This place has such a chill vibe and serves absolutely delicious, super flavorful, filling, feel-good food. We've had their vegan style Tacos, Nachos (my fav), & Lentil burger We also had family members who had their salad and other burgers and they were a huge hit too. We love this place so much it's our go-to on road-trip weekends. :-) read more

Omg you gotta try this place. Take ur friends so you can try as many things as possible!! It was a hard decision to try this place when banzai bowls is across the street, but it was SO WORTH IT! Not only is the store itself too cute, but the food was amazing. I ordered the rustic kale salad, and my friend ordered their popular wholesome bowl. Both are so so good, and I owe it all to their dressings. Let me just say- order a half order of the kale salad if you are planning on eating it alone!! It's way to big, I ended up taking home more than half of it as leftovers. I didn't even know this was an option, but I'll definitely keep it in mind for next time:)) I tried their coconut bliss vanilla froyo and was thinking about it for the rest of the day, I wish I had space in my stomach for it. It's so thick and flavorful you gotta try it!! read more

Active Culture - the huge Rustic Kale Salad on the bottom and Wholesome Bowl on top! - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Just went in real quick in the evening and got a honey lavender bloom smoothie. It was sooo perfect. The smoothie was vegan, which means no dairy for me to worry about making me sick later. I believe my smoothie was around $11, but that's to be expected when you're using good ingredients. There were many other options, including fresh squeezed juice and an entire food menu I haven't checked out yet. I'll have to come back soon. read more

Active Culture - Honey Lemon Bloom Smoothie (Vegan) - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

I appreciate a menu where it's organic. That is very hard to find. I ordered potato tacos. They were pretty good. Chips and salsa were just ok, lacking some flavor. Loved the flavored water. My friend ordered chiliaquilles with potatoes and it was very good. Customer service was okay. Could've been better. The girl taking our order seemed very distracted was rushing us. That is expected though in that area/seemed kind of stuck up. Overall would come back if I'm wanting vegan/healthy. read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Just ok, not the friendliest service, overpriced frozen yogurt. They don't even use organic ingredients. We didn't try any food items but they had good options for lunch. We will definitely give it a try again. Cute patio to sit outside and enjoy. read more

My absolute favorite and a go to in San Clemente. I always crave the Southwest wrap and a smoothie bowl, and it never disappoints!

Self service yogurt. $0.79/ounce. Works out to about $16 for two smalls. Other food items available but no prices listed. I guess you have to ask? Just a fair warning to families. Not sure if tips (again, self serve) are automatic but upon asking for receipt the tip line popped up. Honestly not sure what I would be tipping. The use of the scale? read more

Super hip vibes here. I was just walking by and saw they had froyo so I tried it. The froyo was impressive given that a bunch of the flavors catered towards vegans and gluten free diets. Toppings were pretty much everything I wanted. I wasn't super super impressed by what I had especially because the froyo set up was just awkward. The sample cups are located after the froyo machines and there are no trash cans for the sample cups. I'm gonna give this place the benefit of the doubt because everyone I saw in there was very happy with what they were eating and I think the place caters to the crowd nicely. read more

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I have been wanting to try this place too. Last week we stopped here and tried their Acai Bowls. I love the taste and the healthy blueberries inside them. My first time here and i was impressed with the Pumpkin Spice drink too which was really good. Nice staff here to serve you. We sat outside near the nice view of the beach. Drinks are not very much expensive either. So i will come by again soon. read more

First timer here ! My friend had the Vegan Chili and was very happy. I had the potato tacos with vegan style with the O.G sauce- it was very good ! The sauce stood out for me I mixed it in with the salsa. Good times The staff was very friendly and had a good vibe. Try it out ! I'm doing the Chili next time ! #veganlife #veganpower read more

The people who worked here were friendly, I really wish they had more vegan options for a healthy place like this in Southern California. For example, vegan dairy alternatives, egg alternatives, and sauce alternatives, I'm giving it three stars because the bowls really make no sense. Why do you want freezing cold vegetables on top of warm rice? If you're going to have some type of bowl for a meal the whole thing should be hot or the whole thing should be cold like an acai Bowl. Hot and ice cold do not go well together I can't really comment on the other menu items, except we had some kind of vegetarian burger that was pretty good although the portion was small for the price read more

