My nephew Anthony who only eats vegan took me there for late lunch. We ordered the vegan chow mein. My meal was delicious and filling. The atmosphere was very pleasing we ate inside. If I lived in San Diego and not Texas, I would be a regular.Sorry I was enjoying my meal so much that I didn’t take pictures.
We visited grains for lunch and enjoyed a couple vegan meals and some tasty kombucha. I had the philly cheese steak and my wife had the larb. Both had amazing flavors. We also had the tempura kale that was surprisingly light and fulfilling. The service was friendly and the place had a fun vibe.
This is a nice spot. The restaurant is bright and spacious and the service was good!Food wise, my husband was happy with his choice (Drunken Angel), but I ordered the Tom Kah Soup and was a little disappointed. It didnt taste as flavorful as the description implied and was also quite small.That being said, I would return again - Id just choose something else.
8/26/22; a spacious Thai vegetarian restaurant on Adam’s Ave in San Diego. They even carry craft beer. Had the “calamari” mushroom app which was cut into strips and came with a light lime-infused dip. On the yummy scale registers 6/10. The pad Thai was missing some ingredients as they ran out, rates 6/10. The drunken Angel pasta was the best, veggies and “meatless” chicken was 8/10. The tofu imitation meat is not as well disguised as in other places, but I would come here again.
First time here, and just started being a vegan in training. I have had the food here on door dash, and loved it. So, me and my boyfriend decided to come here in person to save money. The place is lovely, classical music playing, atmosphere is calm, and chill. Workers are amazing, and nice. Food is amazing, prices are decent, and worth it. People must come here in person instead of ordering food online. To give more support for this place cause it is amazing here! I love it. Me and my boyfriend is going to make this place our regular spot.
The food here is simply amazing. I love that its all vegan dishes at the same prices as non-vegan dishes. Out of the four dishes Ive tried (at the time of writing), I couldnt pick a favorite. Theyve all been that tasty.The best part is that Trolley Barn Park is a block away, perfect for a lunchtime picnic.
Grains was a WONDERFUL discovery we made in San Diego!!! One of the best places to experience vegan food in all over San Diego. We had the fries which had a different kind of dressing then usual, a tahini maple dressing garnished with sesame seeds. Cauliflower wings were a hit too. Crispy from outside and soft from inside with perfect amount of sauce on top. For mains we had these noodles with Tofu and greens (it was their special that day), it was MINDBLOWING!! I wish I could try all their other stuff too. I would 100% recommend this place. I gave 4 stars as I found the service to be a bit poor and rude.
I came here a couple of years ago and loved the tokyo fries so much that I couldnt wait to grab them again this weekend during a quick trip! My travel companions for both trips were not vegan, so finding a place that everyone can enjoy is always a win!
Absolutely delicious food, the Fried Oyster Mushroom Calamari was heavenly, the Stir Fried Eggplant was cooked to perfection. Cool atmosphere and fair prices makes this a restaurant I look forward to visiting again.
The food was delicious. The dinner menu was limited to a selection of 9 choices, plus a generous appetizer menu was also offered. I enjoyed my Julian Apple Pie Cider, but my husband complained that his beer tasted old. Overall a great meal.
Found this place on Uber eats and decided to risk it and order and wow do not regret it! I was craving for some vegan “wings” and found this place had some. First thing I ordered and then saw they had “popcorn chicken” needed to try it, then saw they had a vegan philly and finally the “calamari”. Ordered everything to try it. The Buffalo wings made from cauliflower are sooo gooddd. Would come here already for those alone. The popcorn chicken also cauliflower, was really good the outside texture was similar to that of regular popcorn chicken. The vegan philly was good and so was the calamari. Everything I tried was good and will be coming here for all the vegan options. If you’re vegan you need to try it and if you’re not vegan you still need to try it.
Such a great experience. Everyone, even my non-veg parents enjoyed their meals and left full and happy. Service was great and at least 3 different locals came in to offer their recommendations while we were there. The fact that there are repeat customers that come here often enough to know the menu like that speaks volumes. I liked the atmosphere. What knocked my socks off was the sauces on the edamame and my chow mein special, but also how dang crispy the onion rings were - the best any of us have had in a great long while. I will definitely plan on visiting again next time Im in town.
This cozy plant base restaurant had me and my wife very satisfied. You know when you have that good feeling when you enter restaurant? You’ll have that here. Their menu has plenty of delicious appetizers, main dishes and for my delight a lot of good beers on tap!
Top-notch atmosphere, friendly service and delicious vegan menu with gluten-free options. I got the Grains Garden, and it totally hit the spot. I can see how others have found this particular dish underwhelming, but being in the mood for healthy, tasty veggies, it was perfect for me – though a bit more tofu would’ve been welcome. Plenty more menu options (I hear the banh mi is fantastic) - wish Id found this place earlier in my visit! If I lived in SD, Id be eating here allll the time. Indoor and outdoor seating. Street parking only.
5 Stars.. I’m a Vegan. I found a great place to dine in San Diego. GRAINS….The food was great.. I ordered the Philly Cheesesteak and the Cauliflower Buffalo Wings.. The staff was friendly. I will definitely be back…
This is an amazing vegan restaurant! The staff was super friendly and food was delicious!
A really great new addition to this neighborhood. Very smart mixture of Vegan/Vegetarian and Thai food.The dishes are authentic and not pretentious. The calamari fries were delicious, light and crisp. The buffalo cauliflower was cooked perfectly and served with a unique vegan ranch. The garlic wedges we not oily and the serving sizes were generous.For mains we had tofu larb and it was perfectly dressed, citric and minty with a good sized tofu crumble. Also had the Tom Kha soup was a delicious with a balanced salty sweetness from the coconut and filled with mushrooms, onion and carrots.The ambiance is clean and open/airy. The music was a little on the classic jazzy musical side, but besides that, Id expect this place to survive better than the previous Adams Ave grill. This is more in tune to the neighborhood, even if the music wasnt.
They were very accommodating to my allergies! Great gluten free options. And the food all tasted so good!
