Vegan-friendly
American
Fast food
Take-out
Mexican
Gluten-free
Breakfast

Longtime operating vegetarian diner offering an American food menu of veggie burgers, fries, sandwiches, Cal-Mex dishes like nachos, all-day breakfast and brunch fare. Serves milkshakes. Features weekend brunch with mimosas and vegan donut holes. Punky, funky music and decor. Reported closed, Apr 2021.


75 Reviews

First Review by TexasVegan

ShannonNeilson

Points +15

Vegetarian
13 Jul 2017

Not Gluten Free Friendly

So my Family is Vegetarian and Gluten Free. We have tried this restaurant many times but with the third time is the last time.

The service is great , the food is yummy but they but that items are not gluten free on there menu and my husband and 4 year old little girl have both had reactions.

Tonight we went there and had the onion strings it said it was vegan and Gluten Free. My little girl got bloated , horrible headache and warm right after eating the food. It was sad. Restaurants need to be clear and truthful if there food is gluten free. Because it's a medical issue sometimes.

Momyls

Points +62

Vegan
27 May 2017

Wow!

Have spent many Summers in Santa Cruz (before and with kids). As a veg eating on the Boardwalk has always been challenging. Happy Cow sent my husband and I on a short walk to this amazing place. The BBQ chicken ranch sandwich is yum!!!! Relaxed, comfortable environment and friendly wait staff :)

Pros: menu variety, relaxed environment , convenient location

CapybaRus

Points +308

Vegan
19 Feb 2017

Cool diner

We had vegan breakfas burritos, a side of fruit and a mint ice cream sundae (yeah I had ice cream for breakfast so what). The food was great, the service was friendly, the décor is really cool.

The menu is all veggie with maybe 14 vegan and some extra veganizable things brining it up to 13 vegan. Noteworthy dishes include vegan pancakes, vegan ice cream and vegan milkshakes (!!)

Pros: Vegan ice cream sundae!!, Appropriate (not overwhelming) portions

Cons: Would've liked to see more vegan things on the men

erbavore9

Points +246

Vegan
03 Nov 2016

Good food, fun atmosphere

This is a not one of the fun restaurants in town. Just good people who work there.

The food is a bit greasy and not the best quality, but fun to eat.
On the other hand. The vegan ice cream is the best on the market from any supplier, anywhere. Plus they make their own coconut whipped topping.

Pros: Fun Atmosphere, Good Parking, Vegan Ice Cream

Cons: A little greasy, A little pricey

EmilePerron

Points +109

Vegan
31 May 2016

Delicious food and a nice menu

I had the BBQ pulled "chicken" burger and was scared about the chicken: it seemed so... real. The burger was great, so were the french fries and oh, I also had the vegan sundae. It was overall way too much food for one person, but I still ate it all and it was delicious. Good service, too! I'll be going back there a few times for sure.

Pros: Good selection of vegan meals/desserts and drinks, Good service

maymusic

Points +259

Vegan
31 Dec 2015

Amazing Dinner.. Came back for Breakfast!!

EXCELLENT diner-style food!! Had their vegan BBQ Ranch Chikn Burger with fries and chocolate milkshake with mint & chips... So delicious!! My non-veg friends loved their shakes and food as well (they had the grilled cheese and Thai wrap).

My husband and I loved it so much that we came back for Breakfast the next morn. Had their vegan breakfast burrito with soyrizo and the combo with pancakes, tofu scramble, tempeh bacon, & veg sausage. It totally hit the spot for a good standard American breakfast.

* Service is super friendly
* They allow dogs on the patio

Pros: the

StevieSurf

Points +1895

Vegan
28 Dec 2015

Super comfy vegan food

This has been a long time favourite for a lot of folk I know.
Great vibe to the place. Good range of veggie items and decent enough for vegans. Certainly worth your time for some comfort food

Pros: Good vegan options , Diner style food, Great decor

Cons: Needs morvegan items

akmcclel

Points +13

Vegetarian
01 Dec 2015

Great food, great music.

Came here because of the Groupon deal, was well worth it. Sandwiches were great and the vegan milkshake was to die for. Make sure to get the Groupon otherwise food is a little pricey.

Katbarry1

Points +30

Vegan
25 Oct 2015

Huge Disappointment

I was excited to try this veggie spot after reading several great reviews on Happy Cow. My friend and I are on a road trip from LA to San Francisco, so Santa Cruz is a great spot to stop for lunch between Carmel and San Fran on the final leg of the trip.

We should have know that things were sub par when we went to wash our hands and the bathrooms were disgusting. We almost left, but our server finally came over.

