this was such a great find! i never expected to get a giant delicious burrito in a food court, but i was delighted by my experience here and would honestly come here every day if i could. these burritos are actually massive! definitely worth the slightly higher price point because the portion sizes are huge and will leave you with leftovers. not me though because the burrito was so delicious i had to finish it! service was great and the food didn't take long at all! everything was hot and they gave us plenty of extra sauces to go with our order. great place to impress both the vegans and nonvegans in your group! read more

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This place is located in a mall food court, just so you know. That doesn't make it any lesser but I think it is an important detail to know. Because it is at a mall, it has ample parking which is nice but then you have to find the food court. It wasn't too difficult to find but the map made it look like it was outside but it is definitely inside the food court. I was so happy to see such a great vegan option at a food court! I ended up getting the rolled tacos and the carne asada tacos. Both items were good, they definitely give you a good portion amount for how much you pay. People should definitely give them a try! The staff were nice and friendly and the food came out in a timely manner. read more

El Veganito - Rolled Tacos De Papa (3) in the front and Carnitas Tacos (3) in the back - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

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My daughter ordered the Veganito burrito and loved it! The owner was super nice and helpful. The burrito is huge! Fresh and flavorful were her first comments. We also shared a horchata. Only 9 more days to enjoy this great food, vegan friends! PS-The salsa was so yummy and she said it was the chile on top! :) We hope this place finds another great spot so we can enjoy more! read more

El Veganito - Veganito Burrito was bomb! - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This gotta go in the top 5 Mexican food places of all time! I have been wanting to try these types of fries for SO LONG!! My friends would always get this and when I was younger and I would get bummed out because they never had a vegan version with all the toppings! Veganito fries (22$) These were the best and everyone agreed on it! The sautéed onions on top with the Jalapeno made each bite so complex and packed with flavors! The guac and sour cream were so fresh and I loved when I would get the little bits of cheese. There was also two types of "meats" one was jackfruit carnitas and other was soyrizo. I liked the use of jackfruit since it makes the meal feel good and doesn't resemble too much taste of the meat. Also the chipotle crema was a nice touch! It was a bit expensive and came around 22$ while I know the avg price of this would be around 17$. Phish tacos (16$) This was so fresh and everything a phish taco needs! I like that they sticked to the basics and made the "real" fish tacos. The fish was battered nicely with no oily after taste and it paired nicely with the tangy Chipotle sauce. Burrito (16$) This one was also with jackfruit carnitas and I liked how the beans were flavored! It was a heavy burrito and would definitely keep you full! Overall this meal fed 4 people and we were full full! J wish they open more locations so I can visit them often. The mall itself seems not that active but I did go into a macys that was closing down... there's plenty of seatings and staff was very nice and patient while we made our choices. But if you are vegan or not def give this place a shot! read more

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Was really excited to come here but on a Saturday at 5pm the food court was closed and apparently it's all shutting down?

I wasn't expecting much from this place, but WOWW!!! The most spectacular vegan burrito I have ever had. It tasted better than most other taquerias I've been to. California burrito was chefs kiss. Fast service too! I will be back!!! read more

El Veganito - California burrito - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

I AM NOT VEGAN ! However , this place is bomb as hell . A friend turned me into this place and it never disappoints. I did a pick up order for my parents birthday and surprised them ( they are vegan ) and my dad was blown away . Hands down the creations of flavors and textures is a total win here !!! I have tried a handful of dishes and haven't had a bad one yet . California burrito - 10/10 Elveganito burrito with carnitas -9/10-wasnt as good as the Cali but still good ! Sopas- 10/10 Elvaganito fries - 10/10 - even my kid loved these Birria melt - 10/10 - amazing flavors read more

How lucky am I that this is my neighborhood Mexican restaurant?! It's the hidden gem in the Grossmont Center mall. As a non-vegan trying the phish tacos, this is up there with the better regular fish tacos in the San Diego area. I'm very impressed that this is vegan because they've captured the flavor profile very well. Guacamole was fresh and my friend said her adobada tacos were delicious. There was so much food- honestly the one taco filled me up so one plate is really the equivalent of 2 meals. Prices are pretty comparable to other Mexican restaurants in the area so since the taste is great with the added benefit of doing no animal harm I think this will be my go to spot for Mexican food cravings. read more

El Veganito - Phish Tacos (2), guacamole, and Adobada tacos (3) - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

Very dirty and employees don't wash there hands and they do not clean there tables and chairs

Excellent vegan food! So much variety in choices. Always cooked perfectly. I hope they don't go away with the renovations happening at the mall. read more

Love the vegan carnitas! They do it right. Took off one star just because of the food court mall location. Wish you guys had a location by the beach! read more

I tried the vegan adobada burrito and it was so huge and filling! Not too oily felt super fresh and delicious and worth the money. It came with green and red salsa. I loved it. read more

Before I say my whole review just order THE SOPES!!! They are incredibly comforting and delicious. 10/10 My friend and I tried the jackfruit tacos, sopes, fish tacos, and birria. The sopes were the clear standout... absolutely delicious and the highlight of the meal. The birria had a nice smoky ancho chile flavor. The rice and beans were high quality and clearly made with care (the beans were especially good). The horchata was refreshing with a sweet cinnamon flavor, and I loved that it's made with soy milk. Really enjoyed this place and would definitely return! read more

