Kaya's Kitchen delivered the best vegan meal of my life. It isn't haute cuisine, but the menu choices are staggeringly varied and everything I did order was delicious and craveworthy. I appreciated the casual comfort of the place with its sheltering booths and wear-anything decor. The bread basket alone, with its herb-laden olive oil, was worth the trip. My husband and I ordered: ~homemade lemonade and wild berry teas (divine!) ~harvest salad (a seasonal mix of honey crisp apple slices, greens, and dried cranberries that would have fed a few more people happily) ~Thai Peanut Tofu on spinach fettucine (Outstanding!) ~Coconut Curry on Jasmine Rice (Order the toothsome soy nugget chunks--it made for the single most nomNOMnom meal of my life.) ~Peppermint Patty Cake (Rich, sweet, delish.) ~Creamsicle Cupcake (So sweet my teeth buzzed--but tasty.) read more

I've been frequenting Kaya's for well over a decade, since the days when it was "Veggie Works." Although the service can be a bit flaky at times (but even that has improved over the past year or 2!), the food has been consistently outstanding. I have never gotten a mediocre meal at Kaya's! But my main reason to review Kaya's at this time is that I really want the world to know they make the BEST vegan burger I have ever had... and I have eaten veggie burgers from one side of this country to the other! They are amazingly meaty and delicious.... even my elderly, omnivorous parents love these burgers! Other outstanding menu items are the Kaya's Combo, which is HUGE, and best shared with about 4 people. Those buffalo wings are really spicy! Also, I find myself quite often dreaming about the pierogies. Vegan pierogies are not something that one encounters often! read more

Ordered grilled vegetables. Dish finally comes out and the veggies are charred. My date at dinner is a cancer survivor and anything charred is a carcinogen. i requested they take the dish back as she could not eat the charred veggies. Kitchen refuses and says this is grilled veggies and this is not charred. I asked to speak with mgr/owner and he/she refuses to come out and says they are to busy. They go on to state you are responsible for paying for this meal. "If you dont like it order something else but you must pay for meal." Will never ever go back to this place. read more

I had been here before for dinner, but I wanted to update my review based on my experience with breakfast, which is a recent addition to Kaya's menu. I heard that Kaya's had breakfast through their Facebook page - they should really update their website and also the hours posted on their door! I had to call to confirm they were definitely open for breakfast. My boyfriend and I split a tofu scramble loaded with veggies and a side of home fries and veggie sausage. We also split a side of French toast - two slices were perfect for us. I loved everything! It even rivaled my favorite vegan breakfast at Rutherford Pancake House in Rutherford, NJ. I was surprised more people weren't brunching on a Sunday morning, but that could be the fault of the restaurant for not advertising it better! read more

I'll preface this review by saying the food I've had here is pretty good, but the service is lacking. I've been here a few times & each time they are understaffed aka very slow service - The business seems to be booming so why not keep the place staffed & customers happy? Once the server does come, the ones I've had are very nice and well informed. I've had the sampler, ribs, and sloppy joe and they were all good but not great - Sometimes the fake meats are way too chewy. Yes, I know they're chewy originally, but I've been to places which use the same ingredients in a better manner/make the seitan/tempeh crispy. It's always nice to have more vegan places, but this one I can live without. read more

Boyfriend took me here for a surprise birthday dinner . We got the tempeh wings , they were amazing . For dinner he got a steak entree and I got a rib entree . Very big portions , couldn't finish mine ! . Bottom line I recommend , will be back again read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Our entrees - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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Huge portions, great service and great staff Kaya's Combo ($13): country nuggets, karma wings, tempeh wings, Mississippi ribs, and picnic potato salad. Served with dipping sauces.- the ribs, potato salad and nuggets were really good. Hummus & Avocado ($13): it came with other veggies on a multigrain roll which was pretty good. Definitely order the Half & Half (1/2 wildberry tea, 1/2 lemonade) - so good! read more

Stopped in here for a quick lunch and i was pleasantly surprised. When i walked in, i was immediately greeted by the host/waitress who was extremely informative about the food. She was so nice and attentive even though it seemed like she was the only server there. I went during lunch hours, but I was told that after 5pm there are a lot more vegan dinner entrees (which all sounded more appealing). I ordered the bbq tofu burger which was delicious but not as flavorful as i would like for a burger. I think they could have marinated the tofu for a little longer. I also wish they served more options during lunch! Overall i would recommend this place and would return. read more

