Swami's Cafe - Coast Hwy - Encinitas California Restaurant

vegan chilaquiles went crazy - Edit

so many vegan options so yummy

Cute place with some veggie options - Edit

Veggie burro, fruit salad, they’ll make avocado toast if you request. Wholegrain pancakes with fruit if I’m doing a cheat day…can get busy but yummy spot

Pretty good - Edit

I had an açaí bowl which wasn’t one of my favorites but my friends said they like it very much. I would not recommend the watermelon juice because it mainly tastes like water with a little bit of sweetness. Very nice view. Bathrooms were not very clean.

Updated from previous review on 2022-07-01

Pros: Many vegan options

at Swami's Cafe - Coast Hwy in Encinitas

Amyruth

Points +48

Vegetarian

05 Mar 2021

Great location, huge menu - Edit

Been going here for years. I like it because it's casual, outdoor seating, across from the beach. Coffee, smoothies, acai bowls, breakfast, and lunch options. Really friendly staff. All good. Would give 5 stars, but it's not an option on Happy Cow, since it's not fully veggie or vegan.

Prajna

Points +5861

Vegan

11 Oct 2020

Hard for both vegan and gluten free - Edit

Cute place with a cute vibe, but be prepared to have to alter almost everything on the menu. Pretty much a regular omni restaurant that will work with you on your order.

Entrance at Swami's Cafe - Coast Hwy in Encinitas

VeganNinjas

Points +427

Vegan

06 Jan 2020

Great Food! - Edit

Good breakfast/brunch place and you don’t need to avoid if vegan. They have plenty of vegan options. We really enjoy the avocado toast and açaí bowls. They can make hamburgers, sandwiches, and wraps vegan. The food is a little pricey, but good company will make up for it. 🥑🥑

pbjazz

Points +43

Vegan

30 Apr 2019

One of our casual favorites - Edit

We eat at the one in Encinitas off of El Camino. Very accommodating. Often order veggie hash w/tofu instead of eggs. Or chiliquiles w/tofu no cheese or sour cream. They have Impossible Burger w/vegan cheese. Yum

Pros: Very accommodating, Huge variety of coffee, self-serve, Friendly service

Cons: Sometimes it can take a while to get served.

ShantiPeace

Points +496

Vegan

14 Mar 2015

Fun Place - Edit

This is an easy casual gathering place with outdoor seating for a burrito, loaded acai bowl or smoothie. The only thing about it is that behind the scenes it does not seam that clean. This is not something I like to see. Parking is tough.

veganandorganic

Points +52

Vegan

13 Nov 2012

Swami's Cafe Rocks! - Edit

The Swami's salad is my absolute favorite. It is so good I wind up getting that and not trying other great looking options. The acai bowl is also quite amazing. There are several vegan options. The Oceanside restaurant is my favorite of the 3.

Pros: excellent salads, great prices, outdoor seating

veganandorganic's swami salad at Swami's Cafe - Coast Hwy in Encinitas

Chia

Points +3635

Vegetarian

09 Sep 2012

It's Okay - Edit

I had read about this place on HappyCow and decided to stop in on a past trip to San Diego (with a stop in Encinitas). Here's my Swami's Cafe review.

While the menu is both non-veg and veg, there are enough choices for the ovo-lacto vegetarian customer, and few for vegans. Mostly casual American and Californian-Mexican type of cuisine - omelettes, pancakes, burritos, salads, sandwiches, and a few main plates like a tofu curry dish. We ordered our food at the counter and the waitress brought it to our table.

The inside is very small and a bit dim, but there is an outdoor patio with a fountain. And it's located a block from the ocean, so there is a nice breeze.

The only complaint we had was that the restroom was messy, because there were many customers using it that time.

Pros: causal, fast service, affordable prices

harsimrit

Points +20

Vegan

07 May 2011

Un Swami-like - Edit

It was obvious our tofu scramble was cooked on the same grill as the meat and cheese. The cook did not know what to do w the tofu, no seasoning added. The fresh juices, their only saving grace, was served in a plastic cup...?
They seem to cater to the meat-eating tourist crowd. Not feeling the Swami Yogi Love here.

Pros: friendly staff

Cons: staff unsure of menu or preparation

EncinAdia

Points +184

Vegan

19 Nov 2009

Don't order the hot items...not really vegetarian! - Edit

The Acai Bowl (sub soy milk) is great and it is completely addictive! I crave it! But since they hiked the price all the way up to $7.95, I just don't eat it very often. If it were only about a buck cheaper, I'd be at Swami's all the time! That extra buck adds up fast!

The falafel is terrible...definitely skip it. Its the powdered-from-a-box kind. The smoothies are great and I def suggest the Tropical Storm.

I won't ever order their hot food items again b/c the long-time manager swore to me that the Spinach Tofu (a former fave of mine) was vegan. But when I got home and opened up the to-go box, I found several pieces of chicken in my "vegan" dish! YUCK! I felt really sick :(

The patio would be nice on a pretty day, but the ridic crowd at Swami's makes going there during peak hours really unpleasant. Your best bet is to go around 3:30/4-ish on a cloudy day.

Pros: Acai Bowl, No tipping, Location/patio

Cons: Parking, Closes REALLY early, Meat-laced "vegan" dishes

kristalinn

Points +49

Vegan

19 Oct 2009

"Mmmm....Sandwiches......" Joey from Friends - Edit

Ah! I wish there was a Swami's closer to me!! It takes us about 35 minutes to drive to Swami's from our home in 4S Ranch. It's totally worth it! I've been Vegan for about a year and they have HANDS DOWN the best mock turkey I've tasted! The first time I went there I went with a meat eating friend, she order the club, and I order the same - only with Vegan meat/cheese substitutions. When we started to eat, I paused after my first bite, because I thought they may have given me REAL meat! I looked at my friends sandwich and realized I had mock meat because I could see the difference. I'm in sandwich heaven! The mock bacon is really good too! I'm seriously like Joey from friends... I LOVE LOVE LOVE sandwiches. So, finding a place that makes GREAT sandwiches VEGAN style is wonderful!

I love that sandwich so much I ordered that the first several times I went there. Even though the breakfasts looked really good. So, last weekend I went early enough and ordered breakfast finally... I must say they don't do as good of a job with the vegan style breakfast - they sub tofu for egg (which is what I would expect) BUT - the tofu is hard cubes and lacks texture and flavor. I've had WAY better egg style tofu breakfasts. They can seriously improve here.

Also - side note: the veggie soup is wonderful as well! Oh, and the breakfast potatoes are GREAT! They put zucchini in them, YUM!

The great thing about this place is that carnivores, omnivores, and veggies alike can find something to enjoy! Loving this place!

Pros: Mock Meats, Breakfast Potatoes, Fresh Salsa

Cons: Sometimes long wait, Breakfast Tofu, Long Drive

chris

Points +17

Vegetarian

24 Aug 2007

YUM - Edit

Great vegan selection food is awesome. I love the swamis club. One of the only places I know that has soy cheese and veganaise as options. Surf vids always playing. Be ready to wait it can take a half hour or longer just to get your order. The place is always packed an closes early.

Pros: great food

Cons: slow service, next to loud 101

Search HappyCow

Swami's Cafe - Coast Hwy

14 Reviews

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

Guest

For Members

For Business Owners

Nearby Listings

Vegan News