Veg on the Edge

Come here for some amazing west African vegan cuisine! 5 stars for the food and service. Love this place and will definitely come back. When we are in the area. I got the grilled pepper plantains (which are to die for!) and the beyond meat bbq burger. Very unique flavors with quality and special seasonings and sauces. Doesn’t taste like any beyond burger I have had before! 🎉 the menu was great they had lots of options and would be a great place to take non vegans as well. Keep it up.

I got the pumpkin seed stew with suya, and a side of cassava fries, and everything was absolutely delicious!!! The stew and suya were very flavorful and well spiced without being (hot) spicy. The service was great too. I can't wait to go back and try the other menu items!

If you follow my reviews you know how much I adore capsaicin. You get it in spades with the Obe Ata soup, along with a lot of antioxidant-rich black pepper adding to the hot factor. I opted for added tofu and jackfruit for a unique and very pleasing meal. Grab the tofu if you are looking for a bump in your protein levels. The jackfruit is a must if you are looking for added texture and flavor. asking for the green pepper sauce for the tofu and jackfruit. Also add to the bowl's liveliness.

This spot is a hidden gem. It's self-service, the prices are affordable, quality is well above average and the portions are amazing. The Beyond Burger I had was grilled nicely and was topped with bbq jackfruit and fresh onions. I also ordered the cassava fries, and although there were only 5, they were thicker than usual and hot out of the fryer. Altogether this meal was 🔥.

I went here almost 3 years ago now when I visited Santa Cruz to visit my cousins. I was very unsure about Vegan food at the time because I am a meat eater, but to my surprise the food was absolutely delicious! I could not even tell that the burger was a beyond burger and not meat and that the cheese wasn't made with dairy. I also got the plantains and the cassava fries and while I didn't like the plantains due to their texture because of my sensory issues, I loved the cassava fries! I even got to see behind the counter and how things were prepared. The food represents Akindele's African culture mixed with his home here in America. It's friendly to all, including pups! Akindele does an amazing job and treats his staff as family. I highly recommend going and trying his delicious food, even if you're unsure about Vegan food like I was! Will definitely get more food from here again when in town to visit!

If you’re getting food at Abbott square, you’ve gotta give Veg On The Edge a try m! Their peanut stew (along with the sides of kale salad and rice) is fantastic! It’s got a wonderful comfort food flavor that’s salty, savory, and a little sweet (from the peanut)

Very high quality food and the owner was extremely accommodating for our needs and requests. Highly recommended!!

Excellent service and absolutely delicious vegan food! Akindele is absolutely a wonderful man and so polite! I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! I look forward to the next time I get to try his food!

Holy smokes! Love this place!! The guy is so, so kind, the food amazing (pumpkin stew and plantains), the courtyard is really pleasant outdoor seating away from cars. Will be back next week. Highly recommend, really impressed. Good value for money too. Even has all-day breakfast options.

Everything was incredibly delicious!! We got the west African peanut stew, the beyond steak wrap, and the plantains. The green sauce on the wrap and side salad tastes amazing. You can taste the freshness of the ingredients, tastes 100% homemade from scratch. Not greasy or heavy on the stomach. Loved it so much. Highly recommend!

We were impressed by the variety of vegan dishes. Our meals were very tasty and full of flavor. The gentleman who prepared our order was very nice. You can tell he genuinely wants to make your meal a great experience. We went back the next day to try out different delicious dishes—highly recommended.

Great flavor. Well balanced veggies with peanut stew. Chef offered me samples first. Great service, great food!

This guy is my favourite vegan spot in Santa Cruz, because he's so friendly every single time, and his food is like home-cooked meals when I am craving something tasty and I'm out and about. It's not easy being vegan and gluten-free in Santa Cruz, surprisingly enough, and this is a wonderful option! Their wraps and stews are all very yummy! I'm working my way through the menu. I tried the pumpkin stew last time, because it was cold. I love, love, LOVE his cassava fries while walking down the street. I really like his wraps and the suya is SO good. It's in the museum lot downtown, which makes it a bit loud but great for people need a quick bite, frankly. It's inside with a bunch of other options so no one has to complain about lacking meat, dairy, or vegetables. There's usually free entertainment as well, if you're looking to mix and mingle.

I’ve been vegan for about 10 years and this is in my top 5 places easily. The food here is seasoned to perfection and is freaking yummy. Prices are very affordable especially for a vegan restaurant. Will be back!! ❤️❤️❤️

This little restaurant located in the food market downtown had some absolutely amazing vegan food! We tried the peanut soup, plantains, and suya mushroom burger. The staff were very friendly and the vibe was great. We sat near the restaurant, but you could easily sit outside or in any location within the market. The market had live music, which was so fun. The food was delicious and full of so many different flavors. We loved everything about eating here!