El Veganito - Sopes, tacos, fish tacos on the checkered box and the Birria in the upper right corner. - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This place is epic! If you love a cali burrito, I strongly recommend trying the vegan version. Today I had rolled potato tacos that were maybe the best I've had. The service is great- friendly and kind. Soon this location is said to be closing because of changes at the mall, so go now! read more

i've been vegetarian for years and have never had this good of vegan tacos!! the carne asada tacos were super flavorful and juicy read more

El Veganito - a Adobada tacos (3) - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is the best Mexican food in San Diego. I love the Cali burrito, potato tacos, fish burrito and taco. Everything I've had is absolutely amazing but those are my favorites. And the salsa is delicious too read more

Located in a mall food court, you would have never guessed there would be a full vegan Mexican place! Words can't describe how this "hole in the wall" gem hit the spot! read more

El Veganito - Carnitas Tacos (3) - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I first had El Veganito at the Earth Fair in Balboa Park. I walked WAY out of my way to return to this vendor, because the list of ingredients looked like the perfect mix of healthy and delicious. I was NOT disappointed!! I got the Machaca burrito, which was full of jack fruit carnitas, tofu scramble, and SO MANY grilled veggies! It was so hot that it stayed too hot to heat until I had walked clear to the other end of the park to sit in the shade and eat it. I was starving and ate like a piggy, but I couldn't finish more than half of it. The other half I ate for lunch over the next two days...still delicious! I went to the El Veganito in Grossmont Center even though I live all the way up in the north county. It was VERY hard to find the food court because of the ongoing construction. So, I bought two burritos to last me the entire week! I feel lucky when I find food that will give me a healthy and delicious option. :) read more

Food is soo good. I got the sopes and the bean and cheese burrito, the sopes were really good and they added some sort of vegetable on top that was smoked to add a smokey/grilled taste to the all vegan meal. I would def get again!! The cheese was really good on it too and in the bean and cheese burrito. I cannot tell the difference of it not being real cheese at all. wanted to try this place and was so happy with it! I want it more often but it's far from work. I ordered online and picked up and it was ready for me and packaged well. It's in a food court so an interesting seating area. read more

HUGE portions! Excellent food. 100% recommend. (Hard to find in the mall food court, tho.)

El Veganito has some of the best vegan food I've ever had, and I can say this as a former vegan! The way they replace traditional, non-vegan ingredients with just the right vegan ingredients blows my mind each time! My go to order is the Sopes and an Horchata, and each time I have them, I ask myself why I don't eat here more often! Both of those items are so delicious and flavorful! The sopes are honestly better than any meat sopes I've had, and the horchata is in my top 3 horchatas! You can't go wrong with any item from their menu, they're all very good choices! They are located inside the food court at the Grossmont Center, so there is plenty of seating space. The one thing to be aware of is their days/hours, Wed-Sun! I have found myself craving this place on Mondays more often than I can count, and each time my heart breaks when they are not open. The staff is always super nice here and I cannot recommend this place enough, for vegans and non-vegans alike. Please go support them, as vegan food as delicious as this is so hard to find!! read more

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Always great but I forced myself to branch out from their loaded fries and get the Veganito burrito and wow, I may have a new addiction. I got mine with adobada, added guacamole. Absolutely delicious, well balanced flavor and texture wise and well constructed. My husband loved the sopes. read more

This little gem of a restaurant is tucked away in Grossmont center. Absolutely amazing Mexican food with a big menu of options. One of my go-to places for Mexican take out. read more

Omg. How and why can't I have this in LA?? Everything we tried was amazing . The flavors were incredible. Tried the phish tacos and loaded adobago fries. Will be back when we are down here again. Thank you El Veganito !! read more

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Went to El Vegantio today to share with my sister the diversity in vegan food since she's not vegan. We were shopping around and thought we'd stop by for a quick bite... but what a disappointing experience! My sister ordered tacos de papa with a side of rice, and I got the Cali burrito. When her food came out, it had beans instead of rice. Simple fix, right? Nope. When I politely told the guy at the register, "sorry, she asked for rice not beans," he snapped back, "NO, she ordered beans." My sister even called out from the table, "I wanted rice," but instead of apologizing or correcting the mistake, he kept arguing and insisting she ordered beans. Then he proceeded to switch to Spanish to tell the cook things (Sabes que te podemos entender o escuchar hablando mierda). We finally got the rice, but he handed it over with no lid and an extremely rude attitude. I work in food service and deal with customers daily.. this is NOT how you treat people. We were polite the entire time, not even upset about the mistake, but the disrespect and lack of basic customer service were shocking. Very disappointing and not worth it. Save yourself the trip to the food court and just grab ingredients to make a vegan meal at home. I love supporting small businesses, but after this experience, I don't see this one lasting very long. read more

