Went in for dinner for the first time tonight after previously getting a few take out items. First the staff is really welcoming, our waitress was attentive and checked on the ingredients in an entrée I was considering. The samplier is terrific, I had had the ribs before and they were wonderful as always and I enjoyed everything else on the samplier as well. I had the lentil loaf which was delicious and my husband had the chicken parm sandwich which he also enjoyed. I took home the chocolate cake which is sooo good. The restaurant has a relaxed comfortable environment too which was nice. read more

Always amazing. Also did their Thanksgiving Dinner take out and it was awesome. Never disappointed with Kaya's!

After a rocky start with this restaurant, I absolutely am obsessed with the kayas app sampler, their Mac and cheese, their French onion soup and all of their desserts they order for their case! The food is great and the specials are always fun, would highly recommend to an vegan vegetarian or adventurous eater! read more

I absolutely loooove kayas! I've been coming here for years as it's the best vegan place in the area (in my opinion) i love that they pride themselves on organic food and using whole foods to create delicious meals and not processed items. I am addicted to the buffalo tofu wings! Ive tried many things on the menu and Kayas has never disappointed me. They have a good selection of gluten free options, which I really appreciate as it's typically hard for me to eat out. And the desserts are to die for! I have such a sweet tooth so I allow myself to indulge when I come here because I know it's worth it On top of it all the inside is so adorable! I love the tribal masks and decor with the cozy seating layout. read more

I ordered the Tempeh Reuben with the side house salad on DoorDash. It was prepared and arrived quickly. The tempeh was a bit overcooked and I feel could have been a bit more seasoned. However, all of the sandwich toppings helped tie everything together. The sauerkraut and Russian dressing were super flavorful. The house salad was a lot more hearty than other restaurant's "house salads", and included sprouts, seeds, chickpeas, tomatoes, and spring mix. It came with a delicious tahini dressing. I will most likely try other items at Kaya's Kitchen for great vegan food! read more

I have been a vegetarian for 5 years and have been coming to Belmar for as long as I can remember. When I stumbled upon Kaya's I was so excited, i had never heard of it before. It's like a vegan diner! so many options, it's a vegetarian / vegan paradise! I wish I had known about it sooner. Will definitely be going back read more

Absolutely delicious menu that is total heaven for plant-based eaters - they've got healthy clean options as well as more indulgent comforting options too and wonderful vegan desserts daily. I always stop by when I'm in the area, it's a real treat! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Delicious BLT sandwich & cheese steak with add on house salads - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

The seitan ribs are great! I had the tofu burger it was good too. Everything we've tried from here has been delicious. It has very chill atmosphere and very accommodating to first time vegan food diners. The wait staff was very knowledgeable about the ingredients. I would definitely recommend this place for everyone but especially to those who are very iffy about vegan food and cuisine. read more

Excellent food. Highly recommend Kaya's. Inventive vegetarian dishes that feature Tofu and Tempeh in ways that are reminiscent of meat dishes- the Tempeh Reuben for example. So much flavor. You have to give it a try. read more

Never ever disappoints! I tried the Pineapple curry dish and it was absolutely amazing. I added in the veggie nuggets. Highly recommend! Great to order to-go too, they keep the food super hot and it's efficient when you come to pickup. read more

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

I usually eat vegan for eating clean but I wanted to try the sampler. It tasted very processed and overly sauced. I'll try again but something prepared differently. Not a fan of ribs wings and nuggets. read more

This is the best vegan restaurant in NJ. Obviously if you go to NYC it's going to jade you. The soy drumsticks are fantastic, along with tons of other things I have had the privilege to enjoy. The atmosphere is Bohemian, clean, and comfortable. Staff has always been friendly, they are all super laid back, accommodating. This place is packed for a reason. This place was heaven for my taste buds when I lived in NJ. Anything you get off this menu will impress you. It is pretty expensive and far to drive to, so it lost a star! :) No booze, either! read more

BELMAR: Kaya's Kitchen is one of a few vegan restaurants in the area and their two outdoor tables are dog friendly! Their nice staff brought a water bowl for Brie. Offering a huge menu with lots of variety, there is something for everyone! read more

I'm not a Vegan I wanted to do but I just couldn't give up Cheese but this is a great place to test out a vegan diet for Guilty Pleasures and if you can handle it. We came for lunch and I was hoping to find a dairy free sub for French onion soup mostly so I started with -French onion Soup- the broth was great more flavorless than most but this cheese is awful so i would order it without -Butternut squash soup with coconut milk, very very tasty but it was a special. - Nachos, the ultimate Guilty Pleasures appetizer but it did not translate to Vegan. It was pretty awful just look at the photo. So vegans not for me but the soups are really nice and the menus diverse to appeal to many more adventurous palates. read more