Ambience = 5/5 Picture this: a light, refreshing meal right after a long day in the heat relaxing by the beaches of San Clemente. This is definitely a great place to go if you are ever in the area! There's a decent amount of seating both indoors and outdoors. I chose to sit outside cause the weather was absolutely perfect. The servers are also very sweet and I got my order pretty quickly. I came here to get some work done and thought it was a great place to study! The music outdoors wasn't too loud, the wifi worked well. Most people come here to catch up with friends, so there will be noise around you but I didn't find it too distracting. Price-wise is pretty average for what you'd expect at a healthy restaurant. This place serves smoothies, açaí bowls, juices, healthy hot bowls, salads, and frozen yogurt. What I ordered: MEDIUM GREEN BOWL (açaí bowl) Personally, not my favorite and wouldn't recommend. The bananas and strawberries were excellent and super sweet, but the açaí itself was disappointing. Just very bland flavor that had slight sweetness, but no fruit flavor. Overall, the açaí bowl wasn't great for me, but I loved the ambience and it was a great space to work outside. I want to come back and try the hot bowls cause they smelled delicious! read more

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Beware!!! The new delivery girl is nuts!!! *** San Clemente location. I love active culture and the food. I frequently order it and get it delivered. Last week I ordered and the food and it was left at the door next door. Not a big deal. I just walked over a grabbed it. I let them know. So today I get a delivery and the delivery person rung my door 2x. This is annoying because I have dogs. I went to answer and this the lady was standing there ready to pick a fight. She said "I used to live down the street and you said last week that I delivered at the wrong door. I know this area." I said okay. She then proceeds to tell me I'm wrong! That she left it at my door. I said "I don't want to argue and I want my food and shut my door"!!!! Active culture- why would you hire a crazy person to do delivery. Now this unbalanced human knows where I live. NOT COOL!!! She obviously has NO idea what customer service is!! Guess I'm not ordering food to be delivered anymore!!! read more

Think the words "vegan" and "decadent" don't belong together? Think again. I've been a fan of this place since the company I work for started ordering it for our lunch meetings. Their BBQ burger is a favorite of mine. Delicious and unforgettable. read more

Active Culture - BBQ Burger - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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The food is quality. Love the wholesome bowl and smoothies! But guys... i ordered a wholesome bowl with extra sauce on the side and it came out to $17!! That is insane. It used to be $10. I know we've been in a pandemi but I don't think I can justify coming back to pay $17 for a bowl of veggies. read more

Active Culture - $17 - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Been coming to Active Culture here and in Laguna for years. Lately, this location has been my favorite but after today's visit, I'll not be back. The date shake was watered down or melted and had minimal dates and nuts. For $8.99, I expect more. I always order this and this one was pretty much melted vanilla yogurt with a minced date in it. On to the food, as a creature of habit I always order the Lentil Goodness bowl. Its wonderful, great flavor and portion size. Today the bowl was less full and the flavor was minimal, very disappointing because I've had it a lot. I had to add my own dressing to make it palatable. I don't mind paying more but you'll have to keep up the quality or you'll lose a customer. read more

What a special place to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you know someone plant based that hasn't been - invite them to join you at Active Culture. We love the chili, breakfast tacos, bowls and salads. Great service and a couple of good options for free water too. Smoothies are legit too! read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

Came to this location on my way back from TJ. I was pretty excited considering I was craving something healthy. The location was great if you want to walk around but parking wasn't ideal. The restaurant itself was a bee hive. As for the food, I got a burrito and nachos and to my surprised I wasn't impressed. In fact I left depressed. Incredibly fresh but it was plain for me. They had a habanero salsa but it didn't kick like habanero usually does. All in all great location and decent food. Give it a shot. read more

On a night when you don't feel like cooking, but you don't want the guilt of eating out, Active Culture is a great health conscious option. The Wholesome Bowl is light, yet satisfying. Every time I go, I tell myself to try something else, but I end up ordering the Wholesome Bowl over and over. Try it!! read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

From what I can tell from my 2 year old daughters allergic reaction at the ER Almond butter Yeast Garlic Onion Soy Agave Sunflower oil Lemon juice Zucchini Mustard (hello er visit...) Aminos Salt and pepper Cummin Tumeric Chili Cayanne Other spices... You're welcome, no need to pay their silly prices anymore. From today on, the day active culture closes down will be my happiest (and this used to be our favorite place before this) day on earth. Forget paying $15 for half @ss nachos that don't even have meat bjt the best part is the og sauce which has now landed us in the er. active culture from now on. Garret the "manager" hung up b/c he didn't like what I was saying to him and was offended. If this decides to be "woke" and offended by actual customer complaints there is no place in san Clemente for y'all anymore and I will tell everyone if my mommy friend who love to frequent y'all and then good luck. read more

We stopped in San Clemente to break up the drive from LA to San Diego and were looking for a casual, vegan-friendly place for lunch. This place did beautifully. Most items are already vegetarian, with many vegan and vegan-friendly options as well. My wife and I each got a bagel sandwich, one with hummus ($8 plus tax) and the other with avocado ($7 plus tax), as well as a cup of vegan chili soup ($6 plus tax) served with a side of fresh, home-made bread. Everything came out in about 5 minutes, was beautifully fresh, generously portioned, and quite healthy. Quite simply, this was exactly what we were looking for for lunch. Very friendly service and a comfortable interior and patio to dine in. Recommended. read more

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Everything is always good. My go to for a shake. Staff are always helpful. Vegan and GF options.

