Ewwww, that sammich good why don't you sit it on my taste buds? seriously: try ANY Sandwich here‼ Vegans can order homemade veggie Burger patty . The best is the BBQ Bluff or the Nuclear Bluff. You can also order the nuclear bluff w/jalapeño. To make it really pop. My only complaint: Dharmas public WiFi is often broken :-( read more

I haven't eaten in the restaurant but is a favorite of my parents, who are in their late 70's, and they like to get take out. I have only eaten the Indian plater. It is well done with great Indian spices, not spicy, yet floral; seasoned with cumin, coriander, and fennel. A Filling meal for a vegetarian entree. A pleasant surprise. read more

Yummy vegan milkshakes! Great atmosphere and location. Would recommend and will visit again next time I'm in Santa Cruz.

This place was amazing. I was in Capitola for 4 days with my family (there were 9 of us, all of whom are vegetarian and/or vegan) and I ate there twice. The first night I had dinner there and brunch a few days later. The staff and food were excellent. TONS of options for vegan/vegetarian & GF. I tried many things in my two visits including the Vegan Reuben, Tempe Terriyaki Burger, Tofu Scramble, Pasta, Kitcheree, & Terriyaki Rice Bowl. Each of them was excellent... I should've just eaten all my meals here, I could've easily had some thing different with every meal :) read more

Always love coming here. Staff attentive & polite, food healthy & tasty. Huge servings! Love the artwork, too. This will be my first time getting food to go. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Dan Dan noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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Latest update: The Portobello and Artichoke Sandwich is so frickin' good I drove 90 minutes in beach traffic for the second weekend in a row just to stuff myself silly with this glorious sandwich. To compensate for overcarbing last time I left half the bread and ate the rest of the filling with a fork. And filling it is. Eating it this way allowed me to fully take notice of how much mushroom is in this thing. Maybe that's why it managed to leave me full for an entirely reasonable 4 hours last time. Tons and tons of mushroom-protein-y goodness. So good I forgot to take pictures for the second visit in a row. ~ Update: "McDharma's" is an anomaly among vegetarian restaurants for me in that I was not ravenously hungry again half an hour after eating, probably due to the large portions and all that bread. So that mitigates some of the cost IMHO. OTOH, anywhere you go bread is always filling and relatively cheap, and not particularly healthy. ~ Normally I'm more on the carnivore side of the omnivorosity pendulum, but if someone wants vegetarian or vegan, I'm game (or not game, hurhur... because they're vegan... I'll show myself out). I was trepidatious reading the horror stories of getting yelled at by the owner/cashier, all for the honor of getting to eat mediocre, overpriced food, but I was pleasantly surprised. The cashier was merely indifferent, not hostile. When I smiled at him shyly, as is my wont, he stared at me like I was some inscrutable space creature whose facial expressions were as alien to him as grainy Area 51 footage from Roswell in the 50s. Anyways, I'll stop with the pretentious film school student (which I'm not) sounding description and just say that being used to old skool Azn service this did not faze me. Now to get on with the food. The Portobello and Artichoke Sandwich I had was delicious. The tangy juices were soaked up by bread with a fluffy interior and just the right amount of chew-to-crunch ratio crust. (The accompanying salad and rewarmed tortilla chips were whatevs, though.) It wasn't cheap at $14.75 for something without dead animals involved, but certainly not the most expensive meal with solely dead plants involved - I'm lookin' at you, Dirt, with your $38 carrot on a hot dog bun. For $40 before tax and tip, there better be 24 carrots involved. The kind that's spelled *carats*, that is. C'mon, at least put a couple pieces of gold leaf. The Brahma Mega-Burger ($16.25) was a letdown. The "grain and protein" patty didn't have good taste or texture. Same with the soy "fakon" (my word for fake bacon that's not good enough to be a Bacon Bit or Baco). It was mushy, bland, and had a weird aftertaste. The wheat bun was mleh. The fried potatoes (basically steak fries) they came with that so many people raved about also had a funny taste imho. Good thing I only had a taste of the burger. If I had ordered *that* I would have given this place a 1 or 2. And before you go thinking it's because I don't know my way around fake meat, I loves me some tofu. I'm bonkers for Boca Burgers, I adore some Quorn, I'm okay with tempeh, and I'm seitanic for seitan. I've had plenty of Chinese vegetarian fake meat, and I was a fairly regular eater of Shoujin aka Shojin cuisine (Japanese Buddhist monk diet-inspired vegan sushi and izakaya dishes). I. Know. My. Plant-based meat substitute. The dining room is not air conditioned and can be quite hot and stuffy by the windows, but farther inside where it's darker the ceiling fans seem sufficient enough. They also have a bunch of new agey and marine life themed art on the walls they apparently sell prints and posters of at reasonable prices (if they have the rights to reproduce and/or resell the artists' work...) read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Portobello Artichoke Sandwich: So good I forgot to take pictures for the second visit in a row... - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

