Vegan
American
Take-out
Catering
Breakfast
Vegan restaurant with an extensive menu of breakfast selections, combination plates, salads, burgers, sandwiches, specials, and beverages. Lunch prices are moderate, dinner entrees are a bit more. Est. since the 2000s, moved here in 2010, and became fully vegan in 2013. Open Tue-Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
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1000 Main St, Belmar, New Jersey, USA, 07719
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Last update on 11 Nov 2023 by diggs1984
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127 Reviews
First Review by myboyfriendisdead
Jewlelil
Points +31
Awful - Edit
My husband and I have given Kaya's kitchen many chances because we want to be able to like their food so that we can go to a local all vegan restaurant, sadly they continually disappoint us with both their poor to mediocre service and the poor flavor quality of their food. We have tried many things off the menu and the only thing we both enjoy are the karma wings which we both admitted could be easily made at home. We have tried their entrees, sandwiches, pizzas, salads, etc. and everything is very bland and lacking in flavor. One of the things that disappoints me most concerning the entree is the side vegetables: mashed potatoes and steamed kale (this comes with ALL of their entrees which also makes no sense). I seriously think that they could be more creative with sides by adding interesting flavor profiles, yet they fail every time. We ordered a curried tempeh sandwich that is no longer on the menu and it had absolutely no flavor in it at all.
Read moreWe decided to give them one last chance by going to Sunday brunch and we both decided it was probably one of the worst meals we have ever paid for: the tofu scramble consisted of tofu heavily coated in turmeric with NOTHING else, the potatoes were mediocre but no better than you would get anywhere else at a much more reasonable price, the bacon/ham seems unnecessary as it is not very flavorful- I had the french toast which was very bland and did not have "vanilla" flavor as suggested, my husband had the buttermilk biscuit which quite honestly tasted as though it was flour and water and was stark white- really awful. If you enjoy bland food and mediocre service, then sure, go to Kaya's kitchen. If you are looking for excellent food in the area where you won't have a vegan-only experience but your food will be awesome, I suggest Via Roma and Siam Spice where they both succeed in giving food amazing flavors.
I WISH I could give them a 1 cow, unfortunately, happy cow does not allow this for vegan restaurants.
Pros: Nice Ambience, Vegan Only
Cons: Food lacking flavor, Staff seems unconcerned , Very poor food
Guest
nycvegan
Points +45
Simply Awesome Food - Edit
We stumbled into here the first time a couple of years ago while house hunting in the area and decided we needed to buy a place nearby. The food is WONDERFUL. Everything is tasty, portions are good (although the bread for sandwiches is just too LARGE) and the staff is always nice.
Read moreThe BBQ Tofu is AMAZING. This summer whenever I was surfing I'd stop by on the way home just to take an order for a takeout snack when I might otherwise have craved a cookie. Recently they've started to add some great deserts as well. My only complaint is that they don't make their incredible mashed potatoes for lunch, it is a dinner only item.
During the summer, make a reservation for weekend dinner. During the off season, go for the Sunday all you can eat meals.
Pros: Killer food, fair portions
Cons: slow service
Guest
jonpaladin
Points +121
So good - Edit
this place changed my life
Read moreGuest
passedout
Points +300
Huge Improvement From the Old Days - Edit
I went to this place back in the day when it was called Veggie Works. Back then the service was always pretty sub par, as it seemed everyone working there was a bit out of it.
Read moreSince they changed owners and changed their name to Kaya's Kitchen I saw a vast improvement in the food and service. Since they moved across the way to their bigger location a couple years back it's gotten even better.
The entrees are a little on the pricy side, so I usually go for the sandwiches here. They are huge! Excellent choices are the Thai Peanut Club, Chicken Salad, Sloppy Joe and Jerk Tofu sandwich. If I'm going to spring for an entree I usually get the peppered tempeh, it's a delicious breaded tempeh with a lemon-pepper spice. The deserts are usually hit or miss.
Keep up the great work.
Pros: Good Service, Good Food, Huge Portions
Cons: Entrees are Expensive
Guest
L.Estelle
Points +236
best place ever - Edit
Food is always yummy!!!! My favorite place. Burgers r real good. "Chicken" drum sticks r the best
Read morePros: awesome food, great variety
Cons: needs more waiters, often kept waiting long
Guest
dianec
Points +40
Great - Edit
We only had cake since we could not find Kaya's at first. The address is misleading. While the building address is correct, the entrance is around the corner and you can't see from the other street. Therefore, we missed the opportunity to eat from the menu and only had desserts. However, they were vegan and delicious. We will return
Read moreCons: hard to find
Guest
Redheaded Vegan
Points +532
Shame on Kaya's - Edit
I can't speak for the quality of the food, because I'll never get the chance to eat it. Their customer service is severely lacking. I called and spoke to the owner twice because I am getting married in Jersey (I'm a transplant to Colorado and we're coming home for the big day) and had heard good things about their food. After my first phone call, I was assured he would put together a menu and email me. After I hadn't heard from him in a week, I called back and was told, "Oh, I lost the little piece of paper that had your email address on it." I was annoyed, but things happen.
