Vegan-friendly
American
Fast food
Take-out
Mexican
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Longtime operating vegetarian diner offering an American food menu of veggie burgers, fries, sandwiches, Cal-Mex dishes like nachos, all-day breakfast and brunch fare. Serves milkshakes. Features weekend brunch with mimosas and vegan donut holes. Punky, funky music and decor. Reported closed, Apr 2021.
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145 Laurel St, Santa Cruz, California, USA, 95060
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Last update on 18 Apr 2021 by Conniemm
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75 Reviews
First Review by TexasVegan
Kerryyork
Points +228
Fabulous Food - Edit
We've made 2 trips to Santa Cruz and this has been our favourite food both times, even though my husband isn't vegan. Very tasty, spoilt for choice with the menu. Friendly staff, great service, lovely quirky little spot. We will most definitely be back next year, such a shame we're so far away, or it would be sooner.
Read morePros: Lots of clearly marked vegan options, Great selection of fresh tasting food, Reasonably priced
Cons: Only con is the Atlantic Ocean between us!
Guest
ScottyMo
Points +82
so so:( - Edit
As my new Vegan lifestyle and commitment grows, I’m excited to try new places. Had the sesame salad with tofu..little heavy on the dressing and the tofu was simply to hard...seemed as though it was leftover from the day before, allowing it to dry out and hard to chew.
Read moreNeat vibe...plant based living continues:)
Guest
lyrabyrnison
Points +72
so many delicious vegan options - Edit
I loved my visit to this place. So many great vegan options and all delicious. AMAZING PANCAKES
Read moreGuest
ManceyBancey
Points +89
Delicious food! - Edit
So many options on the menu for vegan and gluten free. Everything is clearly labeled and they even have vegan milkshakes!
Read moreGuest
libbm
Points +24
Great experience - Edit
Had the vegan shake and pancakes, they catered for our needs with ads ons. Service was wonderful and fun, atmosphere is cool.
Read moreGuest
nataliejane38
Points +46
Not great - Edit
I was really excited to finally come here after a day at the beach in Santa Cruz but I was pretty disappointed. The food was okay (if you like greasy diner food) and they have a good selection but I'd be very concerned if you are vegan. They have plenty of veg options that you can specify as vegan, which we did - I made sure to indicate that everything we were having should be vegan. However, it looked like we had two different dressings and I asked, they were unsure whether or not our dressings were both vegan or not!! That made me very concerned whether or not the rest of our food was vegan and I had to keep checking. They should have a green toothpick or an indicator in the vegan prepared dishes to specify that they are in fact vegan. Also, the place is very dirty, bathrooms are full of graffiti. I don't think we will eat here again.
Read moreGuest
Sylvis
Points +81
Best vegan diner food! - Edit
What a cute place! The waitress reccomended the "chicken" barbecue, which was amazing. Of the onion strings, steak fires, and original fries, we liked the original fries best. My sister got the portobello burger, which supirsed us by being cut up portebello, not just one burger-sized one. She said it was much easier to eat!
Read moreWait staff was friendly, quirky, and efficient. We also appreciated the open wi-fi.
Pros: Cute, Large portions
Guest
parsavval831
Points +32
Pretty Good - Edit
The sesame salad was good but SUPER soggy. Too much dressing! The dressing does have good flavor though. The tofu in it had zero flavor, however. The onion strings are basically grease straws, you could probably wring them out. The ranch dressing is sweet, not how I like it. My friend ordered a root beer float. I liked the fact that they give you extra root beer to refill it when the soda part gets low. Not my type of place, but it's okay.
Read moreCons: greasy
Guest
h3llokitten
Points +42
my favorite place. - Edit
This is the best vegan junk food ever :b I absolutely love the vegan BBQ chicken ranch sandwich. & the milkshakes are A
Read moreGuest
ShannonNeilson
Points +15
Not Gluten Free Friendly - Edit
So my Family is Vegetarian and Gluten Free. We have tried this restaurant many times but with the third time is the last time.
Read moreThe service is great , the food is yummy but they but that items are not gluten free on there menu and my husband and 4 year old little girl have both had reactions.
