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    Dharma's Restaurant

    3.8 (862 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    DHARMA'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Dharma's Restaurant

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    Vegan pesto pasta (instagram: jax.vegan.eats)
    Jax T.

    We came to Dharma's for dinner. The menu is huge! We had the vegan Dharma's chili dog, the breakfast burrito with tofu scramble, and the pesto pasta. Everything was very good! And the staff was very friendly. I love all of their plants hanging everywhere.

    dana b.

    Interesting concept and decor. feels like a dated diner with lots of different food options. a bit confusing on the cousin style and verity from Indian, to Mexican and Italian. also prices feel high for value. counter order service with self pick up along with self serve water and condiments station. Free parking, lots of seating. overall food is ok but $30 for a plate of curry seems a lot.

    Organic Steamed Vegetables
    Lia H.

    I love this place. I've been coming here at few times a year since the 1980s, and it never disappoints. Even though I'm not a vegetarian (I do enjoy enjoy my meat and dairy), sometimes my body just craves what they do so well here--a big, beautiful plate piled high with perfectly steamed vegetables, vibrant salads (their house vinaigrette is my favorite), and their hearty veggie stew. It's the kind of meal that feels both deeply satisfying and genuinely nourishing. Yes, it's a bit on the pricey side, but for me it's completely worth it for the colorful, organic, nutrition-packed spread that always leaves me feeling great. And if you're worried about bringing non-vegetarian friends, don't be. The Lost Taco platter is fantastic--and every omnivore I've brought along (even those skeptical of anything labeled "vegan" or "vegetarian") has ended up loving it and leaving full and happy.

    Inside
    Robin M.

    Dharma's is a Santa Cruz landmark for vegans and vegetarians. I'm pretty certain I've been coming here for at least 20 years. I'm happy to see it still thriving. Things I like about Dharma's: - 2 gender neutral restrooms - organic ingredients - self-serve water - tons of seating (both inside and outside) - vegetarian menu where everything can be made vegan - clearly marked menu to know which items can be made gluten free - super friendly staff This was my first time back since before COVID because I was in town for the veg fest. I got the small kitchari and added salt at the condiment bar. It was the perfect amount of food for one person and came with bread. The carrot cake was good too, but $9 seemed a bit pricey for a slice of cake.

    Gardener's Salad
    Gretchen P.

    Delicious vegan and vegetarian offerings. Been going for decades and very happy with everything we've tried. Salads are huge and fresh, curries are tasty, and vegetarian burrito was also filling and came with a large side salad with a great dressing.

    Veges
    Jean K.

    Good food. So healthy huge space. People come for the food not the atmosphere. Looks like an old time vegan place. I'm from out of town. Stumbled upon this place. Enjoying my healthy meal. Expensive.

    Sanaz S.

    Absolutely loved the food, ambiance, friendliness of the owner and staff, and cleanliness of Dharma's. Everything was truly wonderful! We stopped here for lunch while on a coastal road trip over 4th of July weekend, and found Dharma's via Yelp. One thing I have to say is that food made with love and peace just tastes soooo good going into your body. That is totally how my family felt while eating our meals. So many vegan options, so many of everything options =) Love all the yogi friendly decor. Cannot rave enough about how much I enjoyed this place. Would definitely come back when in the area.

    Shane S.

    I recently went to Dharma's with my Uncle. We both loved the ambiance. It was spacious with cool paintings and artwork. It had a lot of character. Service was very friendly. It is a fully vegetarian restaurant that has been around since 1981. Most all the items can be made vegan. The menu is quite extensive and thus ordering can be tricky to know what is best to get. I went with the Tempeh Reuben. I had it made vegan by leaving out the Swiss cheese and leaving out the thousand island dressing. It would have been nice for them to add vegan cheese and vegan salad dressing instead. The sandwich was quite good though and perhaps could have been even better. Very nice presentation. My Uncle got the lasagna. He found it underwhelming. He felt he order the wrong thing yet he appreciated the ambiance and friendly service. He would be willing to return to try more of the menu and I would return as well. Recommended checking out if in Santa Cruz!

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    2 years ago

    Yummy vegan milkshakes! Great atmosphere and location. Would recommend and will visit again next time I'm in Santa Cruz.

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    3 years ago

    Delish vegan food. Healthy choices and comfort food choices. Clean. Friendly staff. Indoor and outdoor seating.

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    2 years ago

    Food was so so. Ambience was also quite drab...the food in general lacked any flavors. It felt like they forgot to add any seasoning

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    Page 3 of 22

    Dharma's Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Dharma's Restaurant

    Is the cornmeal pancake gluten-free?