El Veganito - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Right up with the Best vegan Mexican spots in San Diego. You will never change this vegans mind. It's that good. Get the rolled tacos and Cali Burrito your first visit. They also have an amazing Reuben sandwich (get it with ez cheese). Thank me later. read more

Omigoodness El Veganito is MIND BLOWINGLY GOOD. This place has incredibly flavorful, well crafted dishes in spectacularly generous portions. We ordered potato taquitos, El Veganito fries & burrito with adobada, fish tacos, sopes, and horchata for 3 people. The flavors are complex and well-seasoned. Each dish was fresh but simultaneously gluttonously indulgent. We ate to our hearts content and still had enough for a second meal (which was still bomb the next day). I shared my leftovers with my meat-loving husband and he was convinced I was lying about it being vegan. In his words, "What sorcery is this?!?" Do yourself a favor and head to El Veganito next time you crave Mexican food. You won't regret it! read more

Great plant-based Mexican food. I'm tired of getting plain bean burritos at regular Mexican places. This place has great menu choices.

Today my sister and I decided to try this place because it came highly recommended by a friend. Unfortunately, what should have been a pleasant experience quickly turned into frustration due to the poor customer service. Here's what happened: My sister ordered first, and I went right after her. I clearly ordered tacos de papa, a side of rice, and a bottled Coke. The cashier entered my order, I paid without double-checking, and when my food came out, I noticed I was given beans instead of rice. Mistakes happen, so I didn't think much of it. My sister, who was standing next to me when I ordered, politely took the beans back to the cashier to let him know I had ordered rice. Instead of simply fixing the issue, the cashier immediately insisted that I "did not say that," dismissing both of us. Shocked, my sister repeated that I had ordered rice--she heard it herself. The cashier grabbed the beans, repeated that I was wrong, and then spoke to the cook in Spanish in a dismissive tone. At that point, we already felt uncomfortable, but I still got up to pick up my rice, thanked him, and started to walk away. That's when he sarcastically told me to "have a nice day" in a rude, mocking tone. What could have been a small misunderstanding turned into an unnecessarily unpleasant and disrespectful experience. In any professional establishment, you do your best to resolve issues respectfully and ensure the customer leaves satisfied. Instead, this cashier chose to argue, dismiss, and belittle us over something so minor. For a business that likely doesn't get much foot traffic, I'm shocked by how little they value their customers. It's one thing to make a mistake--it's another to treat paying customers with attitude and make them feel so uncomfortable that they don't even want to sit and eat there. Most businesses at Grossmont Center don't last long, and with this kind of service, I can't imagine this one will either. read more

Great spot in a nice food court inside of an even nicer little locals only mall. The front counter employee who handed me my pick up order was really friendly and the items we got ended up being my well beyond our expectations. The bean and cheese burrito, California burrito w/ chorizo, and rice/beans on the side was the right choice. The only thing I'd say is the beans are a little salty but I had no problems enjoying them still. The food court is a little hidden so make sure you use your maps but overall I love the location and unfortunately I got no photos because we ate it at a park for a family event. read more

Must be the best veg Mexican place I have ever eaten at . We tried the California Burrito and Veganito Carnitas. Both were fresh and delicious and had huge portions. Never had this jackfruit version before but was quite impressed with the taste. Highly recommended. read more

This place is incredible. Such amazing flavor and generous portions. Can't believe we haven't gone earlier. But will be back and often! Thank you, El Veganito for giving La Mesa wonderful plant based food! read more

Delicious! Would come all the time but I don't live nearby. The workers are so kind! I want to try everything on the menu read more

El Veganito - Adobada tacos - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

Please come try out EL VEGANITO! It's an amazing vegetarian food court diner, inside the Grossmont shopping center. Family owned, friendly staff, and handsome lol. Food is also delicious. Must try their jackfruit birria in which I forgot to take a picture of smh but I took a picture of the California burrito which is also a must try. read more

El Veganito - California Burrito - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California

Been wanting to try this place out for a while. I order the vegan Al pastor California burrito and it did not disappoint! First off it's huge , so you get exactly what you pay for. It was very flavorful and their green salsa was the cherry on top :-* chefs kiss Excited to come back and try other things off the menu read more

A vegan spot that serves dishes with nopales! must try for the vegan chicanos out there that can never find nopales and vegan Mexican spots. I had the breakfast tacos which were definitely a heavier breakfast than I was expecting but very good! read more

The best thing about the grossmont mall. The portions are great, the food taste great, and staff is friendly and kind!

The food is to die for I love going there it's my favourite vegan place. I would recommend the Cali burrito it's soooo good and filling!

Had the Phish burrito. So delicious, fresh, and filling. Good selection of dishes. Would definitely recommend this place.

This small food stall in a food court made one of the best vegan Mexican meals I've had. This place is a must visit for anyone who wants an authentic cruelty free meal in San Diego- they have so many options for vegan meat like jackfruit carnitas, soy chorizo, vegan asada. I got tacos, loaded fried fries, and taquitos with a generous helping of vegan queso and crema. read more

El Veganito - Jackfruit tacos, loaded asada fries, taquitos filled with potato - Vegan Near Me - La Mesa, California