When talking about Dharma's, it's important to look at what their goal is. It's pretty clear they're not looking to make super authentic versions of all the dishes they make, which widely range in cuisine. Or that they want to make extremely gourmet, ground breaking recipes. Rather, dharma's is here to make vegetarian, vegan, restriction friendly meals with fresh, organic ingredients. It tastes good, portions are good, and it's relatively good for the earth. It's pricey, but you're paying for the organic ingredients and the vast choices on the menu. That being said, I have had a few nice meals here in the past. Nothing that stands out in my mind other than that their veggies are cooked nicely and flavoring is adequate. Today's review is mostly for the bbq bluff sandwich! -Got it takeout and the bottom of the sandwich got kinda soggy, but I didn't mind. Just flipped it upside down to keep it from falling apart. -Fluffy bread, Hot, saucy, flavorful bbq soy/onions in the middle. Kinda reminiscent of pulled pork I guess! The sauce was sweet and nicely seasoned. -sandwich lacked some brightness. the pickle helped break up the sweetness of the "meat", but i found myself wishing for more! -generous side salad with a red onion vinaigrette. nice refreshing addition. -chips on the side. i wish they included this separate so they all stayed crispy! Regardless, they were good for scooping up the soy chunks. Overall, a pleasant meal and I am extremely full. I would order this again if I was in the mood for something heavy and satisfying, but will probably try more of their insanely extensive menu the next time I'm here. Pro tip: they almost always have a groupon so u can save your bucks!! read more

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I used live in the neighborhood until 2015 and would go there often. I noticed the prices creeping up but they had large portions and it was ok. I went a couple of years ago and found the sandwhich I ordered to be way overpriced for what you get. Fast forward to a couple years later and I was shocked at how bad the food was and expensive. A small salad and Bo Thai noddle bowl were over $43.00. I asked the help if they could mix the dressing in with the salad as the way they pack the bowl, no salad dressing can be mixed in without spilling most of the salad on the table. The staff said they wouldn't mix it for me so I did it by getting a to go box. The noodle dish was kind of tasteless and I was afraid to ask for another lime slice given how rude the staff was about my request to mix the dressing in with the salad. Highly recommend other Santa Cruz places over this. read more

I had heard a lot of good things about Dharma's, so I was hoping it would live up to the hype. Boy did it ever. Everything we got, from the main dishes to the appetizers to the dessert and the drinks, was amazing. The portions were good, and the quality of the ingredients was high. I can't wait to go back. read more

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I see why this place was so hyped up. Very solid food here, particularly given the vegetarian theme of the restaurant. It has a large variety of options, and even if it may not be "authentic" the food itself scratches whatever itch you're craving. Definitely recommended! read more

The vegan pumpkin shake was amazing! So good. The tempeh in the BLT was also really good. & I loved the texture of the jackfruit potstickers. Parking was super easy - they have their own parking lot. You pick up your order from the counter when they call your name and then bring your dishes and tray to another area when you are done. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - B-L-T Sandwich - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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Quality has slipped a bit over the years, in my opinion, and the daily specials need updating as they haven't changed in ages. My recommendation for the Szechwan dish is to serve the sauce based ingredients separate from the rice. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - the interior of the restaurant - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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I've been coming to Dharma's my whole life, often because of a certain salad dressing craving, but I just wanted to update that I had the Tempeh Reuben this week and it's now literally my favorite sandwich in Santa Cruz. My kid loves the Spaghetti A'Florio and it's still 2-3 meals worth, depending. Still crazy about the garlic bread. Fresh Spring Rolls will always have my heart. I grab them as much as possible. Thank you Dharma's for always serving my family health delicious food, the giant servings help this momma more than you can imagine! We love you! read more

