pizzeria (Pizza Werks) opening in Santa Barbara - and I thought that we were on the verge of a vegan restaurant renaissance in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, it never opened. Instead, we got a YAPoF (Yet Another Purveyor of Flesh) pizzeria (Revolution Pizza - I do not see anything revolutionary about a YAPoF pizzeria). This was the beginning of our return to a vegan restaurant wasteland, as Vegan Greengo, and Modern Times soon closed. Now, we just lost Oliver's and Mesa Verde. We need MORE, not less, vegan restaurants!
Updated from previous review on 2024-07-01
Jonathan Staufer
Great atmosphere. Great food and, remarkably for.a vegan restaurant, a very interesting wine list. Our host/waiter was lovely and welcoming. We also made new friends of fellow diners!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Léna Vcr
Very pretty place, very pleasant waiters despite our late arrival, we had a great time (you must try their cheesecake!!) Anyway, if I lived here, I would come back every week ahha
Had lot of expectations from this place. We paid a lot for the food that tastes average. Waiting time was over 30 minutes and they even missed our order.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Allyse Kwong
I always appreciate a vegan restaurant with various options. That being said this was some really underwhelming food. My burrito was $27 and somehow managed to be spicy and bland at the same time while swimming in soup. This burrito is a larger size, but at MOST cost $17. And this is coming from someone used to LA prices. They also brought out the wrong meal for my partner and said it would be a 3-5 minute wait. It was at least 10. No real apology or discount. If it wasn't for the insane pricing on some items I'd say sure whatever, but it's not worth it and with the shared gas station parking lot ambiance.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Laura Saunders
Vegetarian options: Extraordinary food, happens to be vegan
Dietary restrictions: All food completely plant based
Recommended dishes: Picadillo Empanadas, Tunisian Curry and King Oyster Mushroom Kefte, Fried Brussels Sprouts
Quintin Campbell
Gauges awesome people are great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sibby Thomsen
Beautiful food that tastes as amazing as it looks. The green bowl, Mediterranean bowl, jackfruit tacos and hummus platter were delicious!! Can’t wait to come back.
Shut down July 1 2024
So sad to just finding out this restaurant CLOSED forever since July 1st ???. This restaurant was part of some of the most amazing moments of my life. We always came from far just to come here. We are now moving out of state and it is so sad I did not get to try it one more time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s closed today.
Truly a tragic day on the Mesa. I am in mourning. The origin of innovative, maximalist, ethnically-informed, plant-based cuisine has closed their doors forever. My favorite restaurant since its inception nearly 10 years ago. When I didn't feel well this food was the medicine I sought. When there was cause for celebration this is where we reveled. When I just needed something I knew would be consistently delicious this is where I would go. I remember fondly countless meals shared with family and friends and always leaving feeling happy, healthy, and nourished. Mesa Verde you will forever be in my heart ???
Amazing vegan location. So much variety with dishes and drinks. Just sad I haven't try each item yet. Staff is super friendly and food is something Amazing! Love the location easy parking in front and earth inspired chill interior design worth it for the trip alone. Cute dog prints along the floor as a cute bonus. ??
Vegetarian options: A lot of choices for once ?
Wheelchair accessibility: Smooth flooring and no stairs
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Jackfruit Tacos, Grilled Cheese
Whether you're a vegan or not, you're going to love this place! My boyfriend and I spent two and a half hours enjoying every morsel of food, and I can't stop thinking about it.
The food here is truly some of the best I've ever had. Every dish was zesty and mouthwatering, making it hard to choose a favorite. The atmosphere is bright yet private with natural light pouring in through the big windows and plenty of space throughout the dining area.
Also, I highly recommend ordering tea. It comes in an individual-sized teapot with honey and milk on the side. I had the chai, and my boyfriend had the herbal coffee. Both were so delightful! The tea alone is worth the visit.
Mesa Verde has a real homecooked meal feel as everything is made in-house, including the tea! Service was excellent, and the food came out surprisingly fast. Don't skip dessert; trust me, you won't regret it.
To top it all off, I just found out they have a Michelin star too! That makes so much sense. This place is a gem and definitely worth a visit. Highly recommend! I seriously can’t get enough of it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Street Tacos
Completely vegetarian. Loved the food options. Service was great. Please check it out !
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Umami Mushroom Burger, Jackfruit Tacos, Street Tacos
Unfortunately, currently, I agree with the previous poster - disappointing. I was really looking forward to their opening when a local weekly paper stated that they would be vegan. However, a friend of mine and I spotted one of the owners of the restaurant when it was under construction. He told us that it would be vegetarian, not vegan, but that they would be very careful to avoid cross contamination. They did have a lot of vegan options that were quite good. Eventually, they supposedly became fully vegan - but they kept selling honey. For a while they were very good and I would have given them four stars. However, post lockdown, they condensed their menu, stopped updating it, and continuously raised prices on what became a bland and boring menu from which their best dishes were removed. I kept hoping that they would get back to their former level as a great local restaurant. However, when a friend of mine and I stopped by this past Friday,, we discovered that they are closing for good on Monday July 1. Santa Barbara is returning to its vegan restaurant wasteland days. A few years back, there was an announcement about a new vegan Pizzeria (Pizza Werks) opening in Santa Barbara - and I thought that we were on the verge of a vegan restaurant renaissance in Santa Barbara. Unfortunately, it never opened. Instead, we got a YAPoF (Yet Another Purveyor of Flesh) pizzeria (Revolution Pizza - I do not see anything revolutionary about a YAPoF pizzeria). This was the beginning of our return to a vegan restaurant wasteland, as Vegan Greengo, and Modern Times soon closed. Now, we just lost Oliver's and Mesa Verde. We need MORE, not less, vegan restaurants! Updated from previous review on 2024-07-01
Great atmosphere. Great food and, remarkably for.a vegan restaurant, a very interesting wine list. Our host/waiter was lovely and welcoming. We also made new friends of fellow diners!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very pretty place, very pleasant waiters despite our late arrival, we had a great time (you must try their cheesecake!!) Anyway, if I lived here, I would come back every week ahha
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Had lot of expectations from this place. We paid a lot for the food that tastes average. Waiting time was over 30 minutes and they even missed our order.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
I always appreciate a vegan restaurant with various options. That being said this was some really underwhelming food. My burrito was $27 and somehow managed to be spicy and bland at the same time while swimming in soup. This burrito is a larger size, but at MOST cost $17. And this is coming from someone used to LA prices. They also brought out the wrong meal for my partner and said it would be a 3-5 minute wait. It was at least 10. No real apology or discount. If it wasn't for the insane pricing on some items I'd say sure whatever, but it's not worth it and with the shared gas station parking lot ambiance.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Vegetarian options: Extraordinary food, happens to be vegan
Dietary restrictions: All food completely plant based
Recommended dishes: Picadillo Empanadas, Tunisian Curry and King Oyster Mushroom Kefte, Fried Brussels Sprouts
Gauges awesome people are great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful food that tastes as amazing as it looks. The green bowl, Mediterranean bowl, jackfruit tacos and hummus platter were delicious!! Can’t wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...