This is solely based on experience with pick up order. I called and placed my food order and lady on phone said it will take 30 to 40 minutes. I was driving there from Coronado (appx 18 mins as navigation showed). As i reached early i went to pay. I said NO issues I just came early. Ill pay and wait outside. I was in jolly mood. This next thing might be total misunderstanding but I saw them giggling. She said your food will be ready in 5 minutes. I said sounds good and went out to wait for my time.The thing that intrigued me is why she said it will take 40 minutes. There was no line. There were 2 tables with customers and rest of the restaurant was empty.I even used Google AI feature to call and ask them about 2 people to dine in. They replied it will be 30 minutes wait. WHY? Your restaurant was so empty.Conclusion: went there because of review. Havent tasted food yet but Ill probably never go there again.Missed to say, they were giggling when I went to pick up my order at the end as well. Again, may be Co workers are just enjoying and laughing but you never know.Edited review for food:Tokyo fries 10/10. Amazing.Philly cheese sandwich was soooooo salty. Tried taking second bite and I thought its just salt between two buns. Was this on purpose or thats how salty it usually is?
Wow this was delicious! The fettucine was out of this world and the bahn mi was a unique take on the sandwich that made you stop and appreciate each bite. I went here a few years ago and had a bad experience so haven’t gone back until today and I’m glad I did. This will be a new favorite and it’s all vegan! Minus one star because it’s COVID and they didn’t offer a touch free payment.
We came here for lunch and liked everything we ordered. We couldn’t stop eating the popcorn chicken, it was crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside (definitely get this as your starter!). The garlic potato wedges were delightful as well. We also ordered the grain garden dish, which was just average for my tastes. Shared the passionfruit and orange kombucha on tap and I highly recommend it if it’s available. Excellent service! Great vegan spot!
One of the best vegan dishes i’ve ever had! - the pepper glazed “chicken strips”. The place was clean, service was decent, food was hot and fresh. Will definitely go back again on my next visit to San Diego!
I wouldnt underestimate this quaint Thai fusion restaurant, great tasting food for vegans, even if you dont consider yourself a vegan but want to enjoy a pleasant meal I would recommend this place. Get the sweet mango rice for dessert! 🥭
This place is amazing and we had such an awesome experience. The larb tofu was phenomenal and we got the stir fry eggplant and it was so delicious 😫❤️ definitely coming back again!
Food was good but wish i knew the philky came with fries because i orderes a side of wedges not knowing the philly had those fries. The kombucha was a little flat but they where so nice and switched it uo to a different one.
Ive been coming here for a few years and it NEVER disappoints! My partner and I are obsessed with the Dragon Balls. My go to is the Philly cheese sandwich. I have never had such convincing vegan cheese anywhere else in my life. This is definitely one of our favorite go to spots for lunch or dinner
Exemplary food. This is definitely my favorite place to dine when visiting San Diego. Creative vegan food, havent had a menu item that wasnt delicious. There philly sandwich is a fav.
I have been dying to try this place and it did not disappoint! Everything from the food, ambience, service and prices were exactly on point. I will definitely be returning and I am telling all my local vegans to check it out.
Been coming here for a few years and its always quality. The jackfruit tofu banh mi is delicious and a big sandwich with fries. I like the Grains Garden veggies dish too.
This restaurant is a gem! Tried the salt & pepper calamari, Buffalo cauliflower, Philly cheese steak and bahn mi sandwich. All were delicious!!
The food is amazing, such amazing flavor and so well prepared.
Absolutely LOVED this place!!!! The food was phenomenal with so many wonderful options!!!! My favorite was the soup!!! Staff was ok didnt really engage much...Will be going back in the future!
We enjoyed this place thoroughly .. ginger kombucha was great!!…Would definitely be back if in town..Keep innovating, keep it going!
I dont eat vegetarian very much but this has been a regular place I go to with a vegetarian friend. I find this place to be very good and I think that even if you arent a vegetarian you will like the food and find it satisfying
I ordered take out here, a Banh Mi sandwich that came with potato wedges. When I got home and took a bite of my sandwich I had to go online to be sure I was eating.a vegan sandwich! It was so very good that I thought I was eating pork!Dont hesitate to eat anything here, since then I have eaten many things on the menu and they dont have anything I dont like, but the Banh Mi sandwich remains my favorite. Prices are great, staff is competent and friendly, nothing to complain about here!!
I am by no means a vegan or vegetarian. Hell, I rarely practice meatless Mondays. However, I dont think you have to be or do any of those things to thoroughly enjoy a meal at Grains—a vegan & vegetarian restaurant with a Thai twist.Grains is currently in its soft opening phase (the owner said they were looking to fully open in April/May). The decor is rustic, bright, and welcoming, as are the owner and the chef. They currently have about 20 beers on tap and are looking to swap out a few of the beers for local San Diego brews. Anyway, on to the food!We had the salt & pepper calamari mushroom with house spicy sauce (I honestly couldnt tell the difference. It tasted JUST like calamari and had a nice, spicy kick!), the garlic potato wedges (simple, tasty, and not greasy), the house salad (Im not a kale girl, but this salad was my absolute favorite! Kale, spring lettuce, roasted almonds, sun-dried cranberries, and a caper vinaigrette—yuuuum), pan-seared quinoa fettuccine (this isnt a Fettuccini Alfredo. The noodles are covered in a tofu-mushroom gravy. Really interesting and flavorful!), and finally, the Drunken Angel (very much a spicy Thai dish, and super tasty!).I definitely havent been converted to the vegan/vegetarian side, but eating at Grains has opened my eyes to how flavorful, interesting, and filling vegan & vegetarian meals can be! I will definitely be back. That house salad is calling my name...
Hands down, the best popcorn chicken Ive ever had. The BBQ and ranch sauce are amazing!! Picture shows 2 orders.
I eat at Greens, Weekly, I love their whole Food vegan menu, it’s always delicious plenty of portion and fresh. The people there are so friendly what a great place for vegans to go.
Everything on the menu is thoughtfully prepared, delicious, and stands on its own. We got the popcorn chicken, Tokyo fries, and drunken angel. Yum!
Grains Vegan Cafe is a good hidden neighborhood spot for flavorful vegan eats. My rating for this restaurant is a 7 out of 10 happy healthy vegans worldwide.