Absolutely the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant I've ever been to. This was my fourth visit and again, Loved It! Started with the fresh spring rolls. So good! Then shared the Szechwan tofu. It was such a generous portion we both ate LOTS and took a big portion home. From other visits, I highly recommend the Fan fan noodles. If you like peanut noodles. Super tasty yum yum town. The restaurant itself is kind of an old cafeteria style setup. But don't let that discourage you. The staff is fast and attentive. Although, in true cafeteria style, you have to go up and ask for everything you want. But they are very accommodating. They also offer beer and wine, which is nice at an otherwise especially crazy healthy place. You'll leave here feeling nourished, body and soul. read more

All vegan restaurants and yet you won't be able to tell the difference. My absolute favorite meal on the menu is scrambled pesto tofu which tastes like scrambled pesto eggs. Another great option to go with is the really large pancakes they have on the menu. Love this place so very much and would eat here every time I visit Capitola. read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Pesto Tofu Scramble Short Stack of Pancakes with Pure Maple Syrup - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

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I tried Dharma today with one of my gal friends and it was delicious! There were a lot great options on the menu that we took forever to decide what we wanted. I decided on the chili dog which was so flavorful. The Mac and cheese was good too. I had plenty of leftovers. The staff were really friendly too. Overall, a great vegetarian find! read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Chilli dog and Macaroni and Cheese - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Dharma's is amazing. I love their breakfast burritos - I ask for no beans and extra tofu, and it's amazing! Their kitcheree is also fantastic - very good if you are feeling under the weather. Lots of chopped up ginger for your immune system. I also love their American Saute and their Bo Thai, but I just wish they sauteed regular tofu instead of using the baked tofu that they use now. That's a serious bummer. And their miso honey with the American Saute rocks. Try it! read more

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

I have enjoyed Dharma's meals for well over 20 yrs, and have always had a soft spot in my heart for them, and used to really look forward to meals either in, or picked up to be enjoyed at home. And it used to be affordable to feed the whole family, even a few stray kids hanging around the home. Unfortunately, IMHO, they are yet another SC mainstay eatery that just has not recovered from the 2020-2023 shutdown. Prices have almost doubled, and the portions have shrunk. Example, their Lost Taco, (in 2018 was around $10, now $20.64) used to overflowing with the meat & cheese substitute in larger shells, but now the shells are like street Tacos, and no where near the fillings as before. The included salad used to be fair sized, but now you have to get the small Gardner salad upgrade ($7.99!!!) to get close to the what the size was before, and last night, the lettuce had lots of brown whilted pieces! So, $26+ for 2 small tacos, and a wilted salad upgrade?? It would appear that the issues have been noticed.... the dining room used to be packed, most any time of day or evening, but now.... pretty empty. It is just so sad.... I am assuming that they are just trying to hang on, in a very different world post COVID. I miss the Dharma's of a few years back. read more

We ordered the Rueben and lasagna. The sandwich was so good. It was warm and flavorful. Total comfort food and very cheesy and tasty. It was so filling, I couldn't eat the potatoes and so I took those home. The salad didn't have any dressing on it, which I'm sure was a mistake. But it worked out because I took it home. The lasagna was good. Lots of vegetables and tasted healthy. I normally don't like corn in my lasagna. The meals were very large portions and we ended up taking more home than we ate in the restaurant. I'd come back again there are so many options in the menu to choose from. read more

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

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Four adults, a baby and a dog, wrapping up a road trip, heading back home to San Jose, discover a little gem near Santa Cruz. This was an awesome conclusion to our trip. This whole place has a vibe and I am for it. Also, as plant-based persons, we're not used to having this many options so I think I might have caused others to wait in line for a bit too long (sorry about that) as a perused the menu. We ended up ordering the khichri, dan dan noodles and impossible burger-- everything was delicious. They have a lot of gluten free options and a very farm-to-table approach which we loved. The food itself has a certain freshness to it. I've had dan dan noodles--in fact I am obsessed with dan dan and while this wasn't the tastiest I have had, my stomach thanked me later for not overloading it with spices, oil and all that. read more

