Vegan-friendly
American
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Small vegan restaurant/cafe near the water. Reported to happycow to have a fully vegan food menu, although non-vegan cheese can be added on request. Menu includes veggieburgers, bagels, sandwiches, soups, salads, and desserts. Casual bohemian artsy decor. Reported closed to HappyCow. JAN 2014 CHANGED OWNERSHIP AND NOW NAMED AHIMSA.
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340 E 4th St (at Long Beach Blvd & Elm Ave), Long Beach, California, USA, 90802
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Last update on 23 Jan 2014 by Guest
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23 Reviews
First Review by maryzaint
m@earthville
Points +9488
Great - Now called Ahimsa & under new ownership - Edit
Formerly Zephyr, the Ahimsa Vegan Cafe has a new owner since late 2013, and a new vision too.
Read moreThe food was great and made with fresh produce, most of which is reported to be organic. Apparently they've started their own organic farm nearby to supply the restaurant. They're also planning to add a juice bar in the future, which will be a welcome addition.
The "Chicken's Friend" burger was tasty, but our favorite was the Tempeh Reuben, which is one of the better such specimens we've tasted. Salads were good, too.
Service was friendly and attentive. Even though it's an order-at-the-counter place, they kept looking after us as well as most any table-service restaurant.
Recommended.
Pros: All vegan, Tasty tempeh reuben
Guest
chobesoy
Points +1044
adorable and welcoming, good for the tummy - Edit
A nice little gem in LB, the food was good, the portions were good, and my side soup was an unexpected surprise. I ordered it only because it was the soup of the day but I enjoyed it more than I expected! (black bean soup, which isn't my favorite but I licked the bowl clean and was almost full before my main dish arrived) I had the grilled tofu steak which was very nice and flavorful, complete with smokey char and a vegan A1 sauce. The other items were tasty, but admittedly not mind blowing. The place was charming and the staff was sweet, the items in the restaurant will all make a veggiehead happy, but maybe not companions who aren't as accustomed to a happy hippy joint. You may want to order a few things as well since an entree won't fill a hungry eater. This is a nice place for a bite to eat, or a casual dinner, but not to impress a first date, that is, unless the other person is a happy hippy.
Read morePros: tasty, hits the spot, reasonably priced, charming
Cons: very casual, simple
Guest
SausageMuncher
Points +64
almost - Edit
I've lived in Long Beach for about 6 years now and have eaten at Zephyr's Cafe plenty enough to write this review in my opinion.
Read moreThe atmosphere is sweet and the staff is friendly. The food? Nothing to write home about unfortunately. I've supported it over the years as it is one the VERY few vegan/veg restaurants in the LB. The majority of their dishes can be recreated with ease in your own kitchen and with more flavour for sure!
If you're coming through town check them out as I am very picky about food in general and know people that still enjoy it!
Pros: sweey atmosphere, friendly staff
Cons: simple dishes, not enough flavour
Guest
kglaguna
Points +99
Good Vegan Stop - Edit
Had the Fakin Bacon Sand...was good & plenty to eat. Locale is downtown close. You won't be overwhelmed by the service, but the food was worth it.
Read moreGuest
josmt46601
Points +194
Great Location,Atomosphere,Price,Service,and Menu! - Edit
Hello..We ate here July 29,2012.The menu....a large variety of vegan dishes;the location...close to the beach area and not in the "downtown" area;atomoshpere..it had that "bohemian-artsy" look from the 70's;price-well worth it;service-excellent.Loved it! High marks for this eatery! Joe from Oregon.
Read morePros: Food, Price, Service
Guest
laranjatomate
Points +1143
It is near the Indy Car L Beach streei circuit! - Edit
The employeesate sympathic and seem to be involved/comitted to the vegetarian cause.
Read moreThe restaurant is too close the street IndyCar circuit, so it is a good option for the race fans which visit L Beach for watching the race.
Guest
VeggieMon
Points +270
Roaches?! - Edit
Yep, roaches. I took my girlfriend here and she practically lost her head when she watched the attendant quickly try to sweep away a roach which was crossing a cutting board. Yikes.
