Vegan-friendly
Lacto
American
Cafe, shop, and kitchen teaching classes. Specializes in fermentation and fruit jams. Sources local and organic ingredients. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-5:00pm.
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173 Central Ave, Pacific Grove, California, USA, 93950
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Last update on 16 Mar 2024 by Geeokonkwo
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32 Reviews
First Review by SarahLovesPigs
Jlin
Points +658
Cute place with vegan options - Edit
Fully vegetarian and vegan, so it's easy to know your options. The staff members were very friendly and the place has a nice environment. I had avocado toast, the soup of the day and some little cheesecake bite. All were very good! I especially enjoyed the soup.
Read moreGuest
chaifaerie
Points +63
Lovely - Edit
Went for the first time yesterday and was not disappointed! A cute, cozy atmosphere with a lot of vegan options which is perfect for me :)
Read moreI didn’t try the food but I did stop by for a coffee and was pleasantly surprised to see so many vegan pastries!
I tried the:
• vegan snickerdoodle cookie
• vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookie
• vegan rose cheesecake
Tbh everything was solid! I can’t wait to come back again and try more things.
Pros: Atmosphere , Pastries (I have a sweet tooth), Coffee was good
Guest
willis_mcgayhee
Points +20
Delicious and nutritious! - Edit
Amazing spot. Stopped here for lunch with the family. Pretty much everything is or easily can be vegan. The store area is full of awesome goodies as well. Will happily go out of the way to go here again when in town.
Read moreGuest
TotesMabes
Points +210
Great Breakfast Spot - Edit
We stopped in for breakfast, and ordered two vegan frittatas and a full order of avocado toast. The food was great, and each dish came with some fermented veggies. The coffee and house-made chai were both good. They also have a nice little merch room with jams, nut butters, olive oils, etc.. Great spot, highly recommend.
Read morePros: Delicious & healthy food , Nice to-go section with salads, soups, & desserts, Reasonable prices
Cons: None
Guest
gimme_veg
Points +43
Love this place - Edit
This is mainly a vegetarian restaurant but they can do vegan too. I have had the chickpea frittata before, and had their “bowl of the day” (Vega mixed by subbing avocado for yogurt on top) today. It was very good, filling and reasonably priced.
Read moreGuest
CeciliaVargas
Points +262
Fresh!! - Edit
Ate 2 mornings in a row on our visit to Monterrey. Loved the avocado toast, chickpea frittata, and pickled carrots.
Read moreGuest
MariaBaczewska
Points +773
Really good vegan selection - Edit
Nice place with really good food and cakes. You can always ask about making your dish vegan, but also lots of sandwiches are premade in the morning, so keep it in mind:)
Read moreGuest
andyjng
Points +5354
Fabulous Vegetarian Cafe - Edit
My first time exploring Monterey with a plant based lifestyle and I was excited to seek out good eats that wasn't seafood. Fortunately my happy place came when I stumbled upon Happy Girl Kitchen Co, an entirely plant friendly restaurant and cafe.
Read moreThey currently offer outdoor seating which was perfect on a beautiful sunny day in the bay. Their menu items include sandwiches, salads, soups, bowls, and baked goods. They also have some home-brewed drinks including a refreshing Hibiscus Lemonade that was to die for.
Seeking a heartier lunch, I ordered their $13 lunch special which comes with a cup of soup, small bowl, and half a sandwich. Their menu offerings change daily so you'll have to see what's included to see if it's worthwhile. While everything is vegetarian, everything can be made vegan be removal of a few items that they use to top their dishes.
On the day we went, our menu included a potato soup, dal-mango chutney rice bowl, and a tofu steak sandwich. I absolutely loved their rice bowl. The chutney was fantastic and the spiced dal mixed with jasmine rice brought out some amazing flavors. I thought the sandwich and soups were good too but I would have rather chosen a larger rice bowl in the end. Still, I loved being able to try a variety of plant based dishes for a good price.
Street parking is available and wasn't a problem for us even on a busier weekend afternoon.
Pros: House made beverages, Organic and fresh ingredients
Guest
Kedugan
Points +154
Lovely vibe & good food - Edit
Sat outside for lunch with our dog and everyone in our crew really enjoyed their food. Bonus: dessert was delicious
Read morePros: Lots of vegan menu options, Everything was delicious, Take home some jam!
Guest
JustynaAgnieszka
Points +78
Lovely place - Edit
We had sandwich of the day which was great and my chamomile tea was awesome. I also bought a spicy kimchi.
Read morePros: Loved the sandwich , Lots of pickles , Great tea
Cons: None
Guest
BaileySchneider
Points +2220
Updated review- solid spot - Edit
I went today and I got the black bean beet patty sandwich special. It was vegan as is. From reading other reviews, it seems like sandwiches are pre made that morning so you can’t customize it or ask to make it vegan if it is only vegetarian so keep that in mind. The sandwich was pretty good. I just didn’t like the ketchup on jt- it overpowered a lot but I would still order again. The pickles were thick cut and tasty which was nice. It also came with some pickles carrots on the side.
Read moreI also ordered the snickerdoodle cookie (after reading many reviews saying it’s a must) and the lemon cheesecake. Both vegan. The cookie was so good and chewy and the cheesecake was super flavorful and creamy. I really enjoyed both and 100% will be back for those again.