To be honest I felt this restaurant was dirty/grimey/dusty. I wanted to leave the establishment however my mother had already purchased a Groupon. We ordered butternut squash ravioli, Dan Dan noodles and a Portobello mushroom sandwich. The sandwich and ravioli came with salads and unfortunately on inspection of the greens there was still straight up dried dirt on them. I don't think they wash the vegetables at all here. It was unsanitary so none of us ate any of the raw vegetables which was like half of the food on the table. Portions were good but I was just kind of disgusted by the dirt on the food that I didn't really trust anything else. Now that I'm reading through reviews there's about 10 on Yelp here that say people have gotten sick after eating here... Even though the food tasted good I had a gross feeling during and after and wouldn't return. read more

I was super let down after reading how great the reviews were to only find out how disappointing the food is. Only the dressing for the salad was good. That's beyond sad. We got BBQ bluff sandwich, with burnt soy curls that made the flavor of the faux meat impossible to eat. Bo thai, another no go. Overcooked noodles with sour sauce that didn't pair well. Rancid taste if you will. Spaghetti with red sauce, also a definite NO. Similar to something you would get from a can. Very little sauce and 0 flavor. I've never had tomatoe sauce without flavor...very disappointing. I've been vegan for 4 years and I know what a good vegan meal is and sadly this place is just not it. read more

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Came here for dinner. The guy taking our order was genuinely friendly and helpful as it was our first time trying Dharma's Restaurant. I ended up getting the mole burrito with guacamole instead of the cheese and sour cream. The mole burrito was basically an open faced burrito and was HUGE! I'm a big eater but I had to tap out and take half of it home to eat for breakfast the next day. The burrito had a mix of potatoes, bell peppers, and soy chicken, topped with a generous amount of mole and a side of tortilla chips. I wish it had more bell peppers/ other veggies in there though. Overall, I had a great meal at Dharma's and I'd love to be back. Will definitely share a dish next time! read more

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

Came here with my mom. We ate here because the nearby uniform store was closed and we thought we might as well get late lunch here before we headed back home. Whatever you do, DON'T order the BLT sandwich from here. It's such a RIP-OFF! For $12 dollars, you get a whole wheat sandwhich consisting of a few half slices of tomato, three (for each half of the sandwich) of the world's smallest slices of facon (I'm not exaggerating, these slices were really thin and about the length of my pinky) and a FISTFUL of lettuce! That's got to be a joke! For $12, NO ONE buys a blt sandwich for a fistful of lettuce and barely any bacon! You're basically telling people to make their own sandwhich :/ And half of the lettuce was already starting to wilt. Mom felt bad for me, so we ended up sharing her order. But the workers here were really nice (especially the cute guy at the cash register). The banana smoothie was delicious. Really peaceful and quiet. We loved the forestry atmosphere the restaurant had going on. read more

What a great find. Tucked in a bit of a run down shopping center is this humble restaurant. You would miss it driving by. But inside is a vegetarians dream. I think the last time I ate at a veggie place with such an extensive menu was that diner in Santa Cruz. The menu here covers Asian, American and Mexican cuisine. You want it, they probably have it. Don't balk at the prices, the portion will feed you for at least three meals. Here's a breakdown of what we ordered: Greek pasta, comes with FOUR pieces of garlic toast, and a huge salad. Definitely yes. Chili dog, this is not something you can pick up with your hands so know that. The chili is delicious. Comes with salad AND chips. Nuclear Bluff Sandwich- yum! Full of delicious veggie meat and onions. Comes with salad and chips. Huge portion. Szechuan Tofu- I'm not usually one to order Chinese from an American place but this was honestly decent, packed with tofu and vegetables and in brown rice. Again, three meals. Burrito- not a burrito. It's like a giant taco. It's oooookay. Our vegetarian family loved it here. Service was good. Tables are clean and well spaced apart. Plenty of outdoor tables too. read more

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[REVIEW WRITTEN: 10/3] YUM. Solid, old-school vegan grub. The Deets: + Wide variety of cuisines under one roof. + Vegan beer available [YUM] + Parking is easy, as it sits in a strip mall. + 95% of food is vegan! :) - Food was over-salted (It could have just been the day. I had a couple of dishes and everything was salty) Pandemic Deets: + Tons of outdoor seating available + Masks are worn by employees read more