Tonight we went there and had the onion strings it said it was vegan and Gluten Free. My little girl got bloated , horrible headache and warm right after eating the food. It was sad. Restaurants need to be clear and truthful if there food is gluten free. Because it's a medical issue sometimes.
Guest
Momyls
Points +62
Wow! - Edit
Have spent many Summers in Santa Cruz (before and with kids). As a veg eating on the Boardwalk has always been challenging. Happy Cow sent my husband and I on a short walk to this amazing place. The BBQ chicken ranch sandwich is yum!!!! Relaxed, comfortable environment and friendly wait staff :)
Read morePros: menu variety, relaxed environment , convenient location
Guest
CapybaRus
Points +308
Cool diner - Edit
We had vegan breakfas burritos, a side of fruit and a mint ice cream sundae (yeah I had ice cream for breakfast so what). The food was great, the service was friendly, the décor is really cool.
Read moreThe menu is all veggie with maybe 14 vegan and some extra veganizable things brining it up to 13 vegan. Noteworthy dishes include vegan pancakes, vegan ice cream and vegan milkshakes (!!)
Pros: Vegan ice cream sundae!!, Appropriate (not overwhelming) portions
Cons: Would've liked to see more vegan things on the men
Guest
erbavore9
Points +246
Good food, fun atmosphere - Edit
This is a not one of the fun restaurants in town. Just good people who work there.
Read moreThe food is a bit greasy and not the best quality, but fun to eat.
On the other hand. The vegan ice cream is the best on the market from any supplier, anywhere. Plus they make their own coconut whipped topping.
Pros: Fun Atmosphere, Good Parking, Vegan Ice Cream
Cons: A little greasy, A little pricey
Guest
EmilePerron
Points +117
Delicious food and a nice menu - Edit
I had the BBQ pulled "chicken" burger and was scared about the chicken: it seemed so... real. The burger was great, so were the french fries and oh, I also had the vegan sundae. It was overall way too much food for one person, but I still ate it all and it was delicious. Good service, too! I'll be going back there a few times for sure.
Read morePros: Good selection of vegan meals/desserts and drinks, Good service
Guest
maymusic
Points +267
Amazing Dinner.. Came back for Breakfast!! - Edit
EXCELLENT diner-style food!! Had their vegan BBQ Ranch Chikn Burger with fries and chocolate milkshake with mint & chips... So delicious!! My non-veg friends loved their shakes and food as well (they had the grilled cheese and Thai wrap).
Read moreMy husband and I loved it so much that we came back for Breakfast the next morn. Had their vegan breakfast burrito with soyrizo and the combo with pancakes, tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, & veg sausage. It totally hit the spot for a good standard American breakfast.
* Service is super friendly
* They allow dogs on the patio
Pros: the
Guest
StevieSurf
Points +1895
Super comfy vegan food - Edit
This has been a long time favourite for a lot of folk I know.
Read moreGreat vibe to the place. Good range of veggie items and decent enough for vegans. Certainly worth your time for some comfort food
Pros: Good vegan options , Diner style food, Great decor
Cons: Needs morvegan items
Guest
akmcclel
Points +13
Great food, great music. - Edit
Came here because of the Groupon deal, was well worth it. Sandwiches were great and the vegan milkshake was to die for. Make sure to get the Groupon otherwise food is a little pricey.
Read moreGuest
Katbarry1
Points +30
Huge Disappointment - Edit
I was excited to try this veggie spot after reading several great reviews on Happy Cow. My friend and I are on a road trip from LA to San Francisco, so Santa Cruz is a great spot to stop for lunch between Carmel and San Fran on the final leg of the trip.
Read moreWe should have know that things were sub par when we went to wash our hands and the bathrooms were disgusting. We almost left, but our server finally came over.
Menu options were uninspired and generic. My salad looked great, but was really just ok. The server was completely clueless about the menu and when I asked his suggestions, it was as though he hadn't eaten anything there.
My friend got the vegan breakfast burrito and while the menu listed several items inside the burrito, when it arrived it was just filled with tofu scramble. No veggies or anything. It was just very boring and bland.
