Mesa Verde Restaurant

"Located on Santa Barbara's mostly residential west side, Mesa Verde feels like a clubhouse for vegans who actually like the taste of vegetables. The dining room is shaded by palm trees and covered in dark wood finishes, and the fresh and filling plant-based menu works well for a casual lunch or weeknight dinner. We recommend starting with the flaky grilled flatbread served with a side of creamy hummus and moving on to the jackfruit chorizo street tacos topped with blueberry chipotle salsa. This walk-in-only spot can get packed on weekends, but if you’re traveling with a vegetarian or vegan, consider this stop mandatory. " - brant cox, nikko duren, sylvio martins, garrett snyder

"From the first bite of a mushroom umami burger with crisp lettuce and superb heirloom tomatoes, it's abundantly clear that these ingredients arrive fresh from the farm. Be sure to sample their Latin-style dishes like gluten-free picadillos tacos or empanadas. Polenta fries with jalapeños and caramelized onions are a hands-down favorite; while the sweet cashew cheesecake decked out with strawberries and an almond crust is a signature for good reason." - The MICHELIN Guide

"Located on Santa Barbara's mostly residential west side, Mesa Verde feels like a clubhouse for vegans who actually like the taste of vegetables. The dining room is shaded by palm trees and covered in dark wood finishes, and the fresh and filling plant-based menu works well for a casual lunch or weeknight dinner. We recommend starting with the flaky grilled flatbread served with a side of creamy hummus and moving on to the jackfruit chorizo street tacos topped with blueberry chipotle salsa. This walk-in only spot can get packed on weekends, but if you’re traveling with a vegetarian or vegan, consider this stop mandatory." - Nikko Duren

"Mesa Verde, Santa Barbara by Amanda Proudfit. A vegetarian restaurant, but don’t let that deter you if you aren’t a full time vegetarian. Their menu is full of aspirational plant-based dishes, is 100% organic, and the restaurant itself is casual and welcoming with a very friendly staff. There are dishes on the menu influenced by the cuisines from Spain, Sicily, North Africa and the Middle East, and each dish is beautifully presented, tasting just as good as it looks. I recommend the Rajas Tacos, made with grilled poblano and spanish onion, black beans, smoked vegetables, butternut nacho cheese, pickled carrot, cilantro, radish and avocado, Or the Falafel sandwich, made with hummus, mixed greens, cucumber, mint, red onion, pickled beet and tahini. Yum!"

"Don’t let the less-than-swanky location fool you into thinking that this is anything less than an excellent vegan restaurant. Besides, once inside it feels more like a house with a lovely garden terrace, wood décor and wide-open kitchen. This is the kind of food that even meat-eaters can instantly love. From the first bite of a mushroom umami burger with crisp lettuce and superb heirloom tomatoes, it is abundantly clear that these ingredients arrive fresh from the farm. Be sure to sample their Latin-style dishes like gluten-free picadillos tacos or empanadas. Polenta fries with jalapeños and caramelized onions are a hands-down favorite; while the sweet cashew cheesecake decked out with strawberries and an almond crust is a signature for good reason." - The MICHELIN Guide