Vulture is dead. Long live Kindred! I'm glad my prayers were answered. I guess I prayed to the right deity, because the Vulture Martini is back. I have had a few martinis in my day, and this one may well be the best. The Dirty Martini may be the second best. I'd probably stop there, but my wife loved her Brooklyn during our last visit, and she is not even a big fan of peach. Skewers are still great. I missed out on one of the pickled things. Was it a pear? Not sure. The carrots were good. I missed out on my opportunity to try the French Onion Soup at Vulture, so I was really happy to see it on the Kindred menu. Surely this could win over carnivores. Vive la soupe à l'oignon française! Maybe I will try the Steak Frites next time, which I think is another Vulture holdover. It was great to see Kindred busy on a Monday night. Let's support the vegan places, people. Peace read more

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I want to start by saying I appreciate KINDRED as a place for people to get dietary restrictions met and not feel bad about it. I've gone over the past decade with friends/family alike and 60% of the time it's been solid. As I've looked around before posing, it seems the restaurant is in a steady spiral downward over the years. I've had great service here and it sucks to say this evening was such a poor experience. I hope everyone working can be on the same page moving forward to avoid this happening again to others. I decided to come by for birthday dinner and figured 8pm was a decent time to still get great food and service. We made a reservation in advance and got to a table in 5 minutes. That's wonderful, always love that for anyone. The non-alcoholic drinks are always a favorite as someone who's been sober for years. However, it all got much more complicated after that. After not hearing or getting any updates from the server for 50 mins on our appetizer, we asked if everything was ok and if they had potentially forgot about our order. It's happened before no worries. The server said no and it just takes a while. That's fine and fair, it's to be expected on a skeleton crew for a Wednesday night shift. It was odd to see at least 4 tables and groups who had been seated after us get their food before us. When we got our Doom Bloom, around 8:55pm, over 50% of it was burnt to a crisp, the smaller mushrooms had been completely blackened to a point where you could just taste charred. Something tells me this is not the best way to serve food to others but what do I know as someone who's been coming here for years. When we got our Mind Melt and BBQ Jackfruit, which was another 50 minutes later now around 9:40pm, these entrees had met the same fate. The BBQ Jackfruit sourdough was so dry and burnt it tasted like a saltine cracker left in a campfire as a joke. The fries were overcooked, super dry, and stale all at the same time. It's like it was left in the heat lamp for 30 minutes or far too long to be enjoyed for what would be great food. My partners food thankfully wasn't to the same degree as mine but still not great. We were checking with ourselves quietly to make sure the other wasn't loosing it or if we were missing out on something. People will be people and that will never change. I hope some else won't have to spend over $100 with tip included to get the same service we got. I cannot imagine how bad things are behind the scenes for this to be a standard the staff are okay with and that they perpetuate based off other recent reviews in this matter. It was embarrassing and a waste of money. I do not recommend coming here given how this situation has transpired. My stomach still hurts while typing this review on my sofa at home. read more

Kindred - A burnt sandwich with gross fries. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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2nd time to this place. It is nice that everything is vegan and plant based. However, food isn't the healthiest here I have to say. I did like my egg roll hamburger but I know it could have been more healthy. Flavor was good though. Small. I also had the bbq pulled pork jackfruit sandwich before - a little on the salty side. Small. Miracle drink non alcoholic was good but probably a lot of sugar... Also had carrots - a little on the oily side. Also had the chimichurri seitan skewers. Those were probably my favorite. They ran out of the tofu and the other kind so didn't get to try it unfortunately. Not the best value for your dollar restaurant- higher prices with small servings. Also not the healthiest food but flavors are good. Bathrooms a little weird with some weird artwork and I think the sinks connect with the men's bathroom... read more

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The three of us came here on a Saturday afternoon and had a great time. The bar is beautifully decorated, with both indoor and patio seating. The drinks were fresh and expertly made. We tried the Palace of Certainty, Bees Knees, Camino Muerto, and King Friday. Since the menu rotates, it felt fun to try a few different options. One funny detail was that the main bar had some goth-themed music playing, while both the men's and women's restrooms had death metal. It added to the character of the place. Great drinks and a really cool atmosphere. read more

Kindred - King Friday - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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One of San Diego's favorite vegan restaurants. My personal favorite to come and drink some libations on a cool setting. Definitely a place to come and chill. Such good vegan food. My favorites? Any of the drinks on the Kult classics. Food? Steak frites and the eggroll burger. read more

Super cool place! I love the open air dining, and we had good service. The place is fully vegan but if you're like us and wander in you don't even realize until they tell you. They can also accommodate nut allergies, which can be unusual for vegan places. We loved the cosmo bread and enjoyed the carbonara. read more

