50 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Santa Cruz

“Great tacos and great view🏄‍♀️“

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

“Great service, great food“

“Delicious casual vegan lunch food. Ordered "It Ain't Chkn' Sandwich". It is fully vegan and comes with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and house sauce. You can make it spicy by requesting grilled jalapeños and spicy house sauce. Updated from previous review on 2025-03-29“

“This is my favorite place for breakfast and brunch in Downtown Santa Cruz. The bread is made fresh in-house every day, and you can really taste the difference. Their eggs are local and super fresh, which makes everything feel more homemade.

The chicken is cooked in a style that reminds me of Taiwanese fried chicken cutlets. It’s crispy and full of flavor. I always get the mushroom scramble. It’s my favorite dish. The curry rice is also really good.

The drinks are tasty and not too sweet. I always order the fresh squeezed orange juice. The space is cute, the colors are warm, and the staff is friendly.

If you’re visiting Santa Cruz, definitely come here for breakfast before heading to the beach.“

“Had a lovely tasting experience on a rainy day with the old wood stove going. The server, Leah I believe, was super helpful and great to talk with. I ended up taking home a couple of the most unique wines I've ever had! You must try the pinot noir and the white Pinot noir, but all the wines I tried were delicious. Also, best chardonnay for a someone who doesn't consider themself a chardonnay fan 😮“

“What an absolute incredible find! Excellent food and totally authentic experience.

Must try- spicy lamb noodles if you like heat! So flavorful!

Mushroom chicken dumplings! They’re red and delicious!

Everything is EXCELLENT and I say this as a connoisseur of hand pulled noodles“

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

“This is a cozy cute place with delicious café de olla, and Mexican dishes, live music and kind owners, convenient location to have food before walking to the beach.“

“Very good food and amazing customer service.“

“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.“

“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.“

“This was the absolute best breakfast I’ve had in maybe years I don’t know when the last time I had a breakfast like that was!! They do like a potato mash on the side, but it’s perfectly crispy on top and bottom and has amazing flavors!!! The service was just over the top. This is definitely a kind of little restaurant I would support. I’ll definitely try coming here every time I come down to visit.!! Most definitely recommend!!“

“Best place in Santa Cruz by far! I try to go at least once a week. The crew is what make this place so special! Go there to feel a little bit how Brazil is warm when we talk about food, how people take care of each other and you dont have to pay $$$$ to eat good food! One of the best value for what you get in Santa Cruz. Good quality food and welcoming and warm crew! Prato feito or Fish fillet, also feijoada are the best!“

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

“Best service and food in Santa Cruz county!!!!!!“

“Absolutely loved my first visit here! The vibrant, colorful decor instantly transported me to the Mediterranean, and the warm, welcoming staff made the experience even better. Every dish was bursting with flavor — fresh, authentic, and made with love. This place just earned a permanent spot in my rotation. Can’t wait to come back!“

“Loved this place. We shared vegetable samosas, chicken korma, chicken Tikka masala and palak paneer. The palak paneer was soo fresh and delicious, you can tell they use fresh local spinach not frozen. The samosas came with the typical mint and tamarind sauces as well as a delicious mango sauce.“

“Absolutely the Best Chinese Food I’ve Ever Had!
I’m so glad I found this place — everything we ordered was outstanding. The dumplings were absolutely amazing, bursting with flavor and perfectly cooked. The soup was rich, comforting, and delicious. On top of that, the restaurant was clean and welcoming with a nice atmosphere. You can tell they really care about the quality of their food and the customer experience.
Honestly, the food was so good, I joked that I could move to Santa Cruz just to eat here regularly! I’ll definitely be coming back every chance I get.“

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

“Great atmosphere . Great food. Great servicev“

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

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

“Fun place …..also has a taco truck for food.“

“The best fish and chips in Santa Cruz hands down, love their tartar sauce too. It would be awesome if coleslaw was available instead of fries for a lighter option.“

“#bookshop #santacruz #hardcovers #softcovers #goodreads #mustreads“

“We stopped in on October 11 during happy hour. Being from Michigan, we did not know what to expect. Our daughter, now an Aptos resident, said this was her favorite place for sushi. We could see why! The flavors and variety of items were excellent. Best of all was our server Isabell. She was great; friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Great food, great service. Thank you.“

“4.5 stars (but gave 5 because Google Maps doesn’t allow half-stars)

I’m not usually a burger lover. I visited Jack’s Hamburger for the first time on a friend’s recommendation—and it really impressed me! I tried the tri-tip steak sandwich, and it was fantastic. The steak was flavorful and juicy, though one of my friends got a slightly overcooked piece, which made it taste a bit bitter. That was the only minor downside.