    Are dogs allowed for outdoor dining?

    Yes, their patio is dog friendly

    Who does the artwork?

    Various local artists

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    People searched for Vegetarian 120 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Pretty Good Advice

    Pretty Good Advice

    4.6
    (512 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Delicious every time! I'm rarely disappointed by anything I've tried at Pretty Good Advice! Huge…read morefan of the Blue Cheese Salad and the chia is marvelous! They usually remember me by name and it's great service!

    I don't normally write reviews, but when things don't go well I feel people need to know what…read moretranspired here. My girlfriend ordered a breakfast sandwich a that we were going to share. The counter service female was very nice and helpful. The sandwich was very good and we've eaten there many times in the past. When we both sat down to eat we noticed that our sandwich hadn't been cut in half. My girlfriend went back to the counter and asked a male kitchen employee behind the counter if he could cut our sandwich in half. The sandwich was completely wrapped in paper and we did not unwrap it at all prior to asking for it to be cut. His response was extremely rude and nasty. He claimed that it was already contaminated despite the fact that it was still completely wrapped in paper. He acted like we were putting him out by us asking him to simply cut the sandwich in half. He accused my girlfriend of "contaminating" the sandwich (in his words) just by touching it despite the fact that it was handled by 2 people before we even touched it. Basically, it was his scolding condescending tone that totally turned us off to ever visiting this place again. It only takes one lazy a--hole employee to ruin a great dining experience.

    Photos
    Order station
    Order station
    House Cut Potato Fries
    House Cut Potato Fries
    Arnold Palmer

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    Arnold Palmer
    Jeju Kitchen

    Jeju Kitchen

    4.0
    (412 reviews)
    29.0 mi

    Food was great and our server Kenny was amazing. I highly recommend trying kimchi fried riceread more

    Husband and I were spending a long weekend in Carmel with our dog. We were able to make a…read morereservation ahead of time online- the system only does indoor reservations, so make sure you email them to let them know if you are bringing a pup and need a patio seat! The restaurant is located on the lowest level of the Carmel Plaza, I really loved the location because there are plenty of places to park right around there. Between the two of us, we shared: - Miso cacio e pepe: we came specifically for this! It's one of their most well known dishes, and I highly highly recommend! So creamy and savory, and the mafaldine pasta has such a nice texture, the ruffled edges hold on to sauce perfectly. We also added a bit of gochujang that came with the bibimbap and it was so good with some spice. - Dolsot bibimbap: my husband's favorite Korean dish so of course we had to get it! An excellent variety of veggies, which was nice since we barely got any veg on vacation. The kalbi beef was so juicy and delicious, and not overcooked. - Matcha Tiramisu: absolute must get, so unique. The cake layers were soaked in matcha, and topped off with some fresh fruit. - Grapefruit sake spritz: I was on the fence between this cocktail and the yuzu champagne spritz. Our waitress said that the grapefruit spritz was much less sweet, and I am so glad I decided to go with that option! It was the perfect amount of sweetness, not overwhelming. Overall, my husband and I agreed that the matcha tiramisu was the best bite either of us had all weekend!

    Photos
    Inside dining area - 1/2/2024
    Inside dining area - 1/2/2024
    Kalbi: Korean Beef Short Ribs w/ rice, banchan | $40
    Kalbi: Korean Beef Short Ribs w/ rice, banchan | $40
    Korean bbq beef ribs

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    Korean bbq beef ribs
    Wildseed

    Wildseed

    4.3
    (1.1k reviews)
    33.9 mi
    $$

    Wildseed restored my faith--and my spirit!…read more As someone who spent 30 years rolling out Zero Waste programs across the Bay Area, I've been feeling increasingly disheartened watching how much single-use and food waste has surged lately. With my mother currently at Stanford Hospital, I've been eating on the go constantly and witnessing this excess firsthand. Then came Brenya. This incredible young server didn't just bring me fantastic summer cuisine--she brought pure heart. When she served me an extra dish of Mexi corn fritters simply because she couldn't bear to see good food go to waste, it moved me deeply. Her empathy, thoughtfulness, and natural alignment with the Zero Waste spirit lifted my soul at a time I truly needed it. Bravo, Brenya, and bravo, Wildseed! You have a customer for life. I'll be back! XX

    It was my mistake not doing full research beforehand, as I didn't realize it was a vegan…read morerestaurant. My rating reflects the food from a vegan standpoint. Everyone ordered different dishes so we could try a lot of things from the menu. 1/5 Athenian Eggplant - Far too sour and the flat bread was SO HARD. Even carb lovers didn't want to finish it. 4/5 Green Falafel - Came warm and the tzatziki sauce was pretty good. 4/5 French fries - Sauces were interesting. 1/5 Mushroom bao - ONE small piece of fried mushroom in each of the two baos that came out. It was stuffed with sour lettuce instead. 2/5 Corn pizza - That coconut mozz was not it for me. 3/5 Chicken sandwich - Solid. Drinks were good! What's up Doc was my fave. Located in the corner of the plaza next to CVS. Good service.