Kindred - Carbonara - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My bf wanted me to check this place out and I really loved the vibe! the bar area and the seating is pretty unique and the bartenders are very friendly. We came for drinks before heading to dinner and the Kult classics were very tasty. Highly recommend! It does get busy on weeknights. read more

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Loved the food. Drinks, ambiance and service - not so much. Chimichurri (4/5) - Delicious sauce, seitan was tender with a nice charred outside. My charred skewer was a little too charred though so that overwhelmed the other flavors a bit. Doom Bloom (4/5) - perfectly battered, crunchy and delicious. The yuzu gave the otherwise heavy dish a little brightness. Crab cakes (5/5) - so yummy no notes! Eggroll burger (10/5) - what an innovative concept - egg roll filling with the egg roll skin in crisp layers in the bun too. It has crunch, umami, a little sweetness. SO GOOD. They were out of both gin drinks I was interested in (Starspawn and Spinal Tap) so I tried the Palace of Certainty since it looked interesting. I thought there would some savoriness to it from the basil and peppercorn but it was mainly just a sweet drink with not much complexity (3/5). They were very busy on a Saturday night despite us having a reservation (apparently kitchen was very backed up). First sat at the bar and then got seated at our table maybe 20 min after our reservation time. Got a bottle of water but no cups so we had to ask for cups. And then our food came maybe 40 min after ordering. But the seating arrangement is just bad. The table was worse than the bar. We regretted moving. If you are unlucky enough to get seated at the big long table as a two-person party then you have to sit across from them and it gets hard to hear each other because you're sitting right next to other groups too. It's a bad environment for a date night. I haven't had that level packed into a restaurant since New York! Also, the lighting at night is all weird and dim. We even saw the group next to us shine flashlights on their food and request more lighting. read more

I was recommended this spot by my coworker who said this is one of the few vegan joints that actually make vegan food tastes good, and this is coming from a coworker who loves eating all the meat! We came in for a weekday dinner around 6pm and it was pretty packed. The only bad part of the experience was probably waiting to be acknowledged and seated. Usually if the host is too busy to seat people, they'll at least acknowledge us so we know they are aware that they still need to seat us; however, we were probably standing there for a good five minutes or so of not being acknowledged. We were about to leave but thankfully were acknowledged and got seated right away. Their cocktail menu is quite extensive! It did take us a while to decide what we wanted, but this is the cocktails and food that we decided on: Skewer Battle (2pcs of each kind of skewer: chimichurri, kefta, tofu Cosmo Knots Heart & Soul King Friday Akumanouta A must order is definitely the skewers. I thought tofu and keft would be my least favorite but they were actually on par with the chimichurri. Luckily we had more food on the way, otherwise, I would be requesting for another order. The cosmo knots looked like garlic knots, but since they use puff pastry, it's a lot lighter and crispier! These were gone super fast. The heart & soul was indeed quite a hearty platter. It resembles a vegan country fried steak with mashed potatoes. Perfectly fried and seasoned! King Friday cocktail intrigued me since it said limit two per person and the waiter had explained because it was one of the stronger cocktails (even though it doesn't taste like it) and once I tried it, I can see why it was popular, it made me feel like I was sipping on a cocktail on a tropical island. The Akumanouta which uses japanese whiskey was on the lighter and refreshing side. Despite the slight mishap in the beginning, I think I'd definitely keep this spot in my back pocket if anyone in my party is craving for vegan food! read more

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Kindred in South Park is such a cute, hip spot with a really stylish interior. Parking can be tricky since it's right in the heart of South Park, but it's worth it. The restaurant is fully vegan and has an amazing, creative menu. Some of my favorites are the mac and cheese, pinwheels, soup, and grilled cheese. They also have a great brunch menu. Everything we've tried is really flavorful and satisfying. There's a bar with lots of drink options -- we don't drink, but it seems like there's plenty to choose from. The place can get crowded and a bit loud, but that's part of the fun hip ambiance. On weekends, the line can get long, but it's absolutely worth the wait. Overall, a fantastic spot for vegan food lovers who enjoy a lively, stylish atmosphere. read more

Kindred - Mac and cheese - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

A great plant-based spot in San Diego. This last round we only got drinks, but we loved our espresso martinis at the bar read more

Kindred - Outside - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I always make it a point to stop by Kindred whenever I'm in San Diego with friends. It's become one of our go to spots. The food is consistently exceptional, super flavorful, creative, and just overall hits every time. It's definitely more indulgent than "health focused," but absolutely worth it for a fun night out. If you're planning to go during a busy time, I highly recommend making a reservation because it does get packed. The vibe is also such a standout, and there are some really cute photo ops right outside the restaurant, which makes it even more of a full experience. Overall, always a fun, reliable spot with amazing food and great energy. read more

