Report Abuse

A Disappointment

2 Posted on 01 / 28 / 2013

We finally got to try this place out after several tries (always closed when we were in town). We were sadly disappointed. We only tried the cupcakes. Of the four we bought, only one was decent--the double chocolate. One cupcake was seriously burned and wasn't the flavor we ordered, nor the flavor the friendly woman at the counter thought it was. The others were oily and had very greasy icing. I don't see any point in going back to try anything else. We did get a couple of very nice pieces of vegan cake at People's coop a block away, so that's our choice in the neighborhood for vegan baked goods in future.

Pros: Friendly service

Report Abuse

Best Vegan food in San Diego

5 Posted on 03 / 15 / 2012

I found Stephanie's on an open search for vegan cupcakes for my sister's birthday a few years ago and was blown away. The huge variety of pastries and cakes was enough to make anyone's mouth water and water they did as everyone at her party happily ate them. I had one of their vegan sandwiches to go and fell in love right away. It takes a while to get your food but that is because EVERYTHING is made fresh to order (including the bread). They have the best vegan pizza around, even my son loved it and he is weird about everything. I am not able to make it down a lot because it is only open three days a week and in OB which I do not entirely enjoy driving too but when I can I cannot wait to order. Their chocolate dutch chocolate (or something like that) cake is to die. LOVE LOVE LOVE Stephanie's.

Pros: Great Taste, Friendly Staff, Fresh Ingrediants
Cons: Location, only open three days a week

Report Abuse

Stellar Stephanie's

4 Posted on 03 / 01 / 2012

I ordered a slice of carrot cake and a pizza. The baked goods seemed a little expensive. The cashier was very friendly.

Pros: all vegan, friendly staff, good location
Cons: overpriced

Report Abuse

It's alright

3 Posted on 01 / 24 / 2012

First off, this is a partial review as we only had two mini cupcakes here (carrot/chocolate). They were OK, a little too sweet, nothing to write home about. Regular cakes seemed a bit pricey at $7/slice, which was why we got the mini version instead since they were baked from the same batters anyway (confirmed by staff). Nice that they came in different sizes though.

Pros: cakes in different sizes
Cons: a little pricey

Report Abuse

Absolutely the best Pizza I have ever had

5 Posted on 10 / 08 / 2011

This place.....WOW!!! I could go on for hours raving after just one visit. Perfect crust, perfect sauce, perfect toppings, cooked to perfection with a ton of love & soul. Had a carrot cupcake to top off the meal and it blew my mind (and tastebuds) away.

Be warned though after eating here every other restaurant will only disappoint. I left saying "Why doesn't all food taste like this? What an amazing world it would be!" Vegan food should not taste this good, I'll be back every chance I get.

Pros: Perfection
Cons: All other food now tastes bland

Report Abuse

Yummy Pizza and cupcakes

5 Posted on 07 / 15 / 2011

I brought my niece and nephew to Stephanie's because I heard some great things about the Vegan cupcakes. They are amazing! I have tried the vanilla cupcake, the chocolate chip cookie, and the gluten free brownie all of which were delicious. I was excited when I saw pizza on the menu and we ended up ordering the Pesto, which has artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes. My niece and nephew are actually pretty picky eaters and they loved the deserts and pizza from Stephanie's. I have been here about 5 times since and the staff is always very friendly, they answer any questions I may have. I love the art on the walls and the location.

Pros: Yummy food, Vegan, Friendly

Report Abuse

Best vegan food EVER

5 Posted on 05 / 06 / 2011

I don't feel as though I really need to review this place. What else can I say when others describe Stephanies food as "orgasmic" or that they have "died and gone to vegan heaven?" Is there anything I could say that would entice you further to visit this wonderful place?
The staff is awesome, the food is to die for. I take a bite of their supreme pizza and just completely melt in my seat, moaning. (Yes, it can be an embarrassing scene but who can notice the people staring when you are in that much ecstasy). I think to myself, there can't be anything else in the world that tastes better....and then...I take a bite of the vanilla passion cake.... Oh god, just the thought of it..my mouth is watering.
Hats off to Stephanies. You found the cure to sad vegans everywhere. Never have to have bland, boring food again!