Vegetarian cafe with Urban/Industrial vibe. Good selection of microbrews as well as Kombucha on tap. Menu is limited but tasty. The Yellow Thai curry was delicious, served more as a soup with a side of Jasmine rice.
Loved the tempura Calamari(vegan) and fried kale. Not a vegan but the food is good. The potato wedges.....not so good
First off, beautiful location, storefront, and interior. Everything is picture perfect.I feel very conflicted about the food however.There are some really interesting ideas, the execution was just lacking. There was just a good and a bad with every dish which just left me feeling... :/Our salt and pepper calamari came with a yummy sauce and was excellently breaded, but was 70% breading. Just biting off breading croutons at end of each piece.The pan seared fettuccine, confusingly, came in a soup noodle dish and was swimming in the broth. The boiled tofu was also just raw (one at least tasted that way)The Drunken Angel was an interesting remake of drunken noodles with angel hair pasta, but was just so greasy it felt like I was eating with fresh chapstick on after the third bite.I think everything has potential, it just really needs to be cleaned up.
My favorite vegan restaurant in San Diego, they have options I havent seen anywhere else and its always delicious. Even their fried options dont feel too heavy for me. I love the simple and natural feel of the restaurant and they have enough seating for us to be able to stay for a while without feeling rushed
I liked this spot for sure. Definitely worth trying out. I had the Tom Kah soup or something along them lines. It was good, could barely get anything down due to the fact I had just quit smoking days before. The soup went down easy and was tasty. A little chilly inside but it was cool looking inside for sure. Nice atmosphere.
Great food in a comfortable modern setting with good, friendly service. And great jazz music softly playing in the background. Good gluten-free options too.
So delicious!!! It was my first time trying this place and everything was so good. Nice casual atmosphere and good service too. I got the mushroom calamari and they were the best mushroom calamari Ive ever had! Also got the pepper chicken entree and it was so, so delicious! Honestly my favorite chicken substitute Ive ever had, not sure what it was made of but it was great! The eggplant dish is also really good, great flavor. Will definitely be returning soon and if youre looking for a good vegan place you have to check them out! Even omnis would like it, the one I was with did!:)
Delicious vegan food. Filling and not heaving sitting. Extremely friendly staff and a wonderful atmosphere.
Delicious vegan food at a casual laid back place. The ambience was great. Special shout out to the banh mi “pulled pork” sandwich.
This is a great spot for yummy vegan food. Im always surprised that it isnt more crowded because the food is so good and the ambience is great. I would suggest a fan to move some air in the restaurant as it gets a little hot. They do a ton of to-go orders and its consistently great. Had the fried tofu and the I dream about it often bahn me sandwich. I really do dream about it and its often the first place I suggest when we are trying to decide where to go.
Not even vegan/vegetarian but the food is amazing. Definitely will be back to try more food here.
Cute spot with good tasting vegan food. I had the vegan S&P calamari, which was not as good as I’ve had at other places. If you eat it with the sauce it’s good but alone is pretty bland. For my main I had the pad Thai with tofu. This wasn’t bad.
Fantastic food, yumSuper clean, friendly polite people
Adore this restaurant. The Tokyo fries are one of my biggest guilty pleasures. Everything is tasty though! I dream about their bahn mi as well… mmmmm… delicious. Quick service and friendly. They also give enormous to-go portions.
Highly recommend this restaurant. Its the best buffalo cauliflower I’ve had. They use quality ingredients and the food was all cooked to perfection. The staff was also very friendly and attentive.
Amazingly delicious vegan food, scrumptious enough to impress a non-vegan (me)! Perfect textures and complex flavors. Highly recommended!
Ive only been here two times but I will be back! Everything has always hot, flavorful, and absolutely DELICIOUS. Im about to cry in my pad Thai right now because it tastes so good. And Im not even vegan. I just might be converting at this rate 🙌
The food was really good! The service is a little slow but the food is amazing.
I can not believe grain has been open for two years. The food was good. I cant wait,to go back.
I love this place. I couldn’t believe it was so empty, though there was a lot of take-out orders. Came with a group of friends and must come back to try more dishes!Big recommendation over Loving Hut. They do Asian style vegan wayyyy better. Its less salty and more reminiscent of the actual recipes.Recommend the dragon balls and the yellow curry.
Amazing Bahn Mi sandwich and everything is plant based!! It’s a great spot with super fresh ingredients
I got take out from this location and had a wonderful experience. My order was ready on time. The cashier was very friendly. My food was excellent. I had the Pad Thai, Kale salad and Angel Hair Pasta. Everything was cooked well and seasoned properly. I will return to this location!
I love grains so much! the tokyo fries, popcorn chicken, grains garden, and pepper glazed chicken strips are my favorite. such unique flavors and delicious food, always a peaceful atmosphere, easy parking, and great service!!
Great staff and over the top customer service. Wow food was outstanding. Best Vegan restaurant that I have dined at and I am visiting from Dallas Texas. Highly recommend
Comfortable, clean, casual dining. A lovely neighborhood restaurant for vegetarians
Love the comfort food aspect of this place! Staff is so helpful and kind, you can’t go wrong on the menu!
The food here is amazing!Im sitting here eating family style with 6 friends and getting to basically taste the entire menu.And its all delicious!And now the mango rice has arrived ... Yum!I guess its vegan ... But mostly its just tasty! 😃
I was expecting a lot more from this vegan restaurant as it’s highly recommended in the vegan San Diego scene.I found most of the food underwhelming and bland.More attention to detail required.
Some of the best food - not just vegan food- Ive had! The pulled pork sandwich was amazing in so many ways: the texture, taste, spiciness were all perfect! Also, definitely pay the $1 extra to upgrade to kale tempura. You definitely wont regret it!
The Pad Thai was tasty as were the chicken nuggets and onion rings I stole from my dining partners. Im only giving four stars because the dishes came out at different times.
Vegan restaurant. Modern vibe. Clean seating and restroom area. It’s an east meets west type of fusion Menu buffalo cauliflower, the popcorn chicken and pad Thai, drunken angel and Pepper glazed chicken strips. The buffalos cauliflower and popcorn Chicken were ok but I didn’t really like the buffalo cauliflower sauce. The popcorn chicken I believe lacked flavor…My favorite was the pepper glazed chicken strips and the drunken angel - angel hair paste instead of the regular flat rice noodles that are used in traditional drunken noodles. Good flavor and taste. The chicken strips tasted really good.The pad Thai I believe was good but not as good as the drunken angel. Pad Thai tasted good and typical but not any different.Would come back and try more menu items future. Prices are a little on the steep side…
This place is great. Im a pescatarian so there were many options. Try the pork sandwich.
