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CLOSED: Moncai Vegan
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26
Closed
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Vegan
Vegan
American
Take-out
Bakery
Offers vegan comfort food and dessert. Sunday is brunch menu only. Began as a farmers market vendor, then a retail location in 2013 on University Ave, then here in 2015. Minimum purchase required for credit card. Confirmed closed, Jun 2017.
21 Reviews
First Review by Mike Weinberg
Mike Weinberg
Points +266
Fantastic! - Edit
I joined the San Diego Vegans meetup group here for dinner Friday night and for brunch Sunday morning. The entrees are visually beautiful and abundant. The desserts are sinfully decadent. The owners and staff are warm and welcoming. Moncai Vegan is a great addition to the rapidly-growing San Diego vegan scene!
Read moreGuest
RikkiR
Points +94
So sad to see it go... - Edit
I wrote this review seven months ago on Google and am putting it up here in case Moncai Vegan makes a comeback. (From what I've read the reason why they closed was absolutely ridiculous and not because the owners wanted to or had done anything wrong!)
Read moreHands down, Moncai Vegan has become my favorite restaurant in the entire SoCal area. Not only is the building cozy and inviting with eclectic seating, good music selection, and incredibly friendly waitstaff, but the food is absolutely incredible. If you're ever in the San Diego area (or even if you're visiting LA and have the ability to take the trip down) you *must* come here.
Pictured are the Chicken Biscuit (gardein chicken with cheddar biscuit and delectably roasted root vegetables and a mouth-watering gravy) and the BTLA sandwich (bacon tempeh, baby greens, cilantro mayo, guacamole, and some sort of delicious bread) with their coconut carrot ginger soup du jour (v spicy) and the *best* donut I have ever had in my life (sorry, Donut Friend!), their orange donut (with actual orange zest).
I'm so glad we checked this place out, and you most definitely will be, too. Unless you lack taste buds or general olfactory senses. But even then your eyes will be happy (LOOK AT THAT PLATING!).
Pros: cute and cozy, absolutely phenomenal food--WOW!, waitstaff so very, very nice
Cons: it's closed and may not come back :'(
Guest
Rirye
Points +20
Amazing breakfast! - Edit
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved the food we had. My favorite was the biscuits and mushroom gravy, and his was the home fries with almond cheese. So good! I definitely recommend this place. Every bite was amazing!
Read morePros: Amazing food, Awesome service, Vegan
Cons: It got busy quick, but it's worth the wait.
Guest
tracyb
Points +20
Fun, neighborhood style cafe - Edit
Brought my vegan family of 4 here for brunch and thoroughly enjoyed our food. Started with donuts, our favorites were espresso and chocolate. Three of us got the brunch special, and one of us ordered the baked breakfast casserole--everything was delicious, and delivered quickly by very friendly staff. Looking forward to visiting again!!
Read moreGuest
Adamsonsj
Points +125
Delicious! - Edit
We went for something new. Had brunch. I loved the food. Everything was great.
Read moreDuring brunch a couple came in set up and played guitar.
Pros: great brunch, great service , 100% Vegan
Guest
Mudnotblood
Points +74
my go to resturaunt - Edit
I love moncai everything is vegan and they always have new specials to try, seating can be limited because it's a small little place but very cozy with pillows on most the chairs, pastries are great with amazing cinnamon rolls. Servers are very sweet as well, definitely give this vegan comfort food a try.
Read moreGuest
Gregpope410
Points +137
Words cannot describe how good! - Edit
Starts with the sautéed mushrooms and the brussel sprouts. Both were so good we licked the plates. The blt avocado sandwich is really good along with the pasta and black bean cakes. Desserts are so good and a great way to complete your visit. Good music and atmosphere. Definitely recommend!
Read morePros: food, music, comfortable setting
Cons: none
Guest
macoe
Points +37
Vegan comfort food - Edit
I love this place! Everything's vegan and you can get breakfast all day. They have a good balance of sweet and savory dishes, plus a dessert case stocked with donuts and other goodies. The service is generally very good. Last time I was there they were out of the daily soup but it was very late in the day for lunch and the server was so sweet about telling us, that you really couldn't fault them. The decor is rather odd/lacking but the street parking is easy.
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly staff
Guest
RWJ
Points +77
Amazing - Edit
So my boyfriend and I shared basically the entire breakfast menu. We had the roasted potatoes, the sage drop biscuits, pancakes and waffles. Everything was amazing. All of the sauces were great and the pancakes were perfect. Will definitely come back next time I'm in SD.
Read moreGuest
Aprilanne92
Points +37
Sunday brunch - Edit
Best vegan breakfast I could hope for! I highly recommend the biscuits and gravy. Their brunch plate is a ton of food and well worth it.
Read moreGuest
Sallyj
Points +40
Wonderful Food! - Edit
Wow! We were visiting San Diego from Northern CA and were so impressed with our dinner here. My husband had spaghetti and "meatballs" and I had veggie polenta. They were both great. This chef knows how to use his seasonings and ingredients to optimize flavor as well as health benefits. And for those who like sweets, they have incredible baked goods... the carrot cake is better than any I have had, vegan or not. We wish this place were next door to us, because with such reasonable prices we could eat here most nights.
Read morePros: delicious, healthy, reasonable
Guest
RedheadedR
Points +346
Sunday brunch - Edit
This meal was absolutely delicious. Tofu scramble, potatoes, tempeh bacon, biscuits with gravy, pancakes and fruit. It was a ton of food!