I also ordered a jar of the hibiscus drink, which I figured would be tea but I’m not sure what it was. It was not the best in my opinion. I would skip on that next time as it had a fermented type taste and no other flavor in my opinion.
Lavender lemonade is DELICIOUS.
Their to go packs are solid and the peanut sauce brown rice and broccoli is amazing.
The half order of their avocado toast is a full piece of bread. Really delicious and the bread is wonderful.
Overall pretty great. Pretty decently priced as well for other restaurants in the area. 😊
Updated from previous review on 2022-02-23
Guest
drosey
Points +48
Yummy and wonderful - Edit
The food is great; bought a lot of their granola and other delicious breakfast choices. Plenty of vegan and vegetarian choices. They do a lot of canning with so many great choices of jams and sauces. Deep commitment to organic and community. Go there!
Read morePros: Great food, Great service, Great values, commitment to organic and community
Guest
ecochee
Points +410
Delicious! - Edit
Portions a lot smaller than I’m used to in LA, but the vegan bowl was delicious.😊
Read moreGuest
sizehaus
Points +11
Love this place! - Edit
Love to come here! Everything homemade, fresh and local! Pretty much everything can be made gluten free and vegan (and most already are), plus yummy baked goods!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Fresh, local, organic, Lots of gluten free options
Guest
caw
Points +2766
Lovely - Edit
Everything was really tasty.
Read moreThe avocado toast had lots of flavour, the vegan lemon cheezecake was gorgeous, I'd love to try the other flavours that had. The matcha latte was perfect unsweetened 😊
Updated from previous review on 2021-10-19
Guest
captmayhem
Points +91
Amazing Chickpea Frittata - Edit
Enjoyed this place so much! The chickpea frittata was Indian inspired with turmeric and coriander seed. Must get avocado on top!
Read moreGuest
sbperry7
Points +13
Don't order the pancakes - Edit
I've eaten here a few times because I want organic food when I can get it when travelling. The atmosphere is pretty basic. A few tables (some communal)... not always clean.
Read moreThe food is usually decent, but I ordered their weekends-only pancake breakfast which was described as three 6-inch pancakes.
When the pancakes were brought to me there were 2 large (9-inch) thick pancakes instead and the cook said, "These aren't the normal way we do it, but I screwed up" The pancakes were not fully cooked in the middle and I did not enjoy them at all. You would think that if the cook knew she "screwed up", she would redo them before presenting them to a customer!
Pros: organic food
Cons: tables not cleaned, messed up order
Guest
KelRae11
Points +187
Mmm - Edit
Had the chickpea frittata for breakfast and it was pretty good. The snickerdoodle cookie was also delicious! Decent amount of options and quality ingredients.
Read moreGuest
IrisBeach
Points +17
Amazing options! - Edit
From the on tap Kombucha to the Bean Salad and jars of pickled and fermented options, there is something for anyone. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, always willing to answer any questions you have. The rotating flavors of Kombucha on tap is sure to please and keep you coming back to see what they have to offer!
Read morePros: The vegan options are tasty!
Guest
kelkerr
Points +15
Love this place! - Edit
Great cafe/food, wonderful place to pick up jams, pickles, shrubs, etc., and the classes are a hands-on way to learn to do it all at home.
Read moreGuest
Browncoat3000
Points +135
Delicious - Edit
Great place, food was delicious and the folks friendly. Best Ice Tea I’ve had in a long while.
Read moreGuest
adri5995
Points +27
Amazing - Edit
Really cute cafe and shop. The avocado toast was amazing and the oatmeal was perfect on a rainy day.
Read morePros: Lot of vegan options
Guest
DesireeMohanOffner
Points +223
Refreshing find for vegan options - Edit
The food, bread, pastries, coffee bar, jams, preserves are all made fresh. The coffee drinks are prepared with love. The service and smiles are awesome. The potato leek soup was inviting, fresh and vegan. The avocado toast is made on fresh sour dough. Loved the welcoming vibe and freshness of Happy Girl Kitchen. Loved the many vegan options.
Read moreCons: Not all vegan, but felt good about the choices.
Guest
daveoz
Points +1168
Exceptional - Edit
This is a wonderful place. Good organic food mostly vegan however you need to make sure you ask because their hot cereal is cooked in milk. However what is really great is that the portions are perfect and therefore very inexpensive. For instance the chickpea frittata is a nice slice and only $4.
Read moreGuest
AKgma
Points +44
Great place - Edit
All the food we tried was great. Cute little place to eat. Cookies are amazing!
Read moreGuest
juliemoonx
Points +52
yum - Edit
yummy yummy pickles ! good cashew spread sandwich!
Read moreGuest
lilshanahan
Points +28
Lovely cafe with yummy breakfast/lunch! - Edit
Huge fan of this place. Lots of vegan options- I went with the chickpea frittata and it was filling, delicious, and full of veggies. I also got an organic salad with sesame dressing (fresh and great!) and a vegan berry scone (among the best I’ve ever had). Their coffee is legit too, and they have califia almond milk which is a win if you ask me. Definitely recommend! They seem to have cool fermentation/cooking classes here too, and the space has good vibes. Today when I came in there was a class of young people learning to cooking something or other in the back. I’ll be returning to this place next time I’m in Monterey for sure
Read morePros: Delicious food, Positive energy, Great coffee
Guest
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