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Went here last night for my brothers birthday and was underwhelmed. I was super excited to try this restaurant after seeing so many great reviews. To start, it took longer than expected for someone to greet us and take our drink orders. I believe we waited about 20 minutes just for the drinks. They do have a huge menu of various items, things from falafel to pizza to burgers. We ordered the sampler, pepperoni pizza, and the cheesesteak. It took about 40 minutes for our food to come out. The cheesesteak was delicious, def my favorite. It came with fries that were cold when we received them. The pizza was okay, I liked the pepperoni but I wouldn't go back just for it. I didn't care for the sampler, the bbq ribs were good but i didn't enjoy the rest. Half of the reason could be it was cold by the time it got to us. We asked for extra Dijon mustard and they charged us $1.50 which is absolutely ridiculous. I have been charged for sauces before but that just isn't reasonable especially for the amount we receive. I was really excited to try but probably wouldn't be going back. read more

I don't know about the rest of the menu but the falafel I ordered was awful. The balls themselves were mushy and almost tasteless and the sandwich did not have the usual sauce. I was so disappointed. read more

I don't think I've found the right meal for me here. I ordered the Happy Buddha dinner and thought it was okay. I didn't find that it had the right balance of flavors for me, and I added tofu which I should have left out. I did however enjoy the seitan ribs appetizer and the blueberry cheesecake for dessert. The ribs were covered in a delicious sauce, and the cheesecake had the perfect consistency. They have ginger beer, which is always a bonus. The server was very nice, and our table never waited too long for anything that we needed. I would be open to coming back and selecting a different entrée. read more

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Really great vegan food... have been here over 10 times. It feels like home cooked vegan food. My meat eater boyfriend and my old school Italian dad even love it... which is saying a lot. I like the global entrees and the sampler is a must. They also have delicious desserts that you'd never guess were vegan. Don't come here because it's vegan, come here because it's delicious!! I took off a star because of their high prices. I also was looking forward to going their one night (straight from the train) but they were abnormally closed! It ruined my night :( read more

Get the Kale ceasar salad it's amazing. Just the perfect amount of dressing and the croutons are delicious.

AMAZING! I am new to plant based eating, so I am a harsh critic to meatless dishes. Let me tell you even non-vegans will love this place. Highly recommend the Seitan Ribs and the Lentil Loaf! Absolutely delicious, can't wait to go back! read more

I feel bad writing this as the owner is very nice, but the food has really gone downhill. The tempeh reuben I had recently was covered in a strange tangy sauce, and another time I had a dish with mashed potatoes that seemed like they were instant from a box. The vegetables seemed frozen. The only good entrees I've had in the past six months were the Buddha Temple and another curry dish. It's also usually almost empty on Saturday nights, in Belmar in the summer? Not a good sign. Maybe they're mostly takeout now, or the increase in vegan options in the area has hurt their business. read more

This place is awesome! I liked the atmosphere and staff was great! Food was really good! My non vegan friends enjoyed this restaurant as well! read more

If I could give no stars I would. Me and my boyfriend had high hopes for this restaurant. He got the Coconut Pineapple Curry and I got the eggplant pesto with fries. Also nabbed one of the half & half drinks (herbal wild berry tea and lemonade mix). We're both vegans and rarely eat out so this was supposed to be a treat. The waitress who turned out to be a manager was super sweet when we ordered so we got even more excited about the meal. However once we got our food we were disappointed. The curry was promised to be sweet, but it was so spicy that every bite was painful. There was no taste or flavor at all and neither of us took more than three bites. The eggplant pesto sandwich was horrendous. The bread was so hard it broke in half when I picked it up. There was pesto slobbered onto both pieces of bread and between them was a full on salad and two tiny pieces of eggplant. It might as well have been a pesto sandwich bc that's all you could taste. The drink wasn't bad, just very tart so I wished it was a little sweeter. Two seconds into receiving the food the girl came and asked how everything was and we said it was good. It wasn't but we wanted to give the food a fair chance before getting upset. I ate the sandwich because I was starving after a long day and let's be real I'll eat just about anything. When the waitress/manager came to check on us again we asked for the check. She took one look at the plates and saw he had barely touched his. She didn't ask if everything was okay or how we felt about the food. Once we left I literally cried in the car from how bad the food was. We realized how badly we both hated the food and went back in to at least let them know. He talked to a waitress and she was understanding but once our waitress/manager came over she became very defensive about the food. She didn't want to believe anything was wrong with it, and didn't comprehend that we when we said it was "good" we had just received it and were trying to give it a chance. She said she would let the kitchen know about our feelings toward the dishes but never apologized for the experience. Super uppity, if you know what I mean. We ended up driving home and making our own dinner which was delicious, full of flavor, and less than a 3rd of the price. Will never go back to kayas and you should save your money too. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Don't be fooled by the looks. Food was terrible - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

