The food is really good. The customer service is borderline rude. I always feel like the counter help us bothered at having to do their job. read more

This place is awesome ! Really cool atmosphere , some great art all over the walls. The food is really good. It is definitely a little expensive , but my meal was so big I saved half for a small meal later in the day. As most vegan options go, a lot of tofu and soy products, but all in all really good selections . They have everything from sandwiches, to pasta , to Mexican to curry. I would def eat here again read more

What good are large portions of food you don't want to eat? We had the BBQ Bluff and the Nada Chicken Burrito. The BBQ sandwich was bland and gave hubby a tummy ache for the next 24 hours. The burrito was a pile of pinto beans and rice with cheese, sour cream, and soy strips served "open-faced" on a whole wheat tortilla with a side of tortilla chips. I enjoyed the flavor for about two bites due to hunger and then wished I had ordered something else. The most interesting part of the meal was my yummy soy mint chip shake -- and having Bragg's Liquid Aminos on hand. Being a fan of vegetarian restaurants, I was excited about visiting Dharma's. But unfortunately, like Dry Creek Grill over the hill, being overpriced and not hitting perfection in presentation and flavor hits the ratings hard from my point of view. My taste buds and my wallet are happier at Cafe Gratitude in downtown Santa Cruz, or at Happy Bamboo or Loving Hut in San Jose. read more

i like dharma's. i saw the menu online and it looked really boring and too healthy and bland but we went anyway (i can't pass up trying out any veg restaurant!) and i'm so glad we did. went with a bunch of boys who got grilled cheese and the largest plate of nachos (seriously, it was a tray not a plate) i've ever seen. but they have tons of vegan options and they have vegan cheese too! i had the tempeh burger and it was delicious. the staff was super friendly and the place is really big with lots of parking and seating and they even had an elderly woman's birthday party going on while we were there, which is so cute! the walls are covered with toys that you can play with while waiting to pick up your order. and i got a vegan milkshake. awesome. read more

during our one day trip to santa cruz, we chose to eat at dharmas and we are glad we did. although i would have preferred table service in a place this size, our food was great. they have a great menu and everything was fresh. the place was very busy so im guessing the locals know how good this place is. i talked with the owners, who've been there for years. they asked me how i found them and i turned them on to yelp. i guess they checked out us yelpers because i see they are posting some specials. now if they would just open one of these in every town..... read more

While dining at Dharma's this evening, my boyfriend found a dead fly in his Teriyaki Burger. He took it to the counter, showed the cashier and her response was, "I can give you a cookie." When he retorted with, "It's a fly," she responded with, "Well, it's organic." They did not offer to refund his money for the meal. Just offered the cookie. We will not be dining there again. read more

I had the tamale dinner. It came with a salad that was really well done with a nice dressing. The two tamales were huge with really well done masa. The chile sauce that came with it was great. The black beans and rice that came with it were tasty. They put half an avocado on top. The cost seems high, but I got two big meals out of this and I am glad to support an organic, healthy restaurant that has a lot of history here. read more

My wife, daughter and I tried this place one evening and we all got sick. When I called the manager the next day, he said it wasn't their problem and it must have been our problem. He didn't even offer to make restitution of any kind. A real jerk! I could only recommend this place to people I don't like. Be prepared to get sick if you eat here, we did! read more

Dharma's is SUCH a GREAT restaurant! The food is divine and I always have such a hard time ordering because too many dishes are my favorites! Special bonus; their gluten free and dairy free items taste so yummy! read more

I had a dinner with family tonight. Ordered Tofu enchilada and it was delicious. Kicheree soup was amazing as well.

