Ben & Esther's Vegan Jewish Deli

Everything was amazing. The staff was awesome. We went here three times over a week. All the bagel sandwiches were a hit for us. The cinnamon rolls are very good, I'm glad I don't live close to be honest. The small feeling of a deli was exactly what I needed. They even gave my wife a free pastry for her birthday. Thank you again Mayah!!

At long last, I finally tried this restaurant yesterday for lunch with my niece. I had a reuben and it was delicious. My niece had the brisket sandwich and said she liked it a lot. Both were generous portions that neither of us could finish in one sitting. I ate the rest of mine for supper!I was raised Jewish and have eaten at many delis, so I'm comfortable stating that my reuben definitely tasted like a non-vegan reuben. Yum!Because I was pretty excited to also have one of their knishes, I opted for a combo meal ($21). Unfortunately, the knish was small and just okay tasting. I think it would have been a better value if it was a tad more flavorful and 50% larger. Cold beverage selection is limited to Dr. Brown's sodas (great quality!), small Pellegrino cans, coconut water, and plain water. Because none of the sodas were sugar-free, I had an unflavored Pellegrino. I'm kinda glad I did because that allowed me to fully appreciate the taste of my sandwich.The only place to eat onsite is at the outdoor metal tables adjacent to the parking. Fortunately, we were able to sit at one in the shade (it was pretty hot yesterday). The next time I eat there, I'll probably order my food to-go to enjoy at a park and bring my own beverage.The staff was polite and served our food in an acceptable amount of time. And the restaurant was clean and pleasant to be in. I especially liked that they had a garbage receptacle and one for recycling. The flow of customers appeared to be steady, not crowded, though. I chatted with one person who said she was a regular customer, so that was nice to hear.Because I live in Rancho Bernardo and this is by SDSU, plus it's a tad pricey (vegan food usually is, though), I won't be back any time soon -- but I will definitely be back!

Delicious vegan bagels, sandwiches and treats. My personal favorite was their onion bagel because the onions are slightly crunchy! Mayah was here everyday that we came during our vacation and she was so friendly everytime! I will for sure be back whenever I visit San Diego.

VEGAN REVIEW wowza! Being from the Bay, we are totally spoiled by having The Butcher's Son-- we are usually disappointed in other vegan delis, but this place is legit!#1. MATZO BALL SOUP. OMG. SO GOOD! #2. Matzo ball soup! It's so good, it deserves to take both top spots #3. Tuna melt. The bread!!!!! And yes the tuna salad itself was awesome. Hubby also loved his Reuben. Definitely affordable- I recommend the meal combo. AND YOU CAN GET MATZO BALL SOUP AS YOUR SIIIIIIIIIDE!!!!We sat outside. Unfortunately this is right next to a crisis pregnancy center- ugh- so I just had to turn my back to it Parking was easy.Service was good. Note that you should wait inside for your stuff. They don't call your name when your food is ready. Will return whenever I'm in SD

Very good sandwiches everything was very convincing, considering that it was vegan. The potato salad was creamy and the soup was very tasty. The employees were nice and the place had a nice sandwich shop feel.

No guessing - everything is vegan.Got the veggie bagel and it was delicious. 5 in our party and everyone left happy. Definitely a little gem with good service and welcoming atmosphere.

Salmon-less bagel, you make me sighWithout savory salmon, you don't satisfyTastebuds mourn, for they long to fly Okay, so... I apparently can't read good because I went to Derek Zoolander's center for kids who can't read good. I neglected the word "VEGAN" in Ben & Esther's VEGAN Jewish Deli! I think my mind totally erased it or something when I read it, because when I got home to tear into my lox bagel, I was in shock that the half of the half (quarter) I was eating had no salmon! I shrugged, thinking that maybe I just finished eating it and didn't notice. When I started on the second half, I didn't see any salmon either! "Okay, maybe they forgot the salmon lox since they were so generous with the carrots."Despite the disappointment of not having actual salmon, this vegan lox bagel sandwich was filling and had a similar flavor profile to an actual lox bagel. Carrots could have used a little more (marinade? time? Hmm) to make them softer and more lox like, but that could be a personal preference. Would be back to try other vegan fares!

I had the worst experience here! I just got a sandwich. When I opened the wrapping, the bread was all in crumbles. I thought that I could just go back and get new bread.When I politely asked, 'IRENE', she said, "Well, you should have got it toasted then!" Then she started yelling at me. Again, I said that I only came in to change the bread.. She then told the person that made my sandwich that I said that his sandwich was bad. And then they all started laughing! I NEVER said anything other than the bread was dry and crumbling. And showed them the sandwich. Then they both started yelling at me. UNBELIEVABLE!!! Also, they refused to give me any information to whom I could contact as a manager, then laughed again when I asked. My family will NEVER go there again!!!!!!!!!

Tried their sesame bagel with plain cream cheese and that cream cheese tasted better than regular cream cheese even. So good! Perfectly toasted bagel. I will for sure be coming back. They also had vegan pastries from split house bakery that looked soooo good

Cute hole-ish in the wall spot that I def recommend! My first time have a vegan bagel and it tasted amazing, def try this spot if you're looking for a good bagel in general. Everyone was super nice too!