The Most Delectable Vegetarian in Santa Ana

Hoa Sen Vegetarian Restaurant

★★★★★ 4.6 (565) • $$

"Calling out to my Vegetarian-Yelper, be ready to be bedazzled by a small family own restaurant!I recently visited Hoa Sen, and I'm so glad I found this gem in Westminster! As I try to incorporate more plant-based eats, it's a bit challenge to find a spot with truly delicious and satisfying plant-based dishes, that serves great Chinese/Vietnamese flavors and styles. I found a several in Westminster that's worth a trip!! Yippee. From the moment I walked into Hue San, the atmosphere was inviting, with friendly hostesses and staff ready to serve. The menu is extensive, featuring a variety of flavorful Vietnamese dishes made entirely from plant-based ingredients. I like the old school "placemats" which are those paper Chinese astrology. :)It was hard to choose what to order, but we ordered papaya salad, crispy noodles, "fish" and the spring rolls--all four were amazing! 1- The papaya salad is a must. I think I pretty much ate this whole plate that was meant to be shared.2- Vitamins spring rolls had the perfect balance of fresh herbs and savory fried tofu.3- The fish dish was too salty but very aromatic. My friends liked it.4- The vegetables crispy noodles were "meh" and drenched with thick sauce.Overall, the portions were generous, and the prices were reasonable for the quality and quantity of food. The only downside was that parking can be a little tricky (one-way round about), as the location shares with other businesses."

Flower Child

★★★★☆ 4.3 (641) • $$

"I love this place never disappoint. It's healthy it's fresh. Service is very helpful and indoor and outdoor seating."

Ambala Sweets & Snacks

★★★★☆ 4.1 (501) • $

"The service was okay, not nice but gets the job done. The place is pretty crowded and the area for sugar and such hasn't been cleaned in a while. The chai was honestly not even chai, like flavored milk. Please don't get it, no amount of sugar helps it. The sweets are okay but the experience is very overwhelming."

Thai Smile

★★★★☆ 4.1 (479) • $$

"Good place for Thai food in the RSM area. My mom, sister, and I like to get Thai massages across the street, and Thai Smile is our post-massage dinner place. I usually get their Tom Kha Gai soup with brown rice, which is creamy from the coconut milk but still light and tangy. My sister really enjoys their yellow curry.For dessert, the mango sticky rice is so delicious and I highly recommend it. While I can't comment on the authenticity, I've enjoyed all the dishes I have had so far and would recommend it to anyone craving Thai food."

Pho Ha

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (753) • $$

"Pretty darn delicious, my coworkers eat here religiously. The attention they give the customers is superb, quick and accommodating. Really chill spot, huge portions. Love the egg rolls"

Imperial Thai Cuisine

★★★★☆ 4.4 (383) • $$

"Still our favorite Thai food!! We've been eating here since they opened years ago and the quality and flavor are still amazing!Our favorites are the spicy eggplant with tofu (you can customize the spicy level on almost all the dishes so don't be scared to try it it's delicious!), the garlic pepper with chicken, the chow mein with chicken, the wonton soup, and the BBQ ribs. The veggies steal the show! They are always fresh and perfectly cooked and make eating healthy feel like an indulgence!The ambiance is nice and it's a great place to meet up with friends for lunch or for a dinner date. They also offer carry out and when we visit family and friends we order carry out almost every day!!!They are so knowledgeable and always friendly and their service is prompt despite everything being made fresh to order. We always recommend this restaurant to family and friends because it is just so good!!"

Taste of Beauty

★★★★★ 4.6 (324) • $$$$

"We went here for my moms birthday and it was our first time trying a plant based fine dining restaurant, and I don't know if any other place could top this experience. We were greeted by a beautiful interior and walked to our own dining room area which was beautifully decorated and had a gorgeous ikebana setup. Our server made this whole experience so great too, she was so sweet!I got the 5-course vegetarian tasting menu while my mom got the 5-course vegan menu. It was $63 per person (an absolute steal) and it filled us up and we felt great after! To be transparent I cannot remember all of the names of each dish but there was a story behind every single one that our waitress explained each time, and I loved how intentional it was. Every dish was also so tasty, I was so impressed with how much flavor there was in the vegan courses. Such a great way to celebrate, my mom had the best time ever and we were left feeling full, happy, and in awe. I know they change their vegetarian menu every new farming season, and the vegan one stays the same (I believe). I would pass on the mock tails and get actual alcohol next time. Thank you for the best experience, I can't wait to come back to try the next tasting menu!"