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Kindred is a vegan goth/metal bar with a dinner menu from 5-10pm. They also have brunch on weekends starting at 11:30am (and there's no wait!). When I came to San Diego in 2018, we came for dinner, so when I came back this time, I wanted to try their brunch. If you don't drink, they also have cute mocktails with edible flower garnishes. We ordered biscuits and gravy and a breakfast sandwich. I like that the breakfast sandwich has pickles on it. Everything I've ever had from there has been SO GOOD. read more

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I'm not a vegan, but this place had some truly flavorful, filling dishes! I absolutely loved the fried oysters. The vegan grilled cheese was so yummy and homey. Drinks were refreshing and strong! The service was top notch, very friendly and timely with no errors. I came on a Wednesday evening and it was very chill, the windows were open, and everything was very clean. My friend and I both told each other we would be back! read more

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Everything in this place is done very thoughtfully. From the menu, to the interiors and of course the drinks and food. Among food, my favorite thing was the chimichurri seitan and the eggroll burger. The seitan was house made and really soft and doused with a ton of chimichurri and some other sauces. The French onion soup was also delicious, although a tad salty for my liking. Crab cakes were A+. Didn't care much for the knots. read more

A whole week I've gone without :( Love the food here! Sunday night last minute decision to come, finding a table was a breeze. Metal music rocking in background and less packed-a plus. The mind melt grilled cheese and tomato bisque soup was good. So much to choose from but had to get my favorite eggroll burger again. No regrets about it either! Soo delicious! The radiant dream drink was amazing! See ya soon Kindred! read more

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TL;DR: Good vibes and fun drinks. Definitely one of the better vegan joints in SD and their cocktails are all well-balanced! Came for brunch and ordered so many things. All the salads were delicious and as an omnivore, I'm happy to say that I didn't miss meat during the meal. The taste and texture are still noticeably different but the food far exceeded expectations. Vegan is still not personally preferred but I will be keeping Kindred in my back pocket the next time someone in the party is vegan. Cheers, Kindred! read more

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Great drinks, great service and great atmosphere. Stopped by the bar Saturday night and were served and seated right away. Gave us fantastic drink recommendations and we had a fun time hanging out. read more

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Came here with 8 some vegetarian and no vegan. And we enjoyed it so much. Starting with the cocktails- the list is inventive and fun, with ones we were so inticed to try because they were unique. The vibe is fun and moody- though it does get a little dark, but we were prepared. Finally- the service was friendly and nice but a little slow. The "mains" came out slowly so we couldn't really wait to eat. We ended up being there for 2.5 hours, but again we were a big party. Overall good experience! read more

We made a reservation and came in for dinner on a Friday night at 6:45pm! Be warned finding parking nearby was a struggle budget that into your timing, but it was absolutely worth it! Everything was vegan and SO good! Each dish was crafted to perfection! Gregg our server was so friendly and enthusiastic! Really made our day! * Cosmo Knots - 5/5 - The menu said "a lot of garlic" and it meant it, but these were delicious garlicky puff clouds with the tomato confit! * Mind Melt (w/ small Good Soup) - 5/5 - Cheese in the mind melt actually had a cheese pull to it and the addition of apple was a perfect touch of sweet! Then dipping it in the Good Soup made for a great entree! * Sourdough Toast (w/ vegan butter) - 5/5 - This made for an excellent start to an excellent meal! Flavorful tasty toast! * Noodles & Cheese - 5/5 - One of the best vegan mac & cheese we've ever had, hands down! The broccoli hiding in the mac and cheese was a pleasant addition! * Christmas Vacation - 4/5 - I see why they limit these to 2 per person! This drink is an aggressive Christmas vacation in a glass with all the warm spices in this iced drink! * Kombucha - 4/5 - With all the cheese we ordered, it was nice to have a light kombucha to balance it out! * Cannoli - 3/5 - We got the vanilla bean cannoli and it was the only thing that was just ok. The filling tasted strongly of soy and wasn't very sweet. Nonetheless, we had such an amazing and delicious experience! We cant wait to be back to try everything else! read more

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Amazing food, and the best theme ever. I loved the giant goat head and took a picture of it :) It's great to see a vegan restaurant succeed. Skewers were not only delicious but creative. Sometimes you order meat and you just get the feeling you could have made it at home. Not the dishes here though. Flavors were unique, and the presentation of each dish was amazing. I also came at a good time and got a sample of their new poke, made with watermelon. The texture was exactly like tuna (not that it matters, personally; I don't necessarily need imitations of things), and the flavor was amazing. I haven't been to Kindred since, but hopefully they've rolled it out to the main menu. read more