Pros: Friendly, YUM YUM YUM, Strudel, Cake, Pizza!
Cons: Hours

Report Abuse

Tasty vegan strudel

4 Posted on 04 / 16 / 2011

So my friend and I decided we wanted a light breakfast before departing San Diego and Stephanie's Bakery came up on my Happycow app, so we headed down there. I looked at their menu before we arrived and had my heart set on a sandwich. When we ordered at the counter I happened to notice something in the display case that was not on the menu, a vegan broccoli and cheese strudel. Well I've never had strudel, so I changed my order right there and it was only $3. The strudel was the perfect size for my light breakfast and was pretty tasty. I felt like I had to acquire a taste for the cheese, but after a few bites the taste didn't bother me anymore. Everything all together made for a tasty strudel and I'd certainly visit Stephanie's in the future for another one. Be sure to call ahead if you want strudel (their sign indicates you should do that).

Report Abuse

Best Vegan Pizza

5 Posted on 08 / 20 / 2010

I went to this place well before Daiya hit the market, and whatever they used made their pizza unreal and out of this world! I was seriously concerned it wasn't vegan, it was that close to real cheese. I had a bite of a few pastries and they were nothing special, but I could have gone on a day where they were selling day old or something. None the less, the pizza was outrageously good! The best pizza I've ever had vegan or not.

Pros: Best Pizza Ever, Crazy Good Pizza, Seriously, try the Pizza
Cons: A little pricey

Report Abuse

Best Pizza in San Diego & Cheesecake too

5 Posted on 07 / 26 / 2010

Stephanie's is my favorite pizza place - love the pesto pizza w/ extra cheese. The midnight chocolate cheesecake is my favorite. Love the struedels too. Have to have a mocha too. It's nice to walk into a bakery and know everything is vegan.

Report Abuse

Stephanie's is heaven on earth!

5 Posted on 05 / 31 / 2010

I am planning an all-vegan wedding in North County, and couldn't find a vegan baker in my area. I almost ended up baking all the cupcakes and cake myself! Then I stumbled upon Stephanie's, and I am so glad I did! First off, they use organic ingredients, and no animal products are ever used in their store. This is HUGE! Secondly, they have OUTSTANDING service. I came in on a Saturday afternoon and the woman who was running the front end, Rachel, was kind enough to do a cupcake tasting...without an appointment! She thoroughly explained each cupcake, the frostings, and their baking process. Rachel was kind and bubbly...truly a delight to be around. I was even introduced to their baker, Maria, who is also very nice.

Most importantly, their baked items are AMAZING. I tried their chocolate, vanilla passion-fruit, carrot cake and gluten free cupcakes. They were all amazing. I ended up ordering half carrot cake and half chocolate cupcakes, as well as a passionfruit cake with mango/cream cheese frosting. I took home a peanut butter cookie and devoured it in the car...it was literally the best peanut butter cookie I have ever tried. My mom took home a chocolate chip cookie, which was great, as well as a chocolate cupcake.We got all of this for a great price, considering the quality and the ingredients.

Stephanie's is a great business with excellent service and WONDERFUL ethics. I am glad to support them.

Pros: great service, 100% vegan, organic ingredients

Report Abuse

Up date your website

3 Posted on 03 / 20 / 2010

I went to this restaurant because of the 'hype'.
Two things, they need to up date their website and lastly, stay open later on a SATURDAY NIGHT.
7 pm on a SATURDAY? Are you kidding me?
This restaurant is only open 3 days a week during the slow months so, I was only able to get some cupcakes and nothing else.
Honestly, I thought the price for the money was way too high and it was above average.
What a downer!

Pros: Cupcake okay , Incomplete, Incomplete
Cons: Limited hours and days, Wrong information given and from the web, Overpriced

Report Abuse

Great cupcakes

4 Posted on 12 / 09 / 2009

After a huge meal at OB Peoples Co-Op we only managed a cup cake each at Stephanie's on our last full day in SD and never got the opportunity to try pizza or strudel. However I have to say that the cupcake was the best I've ever eaten and for once didn't have to worry whether the contents were suitable for vegetarians/vegans etc. Sadly we live in the UK so will have to wait a while before returning for more but we'll definitely be back.

Report Abuse

Total Foodgasm!!!!

5 Posted on 11 / 18 / 2009

Ridiculously good! OMG, orgasmic black forest strudel! Both the savories and the sweets are amazing (I usually get one of each). Ask them to heat up your strudel...that makes such a huge difference!!!!

I also tried the banana chocolate cake on my last visit and it was delish! $6 bucks per slice was kinda painful though. But worth it.

Wish I lived closer to OB...