Mixed review, the raviolis & salad were good but the Michoacán mushroom dish was sorely lacking. The guacamole & beans were delicious but the main course left a lot to be desired. The fact that it was $17.50 is what makes it sting. We'll give it another try just to be fair. read more

3 words. Nada chicken burrito. You won't regret it. The food is never a let down and the portions are humungo! The only complaint I ever have about this place is that it usually takes a while to get your food and there's a man who seems to always be behind the register when I go there that never seems to be overwhelmingly happy...or alive. read more

I can't believe anyone is giving this place 5 stars. The guy at the counter was so rude to me, he couldn't even say hello. I walked out and will never go back. The food if OK but if I can't go out and be treated with a smile and at least hello. Not getting my business. read more

I second Evie's review. Been coming here for years because convenient and menu OK. Staff behind counter generally less than friendly, behind register even less so - a generally "why are you bothering me" vibe but just dealt with it even though it always bothered and saddended me because I really wanted to like this place. This last week the older man (can't say gentleman) behind the counter was SO rude I was appalled. We have been coming in at least once a week for years. But he was snorting and giving off "why are you bothering" me vibes when we asked for specifics on ingredients in a daily special. Or asked for "no cheese" on an item. I don't know why he's allowed at the register. I even heard a horrific rumor that he's the actual owner. They really are signalling that they don't need your business at all. My husband and I also saw him be super rude to a mother with two young boys who was clearly just trying to avoid serious allergy. We are done with Dharma's. read more

One of my favorite places to eat when I'm in Santa Cruz. The salad, Dan Dan Noodles, Samurai Soup and Tempe Ruben are some of my favorite dishes. read more

Dharms is great I had a bad experiance there and gave some constructive critism to the manager and the next day they change it up and fixed everything I was so m[ressed by their listening ear, Keep it up dharmas read more

When I dream of vegetarian comfort food I dream of Dharmas. I haven't been here in years, but anytime I am within a few hour radius of this joint I make it a point to stop in. Huge menu of delicious vegetarian food - This isn't a pretentious vegan place by a long shot - Its a great spot to get an amazing selection of normal food that just happens to not have meat. read more

When you order from the gluten free menu and the cashier guarantees gluten free the last thing I expected was for the kitchen to get it wrong. Especially at a place with this great a rating. I also didn't expect the indifference to the mistake, they could care less. I think my mistake was assuming Dharma's cared about people with restricted diets, but my perception of Dharma's is that its cool to offer gluten free options. If you are on a restricted diet, there are no guarantees at Dharma's. I won't/can't go back, and I had such high hopes. read more

Oh this place is great. I've taken my kids twice and we've loved everything we've tried so far. No, the guy at register was not friendly but maybe he was having a tough day. Customer service is rough. So I tipped him well and gratefully ate my delicious meal and enjoyed the leftovers later (portions are yuuge!) read more

A must-eat experience! Our family can't quit this place. Every time we're within 40 miles of this great restaurant, we have to stop in. I love anything with their soy strips and my wife always gets the American Sauté. Must have raspberry tart, tapioca, and "cheese" cake, too. read more

We eat a starch-based diet, so yesterday, with lots of stuff going on, and no time to cook, I used a Groupon coupon to get $40 of food for $20. There was a Kofta Korma special, which my husband used to love at India Joze years ago, so I got that, and a La Tostada for my lunch (I was starving and it was huge!); some baked yams, a mole burrito with soy chicken all for $18 with the coupon! The attendant advised I could have bought more coupons and used them - very generous of him - I'd only gotten one as I was trying to "follow the groupon rules". I've eaten here probably 20+ times in my years in SC; hubby doesn't like to order and sit and wait and then go pick up - but when we have dogs with us its nice to sit outside with them. I have to say the food is great (everything we've had over the years); its a little slow in coming, but I got a takeout menu and will call ahead and then it works for me. The menu is extensive and there is something for everyone - with time crunches because of family health issues (elderly parent care) I will be returning for quick, healthy food options soon! read more

Great food, slow service. It is well worth the wait, but if you are in a rush you may want to save this for another day.

I wanted to love this place as it's menu has some great items. I tried this place on a Groupon. The fresh Spring Rolls were great! Big, flavorful and nice dipping sauces. Both the Greek Pasta lacked in flavor and depth, but was a great idea. The dressing on the salad was wonderful! The Potstickers needed to be steamed as they I think were baked and dry. The filling was good with a nice texture. read more

An absolutely wonderful vegan restaurant.This place has become one of my favorite places to eat! The food is so flavorful and delicious. Service a touch slow, but very polite and accommodating. The decor inside is very cool. Came from San Mateo it was more than worth every penny.Great for Vegans/Vegetarians! read more

