Pretty Good Advice

I’m SO thrilled we have a downtown location of PGA, I’ve been a fan for many years. I ordered takeout 2x recently and will be continuing to order regularly. My diet has changed a lot since I used to go to the old location, but luckily PGA has plenty of options for gluten free, dairy free, vegan. I love their emphasis on fresh local produce and the fact that they have their own farm is next level legit. Recently I ordered - the chopped salad, the beet salad, and the passion fruit chia pudding. All super healthy and delicious. I did add my own honey to the pudding which I recommend. The second time I ordered the California burger on a GF bun and fries. It was delicious. Tasted like a much fresher, more flavorful, healthier version of fast food The breakfast sandwiches are all delicious as well, i used to eat them often. This place rocks!

Taking “Good Advice” Has Never Tasted This Good I don’t usually take advice from just anyone, but when a coffee shop literally calls itself “Good Advice”, I figured I should at least give it a shot. And wow—best decision I’ve made in a long time. The coffee? Excellent. Like, “maybe I should start listening to more good advice” kind of excellent. The price? So good I actually double-checked the menu because I thought they forgot to charge me for something. The service? The kind of friendly and fast. The atmosphere? The perfect mix of cozy, cool. The location? Spot on—convenient enough that I have no excuse not to come back, which I absolutely will. Honestly, this place lives up to its name. If all advice was this good, I’d probably be a billionaire by now. But at least I’ve found my new go-to coffee spot, which is a win in my book. 6 out of 5 stars—highly recommended.

Jags Krishnamurthy

So many options! I had the tofu banh mi and it was fantastic. The only change inwould do is to spread the insides even so that one gets the same even taste. In my sandwich it was tofu on one side and carrots and other veggies in the other. Still tasted great! There is not much of seating inside here but there are couple of them out on the street that was cute! Very friendly and welcoming service.

Simone Harms

Fantastic find in downtown Santa Cruz serving vegetarian and vegan food. The staff was so kind and helpful. The food was very tasty and they serve a great variety. We truly enjoyed it. They even offer vegan churros.

Mayuri Bhandari

BOMB Vegan spot, Fresh, and they make their own oats, sauces, etc. Would love to try more. A lot of vegan spots use preservative vegan products, but this place is created by a former Michelin chef I believe, and you can taste it for sure. the Brussels are DIVINE. The overnight oats extremely Tasty, the Sandwiches and salad so good- I wanted to try more! I hope to have a place like THIS in Los Angeles. And this place I believe has a smaller menu, they have another location I'd love to try next time I'm in Santa Cruz. This place does NOT disappoint. Vegan/Veggie or not, you must check this out. Also huge shoutout to Employee Nico who made the experience great- it was an overall fantastic experience. Quality taste, fast service, and kind people!

Bethany Elliott

This place was delicious! I got the vegan tofu banh mi with French fries and it was great. Good amount of protein and not just a giant carb-fest. I liked that the bun was less substantial. The French fries were perfectly crispy with a good flavor. I'd definitely eat here again!

Zoheb Mujahid

Pretty Good Advice in Santa Cruz is a great spot, especially for vegetarians! We tried the Jalapeño Burger, Cheeseburger, and Hot Apple Cider Chai. The burgers were delicious, with great flavor. The Hot Apple Cider Chai was a comforting treat on a cold day, though it didn’t quite have the chai flavor I expected. The bathroom art is quirky and adds a fun touch to the experience. Overall, a solid spot with delicious options and a unique vibe!