Read morePros: great food
Cons: cash only , small
Guest
bajatrvl656
Points +68
A Good Option - Edit
I've been to Monicai Vegan often during my travels through Northpark. Usually, I'm there around lunch and I get what's on special. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The location is nice; it's in trendy Northpark and there's lots to do. Parking is ok, you have to drive around a bit to find a suitable spot. There's a lot of wheat and gluten based products so this is a sore spot for me. I love their desserts, again most are not gluten free.
Read morePros: Daily specials, Great customer service, Nice location
Cons: Not enough gluten free options
Guest
mmamantea
Points +16
so good - Edit
I had the nachos and a cinnamon roll and my daughter had a custard filled donut. Everything was so fresh and amazing. Most take home cinnamon rolls when heated up tend to become a little dry but not this cinnamon roll. It taste fresh baked. The nachos were out of this world and I will be returning many times.
Read morePros: reasonable price
Cons: cash only
Guest
Tigra220
Points +10713
AMAZING VEGAN FOOD! - Edit
I ordered the full brunch menu, and either I was truly starving or it was the BEST brunch I have ever had. The full brunch included a vegan tofu scramble with steamed veggies like broccoli and zucchini, roasted potatoes, biscuits and gravy, maple-flavored bacon, vegan-buttery pancakes and fresh fruit.
Read moreVEGAN SCRAMBLE:
Some tofu scramble leaves a certain after taste, but not theirs. Fresh scramble and veggies con mucho sabor.
ROASTED POTATOES:
Deliciously flavored papas with peppers and onions. They tasted even better mixed in with the scramble. Very yummy!
BISCUITS & GRAVY:
Fresh southern-style biscuits with thick gravy. So good!
PANCAKES:
2 big, soft and golden brown pancakes, which came with vegan butter and syrup. Better than any IHOP or Denny's. They were like fluffy clouds of happiness in my mouth.
All of this amazing food for only $12.95. What a steal! It also came with your choice of coffee or tea, which I declined. I had called in my order so it was ready when I arrived. And I was super grateful that the employee informed me ahead of time that they were cash only, so I stopped and picked up some cash before heading in.
There was street parking, but luckily I found a spot right outside of their front door.
SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKE:
While checking out, I noticed a huge cupcake staring at me from their dessert case. When she said, "caramel," I knew it was coming with me. From the moist cake, to the to-die-for caramel icing and caramel sauce... It was definitely one of those "I can't believe it's vegan" moments.
As I was paying, I also noticed that they had an amazing special for the day: Pineapple Upside Down French Toast. I asked if it would be available the following day, but to my dismay, they're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I'll just have to make sure that my next San Diego visit spans across several of their operating days, because I can not wait to have more of this yumminess in my belly!
Pros: delicious all vegan menu, friendly staff, great prices
Cons: parking
Guest
kaseycarolyn
Points +16
Great! - Edit
Friendly staff, perfectly sized menu, and the most delicious cinnamon rolls.
Read moreGuest
stacypatel
Points +157
Nice and vegan - Edit
I took a friend here for her birthday. We enjoyed our meal, we found the food a bit bland and expensive. Great ideas, nice staff, smallish menu. Glad to have a vegan restaurant in this part of town, but hope they focus more on healthy options and more seasoning.
Read morePros: clean restaurant, friendly staff, flavored water delicious
Cons: smallish menu, food a bit bland
Guest
Ryan MTB
Points +491
Excellent Vegan Food - Edit
I ate here a couple of weeks ago and highly recommend it. I had the Chickn & Dumplings (chewy yummy dumplings) and hot chocolate (double yum!). I went back on Sunday for the Brunch with hibiscus tea- pancakes were nice and fluffy, and the entire meal was excellent. The employees and chef (owner?) are all very nice. I highly recommend Moncai Vegan.
Read morePros: Yummy food, Friendly staff, Hot Chocolate!
Guest
Silent8176
Points +31
Sunday Brunch - Edit
Came here for Father's Day and they served tofu scramble, biscuit with mushroom gravy, tempeh bacon, pancakes, fruits and veggies! It was delicious! Will definitely be going back! I gonna try their donuts!
Read moreGuest
Vegansailor
Points +49
Great food, friendly people. - Edit
Moncai Vegan is awesome. I had their Sunday brunch deal. They have nice outdoor seating with a heat lamp for those 'cold' San Diego nights. The people are friendly and knowledgable.
Read moreCons: closed on Monday and Tuesday
Guest
mutant_pie
Points +119
Very, Very Good Vegan Restaurant/Dessert Bakery - Edit
Though each days menu is limited, the food is tastey and hearty. Serving sizes were filling. The American Style comfort food is flavorful, with several contrasting flavors and textures with each meal. I had the "chicken" and dumplings and my companion had the linguini with vegetables. The plating and some fine touches indicate a level of gourmet training of the chef. We both enjoyed both meals, the appetizer of panko coated and fried zucchini, and I quite liked the house made hibiscus tea/juice drink (quite rich). Took home one of the massive cinnamon rolls. The bread part is fully baked, yet the cinnamon and icing sections remain gooey soft, with almonds adding crunch. This is the best cinnamon roll in San Diego. Not the best vegan one. The best one of any type. (The one's in the OB Co-Op (that sell out within five minutes) just lost their crown). A gluten free chocolate chip cookie was also very good. I'm looking forward to trying the brunch. BTW this is comfort food which is considerably healthier than its' non vegan counterpart, but it's not health food. (BTW I warned the folks at Casa De Luz (a now empty husk) to serve their hot food hot, repeatedly. The operators of Moncai understand that you MUST provide the basic good service standards of a meal.)
Read morePros: Excellent meals, Hot food is hot, cold food is cold!, Good and interesting dessert choices
Cons: Smallish place, Not cheap, but not expensive either, A limited selection of beverages
Guest
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