From someone who is not vegan, or vegetarian I hope I can review this restaurant well enough. I met with a couple of friends and we didn't order too much food to begin with, but I enjoyed what we had to share. We shared orders of the Shiitake Corn Cake, Kaya's Combo, and the Mac and Cheese. The corn cake was my favorite of them all! It is a vegetable patty topped with guacamole and pico de gallo salsa with a kick of Sriracha sauce and ranch. I loved the texture and it had great flavor. Kaya's combo has country nuggets (that look and taste very similar to a chicken nugget), tofu buffalo wings, seitan ribs and potato salad. The ribs may have been overdressed with bbq sauce, but I liked them otherwise. I typically don't care for potato salad, but I liked theirs. It was very light and had potato skins and other ingredients. The combo also came with agave mustard and bbq dipping sauces for the nuggets and some other greenish sauce. I'm not sure what it was, but it maybe had cucumber in it? It tasted refreshing though whatever it was. The Mac and cheese was also overdressed, but it was good. It looked and tasted similar to velveeta cheese; if you know what that tastes like of course. If you did not know it was vegan, there's a good chance you wouldn't be able to tell from eating it, which is pretty cool to me My friends were full and weren't interested in dessert, but I drove over an hour to come to this place so this girl was not leaving without trying their "worlds best vegan cheesecake." Pretty bold statement ey. Well, it was good for sure. Creamy texture and you can top it with either strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry. I also ordered a chocolate obsession cupcake. Our waitress came back to tell me they were out but offered up the cake instead. Of course I said yes. She even charged me the price of the cupcake, which I thought was completely unnecessary but so thoughtful. It was moist and tasty. I was happy with both desserts The service was good. Very chill atmosphere with island music playing in the background. Our bill wasn't bad at all, but we did only order apps and dessert. I enjoyed my first vegan meal. Even though I probably won't be back because I'm not from the area, I would recommend to others Also, it's BYOB!! read more

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Love most of the food. I'm giving 3 stars because I found a chunk of steel wool in my food. Or I should say I was chewing on the food and almost swallowed a piece of steel wool. I will never go back. Please use something else to wash things with. I will never feel safe again. read more

I really like this place, and crave the Rocky Mountain dish, more often than I can get there to get it, its my favorite dish so far!! Ive also had n like the cheesesteak, chicken salad sub, side salads, potato salad, cucumber salad, and cant rmrber what else i may have eaten, will have to edit review when i go back again. I know i had the ribs but dont like the overly sweet bbq sauce, and the chicken nuggets were a lil too chewy!!! But, i like the food enuff that i will continue to go, especially for the rocky mountain!! read more

Simply amazing! It's really great to find place that offers vegan items in NJ! I really liked the karma buffalo wings. It was very flavorful. The service is great and few blocks from the beach. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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Amazing and kind staff and creative vegan options. Non vegans will also enjoy! Their bbq sauce is the best, wish they sold it yum. Try anything with that. Salads and everything is fresh and the desserts are unreal. A must try for vegans and non vegans for a delicious meal. To top it off, they helped with a birthday surprise for us too with their amazing cake and dessert. Thank you! read more

I was very excited to try this place but since I have Celiac Disease, I called ahead to confirm my severe GI disease/"allergy" could be accommodated. After speaking, we head all the way out there. I was startled to see half the menu only available after 5pm (create a lunch menu then...) and as we order, she then says they are actually out of bread even tho she is the one I spoke to confirm they had options prior to driving out there. We get up and leave since I cannot eat and as we are getting in car, she runs outside with a few pieces of bread in a bag...INTO PARKING LOT. (Why did unprepared food leave the kitchen?) Since I'm starving, we head back in to try. We then wait again to order but when she finally comes back, I try to confirm the meal will be prepared on a gluten free surface and she tells me they will take care of me and cook it on a surface that has cooked gluten. (Sigh, had no clue) Several other small things were off that I will leave out. Since the staff clearly did not understand Celiac Disease, seem to care about the customer or service, we cancelled order and left. Did not leave feeling that staff even cared and they were not apologetic. CELIACS - tread lightly and very carefully and ask a lot of questions, tho I would recommend their vegan competitor down the road. They go above and beyond and staff cared and knowledgeable. read more

For vegan food it is great! Prices are a little high but portions and food is terrific and owner is a chill guy. Highly recommend.

