I recently ordered here through DoorDash, which is a convenient option and a nice plus. I always try to support local businesses, especially when they offer fresh, organic food. That said, my experience could have been better. When I arrived to pick up my order, I stood at the counter for about 3-5 minutes without being acknowledged, which felt awkward. Eventually, one of the cooks asked if I was there for DoorDash, and I politely said yes. They told me it would just be a few more minutes, which I had no issue with even though it was already past the estimated pickup time. I sat down to wait, but after about 10 more minutes I noticed a bag on the counter with my name on it. Turns out my food had been sitting there, but no one announced it was ready. I understand kitchens can get busy, but a simple "Your order's ready!" or even calling out the name would've been helpful. Mind you there was no line or large groups in the restaurant. I get that things get hectic and patience is important but being acknowledged and welcomed goes a long way in creating a memorable experience. A bit more attentiveness and a friendly attitude can make a big difference for customers and help the business thrive. As for the breakfast burritos, they were fresh but on the smaller side for the price point and didn't have much flavor. We ordered the "La Mexicana" and "Chorizo & Eggs" burrito but when we got to our destination to enjoy them, we learned they gave us a bacon burrito instead of the chorizo. Overall this place has potential, very cutesy inside, and hopefully they can fine tune their service. I added my own touch with a serrano pepper in the photos. read more

Vivas - La Mexicana Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great service and delicious food Definitively going back Super convenient location We're seated immediately Music was also good read more

I am absolutely devouring and loving my chicken mole burrito! First time here and look forward to coming back. Super clean and cute place. Quick service at 10:45am... I was the only one there so early on a weekday. read more

Delicious ! Nice people , good service Healthy choices good value! Try it! Reasonably priced too! read more

Twenty five + minute wait for a single quesadilla. Multiple people who came in much later received their food. Any attempt to determine when the food would be out was met with an "it's coming". read more

Meh. This is what $20 (10% tip) will get you - for the tiniest portions ever. Rice and beans aren't that expensive at all, at least add even a decent amount. Why did I tip for this to go? I'll maybe back because of the organic angle, but for a burrito that's half the price and actually has more of everything that's on my plate now. Maybe. read more

Vivas - Chile relleno - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Will definitely be back. Super cute spot with bomb food, quick service, friendly people, and decent prices! read more

Vivas - Chile relleno burrito with refried beans and a green flour tortilla - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Clean, healthy, and fresh Mexican food! Today was my first time trying, and I got a regular chicken burrito. It came with black beans, rice, cabbage, cilantro, and seasoned chicken meat. I found that the burrito was quite dry, but that was fixed by adding some of their salsa. If I ordered a burrito again I would add sour cream or guacamole to it. Sadly, the tortilla chips were stale, and went straight into the garbage. I do like that they have whole wheat and spinach tortillas. The green salsa is delicious! Try it! Service was fast and friendly. I'll definitely come back to try a different menu item. read more

Went there with a group from work. I have the Meat Plate Chicken Mole was the meat. Very bland...no flavor and ZERO spice...black beans were from a can not freshly made and rice again bland. Chips were from Costco not homemade. We were there from 11:15 am till 12:30 pm...nobody else came in to order. That tells you something right there! Not a place I would go back to read more

Not everything on the menu is organic but everything is affordable and I remember feeling very satisfied after wolfing down a torta for under $6. Granted I was still hungry after that but for a single entree, it's a great dish to order (size, price, and of course: taste). No complimentary chips and salsa, sadly but there is no need for it because the food came out extremely fast. A water dispenser is available by the counter next to the utensils. You seat yourself after ordering/paying.. when your food is ready, it is served to you at your table piping hot. My Bistec Torta was delicious. Everything was good; from the bread, lettuce, tomatoes, beef, and fresh avocado made my dinner quite epic. And what I love is the price. Gavin had the cheese quesadilla which was slightly greasy and my daughter had the chicken and rice kid's burrito. I appreciate the guy at the counter pointing me to the kid's menu. I originally was ordering from the billboard menu (regular stuff). Though a buck or two was saved but that little can help me so much in the long run. The guys at the counter was friendly. They both smiled and laughed when they saw me pull out my phone to take pictures. What can I say? I'm a Yelper! Awesome dinner. Thanks to Craig for treating the kids and I that evening. I would love to come back sometime to try something else or maybe pick a different torta. I love tortas. Tortas FTW! read more

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Delicious organic Mexican food, with friendly service. Love the airy and sunlit dining room during the day (haven't had dinner yet).