I have been coming here for a while and I can't seem to break away from the bbq bluff sandwich. It is my favorite. Good portions and tons of options. I truly love this place. The carob shake is a must! I do have to say the prices are pretty high, but definitely worth it for the sandwich and shake. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Bbq Bluff Sandwich and Carob Ice Cream Shake - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Great restaurant, very vegan friendly. All of their food is organic, which I love! Also, great options for gluten-free food here. I really love their mashed potatoes w/ mushroom gravy, which are vegan! Really delicious! (and I don't even like gravy lol) Only thing I personally didn't like so much was the mole burrito, which seemed to taste quite bland, compared to other types of mole I've had growing up (and I've had plenty, given my Latino background). This place is more casual than formal, since you gotta go up front to other and to pick up your food, but still, really cool place. This is definitely a must stop if you're vegan and are in the Capitola area. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Mole Burrito - wouldn't get it again (5.5/10) - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Delish vegan food. Healthy choices and comfort food choices. Clean. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating.

The plane is so cute. The entrees are enormous and overpriced. Not well seasoned. Curious why you have to do all your own service, with those prices and the staff standing around with arms crossed. read more

Overpriced, poor quality sauces, misleading menu and rude guy with beard taking orders. Ordered food with what appeared to be gluten free symbol when it arrived it wasn't gluten free, complained guy rudely told us meal was optionally gluten free and chided my friend for "wasting food" sending it back. Salad was ok but my pesto sauce was extremely salty and minimal nut content so not good. Salad itself and veggies was good. But $25.00 for little more than a salad I'd say $$$ same price as say Cafe Cruz for essentially a hole in the wall ambience c'mon guys. IF you reall must eat here beware their menu and be sure to ask if you want vegan or gluten free. methinks I won't be going back anytime soon.... read more

The food Is good, possibly the best vegan/vegetarian food in Santa Cruz. The prices are ridiculous. You can see by older pictures posted how much prices have gone up. It's tough to find any item under $20, unless it's a "small". I was told they're coming out with a new menu with more "small" portions for less. You can get a Dharma Dog for $7.50 or a Big Cheese sandwich for $9.95, but otherwise it's rough. If it weren't for the Nada Chicken Burrito, now at $20.95, I wouldn't come at all. A soup and salad is $17.95! What adds insult to injury-you order from the counter (sometimes a very rude individual staffs the cash register), pick up your food when called and then bus you're own table! We need more options in Santa Cruz read more

Huge portions, lots of organic produce, tons of vegetarian and vegan options. Highly recommend! The gardener's delight salad is amazing, Indian curry plate is tasty and satisfying, lasagna is massive, etc. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Soup salad combo with kitcheree soup and miso honey dressing - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

