As a longtime Veggie Grill patron, this review is long overdue and very well deserved. I have been going since the days when they had a location in UTC, and now that the only San Diego metro spot is in Carlsbad, I still make the drive at least once a month. That alone should tell you where this is going. Veggie Grill offers a wide variety of fully vegan options in a fast casual setting. I am especially fond of the burgers and the protein plates, particularly the Beyond steak meal with broccoli and brown rice. The Beyond steak is a great addition to the menu. It's well seasoned, cooked just right, and has a satisfying texture that really hits the right note. The steak protein plate is a highly recommended choice. Another easy recommendation is the strawberry lemonade. It strikes a great balance, not too sweet and not too tart. Because they use real strawberries, it can be a bit thick, so I sometimes add a splash of water to lighten it up. Bottom line, Veggie Grill is a great option for both vegans and non vegans who want a satisfying plant based meal. Portions are solid, flavors are on point, and the quality is consistent across the board. Parking during peak lunch and dinner hours can be a bit of a challenge since the lot is shared with high traffic spots like Costco and its gas station. It can get busy. I have found that arriving shortly after they open around 11 AM makes for a much smoother experience with lighter traffic and easier parking. read more

My first time here. I came with my vegan friend who really loves this place. It took a while to get our order, but the experience was still enjoyable overall. I ordered the Crispy Organic Tofu plate with chimichurri sauce, which comes with two sides. I chose the buttery jalapeño corn and the pickled cucumber salad. The tofu was cooked well and paired nicely with the chimichurri sauce. I also enjoyed the corn and it wasn't spicy to me at all. The cucumbers, however, didn't taste pickled. Overall, I enjoyed the meal, even as someone who isn't vegan. read more

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Love Veggie Grill. The service is always outstanding. Food is fresh, and always so good.

The cashier/server was so nice and friendly. The food was extremely fresh and tasty. It was a nice day so we decided to sit outside on the patio. This is such a wonderful bowl full of flavor and all plant based. It's the Far East Thai Bowl with sesame vegan chick'n. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Close up to appreciate the fresh herbs, jalapeños and the amazing texture of the sesame chick'n. - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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First off, I'm not a vegetarian, but this place.... OMG! I got the 'carne asada' taco and it was amazing!!! The service was incredible nice and helpful. The atmosphere was almost a bit too quiet, but I do like that! I am not in the area too often, but next time I am in Carlsbad, I definitely want to come back! Thanks for a great tasting taco!! read more

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I'm about as far from a vegetarian as one can get, but the Cali Tempeh Power Bowl here is so tasty I don't miss meat at all! Not really a fan of patties and such that "pretend" to be meat, so I do prefer Veggie Grill's bowls and salads over their burgers and sandwiches. For some reason, the app often glitches for me when I try to order through it, but staff at this location has always been helpful in resolving any issues - great customer service! This is one of my go-tos for Meatless Mondays and other guilt-free, fast casual dining occasions. Pro tip: sign up for the rewards program for great freebies! read more

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Very healthy menu! The smoothie was protein filled and delicious. It's counter order but the server brought it to the table . It was a big place with many places to sit. Larger for groups. Or small parties . The food items looked good also . read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Inside - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Love a bowl? Need some fresh veggies in your life? Need a fulfilling nutritious meal? Go to Veggie Grill! I had the CA Tempeh Power Bowl and it was spot on, my kind of meal. I loved the sesame gochu sauce and all the textures of ancient grains, almonds, tempeh, shredded carrots. I seriously loved this meal, and I'd say it's another great bowl! Their Buffalo chik'n tenders are also yummy with celery. Don't underestimate celery and ranch, by the way. read more

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Zen bowl is amazing! Overall, good vegan food. I like the packaging and dressings as well.

I tried the eggplant Parmesan burger and it was great. My husband did find it to be a little oily so if you're on the side of finding weird after taste of oil when you eat fried foods, maybe avoid this. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

so so good! If you're vegan or vegetarian and in Carlsbad, you've gotta try this place! i got the Buddha Brunch bowl and it was so delicious and balanced-- lots of veggies. I almost didn't order it because I thought it wasn't vegan based off the egg in the picture on the website. but this was a "Yo! egg" so no chickens involved. Most of the yoke did get on the container lid, but it's ok (the egg was my least favorite part anyway)! very happy that they use compostable packaging, and also happy that this bowl was deep! will have leftovers, yay! read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Buddha Brunch Bowl (that i had for dinner). sorry, it looks really unappealing but I forgot to take a picture before - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Veggie grill had great seasonal items and promotions on their app. I tried their October special which was the mean green franken burger. It had great flavor and sauce, and their pumpkin spice cake was moist and delicious! The cooks are always on point with fast food preparation and presentation even for takeout. The times I have been inside, there have been only been a few people working so the dining room was not cleaned of dirty plates timely. I usually order my food to go but I will always come back to veggie grill when I'm in the area. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Seasonal Pumpkin spice cake - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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My first time trying veggie grill. There's a lot of extra effort that that goes into making vegan food to try to get it to look and taste like non-vegan food. For example the vegan sunny side up egg on the sunriseh mochi Burger was very impressive with runny yolk that tasted close to the real thing. Food was served hot and freshly prepared by an attentive employee. Seating is also available outdoors at this location. Worth a try even if you're not vegan! read more

