Ben & Esthers Vegan Delicatessen in San Diego

Outstanding vegan deli! I had the Reuben and my wife the Turkey Bacon Club. THE best we have had! Everything here is vegan, including the pastries, beefless jerky, pasta salads - you name it! Prices were reasonable. While this is mostly to go they did have several tables and chairs outside. Seriously great food! Absolutely recommend this eatery!! They also have another deli in Oceanside, which we will visit soon, too!

The bagel sandwiches are amazing, especially the SE&C and veggie bagel, and I love that they have gluten-free options! The peanut butter brownie is also so, so good. B&W cookie is too sweet for us though and gluten-free scone was mid (but I appreciate that you guys make them). I just get so sad when it takes 30+ min for them to complete my order of two sandwiches whenever I order in-person. When I try to call ahead, 50% of the time no one answers. I like to order in-person or speak to someone before paying to make sure they have gf bagels left. Overall quality of service has improved a lot since they opened! The long wait times are just unfortunate. Also very pricey, but they provide a unique experience for vegans.

The person at the counter that took my order was really great and helpful. The egg, cheese, and bacon bagel is great. It was my first time trying a Knish so not sure if the mashed potato on the inside is supposed to be really dense and dry, but thats what mine tasted like. Id get the bagel sandwiches again but I couldnt recommend the Knish.

Some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. We tried the bacon egg and cheese, the lizzo, the Bensonhurst, the lox, black and white cookie, the Rugelach, and challah French toast special. We came two days out of the 3 days we spent in San Diego. Everything was 10/10. The French toast and Bensonhurst were my favorites but I have to give props to that lox, a little too saucy/oily for me to like on my bagel but by itself it’s truly extraordinary. The bagels alone really impressed us and we are New Yorkers so we know good bagels. I came for the black and white cookie and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The only thing that angers me is this place opened up right by my old apartment AFTER I moved from San Diego to the east coast… if this would have been around during my 5 years living there… mannnnn…..

Holy YUM! As a Long Island native this place made me feel right at home! Wow! I tried the Lizzo and wow! It was so good! My boyfriend got the Bensonhurst which was also yummy (more fresh and light than the Lizzo which was hot and smoldery) and the strawberry jammer was also just wow. So overall - yes. And they have a gluten free bagel which was like WOW! Very impressed. Highly recommend!

One of the few things that I have missed since going vegan was a good Reuben. Ive tried a few around the country, but Ben and Esthers had the best by a mile. Perfectly toasted marble rye, nicely grilled corned beef, and Russian dressing, not thousand Island. Theyre food is so good that my non-vegan father-in-law was raving about his BLT. The latkes were good, the cheese Danish was on point. Ben and Esthers is at the top of my list when Im back in town.

I love this place! The food is delicious! The people are so nice. Even if you arent vegan, this is a great place to get very yummy bagels. They have a good variety for breakfast and sandwiches. Definitely check them out! You wont regret it!

Absolutely in love with this place. Ill start by mentioning how awesome and nice the staff is. They were really helpful in helping me navigate my selections. Making my visit seamless and easy. As for the food, words cannot do it justice. From the flavor to the bite of the sandwich I was blown away. Everything we tried was delicious. Probably my new favorite pickles as well. Ben & Esthers is my new favorite weekend spot. I cannot get enough of that wonderful food.

We stopped by on a Saturday around 9:45 AM. There is a dedicated parking lot so parking is easy and it was not very crowded. There was only 1 party in line ahead of us. There is no indoor seating but several tables available for outdoor dining. We tried the lox sandwich on an everything bagel, Bennys brisket sandwich, New Yorker sandwich, plain bagel with cardamom pear schmear, black and white cookie, and raspberry jammer cookie. The wait for the food was not long and we thought everything tasted great. We arent vegan but wanted to try a plant based menu. Although the vegan meats were obviously not meat, we really enjoyed the sandwiches. This is quite far from where we live so we might not make the trek out there any time soon, but if you are in the area and want to try an entirely plant based menu, Ben & Esthers is worth a stop!

Definitely 100% recommend for any vegetarian or vegan. Lots of variety to choose from and amazing flavours! Going to start bringing family and friends here all the time. I tried the turkey-bacon club, the potato salad, and both pickle options. Loved everything! Even if youre not a vegetarian or vegan, its still worth checking out! Hearty, filling food and worth every penny. 💗