I am not vegan but could eat here every day! Their version of a bahn mi sandwich is better than the real thing. Highly recommend!
Laid back and welcoming atmosphere in a beautiful part of San Diego. Delicious food, especially for a brand new vegan such as myself! We had the buffalo cauliflower, the grains greens and egg plant tofu...all super delicious. Finished it off with the mango sticky rice ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The best vegan food in town right now. Probably by a long shot. The menu is smaller but diverse. There is a good amount of spicy options. One thing we get every time if the popcorn chicken appetizer, it is just incredible. The owner is extremely kind and accommodating. All of the staff is really great. The ambiance inside is really cozy. They serve beer but the vegan Thai Iced Tea 👌 😋 😍
Oh my god this place is AMAZING!!! I had the angel hair pasta and we shared the black pepper edemame and the Tokyo fries….. everyone LOVED their meals!!! So so so happy I’m actually going back again tonight!! I wanted to order everything on the menu- so excited to show my mom !!
Yummy Vegan Eats, very good food after hiking with my Bae.🤍🖤
The ranch dressing for the buffalo cauliflower is 🔥banh mi is good too
Grains is the best vegan restaurant in San Diego. The food is just amazing! The prices are just right; I dont find it expensive. The service is consistently excellent. You dont wait long for your food. The place has an open, fresh, welcoming ambiance. The staff is friendly and very responsive. Did I say the food is absolutely delicious? 😋
Vegan paradise!! Been going here since it opens in 2015 excellent food. Update STILL A PLEASURE! Has not changed always great!!!
Let me start by saying that I am not a vegan or vegetarian in any way shape or form. I love cheeseburgers, I love bacon, I love cheese, I love ice cream, I love anything fried, and will probably die a couple years early because of it ha. BUT THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. I was so blown away by the Philly sandwich and fried kale, and now I can’t wait to go back to try other things on the menu. Who would’ve known that I would like vegan cheese??? I ordered online and went to pick it up, and it was ready just on time, which is also a huge bonus when you have a busy schedule.
Ive gone a few times during their soft opening and everything has been great. The potato wedges are crunchy, delicious, and not to be missed. I feel like they are still trying things out for a permanent menu, but the sandwiches are solid. They dont skimp on the spices, so beware it will be spicy if you order it that way (tofu larb especially)! The Salt & Pepper Calamari Mushrooms are also unique and tasty. I like the variety of the menu and the uniqueness of many of their offerings, not the same as other local vegan restaurants.
Forgot how much I love this place. Grains got my wife really into cauliflower. Their popcorn cauliflower dish is amazing: perfect batter. The tempura kale is also delicious, it melts in your mouth. Solid service, decent prices, a real treasure. Im surprised its not busier but it helps that its a little out of the hot spots of North Park and the main drag of University Heights.
I love grains. The atmosphere is lovely, the staff is very kind, and the food is absolutely delicious! I eat here once every week or so, and love everything on the menu, especially the yellow curry.I love Thai tea (but am sensitive to dairy) and love that they have a coconut alternative.I am not vegan or vegetarian but trying to incorporate more plant based foods into my diet. Thanks for all you do!
YUM! Stopped by for a beer and a few appetizers and will absolutely be back! The Holy Shiitake mushrooms and Tokyo Fries were delicious! Fairly priced and great portions. Cant wait to try more of the menu.
This place has great vegetarian food at great prices. Asian inspired dishes with some classic favorites like cauliflower popcorn chicken and buffalo cauliflower. Then ambiance is great very clean lined and modern.
Amazing vegan options; both comfort food and lighter options.
My family and I are vegan. It was our first time here. Everything we ordered was fantastic! I recommend the salt and pepper calamari mushroom and the grilled calamari mushroom for appetizers. Yum, yum!! Pan-seared fettuccini was a hit! My picky husband loved the drunken angel. I had the grains garden which was so delicious!! We will be back!!! Wonderfully friendly service!! 5 stars !!!
Totally enjoyed this neighborhood place. Some unique dishes makes this it a great place to come back to often
The atmosphere was great and very rustic feeling. I was excited to go here because the stores branding was polished, but I left a bit disappointed.I ordered the garlic fries, and they were not very garlicky, and perhaps they were cut too thick because, they were a bit under done in the center.I also ordered a curry with tofu. The actual curry sauce was awesome, thick and brothy, it was very flavorful. But again the carrots and the potatoes in the curry should have been better cooked, just a bit under done. The service was good.
Philly Cheese Steak & fries were delicious! Also, the woman who is the server and cashier (dont know her name) was very pleasant!
Im sorry to say I had one bite of the fried pasta in light gravy, and couldnt eat another. I thought it looked like pho, the was so much gravy. I wish there were more menu pictures. The pulled pork sandwich i thought was supposed to come with a slice of cheese, but it was a tiny amount cooked in the pulled pork mix. The ambiance is nice but food was unfortunate.
I really enjoyed coming here last year when I went on a vegetarian diet. The last two times I visited were at night and the staff had been very unwelcoming .. I’m not sure Why I received the rude responses and looks but it made me not want to return . It is displeasing because the food was very enjoyable . Hopefully can improve on the customer service
This place is delicious! I’ve been here multiple times, and all of their appetizers are to die for. Their “pulled pork” sandwich is my favorite by far.Tonight I tried the Fettuccini... and sadly it was the only thing I have ever disliked from here. Absolutely zero taste, and I had to throw it out. I’m assuming there was something missing from it by accident, as that is truly out of character for this place. All the other apps I got tonight were delicious, however.