Menu options were uninspired and generic. My salad looked great, but was really just ok. The server was completely clueless about the menu and when I asked his suggestions, it was as though he hadn't eaten anything there.

My friend got the vegan breakfast burrito and while the menu listed several items inside the burrito, when it arrived it was just filled with tofu scramble. No veggies or anything. It was just very boring and bland.

The whole place was filthy and now we just feel gross. This experience was a big let down.

Cons: filthy, bad service, uninspired menu.

steveveg

Points +2186

Vegan
12 Oct 2015

Delightful

Saturn Cafe is a delightful restaurant. It is decorated in a retro sci-fi style. The food is great as well. I had the vegan BBQ ranch chicken burger plus a cupcake. The cafe is well worth a visit.

Alysoun Mahoney

Points +835

Vegan
24 Apr 2015

Loved it in 1979, still love it now!

I admit I'm biased. Saturn Cafe opened near my houseful of UCSC students in 1979 - and quickly became our favorite. Visiting now 36 years later, I still love Saturn Cafe for its vegan-friendliness and everything else. Today I had the vegan breakfast burrito with tofu spread and other yummy stuff, and hibiscus cooler from the original recipe. Plus there was a special - free vegan muffin and coffee with breakfast order. All this for $12. Everything about the place is fun - each table has a unique retro tchotchke collage under glass, and the restrooms are marked "robots" and "aliens" (back in the day, it was "us" and "them"). My waiter was super friendly and helpful - and also vegan himself (of course).
Updated from previous review on Friday April 24, 2015

Updated from previous review on Friday April 24, 2015

Pros: Delicious vegan food, Great value, Fun environment and nice staff

Cons: Wish it opened earlier for breakfast.

mevori

Points +26

Vegan
12 Nov 2014

surprisingly great

We arrived there thanks to HappyCow after visiting the wharf in Santa Cruz with 3 kids and the place is really awesome. Great vegan options inc. many vegan hamburgers, salads, soup, sandwiches, kids menu, and for desert: vegan cupcake with cream that my kids loved obviously!
Also great service and cool atmosphere

Lisa

Points +387

Vegan
27 Jun 2014

A very welcome surprise!

I stumbled in here on my way to a hike. They decor is funky with a space theme (hence Saturn Cafe!) I wanted something in the middle of healthy and delicious, so I ordered the BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad. I honestly wasn't expecting anything spectacular but I was totally mistaken! This salad was incredible! The chicken was some kind of shredded fake and the sauce was delicious. It also had crispy onions and lots of veggies, so it was exactly what I was looking for! I was just passing through unfortunately, otherwise this would be a regular!

Pros: Delicious food, Fun decor, Friendly staff

Cons: None

H

Points +600

Vegetarian
15 Apr 2014

Tasty Americana

Real yummy food and friendly staff. Groovy decor. A bit pricey for me (I can eat a lot), but their prices are fairly comparable to most joints tat serve this style of food. The vegan BBQ ranch chicken burger was bomb!

Pros: tasty, friendly, groovy

Cons: 1 meal didn't satisfy me (6' dude)

Jolis

Points +20

Vegan
01 Apr 2014

Fantastic vegan burgers!

This dinner is fabulous, a must in Santa Cruz!

Pros: The fries was delicious and so was the burgers! , Great service! , Cozy!

Cons: Nothing.

HeyJudeOregon

Points +126

Vegan
16 Mar 2014

Delicious, Huge Selection, Huge Portions

Something for everyone here, many vegan choices,some healthy, some deep fried unhealthy like onion rings, fries, taquitos, so choose carefully for health. They use all brand of faux meats including Gardein, Beyond Meat, Quorn (not vegan).

Pros: Big Selection, Big Portions

Cons: A lot of fried foods, Slow service

CarleneParrish

Points +49

Vegan
25 Jan 2014

Loved it

We rolled into town after dark and we were really hungry. Fortunately we had someone recommend Saturn Café. We loved it! Vegan taquitos?!! Seriously?!! They were incredible. The prices were great, the service was good, and everyone with us (5 of us in all) loved their dinner.

Pros: Extensive menu, Well priced, Great food

Cons: All good; nothing bad

Sabino

Points +44

Vegetarian
16 Dec 2013

very good

I really enjoyed my time at Saturn cafe. I was there with 3 non vegetarian friends, and they also enjoyed themselves.
The food was good, the beer was great and the desert from another planet. I really liked all the vegan options.
I would recommend the chicken burgers, they were better than the normal ones.
Updated from previous review on Monday December 16, 2013

Pros: good atmosphere, good food, vegan options

Cons: staff very slow




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