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

How did I just spend $48 on lunch for two? Two entrees and a drink- picked up just now, followed your chalk lines, paid my exorbitant tab, and left wondering when the heck did Dharma's become so bougie and overpriced. Your food is amazing. Best veg-fare in town. Though I think you're a gift from above, because everyone has veg-options, GOOD ones, and charges less than half than what you do now. I ordered the tempeh ruben because online it said $11.95. That is a reasonable price, so when I was charged $18.95 I was dumbfounded. Encouraged to order over the phone, I am likely going to google Dharma's, end up seeing your phone number and menu, and order from there. I guess you expect me to know that your information isn't accurate online, because when I asked about it, your cashier said, "Oh yeah, that's from 6 or 7 years ago." Ok, maybe I should go to factcheck.org before I trust google. If you're to tell me that my google search is inaccurate, at least admit to making sure they have your correct phone # so people can call you to give you business, making sure they have your correct address so people can drive to you and give you business, but nah, y'all can't vouch for the prices. Since that is the case, I will have you know that no tempeh ruben, certainly not yours, is worth $20 after tax. There is a beautiful local spot called Windmill Cafe about a mile away that has the same dish, equally as good, and you can get three of them for that price. I am going to suggest to everyone they go there now, because you have big portions, yes, and well-made food, yes, but you're not the boss of the block. Pizza My Heart has Miyoko's cheese and field roast sausage all vegan pizzas now. Betty Burger has Beyond Burgers. You can't charge absurd prices for things that aren't even your competitive edge anymore. I asked about the $5 coupon that I get for being a loyal customer and email subscriber, but they said no it isn't available. I will post the picture where it indeed says in January 2020 that you are offering the $5 off until December of 2020. So I am definitely bummed and now broke that your costs are through the roof. Adding to this is the fact that I couldn't leave a tip, because your staff is absolutely great, because I had NO MONEY left in my pockets. Lunch shouldn't cost 50 bucks. I supported you on your last day of business in March, I returned on your first day back in business last week, I ordered again today, and am just so disappointed. I had to write this before I even ate this food because I'm basically going to be eating a king's feast while on a fixed/stagnant/non-income. *I have my own business, and it has a Google listing. They call me incessantly about making updates to it. If you're going to convince yourself that Google hasn't tried to get a hold of you at all in the last 7 years to update your prices, fine, I can't prove otherwise, but I know you could make an edit to that super wrong information on that site which equates to false advertising. **More on your competitors: They would all honor the prices that a customer found. Customer is always right? More like Dharma's is always rich. (prove me wrong?) (or just change my mind?) read more

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

AMAZING vegan food with a very creative menu and ample outdoor seating! We went there with our 3 year old who loved the strings of lights (even while they were off at mid-day). The service was quick, staff was friendly, and the burritos served VERY full with a fold over. This is a fork-and-knife burrito that delivers! We can't wait to go back read more

I live in the South Bay but my family and I have been going here for over 15 years. I can't recall how we discovered this place, but it is perfect to accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets, as it is a fully vegetarian restaurant. While are the prices are on the upper end, it is not unreasonable because the portions are so large that you could save it for another day (which we never do because it is so good we ear the whole thing!). I always tell myself I am going to try something different from their massive menu, but my go to favorite is the tofu ranchero scramble, and I can never not get it!! The vibe is your typical casual, laid back/chill Santa Cruz vibe. This is a great family friendly restaurant. The menu serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and covers all cultural dishes from Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean, Italian, Thai, Indian, etc. You must try this place and you will get hooked!! read more

