50 Best Vegan Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“The food was absolutely incredible! I’ll definitely be back!!!“

“This is my favorite booth at SAP when I go to Sharks games. You can see the arepas being grilled fresh and the fillings are so flavorful. The owners are very welcoming. I’m looking forward to the opening of their San Jose location since I haven’t been able to make it to Santa Cruz.“

“Great tacos and great view🏄‍♀️“

“As a Brazilian I can say without a doubt this is the most authentic Brazilian food you'll get in Santa Cruz. Excellent staff/ service, yummy traditional Brazilian dishes, amazing appetizers, excellent selection of drinks and oh may the deserts!!!! This place rocks and will hopefully be with us for a very long time. Family owned.“

“great service! delicious, authentic Oaxacan food. We will go back!“

“Great food, atmosphere all the waiters are nice. Great location.“

“Amazing! That’s all that needs to be said. See you next visit!“

“Somehow one of the most perfect falafel sandwiches. Fluffy pita is house-made, plump filled with freshly chopped purple cabbage, a few pink pickled onions, freshly fried falafel that’s bright green inside. And both the creamy and mildly spicy sauce.“

“This restaurant is amazing. Definitely worth visiting. Small and romantic. And the food..... Fantastic. I visited from out of town, had a late lunch. This is a place worth going to. The staff is warm and welcoming. I would definitely come back.“

“The food, service, and atmosphere, are all outstanding. Our waitress mentioned that they could make most options on the menu vegan. Wow, that was music to my ears. I’m looking forward to my return to Santa Cruz to eat at this wonderful cafe. Updated from previous review on 2026-04-24“

“Always so good and the owners are really nice to my dog and I. I have no problem suggesting this place to anyone. Every time I have the person has been very thankful“

“Wow, had the beef with plantans and avo sauce. Bring an appetite!“

“The best Taqueria in town! Definitely overall service and the food 20/10 ! The team is beyond the amazing. The ambiance is chill and good for family too! This is one of my fav. Un taco crispy al pastor con aguacate y no habichuelas ! Enjoy! Thanks Guys“

“Traditional Tibetan cuisine heavily
dishes are momos (dumplings), thukpa (noodle soup)🍲 must try this awesome place if your in the town. Try to great coffee and food, friendly staff, and a welcoming atmosphere. Positive reviews frequently.“

“Every time we drive over from San Jose we eat there.“

“My friend and I had breakfast at Evarits’s Comal this morning and it was FABULOUS! My veggie eggs Benedict was perfectly cooked, with one of the best hollandaise sauces I’ve ever tasted. The fruit accompaniment was delicious and fresh. Service was on point. I even got serenaded and served a yummy dessert when they found out it was my birthday. I wholly recommend this excellent restaurant!“

“My husband and I had a great breakfast I got a breakfast burrito and a frittata. Both were very good and big great food for a great price and the customer service was amazing.“

“We went there last week and it was a great experience. We came in just in time because it wasn’t busy yet. We got the only table by the window and it made it special for our occasion. The drink I had ordered wasn’t available so they suggested another one which was ginger beer and I liked it! It was a refreshing drink. The charcuterie board was delicious too! Everything was amazing. My girl and I had a great time and the waitress gave us a complimentary drink with our dinner. Thank you. We will surely go back again!“

“It’s the best, most authentic Italian food restaurant in Santa Cruz, and the ambience is so comfortable and inviting.“

“During our 2 night mini vacation in Monterey this week, Feb 2 & 3, 2023, we bought a package of these cookies from a liquor store, on Lighthouse Avenue and now consider them to be our all-time favorite cookie.“

“My wife and I had a great time. The pizza was awesome! Highly recommend 🍕“

“This place has some really delicious drinks and great food. I also love how dog friendly it is. I came back twice in a weekend.“

“We stopped here on a rainy day for lunch. Soup, pasta and home-pickled gherkins were delicious. The owners were warm and welcoming to all, even if all that you were looking for was some shelter from the rain. A great, trully local place, great food served with love for community.“

“The staff is amazing! The food is amazingly fresh and flavorful. Hands down this Restaurant was a huge highlight of our vacation. Thank you for an awesome dinner, and making us feel right at home!“

“The vegan options were awesome! They were understaffed and couldn’t remember our two drinks we ordered. Which took a while had to go remind them, Just two coffees. The food was very good though. Probably need to hire more people though to handle the amount of traffic and remember the orders. Updated from previous review on 2026-02-27“

“tea tea tea puer puer puer puer real deal, no electronic devices human devices. analog music.“

“It turns out this restaurant is at the site of the sushi restaurant formerly located here called “Buzz”, and since Buzz is listed as a restaurant that’s participating in the 30 day “Vegan Chef Challenge Of Santa Cruz County”. I came here to try the two rolls listed they have listed on line. Instead found that a Japanese Peruvian couple began their own restaurant, Oyuki here, and they have created a number of plant-based roles showcasing deliciousness from both culinary cultures! I had “Vegan Pot Stickers” (you can get them boiled or fried and I tried fried) , “The Warrior Special” roll , and the Peruvian drink made of sweet purple corn, apple, pear and pineapple called “Chicha Morada”. All delicious! I would very happily take a date here—Not necessarily a ‘fancy dress-up’ date, but still a very nice date!  Updated from previous review on 2026-04-25“