Food was delicious! Totally vegan! We odered the Vegan pulled pork Sandwich with fries, and the buffalo cauliflower with the vegan ranch dressing. To finish it off we ordered Sticky rice with mango 🥭😘
This is my first visit to Grains, and it definitely wont be my last. I had the garlic potato wedges, and found it very hard to stop eating them. Next was the buffalo cauliflower. Wow, it never occurred to me. Very tasty! For later, I ordered the tom kah soup. Wonderful aroma, and a delicately sweet base. Great service, and vintage location. I went on New Years Eve, so it wasnt very busy, and I didnt wait long for my food. If you like vegan and Asian/American food, Grains may become your next favorite.
My yellow Thai curry dish was disappointing. I like spicy food, but this dish was lacking smoothness and could have used a touch of sweetness. I would not order it again, but I did try a friends popcorn chikn, and it was good even though a bit oily. Others at my table, who ordered the Tom Cah soup, said they liked it. The restaurant is very noisy and could use better acoustics. Also, the chairs were very uncomfortable.
Their popcorn chicken is amazing and had my friend scratching his head on the way home thinking it was real chicken therefore confusing him as to how I was eating it with him being that Im vegetarian. Then he concluded I was not anymore or that I must have decided to share a thing of chicken with him and had to call to tell me he was honored I chose him to do that with ha.
I really enjoyed my meal, and the environment was excellent. Theres a very contemporary and organic feel to the whole setting, everything was very clean and the service was as you would expect from a fine establishment. There is also a small bar are with a variety of beers on tap, which looked quite enticing.If youre in the area and looking for a great spot to hang out, enjoy a quality meal and/or beverage, with a great over-all experience - this is an excellent choice!
So happy to have another great plant-based option in San Diego. Overall great food with some misses. I had the buffalo cauliflower bites which were great! I also had the kale salad, the was a little too mustard-y for my taste and the kale could have used a good massage before serving. We ordered the potato wedges to share and they were very greasy and surprisingly bland, least favorite of the options. My friend ordered the drunken angel pasta dish and it was delicious! Had an unexpected thai twist to it.
Service is excellent. Noodle dishes are better than the sandwiches. The fries are great! and the I mentioned I like ketchup and the waiter brought me a bottle for my fries. Its a good place to eat for good beer and fries which is all I really want from a diner but have the noodle soup too.
Anyone interested in trying flavors from Southeast Asia should definitely come here and experience the magic of the chef combining the spices together with wholesome ingredients to make the dishes stand out. Their popcorn cauliflower and the bahn mi sandwiches have been my favorite since trying them. I’ve tried to find the same dishes elsewhere when I’m not here, but it’s impossible. You won’t find a better vegan bahn mi sandwich or the popcorn cauliflower with the same taste as here. Thank you Grains for being my top choice and my go to meal whenever I’m in San Diego.
I love so much about this place! They have a rotation of quality beers and vegan eats. I love thepulled pork made if jackfruit and my wife loves the curries. If you are just coming in for a beer, then you should also get the kale tempura. It is a nice new place.
Just around the corner from Park and Adams, this little gem has so much flavor and the owner is always so present and welcoming. I am grateful I found this place and I am even more grateful for the wonderful quality of food and drink they offer. This is by far the cutest date spot if youre a vegan in the area. Its still slow enough that not everyone is fighting for a table and the taste of every dish on the menu(especially the bbq cauliflower) is so good, the two of you will be SO delighted you went.
This place does not disappoint! Wonderful atmosphere inside, staff is very nice, and the food keeps you coming back. Bahn Mi, Philly cheese sandwich, and dragon balls are my go to 🤌
100% vegan. Great food and service. Just found my new weekend spot. My husband and I are newly vegan and we were worried about finding tasty vegan food outside of the home. We ordered the bahn mi sandwich and it tastes just like meat. I actually had to double check that it wasnt meat. Blew my mind. We also had the calamari which was delicious. So happy to have found this place.
Drove from Calgary Alberta to San Diego, and back and this was the BEST vegan food along the way!! Would legit come back to San Diego just to eat here. We ordered a ton of food even so we could take it to go on the road and it was still just as good leftover. Highly recommend. Am heartbroken I dont live closer.
Amazing!!! Ive been here a few times and its always a pleasant experience. Staff is kind and attentive, food is delicious, and the restaurant has a relaxed, chill atmosphere. Checks off all the boxes! ☺️😋
Delicious food! My bf and I shared the buffalo cauliflower appetizer work cashew ranch. That was my first time trying vegan ranch and it was amazing! The buffalo sauce has some heat to it and I eat spicier than average food. I ordered the Banh Mi sandwich and he had the Philly cheese steak. Both were great, but the Banh Mi was the best! Nice music and atmosphere and lots of good beer on tap. The folding chairs are extremely uncomfortable and offer no lumbar support, but the chairs against the window are great! Service is slow and needs work, but the food was so good, it didnt matter.
This place was a cool surprise. I was having a meat-less day and needed something good. The menu has some Pan-Asian offerings and thats what I went with. Kind of a vegetable stirfry. Its was tasty. Plus the service was decent and fun.Recommended.
Vegan deliciousness and friendly staff!I eat the larb all the time. Sometimes I switch it up to the pan fried fettuccine, I can drink a gallon of that broth it comes in. Soo good. There’s usually a special of this pepper chicken made with oyster mushrooms oh myyyyy gawd it’s soooooo good. Definitely try it! Thai teas here are my favorite! And the best part of it all is that this place is 100% Vegan so you can comfortably order it allllllllll. Woooo!
Im not a vegan but this is a place I enjoy for great tasting food... and some great beers on tap! Friendly staff and the owner is A-1 in every category! Open space, natural lighting, great unpretentious atmosphere in a great neighborhood! Stop in for a quick bite, a date or a night out, youll be glad you did!
Those Tokyo fries were a party for my palette 👅! everything ordered was delicious and so filling, and that Thai milk tea saved the day. Great little vegan cafe.
Some of the best vegan food Ive ever had!! Everything was delicious and I couldnt pick a favorite. The prices were so good and the food came out quickly.
Best vegan apps in town! The popcorn cauliflower chicken is perfect, and thats before you even dip them in their fantastic housemade ranch and BBQ!And how amazing that they are run by the SWEETEST family and even make their own pasta?!Visit them to support local eats, a vegan menu, great prices, family over fortune, and hard work!