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

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

Vegan perspective here. I'll lead with the core problem - it cost us $76 to get a side of chips and guacamole, two entrees, and two drinks on cafeteria trays you bring back to the table yourself after your name is called out over a microphone. Back in Boston, $76 is about what I would pay for a nice meal at a mid-tier to fancy restaurant with table service. Everything here is roughly $20-25 a plate and the taste and ambiance just don't justify that cost. This place reminds me of Cheesecake Factory in theory and pricing, except at Cheesecake Factory, with your huge portion sizes and the $25 a plate cost, you also get table service, nice ambiance, and the food tastes good. Yes, the portion sizes are huge, but I don't want two meals in one that don't taste all that good while I'm traveling. It would help if you could order half portions to reduce food waste in cases where you can't bring the leftovers home. Still, $12.50 is more than I would have paid for a half portion of the butternut squash ravioli I got. It looked and tasted like prepackaged ravioli. I ordered it with a basil, garlic, and olive oil sauce, and it didn't have much flavor at all. It really could have used some salt and was overall edible, but very bland. I can deal with undersalted food, but at this price point and for being billed on the menu as being a "house specialty", the butternut squash ravioli was really disappointing and an expensive mistake. My partner had better luck with his enchiladas, but they weren't $25 a plate good. It seems like as a vegetarian restaurant, one of the things they rely on to make things taste good is dairy products, and don't necessarily know how to compensate for the lack of salt and flavor when they are removed. I guess that's fine and all for vegetarians, but on that same note, I can slap cheese and sour cream on something and make it taste good too. Why spend so much for that? I regret going here for my only meal in the Santa Cruz area. It was down to this and another restaurant and both my partner and I agreed that this wasn't a good choice after we ate. I'm definitely able to cook better than this at home. If the costs were lower, I wouldn't have had such high expectations and would have let a lot of these things slide. I hope they improve their vegan cooking and become less reliant on dairy for salt and flavor. read more

I love the food here. I always feel full but not gross. The burgers here are so tasty and I love the potatoes that come with it. Their lasagna is also amazing. I am a sucker for desserts and the slices near the register always call out to me... next time I am giving one a home! There are plenty of places to sit, eat and people watch. If you are a t-shirt/swag kind of person they have their merch near the bathrooms. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Gluten free burger - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Good food, but soooooo expensive. Cafeteria style dinning with Shadow Brook prices...I don't think so.

Wow. Never thought this old boy would ever be caught dead in a place like this... especially never thought he'd end up enjoying the hell outta it. Had the 3 Dog Morning Burrito (subbed out the tofu dog for the tofu chicken). Thought to myself.. damn sounds expensive for a breakfast burrito... better be somethin' special. Sure enough this thing was MASSIVE. My kind of portion. It was so packed they couldn't even wrap it. Half way through I was stuffed... but obviously kept going. #fatboylife Wasn't sure about "tofu scrambled eggs" but by golly.. i think I just went full blown hippy and I like it. Think I might trying making them at home. Cheers to Dharma's for the delicious, healthier option breakfast. Now where's a tree? I need to go hug it. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - 3 DOG MORNING BURRITO SUB TOFU CHICKEN IN PLACE OF TOFU DOG - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

We went here after the visit to the beach with family. The place gives very peaceful vibes and has a variety of vegan dishes to choose from. Everything we had was very good. Specially the veggie lasagna and Thai noodles. The ambience is very kid friendly. The have number of Montessori theme animals and lots of dinosaurs. My both kids enjoyed playing with these miniature animals. The price is towards higher end but portions are large. The fresh spring rolls were nice. Noodles had ample veggies that is how I prefer it. The tea was nice too. For the beautiful ambience, lots of indoor plants, and the healthy vegan food this place is almost 5 stars for me. read more

-Often go here to get Vegan food. -Very good parking. -Salad w/ Kitchadi is great. read more

I've been to this place over 15 years ago and would go back any time. Plenty of great meal options for vegetarian and vegan alike as well as any health food foodie! Kind service and a warm community-like dining experience. I'll be back! read more

food is fresh , delicious i love this place , a little pricy but worth it people behind counter friendly enough , New pictures would be nice , you know mix it up a bit . Very relaxed and serene. read more

Wow! I pretty much made my choice to try this place based on the Yelp reviews and photos. I'm always on the lookout for a new vegan experience. The nada-chicken burrito photos looked pretty good so to be on the safe side, I went with that. When the staff called my order, I was pleasantly shocked by the sheer quantity of food they dished out for this entree--a truly massive burrito. And usually, there's an inverse relationship with quantity and quality when it comes to food but the faux-chicken was moist and tender and bursting with a delicious fajita flavor. In fact, when I arrived at this place, I was pretty leery of even staying because I was tired from several hours on the road and had already eaten twice earlier in the day on my trip and wasn't even that hungry. I walked in, saw the cheesy wall art, and thought I might've made a mistake driving half-an-hour out of my way to give this place a try. If it wasn't for the rave yelp reviews, I might've walked out on the spot. Long story short, I was wowed by just how delicious the food at this place was. If I'm ever in the area again, I know I'll be thrilled to eat there again. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Nada chicken burrito! It's vegan and HUGE and amazing! - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