Rooster & Rice

★★★★☆ 4.2 (300) • $$

"Food was great! Super yummy. Service is quick and convenient. Ambiance is clean, but only outside seating."

Golden Flower Veggie

★★★★☆ 4.2 (296) • $$

"This is a great place for vegetarians since everything on the menu is vegetarian friendly. Since this is a Vietnamese establishment, everything they offer is a vegetarian version of common Vietnamese dishes such as Bun Bo Hue, Phoenix, Vermicelli, etc. Everything we ordered was delicious, but I think the Hu Tieu (noodle soup) was a bit bland.I recommend the following dishes: #31. Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio ($13.95), #9. Goi Mit - jackfruit/lotus salad ($14.95), and #10. Mi Xao Gion ($14.95).Service was great and the restaurant is spacious. The parking lot is a bit small, but if you come early, there will be no problem."

Thai & Chinese Express

★★★★☆ 3.7 (353) • $

"Best pad Thai in Irvine! Fast, tasty, excellently prepared, generous portions. And make sure to get a few containers of the delicious hot sauce! It's a simple and unassuming spot, but I've tried everywhere in Irvine and it's still my fave. The owners are so sweet as well. Always great service with a smile."

Skal Pizza

★★★★★ 4.5 (161) • $$

"Adding a long overdue review for Skal because we have been coming here almost once per week for a while now because of how much we love this place. It's tucked away in Lido Marina and it's just perfect for a weekend lunch. Our go-to almost every visit is the Sunflower Ratatouille salad and avocado pizza--and my other half loves the saffron miso pasta. Everything is so incredibly fresh, service is efficient and quick, and the wood fire pizza oven smells oh so amazing. Not pictured here, but equally as incredible, is the roasted zucchini... They also have a hot dog during Oktoberfest pictured here made with their pizza dough and some incredibly delicious ingredients. My boyfriend absolutely lovvveeeed this thing and was so sad when they removed it from the menu at the end of the month."

The Plot

★★★★★ 4.6 (149) • $$

"Try them! Great location, ambiance, food, and service. Inspired by a yelp review, we went for dinner. My husband said it's the best vegan restaurant he's ever experienced! And we've been to many. Their soup of the day was a spicy kimchi. Since we don't like kimchi, I asked for a spoonful taste. Our accommodating waiter, Brandon, brought us a tiny cup. It was fantastic! We ordered it. Here's what all we tried: Kombu Cauliflower topped with a little purple cabbage kimchi, and skinny long sea beans. It's good and the plate was plentiful. Eggplant & Focaccia. The eggplant was properly cooked to soft. Sadly the baby tomatoes were tasteless, could have been roasted a bit longer. You may like the tomato jam on the thick slice of Focaccia bread, I would prefer it to be a little firmer and sweeter. This is a tasty appetizer. Butter Beans ~ I would not order again ~ because of taste and price. I know it's an appetizer, but the quantity was scat for $10. The beans tasted no different than from a can. While I very much enjoyed the Nori tapenade, I very much disliked the sour tasting cultured G.O.A.T cheese (cashews) they were sitting atop of. Tiny real flowers were a nice touch.The service was very accommodating, friendly, and attentive. Our primary server was Brandon, but others helpfully assisted too. Brandon gave us what he called an "amuse immunity". That was a nice, tasty surprise that we can all use especially during winter. He also gave us an extra reason to return soon ~ a card for a complementary appie (expires in 1 month). We'll be trying the XO Cabbage appie ($16 chard cabbage) when come back."

Valentino's Pizza

★★★★☆ 3.8 (203) • $$

"My 1st job was making pizza & have enjoyed pizza ever since,so I think I have a strong opinion on pizza.This is one of the best pizzas I have had!For the 1st time, I ordered a Deluxe Pizza and noticed a slightly sweeter crust, VERY good Tomato sauce & the Vegetables & Meat was very thickly cut!VERY NICE!I have never eaten here before but I will be back FOR SURE!!Thank for great food"

Tacos Cancun

★★★★☆ 3.9 (188) • $

"Great authentic food, perfect spot to sit and enjoy the sun. We got the chorizo, egg and potato burrito, a fish taco, an asada burrito added egg, and the chicken enchiladas. Their salsa is really good, too! It's a nice pit stop for food if you enjoy real Mexican food. Service was awesome. To drink they sell waters, sodas, etc. the burritos are fat, filling and good."