Make a reservation. I went in on Saturday around 6p.m. and somehow thought this was a counter service restaurant, where we'd be quick in and out with the kids. Nope. The host said it would be about 15 minutes and seated a few reservations on the tables I had my eyes on. I switched to take out and my food was ready in 15 minutes, just as promised. And everything was so great that we went back again on Sunday. My favorite by far was the Tempeh Ruben. It was stacks of thin tempeh in Russian dressing with slaw and the bun was just great. I got it with a side of fries that were delicious. Next up, we got the Soul Seitan. This is thin strips of seitan, breaded and fried, like chicken fried chicken. It was good, although I would have preferred something more like the Country Nuggets for a real chx-fried-chx experience. What's amazing with this dish, though, is the mashed potatoes and gravy. Any vegan who loves gravy would find this stuff amazing! The mashed potatoes felt indulgent: buttery and whipped to perfection. And, lest we forget, the side of "seasonal vegetables" looked completely unassuming. Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower -- I almost didn't want to eat them, what with my fried and fatty indulgence -- but they were cooked and seasoned just right. Nothing bland or freezer-fresh from them. Yum! We tried the Kaya's Combo, which is an appetizer portion of tempeh and tofu buffalo wings (a little spicy for my tastes, but good); seitan bbq ribs (great sauce!); and country nuggets (vegan chicken nuggets) complete with a sauce for each. I'm glad we tried all this; I loved the thick, smoky, and not-too-sweet barbecue sauce, and I'd get the nuggets again for the kids. The next day, I was so tempted to get the Ruben again, that or the $19 tacos (I can't imagine why they cost so much!) -- and I guess I wish I did! I ordered the chicken salad sandwich, and it was good, but not as good as Asmar's, which I get locally at Whole Foods. And hubs got the tofu BBQ sandwich, which was also good but could have used some of the slaw from the Ruben. This is where I remember I was at the beach in New Jersey, because in the South there would most definitely be slaw on the BBQ! read more

This place is amazing. I took my family there for a meal and everything we ordered was prepared beautifully. Lion of Judah, Mac n cheese, corn bites and the other dishes we ordered. The food was served quickly and nice n hot too. read more

My favorite vegan restaurant on the block...confused as to why the sour cream was called sour "cream." Despite this, the food was satisfactory. I do recommend it for a nice quaint getaway from the flashy Belmar life. read more

Awesome vegan comfort food, awesome friendly service...it's a cozy little place with good vibes. Friday night they had a folky sort of band that was decent. Have been twice now and wasn't disappointed either time but it also wasn't super busy either time that I went. Definitely try the sticky bun if you're into that kinda thing, it's literally enough for 2-3 people. Love Kaya's! read more

Really great food. The BBQ grilled tofu with mashed potatoes and vegetables is spectacular. Veggie burger and fries also very good

Such great vegan food! Had the Kaya's combo and Lion of Judah. Everything was fresh, cooked well and absolutely delicious. Can't wait to come back and try more. read more

Kayas Kitchen is the best vegan food ever! I've been coming here as long as I can remember and they never disappoint, whether you are looking for a good old fashion American cheeseburger all the way to a vegan decadent desert. read more

Kayas is the bomb! Food is made with love and our weekly server, Patty, is a sweetheart! Tess, the hostess, possibly the owner, is sweet, genuine and has hospitality down to a science. Amazing vegan food and plenty of gluten free options. I come here once a week and I live an hour away! read more

Life has ebbs and flows so I thought perhaps kayas kitchen and I were not in a good place for my last visit. Decided to forgive and forget and give this place another try. Now my absolute fav vegan eatery or eatery in general is Modern Love hands down so I start all other vegan restaurants at 4 and then move up or down from there. We almost considered a 5 because all food was on point today. Really nice salad filled with variety and great dressing. Mac and cheese- not my fav but enjoyed by my companion. Then we split pierogies and TLT. Very good all around. Service noticeably slow but staff pleasant and accommodating. We will be back!! read more