P.S. They sometimes offer day-old strudels at a discounted price. I tried one the last time I was there (stupid recession!!) and after asking them to heat it up, I thought it tasted fine.

Pros: Vegan Strudel from Heaven!, Amazing cakes, Unique offerings
Cons: Funky hours, Steep prices

Report Abuse

Oh My God

5 Posted on 07 / 08 / 2009

We LOVE Stephanie's Bakery. We have to come here every time we are in San Diego. It's actually the first place we go. We arrive for an early lunch to have some strudel followed by a pizza. Amazing pizza! All gooey and crispy from the oven. We load up on frozen strudels to take home to LA. They are all awesome, sweet or savory, but I particularly love the black forest and samosa. We had their chocolate chocolate cake once and it was good too. If Maria helps us, we've been known to get some lovely samples from her. Yummy.

Pros: strudel, pizza, did I say strudel already?
Cons: too far away!

Report Abuse

I've died and gone to Vegan Heaven!!

5 Posted on 06 / 03 / 2009

If this place was closer to me I would be in there daily! The BEST Vegan Pizza, err, the best PIZZA ever! Vegan or no, this pizza is delicious!! The first time I tried it was at a festival in Balboa Park... "WHAT!?!?!" I practically made out with this slice of Vegan Pepperoni!! Seriously... how do they get the cheese to be so cheesy and creamy and delicious?!?!?! THEN... they gave away FREE black forest strudels at the end of the day... "Oh my friggin' gosh!" Delicious!! It might actually be a sin to eat it... in some very strict religions, in the south. Stephanie, where have you been my whole life? I've since been into the teeny little shop in OB... what I wouldn't give for a location near me in North County.... I don't think they have ANY intention of expanding and opening another store... to my dismay. The pesto pizza... YUM! I think I've tried every single one of the strudels. Spinach is definitely the best savory. Sweet... hmmm... it's a toss up... they are all so good! Oh, and the CAKES!!! MY GOD!! I'm yet to try the sandwiches... I may literally die if I do....

Pros: Pizza, Strudels, LOVE
Cons: Can take a while to make the pizza

Report Abuse

Sticky Fingers of the West Coast(?)

5 Posted on 12 / 31 / 2008

This place is so good and the staff was so friendly. I felt like they really put love into their food. I have probably only had strudel once in my life and I am pretty sure it was a disgusting grocery store kind with icing on top at that. Their strudels are amazing (they have both sweet and savory - I had two slices of savory strudel when I was there) and have inspired me to add strudel to my baked goods repertoire. I also got a slice of mango "cheesecake" to go which was the most amazing vegan cheesecake I have ever had. The strudel is a bit pricey at $3 per slice, but it is worth it! I also had an amazing chai latte while I was here. I look forward to going here again the next time I am in San Diego. They have pizzas but we didn't try any. We walked past Stephanie's mid-afternoon on the way to People's Co-Op up the street for lunch and the place was full of people eating or waiting for pizzas which looked delicious. Also, they are now open every day from 7 am to 8 pm and they do catering too. They were finishing up a wedding cake in the back when we went in for breakfast.

Pros: amazing vegan baked goods
Cons: strudel a bit pricey (but worth it)

Report Abuse

May have turned me vegan!

5 Posted on 10 / 23 / 2008

i was just a vegetarian when i first came in here but after eating their vegan pizza (they occasionally have gluten free too!!!) im sure that i could survive off only those for the rest of eternity! Sooo good, they use a great soy/tofu cheese which tastes as good or better then real cheese.
Great cakes too, also some times gluten free super great staff, try a cupcake and a cup of organic coffee to go with all the other goodies

Pros: Vegan Pizza, Gluten Free, Sandwitches

Report Abuse

Don't miss the sandwiches!

5 Posted on 09 / 20 / 2008

The Sandwiches, which are only printed on the menu are HUGE and awesome. We had the Hot Salami and the Hogi and traded halves. Both were outstanding! I suggest going with a friend and doing the same. We also couldn't resist the black forest strudel, which we inhaled, while waiting for the sammys!

Pros: sandwiches, everything

Report Abuse

hmmm...

2 Posted on 09 / 12 / 2008

food seems appetizing, but the service is horrible. been there twice and each time i've walked in, they aren't as engaging. never asked if i needed help, just looked at me. perhaps it's cause i was asian? don't know.... didn't feel welcomed at all, which turned me off from purchasing. i'm sure it's good for the vegans, but not for those just trying to see what the food's like.