The portion size caught me off guard—it’s huge, especially for someone with a small stomach like me. Still, I ended up finishing the whole thing because it tasted so good!

I wish there were a Jack’s closer to home (it’s over an hour’s drive), but it was well worth the trip. Great experience overall!“

“I actually haven’t eaten here yet, but I don’t have to have eaten here to know that it’s a highly recommended place to go. I was just sitting here waiting for my haircut and I had two people ask me if I needed help within minutes. That’s good customer service and when I let them know, I was actually not providing business. I’m just waiting for a great cuts. They didn’t give me a hard time. They said no problem and let me sit here anyways awesome. Highly recommend this place“

“If you’re in the neighborhood, do check this place out! The food was delicious, fresh, and was served with love. The portion size was worth every penny too. One room for improvement would be the ambience of the place. I’m not sure if the spot is actually made for a dine-in experience since there are chair and tables but the place in itself does not give off the vibe of a happening joint. But nonetheless, the good compensates for everything. Do visit for good food.“

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

“This was a great experience, I'm very happy we came here. Very reasonably priced, the guy serving us had exceptional service, attitude, etc. Maybe the only downside is minimal seating, but I think it's fine. We were the first customers and he gave us free chips, salsas, and guac! Other than that we got street Tacos and crispy Tacos with birria, shredded chicken, and El pastor, all good! And the churro was a good size. Come here!“

“Came here during a trip to Santa Cruz for my mom’s birthday. We wanted to go to a nice restaurant for dinner so I made a reservation for this beautiful place ahead of time. Our reservation went smooth, the restaurant wasn’t packed but had a decent amount of people, and the experience was very lovely.

They have a nice sized menu, different salads and pastas, various wines, and tasty desserts. I had gotten the fiochetti and it was delicious. All of us enjoyed our food and felt satisfied at the end. Definitely recommend and if I’m in the area will be back!“

“The secret is, this is the best mexican food around. The machete taco is the signature dish, but there are plenty of other good things on the menu. Ask for some green hot sauce, some salt and get at least two machete and a bottle of coke; you won’t regret it. I particularly think they do beef well here. I’m pretty sure the family that runs this place is from Isla Janitzio in Michoacán and they are honestly just the sweetest people. Don’t just get the same things as you would at some of the other popular taquerias locally that are Mexico city style.
I ate here about once a week for over a decade and having moved away I miss it dearly.“

“Over in San Francisco from Perth Australia and popped in for a couple of beers, awesome spot and great beers, staff were super friendly and even grabbed some merch, get yourselves over and support these guys and have a cracking pint or four“

“I will be back! Did the $25 mixed tasting and got to try a variety of wines based on what I liked. Also got to purchase some of their Hawaiian coffee! Was a chill vibe and they had a very welcoming and friendly staff. Will be back to try more of their wines 🥂 great patio that’s dog friendly.“

“The Service is great !!! Beef taco is wonderful :) Also they do an American breakfast if you desire.Everything iv had is really good !!!“

“Delicious calamari Great vibes“

“Best Thai food … we been in so many Thai restaurants but this is way better, small family own they cook everything great and fresh. Need to Come and try it highly recommend“

“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“

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

“Amazing food. Exquisite taste expertly prepared. The wait staff is so attentive and friendly. Loved everything from start to finish!“

“Great tasting dough! Fake characters to get to the 25 requirement“

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

“So yummy, very refreshing also addicting.“

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

“Food and beer or beer and food Both sooo good, as always 💝🍺🍕“

“Among the best California wines I have ever drunk!
Alex was very welcoming. He speaks perfect French and knows everything about the history of the vines from which his wines come (some of which are a hundred years old!). The wines are excellent, in a very light style which is more reminiscent of the finesse of great French wines than the American style. Among my favorites, pinots! delicate and with light fruit notes; a riesling with a perfect balance between aromatic profile and minerality, and an orange wine with an incredible nose... among others.“

“Awesome“

“Everything was great! We will be returning. Maybe next time for dinner.“