THE BEST OF THE BEST! Delightful dishes and I've had a lot of them, that are deliciously put together and creates a party in my mouth!! YUUUUUMMMMMM UMMMMMMM YUUUUMMMMM is all we were saying! The meatloaf and all of it is delicious! The blend and herbs are pure masterpieces TAKE YOUR FRIEND HERE FOR HIS OR HER BDAY or whatever day! This restaurant even fit a quartet in the back love it! This restaurant is SHORE to please! Been coming here since it opened had to write a 5 star review! Asa matter of fact see you guys soon keep expanding your menu I won't go anywhere else! your food is the BEST. Thank you for making my experiences with vegan food wonderful! It changed my life for the better!! read more

FANTASTIC! Highly recommend EVERYTHING! We loved the Kaya's Combo, which let's you sample several items on one plate. All delicious, especially the ribs. Rocky Mountain Stew is amazing. My wife enjoyed the Gyro and the Perogies were great too. read more

Easily a great spot for vegans visiting the shore. The food is delicious and, if dining in, it's very quaint and staff is attentive. We look forward to the certain nights when they have live music. Do yourself a favor. If you plan on visiting or have visited but haven't tried it yet, get yourself a Kayas Combo appetizer (consists of a side of Mississippi ribs, chicken nuggets and buffalo wings) and the grilled seitan flank. With its garlic smokey flavor, its typically my go to meal when I come. If you're looking for a pizza, Kayas didn't really nail the flavor for me. It was okay enough but not the greatest vegan pizza I ever had. The crust is thin and ours was burnt. It took nearly 2 hours for it to be finished - and to the restaurants defense, they apologized profusely and to make up for the wait they didn't charge us for it. All in all, Kayas is a small blink and you miss it restaurant in Belmar but its food and staff service is phenomenal. We've brought other vegans (and our non veg friends) and all enjoyed the food. Definitely consider them next time you're in the area and craving a good meal. read more

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Excellent food and service! I love the atmosphere here, it's a quaint little space, with a lot of charm. read more

Went here a few weeks ago for some vegan food and left horrified. I was celebrating my wedding anniversary and had my children and conservative in laws with me. The service was good and everything was fine until we heard a commotion at the front of the restaurant. Somebody screaming and cursing. It was the owner screaming at a homeless man to get the F out. My husband went out to smoke a cigarette and make sure there wasn't gonna be a fight. He saw the homeless man leaving and offered to give him money for food, the man's reply was he didn't want money for food and wasn't even trying to get food all he wanted was some water. He said he was assaulted earlier in the week when he tried to get some but was desperate on a hot day. i will never go back to this establishment and recommend other do the same. How can you own a vegan restaurant when the motto should be to support and love all living things. If that outburst wasn't enough to make me not wanna go back the whole dining room smelt like weed towards the end of our meal, wouldn't have minded so much if I wasn't with my children and in laws. will be taking money to real vegan restaurants up the road that are organic and stand for the vegan movement read more

In my never ending quest for good vegan eats, for which I travel high and low, I drove the hour to Belmar one late morning for lunch at Kaya's. I found it easily... everything after that was "meh" at best. The exterior of this place is charming--the interior... well, odd. It looks like an old family style pizzeria (or something) turned vegetarian restaurant. Problem is... they did a half-a**ed job of it! They still have the old lacquered wood booths, old tile, tables, etc. It's dark and decorated strangely. Most of the vegan places I frequent are bright, airy, and simplistic--to reflect the cuisine and energy associated with said cuisine. Kaya's simply, is none of that. Moving on... the food (because any place can redeem itself with good food!). I ordered the reuben sandwich on GF bread. Egh. I really don't know what else to say. I don't like when vegetarian/vegan restaurants try too hard to serve up food that those who adhere to a SAD (standard American diet) will like--read: my reuben and white potato fries (eek) made me feel like I wasn't eating a vegan meal! I felt as though I was in some cheap home town restaurant that serves up greasy, meaty sandwiches and basic fries. The creativity wasn't there. The taste wasn't there. Just not good. As for service, it was average--not great, not horrible--somewhat slow, but I was also quite hungry. They did have some cupcakes in the dessert case, but none were both GF and vegan, so I left without dessert. I never do this. Ever. Unsatisfied, I drove a few minutes to the tried and true food heaven that is Good Karma Cafe. I ate a second lunch (to wash the memory of the first one away), had amazing dessert, and went home happy. Just not because of Kaya's. Won't be back here. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Tempeh reuben... meh. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

