Vegetarian and vegan diets are gaining popularity across the nation, and Santa Cruz County is no exception. Local chefs are increasingly highlighting plant-based ingredients, transforming vegetarian and vegan cuisine far beyond the typical portobello burgers and tofu scrambles. Driven by concerns about health, climate change, and animal welfare, more Americans are reducing their consumption of meat and dairy, pushing plant-based eating into the mainstream.
Santa Cruz County chefs are infusing their cultural backgrounds and personal cravings into innovative vegetarian and vegan dishes, often utilizing the area's abundant agricultural resources and numerous farmers' markets. From entirely vegetarian or vegan restaurants to those that prioritize plants while still offering meat and dairy options, Santa Cruz County presents a diverse and exciting culinary landscape for plant-based eaters.
Restaurants Pushing the Boundaries of Plant-Based Cuisine
Here are some of the establishments in Santa Cruz County that are redefining plant-based eating, offering delicious meat-free meals that appeal to everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences:
The Grove Cafe and Bakery: Plant-Forward Flavors
Located in Felton, The Grove Cafe and Bakery, under the guidance of Chef Jessica Yarr, adopts a "plant-forward" approach to its menu. While meat and dairy are present, they play a supporting role, allowing the flavors of the plant kingdom to shine. Among the most popular items are vegan options like The Bigfoot, a sandwich featuring avocado, crunchy sweet potato, pea shoots, and aquafaba-based aioli on homemade sourdough bread. The Rainbow Bowl, a vibrant and filling salad with quinoa, pickled and fresh vegetables, and tofu, is another standout.
Mariposa Coffee Bar: A Vegetarian Twist on Street Food Classics
Mariposa Coffee Bar in downtown Santa Cruz, owned by Tram Vu and Chelsea Cabrera, celebrates the coffee traditions of Vietnam and Cuba. In addition to coffee, they offer vegetarian versions of beloved street foods like Cuban cubano sandwiches and Vietnamese spring rolls. The vegan vermicelli rice bowl ($12) is a flavor explosion, featuring homemade shallot sauce, vegan peanut sauce, satay chili, and fresh herbs.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Honey B Market: Fermented and Fresh
Katie Belanger's Honey B Market, a honey-colored café on Cedar Street in downtown Santa Cruz, offers a concise, hyper-seasonal menu of nourishing whole foods. With a passion for fermentation, Belanger crafts her own sourdough breads and pastries, tempeh from legumes like lentils and chickpeas, kimchi, and water kefir.
Pretty Good Advice: Fast Food, Elevated
For those craving fast food, Pretty Good Advice, with locations in Soquel and downtown Santa Cruz, provides an all-vegetarian menu of breakfast sandwiches, burgers, sides, and drinks. Chef Matt McNamara incorporates seasonal ingredients from his own farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains into the affordable menu (most items are under $10). The California Ranch Burger ($8.75), a classic PGA offering, features a homemade black bean patty, avocado, grilled onions, and all the fixings, with a vegan cheese substitution available at no extra cost. Don't miss the sweet potato fries ($7.50) served with banana ketchup, a unique and flavorful condiment.
Soul Salad: Customizable and Creative Salads
Soul Salad in Aptos elevates the salad experience with a deli-style approach. This locally owned fast-casual restaurant offers a menu of housemade salad combinations and a build-your-own option, all made to order. The salads are generously sized, incorporating eight or more ingredients tossed with fresh seasonal greens prepared daily and homemade dressing. Using organic produce and encouraging customization, Soul Salad allows customers to create their perfect salad.
Salsa’s Taco Bar: Vegan Mexican Cuisine
Salsa’s Taco Bar in Live Oak stands out by offering a complete vegan menu of burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, tacos, tortas, and sopes. Eschewing meat substitutes, Salsa's focuses on rice, beans, fresh salsas, housemade guacamole, and generous portions of fresh sautéed vegetables for satisfying and flavorful vegan dishes.