“I initially went here with my family not know how many vegan options they have! I ordered the fried udon with tofu and it was delicious. The service was great as well, but it went over our heads at first that we had to pay at the counter. Just a heads up for those who end up waiting for their check to get picked up! Definitely going to come back here as a vegan staple.“

“Great service, great food“

“very good and Shelby s sunny disposition makes it even better. definitely our new favorite place for breakfast.“

“A very delicious but reasonable price Chinese Restaurant. The regional flavor is mainly Cantonese taste that is what we prefer. Recommended.“

“The food was fantastic and the service was on point!“

“Feels like Portland bottled up in a little pizza joint. The real star, whatever red sauce they use on the pepperoni pizza. Is that cheddar cheese they bake into the crust?

Perfect place to eat after a day at the beach, biking, walking, or if you’re looking for a quality detroit style.

We will definitely be returning and this place has made it onto our list of recommendations for our friends looking for a bite to eat.

Chipotle-Pineapple Cider is 10/10

Thank you Bookie’s! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our time.“

“very friendly staff, clean restaurant and delicious food.“

“I ordered two crispy carne asada tacos rice and beans. It was really good and put together well. The crane asada was tender and of course it was all delicious. I go often and I do recommend Salsas to fam and friends. Five Star every time I go.“

“Delicious food, kind servers, true authentic Mexican food. No hassle, no frills - so far, I've had the Siete Mares and Pescado Fritos and both were the best I've tasted in all of Santa Cruz County. I got my order as To Go so the atmosphere I didn't really get into but there were people there enjoying their food and sports on TV. A nice surprise.“

“their meats are out of this world good. some of the best I've been going to tons of taquerias for years. tacos are legit. burritos are huge and balanced perfectly. my new spot! ORALÉ !!!!“

“My new favorite Mexican restaurant! Try the complex and delicious pureed/smooth sauces: one is red (a bit spicy) and one is light green (the tiniest bit spicy). I bought a half pint of the light green avocado sauce to take home. It goes with everything- from my roast chicken to a pot of black beans.“

“Good food really good vibe“

“I love Canton Restaurant. The food is delicious and the service is great!👍“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

“Great fresh food and quick friendly service. Had the Beef-Teki combo with a salad & drink. Yum!“

“Staff is always friendly and the food is great! Thank you“

“I’m from Tennessee- I ate at this restaurant once, 13 years ago when they were an unassuming restaurant in a tiny yet charming, building down the street. You had to walk through the kitchen to use the bathroom! But food was so crazy incredible that I had to look it up and come back again on my next trip to Santa Cruz 13 years later.

They have upgraded their venue, but the charm is still there for sure. The service was stellar and the food was just as good as I remembered.
Possibly the best lasagna that I have ever had. Better than my mothers’. Lol.
All of the apps we had were amazing. The pesto primavera was sooo good- love the broccoli in it. And the chocolate pot de crème was an outstanding finish. Ugh. Wish you guys would open a branch in Nashville. :)
Thanks!“

“My husband and I love coming in for the lunch buffet. It's so delicious!“

“There were two young people at the front greeting guests. There were plenty of seats available for two, but we had to wait while one of them greeted their family, while the other just stood there. Once we were finally seated, the two waiters (POC- possibly the owners?) were very sweet and welcoming.

The coffee was delicious. The steak was good but could’ve used more seasoning, and the potatoes were tasty. Overall, a nice spot with great coffee and friendly service once seated.“

“My go-to ice cream fix anytime I’m in Santa Cruz! Organic, delicious, home made flavors. Burnt cinnamon, dark chocolate sorbet and salted caramel toffee are among my favorites!“

“★め★
★★
1 hour ago
So the place is really nice, decent interior and good outdoor seating options. And the staff is really nice. Also the menu is usually Mediterranean options. The portions were HUGE. Very generous hard to finish. I got the chicken shawarma and gyro bowl. It tasted great. The hummus and falafal came as well complementary. I got a chance to ask about the halal meat source: its a mix of 3: restaurant depot, sysco, and santa clara factory and its machine slaughtered. They also sell alcohol here as an fyi. They have turkish desserts as well and turkish coffee, very interesting place and located in santa cruz“

“They make a good burger. It’s simple. Like it was done right, at the best backyard spot. That person you want grilling your burger, they got them. And then they got the people who know how to put it together so it doesn’t get messy. This sounds like a ridiculous review but I feel like if you know you know. None of us took pictures - we ate it too fast. I feel like that’s the best kind of review.“

“We were there for a music event late Jan 2025. HH drink specials were tasty but was disappointed on how cold it was inside the restaurant. Both doors, front & back, were wide open during the entire evening show (48 degrees outside). Even the band mentioned how cold it was before beginning their set. All the customers wore jackets. Also, the harsh lighting was way too bright throughout the restaurant. I wanted my sunglasses on. Please read the room & tone down the lighting & warm the place up, then we’ll be back. Mahalo“