We stopped in late for snacks and tried the tempeh wings, BBQ ribs, and pierogies. HUGE portions, and wow were the wings spicy. I was glad I had brought a cold bottle of Pinot Gris. This is not gourmet food but comfy better diner food. I expected a hippie vibe, but the dining room is more elegant than you would expect. It is along a side street down from Picasso's -- at first, we could not see it, because it is not on Main Street. Has the same black awning, so you might think it is part of Picasso's. The location on Main Street crosses 10th Avenue which is the one mentioned in the Bruce Springsteen song. Bruce is now pretty much vegan, I hear, due to his justice beliefs. This is a reeeeally big menu. So nice to see beach areas with vegan dining choices. Still have to get to Veggie Heaven and Good Karma. Thank you Yelpers for helping us find so many of these spots. Otherwise we'd be eating pasta, french fries, and salad. read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Restaurant is on 10th Avenue and Main Street... "10 Avenue Freeze Out." - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

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Love to come here even though I am not vegetarian. Food is very good, we did a lot of takeout during Covid. Very friendly staff although service was a bit slow, but enjoy the live music while waiting read more

Just excellent! Service was perfect. Food was great. And I am a foodie, rarely satisfied, sad to say. We had the Kaya sampler which was great, and the pesto veggie platter, which was good, but boring. The entrees we chose were the Lion of Juda which was Jamaican spicy and sweet, and the enchilada loco, which were wonderful. The brownie dessert was not to be be believed! One was large enough to share. We will definitely be back, probably on a Wednesday and Fridays to hear the live music! And our server, again, was knowledgeable and delightful . read more

We were looking for something healthy to eat for Lunch and Yelp suggested this place. I really liked the feel and ambiance of this place. For an appetizer we decided to go for the shiitake corn cake. It came with salsa and avocado on top. It smelled so delicious and tasted even better. There were so many different flavors all going on at once. For our entree we decided on the vegan pizza with sautéed onions and peppers. I wish I knew earlier that vegan food could taste this good. It tasted just like regular pizza to me and didn't lack any flavor. We also ordered the mac and cheese, which unfortunately we were not to fond of but I believe that's because it was our first time trying vegan Mac. We will definitely be back to try more things on the menu. read more

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We drive nearly an hour from the Trenton area to go to Kaya's, whether it be for a filling summertime breakfast or brunch or a warm, hearty dinner year-round. The wait staff has gotten to know us and provides us with very relaxed, accomodating service. There may not be burgers, but special orders don't upset the waitresses at Kaya's. Let's start with the vegan breakfast (or brunch for the sleeping in crowd), offered from April to October on Sunday mornings. Our favorites include the biscuits and "sausage" gravy, "fried egg" tofu sandwiches with "ham" or "sausage" and Daiya Cheese (If you are not familiar with this vegan cheese, make yourself familiar with it. It is far superior to another other vegan cheese on the market), pancakes, and french toast. On a couple of occasions there have been vegan donuts available as well. For the rest of the day and the rest of the year, be sure to enjoy the Tempallo Wings and Mississippi Ribs off of the appetizer menu; the Mock Chicken Salad, Philly, and BBQ sandiwches, Burrito Grande, Veag-Loaf, Hungarian Pierogies, Country Fried Gluten, Ole' El Paso Stew, Bird Pepper Tempeh, Acapulco Loco, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Satueed Kale, and Beer-Battered Onion rings for dinner. Desserts change daily. We have enjoyed various cakes including Mocha in the Middle, Cherries Jubilee, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, and Lemon Poppy. Vegan cookies, pies, and cheesecakes may also be available. Fun perks include soy milk or creamer with coffee and a bread basket with vegan margarine at supper time. read more