I started coming to Dharma's in the early 90s when they still had the Mc with a circle and slash up on their sign, though I hadn't been back for many, many years. I went the other day and got a tempeh reuben on marbled rye bread with salad, wedge potatoes, mustard, and I opted for the lemon-tahini sauce. I deleted the swiss cheese and thousand island dressing to veganize it. It was big, plentiful, nice looking, very tasty, and it made me happy, despite it being pricey. read more

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

We ordered to go. We have eaten there many times and the ambience is cool. The staff is great and very friendly. However, they have no idea what their menu that is available on Yelp contains or offers. It's time to update your menu on Yelp. I ordered a fruit salad on the side with my chili dog. I paid full price for the salad. I had to repeat to the guy on the phone four times as I was ordering that what I wanted was the fruit salad. Well, they gave me a side salad. That's why the low stars. I do have to say that the chili dog was great! read more

Over priced and underwhelming. If you like flavorful food this place is not for you. If you like warmth when it's cold outside, also not the place for you. Everyone was wearing their winter jackets and hats inside. The portions were big so there's that. The $7 mango lassi tasted like it had turned and the staff would not refund it. The $6 latte was pretty mediocre. Other then that staff was generally nice. The salad dressing was good. Surprised at the 4 star rating. We're not from Santa Cruz so I guess the standards are different here. read more

Been coming to this amazing place for over 20 years and the food remains excellent. It is simple, well prepared by people who truly care to nourish others. It has a relaxed come as you please atmosphere and I love that about it also. Truly has a menu where everything on it is delicious and good for you. read more

Came into Santa Cruz to meet some family. They were delayed, so I decided to find a vegan friendly spot to eat. Dharma looked like a great spot with lots of vegan dishes. There is no wait service, so you place your order and wait for them to call your name. There was plenty of seating inside and out. I ordered the Thai tofu scramble. It comes with potatoes and toast. It was a lot of food; I wasn't disappointed. The Thai scrambled had great flavor and besides just having whole peanuts instead of ground, it was just right. Honestly I didn't mind the whole peanuts at all! The potatoes weren't overly done, and they were simply seasoned. Great job! I've never been to Santa Cruz and not sure if I'll return, but this is a spot I'd return to for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. read more

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

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The Mega Burger is quite the disappointment. The strongest flavor is the whole wheat bun and the lettuce... we are avid vegan enjoyers and this is near the bottom of the list. I don't think I've ever had a worse veggie burger. The Szechuan tofu is terrible but looks pretty. Prices are extremely high for large portions but lacks any flavors. Somehow everything looked very flavorful but it was a facade. The spring rolls peanut sauce was a disappointment as well. The restaurant itself is really pretty, but was completely empty when we arrived which made sense once we tasted the food. This place would be 3 stars if the prices were lower. read more

I am so sad about what has happened to Dharma's. We have eaten here for decades (for a long time we went once a week) and since the pandemic the quality has gone down, prices have gone up, and the portions are much smaller. I understand that the restaurant business is hard, the economy is tough, and that organic ingredients cost more. I just really miss the pre-pandemic Dharma's, which was our top choice for eating out in Santa Cruz. read more

Right before the pandemic began I ate here for the first time. We live in Mendocino so today was the first time I got to return. I ordered the special (kicheri), yam, quinoa and tahini. We drove to half moon bay excited to eat and watch the Emmys, there was no yam, quinoa or tahini and of course they charged the full price. It's so disappointing to anticipate food and discover some stoner or just really lame employee screwed up. Okay read more

Food was great, ambiance very nice, good service. We had lunch at Dharma's on a Sunday and will be back

The food here is terrible, and overpriced. The chow mein was spaghetti noodle and the sauce was horrible. The soy curl chicken pieces were inedible and unfortunately the veggies were drowned in that sauce. The same with the tofu teriyaki! Awful! We left full plates of food and went to a different restaurant. My total with tip for 3 dishes was over $90! Like what another reviewer said, the dishes come out looking delicious but don't taste good at all. I give two stars because I would feel bad giving them 1. read more

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Horrible Service! They screwed up on my order and wouldn't fix it. Wouldn't recommend this place read more

We had Mediterranean salad and Indian curry plate and those were great! This place is on a pricier end but the portions are very generous and we definitely had leftovers. read more

My favorite restaurant in the whole world. I live out of town and make the drive at LEAST once every couple of months, strictly for Dharmas.