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It was my first time here and I was wildly impressed. I'm not a vegan but I have a ton of respect for vegans. It's better for the planet and it's better for overall personal health. And I have a lot of respect when vegan food tastes great. You have to try harder to make vegan food taste great to non-vegans. The decor is very attractive inside and they have real plates, real silverware, and hard plastic glasses. So, it's a step up from most fast casual joints. The Buffalo Bomber is a very nice (fake) buffalo chicken sandwich. It comes with lettuce, tomato, ranch, and pickles that give the sandwich a nice snap. It's got a little bit of heat but nothing crazy. It's not an amazing sandwich but it's about as good as any similar buffalo chicken sandwich I've ever had which was made with real chicken. The chicken substitute here looks and tastes like real chicken. I'm not a big salad guy but the Caesar Crunch Salad was fantastic. It's made with kale and ciabatta croutons. The salad is wonderfully fresh and is obviously made with high quality ingredients. It's absolutely delicious. I would choose this sandwich for a meal any time and I never get salads as my main meal. Counter service was very friendly and helpful. Plenty of free parking in the lot but there is always parking available nearby because of the Costco parking lot. There is great food here, whether you are vegan or not. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Buffalo Bomber. Like a buffalo chicken sandwich. It's very nice and not that spicy. - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Good is delish and the service is great! Love the variety of dishes they offer. Tried their new Southwest Taco Salad. Did not disappoint, it was quite delicious! read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Southwest Taco Salad - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Food is so good! If you favor vegan or not, you should try it. I have had the Baja and cauliflower tacos, burgers and bowls. Never have I been disappointed. read more

(4 out of 5 stars) **Plant-based comfort food that actually satisfies -- and yes, the ranch is elite** I'll admit--I walked into Veggie Grill half-expecting bland tofu and sad lettuce. What I got instead? A full-blown flavor party with zero animal products and zero regrets. The vibe is fast-casual but modern and clean, with a menu that's surprisingly deep. I ordered the **Buffalo Chickin' Sandwich** and a side of **sweet potato fries**. The "chickin" had the perfect crispy texture and a tangy buffalo sauce that hit all the right notes. And let's talk about the **ranch**--I don't know what sorcery goes into making it dairy-free, but it's creamy, herby, and ridiculously good. I ended up dipping everything in it like a maniac. No shame. I also grabbed a **Cauli-Mashed Bowl** on a whim, and it turned out to be hearty and comforting without being too heavy. It felt like a healthy hug in a bowl. Service was quick, staff was friendly, and everything came out hot. My only knock is that some of the prices feel a little steep for counter-service, but hey, quality ingredients and sustainability aren't free. Would I come back? Absolutely. Whether you're vegan, trying to eat cleaner, or just want to mix things up, Veggie Grill delivers solid plant-based food--and that ranch alone is worth the trip. read more

Very tasty food, great service, transparency in ingredients & sources. We were able to feed a vegan and someone who's gluten- and dairy-free. read more

ZERO STARS! Wow where do I even begin. My sister has been to Veggie Grills across the state and rant and raved about how good it is. So she took me to have dinner and the service was good, received our order , got back to our hotel and the bowls we ordered were dry and had very little to no sauce on it, the pickled veggies weren't pickled. So we called and the manager instead of asking how to fix it said he watched the guy put sauce in the bowls. Which was a lie because he was talking to us as they were being made. We then said we would come back and prove to him the bowls were dry. We went in and he grabbed a pair of gloves and took his pinky finger to scrap the tiniest bit of sauce he could find and held up his finger and said "see it has sauce!" We explained to further look and see that was about all there was. We asked about the pickled veggies and he said that's how they are as they are pre made. So basically just raw veggies, not pickled no flavor. Very disappointing. He never apologized or provided the customer service a manger should have, to own up to the error and fix it. I'll never go back . read more

We love the food and order from Veggie Grill almost every time we visit California. This was the first time at Carlsbad location. Unfortunately, the kale salad we received didn't resemble the photos on the website. There was very little kale (it was barely visible), and we couldn't taste the parmesan. In our first conversation, I mistakenly referred to the hemp seeds as quinoa because the salad contained so much lettuce that I initially thought we'd been sent the wrong salad. In a later exchange, the manager said, "Well, the complaint was about the quinoa," which felt dismissive rather than acknowledging and clarifying the concern. To be clear, the issue was that the kale salad didn't match its description or photos. I do want to note that the delivery person and Jocelyn were very helpful and kind. read more

Veggie Grill was fire. The burgers were bomb -- super flavorful and satisfying, you wouldn't even miss meat. Service was great and the place had a chill vibe. Solid spot whether you're vegan or not. read more

They really do a great job here! It was very yummy, high quality ingredients, good seasoning and the menu has something for everyone, from junk food lovers to the health nuts among us. Even meat eaters in my family raved about how delicious it all was. My only comment is the leprechaun cake was rather dry and I didn't like the huge sugar crystals they put on top - still 5 stars though because we ordered a lot of food and everything else was top notch! read more

SoCal's OG veggie comfort food; still a classic and still never disappoints. Places like this make my world go round! My favorite is the Santa Fe Chick'n. read more

Absolutely fantastic food. Enjoyed the service and large selection of vegan burgers, wraps, and more.