Read moreThis time I gave him my email again as well as my phone number and was promised that he would send me something that evening. Once again I have heard nothing. I certainly would not trust them to be reliable for our big day. We're doing a low-key backyard wedding, but I still need to work with people who are professional.
Again, I certainly cannot speak to the quality of their food, but based on the way I've been treated as a potential customer, I will never step foot in their restaurant.
For shame, Kaya's.
Cons: Customer Service, Reliability
Guest
onlyahuman
Points +215
Bad experience! - Edit
My experience here is that the staff is rude, the food is very overpriced, and it's subpar. The stories I've heard are far worse.
Read morePros: some vegan options
Cons: many
Guest
calead910
Points +43
Okay but they need to adjust the prices! - Edit
I had written a review but due to the attack I encountered and the private messages I incurred I've decided to delete the entire post and repost my review again.
Read moreKaya's kitchen is hit or miss...I find the service is spotty and your experience at Kaya's can take over 2 hours which is quite a long time to be eating at a restaurant. The food is decent however I will not go out of my way to visit. What bothers me most is the pretentious attitude and prices you are subjected to when entering Kaya's or when writing a review on this website. It's as though they feel they should be rewarded just because they offer cruelty-free food which at one point in time would have been rare but being vegetarian is not so much a novelty anymore. Why should we have to pay so much for the tempeh tower when it's clearly a lunch time item listed at dinner time prices? Yes, it's good but certainly not worth the price. WE are paying customers and Kaya's should be held to the same standard as any other restaurant regardless if it's vegetarian/vegan, based on service and quality. This is good for your weekend vegetarian, but for someone who isn't afraid to make seitan visiting Kaya's is like giving a donation. If you do visit I'd recommend the buffet because it's more cost effective. Stay clear visiting for lunch because the prices are too high for simple sandwiches and salads. Much love to the owners who are working on opening a bigger location, with all hope they can get people in and out in less than 2 hours. More customers + more money, lower prices?
Pros: VEGGIE, BUFFET, LOCATION
Cons: SLOW SERVICE, PRICE, TOO MUCH GARLIC AND ONION
kayaschef
It is very easy to attack a place, but please understand that this is my life, and I just spent the last two months of my life building a bigger, better, new restaurant, addressing issues and comments from over the last 5 years. I don't believe a word you say in your review, and like I said, it's easy to attack a place on this site, especially when it's closed for renovations, but I know what I am in the middle of creating is going to be a vegetarian oasis, and I hope that when I am open, that you stay far away.
Read moreGuest
DS
Points +46
Best Veggie American Restaurant in USA - Edit
We drive nearly an hour from the Trenton area to go to Kaya's, whether it be for a filling summertime breakfast or brunch or a warm, hearty dinner year-round. The wait staff has gotten to know us and provides us with very relaxed, accomodating service. There may not be burgers, but special orders don't upset the waitresses at Kaya's.
Read moreLet's start with the vegan breakfast (or brunch for the sleeping in crowd), offered from April to October on Sunday mornings. Our favorites include the biscuits and "sausage" gravy, "fried egg" tofu sandwiches with "ham" or "sausage" and Daiya Cheese (If you are not familiar with this vegan cheese, make yourself familiar with it. It is far superior to another other vegan cheese on the market), pancakes, and french toast. On a couple of occasions there have been vegan donuts available as well.
For the rest of the day and the rest of the year, be sure to enjoy the Tempallo Wings and Mississippi Ribs off of the appetizer menu; the Mock Chicken Salad, Philly, and BBQ sandiwches, Burrito Grande, Veag-Loaf, Hungarian Pierogies, Country Fried Gluten, Ole' El Paso Stew, Bird Pepper Tempeh, Acapulco Loco, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Satueed Kale, and Beer-Battered Onion rings for dinner.
Desserts change daily. We have enjoyed various cakes including Mocha in the Middle, Cherries Jubilee, Double Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, and Lemon Poppy. Vegan cookies, pies, and cheesecakes may also be available.
Fun perks include soy milk or creamer with coffee and a bread basket with vegan margarine at supper time.
Pros: breakfast foods, vegan desserts, soy milk for coffee
Cons: wish breakfast was available all the tim, wish it was closer to my house
Guest
zigriggs
Points +17
Way overpriced, over rated - Edit
Well..here I go again. I am a vegetarian for 16 years and am dying for a great vegetarian place in NJ. I would love to love Kaya's. I have eaten there 6 or 7 times..each time willing to try again. Though the food is generally good..it's not great and not worth the terrible service and the unclean conditions. For those prices you should get what you ordered, not have to reorder 2 times because the waitress "forgot." The service is rude and unprofessional with NYC prices. I have tried to like it but I am just too way offended now to try again.. go in and see for yourself. When it was Veggie Works with different owners the service was not great either but you put up with it because the food was reasonable and delicious.
