3 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Orange County, CA
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Vegetarian food isn't everyone's favorite fare, but if you're in the mood for "rabbit food" or if you're a vegetarian/vegan like myself and you're in the O.C., check out these favorites of mine and my family.
Native Foods Costa Mesa Hours
Monday-Sunday
11AM - 10PM
(7 days)
1. Native Foods in Costa Mesa
This small SoCal chain also has locations in Westwood and Palm Springs, but this location is unique in the building's shape - a giant octagon. (Probably some architectural travesty from the 1970s but they've made the quirky shape work; it feels like a circular diner.)
The food is great, with both vegan and vegetarian options, mostly twists on American and California favorites (like burgers, tacos and pizzas) with a health vegetarian twist. There are also a few raw options if you're trying a raw food diet, and a nice bonus is their unique iced tea, a nice blend of hibiscus, lemon and apple juice.
Here are some of the dishes I've had here:
- Farrah's Fattoush - great Middle Eastern salad, big enough to be a meal
- Scorpion Burger - seared tempeh burger with a spicy chipotle sauce
- Hollywood Bowl - steamed veggies, tofu & spicy peanut sauce over brown riceThe menu and Google map.
Au Lac Hours
Tuesday-Sunday
(closed Monday)
10:30am-9pm
2. Au Lac in Fountain Valley
This is where you go if you want to try unusual, but really extraordinarily tasty raw vegan food. Chef Ito's raw menu is separate from the usual Vietnamese food served here (which is also really good), but despite the prices (up to $20 per entree) the food is really worth it.
If you're scared at the thought of eating raw food...don't! Not here, at least. I've been to several other vegetarian restaurants (including Cafe Gratitude, Parawdise, and Raw!) and none are as good as this one. Au Lac's dishes are really rich, flavorful and deeply satisfying.
Here are some of the dishes I've had here:
- Pistachio Bread - more like a soft cookie, but really delicious
- Raw Spring Roll - tasty spring rolls using thin zucchini slices as the wrapper
- Pasta Primavera - pasta is thin strands of zucchini; rich and suprisingly flavorful tomato sauce with "not cheese"
- The Green Pyramid - highly recommended! two pyramids of soaked rice, cashews, avocados, corn, seaweed and flax crackers. It sounds a bit weird, but everyone who's tried this has loved it. Tons of food so you'll be fighting over leftovers the next day.
Mother's Market & Kitchen Hours
Monday - Sunday
8 am - 10 pm
(7 days)
3. Mother's Kitchen (4 Locations in O.C.)
I've only been to the one in Huntington Beach, but there are also locations in Costa Mesa, Irvine and Laguna Woods. This is a natural foods market with a kitchen off to the side. It, similarly to Native Foods, offers twists on American favorites, with a slightly more "granola" feel to it. But you get generous portions for a very reasonable price, and the quality is excellent.
- Veggie BLT - my mom's favorite; veggie bacon but otherwise a great BLT
- Ma's Lentil Nut Loaf - my dad's favorite; very similar to meatloaf, with gravy & mashed potatoes
- Thai Tofu with Udon Noodles - delicious! one of my favoritesTheir iced chai latte is delicious, too, and they also serve Virgil's microbrewed rootbeer, which is an authentic rootbeer that tastes great.Links to their menu and Google map.
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Comments
AAh! I'm currently attempting a raw foods fast. There is nothing like these restaurants in my region. I will look these up when I visit California. Thanks for the information.
Hope to visit California soon, the above list sounds nice. Thanks for sharing them. Cheers.
i'm sorry, but native (costa mesa) is horrible. the employees have a stuck up attitude, it always takes forever for my food to come out and i've received sandwiches with out the tofu...it's annoying!!!!!!! i have stopped going to native all together.
Don't forget about Bodhi Tree Caffe in Huntington Beach!
Nancy - I've been to Bodhi Tree and had 2 experiences that were awful there. One time, the entire restaurant smelled like Raid insect spray and the food was cold, and another time, there was a giant hair in one of our spring rolls. We will never eat there again.
You are all missing the bet of the century if you have not yet tried 118 degrees at The Camp in Costa Mesa, right down the street from South Coast Plaza. It is all raw, organic, beautiful to look at and delicious. Unlike many raw restaurants, portions are generous and the whole look and feel of the restaurant is elegant yet fresh, relaxing, and welcoming. Food presentation is stunning. It makes you want to order everything that is coming out of the kitchen! Service is uniformly outstanding. The most incredible deal is Sunday brunch. 5 courses, new and innovative every week, and only $22 (and that includes organic tea, coffee, or a mimosa!) We go every Sunday to energize our week and get lots of great new ideas to experiment with during the week.
Jeanie - Funny you should mention 118 Degrees. I just saw a review of the place on YouTube a couple of weeks ago. Definitely an intriguing raw/living foods menu and from what I saw, great ambience, too. Will definitely check it out when I'm down there again.
Hey everyone!
The listing of vegan friendly restaurants is fantastic, BUT you are missing Good To Go in Huntington Beach! We are an awesome VEGAN/VEGETARIAN/RAW restaurant with a creative selection of good eats! Stop in any time for your favorite treat!
www.GoodToGoRestaurants.com
Native Foods is the best! I go just about every day when I travel to the OC. The Soul Bowl & Scorpian Burger = Yummmm.