This is a perfect place to stop for lunch on your way to the boardwalk/beach. I came here alone and ordered the Mock Chicken Salad on sprouted grain roll. I am by no means a committed vegan (I literally eat everything), but could not believe how delicious this was for having no meat in it. Super flavorful and meaty texture with a nice crunch from the red onion, lettuce and tomato. Service was attentive and gentle. The place has a cool vibe supported by art on its walls. Bathrooms are also clean, which we all know factors into the overall experience. Can't wait to come back again and try more dishes! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Mock chicken salad on sprouted grain roll. Yessss - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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The food and service was excellent! I recommend this restaurant highly! Only thing is the restaurant was seasonally warm, not sure if they have AC? Otherwise perfect vegan restaurant. read more

Best Vegan I've had in NJ! My sister took me here while on vaca and I couldn't believe how great it was :) super friendly staff too! read more

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This place is so good & The people are so friendly! We come once every month or so & even with how sporadically we come our favorite server (Mat) somehow always seems to remember us by our names - Seriously the best customer service I've seen in so long (& I work retail!) Besides the excellent staff, the food is damn good. Luckily the "Jersey shore" is full of tasty vegan food - and Kaya's is one of the best. Don't leave here without trying the Kaya's Combo (It's so filling & comforting). Everything we've had here is tasty & fresh and not to mention they carry Vegan Treats baked goods - You can't go wrong. Don't walk, run (or uber or what have you) to Kaya's! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Kaya 's Combo - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

Awesome food and service! The best vegan desserts I've ever had! We come here everytime we are in the area. read more

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An amazing experience...from a card carrying bbq fan. Kaya's sampler for appetizer...outstanding! My wife and I split the Lion of Judah and the Enchiladas Loco. Very good! Dessert was coffee and a brownie. A perfect end to a great meal. Service was very good. Cannot wait to go back! read more

This place was awesome! I was at first drawn by the decor of the room, a lot of beautiful art and colors everywhere. The food variety was incredible except the more interesting selections were only available after 5PM which I was not aware of :( We ended up getting Kaya's Platter for an appetizer which was some of the best and most realistic vegan ''meat" that I've encountered. The texture and sauce for the vegan seitan "ribs" was awesome. We also got a lentil burger that was tasty. Definitely coming back here again..but after 5PM :D read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Kaya 's Combo - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

I really wanted to like this place. I really did. But by now I've been there several times, and I've been consistently disappointed. Sure, they have all the appropriate vegan dishes, but every main dish I've ordered seemed like it was drowning in a sauce to make it more "accessible". In all fairness, there are things that have been good, namely soups and salads. And it's nice to have a healthy place to grab food while in the area. But if I'm making a special trip for a salad, I might as well make my own at home, you know? I feel like this place had a lot of potential, and everything on the menu sounded good, but the ingredients and flavors just didn't come together. I may try again and maybe I just ordered the wrong dishes, but by the fourth time I don't think it was a coincidence. I ordered dessert once and it was a cupcake I'm pretty sure was made of pure sugar. read more

We have eaten here several times over the past years and it's sort off the list after we gave it one more try this past weekend. First, our server acted disinterested. She took a long time to come to us in the first place and just was not friendly in general, although she did her job. Second, why must they drown everything in sauce? You can barely even taste the ingredients, which makes me wonder how fresh any of it can be. It's nice that they have so many different items on the menu but they are somewhat indistinguishable and our server seemed annoyed by questions. We ordered the "chili" which came looking like vegetable soup, and although it was good, we're still not sure it was not. Based on other reviews here, I'd say it was soup because it was in a thin broth and when the busser took it away, she asked if we were done with our "soup." There are several items on the menu which are good and worthwhile, such as the hummus and the veggie tower, but most of the "meals" are so rich and hearty that it's hard to consider them healthy. Good Karma Cafe in Red Bank is a much better alternative, if only they had more space. Also, the masks on the wall scare me, and the place feels cold and sparse, especially when it's cold outside and people keep opening the door. read more