Read morewebmaster
Inappropriate content from this listing has been removed for violation of HappyCow terms of use.
Read morekindlizard
Dude, you have to read the rules of posting reviews. Your review being removed is no mystery. You signed up to slam one place, and offered nothing else, a year expired w/o logging in and it got pulled. They will likely let your hostility stand here for another 365. You are only slamming them bc you think your cafe is better and it isn't, and its dirty tactics you employ w this. They don't spam your reviews to make you look bad w your frozen nonsense.
Read morekayaschef
keep it up
Read morego ahead, keep trying to bash my restaurant. better yet, try to walk in my shoes for a day and get back to me. My life is committed to providing healthy, satisfying, organic cuisine. Just because you had a bad experience @ Kaya's, give it up. I get dozens of amazing compliments TO MY FACE every day, Not some dweeb who has nothing better to do with his life that keep f'n with me. Got more to say about my restaurant? come and say it to me. my name is Omar, and I am the owner. I will gladly entertain your criticism in person.
Guest
Pancakes
Points +94
Pretty tasty food - Edit
I stopped at Kaya's Kitchen since I was in the area for business. I had the Philly Steak with a small house salad & the Grilled BBQ Soy drumsticks. Both dishes were good. Govinda's Cafe/Gourmet To Go has the best Philly cheese "steak," but that's not surprising given that Govinda's is in philly. Make sure you check their hours before you go, since they do shut between lunch and dinner.
Read morePros: portions are a good size
Cons: a bit pricey, shut between 2:30 and 5
Guest
poweredbytofu
Points +356
AMAZING! - Edit
Kayas is AMAZING. I went with my beau (who is a CARNIVORE, and LOVED it.) for Valentine's day and we got a whole bunch of stuff. Its amazing food, so delicious, and lots to choose from. Its not cheap, but definately worth it. I go once a month. Theyre really nice there, too.
Read morePros: Delicious, healthy, Friendly
Cons: Not cheap
Guest
The Vegan Snorkeler
Points +28
Best Vegan Restaurant Ever - Edit
I know those are bold words, but this is hands down my favorite restaurant. Whether you're there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the options are mind boggling (so many good choices!) and the food is fresh, organic, and perfectly delicious. Favorites include Belgian waffles, chocolate chip peanut butter pancakes, French toast, and The Jersey Devil (vegan pork roll and cheese sandwich) for breakfast; junk yard burger or Philly cheese steak for lunch; and grilled gluten steak, vegan beef enchiladas, and the Kaya's combo for dinner.
Read morePros: Excellent Food, Healthy Cuisine, Friendly Staff
Guest
HungryVegan
Points +29
mouth watering - Edit
Great food. Go for the dinner buffet and brunch. FOod is soo good.
Read morePros: yummy food, diverse menu
Cons: slow service sometimes
Guest
vin crap
Points +54
Pricey But Delicious - Edit
I had only gone to this restaurant two or three times since I've lived in Belmar. As the semester is coming to an end, I find my time to experience this cuisine again before the school year finishes is running thin. Every time I have had their food I had been pleasantly surprised by the flavors, tastes, and service. The only problem I have is the high high high price, but that's the price you pay for good food.
Read morePros: good food, good service, open year round
Cons: price, price, price
Guest
rcj
Points +13
One of the best - Edit
I'm a vegetarian who eats mostly vegan that lives 1/2 mile away from Kaya's. I try and visit them once a week, and usually order take out one day a week as well.
Read moreTo address the reviewer(s) who are claiming that the staff members are rude - I have never seen the staff there treat anyone with anything other than respect. I'd admit, sometimes the service is a little slow, but the girls who serve you are about the friendliest group of people you'll meet.
The food is excellent, and is portioned where we bring home leftovers for lunch the next day. I've been to a lot of vegan/veg places all over the US, and I consider myself fortunate to live so close to Kaya's.
Pros: Friendly, Food, Portions
Cons: None
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1144
best place in the state - Edit
These guys do a great job. It has a great feel to it. We drive a decent distance to go there if we want a really nice dinner. Some say it is expensive, which if you think of it is not actually true: it is Organic and freshly prepared, so it really isn't. It would be if they were buying their food at Walmart, but that is not the case. We have tried most things on the menu by now, there are not anything lacking. Solid place.
Read morePros: Menu, food quality, vibe
Cons: too full for dessert ;)
Guest
myboyfriendisdead
Points +108
Comforting Vegan Food! - Edit
Kaya's Kitchen offers wonderful vegan delights such as Gluten Parm and Spinach Quesadillas, not to mention their French Onion Soup is mouth watering. My advise it to get there early. They can get pretty packed and then the service is slow. On the weekends you can enjoy great music from a jazz band while having your wonderful meal!
Read moreGuest
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