The whole place was filthy and now we just feel gross. This experience was a big let down.
Cons: filthy, bad service, uninspired menu.
Guest
steveveg
Points +2560
Delightful - Edit
Saturn Cafe is a delightful restaurant. It is decorated in a retro sci-fi style. The food is great as well. I had the vegan BBQ ranch chicken burger plus a cupcake. The cafe is well worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
Alysoun Mahoney
Points +901
Loved it in 1979, still love it now! - Edit
I admit I'm biased. Saturn Cafe opened near my houseful of UCSC students in 1979 - and quickly became our favorite. Visiting now 36 years later, I still love Saturn Cafe for its vegan-friendliness and everything else. Today I had the vegan breakfast burrito with tofu spread and other yummy stuff, and hibiscus cooler from the original recipe. Plus there was a special - free vegan muffin and coffee with breakfast order. All this for $12. Everything about the place is fun - each table has a unique retro tchotchke collage under glass, and the restrooms are marked "robots" and "aliens" (back in the day, it was "us" and "them"). My waiter was super friendly and helpful - and also vegan himself (of course).
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday April 24, 2015
Updated from previous review on Friday April 24, 2015
Pros: Delicious vegan food, Great value, Fun environment and nice staff
Cons: Wish it opened earlier for breakfast.
Guest
mevori
Points +26
surprisingly great - Edit
We arrived there thanks to HappyCow after visiting the wharf in Santa Cruz with 3 kids and the place is really awesome. Great vegan options inc. many vegan hamburgers, salads, soup, sandwiches, kids menu, and for desert: vegan cupcake with cream that my kids loved obviously!
Read moreAlso great service and cool atmosphere
Guest
Lisa
Points +847
A very welcome surprise! - Edit
I stumbled in here on my way to a hike. They decor is funky with a space theme (hence Saturn Cafe!) I wanted something in the middle of healthy and delicious, so I ordered the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad. I honestly wasn't expecting anything spectacular but I was totally mistaken! This salad was incredible! The chicken was some kind of shredded fake and the sauce was delicious. It also had crispy onions and lots of veggies, so it was exactly what I was looking for! I was just passing through unfortunately, otherwise this would be a regular!
Read morePros: Delicious food, Fun decor, Friendly staff
Cons: None
Guest
H
Points +596
Tasty Americana - Edit
Real yummy food and friendly staff. Groovy decor. A bit pricey for me (I can eat a lot), but their prices are fairly comparable to most joints tat serve this style of food. The vegan BBQ ranch chicken burger was bomb!
Read morePros: tasty, friendly, groovy
Cons: 1 meal didn't satisfy me (6' dude)
Guest
Jolis
Points +20
Fantastic vegan burgers! - Edit
This dinner is fabulous, a must in Santa Cruz!
Read morePros: The fries was delicious and so was the burgers! , Great service! , Cozy!
Cons: Nothing.
Guest
HeyJudeOregon
Points +126
Delicious, Huge Selection, Huge Portions - Edit
Something for everyone here, many vegan choices,some healthy, some deep fried unhealthy like onion rings, fries, taquitos, so choose carefully for health. They use all brand of faux meats including Gardein, Beyond Meat, Quorn (not vegan).
Read morePros: Big Selection, Big Portions
Cons: A lot of fried foods, Slow service
Guest
CarleneParrish
Points +49
Loved it - Edit
We rolled into town after dark and we were really hungry. Fortunately we had someone recommend Saturn Café. We loved it! Vegan taquitos?!! Seriously?!! They were incredible. The prices were great, the service was good, and everyone with us (5 of us in all) loved their dinner.
Read morePros: Extensive menu, Well priced, Great food
Cons: All good; nothing bad
Guest
Sabino
Points +44
very good - Edit
I really enjoyed my time at Saturn cafe. I was there with 3 non vegetarian friends, and they also enjoyed themselves.
Read moreThe food was good, the beer was great and the desert from another planet. I really liked all the vegan options.
I would recommend the chicken burgers, they were better than the normal ones.
Updated from previous review on Monday December 16, 2013
Pros: good atmosphere, good food, vegan options
Cons: staff very slow
Guest
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