Vegan District Asian Eatery

★★★★★ 4.5 (129) • $$

"My BF came home with Mongolian "pork", honey walnut "shrimp" & green beans. Never heard of this place before and as I was eating it I didn't believe him for a second that it was all vegan. So much so I that I had to go on their website to see everything say vegan. I STILL didn't believe it so I had to call them lol. All this to show- their food is so tasty and I really thought it was real shrimp and pork! We'll be back :)"

The Greenery Natural Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.7 (129) • $

"I love this place, but damn it fell apart when they got a tad bit busy. Waited 45 mins, I was asked 2-3 times what I ordered! Count your change, the young girl does not know how to count and give it back. Where's Guy and the Taylor Swift music when you need him!!!! Only saving Grace is the food is great!!!"

Kirin Noodle House

★★★★☆ 4.1 (105) • $$

"As most restaurants in Irvine were closed by 10:30-11pm, my friend and I discovered Kirin. As we arrived, only one table of diners were left eating, and we figured they were closing sooner than we thought. After self-ordering at the kiosk, we received our food shortly and then a worker came up to inform us they actually closed at 11:20pm, not 11:45pm. We did have to shove the food down, but I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty everything was. The noodles in my Pork Sparerib Noodle were soft and chewy, and I can tell they were made fresh. I enjoyed how easily the pork on the sprerib fell off the bone. The toppings of peas and Bok choy were added some nice greens to the bowl and was good with the broth. The soup wasn't too salty either, and I added their chili oil and some soy sauce for more flavor. My friend liked his Dan Dan Noodles, however, his sauce was more of a soupy appearance instead of a Dan Dan Sauce. We both enjoyed our meals here and were satisfied quickly!"

Yard House

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"Happy hour is so worth it!! Much needed after workGio was our server today and he was great!What we ordered:It's MezmerizingPicante MargaritaCheese curdsFried calamariPoke nachosThe carnivore"

Thuyen Vien

★★★★★ 4.5 • $$

"As I'm sitting here, waiting for my delicious food to arrive at my table, I was just thinking that I can't believe I haven't reviewed one of my favorite places to eat.Not only does this place serve up amazing vegan Vietnamese food, but it is just all around an amazing Vietnamese food.My go to is usually the vermicelli rice bowl (massive) and/or pho and when we order food to go we usually order food for a couple of days because, really, the price also can't be beat. Oh, another great staple is their fried rice.It's a small place with a few tables inside and it seems like a family affair with maybe one in the front one in the back cooking. The service is quick and kind.Whatever they are doing I hope they keep doing it because I love coming here. The only downside is they are not open for lunch."

Lamplight Lounge

★★★★☆ 3.7 • $$

"Long gone are the days where we only came to Lamplight Lounge to eat the infamous Lobster Nachos. Those are only served on the Boardwalk area and you'll find a complete menu with various appetizers and entrees at the actual Lamplight Lounge restaurant. Like any sit-down restaurant in Disneyland, if you don't have a reservation, then you're best bet is to start lining up before it opens to add your name to the waitlist. We got there early enough and only had to wait 10 minutes for a table. Everything is through texts so feel free to walk around the area while you're waiting. Just make sure you're back within 10 minutes of receiving the "ready" text.Brussels Caesar: I was honestly surprised by how delicious the Brussels were. I didn't expect a theme park restaurant to have high quality vegetable dishes but this was one of my favorite things we ordered. The brussels sprouts are roasted to a crisp, but not too burnt. And it stayed crispy despite the dressing mixed in. Highly recommend as a dish to share.Potato Skins: Misleading name because these weren't actually potato skins. They were like large, medallion-shaped hash browns. So good and crispy though! Comes with 5 pieces but it's easily split if you have a mismatched amount of people. And the paprika aioli and caper yogurt were perfect!Charbroiled Cheddar Burger: This tasted exactly what you would expect from an amusement park. It was a big burger and it came with a side of fries. But the patty was dry and lacking flavor. Vietnamese BBQ Pork Chop: Not sure if this was a special dish they had out for the Lunar New Year celebrations but it seemed interesting to try. The garlic noodles that comes with the dish is really good but the pork was just alright. It was a little dry and the char siu flavor tasted really artificial. Green Tea Donuts: Also not sure if this was special for LNY but we had to get it! Comes with 5 pieces and they're just regular donuts dipped in a really good matcha sauce. I was impressed and would get it again! I had a much better experience this time but not all of the food hit expectations. I wouldn't say it's worth waiting over an hour though so plan appropriately to have a reservation."