Bros and hoes, I've been a vegetarian for 2 years and I just want to let you know that Kaya's is not as good as its 4 star average. Maybe if you live in the area or are not used to quality dining Kaya's might be pretty good. And maybe I didn't have the best dish on the menu. I'm not sure, there were about a thousand options. But both my and my boyfriend's dishes were okay. Not bad, but definitely not worth the $15 a piece we paid for it. I had the Happy Family (BBQ kabobs with veggies, tofu, seitan, and some other meat substitute) and he had the Pierogis. His meal was not bad. Hearty, which is a major plus for vegetarian dining, and tasty, but not incredible or impressive in any way. My meal ranged from "these mushrooms are good" to "what is this weird stuff..." and was covered in an overly tangy/sweet BBQ sauce that kind of drowned out the individual tastes of the grilled veggies. It was atop a bed of brown rice that was a little undercooked. Good sized portions though, and the Lemonade was really tasty. Our waitress was cold and short. I didn't see her smile once, or even look us straight in the eyes. They didn't have the tea that I wanted and when I asked which ones they did have she looked bothered...it was a weird vibe from this place for sure. However, we came in around 6:30 and by the time we were finished at 7, the place was packed and a band was starting to play. Maybe we had a bad experience, maybe we ordered the wrong thing. But if I ever come back to Belmar, Kaya's will not be in my itinerary. read more

I am terribly sad to say I will never come back here. I don't know what happened. Change of menu. Change of management? Change of cook? I ordered the seitan kabobs and they were lukewarm & smothered in a bland peanut sauce that was quite frankly disgusting. My husband, who used to love their veggie burgers & fries, was so disappointed with his lentil burger. No option for fries! We won't come back. Very, very sad. read more

All you can fit in a doggy bag. Denied seating at a buffet an hour before closing but willing to accomadate with some take out end of the night crumbs of tofu. All for 10 99 a pound. Not only cheated out of a buffet style meal but turned out in the rain to eat. But if you must try for yourself avoid the broccoli and arrive hours before closing. read more

In my ongoing search of the best vegan food in the great state of New Jersey, I was steered toward Kaya's Kitchen. I have been to quite a few vegan restaurants in the past several months and I have to say that Kaya's ranks right up there with the best. As with most places in Belmar, Kaya's has a laid-back surfer vibe which makes for a cool atmosphere. For a Saturday afternoon around 1PM, I was pleasantly surprised to be only one of three customers. I must've just been lucky with my timing as I didn't spot any bennies. I decided to order the Jersey Devil (pork roll, egg, and cheese) with beer-battered onion rings after reading so many positive reviews. My girlfriend ordered the Junkyard Burger (with veggie bacon, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and mayo). Both sandwiches rocked! I wasn't able to control myself and inhaled my entire sandwich. My girlfriend, who has a little more self control, was able to save her's and savor it later in the day. We washed it down with a glass of herbal jasmine iced green tea, which was the perfect refresher on this particular hot, sticky day. I must say that for someone, who is not vegan, I was very impressed with Kaya's and places like it because of their creative use of fresh ingredients that are often a close resemblance to their meat counterparts. You will love this place if you are vegan. If you are a meat-eater, than you need to give it a try. It will open up your world! read more

My boyfriend and I have been vegetarians for three weeks. Over Memorial Day, a holiday known for grilling meats in excess, we headed to Belmar for the day with no real plan for dining out. Go figure- with the help of the Yelp App, we discovered that the highest rating restaurant in Belmar was not just vegetarian- it was vegan, too. We shared two dishes. The "Kaya's Combo," which was a mix of BBQ seitan, mock chicken nuggets and tofu wings. The chicken nuggets were most memorable- the consistency was freakishly like chicken. The agave nectar wasabi something-or-other dipping sauce was fantastic. The baba ghanoush/pita platter was not very good. Veggies were sparse, pita did not taste fresh, and the dip was kinda chunky and lacking flavor. Come to think of it, I'm not sure why I'm giving Kaya's Kitchen three stars. But hey, this is a vegan place that stays open in a beach town. Good for them. Keep it up? read more