I found this place on the Happy Cow App. This place is located inside a food court. And nearby is a parking garage with reasonable rates and electric car chargers. The restaurant has a place for you to place a contactless order through a touchscreen. It was really easy to put comments on it too like "no cilantro". I chose to go with the African peanut stew. It came out very quickly and was delicious! The tofu had a perfect texture and flavor on the side. That may be the best tofu I have ever eaten. The stew is smokey and tastes like a lot of paprika. It is not spicy hot, but it has a very spiced flavor. It's delicious and I highly recommend it. It came with a side of brown rice and salad as well and that was very good. When the food is ready they call your name - there is no table service in the food court. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I thought it wasn't going to be enough food, but halfway through it I was feeling very full. I highly recommend eating here. The drink selection is small, but it is a food court so you can find something to drink very close by.

The best vegan food in Santa Cruz and also the most flavorful. Located inside the Abott Square marketplace, its a fairly new vegan place offering wraps, burgers, tacos and stews that are all vegan with tofu, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato as their main ingredients. The Suya which is another term for spiced shitake mushroom is an explosion of spices. The owner was kind to have us taste some of the filling and stews to help decide what to order. There is limited seating inside, but lots outside on the square for bigger groups. Be sure to try this place when visiting Santa Cruz.

The Veg Edge was exactly what we needed! A super healthy restaurant with food that is delicious and filling for a reasonable price. We were able to meet the owner’s son and he gave us a great experience at this shop. We loved how the dishes were authentic West African and had vegan ingredients. We can’t wait to come back and try more of the items on the menu!

Tasty all-vegan food in a local food court. The tacos were quite tasty, and the peanut stew was very filling and full of flavor, if a bit unbalanced (very rich and earthy but could have used some cilantro or lemon juice to balance it out). But good, healthy, creative fare.

I ordered their Suya burger. It was very well made, and the touch of spicy mushrooms added a lot of flavor. Definitely recommend anyone who likes to try a simple yet delicious vegan burger. The restaurant itself is located among many other restaurants and bars with a central seating location to enjoy the music during weekends. Absolutely ❤️ it!

Great vegan and vegetarian options, but tasty enough that everyone will be happy! The food was so good. Very savory and filling with interesting flavors not found elsewhere in SLO. I got the Cassava fries and taco, my friend got the Peanut Stew. We both loved everything! The owner is super nice as well.

Idah Corfitzen

I’ve been vegan for about 10 years and this is in my top 5 places easily. The food here is seasoned to perfection and is freaking yummy. Prices are very affordable especially for a vegan restaurant. Will be back!! ❤️❤️❤️

Nathaniel Legg

This little restaurant located in the food market downtown had some absolutely amazing vegan food! We tried the peanut soup, plantains, and suya mushroom burger. The staff were very friendly and the vibe was great. We sat near the restaurant, but you could easily sit outside or in any location within the market. The market had live music, which was so fun. The food was delicious and full of so many different flavors. We loved everything about eating here!

Chloe (Artemis)

I found this place on the Happy Cow App. This place is located inside a food court. And nearby is a parking garage with reasonable rates and electric car chargers. The restaurant has a place for you to place a contactless order through a touchscreen. It was really easy to put comments on it too like "no cilantro". I chose to go with the African peanut stew. It came out very quickly and was delicious! The tofu had a perfect texture and flavor on the side. That may be the best tofu I have ever eaten. The stew is smokey and tastes like a lot of paprika. It is not spicy hot, but it has a very spiced flavor. It's delicious and I highly recommend it. It came with a side of brown rice and salad as well and that was very good. When the food is ready they call your name - there is no table service in the food court. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach. I thought it wasn't going to be enough food, but halfway through it I was feeling very full. I highly recommend eating here. The drink selection is small, but it is a food court so you can find something to drink very close by.

Rexety

The best vegan food in Santa Cruz and also the most flavorful. Located inside the Abott Square marketplace, its a fairly new vegan place offering wraps, burgers, tacos and stews that are all vegan with tofu, shitake mushrooms and sweet potato as their main ingredients. The Suya which is another term for spiced shitake mushroom is an explosion of spices. The owner was kind to have us taste some of the filling and stews to help decide what to order. There is limited seating inside, but lots outside on the square for bigger groups. Be sure to try this place when visiting Santa Cruz.

