- Top Rated Bakery in San Diego
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Ben & Esther's Vegan Jewish Deli
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Vegan
Vegan
American
Bakery
Breakfast
Jewish
All-vegan deli offers fresh bagels, bagel sandwiches, and various prepared foods. Has vegan corned beef, chik'n, and lox. Third location. Open Mon-Thu 7:00am-3:00pm, Fri-Sat 7:00am-7:00pm, Sun 7:00am-3:00pm.
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6663 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, California, USA, 92115
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 12 Mar 2024 by Passittowill
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Added by SarahDugan on 02 Jan 2022
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71 Reviews
First Review by SarahDugan
Spaceprincess1997
Points +78
Good not Great - Edit
Ben & Esther’s is a vegan deli that is supposed to make really good sandwiches. my partner and I had it while visiting San Diego and found that it was pretty overpriced for what was offered. I did really enjoy their breakfast steak and egg bagel my second time i came, but I still ran into the dilemma of the high-price not adding up. Particularly, my bf ordered the most expensive sandwich on the menu with numerous meats. He was really excited, but when he tried it, it tasted super dry and unlike meat (not that we expect an identical meat flavor, but it was a bit disappointing). The sandwich was about $24…. we expected a lot more. I tried it to verify, and sure enough it was dry and disappointing. He ended up finishing my cheaper sandwich.
Read moreGuest
MarcNicolaePopa
Points +58
Incredible bagel sandwich - Edit
Got two gf bagel sandwich , one with sausage and the other with veggies. Delicious!!
Read morePros: Delicious , Great deserts, Fast service
Cons: No restroom
Guest
anne5r
Points +30
Amazing food - Edit
Delicious bagels and tuna melt🤤🤤 they have great gluten-free options as well.
Read moreGuest
SarahS88
Points +2342
Delicious vegan deli - Edit
Loved it! So excited to find vegan bagel sandwiches and treats!
Read morePros: All vegan , Cute tshirts, Friendly staff
Guest
VagrantVegan
Points +1333
So good! - Edit
This was so yummy! The lox and whitefish were both great bagel options. The sides were great, especially the latkes. Definitely get those with the sour cream and applesauce. The bagels had the right texture, and the seasoning was good. They have all the classics of a good Jewish deli, but everything is vegan. I just wish I got more latkes.
Read morePros: Veganized classics
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
pennypower
Points +1527
All vegan Jewish deli - Edit
Dude seriously so great. I visited their Portland store this summer and was so glad they opened a store in San Diego!
Read moreGreat cream cheese for bagels. Yummy vegan meats and treats. Friendly service. Clean and welcoming store.
Highly recommend
Pros: Yummy vegan meats, Great vegan cream cheese
Guest
ChrisCather
Points +305
Sandwiches and bagels, skip the sides - Edit
Their website doesn't list this location, so you can't place an order on their webpage. They take their phone off the hook, do you can't call (they flat out told me that). The only option to place an order ahead of time is to use an expensive delivery service. SERIOUSLY?!
Read moreThe Ruben sandwich was really good! I've also had the New Yorker and Brisket, but they're pretty skinny. The bagels are good, although the jalapeno bagel had no jalapeno flavor. Maybe they accidentally gave me a plain bagel? The macaroni salad was bland and dry. The horseradish is so weak it tastes like mayo. The lox and white fish had tons of smoke flavor in them! It's a good flavor, except that it was overwhelming. The cream cheese did not have a creamy mouth feel.
I'd go back for a sandwich or bagel, but that's it.
Updated from previous review on 2022-08-26
Pros: Great Ruben sandwich
Cons: Jalapeno bagel had no jalapenos, Macaroni salad was bland, Phone off hook
Guest
alannahneedham
Points +435
Mmmmm - Edit
I moved away recently and think about this place everyday. This place is truly the best little deli you could go to.
Read moreGuest
·X·
Points +21840
Ben & Esther’s - Edit
So delicious that I’m on my way right now to their second location during my drive to Santa Monica.
Read moreI absolutely loved the everything bagel sandwich with vegan egg, cheese, and impossible meat. The deli pickle was also amazing.
Only con is their sweets were a bit dry. I didn’t care for their babka bun or the knugel at all.
Guest
Rythica
Points +131
East coast deli in SD - Edit
Huge vegan breakfast and lunch menu with very friendly staff. Super nostalgic of the Jewish delis I loved growing up on the east coast. So glad I found this place!
Read moreGuest
badgirlsvegan
Points +2104
Love it as a deli! - Edit
Straightforward bagel shop and deli
Read moreGuest
mawhite02
Points +104
Best breakfast - Edit
Always stop by every time in San Diego for breakfast and lunch.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-04-21
Pros: Plenty of options
Guest
mrnickbaron
Points +173
Delicious sandwich. Ok value. - Edit
Got the Ruben and it was very good, but it felt a tad overpriced.