CC

Wow! Remarkable! I am SO excited to have this new favorite place to eat in Santa Cruz! This is my style. I crave the food here now. 5+ stars for sure! Simple and yet extravagant with select options brilliantly put together to offer a little of something for everyone. Even the fries were extraordinary! I definitely love the fun and thoughtful, healthy beverages. And the bean burger...oh yeah!! Delicious! I am very pleased with the cleanliness and fabulous service as well. I usually take more pictures, but I was too busy devouring my food while it was hot. 😋

Andy Ng

OMG, so happy that Pretty Good Advice has opened up a Santa Cruz location, meaning I don't have to go all the way out to Soquel anymore to enjoy their amazing plant-based burgers! Since they've opened, I've gone three times with twice in just a week. They are a burger/sandwich shop with fries, salads, and desserts when available. All of their burgers are vegetarian and use a black bean/soy patty base, and everything can be made vegan upon request if it isn't already designated as such. I've tried their PGA Burger and their Spicy Chick'n Burger ($9 each), along with a regular size side of fries with their vegan ranch. The sandwiches were delicious each time I've had them. Although a bit on the smaller side, they're still great and one of the cheaper spots for a plant-based burger in town. What's cool is that they also offer tiny mandarins when you pick up your food - free of charge! There is very limited seating inside so you are better off grabbing takeout and finding a public bench or sitting at Abbott Square to enjoy your meal. This is truly a great addition to Downtown Santa Cruz and especially to the vegan food scene since losing a couple of big namers in the last few years. Thank you PGA! Keep on rocking.

Kimberly

We went downtown to explore and were starving when we saw this little place. So glad we decided to stop. The food was amazing! We liked the lemonades and had burgers and fries. It was all delicious but I am still thinking of the fries they were so great and the sauce with them was so yum! The service was fast and friendly. We ate outside at a little table and got to listen to live music on the street and watch people walking by. Also the art on the walls was really interesting and cool. I wish I had taken more pictures. Can’t wait to go back!

Caroline Martin

I’m SO thrilled we have a downtown location of PGA, I’ve been a fan for many years. I ordered takeout 2x recently and will be continuing to order regularly. My diet has changed a lot since I used to go to the old location, but luckily PGA has plenty of options for gluten free, dairy free, vegan. I love their emphasis on fresh local produce and the fact that they have their own farm is next level legit. Recently I ordered - the chopped salad, the beet salad, and the passion fruit chia pudding. All super healthy and delicious. I did add my own honey to the pudding which I recommend. The second time I ordered the California burger on a GF bun and fries. It was delicious. Tasted like a much fresher, more flavorful, healthier version of fast food The breakfast sandwiches are all delicious as well, i used to eat them often. This place rocks!

Michael Hansen

Taking “Good Advice” Has Never Tasted This Good I don’t usually take advice from just anyone, but when a coffee shop literally calls itself “Good Advice”, I figured I should at least give it a shot. And wow—best decision I’ve made in a long time. The coffee? Excellent. Like, “maybe I should start listening to more good advice” kind of excellent. The price? So good I actually double-checked the menu because I thought they forgot to charge me for something. The service? The kind of friendly and fast. The atmosphere? The perfect mix of cozy, cool. The location? Spot on—convenient enough that I have no excuse not to come back, which I absolutely will. Honestly, this place lives up to its name. If all advice was this good, I’d probably be a billionaire by now. But at least I’ve found my new go-to coffee spot, which is a win in my book. 6 out of 5 stars—highly recommended.

Pretty Good Advice is probably one of my favorite places downtown. They have amazing lemonade and their special flavor changes every now and then. Their bathroom is very unique, with red lighting, and the the staff are always really kind :) You can also ask for samples of their drinks, to see if you like it before buying it. Their food is also amazing, and I especially love their breakfast style sandwiches with the hash browns and eggs, and their brussel sprouts.

We had one of the best vegan burgers at this place and liked their gluten-free buns. Their fries were yummy and surprisingly big portions. Friends of ours had sandwiches and were also very satisfied. The available seating spaces are limited, but we could find enough seats for a group of nine.

Loved it!! Had the brie apple sandwich and garlic fries. Yum! It's nice to have a vegetarian place for a change, and they knocked it out of the park with the quality of their food. My son is a picky eater and loved the kids burger too. Prices are not bad either. Totally worth it!