The last time there I ordered the Pesto Portabella Sub (20.95). It was a decent size, it came with a basic salad and pickles. There is an extra $3 charge for vegan pesto. Its pricey after tax and tip. Its not a full service restaurant. You have to order at the counter and return your dishes and tray yourself. My friend order something that came with potato wedges. There is no ketchup, salt, or pepper on the tables. Ketchup is available behind the counter if you ask for it, the staff will put some in a sauce container for you. The staff seem friendly. As for the other condiments its a available in on a counter but you can't take it to your table. I don't know why my belly had an issue processing the meal. Its suppose to be vegan but I was bloated for a couple of days after that meal. I love the idea of these plant based restaurants but I don't think this is the one for me. read more

The first couple times I ate at Dharma's I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the menu choices. If you have time it may be a good idea to read some of the Yelp reviews and peruse the menu before you get there. Also, you can ask the staff what some of their fave dishes are. Anyway, I decided I want to try some more of their dishes this year so I will likely be popping in a couple of times a month so I can work my way through the menu. This time for lunch I ordered the Quinoa, Soup & Yam which sounds pretty basic but was really yummy and filling. They had 3 soup options and I couldn't decide cuz they alL sounded great. The guy who took my order gave me a small taste of all 3 to help me decide (such awesome customer service!) and I chose the Hot & Sour soup because it was a little spicy. The split pea soup and kitcharee options were also delicious. The tahini-lemon dressing that came with the quinoa and yam was so good. I alternated eating the quinoa and yam with soup and then a bite with the dressing. Dharmas's food is flavorful but not too spicy so I recommend adding sooner Sriracha as needed if you are like me and like the hot stuff. I also ordered the Szechuan Tofu to go so I wouldn't have to cook dinner later that night. It was a large enough portion to share with my husband. It was also really tasty, lots of veggies and the brown rice had a nice chewy texture that we liked a lot. read more

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PORTIONS ARE GINORMOUS HERE. Vegans, veggie-lovers, all food eaters REJOICE! Dharma's is the perfect place that won't break your bank (yay college students) and feed you delicious amounts of yummy food at the same time. Had a later lunch on a Saturday with a friend, and I went with a burrito whereas she went with a sandwich. Food was SO yummy and warm--I was debating between Italian pasta or Mexican burritos, but I'm glad I chose the burrito. The thing was HUGE. So much so I had to cut it and eat it with utensils...which is definitely not something I do. I loved how there was so many different food items to select from cuisine to style. Will definitely come back again. There is lots of parking, as Dharma's is located in a strip mall area with other stores. They are easy to spot, and there is tons of seating for large groups to smaller tables for couples and solo eaters. The ambiance is lacking though. Everything looks like a kid's toys closet just threw up in there--it's creative and full of eclectic pieces like plastic dinosaurs, for example. However, it's not the type of decor that stirs up my appetite. However, if ambiance isn't a problem for you, as it wasn't for us when we were eating there, it should be fine. Seating is seat yourself, and tables and chairs reminded me of a college mess hall. The huge space is so typically Santa Cruz...order, seat yourself, and plate yourself from your utensils to the napkins and water. I like how their restrooms are clean and gender neutral too. read more

We saved $ on our order from Groupon. I had the portabella mushroom sandwich on chibata roll and leafy green salad. Large portion. Flavorful. Partner had Ruben sandwich on rye bread with salad. I would definitely eat here again. read more

Disappointed overall. Should not be rated this high. Seems more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. Food quality sucks overall. On top of that the prices were far from decent. Admire the idea and concept of having an almost entirely vegan menu but the delivery lacked big time. You also have to clear off your own dishes and trays once you're done. Equivalent to hospital cafeteria food. The pestoroni vegan pizza was okay. Way too expensive that's for sure. Lacked veggies and effort in its creation much like everything else. The teriyaki burger seemed like it was put together in two minutes. Dipped in some extremely sweet generic teriyaki sauce and with a slice of canned pineapple. Served with a side of skillet potatoes that were also disappointing. We also ordered their version of pad Thai and it was okay. Nothing special. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Overpriced vegan teriyaki burger. Don't order. - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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I am doing four stars because I think the quality could be better, I love what they are doing here and the atmosphere is great. Lots of seating, lengthy menu- offers a gf menu. I wish they would just go full plant-based your practically there and get rid of the Daiya cheese please-miyokos is a million times better. My husband loves this place he bought a shirt and a picture, and he can't get enough of the mushroom gravy mashed potatoes which are pretty good. Definitely worth checking out and all the staff is very nice and helpful. read more