My friend suggested we stop at Kaya's Kitchen on our way home from Atlantic City. Boy, am I happy she did! We (three of us)shared the Turkish Delight and it was delicious and a big portion. . All components were well done;the hummus, veggies, pita, falafel, dressing & more. We were wondering if they made the tahini dressing that they drizzled on top or if it was Annie's Goddess dressing -?? I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak. I mean, I can't even tell you the last time I ordered a Philly Cheesesteak! I got their homemade cheese sauce on it & it was excellent! I made the right decision to upgrade from the other cheese - maybe daiya? I definitely will be back to explore the menu! read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Two Philly Cheesesteaks up front, a BLT (back, left) & a demolished Turkish Delight! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

I don't even know why I bother writing reviews for places that I went to with Tracy T. Her reviews are better than mine. So, add EVERYthing she said + The "ribs" that came with Kaya's combo were slamming. All of our food was delicious. The menu options were overwhelming! I had the Jersey Devil which was awesome bc I've been missing taylor ham, egg and cheese SO much since going vegan. It definitely hit the spot. I'd absolutely go back - there are so many things to try! I'm happy to see a vegan restaurant thriving in a shore town but that place was PACKED so that's awesome, too. As stated in 100 other reviews, the services sucks but the food is good and with good company, just wait it out. It's BYOB sooooo, you should be drinking while waiting! Duh! :) read more

Kaya's Kitchen - Jersey Devil - vegan tailor ham egg and cheese - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Belmar, New Jersey

Super fresh, tasty and spicy was my avocado and hummus sandwich. My friend and I split a corn and bean fritter appetizer to start with that came with greens on top - delicious. He raved about the "Reuben." I was scared to try the vegan meat. At first I almost didn't want to sit down when I walked in the door and it felt as warm as it was outside. But in the back with the ceiling fan going it was pleasant. Oh and the staff is super cool and professional and the prices very fair. I don't know if I am ready to give up meat, but I could eat at Kayas a lot! read more

Solid place, especially for vegan food on the Jersey Shore. My wife and I have frequented here for years and love it, it has made me a bit more open to eating vegetarian/vegan at times as they have many vegan "junk food" items on the menu as well as many lighter/healthier options. Try the combo, you won't regret it. It can be tough getting in without reservations at peak times in the summer and holiday months. Staff is friendly and fun. Weekends usually have a small music performer that is always on point and never too loud. If Sunday's weren't buffet only I would consider five stars. Great job guys! read more

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

Went to this place for lunch. Should be noted that almost half the menu isn't available until after 5 pm. Regardless, got the tofu buffalo wings, chilli and sieta (sp?) ribs as an app. The sauces were good, but the protein it self was kind of bland. The chilli was flavorful though. I got the black bean burger for main course, and it was super dry. It really needs a sauce to spice it up. Maybe a chipotle mayo or siracha sauce or something. Also every type of condiment is extra, which I guess is understandable since it takes much longer to prepare the vegan alternative. Overall, just bc the food is vegan, I don't expect it to be bland, which this food was. I ended up adding salt myself. The company I was with felt the same way. I'll def give it another try for the main dishes which were not available to me during lunch. read more

This makes me sad since this place used to be really good. I think the problem is that vegan food has really come a long way (check out Modern Love in Brooklyn to see what I'm talking about) but Kaya's still has the same tired, hippie recipes since it was Veggie Works. The entrees I've ordered in the past are pretty decent. Buffalo Soldier, seitan steak, Mississippi Maverick, and lentil loaf are all great. The sides could use a revamp however because they're straight off an 80s kitchen table (mashed potatoes, steamed vegetable medley). Unfortunately when I went Saturday it was too early for entrees, which is half their menu. Don't really understand that they can't sell them before 5 since it's just the fake meat they put on the sandwiches anyway but whatever, maybe the vegetable medley isn't ready before then. As an app we shared the Kaya's combo, something they've always had and I've always liked. The tempeh karma wings are great as is the potato salad. The sauces are boring and I'm no vegan chef but I've made tastier vegan sauces in my kitchen. I got the seitan club and my fiancé got the philly. They would have been better with different bread. At Kaya's, they use the same "sprouted grain roll" for every sandwich and burger on the menu and it's a really terrible roll. I get it's healthy but it's dense and dry and completely overwhelms any sandwich. I really wish they'd switch there rolls. Also fries were awful. Soggy limp mushy just terrible. In short, with more innovative vegan places like neighboring Seed to Sprout popping up, Kaya's needs to start changing with the times or they'll be left behind. read more