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408-292-3798
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520 E Santa Clara St (at downtown), San Jose, California, USA, 95112
Vegetarian restaurant established since 1994. Features a vegan food menu with an extensive selection of Asian and international cuisine. Large dining space. Open Mon 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm, Wed-Fri 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
Categories: Vegan, American, Chinese, International, Organic, Take-out, Bakery, Catering, Vietnamese
35 Reviews
First Review by veg4life
Contributions +20
best - Edit
Best Vegan restaurant in Palo Altos Hills area. Super delicious food even for a non vegan person dining with me :-)
Contributions +26
vegan heaven - Edit
I love this place! Food is amazing!
We had the asparagus and the pad Thai
Can't wait to come back
Contributions +625
Amazing food - Edit
Vegetarian House has a huge menu with lots of options. My favorites are the Crispy Joyluck Noodles, Spicy Cha Cha (vegan shrimps), and Vegetarian Lasagna. The staff is friendly, and the portions are quite good.
Pros: Food, Staff
Contributions +64
So good! - Edit
Delicious food for great prices, friendly staff and sweet colorful space! Loved it.
Contributions +135
Delicious - Edit
Delicious food, plus they offer raw options. I love the raw nachos and hummus platter.
Pros: vegan, friendly staff, raw options
Contributions +18
Super great - Edit
The food here was absolutely amazing, full of flavor and couldn't have asked for anything better. They had such a wide variety of foods to choose from. I got the Dancing Asparagus and highly recommend it. I'm newly vegan and also tried their cheezecake out as well and it was great!
Contributions +16
amazing! - Edit
I had the mango salad - absolutely delicious and filling. I plan to come back and try the other dishes.
Contributions +37
SO GOOD - Edit
If I lived in San Jose, I would go here all the time. Their Thai Iced Tea was the best I've ever had. I also had the vegan BLT sandwich with Tempeh Bacon and OMG was it delicious. The bread was heaven. It also came with a side soup and salad - which were both SO GOOD I DREAM ABOUT IT.
Pros: Adorable - It looks like you're inside a dollhouse, All vegan!, Knowledgeable staff
Cons: It could be cheaper, but I'm not complaining
Contributions +92
Good food! - Edit
Highly recommend you try this place! Not only is this restaurant 100% vegan, they are environmentally conscious: They use solar energy, energy efficient lighting and appliances, and provide either biodegradable or compostable take-out food packaging. Oh, and the food is great! With so many options to choose from, everyone will find something they like.
Pros: Allergy labels, Friendly staff, Environmentally friendly
Contributions +35
Vegetarian House delicious - Edit
The food at Vegetarian House was fantastic. We went for my daughter's birthday. At the end of the meal the staff brought out ice cream for her. The staff was very friendly, attentive and helpful. We are training a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind. The server offered to bring her water and vegan treats. The atmosphere is a throwback to the 70's , well maintained and clean. We enjoyed the food so much we came back a few days later and placed a large order to go so we could enjoy the food over the next few days.
Pros: great staff and food
Contributions +1133
100% vegan place ! - Edit
We went for dinner on a Saturday evening.
The place was packed and we had to wait 10-15 minutes to be seated (the place is so big, I would say it can sit 70-100 people).
The restaurant can seem fancy because of the very polite waiters and you having to wait to be seated.
But surprisingly the prices are really good, I dare to say they are the same as in a fast food (except the fact that here you need to tip).
This place is also loved by non vegans. While waiting we talked to a couple that were not vegans and came here regularly to dine.
All that we ordered was delicious and fresh.
We will be back for sure.
Pros: Everything was delicious, All vegan menu, Good prices
Contributions +39
Similar to Loving Hut, good selection - Edit
I've been here a few times and have always liked the food. I take my non-vegan friends here and they enjoy it too :) The selection of food is similar to the Loving Hut. I like their pad thai and spring rolls. I think I've gotten a curry here before too. It's close to SJSU so that is good for students.
Pros: large selection of food
Contributions +32
Awesome place. - Edit
I absolutely love this place. The Gurus Curry is amazing. Their veg meat is AWESOME. Also, try getting the curry chow mien with rice noodles. Oh my, so, so good. I haven't been disappointed with anything yet!
Pros: Yummy veg meat, Excellent food, Good value
Cons: Strange atmosphere
Contributions +16
Terrific food, nice atmosphere - Edit
The criticism that this is a cult may be valid, because as others have mentioned there is a large portrait of the "Supreme Master" in the lobby, but there is no proselytizing or even religious pamphlets as far as I could see, and no TV extolling said the said master as exists in some "Loving Hut" restaurants. We ddi not feel uncomfortable in any way, except perhaps on the drive there (see below). One gets the impression that their veganism is from an religious/ethical point of view rather than purely health, but that is fine with me. The food however, is wonderful (we especially liked the "Rainbow" dish - presumably a vegan take off on a sweet & sour version of Rainbow trout complete with non-fishy delicately textured vegan protein wrapped in a seaweed skin decked with misc. vegetables and pineapple smothered in sauce). The staff are attentive without being intrusive. The neighborhood is rather sketchy however, with homeless people pushing carts and the restaurant parking lot is surrounded by a wrought iron fence with a gate that closes at 10pm IIRC. A sure sign of urban decay. However, all of the negatives are forgotten once you taste the food -- everything was good, servings were generous, and although I am not a foodie and seldom get too excited about any specific food, this place was memorably good.