What an awesome jewel that's block off the main 41st. You'll get your smorgasbord of vegetarian/vegan delights. Everyone friendly. A great place that will make the environment better. Support a great cause. I'll be back here more often. In fact, I'll be here whenever I pass by! Kudos! read more

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This review is specifically for the Santa look alike. His manners, are non existent. Extremely rude, I bought a cookie and he literally threw it on the counter. As I approached him, I said hello and smiled, to which he replied "wait." My friend who ordered before got his food like 20 minutes after me, which he couldn't even apologize for. Everyone else was kind, so this one star review is specifically for the Older Santa Looking like man. Food was eeeehh. read more

Fantastic Vegan Food, little to no wait time. Clean facilities, unique twists on standard dishes. There Vegan thanksgiving special was fantastic read more

Delicious vegetarian and vegan friendly food, kid friendly, beautiful paintings, fast service.

3 dog morning burrito, $19.95, wasn't as good as it used to be five years ago. There was 5 pieces of veggie dog, little bit of scrambled tofu, bell pepper, mushroom, onions, sour cream, guacamole, 3 slices of jalapeno and a huge amount of potatoes. It came with chips , salsa on request. I think it will be a long time before I'm back as $19.95 for mostly potatoes is not worth it. read more

Was surprised at the prices however the food was fresh and tasty. Guess I am just reeling from California sticker shock!

I love Dharma's. My favorite thing on the menu is the breakfast burrito. It's is served open-faced, and filled with potatoes, black beans and tofu scramble. If you eat dairy it's covered in melted cheese or you can go vegan and get guacamole. Served with a side salad with a tasty vinaigrette (house dressing) and their homemade salsa. It's hard for me to order anything else. But other items are good too! Love their soups, salads, peanut noodles, lasagne and sandwiches as well! read more

I came to this spot not knowing what to expect and I was amazed. For a vegetarian like me this place is like heaven. I ordered the Teriyaki stir fry and the chow mien and it was so flavorful. There are so many different elements that combine into a great dish and their portions. Their portions allow you to have lots of leftovers even for heavy eaters. In the end it's great food and a great place to go to for vegetarian cuisine. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Leftover chow mein and Teriyaki stir fry - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

I've been coming here for years and years, so I think it's time to leave a review. I LOVE this place. Their food is amazing. I have several dietary restrictions, and when I go to Dharma's there are so many healthy, nourishing meals to choose from. Everything that my friends and I have tried has always been delicious. My favorite item will always be their Gardener's Salad. It is the best salad! We usually take our orders to go and picnic on the beach. :) What I'm not too keen on are the new automatic air freshener sprayers on the bathroom walls. They smell like chemicals and are probably toxic. Please remove them. read more

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

I love a lot of dishes from this place. The portion is big. Their prices are recently increased, but I still enjoy eating there. Dessert is delicious too, btw. Customer service is sweet! read more

The food is amazing, love their tahini salad dressing! However, the older man who greets you at the register is very unfriendly, maybe he is the owner. He should stay in the back of the house and place a pleasant employee with a smile to represent the business to inspire patrons to come back! read more

The prices might seem a bit much but the quantity you get for the price is great! I usually get the mole burrito and it lasts me for two whole meals. All the deals I have gotten so far are worth the money, and delicious! read more

Dharma's is a crowdpleaser for the entire family. We will literally drive many miles out of our way to visit. When we go, we often order extra food to-go so we can enjoy another meal or two later. On our most recent visit, we got over $100 of food to enjoy there and take home. Note that many portion sizes are large, so the high nominal price of a dish might be more reasonable if it results in 2 meals. They have an extensive menu, and everything on it is delicious. There's no way I can pick a single favorite menu. Still, I'll mention a few: * Every single option under the "International Entrees" is awesome. I'd happily eat any of them. If I had to pick only one, I'll single out the American Saute. It's a simple dish but so tasty, and big enough to take some home and enjoy a second meal. Also, the Indian Curry plate may not be 100% authentic, but it's a huge plate of delicious food. * My wife always gets a Gardener's Salad to go. It's also simple but generously-sized. * I love the kitchari, a simple but flavorful lentil/rice dish. The restaurant is vegetarian, not vegan, but many dishes are inherently vegan and almost all other dishes can be converted into vegan with little loss of flavor. Dharma's is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the whole world. Thank you for so many awesome meals! read more