Report Abuse

best vegan pizza ever

5 Posted on 08 / 24 / 2008

this place is so good. the waitresses are great, the strudel is great, and the pizza is amazing. if you are vegan and you miss going out for pizza (and, hey, what vegan doesn't, deep down?), stephanie's is unbelievable. it doesn't taste like a replica of non-vegan pizza, but has a texture and taste to itself. the crust is crisp and delicious. the soy cheese generally starts out a little runny and will take more time to cool down and solidify than it will take for you to eat it. not really a problem, and it congeals the perfect amount in the fridge if you have leftovers (something which has rarely happened to me). the biggest problem is that stephanie's runs totally irregular hours. they change their schedule so often that there have been three or four times when i've attempted to go and found them closed when they were scheduled to be open, including once on my birthday -- major bummer. this is partially because they seem to change hours so frequently. at one point they had one schedule on their menu, another on their door, and another on their website. i don't know if this has changed since i haven't lived in san diego for any length of time for over a year and a half, but it was a pretty serious problem, though if it's closed you can head over to ob co-op, which has an excellent and dirt cheap deli. despite this problem, stephanie's is so good that i am willing to forgive it entirely.

oh yeah, and they also offer cow's cheese on the pizza, even though everything else is vegan and their vegan cheese has pleased everyone i've ever eaten there with. what's up with that?

Pros: pizza!, delicious
Cons: inaccurate schedule

Report Abuse

oh. my. god.

5 Posted on 07 / 25 / 2008

I want to marry Stephanie.

had savory strudel for lunch & sweet strudel for breakfast-- both AMAZINGLY tasty. kids had vegan pizza & I stole a slice- gave me faith in vegan soy cheese again!

Pros: amazingly yummy, good location
Cons: limited hours!, sloooooooooooooow, not a lot of seating

Report Abuse

DEEElicious!!

5 Posted on 06 / 20 / 2008

I ordered a peaches and cream cake(all organic and vegan of course) for a party of 30 people. It was fabulous, everyone loved it and I am the only vegan but it was my party :)

Pros: friendly, great pizza, custom orders
Cons: only open Fri-Sun

Report Abuse

Flaky

2 Posted on 05 / 12 / 2008

My sister and I went there yesterday. I was starving and had wanted to try the goodies for so long I was excited to hear they have pizza too. We got there at about 2pm and ordered a cheese pizza with artichokes & got some other goodies. The brownie was disappointing. I'm a big brownie lover and it was more cake like and too fluffy. My sister got a brownie tart with cream on it and it was an odd combo. My brother-in-law said it had too much salt in the cream. The Tollhouse cookie bar was really great though. Unfortunately we sat on the bench inside the very hot bakery waiting for our pizza for nearly an hour. The flaky blonde girl who took our order was standing at the counter almost that entire time and never came to tell us if our pizza was ready. I waited until the other woman was done talking to some customers and asked about our pizza. She said it was right there on top of the oven and had been waiting for "quite a while". My sister said she seemed nice but was shocked that the woman did not apologize to us for making us wait. I was absolutely famished and had just spent my first Mother's Day without my mom (who died last Feb.) and I hadn't eaten all day. I was really mad. If that's the kind of flaky service Stephanie's Bakery offers then even the Tollhouse cookie bars won't get me to go back there. Plus, once we finally drove all the way back to La Mesa to eat our pizza it was rather gross. The cheese is too salty and cream-cheese like, and the pizza is as greasy as the kind we had in Junior High School that had to be toweled off. Not worth it at all!!!

Pros: Location, Prices
Cons: Bad Service, Gross Pizza, Yucky Brownies

Report Abuse

Yummy!

5 Posted on 03 / 06 / 2008

We tried just about every flavor of studel! Probably ate WAY too much - but it was well worth it! We had a wonderful breakfast in a beautiful place!

Pros: Fresh, home-made baked goods!

Report Abuse

I'm in love

5 Posted on 01 / 25 / 2008

this place was more than i ever expected. the vegan pizza is delicious and out-shined only by the strudels. not to mention the people behind the counter were incredibly nice. AND if thats not enough, its right down the road from the dog beach! i cant wait to go back.