Read moreI had visited Zephyr previous to that and the food is uninspired. Not going back after the roach incident anyway.
Cons: Dirty
Guest
alethea0623
Points +503
Not so clean - Edit
I had an open mind going to this restaurant and am truly disappointed. The food was ok. The service kind of bad. The worst though was how dirty the restaurant was. A cockroach started eating my child's sandwich that fell on the floor, the highchair was so gross that we did not use it (ironically I called the day before to hold it so you think they would have cleaned it!). Won't be going back
Read morePros: Seitan is good
Cons: Dirty, Dirty, Service
Guest
giegie
Points +82
tasty and casual - Edit
The food is always fresh and tasty. I love the seedy salad and the seitan chicken. It's really casual, order at the counter and grab a table. Everything is made to order so be prepared to wait at peak lunch time. It's the only vegan joint in Long Beach and they strive to use local, organic ingredients and are committed to animal rights and environmentalism. A business worth supporting!
Read morePros: tasty, fresh
Cons: closes at 4
Guest
TB
Points +100
LOVE Zephyr!! - Edit
I absolutely LOVE Zephyr. It has a pleasant, hip bordering on slightly hippy vibe, and great food. My personal favorite is their vegan chick'n sandwich, but really everything is great. Beautiful desserts (including cupcakes), super family-friendly, just a lovely spot. This should be your first spot on the vegan circuit of Long Beach. Now if only Zephyr would serve breakfast!
Read morePros: Awesome vegan food
Cons: None!
Guest
VegeJules
Points +25
Zephyr - Edit
Good food. It's nice to have a vegetarian/vegan restaurant in Long Beach. They use to be extremely slow but have gotten better. I don't mind slow but it's nice now that I can eat my meal the same time as the person sitting across from me. They have good soups and I like their sandwiches. I wish they had longer hours during the week.
Read moreGuest
TRaeCH
Points +384
Long Beach veggie hideaway - Edit
I thought I wrote a review for Zephyr a long time ago! It's been awhile since I ate there but I recall one of the best soups I've ever tasted. Their menu is pretty extensive for a small place and they sell at a reasonable price plus have some veggie and vegan goodies for sale. Top notch establishment!
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Soup, Good menu
Guest
jamber79
Points +376
Cool coffee house-like place - Edit
This place was cute inside. The tempeh zucchini sandwich, artichoke heart salad, and hot apple cider were all very good. My boyfriend had the b.l.t. and thought it was fantastic. They have a bookshelf of books for trade where you bring in a book you've read and take a different one, which is a really good eco-friendly idea. Only open for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, all other days for lunch only. Don't think they have breakfast, but that would be nice.
Read morePros: food, friendly service
Cons: short hours
Guest
jtct203
Points +79
Zephyr Rocks! - Edit
Very cool place... great menu, fair prices, everything made on the premises, friendly staff, cool decor and great overall vibe! Will definitely eat there again when I am back in Long Beach!
Read morePros: Good portions, Good prices, Good selection
Guest
TaniaD
Points +17
Zephyr Cafe, Long Beach, CA - Edit
My husband & I visited this cafe several times this last week as we were so happy to have found a vegetarian eatery (thanks to Happy Cow). The food was really delicious, especially the tofu bowl and the teriyaki tempeh bowl, and the cafe itself is really laid back and comfortable. Only problem we found was the short working hours (ie, closing at 4pm most days). Highly recommended.
Read morePros: excellent food, healthy food, comfortable atmosphere
Cons: short opening hours during weekdays
Guest
miss-mischief420
Points +94
Not so good - Edit
I admit, it's really hard to have a vegetarian restaurant. It's hard to have variety that keeps people coming back. I thought the menu was really poor. I had a walnut and apple salad. It took a long time to come and when it did, it was the bag of salad you buy at the grocery store with a couple of walnuts thrown on top and a sliced brown apple. They didn't even make sure the apple slices broke apart so I got a chunk of apple. The vegan rolls were fairly bland. I think this place is more concerned with making a statement about the LB breakwater than anything else.