Namaste India Bistro: Authentic Indian Flavors
Namaste India Bistro in Santa Cruz boasts a wide range of authentic Indian dishes, with over a dozen vegan options bursting with vibrant spices and rich flavors. The plant-based choices at Namaste do not rely on meat alternatives. Standout dishes include the kadhai bhindi ($15.50), featuring smoky fried okra in a tangy-sweet tomato, lime, and mango powder sauce, and the baigan ka salan ($17.95), a dish of silky Indian eggplant with coconut milk and curry leaves.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Dharma’s Restaurant: A Vegetarian Institution
Dharma’s Restaurant in Capitola has been a vegetarian staple for over 40 years, offering a diverse menu of international dishes inspired by Asian, Mexican, Indian, and American cuisines. The menu was updated in early 2024 to offer most dishes a la carte to make it easier to customize your meal. The tempeh Reuben is a classic choice, especially when paired with a coconut-milk shake. Alternatively, try the bo thai, a Thai-inspired vegetable stir fry with vermicelli noodles, crushed peanuts, and tofu.
Charlie Hong Kong: Asian-Inspired Street Food
Charlie Hong Kong has been serving healthy Asian-inspired street food in Santa Cruz’s Midtown for over 25 years, consistently drawing a crowd. The restaurant prioritizes ingredient sourcing, using only organic produce from local farms. Most of its signature bowls are vegan, with the option to add other toppings and proteins. Popular vegan choices include the Gado Gado ($10.50), featuring mushrooms and veggies in a black bean sauce, and Spicy Dan’s Peanut Delight ($10.50), a vegetable stir fry in an addictive peanut sauce over eggless noodles.
Vim Dining & Desserts: Creative and Seasonal Vegan Options
Vim Dining & Desserts on the Westside is known for its welcoming service, inventive seasonal menu, and exceptional housemade desserts. Chef Jesikah Stolaroff skillfully combines flavors and textures to create balanced and satisfying dishes. The restaurant consistently offers thoughtful vegan appetizers, entrees, and desserts that appeal to all diners, such as a chili and tomato-braised hominy with lentils, delicata squash, and poblano cream, topped with crispy oyster mushrooms and chili crunch ($29).
Far West Fungi: A Mushroom Lover's Paradise
Far West Fungi's downtown Santa Cruz shop offers a wide variety of medicinal and culinary mushrooms in various forms, from fresh and dried mushrooms to tinctures, teas, and powders. The shop also features a vegetarian, fungi-focused café serving savory meals and sweet treats featuring wild and cultivated mushrooms.
Full Steam Dumpling: Asian Dumplings with Local Ingredients
Full Steam Dumpling, located in the Santa Cruz Art Lounge, serves a hyper-seasonal menu of Asian dumplings, noodle dishes, ramen, snacks, and specials. Chef Andy Huynh prioritizes local ingredients and handcrafts all broths, sauces, and dumplings. The plant-based items are expertly prepared with layers of flavor, such as the mushroom and yam gyoza with housemade chili crisp, delicate crystal dumplings filled with oyster mushrooms and tofu, and spicy General Tso’s cauliflower.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution
Bookie’s Pizza: Vegan Pizza and Wings
Bookie’s Pizza, inside Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Portal in Santa Cruz’s Midtown, offers a selection of Detroit-style pizzas, small plates, and salads, with a few vegan options. Chef Todd Parker achieves a signature crunchy cheese "crown" on his dairy-free pizza, topped with sungold tomatoes, green olives, harissa, fresh basil, and vegan mozzarella and feta. The crispy maitake mushroom "wings" are a standout, served with vegan blue cheese dressing.
Additional Dining Options in Santa Cruz County
Beyond the highlighted restaurants, Santa Cruz County offers a variety of other dining options with vegetarian and vegan-friendly choices:
- Laili: This restaurant offers a fusion of Afghani and Mediterranean cuisine with vegetarian options.
- Gabriella Cafe: A picturesque and romantic dining experience in downtown Santa Cruz.
- Oswald: A contemporary American restaurant and bar that focuses on the abundance of delicious ingredients found on the central coast of California.
- Suda: Pairing seasonal produce from local farms with line caught fish and lean, hormone-free beef, the menu at Süda stays as fresh as the ingredients.
- Sanderlings Restaurant: Offers elegant, casual dining with a spectacular ocean view from sunrise to sunset.
- Sevy's Bar + Kitchen: This newly-renovated establishment offers a variety of menu items for lunch and dinner with a focus on fresh California cuisine.
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk: The Boardwalk’s culinary team makes it their mission to elevate the traditional theme park dining experience by serving a diverse variety of delectable treats that match anyone’s palate-fueling guests up so they are ready to enjoy a day of rides and fun.
- Ibiza: This restaurant serves fresh and vibrant California-Mediterranean food, including wraps, salads and plates.