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Kindred is an all-vegan restaurant with a twisted metal edge. Even before you walk in, you can already get a sense of the metal-inspired decor through the design and architecture. Service was great from beginning to end. I enjoyed the Carbonora the most, and the Doom Bloom was really good. I'd get both again. The Mac and Cheeze was a bit soggy, but sauce was tasty and the Charred Remains were the same. I also found the Battled Skewers to be sour. I'd be interested in trying their breakfast menu next time. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and street parking is what's available. read more

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Such a cool, edgy bar! I ordered a mocktail and it was super refreshing. We sat at the bar and the bartenders were super friendly. read more

Kindred - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I'd say this is easily one of the most popular spots in San Diego for good vegan food. This was probably my third or fourth time coming here. Parking in this area can definitely be annoying though, so keep that in mind. This time I came with friends for my birthday dinner, and for a Tuesday night the place was pretty busy. For drinks, we tried the Gloom Coil and Palace of Certainty, and both were really good. For appetizers, we ordered the Chimichurri Skewers and Doom Bloom, the Chimichurri Skewers were honestly a 6/5, absolutely delicious. For mains, we got the Eggroll Burger, Warlock, and Mind Melt, and everyone really enjoyed their food. They also surprised me with a small piece of chocolate cake and cream for my birthday, which was such a sweet touch and really appreciated. The only downsides were that the service felt a little slow, the food took around 45 minutes to come out and the heavy metal music was pretty loud, which made conversation a bit difficult at times. But overall, it's still a really fun restaurant with a great vibe. read more

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Love their drinks, service, and the egg roll burger! Everything is always delicious, and the staff is great

All the food was delicious but we both had some GI symptoms we think were because of eating here. Puff pastry garlic marinara sauce was delicious. We got the skillet with Mac and cheese it was delicious but kinda oily. Roasted carrots and greens were delicious. The inside was super cute, but it was very hot - they had it open to the outside and it was humid inside. I would want to give it another try when it isn't too hot. read more

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Kindred sits in a quaint part of town in San Diego. I was visiting from Long Beach and their food did not disappoint me. It was everything I knew it would be. I have wanted to eat here for years. There is so much flavor in the food and character in the restaurant itself.Plus my waitress was super sweet. I plan on returning soon! read more

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Honestly it was really busy when we went, but it was Father's Day, so of course it would be. The management team took the time to listen to us, and fix our experience. I would actually definitely recommend this place because the people who run it care. Genuinely. The food was really good. The knots, carbonara, and breakfast sandwich. Also the lemonade is out of this world. Thank you Kindred team for helping us. Also a really cool vibe, tea and biscuits mixed with grunge lol. read more

This bar & restaurant has been on my radar for a few years and I finally had the opportunity to go last weekend with my husband on Valentine's day! Reserving a table is recommended to guarantee a seat in this busy, amazing joint! This experience did not disappoint. Drinks: Between my husband and I we enjoyed 4 alcoholic drinks and they were STRONG. They were very generous with the amount of booze inside which was greatly appreciated. Would recommend any drink on the menu! Food: We tried the skewer platter, the fried potatoes, and the biscuits & gravy. It was all so savory and so frickin delicious. The sauces on that skewer platter were out of this world and loved the combos with the different skewers! .If I wasn't so full, I would have wanted to try so many more plates! Service: Staff was absolutely lovely and transparent with us about a kitchen delay, but it turned out to not be long at all. Staff was amazing and checked in on us frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. Ambiance: Demon cats?.. HELL YES! Lively, fun restaurant with cool ambiance and demon cat art on the wall. A combo I never knew I needed until this visit. Will be back ASAP. Thank you Kindred. read more

Kindred - Skewers - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We made a reservation for Sunday brunch right at 10am. We were seated immediately in a really interesting table that swings out. I ordered the purgatory which comes with chickpeas, tomato sauce, and "eggs". The cheese and toast were perfect additions. Everything is vegan and everything was delicious. The decor is super custom and the vibes are fantastic. I love that the windows open up to the outside. read more

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I don't typically eat vegan food so I didn't really have high hopes for Kindred I was shocked by how good the food was. I got the melt and added an impossible patty. The cheese tasted like the real thing to me and it was a great combo with the cheese, honey, apple, and burger patty. And the bread was really good too. We had a party of 12 and everyone enjoyed their food. I think the grain bowls were the least popular item but the Egg roll burger, chicken nuggets , skewers, Carbonara, and carrots were all a hit If you want to try vegan food then this is the place to try! Even if you don't like vegan, I think you will enjoy it The service was good and the restaurant is really cute read more