Try the philly cheesesteak, onion rings, popcorn chicken. Eat it while its hot. Thank me later :)
Yessss!!!!! Yes yes yes!!!! Such amazing food. The Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich is AMAZING. Incredibly nice staff. Decor is a little basic but the food is so good I didnt even care. Calamari mushrooms and mango sticky rice were also delicious. My friend had the yellow curry and he loved it and hes not even vegan. Its also become my go to for takeout cause that freaking sandwich is so good.
Their Tom ka soup and Drunken angel pasta is to die for. Loved it so much that ate twice in a day and took it for another day while travelling. Totally recommend this place and will visit again when in Diego.
Grains is my favorite vegan restaurant in San Diego! Their staff is super friendly, helpful and professional. My favorite dish is the drunken angel, but I also love the grains garden, the tofu nuggets, potato wedges and edamame! The location is super central and the place is spacious and super cute. They also serve beers, hard cider and kombucha.
An interesting vegetarian/vegan spot between University Heights and Normal Heights. Atmosphere is nice, restaurant is open and lightly decorated with modern decor. The ingredients they use taste very fresh. Their menu is kinda quirky and unique. We had the garlic potato wedges, kale tempura, drunken angel, and pan-seared fettuccini. The best dish was thr drunken angel. The veggies were really fresh and tasty, the sauce was light, and everything in the dish was complimentary. The pan-seared fettuccini was good too, though the fettuccini was a little difficult to cut (but not to chew). The kale tempura was a little too flaky, but I was also expecting something more like kale chips. Not the greatest lunch Ive had, bu Id definitely recommend checking it out.
Beautiful restaurant.Well kept. Awesome ambiance!!!Food is truly delicious.Food has Thai influence.Very pleasantly surprised.The owner is very pleasant and intimately involved in the operation of her business.She helps raise the standard for vegetarian /vegan cuisine!!!Highly Recommended!!!
Loved this place. Came here for late lunch/early dinner, service was great and cute decor. I highly recommend the calamari mushroom app and bah mi sandwich. I cant wait to come back and try their tom kah and drunken angel! We will be back soon. 😍
WOW! What a great lucky find. Such reasonable prices and the food absolutely pops with flavor. So many different flavors you have to order several different dishes for your table and share. Come here and you will LOVE it!!
Excellent vegan appetizers & lovely ambience. The popcorn chicken (cauliflower) and tempura kale are to die for. The entrees were okay. Would have liked to see more options without soy/tofu. Locally made living tea kombucha on draft. Id recommend the lavender.
Cute lil vegan spot that has amazing affordable food
Food is so delicious. This has become a weekly guilty pleasure (but not really its veggies !) I love bringing my friends and blowing their mind with the popcorn chicken the owner is super friendly and always great to see her.
What a fun place. The menu isnt huge but it is diverse. The waiting staff were attentive but also gave us space. We each had a glass of wine and three different items from the appetizer menu. All good 👍
We ordered a few appetizers and entrees and they were all amazing! Very attentive and quick service as well! Highly recommend this place and would certainly come back.
After a long day of exploring Balboa Park, we were hunger-ry. So we looked a few places and decided on the Grains. I have been changing my eating life style. So it hard to find a vegan place that suites me. It was the correct choice. The food was really tasty and the priced well. The seating is inside and plenty. It is in a neighborhood so parking can be a tricky. It is all street parking, but worth the hassle.
The restaurant is very nice and the atmosphere is great. The service is very good and thy replaced my wifes plate as she didnt like the taste. We had orders 2 entrees, soup a salad an main course non of which were to our liking.
Grains is a simple, straightforward, local restaurant serving Thai vegan and vegetarian dishes that are fresh and absolutely tasty. Id youve never tried vegan cooking, I cant think of a better place to start. In fact, start off your experience with their Tempura Kale and Edamame in an unforgetably delicious sauce. The dipping sauce for the Kale is equally wonderful. The menu is rich with flavors that should satisfy the pickiest eater. The owner is always welcoming and sincerely tries her best to see that guests are always happy with the service and their meals. You cannot go wrong. The place is casual and as open or private as suits your mood. And, itsnot expensive and you also wont be nickeled and dimed with endless add ons.
I was one of only two people in the place at 4 in the afternoon. What a treat!Waitress was so nice, and the Quinoa Pasta bowl was truly a pleasure! Good portion for the price, too.I will be back!
We ordered the tom kah soup(which was extremely sour), the yellow cury that was good, and the tokio fries that its such a shame to see how a kill a good & basic dish with weird saucesBoth dishes were too small for their price.
We got the tom kah soup, salt and pepper mushroom calamari, and the larb wrap. Everything was fantastic! This was our second time having them. Their angel pasta is also great. I cant wait to eat from here again
100% vegan and delicious! Grains is one of our favorite places to eat in San Diego! Food is gourmet, fresh and consistently good. Highly recommend even if you arent vegan, its worth it!
Ultimately, a very okay experience. The initial greeting was confusing as we walked in and stood awkwardly waiting to know if we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. Service was also fairly timid -- we were served promptly and food arrived promptly, but were not helped again until it was the time for the check. No checkups, no water refills, no dishes pulled.Food was what really brings this into a two star. The cauliflower wings were underbattered, the house pasta was linguini in curry (???), and the banh mi was just simply not banh mi. It tasted more like a Philly cheese steak with cilantro. Best part of the meal were the fried potatoes that came with the banh mi.Pretty okay experience + kind of bad food = two stars
I enjoyed myself. The service was great. The ambience is relaxed. The lavender kombucha was the best kombucha Ive had in my kombucha drinking career. Their fries I loved. The curry was a bit bland. I was hoping it would be spicy. Other than that my stay was a delight.
I ordered the Popcorn Chicken and the Banh Mi Pulled Pork Sandwich with a glass of fresh kombucha. The host was so friendly and the food was amazing! Awesome mixture of textures and flavors and great ambience.
The food was good however, another table nearby was being exceptionally and drunkenly loud and bothersome to the other patrons in the restaurant. The restaurant owners/waitstaff did nothing and were visibly losing business as several potential patrons were seated and then abruptly left once they experienced the extremely loud and rude table.
Amazing gluten and vegan options. Flavor of the angle hair drunken noodles was a five star. Cute and friendly little place.