I've eaten here a half dozen times. The spring rolls are the biggest and best I've ever had and for me, enough on their own as a meal. The lasagne is amazing! Well, I placed my order to go and asked for a glass of wine while I waited. I ordered a glass of BV and I saw the guy pour me something totally different. When I asked him if it was BV he said (all stoned like) " I've never heard of that" I said no worries I'll take whatever that is.. It's red! I blew it off because I was in a good mood. The food is always pretty good but kinda expensive I think. The counter service is ok. It seems every time I go in there the staff is making themselves a shake or drink and they are on their own time. I do think the menu needs to be updated. Why so much tofu on the menu? Tofu isn't healthy whatsoever, anyone into health knows that! This restaurant has been around for years but now I think there's a lot of competition and they need to kick it up a notch and come into this century. It's good.. Not great! The Malabar is much tastier in my option. read more

both the casual atmosphere and super fresh yummy food will make me come back again to this treasure.

I've been going to Dharma's sporadically since I was a kid. I usually go for breakfast- the burrito is awesome, and so are the tofu scrambles. I like the Greek and Thai scrambles in particular. I also like their salads and the nada chicken burrito for lunch or dinner. It's a little pricey, especially for the lunch and dinner entrees, but you get 2 meals out of it. I wish there was a Dharma's in the East Bay instead of Cafe Gratitude! read more

A little pricey, but the food is worth it. The spring rolls are a great appetizer, and the veggie ruben is the best on the planet, meat or no meat. read more

I love Dharma's. They are the only restaurant in town that will make a gluten free sandwich (with GF bread... not just without bread), and their GF pizza is AMAZING!!!!!!! I just love Dharma's, they make my life much happier :) read more

I am glad I live near Dharmas, however, there are a few things that have rubbed me the wrong way. For 1, I usually order a sandwich, and sometimes the bread is really dried out, as in, OLD. It's a bummer because the bill really adds up and it doesn't feel worth it to me to have old scratchy bread in my mouth. For 2, trying to substitute a side is a joke. I tried to order potatoes in lieu of the salad and chips, but the told me they couldn't do it. I had to order the potatoes as an extra side order, and they still gave me the salad and chips. I wish they had better sides. For 3, The other day I was waiting for an order I called in, no one told me it was in a blue moon box on the counter in front of me while I sat there waiting. Wasted a good 10 minutes waiting on that. No one said "Here you go! It's ready". That irked me. A lady was at the drink/utensil counter and I heard her saying" don't put your hands in there" repeatedly while her child swirled her hand around in the lemon slices. I would have pulled my kids hand out of there and said "No" and then brought the lemon container to the counter and apologized that it was contaminated. She didn't do that. Pretty gross. All in all, the staff is polite, there are restrooms, the patrons are usually quiet, decent people, and it's vegetarian/vegan food. I hope they can work on customer service more and maybe come up with some more menu options/sides and be more forgiving to those who want to switch out a side for another! read more

Huge menu and large portions that are great for vegan and vegetarians. Wide range of menu items and everything tastes great. Kids love it too. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, good food. Large portions at reasonable prices. We go at least once a month to eat there or get take-out, and it's a favorite with visiting friends and relatives. My favorites are the Tempeh Reuben, Gardener's salad and burritos, chili and cornbread, with one of their yummy chais to drink. My partner likes the Bo Thai and Szechuan Tofu. The coconut shakes and raspberry tarts are delicious too. Be prepared for leftovers! read more

Went here for dinner not knowing what to expect other than hearing the food is good. I didn't know it was completely vegetarian/vegan. My meat eating husband was thrown for a loop! Menu has many options and they have daily specials on top of that. Kinda too much to choose from: veggie burgers, burritos, noodles, pasta and more. I guess it's all to fit whatever mood you're in. While the food was tasty, it was a tad expensive for a place that seems like a cafeteria-you pick up your order at the counter after they announce your name (if you can understand it) and place your dishes in a tub before you leave. Not sure why I tipped when I paid, but I did-might as well have taken it to go. The man taking orders seemed less than happy to be there, I don't think he even made eye contact or said thank you. The atmosphere/decor is odd and since it's a giant room, it was loud in there. There are several signs about not using your cell phone on speaker, apparently that's a problem?? I will go back to try other items on the menu as I'm a vegetarian and really enjoyed the Brahma burger, and the hubs liked his dinner-the spaghetti. Side salad was -meh. Looking at others' entree plates-they were huge! Lots of food so maybe there are things to share. I will give this place another chance purely for the food. read more

pricey, but the gf vegan burger was amazing!! the sauce was so good and the burger itself was very filling!!