Boyfriend took me here for a surprise birthday dinner . We got the tempeh wings , they were amazing . For dinner he got a steak entree and I got a rib entree . Very big portions , couldn't finish mine ! . Bottom line I recommend , will be back again read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Our entrees - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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"Instant Karma Wings" a revue of the sunday buffet @ kayas kitchen in belmar nj. I arrived at kayas @ 7:55 on buffett sunday after seeing that they close at 9. It was a cold rainy sunday night. After walking in the door they informed my friend and i that they were done seating for the night. Arrival over an hr before closing time? Not early enough?! Seriously. Strike 1. After an appetizer of dissapointment the would be server informed us we could buy the takeout buffet option @ 10 bucks a lb. He then informed us the all you can eat price was 23.95. We grazed the buffet seeing 4 tofu dishes, salad (looked like some dole bagged doo doo), steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes and dried up day old fries. Hungry and desperate we went for it. Got enough for a light dinner portion, which weighed out to cost more than an all you can eat!!! Strike 2 We left with our humble plates and walked in the cold rain to the belmar train station (which is my profile picture). As we ate the food got cold and i was still hungry when it was all said and done. Strike 3. After tonight i will never go there again. Mcdonalds wouldve at least seated me. What work is there in a buffet cleanup that you cant seat your customers over an hr before closing. I feel ripped off in the fullest sense. I am baffled that i can be turned down like this, eat a 24 dollar plate of food that i couldve made at home, better for 10 bucks, then review still before this place is closed. UPDATE! : I am leaving work early today 4/2/12 most likely because I had to eat some grody old buffet food in the cold rain. Thanks for nothing Kayas Kitchen. read more

Came here for lunch with my husband and 2 friends on a rainy Saturday. We were excited by both the menu and the reviews, but were sorely disappointed. I started with the coconut curry lentil soup which was the special for the day and which was really delicious. Flavorful, filling, I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, nothing else we ordered came even close to living up to this one dish. My friend and I ordered the falafel which were very bland and a very small portion. My husband had the veggie burger which he said was just ok (although to be honest, he's the kind of guy who wants meat in everything) And my other friend had a eggplant sandwich which was bland to the point of almost being unbelievable - I mean it's eggplant. It's inherently flavorful. But they had breaded it with panco which hid the flavor and then put a tiny slice of eggplant on a huge roll - again, hiding the flavor. Really, all of us left with this opinion that we were so disappointed because it had seemed so promising. Group consensus on the 2 stars... read more

I used to go here years ago but never remember the name (I don't know if the name changed at some point?). It used to be a bit more 'old school hippie dippie veggie' which I kind of liked and sort of miss. It still has a very bare bones vibe which I like and is located in a small shopping mall plaza. There used to be a salad bar which wasn't there last time I popped in to pick something up to take back on the train to NYC. (The train is steps away, as is a marina. The beach is a few blocks away.) The food IS good, but it's too overpriced for a shopping plaza in Belmar. It's something I just don't get about restaurants in NJ. A BIG part of the reason eating in NYC is so expensive is because of real estate prices, i.e., RENT. Real estate in Belmar, Asbury, and other areas does not match the village or midtown last time I checked! My overall view is: Great spot to check out for creative vegetarian, has lost a bit of its charm, overpriced. read more

I unfortunately tried to sample Kaya's today on a visit to the Jersey Shore, but they keep odd hours (they are closed from 3:00-5:00) so I was unable to eat there. There was a 'Latino Cusine' restaurant nearby that looked to have vegan options, but I didn't try it. Anyway, the menu at Kaya's looks good, it is similar to Red Bamboo or VP2 in NYC in terms of items offered. read more

I'm not wild about the attitude of the employees here, especially regarding one specific incident. I ordered a black bean burger and asked for mustard. The waitress brings out mustard in a cup. OK, lots of places do this as opposed to bringing out the Heinz bottle. I slather it on my burger and chow down. Sadly, the waitress brought me SPICY CHINESE MUSTARD which is not what you put on burgers. Due the to large amount of it on my burger (I like a lot of mustard), my mouth was on fire. When my friends explained the situation, the waitress just shrugged. No. Inappropriate response. I was in serious pain. The waitress barely said anything as she brought me one small cup of water. My friends asked her to have my burger remade. By the time I got it back, everyone had finished eating. Please, hire people who know the difference between regular mustard for burgers and spicy Chinese mustard. Or, people who actually care when they screw something up that causes a customer pain. And why on earth do you even HAVE that kind of mustard? Very disappointed. The seitan bbq wings were amazing though, and if I were to return, that is the only thing I would order. read more