Kaya's got it goin on and I think i like it. Great spot for the vegan crew. Wife and really enjoyed Kaya's sampler, was super delish, crispy, flavorful, and, for a meat-eater, surprisingly satisfying and yummy. We also tried the onion soup, its slightly different from the photo's on yelp as that was from a time where they were only vegetarian (vegan now), was good and flavorful but a bit too salty (and we love salt). Chocolate cake was out of this world delicious. Was debating between 4 and 5 stars b/c of the salt factor but the service was so friendly and helpful, i couldn't help but give them top stars. read more

I am a "new" vegan so Kayas Kitchen was a lifesaver for me! The breakfast on Sunday mornings is amazing. I especially like the sausage with a trace of fennel. The Philly sandwich is fabulous...tastes just like the real philly cheese steaks I had in college! The glazed donuts on sundays are out of this world! Light, fluffy and delicious! I also love the buffalo wings.....hot but not too hot! GO! You won't be disappointed! The only negative is the service. Some of the servers are way too slow. read more

I'm vegan and this is a excellent place to go. I got the "Kaya's combo" with fries and it was awesome. I'm in town from Danbury CT on a business trip and I always look for vegan options as that is limited to most of us that are true vegan. I liked it I do recommend to others. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - "Kaya's Combo" - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

My wife and I went here a week ago for dinner cause it is her favorite place. I had the jambalaya and she has the Stew over mash. I have to say it was one of the best meals of my life. I didn't miss the meat for a minute. I wanted to go back and have it again the next day. We followed dinner with two cupcakes and a cup of coffe. The cupcakes were stellar too and even though my wife said the coffe would probably not be good, I liked it. The service was great as usual and the atmosphere is very calm. Nice place to go just for a change of pace and great place to go if you are vegan/vegetarian. This may soon become my favorite place too. read more

Outstanding vegan cuisine at the beach! Yes, really! My wife ordered the tempeh reuben, which was excellent. She's not normally a reuben person but she had to try this and it was delicious. I ordered the seitan stroganoff, which was reminiscent of homecooked meals in my childhood long before my vegetarian days. We'd be stoked if this place opened in our very veg-friendly neighborhood. An amazing find down the shore, well worth biking down from Asbury Park along Ocean Avenue. (OK, so we would do that for its own sake - the view from Snake River bridge is totally worth it.) We went on the early side, so we didn't have to wait, but by the time we left you could tell the place has its well-deserved fans. read more

Good food for vegan . Creative recipes good balance of lentils with soy products. Greeting by servers is always slow everytime i come here. Otherwise good food. Had the lentil loaf with veggies mashed pots and brown gravy. Veggies were plain steamed not sauce or seasoning. Mashed pots were great texture topped with the same gravy on the lentil loaf which was also very good. They gave the top a nice crunchy layer. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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Kaya's Kitchen is one of our favorite vegan restaurants to eat at. We started with the Country Nuggets as an app and Thai coconut waters. I ordered the quesadilla and my husband had the black bean burger. The sides such as the pico de gallo and guac that it came with were extremely fresh. We also ended up adding fresh lemonade to our orders. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, even non vegans! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Country Nuggets - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

Kaya's Kitchen creates vegan, organic and at times gluten free options to traditional "comfort" dishes. Wonderfully flavorful, at times you forgot that you are having a meat free dishes. While at Kaya's I've had the thought "I can do a vegan/plant based diet if the food taste like this". I also appreciate the creativity of vegan Chef's, making amazing dishes while keeping focused on a principal. I've tried: Hummus: Zesty Country Nuggets: Yummy Tofu Buffalo wings: Zingy with copious amounts of buffalo sauce. Seitan Ribs: Smoky - The homemade BBQ sauce and the tender/chewy texture makes you feel that you are eating "boneless ribs". Coconut Pineapple Curry: Very flavorful with a nice balance between the coconut, creamy curry sauce and the pineapple. Tempeh Ruben: Many of the Kaya's vegan dishes do a great job of focusing on the taste that you love from that dish and the "meat substitute" just fulfills your needs for texture. read more