Owen Schwaegerle

The Veg Edge was exactly what we needed! A super healthy restaurant with food that is delicious and filling for a reasonable price. We were able to meet the owner’s son and he gave us a great experience at this shop. We loved how the dishes were authentic West African and had vegan ingredients. We can’t wait to come back and try more of the items on the menu!

Forrest McKinney

Tasty all-vegan food in a local food court. The tacos were quite tasty, and the peanut stew was very filling and full of flavor, if a bit unbalanced (very rich and earthy but could have used some cilantro or lemon juice to balance it out). But good, healthy, creative fare.

Vikram Parmar

I ordered their Suya burger. It was very well made, and the touch of spicy mushrooms added a lot of flavor. Definitely recommend anyone who likes to try a simple yet delicious vegan burger. The restaurant itself is located among many other restaurants and bars with a central seating location to enjoy the music during weekends. Absolutely ❤️ it!

E Lucas

Great vegan and vegetarian options, but tasty enough that everyone will be happy! The food was so good. Very savory and filling with interesting flavors not found elsewhere in SLO. I got the Cassava fries and taco, my friend got the Peanut Stew. We both loved everything! The owner is super nice as well.

R. E. X. (IG: #bushidobites)

This spot is a hidden gem. It's self-service, the prices are affordable, quality is well above average and the portions are amazing. The Beyond Burger I had was grilled nicely and was topped with bbq jackfruit and fresh onions. I also ordered the cassava fries, and although there were only 5, they were thicker than usual and hot out of the fryer. Altogether this meal was 🔥.

My favorite restaurant in all of Santa Cruz. So nutritious and easy to enjoy the wraps, and the egusi stew opened my eyes to a wonderful format and flavor profile.

This place is an absolute gem! The service is super quick and the food is incredible - a culinary adventure like no other! Have you ever tried their sweet potato fries? They are seriously the best I’ve ever had! And the owner is super friendly and welcoming. This place is a foodie’s paradise!

We love Veg on the Edge! We live locally so we’ve tried all the local restaurants and Veg on the Edge consistently has the best tasting healthy, filling meals. I found out that they consulted a dietician when they were developing the menu to be sure that every meal was nourishing. So good! Best sweet potato fries in town and the shitake suya bowl is delicious! The owner has brought something very special into the community.

The beyond steak wrap is the best wrap I’ve ever eaten. It comes with this creamy savory green sauce that I could drink! This place is my #1 place to go to when I’m in Santa Cruz and I highly recommend as a vegetarian.

Really fresh tasty vegan food prepared by a very friendly Ethiopian fellow. Price is fair, portion is a good size. Food court atmosphere, but there's outdoor tables too.

Hands down best food I've ever eaten in my life. If I lived near by, I'd be eating here every single day. I got the Obe Egusi (Pumpkin Seed Stew) with beyond steak and it was absolutely amazing!!! I wish they had more locations, but for now, I will visit them any time I'm in Santa Cruz. The guy working there was so friendly and kind, all around I will recommend this place to everyone!

Autra Namvar

The beyond steak wrap is the best wrap I’ve ever eaten. It comes with this creamy savory green sauce that I could drink! This place is my #1 place to go to when I’m in Santa Cruz and I highly recommend as a vegetarian.

mike

Really fresh tasty vegan food prepared by a very friendly Ethiopian fellow. Price is fair, portion is a good size. Food court atmosphere, but there's outdoor tables too.

Allyson Makuch

We love Veg on the Edge! We live locally so we’ve tried all the local restaurants and Veg on the Edge consistently has the best tasting healthy, filling meals. I found out that they consulted a dietician when they were developing the menu to be sure that every meal was nourishing. So good! Best sweet potato fries in town and the shitake suya bowl is delicious! The owner has brought something very special into the community.

Jacqueline Ernst

This place is an absolute gem! The service is super quick and the food is incredible - a culinary adventure like no other! Have you ever tried their sweet potato fries? They are seriously the best I’ve ever had! And the owner is super friendly and welcoming. This place is a foodie’s paradise!

Grace Mase

We were impressed by the variety of vegan dishes. Our meals were very tasty and full of flavor. The gentleman who prepared our order was very nice. You can tell he genuinely wants to make your meal a great experience. We went back the next day to try out different delicious dishes—highly recommended.

Came here for a lunch vegetarian option. My wife got tacos and I got a bowl. The food was good but the portion size was rather small. If you are hungry, make sure to order enough.