    Photos
    Menu cover
    Menu cover
    BEET TOSTADAS
    BEET TOSTADAS
    Probiotic bowl with neat balls

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    Probiotic bowl with neat balls
    Vegetarian House

    Vegetarian House

    4.2
    (1.3k reviews)
    25.8 mi
    $$

    Great food Great service…read moreCentral location Nice variety All Vegan (or almost fully) Ambiance is quite decent

    Interesting place to eat. The main restaurant is open during the weekends. They only have the…read moreoutdoor patio open during the week. I walked up to the window to see how they operate. I was informed that the patio is open and to order using a QR code at one of the tables in the patio. You have to sign in and create an account to order. It took me a minute to order. I wanted to try their specialty dishes especially because they have mushroom dishes and soy protein dishes. But by the time I was able to figure out how to order and sign up, I was pressed for time to order a meal and ended up ordering crispy spring rolls. Once your order is placed, you wait for a text to let you know your order is ready. Then I have to pick up at the window. Spring rolls were okay. I really wanted to try the crispy oyster mushrooms or the lion mane mushroom dish. Or even the Sea Fruits plate but I wasn't going to have enough time to enjoy them. The patio was fine. A few picnic tables. You bus your own table at the end. Everything they used was biodegradable. I wish it was a better experience. The food looked delicious in pictures, but eating in an outdoor patio, ordering from a QR code, and picking up your food from the window made for a sad and sub par experience.

    Photos
    Dancing Asparagus
    Dancing Asparagus
    Quinoa Sushi
    Quinoa Sushi
    Tom Ka Thai Soup

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    Tom Ka Thai Soup
    Veggie Garden

    Veggie Garden

    4.4
    (675 reviews)
    30.5 mi
    $$

    Nice little vegetarian lunch spot that I keep forgetting is out there! I came with my veg coworker…read moreand we both enjoyed what we got. I got their ja jang mien, and I really liked it--especially the thick, chewy noodles! My coworker got General Tso's, and we also got some veggie dumplings to share. The dumplings were a bit on the bland side, but otherwise good. Service was relatively quick. The interior is clean and well kept (I guess more than you'd think looking at the little strip it is part of), and the wait staff are friendly. The parking lot for the strip mall this is in is on the small side, though, and may be tough to find parking during the lunch rush if you don't arrive early (and I would highly suggest carpooling). Tasty and friendly, I need to remember to suggest this place for lunch more often over the closer places we tend to think of first! I will definitely be back!

    I really wanted to love this place because the vegan wonton soup was absolutely delicious. It was…read moreflavorful, comforting, and worth every bite. Unfortunately, the customer service left a lot to be desired. I arrived shortly after they opened, and there was no greeting or acknowledgment when I walked in, even though the restaurant was empty. When I approached the counter to pick up my order, I gave the name it was under. Instead of confirming the order or asking any questions, the first thing I heard from the cook was, "Get her card first." The cashier then immediately said, "Give me your card." Only after my payment was processed did they hand me my food and say, "Thank you." I completely understand that businesses need to protect themselves and ensure orders are paid for before they're released. That's not the issue. It's the way it was handled. As a customer, it felt like I was being treated as if I might take the food and run, rather than being welcomed into a local, family-owned business. A simple greeting, confirming the order, and then politely requesting payment would have made all the difference. Great customer service and protecting your business can absolutely go hand in hand. The food was outstanding, but the experience made me feel unwelcome. Sadly, because of the customer service, I don't see myself returning.

    Photos
    Inside restaurant
    Inside restaurant
    E6. Mongolian Vegetarian Chicken Lunch
    E6. Mongolian Vegetarian Chicken Lunch
    B10. Thai Ice Tea (made with oat milk)

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    B10. Thai Ice Tea (made with oat milk)

    Dharma's Restaurant - vegetarian - Updated August 2026

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