Didn't know what to expect from Vivas. It was a chance encounter fueled by hunger pangs and long lines at the Rio Theater next door. What do you know? Vivas is organic. Hmm...no just oganic but they have an awesomely decorated restaurant. What?! A fountain in the middle of it all? Classy! Organic and tasty burrito. It wasn't just because we were hungry. The burrito was really g.o.o.d! Awesome find, helpful staff is not bad either. read more

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Excellent, consistent, clean, quality food. I visit at least once a week. The Carnitas burrito is great. The chili verde and the ranchero are very flavorful. read more

I really great small restaurant. Their burritos are hearty, full of protein, and delicious. I love that the food is organic and the staff is friendly. I can't wait to eat there again! read more

I definitely recommend eating here. Between the price, quality of organic food, and flavors Vivas is one of the best places to eat in Santa Cruz. My favorite is their burritos, which has multiple different tortilla options :) read more

We always drive past this place and never see anyone in there. I'm glad we gave it a shot! It was healthy, simple, good Mexican food. Everything's organic and fresh. Service was quick and the prices were great too. read more

the staff was friendly the tacos were good The tortillas were fluffy the carne asada Was Juicy and the salsa was fresh. read more

Vivas - Tacos :) - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I absolutely love Viva's. It is my favorite restaurant. The chicken mole is my favorite. I also really love there chicken enchiladas. The enchilada sauce is different than others, and it has such a good flavor. The service is always really fast, the food is healthy and organic, there are many gluten-free options, vegan options, vegetarian options, carnivore options. They have it all! And the prices are very reasonable for it being organic and free range meats. I always wonder why it's not busier, it is the best Taqueria in Santa Cruz in my opinion. read more

One of the few places in Santa Cruz where I can get a meal that is not saturated with oil. A clean meal for a health conscious person can be made here. I order a vegan burrito, so not sure how the meat is. But they have options for a whole wheat tortilla, brown rice, and whole beans that are not super oily. 10/10 recommended, I rarely get a burrito elsewhere (only when Vivas is closed). Also, the service is FAST. I get my burrito is less than 5 minutes sometime. No need for garbage fast food when you can go to Vivas and get your burrito 3x as fast. Prices are affordable, I get the vegan burrito for under $10. read more

Get the chile verde taco or chile verde burrito! They're excellent! Anything there is great though.

Stopped in here for dinner after a day at the Boardwalk. We were visiting from out of town and heard about this restaurant from the Food Babe as it is an Organic Mexican restaurant. The food was clean, but I will say just okay. I ordered the specialty vegetarian plate. Served with rice, black beans, and basically a salad. I suppose I was expecting something more hearty as far as the vegetable offering. My husband ordered the chile verde nachos. He said the nachos were good with good flavor, but there was hardly any chile verde on them at all. Not sure if we will eat here again on our next visit. Just depends on if we are able to find other organic restaurant options in the area. read more

Vivas - Veggie specialty plate - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

My friend was craving Mexican food after our paddleboarding adventure, so we stopped by here for dinner. Vivas is a cute little cafe, perfect for a quick, cheap meal. The woman behind the counter was quite nice and patiently answered our questions because the menu was laid out in a somewhat confusing way. I got the flautas specialty plate with refried beans and Spanish rice. I looooove taquitos and almost always try them at Mexican restaurants. These taquitos were a little over-fried and hard, and while the mole was tasty, the chicken itself was very dry. However, the refried beans were probably the best I've ever had--the perfect soft texture without being too mushy combined with a zesty, tangy finish that hinted at lemon or lime being used to cook them. I'm not normally into beans but I devoured my portion with relish. The plate also came with lots of guacamole and sour cream, and who doesn't like that? In the end, it looked like I barely made a dent in my dish despite the fact that I'd been eating for 20 minutes straight. That's how much food they gave. Of course, that could also be because I gorged on the complimentary tri-colored nachos and hot sauces they gave me as an appetizer. Mmmm.....Hot sauce! read more

*Vegan *Ulcerlative Colitis *Chrons They fully cook their rice, and perhaps it was the organic quality. Their ethic because it came through in the taste. I'd say it was organic I guess, but I know it finally made me feel like California carries true Mexican culture and food. Pinto beans could have been cooked longer for my needs, I need all grains cooked for a long time/soaked/organic and ideally sprouted. They were not sprouted, and they were probably 60 percent sugar. Refried beans were delicious, so I chose those because somehow I think that frying them again makes them more digestable? It's.. probably not true because the excess oil (veggie oil here) takes over. Black beans were the same, probably 50 percent sugar. So, the 50 percent starch is really hard on the body, which I need to avoid. Rice? Perfect, ya! No guac, which they didn't tell me about and it took a bit of time to communicate with the.. teller? Te tends the cash and payments, takes orders. No comp for the guac and yes, the chips are stale and terrible. I don't care much for that, because it's not like I should be having good chips though I know it's easy to make good chips and quick if they put some love in it. There is NOT salsa. There is not salsa with this. It's just hot juices in a bottle. Everything tasted great, got a vegan burrito and craving to go back! read more