Oh, Native Foods is sooo yummy! I love it! My fav is the Portobello & Sausage Burger but the Native Nachos are delish as well. Of course no meal is complete with out the Carrot Cake! =)
Native's is so far the best OC Vegan restaurant!!!.....try their chilli cheese fries ....WOW!!!....Everything there is YUMMY!!!!
also try veggie grill [vegan sandwich/soup/salad] by uci and wheel of life [vegan asian] off 5/south culver in irvine
the new mothers market in santa ana off 22/ south main st, next to main place mall, has huge buffet style.
nothing wrong with natives, been going for years, love the mad cowboy, and my son always gets pizza.
being wanting to try 118 degrees [raw food] in same location as natives in costa mesa, off 405/south on bristol.
if in LA, go to RFD [real food daily, american vegan], the location in santa monica has new bakery next door.. few streets down from shopping on 3rd street prom.
forgot avanti cafe in costa mesa, off 55 on 17th street, same shopping center mothers market located.
small place, half menu split between veggie and vegan, good prices, organic food, nice atmosphere, beer/wine.. had vegan pizza, soooooooo good. son had cupcake that he said was more like a wedding cake, that yummy.
OOOh, I miss good food like that, can't get Vegan anything in Oklahoma when dining out. Good article, made me hungry.
118 Degrees is the worst restaurant there is. First of all, they do not have many vegetables, just green slime stuff. If you go to yelp, check out all the reviews and see how many people got sick, including me. It smells, the people are dirty and check out their makeshift kitchen, it is out in the open where everyone passes by and where they put the dirty dishes. They are always out of everything and all the food taste the same plus the prices are ridiculous.
You all have to try That's Amore Italian Pizza Kitchen. 13349 Artesia Blvd. Cerritos 90703. 562-926-2112. They can make most to everything on their menu vegan. Our fav: Potato Rosemary Pizza. If you go you have to try something with their Bechamel sauce because it is amazing. They even have vegan cannoli.
118 DEGREES is terrible. I agree with Bryan! The food is disgusting, no vegetables, just a powdered kind of substance that resembles slime. Their prices are crazy and the service is funny! The waiter is hilarious with his descriptions of everything being AMAZING! So we ordered some AMAZING enchiladas and my GF ordered some guac. and some sort of weird pesto dish. So the quac comes out and there is no crackers so we asked for some crackers and the waitress brought us like 3 crackers and they charged us like the same amount for the quac so for this little cup of avocados with mostly tomatoes sauce and 3 crackers we paid $12. The other stuff was hideous so we jammed as quickly as we could. I couldn't understand why they promote healthy cuisine and do not serve many vegetables or offer more options. anyway, check it out and see for yourself. Maybe we just had a bad night there.
Thank you so much for posting this! I live in OC and recently became a vegan so I will be visiting all these restaurants. :)
118 Degrees is a very important vegan/raw restaurant in Southern California. The Chef is one of the most creative and passionate raw food advocate within the raw/vegan movement. The food is elaborately prepared and tediously detailed to preserve the freshness, quality, nutritional value of any restaurant i have been at.I highly recommend all vegans to dine at this one of a kind restaurant. And if you are not vegans, you will certainly entertain becoming one when you taste how delicious and healthy raw vegan food can be prepared. Besides the restaurant, Chef Jenny caters, teaches raw food cooking,lectures and has a book out on raw food and the preparation. The staff is totally dedicated and knowledgeable of not only the origins of all the food prepared and the nutritional value but also is well versed on the benefits of being a raw vegan and can answer any questions. I have been coming to 1198 Degrees since they opened and I am always greeted hospitably and as many times as I have been there, the presentation and taste of the food is always of the highest caliber. The decor is very hip, the music changes as to the preference of the staff and the cleanliness is as tediously attentive as each and every item on the menu. 118 Degrees is not just any restaurant, as son as you walk through the doors you will feel the tone and the pulse of the personality of the restaurant. When someone comes up to you and welcomes you into the restaurant, the really mean it. The vibes are genuine and the character is as fresh as the food. I am a native of Orange County and I am moving to San Francisco but my motivation to come back to Orange County will be the friends and family atmosphere you will experience at 118. The menu changes from time to time and the staff will accommodate all your nutritional and special needs. They have a brunch on Sunday that is secret until the morning of the brunch. The menu is a special creation of Chef Jenny and the staff and you will never forget dining on Sunday. Most people make 118 more regular than church. Dining at 118 is very inspirational and I am sure that you will feel the same way. OH YEA....The wines are special chosen by Chef Jenny and the executive staff and they search small wineries in California for vegan wines and amazing taste.Each wine has a special story behind it if you have time, after the staff entertains you with the history and nutritional value and the benefits of being raw, ask them about the wine!!!!!
WOW! Avanti Cafe in Costa Mesa / Newport is also AMAZING! They also have vegan on the menus. In the same strip as Mother's in Costa Mesa. I always see Mother's employees eating at Avanti -- tells ya somethin ;)
Native Foods is OK but the staff is very full of themselves and the service can be slow. I have been twice and am going to give it another try
Lyricallor says:
2 years ago
I am sure a lot of people will thank you for this. If ever I am in the area I will check them out