We love Kayas kitchen! If you are looking for fantastic vegan food go no further. They have a huge menu, the portions are enough to fill you up.The people who work there are very nice. Let's not even talk about the desserts OMG they are phenomenal. read more

YUMMMMM ! i have only been to kayas a handful of times but every time i have enjoyed the food ! i am a VERY picky vegetarian , i also have a vegetarian toddler so i like the fact that they have a kids menu !!!! (not much vegetable side options though at lunch time) we dont eat out unless its a vegetarian place so it was nice to be able to order the basics for her (veggie nuggets)... its a nice laid back vibe ... the hours are a little hard to keep up with though they open for lunch and close for a few hours in between dinner :( i have gone there a few times and found it closed so definitely check the schedule or call and make sure there open ... read more

Went to Kaya's on a whim with my non-vegetarian family members. They had a good selection and the food was good, nothing to write home about but still good for a change. The portions were big enough that 2/3 of us had leftovers. The main issue I had was with the wait time. I understand it's a busy weekend, but we waited over an hour for three small plates. The server did tell us they were 'a little backed up', but an hour is more than a little to me. When we asked if there was anything they could do for us, she got snippy and insisted that she warned us. I really wanted to love this place and have a new hangout, but I'm not sure I'll be back. read more

Amazing amazing amazing! I have only one complaint and that is that the main entrees are not served all day, only after 5. However I was happy with what I did end up getting! We started with a Thai sweet potato soup which was creamy and delish. My boyfriend had the Reuben and I went with their chicken salad sandwich which hit the spot. I am looking forward to our next vist read more

Absolutely as good as any veggie/vegan restaurant in any big city anywhere. The menu is HUGE, and while it might look like they are only slight variations on a theme, the sauces make every dish unique. Seriously, whoever does their sauces is a genius. Service is sometimes slow, but the waitstaff is always sweet as anything, so it's easily forgiven. We're not veggies and this has become one of our favorite Special Occasion Spots. read more

Went to this restaurant with a friend after work one evening. Had never been to a vegan restaurant before and thought it would be interesting to check out. It was a Saturday night and the restaurant was pretty hoppin' with most of the tables filled with patrons. We were greeted by a few very friendly individuals who promptly took us to our seats. Overall the service was great- everyone was smiling and nice. Our server took the time to explain a few popular menu items to us. My friend and I decided to each get a cup of chili and share a few small plates to get more of a feel for the food. I really enjoyed the chili- it was hearty and very flavorful. The only thing I can say is it could have used a little more heat, but I tend to like food to be hotter than most people do so for others it is probably perfect. For our shared plates we got the Turkish delight, corn cakes and the pesto vegetable tower. The Turkish delight is a platter with pita bread, hummus, falafel, etc. It's meant to be shared and we probably could have just gotten this with our chili but of course we were coming out of work and our eyes were bigger than our stomachs! The pesto vegetable tower was very fresh and tasty with fresh basil and a pesto sauce drizzled on top, but I could only have a little bit of it. The flavors were a bit overwhelming- felt like I was eating a basil plant alone. The corn cakes were probably my least favorite- I can't really describe why but the flavors didn't work for me. I think I would probably give this place another shot and try some of the international dishes or the tofu or tempeh wings, but I hadn't worked up the courage for faux meat just yet! read more

I've eaten here twice at an odd time (4:30 p.m. on a week night). Both times my friend and I were able to order from a regular dinner menu. If you eat very clean, the guacamole and the burrito seem to be good choices. Not too much oil, sauce, seasoning. The "happy buddha" (or something-buddha) is a decent rice bowl with veggies in a gingery sauce. I'd say the portion is enough for one hungry person. Their coffee is quite strong and very enjoyable. Choosing between the lemonade and the half-and-half, I thought the lemonade makes for a more refreshing summer choice. The service was nice and attentive; the waitstaff seem to be very young, nice kids, sometimes a little too eager to clean things up. The restaurant is clean, spacious, tribal decor, nice music playing over their stereo system. read more

When you are down at the Jersey shore-stop by Kaya's for BBQ tofu or tempeh. The burgers are stellar! Hisband got burritos and loved it. Nice salads! You will also enjoy the vegan cupcakes! Many flavors-not too sweet! read more