Insanely expensive for bland food in a place that is basically a cafeteria - high end restaurant prices to order at the counter, retrieve your food and bus your own tables! Used to be charming and yummy, now MEH. read more

Wow wow wow Vegan Heaven I am amazed and absolutely satisfied You will not be disappointed here ! read more

I used to love this place. However, the last time i was there, it was over priced and kinda depressing. $25 for a tempeh reuben and an ice tea where you gotta stand in line , order at a counter, pick up your food yourself, and bus your own table , seems a bit too much money . There werent any tea refills. Water and condiments were not available. They rationed out one single ply napkin with my order. That napkin was soon soaked in grease. It wasnt obvious to me where or if i could get another of the flimsy single ply napkins. Furniture just piled up in one section of the dining room. Then , after a disappointing meal, i tried to use the restroom. The toilet wouldnt flush. It kinda looks like they just don't care anymore. So sad. I have been eating there for decades. I used to really look forward to it. Bummed to see them go downhill so badly. read more

Amazing people and ambience, has a homely feel. I loved the soy chicken burrito (which was huge by the way and almost 2 meals) and the pasta. Brazilian tapioca was also fantastic. Plenty of seating available and the outdoor seating in the sun is especially great to sit and eat a meal at. read more

The food was not that good and very expensive. We went here after reading the reviews and wish we went somewhere else. My vegetarian son who loves food, didn't like his sandwich at all. I barely liked mine. Spent $50 and was disappointed and will not return. I hate to give vegetarian places bad reviews since I'm grateful they exist but $50 was way too much $$$ for mediocre. The staff was great though. read more

I love to go to this place before the beach for a snack or after a beach day for some dinner. The portions are big so they will definitely keep you fill. Great vegan and vegetarian options. I especially love when I eat in the restaurant because of all the beautiful plants inside read more

A vegetarian 3-hot dog morning burrito for dinner? That sounds pretty yuppie trailer park. It is also definitely what I want. Verdict: It was the best yuppie trailer park food I've ever had. Not that I've ever had yuppie trailer park food before, but I'd imagine if that were a real category of cuisine that it could go all types of wrong. This dish was pretty good. Not mind-blowing, but it didn't have meat and it was interesting overall and that's what I was looking for at the time. The Official Dish: 3 DOG MORNING BURRITO - $11.50 Scrambled tofu, potatoes, onions, 3 tofu hot dogs, jalapenos, red peppers and mushrooms with cheese, guacamole, sour cream and chips. I will say that it was not, by any stretch of imagination, a burrito. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a burrito should mean that the filling is at least somewhat contained inside of the tortilla/packaging vessel, amiright? This tortilla was more like a giant dosa with all the filling flopped on top. There was no effort made by the tortilla to contain the contents of this dish, so it looked more like an omelet scramble, but they were able to fit a lot more food on the plate than if it were a burrito so it was fine with me because in my book, more is more. I also got the... JAPANESE SAMURAI SOUP - $11.95 Soba noodles in miso broth with arame (seaweed), edamame, (soy beans), green onions, tofu, spinach, carrots, sesame seeds, and topped with shredded daikon. The soup was massive, as it's $12 price tag would suggest, but as far as flavor it was seriously lacking. I tried to eat as much as I could at Dharma's, but I was dying for a little sodium and spice. I'm sure the dish is healthy as heck and there was no shortage of noodles and fixins, but in the end the flavor just wasn't there. I took a lot of it home (it ended being 3 meals it was so big) and added some of every spice in my cabinet and soy sauce just to be sure I got 10 times the daily of dose of sodium that a normal human would eat. I loved the very casual, order-at-the-counter-and-wait-for-your-name-to-be-yelled diner-type atmosphere. It was pretty busy when I came and though the food took a while (it's made fresh, so that's a good thing) and it was still somehow starkly quiet with all those people, I like the atmosphere. It felt like eating in a library, which is normally not allowed, so it's a little rebellious if you have a good imagination. They seem pretty kid-friendly given their truly expansive menu and that they have all these animal figurine toys on the partitions throughout the dining area for kids to grab and play with. I was dining alone so I grabbed a dinosaur figure for company at my table and it was actually really nice. Nicer than some of the human company I've gone out to eat with, actually. If in the area, I'd go back and try something different because that menu is huge and the prices for the portion are pretty fantastic. One meal could easily be two or three and though everything I had definitely "tasted healthy", it wasn't by any means bad and it did make me curious to try more of Dharma's delights. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - 3 Dog Morning Burrito - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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