I'm aware that people love this restaurant, and it is a local landmark, that feels like a little gem in the community. Hence, I expect that this review will not parallel others here. Having bought a "Groupon" coupon to Dharma's, my husband and I decided to go there after I left a medical appointment close-by. I had been to the restaurant twice, over many years, and it seemed like a cute place to get some healthy food. We arrived at 3:00pm, and there were only two other tables occupied. I am a post- cancer patient, disabled, and well, food is an issue for me. I need it plain and separate, or I simply cannot eat it. I have never had a problem making these requests in restaurants. Not until Dharma's. When I asked the (very nice) counter person to put pesto-sauce on the side of my ravioli, a man appeared as if from nowhere. An older gent with a baseball cap and glasse; he looked angry. It fet as if he'd come out to put me in my place. NO smile. NO apology. Just a pissy-looking expression telling me that my request was a no-go. "No, we do not separate sauce from pasta. The cooks would be very unhappy being asked to do this. Besides, this is the way it is supposed to be prepared, so that the sauce absorbs into the pasta. No, we don't separate our foods out like that." He was clearly irritated, shooting only a glare from his monumentally unpleasant face. I looked at him in complete astonishment. Dharma's is not a top flight cuisine establishment in the Mark Hopkins Hotel, and to suggest that this sauce-separation would render the cooks insulted, and this man's fare inedible, as well as angering the staff, was lofty *baloney.* I do not back down to fools, but this time, I was exhausted and not feeling very well, so I thought, "Who knows, perhaps I will really like it. Let's give it a try." Well, what came to the table was the most robust display of kitchen incompetence that I have seen in a restaurant that imagines its food to be a step up from jail fare. Nope. This expensive meal WAS INEDIBLE. I am so frustrated now that I was too ill to handle matters right then and there, I left, feeling angry at myself and super ripped off. Hence, "Yelp." My husband's meal was very good, as was the rest of our food. However, with a $20 coupon the bill was over $30.00 (not including tipa). See, I do not mind paying dear prices if the service and attitude corresponds to the experience. However, to order and pick-up meals at a counter, bus our own dishes and in general be the happy, helping neighborhood people keeping their community bright and fun... ** I expect a corresponding level of staff pleasantries. ** Perhaps this man was having a very bad day. We all do. His absurd defense of HIS WAY, however, which produced for me a dripping plate of goo, does not meet the expectations of any experienced diner. His unfriendly, snippity attitude was shocking, frankly, and not befitting of a rustic, supposedly "earthy" place. I was told that this man is the general manager. Boy, oh boy. I doubt I will ever return. I'd have to be a fool to invite such bummer treatment again. He are some pictures of this supposedly "pro"-meal. You decide for yourself. Post-note: on reading other reviews, it has become obvious that this sourpuss general manager is evidently like this all the time. A raincloud. Not a friendly man. I will sometimes even tolerate snitty personalities if I get the good food I desire. This experience is a failure all-around. We will definitely not return, now that I know this is a permanent aspect if this manager's personality. Questions: With so many people mentioning this man's impudent attitude, 1. Why has the owner not addressed this? (Speaks poorly for the owner. 2. Why would people *return!?* (Riding on reputation.) Wow. All around, an insult. And a quite expensive one. We did not leave the establishent in a good mood. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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Great vegan spot! The food was very delicious! I order Teriyaki Veggie Stir Fry and it was really good! read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Teriyaki stir fry - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

WHY WERE WE HERE After visiting the Mystery Spot we needed sustenance and wanted something healthy. This place hit the mark. AMBIANCE Very casual, cafeteria-style place. There is lots of seating, but it is a little confusing if you have not been here before (we were looking around to see who would seat us). You order at the counter and seat yourself, and listen for them to call your name when your order is ready. THE MENU This is one big menu. It has pretty much everything vegetarian that you can imagine: Burgers/Dogs Sandwiches Mexican Dishes Pastas International Entres Salads Soups Pizza Desserts SO HOW'S THE FOOD? Bo Thai: 4/5. It has the following: organic vegetables, baked tofu sautéed in a sweet and spicy peanut sauce, with rice noodles, mung bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts, and lime. Very nice light flavor, but I needed to add some hot sauce to really enjoy it. Berry and Lemon Cheesecake: 3/5. It was decent, but I have had better. Not worth $10. CUSTOMER SERVICE: - the cashier was nice enough to highlight that the portions are very large, so my wife and I split the dish above and had enough room left over for dessert. read more

The first thing that is coming to my mind is "Such a lovely place, such a lovely place". From all respects. The vibe is so cool, comfortable and welcoming. The people were warm and courteous. Food is delicious. Options are plentiful and very hard to choose from. We ended up ordering a bunch of different items and all of them were made well. I particularly relished the coconut mango smoothie (vegan). Restrooms are clean. Restaurant is clean and the plates and utensils were nice and clean as well. Outdoor seating was in the parking lot but quite simple and comfortable. Large parking lot, so lots of space to park your car. All in all, such a simple and yet beautiful experience. Unpretentious is another adjective that came to my mind for this place. Will surely come back. read more

Used to love this place but honestly, it's too expensive. Maybe if you split something with someone you'd feel less crappy about spending $17 on a small dish. If you know how to cook even a little, you can make this stuff for far less. Sorry dharmas, not cutting it anymore read more

My friends and I came here today for a late lunch.Two friends ordered the tofu turkey stuffing dinner with yams, mashed potatoes and gravy and salad.Another ordered the macaroni and cheese and a vanilla shake and I got their famous salad with sunflower seeds,beets, carrots, cucumbers and lettuce with their very yummy miso said dressing. I also got a side order of garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy and a soda. I tried the tofu turkey and stuffing.Everything was very tasty.The service was very good read more

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This is a $6 hot dog? Really? Probably the smallest, most dry hot dog I've ever had. My spouse did an order pick up. This is what arrived (see pic). I asked if it came with anything ... and, well ... the answer was: no. Nothing in the bag. Not even ketchup. The Beastie Boys called out any hot dog without mustard as: "cheap." But this wasn't even cheap. Luckily we had ketchup & mustard .. it didn't help ... still dry :( p.s. usually love Dharma's food ... this is an epic fail though read more