Kaya's Kitchen is a vegan staple in NJ. It's just always been there. It is the quintessential vegan comfort food joint of NJ (well, maybe after Veggie Heaven). They moved to a newer location which is quite pretty, spacious and classy. Definitely nice for a date night with someone special (and you feel like dropping the G's) The reason I give it 4 stars is for the sheer massiveness of its menu. You can really find anything on the menu you'd like to eat - from southern types of comfort food, to Asian, to regular American, to pizzas. It's definitely an eye turn to be able to eat so many usually off-limit things. The prices are indeed steep however. I've only gone a few times over the years because I just don't want to pay $20 for mock-ribs, even if I do like them. I wouldn't come here if you're on a healthy kick, either. It's definitely vegan junk food. But its a fun place to go, when after the beach, you feel like eating those kinds of foods. Honestly Kaya's is also best just because its a good place to take your omni friends who may need a "hamburger" or whatever, or for those transitioning from omni diets to vegan. Or, again, when you're totally in the mood for a giant plate of veggie chicken parmensan. I just recommend not going on Sundays. They do a buffet day now, which is kind of skimpy, and not worth the price. They don't let you have the option to order off their regular menu, either. It's odd, so don't go on Sundays! Otherwise, enjoy your vegan comfort food! read more

Definitely an interesting place, kind of like hippie culture meets Jersey shore beach casual. On a Saturday with a perfect golden sunset evening, the wait was 40 min. so the four of us braved the front room - turns out the big coolers lining the front exhaust right out onto your feet when you sit in front of them. Service was slow, but not too bad, we had a succession of wait staff swing by - they seem to rotate around the tables - but once they had our order, they did a decent job with bringing everything out in order,other than serving our salad late. We ordered a lot of food, and shared everything, they gave us separate plates on our request, since we all ate a bit of everything, our collective review was as follows: The best dish was the days special - Thai eggplant and tofu with a spicy sauce The avocado salad was very good. Happy family kebobs were good. The Kaya combination appetizer was tasty - the country nuggets resembled crab cakes in texture and chewiness. My dish - Tofu teriyaki was a bit too sweet and the rice was gooey. The burrito, which seemed to be a popular choice, was way too big and the filling was bland but ingredients were fresh. For me, the most interesting food item was the seitan - rhymes w shaitan and creates devilish curiosity in non vegans :) - which provided the gluten "ribs" and "chicken'. I am not a fan of fake ribs, but these were pretty good. If Kaya were to reduce the number of menu items, use a tad less sauce, and plated a little better, they could score a 5. read more

Kaya's Kitchen delivered the best vegan meal of my life. It isn't haute cuisine, but the menu choices are staggeringly varied and everything I did order was delicious and craveworthy. I appreciated the casual comfort of the place with its sheltering booths and wear-anything decor. The bread basket alone, with its herb-laden olive oil, was worth the trip. My husband and I ordered: ~homemade lemonade and wild berry teas (divine!) ~harvest salad (a seasonal mix of honey crisp apple slices, greens, and dried cranberries that would have fed a few more people happily) ~Thai Peanut Tofu on spinach fettucine (Outstanding!) ~Coconut Curry on Jasmine Rice (Order the toothsome soy nugget chunks--it made for the single most nomNOMnom meal of my life.) ~Peppermint Patty Cake (Rich, sweet, delish.) ~Creamsicle Cupcake (So sweet my teeth buzzed--but tasty.) read more

Good food for vegan . Creative recipes good balance of lentils with soy products. Greeting by servers is always slow everytime i come here. Otherwise good food. Had the lentil loaf with veggies mashed pots and brown gravy. Veggies were plain steamed not sauce or seasoning. Mashed pots were great texture topped with the same gravy on the lentil loaf which was also very good. They gave the top a nice crunchy layer. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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