Read morePros: Location, Healthy, Vegetaian
Cons: Service, Variety, Tasts
Guest
skymonkey
Points +131
come for the food - Edit
we were in the long beach area for a conference, but hesitated going to zephyr because of some not so great reviews. we finally visited the restaurant, and we were glad we did. the previous reviews are correct. the people working there, who are not the designated server, will not acknowledge your presence. but once the server was out to greet us, she was very friendly. it did take them a while to prepare the food, but it was very good. most of the food items are vegan. in fact, i don't think it would be very hard for them to go completely vegan. the food was healthy, fresh and delicious. we also have to give them credit for our two-year-old son ordering and nearly finishing his own dish for the first time.
Read moreGuest
CupcakesMessyFace
Points +887
Love love love it! - Edit
I've been meaning to go here for a very long time, as it's within walking distance of my house. My little sister came for a visit and we decided to try it. It had a really cool funky atmosphere- kind of like a coffee house. We both ordered the grilled cheese sandwich- mine was vegan with vegan bacon, grilled onions and avocado. my sister ordered the vegetarian style. DELISH!!! I have not stopped thinking about the sandwich since we went. I've been a vegan for 10 months and have not had a grilled cheese sandwich- and this was freaking amazing. my sister really liked hers- which is a miracle because she's very picky (and eats meat). We both liked the chips and salsa and we got dessert to go. I ordered a chocolate peanut butter vegan cake, she got a cherry pie and we brought my girlfriend (also a meat eater) a slice of the apple pie. my cake was amazing. loved it! could eat one every day. unfortunately the pie slices were teeny tiny (literally- about three bites each) and not the greatest...we wouldnt get the pie again, but the cake- yummy!!! i keep wanting to go back but they close at 4 so i can never find the time. im hooked on the grilled cheese though....
Read morePros: excellent food, cool atmosphere, variety of choices
Cons: staf a little off, seating no t so comfortable
Guest
MichelleD
Points +40
Great Pie!! - Edit
Had a rice bowl with black beans, veggies and setien. It was excellent. Staff was friendly. After my meal I had a slice of vegan cherry pie with some vegan ice cream. Hadn't had pie like that since going vegan!!!
Read moreHighly recommended.
Great location too, on a nice street.
Pros: Friendly Staff, Good Food, Great Atmosphere
Cons: Could Have been a Little Cleaner
Guest
lindas
Points +13
Not to be missed! - Edit
We ate here as a family of 4, ages ranging from 11 to 50 yrs . We all thoroughly enjoyed our different dishes & agreed it ranked among the best veggie food we've eaten. Lots of choice & very reasonably priced food & drink. If you're anywhere near Long Beach, you must visit Zephyr!
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Tasty Menu, Helpful Staff
Cons: None!
Guest
HermosaJulieJo
Points +35
Food good, Ambiance not so good... - Edit
I was really excited to find a vegetarian restaurant in Long Beach, a half-way point for me and my friend of many years to meet for lunch. I have been veg for 25+ years, and always appreciate finding more veg-friendly places. Well, the menu was ok and the food was ok, though their policy of not allowing the raw soup (which was good, by the way) to be added to an entree in exchange for the hot soup (same price on the menu--what gives??) combined with the dour emotionless way the wait staff treated us, does not make me want to return any time soon. Portobello sandwich was good.
Read morePros: Not Crowded or Noisy, Basic Veg/Vegan Food, Beer / Wine
Cons: Service w/a frown, Parking could be hard, Inflexible
Guest
juliotnunes
Points +744
Zephr - Edit
Everything is vegan except a couple things but it says it on the menu. It was really good. The pea soup was very filling and warm. Also the tempeh sandwich was really good as well along with the shish ca bob. Would go back for sure.
Read moreGuest
maryzaint
Points +35
I love this place - Edit
I go to zephr quite often, and I drag along my friends and family. The service is usually friendly, the food is basic but always tasty, and the pricing isnt too bad. The art they showcase on the walls is always different, so the'res always a different feel to the place everytime I walk in there. Only thing I dont like, it can get a bit warm in there. Ick. I would recomend this place to anyone. Even my non-veg family loves this place.
Read morePros: yummy food, decent prices, mostly vegan
Cons: too warm inside
Guest
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