Dharma's Restaurant - $6 Dharma Dog - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Answer your phones, or pay someone to answer them. Tried calling from Watsonville 3 times, no one answered. Tried ordering online, wouldn't work. We love your food but please don't expect it you can have this poor of service just because you're a popular restaurant read more

Dharmas used to be a great place to get a huge amount of really good organic vegetarian food for a decent price. Now, Dharma's is a place to get a huge amount of really good organic vegetarian price for a lot of money. You get what you pay for to some extent I guess, but my favorite thing on the menu, the vegetable breakfast burrito went from 14 to 25 dollars and I rarely go there to get anymore as a result. Still if you don't mind paying for it, the food is solid. My other knock is that in the past few years they have made repeated mistakes with my order or didn't make my order at all one time, and after waiting for 45 minutes I had to get my money refunded and leave hungry because I was out of time... That sucked. Some of the staff seems really stoned. Cashier is usually the only one on top of things. We still eat here on occasion, just not nearly as much as we used to. Back in the day I used to eat here a couple times a week. But the food is good, especially if you have deep pockets and done mind throwing down big money for food you stand in line to order. read more

The employees working here tonight are disrespectful and act like children. I ordered my food and was literally mocked by the staff for talking to one of the employees. There was literally no reason to be so rude and make fun of a customer like that out of nowhere, no one even spoke to you, you weren't involved in any conversation and didn't need to be. I honestly wouldn't suggest going here anymore the service has gone downhill over the last few years. This was just pathetic you have some kids acting like bullies to people, so unnecessary and mean. Grow up. read more

Delicious vegan burger with potato wedges. Relaxing atmosphere and really amazing Art. If you're a vegetarian or vegan it's a great restaurant. Close to East Side Beaches and Surfing read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Beyond Buger. Very filling - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Food was so so. Ambience was also quite drab...the food in general lacked any flavors. It felt like they forgot to add any seasoning

I don't know what it is but the atmosphere, ambiance, decor, staff, and overall layout of this restaurant made me feel uneasy the second I stepped inside. The menu offers a variety on its menu but because there are so many offerings, finding an entree was difficult for me. The prices are rather high, too so I stuck to the safest / cheapest dish (burrito). No kids' menu and the worst: no ice in the machine! I just wanted iced water w/ a lemon. I did not like my "Nada Chicken Burrito" because it was extremely heavy and it simply did not taste good. I can't imagine ever going back to fast food but I was thinking about a more fulfilling meal than this and the next step up is sadly fast food. I wish Santa Cruz offers great vegan selections but instead, the people here got jipped. Nobody here knows what "good vegan food" tastes like. I left my heart in San Jose :( read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Nada Chicken Burrito. - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Love love love their food! As someone who's trying to eat vegan there are just endless options to choose from! My all time favorite is their portabello artichoke sandwich. It always hits the spot! They are a bit higher priced but you get a lot of food for your money. read more

We picked up lunch here while we were in the area and liked the food! First off, we placed a pickup order and when I entered to pick it up, my bag was ready and kept on a table. The staff were wearing masks. We ordered the Michoacán Mushroom special and a Bo Thai Sauté. I loved the mushrooms. The dish comes with rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole and the mushrooms. I was a bit apprehensive about how well the mushrooms would be cooked since they were whole, but to my delight they were perfect. The sauce is very flavorful. The Thai dish was not bad either, but don't expect an authentic Thai dish. I liked the combination of the noodles, veg and peanuts, but I would've liked it more with a spicier sauce. The prices match the portion sizes. Two of us had a hearty meal and still had leftovers. See if you can order for a group from here so that you can try more dishes! The menu is quite vast. read more

C'mon, it's hard enough to find a restaurant that's good at just one style of food. Dharma offers "Thai" "Indian" "Mexican" "Asian" "Mediterranean" and "Italian" "recipes," so just expect faux versions of everything with weak flavors. The ambiance is like a notch above high school cafeteria. Obviously lots of people like this place. Go figure. read more

It was the end of my vegan month. Just 3 more days. I was dying. I thought I needed meat. I just ran what I thought to be only 7 miles, but in the end was 8.2 miles. I was aching all over. I wanted food. Yelp you have done it again. After I got out of my wet sweaty clothes..yes I did get naked in my back seat of the car (Thank goodness for tinted windows). My boyfriend and I ate at this restaurant. I thought wow, for once a restaurant with more than 2 choices for me to pick from and all of them were not just salads! We chose a burrito and a raspberry soy shake. I couldn't believe the amount of food we got for the price. You could have fed 3 people with the amount we got! They did not skimp the soy chicken NOT AT ALL! Truly a place for vegans and should not be overlooked when you're near Capitola. I will DEFINITELY go back vegan or not vegan. This was an awesome find. read more