So, being the new girl in town, I found myself wandering the streets of the greater San Diego area over this past Labor Day weekend. It was a hot, sunny, dry day (just the way I like it) but I found myself very thirsty and a smidgeon hungry after a day of sightseeing Balboa Park and other attractions in the SD area. I happened upon Grains, tucked away in a lovely neighborhood in the hills and canyons, with its doors propped open, welcoming me into its simple elegance and country hipster ambience. They had plenty a cold brew to choose from along with a lovely menu of appetizers and entrees to choose from all at a very reasonable price. I decided on a cold draft Hoegaarden and fried calamari served with this AMAZING seafood salsa that I cannot even begin to describe. It was damn good. The experience felt very California and I had the privilege to experience it in real life...this place is surely going to become a top 10 for me as I settle into the California lifestyle. Cheers!
Ive enjoyed everything Ive eaten here. Definitely more casual, pay at counter kind of place, but everything tastes great and comes out quickly.
Went here for my birthday dinner and again for my New years dinner! Its that good and I would recommend it. The best part is that its affordable and the staff are kind and professional!
If youre into trying some of the best recipes that a vegetarian menu has to offer, pay this place a visit and pretty much everything on the menu is a delicacy. I personally love the Buffalo cauliflower 😋
Unique eats and fast, kind service. The restaurant is well decorated and clean and open. I would go there again and again
I absolutely adore this place! The Bahn-Mi is spicy but savory and flavorful (the spice doesnt take over), the larb is one of my favorites if you like tofu. The service is excellent and it is on a more quiet part of Adams close to the action but quiet enough for a nice dinner.All options are vegan!!! (Yay!) I have double and triple checked with the mm that the chews they put on the Bahn mi is vegan. They even came out and showed me the cheese they use it is delicious and a great replacement if you are looking for one.Highly recommended!
Thrilled to discover this new addition to University Heights! I dont normally gravitate to vegetarian/vegan food, but owner Pat has made me a believer!Some memorable highlights: fried mushroom calimari with the Houses sweet and spicy sauce, a refreshing kale summer salad, and house special Drunken Noodles, which was a Thai-style dish over quinoa pasta.I also have family with gluten allergies, and much of the menu was gluten-free or could be made that way. Cant wait to return!
Im grateful to this creative spot for elevating the vegan restaurant scene in San Diego. Great quality for value. Crispy mushroom calamari ($7), bountiful fresh kale salad ($8), jackfruit banh mi, housemade quinoa fettuccini, and mango sticky rice ($5) were all complex, yet simple and satisfying. Beautiful open ambiance, friendly and attentive staff, and plates arrived impressively quickly. Give this place a try and support folks living their dream. Im excited to return for tom kah, yellow curry, and for innovative menu evolutions.
Don’t be fooled. 0/10 vegan restaurant.This is what non vegans think vegan food tastes like lol
I had the best bahn mi I have ever consumed here. The potato wedges that come with it are also amazing. Highly recommend! Will definitely be coming back :)
Staff is so kind and helps out so much food is absolutely amazing. Never tasted better food in my life its of course vegan but their Vegetables plate is absolutely amazing the owner is the nicest person very patient and help full definitely plan to go back next time im in the area!
Amazing vegan food!! Highly recommend... I got the Tom Kah soup, we had the tofu appetizer, the popcorn cauliflower, and the mild house noodles. Everyone loved their food.
Delicious food! Loved the buffalo cauliflower and the kale salad! Really nice staff and quality food. Happy that the vegan & veggie options and community are growing! ❤️
Delicious vegan food, mostly Asian, pleasant ambience.
So I’ve been to this establishment before and I enjoyed the experience and what I ordered was very good. I come here again and i Decided to try something new! I did not like what I ordered so I asked to have a refund the lady comes from behind the counter and tells me that I CAN NOT HAVE A REFUND BECAUSE SHE HEARD ME ORDER AND I TOLD HER I NEVER DENIED THAT I ORDERED THIS ITS JUST NOT WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE AND I DO NOT LIKE IT SHE LEFT THE FOOD ON THE TABLE AND WALKED AWAY. ABSOLUTELY THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED THE LADY BEHIND THE COUNTER WAS RUDE AND SHE DID NOT CARE. IM SPENDING MY MONEY HERE SO AS THE CUSTOMER I FEEL THAT I WAS NOT TREATED FAIRLY AND I WONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE I WILL NEVER COME HERE AGAIN
One of my favorite vegan restaurants in San Diego. The house pasta with curry sauce is killer and their fries are huge!! Love Grains!
The food was amazing and fun and all three servers working there were friendly, helpful and spoke to us. Our drinks stayed full and they asked us how we were doing with every dish. Get the Tempura Kale!!!
Absolutely amazing. Came here for the first time with my BF and was literally blown away by the taste and quality of the food. I’ll definitely be coming back here again soon.
Salty and undercooked veggies in a mediocre curry sauce. Portions were small for the tofu. When told the dish wasn’t to our liking the owner simply ran away... I don’t know what to do except laugh at this point. Won’t return.
Always great food and service
We had the Grains garden bowl and the eggplant plate. Both delicious but the eggplant plate was exquisite! Highly recommend
The quality of food is great. I loved every single item we ordered. Great customer service and lovely environment. Will definitely come back and recommend to friends.
Chill place to study. Came here on a Sunday around noon and it was perfect. They lack outlets but the wifi is 👌🏽 and the atmosphere is low-key.If you develop an appetite they have bomb vegan food and a quality choice of local brews. I have the drunk angel pasta and the Hoegarden beer.Reasonable prices, great atmosphere and great food.WiFi PW is adamsgrills after the previous establishment
This place was a very nice surprise, for an extremely satisfactory lunch. Reasonable prices, quick service--and the Pepper-glazed Chickn Strips were delicious!
A little disappointed maybe I ordered the wrong thing which was the eggplant dish it was greasy way too many onions .would have been better with more tofu and more rice
Excellent food! The tempura kale is the best. The folding chairs are a bit uncomfortable for sitting for dinner though; only downside to stopping in to eat.
Da best!
Food was delicious. I got the “pulled pork” and was not disappointed! For a vegetarian, this was a great find. It was not overpriced either, decent sized portions.