At long last we finally tried this place. Came on a Sunday night. No reservation needed. Wait was 5 mins to be seated. Ambiance was good and foods were very tasty . read more

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We came here for Father's Day and made reservations. We were told it would take a while because "they just opened" we were fine with waiting for food, so we ordered drinks that was around 12:20. 1pm came around no drinks, so appetizers. No follow up on anything. If the food is slow the least you could do is have drinks ready. They didn't check on us, it's ridiculous. We waited over an hour and a half for before we decided to go across the street to Buona Forchetta read more

Came here for the first time for a friends birthday dinner. Great atmosphere, the decor was wonderful and the layout of the restaurant had a warm feel. Although delayed at moments, the service was suitable for the occasion. I had the Pom Pom Killer for a cocktail (limit 2 per person) and the baked "noodlez n chez". Basically their version of a baked macaroni and cheese. I would get both of these again. The flavors of my dish were excellent and the cocktail was a good pair for conversations at the table. I wish I captured more photos of my visit but I will be returning to try out their brunch. Cheers! read more

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This was a really fun experience coming here and meeting a big group of friends for a birthday celebration. BTW They had a nice bathroom. It's pretty dark inside which I like! The service was excellent. The food was good. I had a Caesar salad my friend had the hot potatoes and he said they were really good! Overall I would say try this place out! It's so nostalgic & magical & a party Rock atmosphere. read more

Kindred - Cool front door! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Everything was great we had 4 in our party and everyone commented on the food service and the vibe. Also the pricing was great for lunch everybody gotta try it Bill a read more

Classy like a European restaurant but rocking out 90s heavy metal. Love it! The atmosphere in here is unlike anything else in San Diego. My friend and I just stopped by for mocktails after dinner. She got one that was basically a mix of juices and some spirulina. She enjoyed it, but it's not really my taste, was way too sweet. I got a cocktail made with a non-alcoholic rum, it was delicious.... Really delicate balanced flavors. Truly felt like I was having a treat. I may be mincing things here, but that nonalcoholic drink was $16 plus tip so basically 20 bucks. They are doing themselves a disservice by only carrying NA rum. There are folks out there like me who will actually spring for a really nice mocktail but would love to have a couple of choices, this was the only cocktail made with an NA spirit and there are so many good ones out there. The restaurant didn't seem that busy. It was pretty early and there were several people working behind the bar. It took a few minutes to get noticed but no big deal. Then the drinks took about 10 more minutes to come out. Everyone was very nice that worked there. I didn't get anything to eat this time but would like to come back to try some of the food and hopefully add another star or two to my review! read more

Kindred - 2 of the Mocktails, YUM - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

I live in LA. Kindred is my favorite vegan restaurant on the west coast right now. The upscale metal/punk aesthetic is such a strange and wonderful creation, the food is fun and delicious, and we always always always leave wishing they'd open a spot in LA (preferably West LA pleeeeease!). My absolute favorite is the Norm Core brunch plate that I've literally driven down from LA on a Sunday morning for. As an aging vegan punky dude this place makes me so so so happy. Please never go anywhere Kindred. You make my life whole. read more

Kindred - Their quirky way of serving your bill. The food is so good this is the only photo I snapped. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

5 stars for maybe the best vegan food in San Diego - I don't even care that the loud metal music is a sensory overload! I can work around that ; ) Hands-down the most delicious vegan food I've ever had. It's a vegan dream with tons of share plates and skewers. We had the chimichurri and kofta-style seitan skewers, and they were a true delight. We also got a bunch of fun share plates, battered mushrooms, torched carrots, garlic knots and the cocktails were amazing. It's pretty loud in there, especially when they're playing metal and the place is packed, but once the food arrives, you hardly notice. I saw some kids, so it's not a no kids allowed place, but I'm not sure my own would love the noise level. Location is great - it's walkable to a bunch of other spots for a night cap. Overall, highly recommend and will be back for sure! read more

Kindred - Fun & quirky decor. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

We came to Kindred on a busy evening and were glad we made reservations ahead of time. The restaurant is very dark and loud inside, but the atmosphere definitely has its own unique vibe. Everything on the menu is vegan, and my vegan friend really enjoyed all the dishes. The fried mushrooms were a standout. They came with a delicious dipping sauce. I also really liked the pickled veggies that came with the skewers platter. Despite how busy it was, service was pretty good. Overall, a fun spot to try if you're looking for creative vegan food in South Park. read more

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