Read moreGuest
skymyers
Points +52
Great Bagels - Edit
The bagels are the best you’re gonna find, vegan or otherwise. Their deli sandwiches… not so much. They’re ok, but so so dry it’s hard to eat. Not to mention they’re incredibly overpriced. $2 for a little bit of avocado?? One of their sandwiches is $26. I tried it just to see. Could barely even swallow my nights due to how dry it was. But again, the bagels are delicious and fairy prices, especially their day old ones
Read morePros: Amazing bagels, Tons of bagel options
Cons: Overpriced sandwiches, Dry food
Guest
WFPB47
Points +102
Don’t think, just go!! - Edit
What’s not to love about a NY style Jewish VEGAN deli?!? I seriously wish I lived closer to this place. It’s truly delicious, my fiancé got the brisket sandwich and I got the Rueben. Both were the perfect combo of all the right flavors and textures in a good NY style deli sandwich. I will most definitely be back!
Read morePros: ALL vegan, Novel store theme, Reasonable prices
Cons: None!
Guest
BuckeyeV
Points +43
Deli Heaven - Edit
Stopped in for a late lunch and it was amazing. Ordered the brisket and reuben sandwiches with a knish, latke, cookies, and bagels. Clean, top notch service, and amazing food. Go here for sure if you need an NYC deli fix!
Read moreGuest
Sarahbar
Points +153
Awesome Jewish Deli - Edit
Everything you could think of in a delicatessen but vegan
Read morePros: Totally vegan sandwiches and spreads , Good portion size
Cons: Pickles not as good as I expected
Guest
EilishR
Points +32
Best bagels and cream cheese - Edit
Absolutely phenomenal, vegan or not! I drive 30 minutes each way for these on weekends.
Read moreGuest
AaronPittman
Points +76
Great Food - Edit
We arrived in San Diego today and were looking for good vegan options. We found this place and were very impressed. Great food and great service.
Read moreGuest
JakeFuller
Points +1548
Absolutely Incredible! - Edit
Had an outstanding Bac’n Egg and Cheese Bagel and grabbed a couple pastries to go. I met one of the owners who was extremely friendly and generous. I will definitely be back and also hit up their Oceanside location.
Read morePros: So many options, Jewish Delicatessen
Guest
AngelinaContreras
Points +32
best freakin Jewish food - Edit
Love this place!! A must try for vegans!!! I got the bacon egg cheese bagel sandwich on a jalapeño bagel (delicious) and a rosemary sea salt bagel with cardamom pear schmear. That schmear is heavenly. Had to get a tub of it to-go! The bacon on my sandwich was some of the best vegan bacon I’ve ever had. I will definitely be returning. Very happy to hear they are soon expanding to Oceanside, CA!
Read morePros: 100% vegan
Cons: A bit expensive
Guest
vegana_ana
Points +59
That bacon got me f… up - Edit
I finally had the honor to try this place, and I must say I’ll be going back! I ordered the New Yorker and BLT, with onions instead of tomatoes. Personally, I enjoyed the BLT more because of the bacon. That crispy bacon had me so confused. Next time, I’ll try the Reuben Sandwich. Yummy!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-07-10
Pros: Bacon, Service , Delicious sandwiches
Guest
Livesonplants
Points +34
Must for vegans - Edit
Been here several times and the food is delicious-so awesome to have a Jewish deli that is 100% vegan. Everything is fresh- full of flavor & the service is great. Location is great with plenty of parking and tables outside.
Read morePros: Huge selection , Fresh , Homemade
Guest
kladams89
Points +140
Must visit deli! - Edit
I was only in San Diego for a few days but stopped in at Ben & Esther’s twice. The turkey bacon club was delicious and massive! The person working was so nice they even gave me a free b&w cookie and a “local” discount when I said I was visiting from out of town. I went back before flying home to get the lox bagel sandwich which was WOW!!! Definitely go here for the amazing food and the best staff.
Read morePros: Best lox ever, Delicious & filling sandwiches, Friendly staff
Cons: None!
Guest
Linzilady17
Points +480
Best Lox I’ve ever had - Edit
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable and able to guide me with what I needed. I had a bunch of gluten-free options to choose from and they’re gluten-free bagels are delicious
Read morePros: Reasonable pricing, Delicious flavors, Gluten free options
Cons: None
Guest
Nyasa
Points +188
Love this place! - Edit
I’ve been coming here since their grand opening and they never disappoint!
Read moreGuest
NealDuncan
Points +584
Amazing selection - Edit
Lox bagel and pickles are good. They have day olds and a whole bunch of great stuff it's gonna take me a while to try everything but I'll definitely be back
Read morePros: Everything vegan , Pretty good bagels, Fantastic lox (made from carrots)
Guest
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