Mixed feelings. Philly cheese steak didnt have any mock meat. Definitely could have used it. Pulled pork sandwich was too Thai. They need to keep it Western to pull the crowds in. Has potential.
The is a cute place for a date night, prices are great food is even better.
First time here.. had the Bánh Mì sandwich w/potato wedges & a lavender kombucha. Awesome!.. and vegan! :-)They had 40s style music/songs on the radio.. which is a huge fav style of mine as well. :-)
Wish it was walking distance from my place.Very friendly and food is soo tasty.
Their food is really good and pretty affordable. The only problem we had was them putting an incorrect item in our order but still good! Deff get the soup!
Great vegan place to eat. Everything is good. Thai curry is excellent! God bless.
The food here is made with so much care and quality. Been here a couple of times and tried a few things they are all equally amazing. Buffalo Cauliflower and Philly are my favs.
Just picked up my first order from Grains and it is super yummy! I ordered online and it was ready for pick up 15 minutes later. Easy parking and great service.
Tried the popcorn chicken, salt and pepper mushroom, Larb salad and drunken angel all super tasty and service was very good. Chill vibe with lots of room. Highly recommend
One of our fav spots in the mid-town area
Living tea Kambucha and beautiful setting. options are minimal on their entrees the cauliflower popps are one of my favorite appetizers. really its the ambiance of this place along with the draft kambucha
Limited gluten free and vegan options despite being a vegan restaurant. The restaurant was strangely empty on a Friday night and was rather underwhelming. Service was acceptable, but the atmosphere or impression from other reviews was not reflective of this restaurant.
Perfection!
Great vegetarian food. The Buffalo cauliflower appetizers are very good. I am glad they survived the pandemic.
Great food. Not a vegan or vegetarian so was unsure about eating here. But happily surprised. Would def go again.
I order over the phone, I was told 15min I arrived in 10min. I ordered Vegan Pullpork sandwiches with garlic fries. Fries were old and sandwich was cold and dry. Unfortunately I was back on the highway and couldnt turn around.
The food is so fresh and delicious. They even make their own pasta! Have tried almost everything on the menu and loved it all.
Awesome!!! No complaints. Local beer and cider selection is great and all tbe food we had was yummy, i want to go back and try everything on the menu
This place is a must do if you are in the area! Food was awesome! Also, candles on each table. I paid like $13. Most palces with food like this is a lot more.
Tried Grains for the first time last night. The service was friendly, the atmosphere was nice, and the food was great. Four stars for menu size, would like more options, everything else was awesome!
From now on my favourite Restaurant in SD:Awesome Food, great Service and a variety of Beer, Kombuchas, etc...I will surely come back.Try the Pepper glazed „chicken“ ;)
Total reviews rating 4.7
199 Reviews for Grains 2024:
Review №1
2023-12-03 04:16:05Ordered carry out after a flight into SAN- everything was very tasty. Loved the diverse menu...get the Tokyo Fries!!Looking forward to planning to return for dine in!**Updated- got the Tokyo fires a second time... still amazing
Review №2
2023-11-14 20:18:34I recently discovered this great spot, and liked it a lot. The staff is very friendly, making the whole dining experience welcoming. The menu is diverse, offering tasty options for vegans, non-vegans and more. What stands out is the simple yet delicious approach to plant-based dishes, showing creativity without being overly fancy.The ambiance is cozy, with a nod to eco-friendliness and stylish in the decor at the same time. Its a nice touch that adds to the overall vibe. The staff seems genuinely passionate about what they do, and it reflects in their service.Whether youre a long-time vegan or just exploring plant-based options, this restaurant has something for everyone. Id recommend giving it a try, and Im looking forward to going back for more. Its a solid choice if youre into good food in a friendly setting.
Review №3
2023-10-26 04:02:12Great chill and fun place to grab some delicious and creative food! I’d definitely come back to explore more of their menu.
Review №4
2023-11-23 04:44:40Love this place. 😀The food is great 🍜. The staff is excellent 👌 My brother in law wants to go thru every dish because he was impressed with the first three he got in three visits.We ate here again on 2/19/2023. We will pay photos of the appetizer we had today, along with the cup of coffee ☕️ I had.I had the Curry 🍛 tonight. The taste was excellent.
Review №5
2023-10-22 23:06:26The food is soooooo good!! And the staff is so nice :) Highly recommend the pepper “chicken” strips and mango sticky rice 🤤
Review №6
2023-08-24 07:09:27I had been meaning to come here for a while now and I finally did! Super fast and amazing service! Gulped all the delicious food in no time!
Review №7
2023-01-03 05:23:14One of the best take our experiences my husband I have ever experienced happened on our short vacation in San diego. We were stating right across from Grains and figured we could try them out. We got some grilled portobello along with tempura chicken which was obviously not chicken but tasted really good. I got an Asian platter with mushrooms substituting for chicken. My husband got noodles with tofu and both of our moms were delicious. I would highly recommend this place to people even if you are not vegan or vegetarian.
Review №8
2022-05-27 22:03:57Not what I expected but in a good way. They had a great choice of vegetarian vegan options and their service was quick. I took my order to go. I highly recommend the dishes that I ate stir fried eggplant. I got mine with no onions. Absolutely cooked perfectly and the flavor was great. I also got the holy shiitakes really great alternative to french fries and healthier. I ordered a salad for later with the dressing on side. And I got mango sticky rice which I tasted and it was done perfectly. This is my first time here and Im glad I came in. I put the rice and eggplant with tofu on my plate at home, very generous portions so I have left overs.
Review №9
2021-10-26 16:32:08This was our first time at grains. We ordered a few things and everything was delicious. Especially the Buffalo cauliflower and the bahn mi. Sizes are generous so we had to take some food home.We went there at around 3pm and it wasn’t busy. I definitely recommend this place to any vegan or anyone wanting to try vegan food out. My boyfriend is a major meat eater and loves everything!
Review №10
2023-03-31 02:30:59By far my fav restaurant! You can’t go wrong with any dish. My favs are the tempura kale, popcorn chicken, learn tofu, the curry, and drunken Angel dishes but I truly have had everything. All of the locals and neighbors come here and it speaks volumes. We come atleast once or twice a month and order take out to enjoy for a few more days. Highly recommend!