Lavi Chen

Pretty Good Advice is probably one of my favorite places downtown. They have amazing lemonade and their special flavor changes every now and then. Their bathroom is very unique, with red lighting, and the the staff are always really kind :) You can also ask for samples of their drinks, to see if you like it before buying it. Their food is also amazing, and I especially love their breakfast style sandwiches with the hash browns and eggs, and their brussel sprouts.

Robert S

We had one of the best vegan burgers at this place and liked their gluten-free buns. Their fries were yummy and surprisingly big portions. Friends of ours had sandwiches and were also very satisfied. The available seating spaces are limited, but we could find enough seats for a group of nine.

Devin Runneals

Loved it!! Had the brie apple sandwich and garlic fries. Yum! It's nice to have a vegetarian place for a change, and they knocked it out of the park with the quality of their food. My son is a picky eater and loved the kids burger too. Prices are not bad either. Totally worth it!

d this sandwich spot recently and honestly it did not disappoint. We ordered three sandwiches which were Spicy Boy 2.0, The Final Meltdown, and Pesto and Focaccia. I personally loved Spicy Boy and The Final Meltdown the most. They were packed with flavor and felt very satisfying. That said, all three sandwiches were really good, so there was nothing to complain about. One thing I really liked is how vast their sandwich options are. Literally everything on the menu sounds delicious, which made it so hard to decide. It took us a while to place our order, but we were definitely not let down by our choices, so that struggle was worth it. These are quality sandwiches and you can tell care goes into making them. The prices are reasonable too, especially for the portion size and quality. This is a great place for a quick grab and go bite. The spot itself is quite small with limited seating, so it is not somewhere you would sit for long. We also tried the iced caramel coconut coffee, which I was not a fan of, and a lemonade. I would absolutely come back here for the sandwiches though and would recommend it to anyone craving a good sandwich.

I am delighted by my experience. I walked up right to the cashier without a line on a Saturday night around 5pm. Food came out in an expected amount of time. My toddler's bean patty with vegan cheese on the vegan brioche bun was spectacular. Idk what they're doing with those black bean patties but they need to tell the world. That's what I should have had. My tofu bahn mi was average. My husband had the pesto focaccia whatever and he probably would have preferred dead animal BUT NOT TODAY. Happy to have this place as an option.

Got excited to see another Veg place in Santa Cruz downtown. Ordered Cheese burger, Final Meltdown and Sweet Potato fries served with a unique Banana ketchup (see pic). Very creative and tasty food. Mandarin juice is so fresh and tiny mandarins come with it. First time tried food here, will go back again. Update- Tried few other like spicy boy ( options egg is replaced with tofu) ain’t chicken burger with fries. They all tasted great. Highly recommend spicy boy served with delicious sauces.

Delicious vegetarian and vegan sandwiches, friendly staff, and good vibes — what more can you ask for? I’m constantly on the hunt for good plant-based fast casual meals, and Pretty Good Advice perfectly fulfilled that craving. I got one of their recommended classics, the Final Meltdown, which features a fried egg, mushrooms, cheese, and a hashbrown between two slices of ciabatta. I’m completely obsessed — the sandwich has mild breakfast sandwich vibes, but feels hearty and really substantial. It’s especially tasty with a splash of hot sauce or more of their vegan sandwich sauce (which I couldn’t tell you what’s in it, but I adored it). My partner got their spicy vegan chicken sandwich, which was beautifully crispy and flavorful. My favorite thing, randomly, was their green bean salad. It was super lemony and garlicky, and I loved how snappy and fresh the beans were; it was a wonderfully crunchy and refreshing way to break up the sandwiches.