Came here last minute because Charlie Hong Kong was busy, it ended up being our favorite food to visit when we come to Santa Cruz. It's a healthy but still very delicious option when craving Mexican but not really wanting the greasiness and heaviness of traditional day, Taco Truck style. So good!! read more

Vivas - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I never write negative reviews!! I would give zero stars if I could!!! I always go here and have been happy but when me and my friend went this time there was a new guy at the counter...first off he was trying to charge me more on what I usually got and not only that when I finally got my food the chips tasted old and there was SPIT IN MY SALSA!!!!!! DON'T GO HERE!!!! I'm so disgusted!! read more

I came out to Santa Cruz for a little vacation and I found this great spot! I try to stay healthy by eating well so when I go out to eat I try so hard to find places like this one where everything is organic!!!! Otherwise I get sick. They have everything you would find at a typical Mexican restaurant BUT it's organic, which gives the food the authentic Mexican taste. It's definitely a great place and prices are not unreasonable for it being an organic food spot. read more

Vivas - Chicken flautas. - Mexican Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Great quality, chicken is delicious and chicken neber tastes or looks this good when eating mexican in santa cruz. It is soooo GOOD! Love the enchiladas, remind me of my grandma's. Al pastor has pineapples in it! Omg delicious! Guacomole and salsa is great! Love how emtpy this place is, but sad, it seems they dont get as much business compared to the disgusting "mexican" taquerias around here with fake/false yelp reviews. Viva's is my one and only favorite when I think of authenticity. Only real locals know and love this place! Hidden gem! Not so hidden! Great prices and flavors. read more

My review on the torta. It was so dry and bland. The chicken was good. But I think they should put mayo on it. Some jalapeños and more cheese. And the bread to be toasted. I don't think it's worth 8 bucks. I was so disappointed. Maybe other stuff is good. But this wasn't like the best torta. It's meh.... read more

I would agree with previous comments that Vivas is One of the most underrated Mexican places in town. Ingredients are fresh, guacamole is super and options are plenty without losing its authenticity. It's hardly more expensive than others just around the corner, and while those SC mainstays are tasty indeed, They are unabashedly unhealthy, greasy and may flirt with the limits of health regulations. Fish tacos and chicken burrito with guac and sour cream are my favorites read more

Simply the best! If you love chicken mole. You GOTTA have Vivas chicken mole! It tastes just like mi mamas. I'm from East Los Angeles. I have had chicken mole from many places. Vivas tacos are so good! Try the pastor! Just go get you some tacos! read more

I love Vivas and always wonder why the place isn't full. It's a refreshing alternative to neighboring Charlie Hong Kong, whose comparative massive popularity has always been a mystery to me. My current favorite menu item is the vegetarian quesadilla, which is much more like a flat, toasty grilled burrito. With beans and rice inside in addition to the cheese and served with a small side of lettuce, super fresh guacamole, and sour cream, it's flavorful and filling for under $7. (I get the spinach tortilla option and pinto beans, but you can choose your preferred type of tortilla, brown or Spanish rice, and pinto or black beans.) I also love the salsa verde they always have available. As for parking, I just park on Seabright across from the P.O. and walk. Never an issue. read more

Looking for a quick pre-concert dinner & Vivas set us up A-OK Ordered Veggie Burritos w/ Chips & Salsa - washed it all down w/ Horchatas Super-liked how they asked if we wanted ice in our drinks.....b/c we didn't & that horchata was just on the verge of perfectly creamy / too watery & any ice would have thrown it to the side ot too watered-down The burritos came w/ beans, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, & spanish rice w/ little bits of jalapeno. The rice was a tad undercooked & still just a little crunchy but the flavors were tasty & the burrito was filling. At first we thought they looked really small & we'd need to order more but ended up it was just right. Guess we're used to the ginormous burritos that are good for at least 2-3 meals.....but this was sufficient for the 1 meal ( but gosh, I do like my leftovers ) LOVED their green salsa! The hot-red one was pretty okay too Weird burning sensation went on for a few min after our meals were all finished - due to all the hot peppers we had consumed & even the horchatas couldn't calm the fire.....but we didn't get this fire as we were eating.....totally weird! Only downer was that their chips were out of a bag AND they charged extra. Guess we're used to the complimentary / homemade chips & salsa at most places..... But for offering a super-fast meal that was tasty & filling, have to say Vivas was an A-OK choice & we'd happily visit again read more

Legit. Not greasy. Not dirty. Cleaner healthier Mexican food options. One star knocked for sub par chips and salsa. Will be back.