Contributions +57
welcome to the vegan cult - Edit
when you first walk in there is a life size portrait of the Supreme Master... Then the staff stare at you the whole time... Thing going for this place is that the restaurant has a nice, almost "date night" feel and the food is really, really good. If you want to-go or need a doggy bag....there is a sign suggesting you bring your own. Its sad but this place actually makes vegans look bad. My 2 cow review is based on the atmosphere, if it wasn't for that very uncomfortable feeling I would give more cows for the food.
Pros: ample menu, good food, nice atmosphere
Cons: not much parking
Contributions +73
Great Place - Great Food - Edit
Was in San Jose on business and went to Vegetarian House with a friend who is not vegan. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was great - we were not rushed and the wait staff made sure to recommend some favorites and even gave us a "picture" menu to help us decide. My non-Vegan friend even said she needs to try more vegetarian/vegan restuarants!
Contributions +44
Favorite spot in San Jose - Edit
This is hands down my favorite vegan restaurant in San Jose! There are some menu items that are better than others, but for the most part, you can't go wrong with your order. I go here so often, the staff all know me and feel like friends. The menu is large, almost everything can be made gluten-free, and it's all delicious!
Pros: Delicious food, Friendly staff, Large menu
Contributions +54
really good and fun ambiance - Edit
Large menu with great choices. They are good at recommending ideas if you don't know what to choose. Just leave room for dessert. Tiramisu is so good. We had five people and shared two desserts. The restaurant itself is really worth going for just to see. it has the feeling of something religious but they don't push it more than just having a pamphlet. They also sell vegan goodies by the cash register. If in San Jose, I recommend you stop by and try it. I don't think you will be disappointed.
Pros: variety of food, decent prices, all vegan
Contributions +103
good food - Edit
Most vegetarian restaurants, especially Asian ones, tend to serve greasy and salty food. The food at Vegetarian House is tasty without the extra grease, which appeals to my health conscious attitude. We've tried the flying Buddha, wonton soup, happy BBQ, curry noodle, happy crispy rice, raw pad tai, and quinoa sushi. They were all delicious! The best part I love about this place is the variety of vegan desserts! I've had the carrot cake, key lime pie, carob mousse pie, and the tiramisu. Loved the key lime pie and the carrot cake. The other two were also very good. Can't wait to try them all! BTW, my non-vegan hubby also likes this place. :)
Pros: taste
Contributions +20
The best of the best !! - Edit
After eating at many vegetarian restaurants, I simply vote this one because is the best of the best.
From service to the foods.
The foods are perfect. They are very tasty, fresh, well-prepared and delicious!!!!
If you work in Downtown San Jose area, you must try eating at this restaurant.
From now on, I switch to vegetarian. much more healthy!!
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!!
Pros: Great foods, Many dishes to choose from, yummy desert
Cons: None
Contributions +16
Always come here when in the San Jose area - Edit
We love the food here. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is bright and friendly. I love big soups and they have a great selection of them. My favorites are the Flying Buddha and Bun Hue. And I always start with the Heavenly Salad which is as it is named. This is one of the first places we go to whenever we arrive from New York.
Pros: execellent food, friendly staff, big selection
Cons: Sumpreme Master Posters
Contributions +46
Great Food / nice setting - Edit
We came here on a Groupon deal; it was Saturday at lunchtime.
The place itself is quite nice. It has its own parking lot - nice feature in the downtown area. On the outside, it has this sort of light blue motif which initially seems kind of weird. Inside, the main dining room is nice, with good sturdy tables and colorful window glass.
The lobby area has the typical Supreme Master doodads, but that's OK. They're completely passive and you can just ignore them, or not, as you wish.
We had spring rolls, mushroom noodle soup, quinoa sushi (beautiful and tasty), and wild rice mix. and vegetable curry masala. Everything was very good.
We'll go back soon - Vegetarian House definitely deserves a place on our regular restaurants list.
Pros: good food, clean, friendly staff
1 Response
EdGauci 18 Feb 2012 - We've been to Vegetarian House a couple more times since that first visit. The latest was Valentine's Day. Discovered two things: 1) they have another whole dining room I hadn't noticed before. 2) Even so, they were packed for dinner that night. I guess Vegans can be romantic too. :)
Anyway, Vegetarian House does not disappoint. The crispy mushrooms dish was incredibly delicious. Great desserts too.
Contributions +30
Good food - Edit
This restaurant serves really good food with quite an extensive selection of items on the menu. Great service.