Hard to find any faults with this place. Service was excellent! They allowed us to sample a few of the west african dishes, everything tasted nice. We ended up ordering the Obe Epa (Peanut Stew) with extra Suya, and it was perfect - full of flavor, a little rich. All the dishes looked great, we will definitely be back to try more.

Ordered several food items to kind of keep the family satiated until we could get home for dinner. Ended up getting two burgers some tacos and a pumpkin stew inspired by African cuisine. Everything was pretty good. The burgers were definitely good and the fries were great. The stew was really really delicious the tacos were good but I probably wouldn't get those again. One thing I didn't like was the gentleman making the food was not wearing gloves but besides that I would definitely go here again.

Found Obe Egusi- Pumpkin Seed Stew as the best dish I have eaten so far. Tried few others before, nothing was close to this. Avoid Plantain, gotten worst, was served totally burnt. Update - not sure if chef changed, stew is different it’s more like curry. First time tried taco and it’s simple and nice.

Alex Cuevas

Ordered several food items to kind of keep the family satiated until we could get home for dinner. Ended up getting two burgers some tacos and a pumpkin stew inspired by African cuisine. Everything was pretty good. The burgers were definitely good and the fries were great. The stew was really really delicious the tacos were good but I probably wouldn't get those again. One thing I didn't like was the gentleman making the food was not wearing gloves but besides that I would definitely go here again.

Info Source

Found Obe Egusi- Pumpkin Seed Stew as the best dish I have eaten so far. Tried few others before, nothing was close to this. Avoid Plantain, gotten worst, was served totally burnt. Update - not sure if chef changed, stew is different it’s more like curry. First time tried taco and it’s simple and nice.

Tried to order a veggie taco and said it would take over 30 minutes, so I decided on cassava fries and peppered plantains. They were out of a frozen plastic bag then reheated. $5.25 for a total of 7 fries seems steep. They were sort of crunchy but some weren't done in the middle. The peppered plantains were decent.

Too expensive. $15 for a burger and doesn’t come with a side. No reason a plant based burger should cost more than a beef burger! Not even a real restaurant the cook comes from another spot to make the food

Leonard Yearwood

Too expensive. $15 for a burger and doesn’t come with a side. No reason a plant based burger should cost more than a beef burger! Not even a real restaurant the cook comes from another spot to make the food

I want Veg on the Edge to be successful. The owner is incredibly kind. When they first opened I would have given them 5 stars. They had a red stew-type dish that was amazing that’s no longer on the menu. The problems: 1. They are out of a lot—& a lot of the time. 2. Mostly rice. 3. Case in point: Today, with their new wraps menu, my friend got the marinated tofu quinoa wrap. Exhibit A: They were out of quinoa; brown rice it is. Wrap delivered—no tofu & two dime-sized squares of red peppers (the menu leads you to believe there are all kinds of veggies in the wrap). Exhibit B: The whole wrap was brown rice. The guy even tried to front like, “there’s tofu in there.” Friend said, “I’m happy to be wrong;” opened the wrap; all contents fell out; zero tofu. So the guy took the plate and put 3 pieces of tofu on top of the now inside out wrap. This felt like an extreme version of typical Veg on the Edge. Out of items. Mostly rice. $10.25 (not including tip and tax) per wrap. 45% spinach tortilla 45% rice 10% essence and color of other vegetables or protein For the record, I had the Suya wrap and it was also mostly tortilla and rice (pic is of 1/2 the Suya wrap) I can’t wait to update this review and give them 5 stars. I would LOVE to have a decent vegetarian spot to frequent.

As a vegan family we are always looking for a new place to eat. We have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and even though they have a very limited menu, we decided to give it a try. We ordered a Malibu Burger, a western burger, french fries, potato balls, and tofu wrap. The burgers used beyond meat patties and they tasted good. The problem is but they have no ice for water so In The Heat Of Summer eating hot food and drinking warm water is not very pleasant. The other issue is that they don't carry ketchup for the french fries. When I asked about this they said it's because the food is of an African influence. Please explain how does a Malibu and western burgers fit into to this menu. I'm not complaining I'm just saying ketchup is cheap. Put a bottle of ketchup and make it possible to people please. The potato balls were yummy and the tufu wrap was a bit dry. Lastly we had to get our French fries to go because they were under cook and so they had to cook them further. All in all the food was just ok, but definitely not worth the almost $50 dollars we had to pay.