No passion for cooking here. If this was my first vegan meal I would be so disillusioned. Had the seitan skewers. Runny, watered-down peanut sauce, flavorless seitan. Sauces seemed bottled, sweet and syrupy or bland. This is the vegan diner experience. But not a good diner. Anemic tomatoes sliced so thin on my BLT not sure how they did that. In a time of abundant garden fresh tomatoes why the hothouse variety and why so stingy with the tomatoes? Just walk to the nearest farm stand people! Chili was watered down soup basically with mostly onions and peppers, hardly a bean and cold on top of it, again flavorless. Wait person was extremely pleasant, however. So goin north to Seed to Sprout next time. Sorry folks you need to do WAY better. P.s. Who came up with the idea of canning jars for drinks? Hate that... dribbles down face. I kept bugs in one when I was a kid now drinking out of one. We are devolving as humans. And please close the kitchen door. read more

Where to begin, service was awesome very attentive, knowledgeable, made some awesome suggestions, and chill staff. Food is packed with flavor!! I started with the soup of the day, potato leek soup, very tasty. The menu is diverse and well thought out, I ordered from the international section, Coconut pineapple curry with the veggie nuggets per the waitress's suggestion, I almost went with falafel as an add on but the veggie nuggets were perfect. Shared a side of guacamole with my love, and I have to clarify I am a foodie I eat like I'm 3 people, but I could not finish all my food or the guacamole! And I was shocked the food was packed with flavor as I've already stated but it's also very filling which shocked me. I enjoyed the experience here immensely!! The decor is also very welcoming and I will be coming back for more!! read more

Pros: really delicious, all-vegan food. Lots of comfort food. Cons: Can't order most of the food before 5pm (appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas only--I wish they had a separate lunch menu, because looking at all the food you can't have is a total bummer.) Kind of pricy, but not bad for vegan food and the quality of the food. We had Kaya's combo: tofu nuggets, buffalo wings, and ribs, with 3 sauces and potato salad. The nuggets were delicious, the wings were a great texture but way too spicy for me (granted, I have very low tolerance for spicy food--if they could make these mild I'd love them), and the ribs were incredible--the best fake meat I've had in my 10+ years of vegetarian eating. The potato salad was kind of a dud--it had a great flavor but was the texture of mashed potatoes. Besides that, we had 2 sandwiches: the portobello and the chicken salad. Both were really great, I just wish they came with a small side, even just chips. Overall, their food is really good--and not just "good for vegan food." Can't wait to go back and try their dinner menu! read more

We tried Kaya's this past Sunday and found out Sunday is buffet day! It was great. We were able try an array of food and left with very full and happy. Our waitress was excellent, very friendly and always there if we needed something. We loved the potato salad, fresh cut fried potatoes, and the Mississippi ribs. Deeeelllliiiiish! read more

My first vegan meal ever. We were here on a Friday evening. The restaurant was busy which is a great sign. We were seated immediately and noted the live music playing; lovely. We decided on the combo appetizer. There was too much bbq sauce on one the items. The only item I liked in this combo was the "tender", it tasted like chicken . The vegetable soup was very tasty. My son had the Vegetable Stew served atop a platter of mashed potatoes with an addition of "vegetable" nuggets. The stew consisted mainly of broccoli, cauliflower, and onions in a brown gravy. Only a few slices of button mushroom; for the price, it should've had more. We found the "vegetable" nuggets to resemble a "yoga mat" texture- quite weird and tasteless. I had the falafel sandwich, not bad. It's a nice restaurant, byob, with live music and seemed like a popular place. I'd give it another try. read more

The service tonight was delightful and the food was amazing. The Mississippi Maverick is amazingly delicious and my daughter loved the veggie quesadilla! Their desserts are excellent and really round out a fantastic meal. Yum!!! read more