Pros: Great fod, friendly staff
Cons: they don't serve alcohol
Contributions +49
Amazing food, great service, quirky ambiance - Edit
I love this place. This veg restaurant has the best ambiance by far - quirky and colorful while still relaxing. There is quite a bit of information about the owner's particular beliefs but I'd rather see that stuff which talks about helping the environment, animals and people than go into a restaurant that doesn't have any info. about what you can do AFTER you're done with your meal.
The service is great as well. They are very laid back but professional. They aren't pushy or fake or overly happy. They're calm and get you the things you need in a reasonable amount of time.
The food is SO awesome. We feel so lucky to live near a place that serves such amazing vegan food. While it's not the healthiest thing on the menu, their ocean basket is insanely good. I haven't had fried shrimp since become veg over 10 years ago and their version tastes JUST like the real thing! And their exotic mushrooms taste a lot like calamari (or what I remember them tasting like way back when...)!
Their raw Spicy Thai Wrap was AMAZING and you get so much for the price. You won't think you're eating raw when you try this!
Today, we tried a slice of their tiramisu and, let me tell you, this was probably one of the most decadent, delectable desserts I have EVER HAD. I don't remember seeing it on the menu before, but, OMG, if they have it, GET IT. And get it with their coffee too - it's smooth, strong and delicious.
Obviously, I highly recommend this place. If anything, I wish they would start serving breakfast (tofu scrambles, waffles, French toast, etc.), even just one day a week because I know it would be absolutely delicious and we definitely need something like that in San Jose!
Pros: AMAZING food - everything looks good, Quirky and colorful ambiance, Calm and professional service
Cons: Wish they would start serving breakfast!
Contributions +46
Delicious, Can't Wait to Return - Edit
I only get down to San Jose about once a year, and I have seriously been craving this food ever since January, 2010! While we were staying there for a week, we ate at Vegetarian House several times.
Everything is vegan, which is absolutely delightful, it's such a freedom to be able to order everything on the menu without worry.
I had the Thai iced tea bubble tea every time. I just love that I can get a vegan Thai iced tea, and added tapioca balls is a bonus!
We had many different meals while there. The portions were large and satisfying.
My husband and I shared a huge bowl of their International House Special Soup. It was light and delicious, a classic in the style of egg-drop soup (egg free of course, but with silken tofu giving it that same sort of feel).
Twice I got their Avocado BLT, which is made with tempeh, on the most delicious bread, crusty and flakey on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.
Remembering their Fettuccine Alfonzo is making me salivate as I write this review! The alfredo sauce was the best vegan alfredo I've tasted so far. Even my husband liked it, and he didn't like alfredo sauces before he went vegan! This is definitely the first thing I'll be ordering when I go there next.
We also splurged one evening and got fried ice cream for dessert. Vegan. Fried. Ice. Cream. Seriously! It wasn't just vanilla either, it was delicious cherry chocolate ice cream! Drizzled with syrups and served with fruit. Holy Happy Cow!
The staff were extremely friendly. By the time we left for Portland at the end of our trip, they knew us quite well! As we left for the last time, one of the staff actually ran out the front door to wave goodbye as we caught our taxi! They were extremely helpful and attentive.
Yes, the restaurant is run by members of a New Religious Movement. However, they never once tell you to join their religion. The pamphlets and posters are there, but they do not force you to read them or believe them. I have never once felt pressured when visiting a restaurant run by the followers of this religion (and many vegetarian restaurants are).
Excellent food, I can't wait to go back!
Pros: Tasty Food, Western and Asian Choices, Friendly Staff
Contributions +13
Favorite Vegetarian Restaurant - Edit
I've been going here for longer than I can remember (I think about 10 years now) and I STILL think it's the best Vegetarian restaurant in the South Bay Area. Some people are turned off by the association with Master Ching Hai, but the staff has not once tried to 'convert' me. It's there if your interested but that's all.
So on to the food. I've tried just about everything on the menu so here are my recommendations of the best dishes to get:
Starter:
Tom Kha Thai Soup
Spring Rolls
Salad:
Heavenly Salad
Entree:
Tasty Glory
Kung Pao Wow
Golden Era
Mum's Stir Fry
Crispy Mushroom Delight (just scrapes in to the list; I don't order it often but I do like it)
I also had the Tofu Club sandwich one time which was decent.
They've had problems in the past with getting your food out at the right time (i.e. appetizers show up after the entree's, one entree comes then the other 10/15 minutes later, that sort of thing). I think recently they've been better about that though. I would give them 5 stars if they were a little more consistent with bringing out the dishes and if it were a little cheaper but I only say that while putting on the 'let's be like a food critic' hat.
Pros: Best Veggie Food in South Bay Area
Contributions +42
yummy, but it is a cult? - Edit
we found this place by Googling 'vegan San Jose' & were pleasantly surprised by our expereience!
GINORMOUS menu-- everyone will find something they like. We stuck to the Chinese & Thai items on the menu & everythign was tasty. Chocoalte cake was AWESOME.
we were a bit put off by all the Supreme Master propoganda...
Pros: good food, huge menu, good value
Cons: religious propoganda, slow service
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