I don't know if it's fair to rate a restaurant based on one visit but I most likely will not return. We came here b/c of its Gluten free menu since my son is on this diet, I was surprised that it had no waiter service which was fine, my husband, however was not happy about this been a vegetarian restaurant, so we decided to order dinner for our son only & head to another restaurant for dinner. I ordered Pasta Italiano for my son, for those of you who are not familiar w/ gluten free pasta, even though they are made w/ either quinoa flour, corn or rice flour, nowadays they make them as good as the real pasta, and there are so many different kinds to choose from at places like Wholefood, so I was excited to have my son try some restaurant made pasta, but they used rice sticks, like the ones you see at most Asian restaurants, so it looks nothing like pasta, the portion was extremely small, for $11, I thought we would get more than what we had, but money/portion problem aside, the taste WAS horrible, it was super greasy & it had no taste, the cook must've forgotten to put salt in it! the texture was so hard & tasteless, my son refused to eat them, he did like the little piece of garlic bread that came w/ it, so I had to go back to order more garlic bread, it was 4 thin slices, equivalent to 2 slices of bread & was almost $4, this time my son only had 1 slice & didn't want more, so w/ a drink, I've spent almost $18 for a 5 yr old & all he ate was 2 slices of bread. :( read more

cons: bad customer service, bad food taste because of lack of variety in each meal. not even all vegan, expensive, cafeteria style restaurant pros: organic, large meals, u can eat outside? ive eaten there 5 times, got something new each time. i really tried to like the place, i figured i went on a bad day or something, but its horrible. the customer service is horrendous. most of the people behind the counter are friendly but the indian guy at register is the most rude individual and since u have to go get your food yourself once your name is called (there are no servers, a' la cafeteria style...) he is the only one interacting with customers but the rudest of all there. and when u ask a question about one of the entrees he acts like youre stupid or something like u actually expect him to explain something to you,.. i doubt that anyone who even works there is vegan. also everything costs extra. i ordered a burger and all that comes on it is lettuce and sauce so when i found out that tomatos and onions were free i asked for it but they didnt even put it on my burger once i recieved it. the food was burnt also. ive had a sandwich there it was good and the tacos were ok but too big of a serving i had to throw some of it away. i wanted to make sure they came with avocado because it says they do in the menu, but then once i asked they said it cost extra and i had to argue with the indian register guy becaues he wanted me to pay $3 when it is supposed to come with it. luckily i didnt pay because finally another employee spoke up and said i was right. they try to make up for poor service and poor taste with large sized entrees but if the food isnt even good then why make so much of it? especially since every extra detail costs so much. if they had smaller portions with more variety of food on each plate it would be better. read more

I've been eating Dharma's amazing food for over a decade, & I can't believe I've never reviewed them. It's my favorite go-to restaurant; I'm there at least once a week. The menu & portions are huge, the $6 coupon when you spend $25 is a terrific deal, the ambiance is fantastic (casual, no tipping, beautiful fountain & orchids, gorgeous & local artwork on the walls (Yay Bruce!), &, most importantly, their food is SO good! Also, they have a separate line for pickup orders, which I always appreciate, & you can dine outside with your dog--always a huge plus for me. Dharma's, you're the best! :) read more

best veg restraunt in SC? just on the more expensive side of things...

true to what other reviewers say, portion are HUGE. so are the prices, but its organic and vegan and delicious. *soy milkshakes (the vegan ones) = best thing ever! get carob&date combo, recommended to me by the cashier & it was awesome *bbq bluff & portobella artichoke sandwiches are amazing! *anything on that menu will fill you up in the tastiest way ever, cruelty free! also, i love their plastic animals they have lining the walls for kids to play with. im a legal adult but i like taking one or two to my table =P read more

The portobello - artichoke sandwich is AMAZING!... totally LOVED IT. :-) very nice atmosphere and what a menu. Hi 5!