Consistently good vegan food option in carlsbad..conveniently located off the freeway and close to the high profile carlsbad attractions..Sevice is fast,portion is perfect and pocket friendly! read more

So good and quick service, some of the best vegan food you can get that's consistently good. Haven't tried a bad thing here but the steak and fish tacos are my fav! read more

Veggie Grill is not a fast food joint but they're also not a restaurant where you have a waiter. It's a casual place where you order up front, take a number, and they bring your food when it's ready. They offer an array of options from a Cheeseburger to a Thai bowl to Fish tacos. My personal favorite right now is the tempeh bowl with kale, pickled onions and mango. The flavors are just so good! There really is something for everyone. YES! I am vegan, but I have taken many carnivores here and they all have been pleasantly surprised at how good the food is. The cherry on top being that they would be happy to eat here again! I first found them in LA and was happy to find there was a place near me. I am not a fan of driving, especially on the freeway, but I will drive the 20ish minutes to eat here anytime. The employees are open, friendly, & helpful in decision making, with none of it seeming forced. I really want to give a personal shout out to LINDA. You know how people say the employees at Trader Joe's are really friendly? That's how she is. It's genuine. Her energy is light and peaceful. She has a kindness that makes you feel like you are talking to someone you already know and it's clear she takes pride in her work. With the political intensity and the happenings in the world, it feels even more important to have compassion and to speak of the gratitude we feel, so thanks Veggie Grill! read more

Great selection of veggie food which tastes exactly like meat. The staff is friendly, service is fast. I don't see too many people in there, which is a shame. read more

They forgot the peanut sauce for one of my orders leaving the dish to be very bland. I tried to call multiple times but there was no answer.

This place has really gone downhill. I think they forgot to dry the plate before they put the food on it. The fries were wet and soggy. The burger was not much better. read more

My go to place when I'm in that area. The food is always good. It's plant-based and healthy and It's appears to be very clean and friendly. Great little casual you order up at the counter, but it's a little higher class than most restaurants that you go up and order yourself. This is also one of my favorite. read more

This place always hits the spot. Everything i've had here is great, flavorful, fresh, and affordable. All of this keeps my mom and I coming back, especially because there's always deals. I was sad to see the UTC location shut down, so hoping this one stays open read more

It seemed like a cool concept. Looked very appealing online. The menu looked appealingly on paper. The actual food served was not appealing. See for yourself but order wisely. The service was great when ordering then the wait and actual serving was careless. read more

I came upon this place by accident by just getting my free bday bundtlet right next door. I'm a life long vegetarian so didn't have any expectations. I ordered the Far East Thai Chikn Bowl. It was delicious. The perfect portion size too. Prices are a little high but they pretty much are that high everywhere. I loved the fresh veggies mixed with the sauce and crunch of the sesame seed chikn. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Menu - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We are here about 3 weeks ago for dinner. Bought the Korean kimchi steak bowl. Amazed how they made the Bulgogi Vegan Steak taste like meat. Anyway lots of flavor, a little kick, and filling. read more

All vegan & vegetarian with plant-based meat substitutes, but you wouldn't know it by looking at or tasting food. We ordered the mushroom tacos, comes with two corn tortilla tacos. Great if you have a light appetite & earn want something small & the Chicken Bacon burger. Both served warm & fresh. Tasty. Both worthy of ordering again. Fast friendly service lots of booth seating. Easy parking. A great option for the health-conscious , vegetarian and vegan. Family and kid friendly. read more

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Overpriced and marginal. Some items are good but by my best calculations you pay mearly 70 cents a french fry. Ranch is oddly sweet. I feel that veggie gril generally is a bad example of vegan food. Service is kind, ambiance is generically fast casual. Not worth the trip. read more

Got my mom a mushroom burger and they ran out of Patti's that are mushroom based BUT the beyond substitute with the sautéed mushrooms on top was so damn good that my mom got it for lunch and dinner! Food also never makes you feel too bloated so great service substitute and ambiance was relaxing! read more

Really good vegan staple when we are out in Carlsbad, everything on the menu is good. Cauliflower bites and Mac and cheese are definitely the best, but I try a different thing every time and I always enjoy it. Really great staff, they are eager to answer questions or provide help. Super clean and well lit interior, with good outside seating. read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - crispy cauliflower - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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We got the Nashville Hot Chick'n sandwich, carne asada loaded fries, and the Original burger. Everything was fantastic and portions were enormous! We enjoyed it so much after going to Legoland we came back the next day! Plenty of parking, good service, lots of booths for our family to sit in read more

Veggie Grill by Next Level - Nashville Hot Chick'n Sandwich Carne Asada Fries - Vegan Near Me - Carlsbad, California