I can't speak for everything on the menu, but this is a great place for tacos or tostadas using fresh, organic ingredients. The food just looks and feels much healthier feeling than the other local taquerias, and for a competitive price! In several visits, I have had dry pork once, but otherwise the taco meats are well seasoned, served in good portions, and are delicious. Also a good place for breakfast - the huevos rancheros are delicious! I do wish that the chips and salsa were complimentary for to go orders. Give it a try! read more

2 stars only because it didn't make me sick and they had kombucha. Otherwise the place fails in every department. The kitchen was filthy, the service didn't know what they were selling and the food was miserable. I ordered tacos to go and got taquitos that were so stale and fried so deeply I almost cracked a tooth. My girl got a burrito she could only take two bites of. I guess the weed in SC has gotten stronger because only a stoned dog would give this place 4 stars. Sober up people. And it was way overpriced to top it all off. Yelp failed me here. read more

Just used my Groupon there, and I have to say that their chicken mole burrito is absolutely the best I've ever had! They're usually so big that I was going to save half for dinner, but no way! I ate it all! Big chunks of white meat chicken, and really primo mole sauce. I love that they're organic, and you can really taste the difference. read more

It was our first time here, so the manager let me sample the chile verde and mole. OMG. Both were awesome. So I ordered the two taco plate, with those two meats. Manager said to think out of the box concerning meat choice for tacos. I was very happy. Black beans were delicious. My daughter had the carne asada torta, she is a picky eater when it comes to Mexican food, and she loved it. The bolleo (bread) was fresh and toasted just right. The prices are decent. We loved the food and the friendly staff!! read more

I like the owner; he's chatty and will tell you all about where he gets his produce (the farmer's market) and how he makes his sauces from scratch. We first started coming here because the corn tortillas and the chicken are organic (no GMO corn, no GMO-fed chicken). I'm not sure why another reviewer thought nothing was organic except the beans. If you ask the owner he will tell you what is organic (beans, rice, corn tortillas, chicken) and what is not (beef, pork). There are more organic items than what's stated on the menu. Also for the reviewer who didn't like the squeeze bottles of salsa, personally I would much rather have freshly-made salsa from a clean squeeze bottle than salsa into which people dip spoons all day while it sits out in a bar. We keep coming back to Vivas because the food is good and never gives me indigestion like other (...cough...Vallarta...) place's food does. The only down side for me is that since the owner only uses breast meat the chicken can be dry. I tend to cut it up into little bitty pieces so I can moisten it thoroughly in the delicious sauces. (The mole sauce is especially good.) Why not get the pork or beef, you ask? I'm a freak about not eating meat that's been eating GMO corn and soy, so I stick to organic meat. Which usually means I can only eat wild-caught fish or grass-fed beef in restaurants. Until now! Yay organic chicken! Bottom line: my kids love Mexican food and aren't picky, but I usually can't digest it. It's nice to find a Mexican place I can take them where I enjoy the food, know the ingredients are good quality and non-GMO, and don't feel icky afterwards. Oh, one more thing, I was craving a vegetable with my lunch and asked the owner. He said he's been adding some veggies to the menu but was out of green beans, so he cooked up some nopalitos in tomato sauce for me. Super nice of him and they really hit the spot. Seriously, it's worth spending a little time here and getting to know the owner, he's a very nice man and he's trying hard to make healthy delicious food for us. And when he goes to the farmer's market he buys fresh flowers and puts them in the fountain. read more

VERY tasty and wholesome ORGANIC food. I love this place's commitment to serving healthy Mexican food. Most restaurants couldn't give a toss about serving food with healthy ingredients. In fact virtually all Mexican restaurant food is GMO poison. There should be a line down the street here. read more

I'm usually too lazy to write reviews unless the food is remarkably good. Vivas happens to be remarkably good, and the chicken mole is spectacular. I get my mole in burrito form, in a whole wheat tortilla with black beans and brown rice. The tortilla is wonderfully chewy, and the mole has the right amount of kick. The most impressive thing about this place, in my opinion, is the freshness of the ingredients, and the cucumber slices they add to their water pitchers really bring out that freshness. The crisp coolness of the water pairs well with their spicy menu fare. My one minor criticism is that the chile relleno seems to be hit or miss. Sometimes it seems a bit watery, which makes me think it's frozen and not fresh. Overall, Vivas offers a great fast and informal dining experience. I'm quickly becoming a regular there. read more