All I need to say is that we will drive from San Diego to get their salads. Also the place we stop when driving home from LA or anywhere north. This place is a amazing! Street parking only (I think) but we've never not gotten a spot. read more

OMG!!! Absolutely loved this place. We met some friends here. My Food: I ordered the potato tacos. I Delish! Hubby had the Grassroots Burger with a lentil patty. Yes and yes! The kid ordered the Wholesome Bowl. Active Culture for the win!!! Location: The location was awesome. Beautiful downtown San Clemente. Very clean inside and out. Outside seating was available. Wait a Minute... I almost forgot to mention. My fresh Juice: carrot, beet, Orange , kale, ginger read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

100 % carnivore here but I enjoyed their huevos rancheros the other day MMMMMMMM that's a good breakfast and Today I tried the big bean burrito filling and worth the money. Not my type of food usually but I enjoyed it my daughter n son love it because they are vegetarian. read more

We love active culture! The SC Rice Bowl is absolutely incredible I stopped eating halfway through so I could write this review it's so good! The service is always quick and accommodating. I also got the watermelon detox smoothie which is perfect for a hot day. read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

A few things have changed since I wrote a review for Active Culture (more than 10 years ago)! For one thing, the name changed. And the menu. And a few other things - all for the better! I always stop by Active Culture when I'm in San Clemente (as well as the Laguna location!). The menu offers a wide range of healthy, organic options that are also incredibly delicious. My favorites include the SC Rice Bowl, Protein Bowl, Breakfast Burrito, Big Salad, and Date Shake. But everything is very fresh, yummy, and healthy. Even my very picky kids love the food, smoothies, and shakes. And, believe me, for kids that would happily live on In & Out hamburgers if I let them, this is a big deal. Another thing that has changed in 10+ years is that Active Culture has gone cash-free for very good reasons. This doesn't bother me at all and I completely get it. A few other business I frequent have done the same and this is definitely something that we will see more often. Looking forward to the next 10+ years of delicious, healthy food at Active Culture! read more

Please bring back the vegan chocolate fudge frozen yogurt! I noticed you have a new fudge ice cream but it's no longer vegan!!! The girl told me the owner decided to change it. WHYYYYYY???? Vegan chocolate fudge was the best flavor and the best froyo I've ever eaten. I have a gluten and dairy allergy and active culture was the best place to get frozen yogurt that accommodated my allergies. You've lost my business because of this change and I'm sure other customers will be disappointed too read more

Tasty health conscience food! A little pricy, but what isn't nowadays. The service was quick and the location is right on San Clemente's historic Old Town. read more

Best coconut smoothies and frozen yogurt in all of San Clemente! My husband and I live in LA and we ALWAYS make sure we make a stop here before surfing for breakfast and after surfing for fro yo for the drive home! Great breakfast tacos too!!! read more

What an amazing place this is. So yummy lentil burgers, the staff is excellent. I had the OG dressing and was the most delicious thing I have ever had. Congratulations for such an innovative menu read more

The food is excellent and the service is great, but this place is cashless and this is a trend that must stop. I'm not sorry, I will never patronize them again. I would have turned around and walked out but I am from out of town and with a friend who is local. I love the choice of infused water. read more

Active Culture - Infused H2O - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

The Food was very good! Tasty and Delicious! I had the Lentil beet burger with sweet potato cubes and fresh squeezed orange juice!

This location now changes 5% surcharge on top of the tax ... what the hell ?! That's a no no on top of already ridiculously high prices that they already raised! Would not be going back !! Hope that they will loose more customers! read more

Two of us split the Big Salad and it was excellent as well as the service and timeliness of the food; will be back.