The food wasn't bad, but wouldn't repeat especially at the price. Veggie burger + taco + fries for $29. While the worker rung us up, he pulled out his phone reading his texts.. then he came back to us and said sorry. A bit odd because he took my order and then I pulled out my card and he pulled out his phone. I'm just watching him read his texts. Sanitation - Issue is not about covid, it always bugs me when workers handle the cash register then start touching the food without washing in between. Maybe normal in Santa Cruz, but both the worker and manager didn't wash their hands and touched our food. Manager literally came back from somewhere outside and started touching our burger with his bare hands. No napkins or utencils were given to us. No hand sanitizers so you want to wash your hands? The bathroom doors are locked too.

P J

As a vegan family we are always looking for a new place to eat. We have been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and even though they have a very limited menu, we decided to give it a try. We ordered a Malibu Burger, a western burger, french fries, potato balls, and tofu wrap. The burgers used beyond meat patties and they tasted good. The problem is but they have no ice for water so In The Heat Of Summer eating hot food and drinking warm water is not very pleasant. The other issue is that they don't carry ketchup for the french fries. When I asked about this they said it's because the food is of an African influence. Please explain how does a Malibu and western burgers fit into to this menu. I'm not complaining I'm just saying ketchup is cheap. Put a bottle of ketchup and make it possible to people please. The potato balls were yummy and the tufu wrap was a bit dry. Lastly we had to get our French fries to go because they were under cook and so they had to cook them further. All in all the food was just ok, but definitely not worth the almost $50 dollars we had to pay.

Kenjiro Y

The food wasn't bad, but wouldn't repeat especially at the price. Veggie burger + taco + fries for $29. While the worker rung us up, he pulled out his phone reading his texts.. then he came back to us and said sorry. A bit odd because he took my order and then I pulled out my card and he pulled out his phone. I'm just watching him read his texts. Sanitation - Issue is not about covid, it always bugs me when workers handle the cash register then start touching the food without washing in between. Maybe normal in Santa Cruz, but both the worker and manager didn't wash their hands and touched our food. Manager literally came back from somewhere outside and started touching our burger with his bare hands. No napkins or utencils were given to us. No hand sanitizers so you want to wash your hands? The bathroom doors are locked too.

We looked at the menu ahead and thought it would work well for our family. We are two vegan adults and two vegetarian kids. My husband and son were mostly a happy with their burgers, but thought it should have come with fries. Everything on the kids menu was out of stock so we ended up having to order for him at another place. My Beyond Steak bowl came out refrigerator cold. One of the kind staff members was so nice about remaking it. It was fine, but was really something I could make at home. There was rice, beans, beyond steaks, some lettuce, and a nice green sauce.

Suzanne Lewis

We looked at the menu ahead and thought it would work well for our family. We are two vegan adults and two vegetarian kids. My husband and son were mostly a happy with their burgers, but thought it should have come with fries. Everything on the kids menu was out of stock so we ended up having to order for him at another place. My Beyond Steak bowl came out refrigerator cold. One of the kind staff members was so nice about remaking it. It was fine, but was really something I could make at home. There was rice, beans, beyond steaks, some lettuce, and a nice green sauce.

Split peas and Thai sauce: what combination is that? The sauces were tasteless, the ingredients were undercooked, terrible wrap overall. The person was away from the counter and said this looks a little dry I'll add olive oil. What? The plate they gave for eat here was also such cheap plastic.

Went in for 2 salads. One regular and one was a Beet & arugla salad. I waited over 25 minutes for 2 salads. It was around 1:30pm when I went, but them being a little busy wasn't the reason for the delay. It was lack of communication. I looked over to the counter and seen 2 boxes. So I went up to the counter and asked if those boxes were mine. They stated yes, but that they were all out of Beets. They stated that they went to the store to get more and they were just waiting on them to return with the beets. That made me frustrated because I basically wasted my lunch break waiting on Beets that I didn't even get. They ended up adding Tempe on the best salad. Tempe was not good at all. Then the regular salad that I got for my co-worker didn't even have dressing on it or in the box. It looks as though they just threw the ingredients in there and boxed it up in a rush.

I ordered a gluten-free scramble bowl with Beyond Sausage, but they had run out and replaced it with Beyond Steak without telling me. I took a bite and immediately knew something was off. When I asked, they told me it was Beyond Steak but that it was gluten-free. I ate a little more before I started to feel sick. When I looked it up, I found out that Beyond Steak is not gluten-free, it’s made from wheat gluten. They did refund me, but as someone with Celiac disease, my entire day was thrown off because of this mistake. I’m sharing this as a heads-up to other gluten-free folks, and also to urge the business: please don’t swap ingredients without informing the customer, especially when it involves medical dietary restrictions.