VIX

d this sandwich spot recently and honestly it did not disappoint. We ordered three sandwiches which were Spicy Boy 2.0, The Final Meltdown, and Pesto and Focaccia. I personally loved Spicy Boy and The Final Meltdown the most. They were packed with flavor and felt very satisfying. That said, all three sandwiches were really good, so there was nothing to complain about. One thing I really liked is how vast their sandwich options are. Literally everything on the menu sounds delicious, which made it so hard to decide. It took us a while to place our order, but we were definitely not let down by our choices, so that struggle was worth it. These are quality sandwiches and you can tell care goes into making them. The prices are reasonable too, especially for the portion size and quality. This is a great place for a quick grab and go bite. The spot itself is quite small with limited seating, so it is not somewhere you would sit for long. We also tried the iced caramel coconut coffee, which I was not a fan of, and a lemonade. I would absolutely come back here for the sandwiches though and would recommend it to anyone craving a good sandwich.

Samantha Norried

I am delighted by my experience. I walked up right to the cashier without a line on a Saturday night around 5pm. Food came out in an expected amount of time. My toddler's bean patty with vegan cheese on the vegan brioche bun was spectacular. Idk what they're doing with those black bean patties but they need to tell the world. That's what I should have had. My tofu bahn mi was average. My husband had the pesto focaccia whatever and he probably would have preferred dead animal BUT NOT TODAY. Happy to have this place as an option.

Sonya Hu

Delicious vegetarian and vegan sandwiches, friendly staff, and good vibes — what more can you ask for? I’m constantly on the hunt for good plant-based fast casual meals, and Pretty Good Advice perfectly fulfilled that craving. I got one of their recommended classics, the Final Meltdown, which features a fried egg, mushrooms, cheese, and a hashbrown between two slices of ciabatta. I’m completely obsessed — the sandwich has mild breakfast sandwich vibes, but feels hearty and really substantial. It’s especially tasty with a splash of hot sauce or more of their vegan sandwich sauce (which I couldn’t tell you what’s in it, but I adored it). My partner got their spicy vegan chicken sandwich, which was beautifully crispy and flavorful. My favorite thing, randomly, was their green bean salad. It was super lemony and garlicky, and I loved how snappy and fresh the beans were; it was a wonderfully crunchy and refreshing way to break up the sandwiches.

Info Source

Got excited to see another Veg place in Santa Cruz downtown. Ordered Cheese burger, Final Meltdown and Sweet Potato fries served with a unique Banana ketchup (see pic). Very creative and tasty food. Mandarin juice is so fresh and tiny mandarins come with it. First time tried food here, will go back again. Update- Tried few other like spicy boy ( options egg is replaced with tofu) ain’t chicken burger with fries. They all tasted great. Highly recommend spicy boy served with delicious sauces.

Taylor G

Good vibes. Better than expected! My friend wanted meat with breakfast but caved bc I really wanted to try Pretty Good Advice—the were impressed. Spicy Boy is actually spicy and the Good Morning Deluxe was solid Would recommend to try at least once. Not sure if I’d go back.

Ordered my sandwich through GrubHub and when I went to pick it up, nobody made eye contact with me. This was a little awkward, but at this point we all expect poor service everywhere we go. I did not expect to get a hair in my sandwich when I was eating it in my car. This is beyond poor service. The staff was so awkward about just picking up my food I didn’t see much of a point in telling them about this. They would have become more awkward and probably just stared.

Julia “Julia W” Weisbrod

Ordered my sandwich through GrubHub and when I went to pick it up, nobody made eye contact with me. This was a little awkward, but at this point we all expect poor service everywhere we go. I did not expect to get a hair in my sandwich when I was eating it in my car. This is beyond poor service. The staff was so awkward about just picking up my food I didn’t see much of a point in telling them about this. They would have become more awkward and probably just stared.

Morgan Sandusky

I have celiac and this place used to be a go to for gluten free fries and other options. Not anymore! The fries now share a frier with gluten dishes. I used to get salads here too until I asked them if the nuts were gluten free and they didn’t even know. If you have an allergy, seriously be careful here because they don’t properly educate their employees on allergen safety!