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The ambience is very dated. Old Cafe or cafeteria look. I guess it works for them. I got the mega burger ($16)which was a very generous portion. Lots of loose pieces of protein rather than a Pattie which made it hard to eat. The roasted potatoes were so good!! The Dan Dan noodles ($12)had a good taste to it. They need to cook the carrots more. I like the non vegetarian version better still. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Mega burger ($16) which I'm on the fence about whether it was worth it - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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I've only been here for breakfast but I'm a big fan of the Tofu scrambles--tofu ranchero is my fave--and they do a good job with fresh veggie juices too. The portions are huge so you may consider splitting an entree with a friend...or an enemy, as long as you can be civil long enough to eat and not disturb others with your feuding. Condiments are of a variety you won't find in many other places: Melinda's Xxx Hot sauce, Bragg's liquid aminos, and other shakers of herbs and stuff. Very clean, unisex bathroom waaaaay in the back. Like, there's a hallway that goes along a wall of photos (presumably of customers) and keeps going until you think you're going to come out into Narnia and then boom, bathroom...but no Narnia...which is kind of sad. Though I wasn't prepared to use the bathroom outside, in front of talking animals, so perhaps it was a good thing after all. Also, the decor here includes patches of toy animals...so maybe Narnia is around here after all. Maybe that's what the wall of pictures is for--those are the people who got lost on their way to the bathroom and ended up in Narnia. Seems reasonable to me. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Tofu ranchero - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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Not complaining about the food however management is very unprofessional!!!! Employees don't last. Fired my daughter via text and tried to take advantage she had lil to no knowledge as far as California law goes to receive final pay same day as being let go....all through text! With both her parents having management backgrounds this was very unprofessional!!!!!! read more

Quite a remarkable menu. I had wanted to try this place for a long time and finally did. Now I wish I had tried it a long time ago. They have a very intriguing menu with all sorts of combinations from several regions of the world. The interior is spacious and comfortable even though it has a cafeteria feel: no waiters; order at the counter and come get it when it's ready. I'm okay with that. read more

Ah Dharma's I'm so happy they are still dishing out the extraordinarily large vegetarian meals. Just picked up some spring rolls the other day for a girls night out. They were delicious and very filling. read more

Found this place on Yelp. It was my first time there today and we tried the following: Tempeh reuben sandwich - This was pretty good. The sauerkraut was great! The potatoes and "thousand island" dipping sauce werr delicious. Cashew "chicken" and broccoli - It was served over white rice (didn't know it came with rice or I would have asked for brown). The sauce/gravy in this dish was delicious. I've never been a fan of fake meat or soy chicken though. Maybe they could make it with tofu next time? Dan dan noodles - This isn't served with the black bean sauce like some other restaurants....it's more of a peanut butter sauce. Topped with some fresh veggies. You first order and pay at the cash registers. Seat yourself and wait for your name to be called to go pick up your tray of food. You bus your own tables. They have a garbage/recycling are near the doors with togo boxes. I would have to agree that the service could be better. The cashier wasn't rude or anything but a hello, smile, or thank you would have been nice... read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Restaurant front - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

I use to eat at this spot in the mid to late 80's....loved the Brahma Burger! I think it was called McDharmas and I think McDonald's made them change the name, so they just made a circle with a line through it over the Mc read more

I have been coming here since 1994 when I was 25. Always great quality food and yummy too. Seems kind of pricey until you realize that almost every entree is enough for 2 people easy. And it's local and organic. I have gone from vegetarian to vegan and have had no problem with subs in my fav items. Besides amazing comfort food of many different types (American, asian, Mexican, Indian, etc) they have a superb drink menu including Kombucha, coffee, teas, wines and many craft beers to choose from. Basically something for everyone. I am the ED for a local non-profit animal rescue and we have had our volunteer appreciation party at Dharma's twice and all of our volunteers have been very happy (even the carnivores!) Don't go away Dharma's! read more

I have always liked this restaurant but the reason I gave it two stars is because it's gotten to be so expensive. I just liked it a few years ago. Things were better in general. read more

This is by far the most expensive place for such a cheap inexpensive meal. I just got off the phone with dharma's and they were not even understanding of my order. I got the Mac and cheese which usually is amazing but instead I got a 1/4 of the size it used to be and it cost me 12 dollars. I don't usually write reviews but in this case I'm very disappointed. I love dharmas but this is just not okay with me and will not be going there again. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - $12.00 meal. Really. Usually it's the size of the left container. - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California