Love the Vibe! EXCELLENT SELECTION of killer vegan food! Absolutely a must for anyone in the area. Love the plants inside and outside that give it life and character. Very interesting clientele. Good people watching. Love how much food they give you on each serving. I also really like their clothes with their logo on them- beautiful color selections. I eat here every time I'm in Santa Cruz. Makes me happy. read more

This is Old School vegetarian, self-service at the tables; order at the counter. You can't fault their integrity to consistently turn out well-prepared vegetarian food day-after-day. As one of those older people you see around, this was a definite flashback to 60s Hippie food, in a good way. Tasty, predictable food in generous quantities. I can almost taste the 60s dishes again in my mind, with a bit of that Santa Cruz burnish to bring it home. Pick anything you usually like -- it will most likely be good here, too. Note: for people with movement and health issues, the outdoor seating leaves a bit to be desired (well, that's probably true for almost anywhere). read more

Alway come here when in Santa Cruz area , so after a day at beac could not think of better ending then having a nice big meal since I haven't eaten out much sinc Covid . 1# Ordered the Dharma's hot dog .....Worst hot dog ever ! It had to be over 24 hrs old ! Bun was jailhouse hard and the hot dog was shriveled up and tough , like it's been reheat10 times over !.... oh they threw a few chips in container , don't know what that was about ! 2# Dharma's burger It look good opening it and after a few bites , I was trying to like it , had ordered it a few times before, but the more I ate it , made me think I was eating borderline old food ! 3# Vegan ChoCake .... Same as rest ... Wasn't fresh at all ! 4# Corn bread ... I don't think I'm going to eat this at this point ... saving it for the geese ! Really disappointed at Dharma's!.... I know restaurants are hurting during this Covid 19 .... and I know about how everybody struggling but serving old food is not the way to survive in these crazy times I also included a 20% tip ! read more

Dharma's Restaurant - Mega Burger Chili Dharma Dog Vegan Chocolate Cake Corn Bread - Vegetarian Near Me - Capitola, California

Felt dirty inside, needs a modern revamp and update. Felt like a hippie cafeteria. Too bad- couldn't wait to get out of there. I suggest modernizing and getting rid of the trays. read more

Good food but the prices are fucking outrageous!!!! I feel sad for dharmas they can't last long like this. Grew up going there :(

Travelled the world, you will not find better, fresher, tastier than a Dharma's salad. Delicious vegetarian main courses to die for (not really, to LIVE for) Thank you from your community. read more

I have been coming here for the chili dharma dog for past 12 yrs or so. Watched the prices climb from under $9, to now, today at over $17. Ok, i know we have some inflation going on but at one point its just taking advantage of consumers. I can get pretty good veggie hotdogs fully loaded on top in the middle of bay area for under $8 still. This isn't bay area. Honestly, not much expensive ingredients in this thing - cheap tiny veggie dog, chili, chips, cheese, etc. everything u can find in cheap budget groceries. Ones in bay area you can find a lot more expensive ingredients like huge sausage like italian or apple sage veggie hot dogs, nori sea weed, kim chi, specialty japanese mayo, furikake, daikon, avocado, fresh battered onions -- all for under half the cost of this! This place isn't a niche market anymore, for vegetarianism has evolved to the point where there's veggie options everywhere. Can't get away with charging such high niche prices anymore. Honestly what Dhama seems to be doing is calculating their losses from the pandemic into the price, vs selling at market value. If you go down a mile away, to another vegetarian place, it is pretty packed with people -- unlike here. This place is like a shadow of its former self. The problem isn't lack of people eating out right now. read more