Pros: great food, great service, great location

Report Abuse

I finally had my first vegan pizza

5 Posted on 01 / 17 / 2008

The hardest thing for me to say goodbye to since I have been vegan has been pizza. Fortunately for me while in San Diego I stumbled upon Stephanie's. At first I couldn't believe that everything they served was vegan. I mean we had a meat lover's pizza. Ironic? It was fantastic. I would recommend this gem to anyone. I

Pros: Amazing Pizza, Friendly Service, Extensive selection of pastries
Cons: $10 credit card minimum

Report Abuse

go stephanie go

4 Posted on 12 / 13 / 2007

Ireally loved the strudels!! we tried the black forest, broccoli, mushrooms and spinach. spinach was my favourite at all, with lot of tofu ricotta. i would come back to san diego just to go there. my friend (not vegan) was really impressed, especially about the black forest. the staff is really nice and cool!

Report Abuse

vegan heaven

5 Posted on 07 / 13 / 2007

I cant say enough good things about the food here, if you're in the area you have to go! The struedals are excellent and the other desserts are just as good. The cinnamon rolls on Sundays are to die for! The staff is very friendly. We had only planned on going once during our san diego vacation, but went back again before we left because the food was so good! I can't wait to make another trip to San Diego!

Pros: food, staff

Report Abuse

Vegan Yum!

5 Posted on 07 / 10 / 2007

I love the vegan strudels, esp. the spinach. My mom gets a vegan birthday cake for me every year. This year it was the most amazing German Chocolate Cake. The huge coconut flakes were so sweet and chewy.

Pros: great vegan selection, very yummy, Close to People's Co-Op
Cons: too far from OC

Report Abuse

YUMMY!!!!

5 Posted on 05 / 25 / 2007

We live in LA and consider driving down to San Diego just for the Stroudel!!!! It is sooo delish with lots of great sweet and savory flavors. This is something that vegans NEVER get to eat -- it always has diary in it so this is an absolutey unique treat.

Pros: great variety of food, unique food

Report Abuse

It's Vegan

4 Posted on 04 / 25 / 2007

Was here in April 2007. We had heard about this place, so on our way to San Diego, we made a detour and came here. The cafe was much smaller than how I had imagined. It's tiny but cute, and it smelled yummy. The glass case displayed a range of sweet and savory stroudels at $3 per piece in addition to other baked goods. My husband and I ordered a variety of the stroudels to try. What I liked about them was the crusty shell, though the jam preserve inside was so-so. The savory potato one was tasty though when I re-heated it at home. Ocean Beach seemed like a really relaxed place to hang out, and I would definitely return to try a lunch food or beverage the next time we visit SD again.

Report Abuse

Nice bakery by the beach

4 Posted on 04 / 20 / 2007

This is a cute little place within walking distance of the beach. Extremely friendly service with a wide array of items, including multiple delicious fruit pastries, muffins and drinks (from coffee to Mexican hot chocolate to chai latte). The prices are reasonable and the location is great. Only wish they had some outdoor seating!

Pros: Diverse menu, Quality food
Cons: Lack of seating

Report Abuse

meat eater likes

5 Posted on 01 / 20 / 2007

I live down the street; I am not a vegetarian or a vegan. I do not discriminate against foods of any kind, I'll try anything once. I have had a mushroom struedel as well as a blueberry, they were good. But today I stopped in and tried the "hot salami sandwich", I even ordered it fully vegan to give it a shot. Umm, YUM!!!! I couldn't believe how much I liked it, even the vegan cheese which I've never had before. It was $6, but it was HUGE. I ate half there and took the other half home for dinner. Too bad my meat eating boyfriend got to it first and loved it too! Next time I have a craving for a warm meaty marinara and cheese covered sandwich on a hot crispy baguette, I know exactly where I'm going. It was great, and even better, I don't feel so guilty about having given in to an old comfort food craving. I was full and satisfied, but did not feel heavy or weighed down at all. I can't wait to get a pizza craving now so I can go try their pizza. I'm so excited to have this new option for my unhealthy cravings. Plus it's true, the staff is always sweet, smiley and bubbly. So nice. Yay Stephanies!

Report Abuse

best Vegan pizza ever

5 Posted on 09 / 19 / 2006

Stephanie's has the best vegan pizza i have ever had. All their pastries are amazing. What really makes this place nice is their staff, especially the owner. She is always there and is very welcoming and always happy the be there. We go here alot, it's nice to have a great filling meal and have some dessert after. we can eat a big meal for 2 with $20. Their patios are also very nice and cool on those hot days, and inside is always nice and warm from the kitchen for those cooler days. I would definately recommend.

Pros: great welcoming staff, Pizza!, nice patio
Cons: nothing!