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Visited Kaya's again for Valentine's Day, what a mess! We had made a reservation, showed up 40-30 minutes early (just in case) and still ended up waiting over an hour in a very crowded, chilly waiting room of people (12-20 people) who had also made reservations. The hostess said, "some people just don't want to leave." I'm sorry, but they must have a reservation system that will never turn anyone away. And don't blame your customers for something that is obviously YOUR MISTAKE. Perhaps they should try open table? Or how about not taking reservations, that would be better than what they do now. That being said, our server was amazingly friendly/helpful, the specials were delectable and we ended our night happy. If we weren't such laid back people or if their menu was more expensive there would've been hell to pay! Moral of the story: Don't do special occasions here, don't trust reservations, and don't visit during busy holidays/times because you'll be disgusted by the wait. read more

Food is delicious, and I love decoration and atmosphere of the restaurant a lot, prices are okay too. We were lucky that they had live music which was also nice, but poor service.waitress brought wrong food, and I had to ask her for knife and fork, and they brought our drink after we remind. read more

Ate here yesterday. Just started a mainly-vegan diet, this place was a great intro to stuff I haven't tried yet. I had the falafel, my fiancée had the buffalo soldier and we traded plates halfway through. I'll definitely get the falafel next time, buffalo soldier made for great leftovers today on top of rice. Also had chocolate cake. Nomnomnom. ***Tip: Kayas isn't actually on Main Street, it's right around the corner from Matisse. Holler. read more

No doubt the best vegan restaurant I know! Friendly staff and great atmosphere! Awesome food ! Love going on Fridays when they have live music! My son is trying everything in the menu and so for likes everything ! My favorites Are the seitan country sandwich and lentil Meatloaf! And after all indulge in a dessert! Anyone vegan or no vegan must check this place! read more

This restaurant is amazing! First time here, but we'll be back. My wife got the sloppy joe, which was pretty good. I got the lentil loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, which was even better! We both had dessert (chocolate cake and cheese cake) which was phenomenal. The service great too! The only reason I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that the ambient noise was very loud. They had a guitarist in the back and the kitchen staff was playing music also. It was difficult to hear our conversations. Awesome though, we'll be back! read more

My teenage son is a vegan, which means eating out with him is sometimes tricky, especially since my husband and I are omnivores. Plus, he doesn't really like super-healthy-fancy-vegan stuff, but he doesn't eat meat, dairy, fish or eggs. Kaya's to the rescue! Awesome food, sweet space, friendly, enthusiastic service. Everyone enjoyed! The vegan had a falafel sandwich; my husband ordered BBQ Seitan, which was tasty (and the mashed potatoes were excellent); I had seitan-based philly-cheesesteak sandwich with grilled onions and peppers -- all yummy, and one of the only times I've had vegan cheese that didn't make me gag - it was actually tasty. And the combo herbal-tea-lemonade was stupendous. Wish they would open one in NYC! read more

Great Vegan restaurant. Large variety of vegan dishes to choose from, both sandwiches & entrees. Prices are good and quality of their food is excellent. Can't wait to go there again. read more

We had a wonderful meal on Saturday, as usual. A very large portion of mashed potatoes topped with a delicious stew of seitan, tofu and root vegetables was perfect on a cold blustery evening. I ordered vanilla vegan cake and it was moist and flavorful. Thanks again for a great experience! The band was nice too! Christy read more

I'm a vegetarian, so maybe I'm a bit biased in the land of pork roll, but I love Kaya's... love, love, love, love. I am there at least twice a month, sometimes more. I've been going for years, I love it, all my friends (carnivore and veggie alike) love it, it is just damn good food. I would recommend the Karma wings if you like spicy food, definitely. Otherwise, everything, and I mean literally everything on the menu is incredibly good. Easily comparable to Red Bamboo in NYC in terms of flavor and variety. Only problem is the price. Everything on the menu has gone up since the move, and even before that it was a bit pricey. But to me, it's worth it - plus almost everything on the menu provides you with enough food for two meals, so you can just get a doggie bag and consider it an investment in your future happiness. read more

This is my all time favorite vegan restaurant (and I'm not even vegan). I heard good things about this place and my boyfriend is vegan so we love finding new restaurants that he can eat at. We got the mac n cheese as an appetizer, and it was the best vegan mac n cheese I've ever eaten, a lot of people can't get the texture right. It is definitely big enough if you want to just have it as a meal. I got the pierogies as my main dish and my boyfriend had the soul seitan --both were excellent. Staff is super friendly, and be sure to safe room for desert! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey