Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Organic
Juice bar
Take-out
Gluten-free
Non-veg

Serves meat, vegan options available. Natural foods cafe and yogurt place with a few outlets. Menu is all-veg except for one dish. Vegans should specify when ordering. Open Mon-Sat 9:00am-9:00pm, Sun 8:00am-9:00pm.


Venue map for Active Culture
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17 Reviews

First Review by RebeccaX13

Vast

Points +315

Vegan
10 Mar 2024

Better than many all veg places

I had the huevos rancheros which is great for vegetarians and ‘chegans.’ there are bowls for strict vegans. The half order was very satisfying for about the same price as a smoothie down the street. Also free samples of frozen yogurt including vegan choices, makes good appetizers or palette cleansers. Most if not all ingredients organic!

Updated from previous review on 2024-03-10

Pros: Organic, Only one meat dish, deli not cooked on site, Free yogurt samples

VeganLion777

Points +212

Vegan
19 Feb 2024

Amazing Vegan Organic Options!

I’ve stopping by Active Culture to break the drive from Los Angeles to San Diego! I love the Big Salad and Chips with Hummus! Bonus vegan sorbet and soft serve options too!

Pros: Vegan Options!, Great Salads!, Vegan Sorbet and Soft Serve!

Cons: Not fully vegan

Kplant

Points +3984

Vegan
06 Aug 2023

Fresh food

Two options of vegan froYO. Super fudge (choco) and vanilla., if it is hot it may hit the spot. Chili was served warm-returned to heat up. Wholesome bowl was served cool(supposed to be). Asked to heat up as well. And the wholesome bowl was much better mixed in with the chili. Grassroots burger was great-my favorite of all. Though could have been hotter. I get active culture may mean something to do with low heat to keep closer to raw or keep nutrients...idk. I like food hot. Mint smoothie was awesome. Yes I ate too much food. Dining area had in and out door areas.

Updated from previous review on 2023-08-06

Pros: Smoothies 👍, Cleaner labeled vegan options, Self serv yogart

Cons: Cold food. , Yogurt is 79 cents an ounce

ChrisComstock612

Points +99

Vegan
05 Nov 2022

Great Nachos!

I had the Nachos! Excellent choice!

Pros: Friendly staff, Excellent food, Beautiful location

Cons: No cons, No cons, Not fully vegan but good enough

MConnell

Points +146

Vegan
16 Aug 2022

Stop in

This place does not mess around - good ingredients - fresh and organic. I had the vegan chili before which was great. Today I went with the Vegan Burrito - the pull the sour cream and cheese out.

Good stuff -popular place for good reason .

#veganpower


P..S Eat your vegetables Yo!

Pros: Everything can be made Vegan, Creative menu - variety

theevword

Points +674

Vegan
08 Aug 2022

A convenient spot to hit up in San Clemente

Quality ass ingredients & you’re getting what you pay for. It all tasted fresh and didn’t take forever to make. It felt good & non of it made us feel gross after. The big salad was friggen big, the vegan chili was good, and the veggie bowl slapped. The person at the register was really sweet too which is always cool when it’s in a snooty rich area. I’ll be back hotties

Updated from previous review on 2022-08-08

Pros: Lots of vegan options clearly labeled , Healthy , You could make most non vegan things vegan

MConnell

16 Aug 2022

No doubt good vibe no good looking people working and eating here.

skyecord

Points +44

Vegan
24 May 2022

Go-To spot in SC

I come here very often and always get the potato tacos (minus cheese and falafel sauce add OG sauce), or the wholesome bowl no cheese and it’s amazing!

Pros: Vegan options

mOscar2u

Points +972

Mostly Veg
11 May 2022

Active Hot Spot

Made a trip to Active Culture for lunch after my workout today. Finally set foot in the place after living in San Clemente for four years.
Located on El Camino Real at the top of Avenida Del Mar, this is one popular lunch spot!
With a full menu of bowls, burritos and burgers I settled on their Hummus Burrito. Note, the falafel sauce they add is dairy based. Luckily I asked and they substituted it for me. The meal comes with chips on the side, which was a nice add. The price was a bit much ($16.00) but I wanted to give it a try.
The burrito was a good size and filling. The flavors were good and aside from the cost I was happy with my purchase.
It should be noted that they also have soft serve yogurts with three vegan flavors to sample before purchasing. I believe they rotate the flavors.
It’s worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Updated from previous review on 2022-05-10

Pros: Location , Vegan soft serve yogurts , Didn’t see plastics.

Cons: Cost

bpics

Points +13

Vegetarian
08 Nov 2020

Must try!

I originally thought it was just a fruit bowl/yogurt type place so I was pleasantly surprised with the plentiful burrito and bowl options. I’ve ordered the nachos, burrito, and coconut shake and I must say I am very impressed. The food is very fresh and tasty! I would recommend anyone come and try!

drjohnsaddress

Points +260

Vegan
05 Sep 2020

Vegan Options in beautiful San Climente

My wife and I have recently visited San Clemente, CA, on Fridays to join a Sunrise to Sunset walking group (listed under Meetup groups on-line) who take a morning 4 mile "Wet Sand Walk" on the beach. Afterwards Linda and I go to Active Culture for Brunch. We keep going back to this place because of the friendly and efficient staff, and the outstanding Vegan Options we have discovered here. The 'Simple Salad'- pictured in the photos- has Garbanzos, Cucumber, Carrot, Sunflower Seeds, Tomato, Greens, Onion, and Sprouts- with a vegan dressing on the side. Their Bean Patty, which they will serve on vegan toast and a choice of fries or side-salad if asked, is memorable as well. This is a must stop for the hungry Animal- Free eater in a beautiful coastal community in Southern California.

Pros: Helpful Staff who understand Vegan, Vegan options available. Ask for help., San Climente- is a cute town with wonderful beach.

Cons: Parking free but limited.

ra_nash

Points +20

Vegan
16 Oct 2019

Great vegan options and very friendly service 👍🏻

Met friends from out of town for lunch. They are not vegan so it was a good choice for all of us. Beautiful day on the patio to visit. I really enjoyed my meal.

swrobel

Points +235

Vegan
27 Jul 2019

Don't go for the froyo

I had heard they had vegan froyo but the 2 flavors they had when I went were sorbet, not actual tart coconut froyo which is what I was excited for. They also don't have mochi as a topping though crispy quinoa was something interesting and different.

PierceFrauenheim

Points +84

Vegan
04 May 2019

OG sauce

The sweet nectar of the gods has been discovered by someone in this kitchen. Try it on the epic veg bur bruh. Om goodness. So pinecone! Juicy juices were good too!

Pros: OG sauce, Fresh Veggies, Service with a smile

Cons: Absolutely none

MissSmarty

Points +37

Vegan
15 Dec 2018

So Good!

I was visiting San Clemente and was referred here by a friend. I'm so glad I checked it out! In fact, it was so good I went back the next day for breakfast. Even my non-veg husband found something to like. I wish I lived closer; I'd be there all the time. Definitely would go back.

Pros: Good selection, Nice indoor/outdoor seating and patio, Lots of organic ingredients

grailee

Points +20

Vegan
10 Oct 2018

love the food and açaí bowls!

i love the environment and vibe in there. good food too!

Pros: lots of vegan options!

MarkoObradovic

Points +515

Vegan
18 Aug 2017

Café vibe with good food

I met a friend for lunch while passing through the area, had their delicious Grassroots Burger done vegan. There was a great range of people there, families, teenagers, and I think a lot of them were coming for the smoothies and bowls.

Pros: Good food, Great location, Varied Menu

RebeccaX13

Points +123

Vegan
19 May 2016

Most everything is vegan-izable

While this is not officially a vegan restaurant, it mostly is, and almost all of their dishes can be made vegan (not the frozen yogurt). They do serve eggs, but that's as meaty as it gets. Also very friendly for those who add on "gluten free" to their dietary restrictions.

I had the lentil burger and it was absolutely delicious! You can tell it was freshly made. I also had a strawberry smoothie that was, again, delicious. I was happy to see they use agave nectar instead of honey. Their shakes and smoothies are made with coconut milk, so you don't have to "substitute" for a vegan milk.

Can you tell I liked it? :)

Pros: Mostly vegan, Many gluten free options




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