50 Best Vegan Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“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🏄‍♀️“

“Sampa is a charming place with high-quality food.
The warmth of the customer service is impeccable. The food is abundant, delicious, and has a characteristic, traditional Brazilian flavor. The place is very cozy and clean. A great experience overall.“

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

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

“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“

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

“I loved my meal here! The fresh herbs in the falafel pita sandwich and the fluffy pita bread made it spectacular and unique. All the ingredients were just superbly flavorful. I also had the iced matcha with mango syrup (the best matcha I’ve ever tasted), and the tahini soft service with magic sprinkles, matcha, and strawberry syrup. That dessert was just delightful. I can’t wait to go back!“

“We were greeted with smile right when we walked in. Served glasses and a pitcher of water. The coffee was great, needed that pick me up to start my day. The food is handmade, hand baked with lots of love. Fresh produce and meat and you can tell the difference in freshness here. Will definitely be coming back to the beautiful smiles and home atmosphere.“

“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.“

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

“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“

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

“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 rented bikes from specialized and needed a quick meal. This place is amazing. The sandwiches, the momos, the muffins, the chai tea .... everything was amazing. The owner couldn't have been nicer. We loved it so much we ate there the next day too when we rented bikes.“

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

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

“Nice grab and go sandwich place that’s family run since 1948. I opted for the avocado special sandwich, which is a vegetarian option, and have the bread toasted.

The bread was nicely made, the vegetables are fresh. An easy healthy quick bite.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“California in general is a reasonably easy place to find vegan food, but it often comes with a hefty price and either options that are extremely esoteric or copied from the menu of the last page you visited.

While not gourmet by any means, Pretty Good Advice was a perfect merger of almost healthy fare and comfort food, and it didn't break the wallet to eat there.

The seating is pretty limited, and half of the bar-style stools have you looking at a wall close-up, but the atmosphere was just quirky enough to not be pretentious. Although they were reasonably busy, the cooks gave off the impression that they actually might not hate their jobs. The bathroom had arty stickers that meant I stayed in there probably a little longer than the person waiting outside would have wanted me to.

Looking for a quick and no-nonsense tasty vegan meal? I can offer some pretty good advice on a place to try.“

“Delicious food Love eating here …“

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

“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!“

“Vim is a delightful gem. The recipes feel simultaneously local and global, and strike such a perfect balance of bold/novel and familiar/comfortable. Shout out to the incredible desserts, well-curated wine pairings, beer list, and especially the craft cocktails. Besides the excellent quality food, the ambiance is unique and tasteful. Everyone who works there are consistently nice and helpful and skilled, and I've never had a single bad service experience. I also have to thank Vim so much for providing a full spectrum fine dining experience that includes vegetarians and vegans.“

“Incredibly delicious, friendly and attentive staff without being intrusive. They seem to know many of the patrons who I assume are regulars. A little loud for conversation but it's impolite to talk with your mouth full anyway. Neat old world industrial decor. Finally, it may very well be the best lasagna I've ever had. House salad with creamy pesto and cheesy garlic bread were all generous portions (we got boxes for leftovers - and a canoli and tiramisu to go!)“

“Good food really good vibe“

“Incredibly good food. I got their Volcano roll, and it was to die for. We also got more of their traditional dishes, and they were equally as delicious. Definitely worth the stop, as it'll be on our regular list when we visit the area.“

“Bookie's always has at least one vegan pie on the menu. Big ones, deep dish, six hearty slices. Was expecting a different pie from the online menu I checked before arriving but they had the Beetaroni instead. Delicious and filling. Toppings were layered properly and everything was balanced. They have a vegan salad on the menu as well as an appetizer. Great drink options for all as well. Beer and NA options. Convivial atmosphere, was packed when I was there but got a nice spot at the communal table.“

“Friendly service and excellent food!“

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

“Great service, great food“

“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.“

“Really great sushi, so many good rolls to choose from!! I will definitely be back to explore the menu some more. Service was great too, the owner served us and was so welcoming and friendly, I'd go back just for the vibe even if the sushi was only standard quality.“

“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 !!!!“

“Honestly one of the best places I've been to the food was great the food was well made and seasoned a little expensive but it was well worth it I Will definitely be coming back to eat here I highly recommend this place one of the best here in Santa Cruz!😋“

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

“This place is hands down the best Tacos in All of Santa Cruz. I have been to pretty much every mexcian restraunt and food truck in Santa Cruz multiple times and this place delivers the tacos with the highest quality meats, cooked in the cleanest oil, with the freshest veggies prepared to the highest standard. This is my #1 spot.“

“Overall, a decent place. We stopped in after lunchtime so it was quiet. We both ordered the fish and chips (yeah, I know it's a Mexican restaurant). The shrimp and fish were very good. The fries could have been crispier. I'd visit again if I was in the area.“

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

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

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

“Love the fish and chips along with a new favorite… chicken pozole soup. Need some radish and cabbage to top it off!“

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

“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“

“Went for the first time for my birthday breakfast. Service was great, they were attentive without hovering which I appreciated. Food and portion sizes were surprisingly better than I expected. 10/10 recommend and will definitely be back 😊“

“Delicious flame grilled burgers! Fantastic fries and it was a down home burger place atmosphere. Only knock I'll give them is that they don't have restrooms, I had to use a port-o-potty across the street and there was no hand sanitizer or way to wash my hands.“

“Traveling with friends and found this amazing please. The food is fresh with amazing flavors. A definite “must try” restaurant“