Sooooooo confused! A special note on the menu says: "To make a vegan Grassroots Burger, sub OG sauce for falafel sauce" So I ordered the Grassroots Burger with falafel sauce thinking that the OG sauce is (1) what normally comes on the burger and (2) not vegan. However, moments later I noticed a sign on the wall that says that the OG sauce is a "vegan olive oil based sauce." http://bit.ly/1pYUzlP When our food came out, we asked the young guy for clarification who confirmed "The OG sauce is NOT vegan." So when we asked him what makes it not vegan, he goes "uh, I don't know...haha!" The better answer would have been for him to say "I don't know but let me find out for you," yet that did not happen. The customer service is the main reason I dropped my rating down to 3 stars. In addition to the "I don't know" guy, the majority of the staff here seemed to give off an unfavorable vibe. I was annoyed but I still found the Grassroots Burger to be decent. The lentil patty is squishy and falls apart a bit but that doesn't really bother me considering what is used and not used to make the patty. I liked the use of tomatoes, onions, sprouts, and cucumbers. The so-called falafel sauce tasted like tahini which is pretty much what I expected. The wheat bun looked dry but definitely wasn't. Overall, not bad! I just wouldn't go out of my way for it. http://bit.ly/1qiJY65 Now here's where the confusion continues... I'm home drafting this review and I take a closer look at the online menu. It turns out that the Grassroots Burger is normally served with falafel sauce, not OG sauce. Does that mean I mis-read the special note on the menu? Was I supposed to get the OG sauce? Was the sign on the wall correct? Was the "I don't know" guy wrong? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! Confusion aside, the self-serve non-dairy froyo flavors were pretty good. That night they had Pom-Raz and Chocolate Fudge. read more

Active Culture - Grassroots Burger - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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This place is awesome. FOOD: I've tried the Wholesome Bowl & Lentil Goodness Bowl. The food is always delicious, fresh, & comes in large portions (if I'm gonna eat healthy, it doesn't hurt that it comes with a lot! muahaha). I also had the açaí bowl which I thought was super tasty & fresh (just a bit too small for my taste though). I honestly wish I could try all the bowls & smoothies! *By the way, I love unhealthy, fatty, delicious foods guys - but when I need a healthy meal that is still flavorful & delicious to give my digestive track a break - this place hits the spot.* SERVICE: Ridiculously friendly! Great staff who offer to answer any questions & are helpful. I'm always able to find street parking close by so it's not too big of a deal. I've gotten my food to-go before but also ate in their outdoor dining space which has 5'ish tables (indoor closed due to covid). Didn't have a hard time getting a table since it seems like people take the food to-go here mostly. read more

Been going for years always great food . It's kinda a trip because you wouldn't think a Mexican dish would be good at a vegetarian restaurant but I was pleasantly surprised. The "Huevos Rancheros " are the best . Get the whole order because half just leaves wanting more . People there are very friendly . The place has indoor and outdoor seating . The restaurant is clean . I'm giving four stars because they don't except cash only card . I'm old school and can't give up my cash yet. I get it's easier to book keep and track any shrink like that but come on we aren't a cashless society yet . Let's enjoy these green backs until they are gone . read more

This is the second 'Active Culture' I've been to. There's only 2 locations and I was glad I got to check this place out. We need one in San Diego ! Hint ! Hint ! Ambiance: More spacious and plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. It's much brighter too. More of a modern vibe compared to the other location in Laguna Beach. Cool vibe and plenty of local shops nearby to check out ! Food: We were craving an acai bowl on this hot day. I LOVE ME SOME ACAI !!! My date had an acai bowl with peanut butter (forgot the name) and really enjoyed the flavor combinations with granola, coconut shavings, and bananas. He inhaled his so fast, I barely could keep up. haha I had the 'Budget Bowl' which came with a ton of bananas and granola. It was practically falling off my cup while I was mixing it. We had to salvage some using a napkin. (see pics) The acai wasn't as thick as I would like (TWSS), but the flavor was great ! Probably one of the better acais I've had in a while. Both were decent sizes and we were both very satisfied ! They also have self-serve yogurt machines (I think one vegan option) and toppings. They also have wraps, salads, smoothies available ! Customer service: It was so-so. It did take awhile to get our bowls, but it's made to order and FRESH so that's understandable. Overall, a decent healthy spot to eat at ! 4 STARS !!! read more

Active Culture - Acai mmmm - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is some INCREDIBLE quality food. Vegan friendly and for everyone who loves to eat clean and healthy. Can't believe I've never heard of this place until recently. Everything is so fresh and tastes so good in your mouth. I kid you not, you can tell the difference. I got a to go salad that comes with just about everything delicious and wonderful. It's so packed and at first the box itself is so deceiving but once you dump it all out to mix it together in a bowl..basically I had to use a mixing bowl because there was just so much! Also got an egg on the side and you can tell how real and fresh it is just by looking at it. But once I ate it I knew how legit this place actually was. read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - San Clemente, California

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