Lacto
Ovo
American
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Veggie reuben with soy, tofu grill, vegetarian soups, tofu scramble, and tofu migas, pastries made with eggs and dairy. Open Mon-Fri 7:00am-6:00pm, Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, Sun 9:00am-3:00pm.
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821 W San Mateo Rd (at Pacheco), Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, 87505
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Last update on 05 Dec 2017 by Guest
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19 Reviews
First Review by skotting
StephenNewbern
Points +24
The vegan breakfast - Edit
I had the scrambled tofu breakfast. I know I am in the southwest, but most places serve the same breakfast: scrambled tofu, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, and black beans. This establishment also served smashed potatoes which must have been fried. They were very hard to chew and were not hot like the other items on my plate. I would not reorder it again. The scrambled tofu was hot and well put together. The only downside were the quality of the potatoes. Service was great and there is an attached bakery. The only vegan baked good was the sole cranberry muffin I took home with coffee. The muffin was excellent. I wished they had more vegan baked goods.
Read morePros: Tofu, View of the bakery from dining area, Service
Cons: Smashed potatoes are hard, Lack of vegan baked goods
Guest
vegan_mouse
Points +1455
Absolutely DELICIOUS - Edit
What a gem! The staff was totally knowledgeable about vegan options, and anything on the menu that says “vegan option” is made with substitutes, not just omitting half the ingredients like some places. A cook even came out while we were waiting to make sure I wanted my Migas with vegan cheese in addition to the tofu. It was incredibly flavorful and so filling. My fiancé also loved his vegan breakfast burrito (in a bowl).
Read moreGuest
LiveWellIdyllwild
Points +1704
Great breakfast option - Edit
As a vegan, finding a breakfast spot is not always easy. Was happy to find this “off the beaten track” option on Happy Cow. Giving 3 stars because of limited options, although the option they did have was very good.
Read moreThey can make most items vegan by replacing the eggs with tofu scramble. We elected to get their standard vegan scramble, as is. It’s not the normal dry tofu scramble. It had a lovely rice oil with seasoning that made it moist. Came with potatoes and beans. Coffee was excellent too!
This is a full homemade bakery that is primarily wholesale. When you’re sitting in the café you can watch the bakery in action. 
If you’re going for the pastries, they didn’t have vegan options available today (with exception of one muffin). Vegan bakery options are a hit or miss. If you’re vegetarian, but gluten-free, they had a lot of options for you in bakery.
Updated from previous review on 2023-10-10
Pros: Tofu scramble “style”, Off the beaten track - unique setting , Can make several options into vegan
Cons: Bakery “Vegan” options- not standard
Guest
Baugust
Points +247
Great for vegetarians, okay for vegans. - Edit
First, the location is great. It is in a larger building and feels almost hidden. The restaurant seating is limited, but there is a glass wall between that seating and the bakery, so you can watch them bake.
Read moreIf you are vegetarian, the place is great. The breakfast and lunch menus have good options. My kid wanted to go for breakfast and my wife wanted lunch, so we ended up going twice.
The tofu scramble was great. My wife had a classic country breakfast made vegan (tofu, vegan sausage, toast, fried potatoes) and thought it was excellent - especially the bread. My kid had the French toast (not vegan) and it was decadent. We had a very good experience.
For lunch, I had the bahn mi. It was good, but not really a bahn mi. It did come with homemade potato chips and that was the highlight. My wife had the reuben (vegetarian, not vegan) and gave it a solid review.
The bakery looks wonderful, but there are not many vegan options (two cookies when we were there).
I would recommend it for breakfast, especially for those who eat dairy. Vegans can probably find a better fit for lunch.
Guest
xbleedcurrentx
Points +598
So freakin good - Edit
They have so many things that can be made vegan! We got the migas and country breakfast. Tofu in both was really good! Migas were pretty spicy. They also have some vegan cookies.
Read moreGuest
challiebread
Points +86
Changed my mind! - Edit
Order online to see all the vegan options or ask someone! I thought it was only the tofu scramble (which is delicious) but it turns out almost everything egg-based can be made deliciously vegan😄
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-04-05
Guest
Kikleton
Points +135
Garlicky Tofu Scramble - Edit
Based on the previous reviews I did a beeline to the tofu scramble. On the plus side, the tofu had crispy edges with spinach and tomatoes mixed in. The flavor would have been good had it not been inundated with garlic. I can only really recommend the tofu scramble if you love garlic.
Read moreGuest
LucyGates
Points +20
Amazing tofu scramble!! - Edit
It’s very hard to find a good tofu scramble at a non-vegan cafe, but this place did it right!! I’ve had a lot of tofu scrambles in my 23 years of vegan life, and this was one of the best, and it came with delicious potatoes and black beans. Also got a delicious pour over coffee, and they had soy, almond, and oat milk options. Was with 2 other vegans that got the same thing and they also loved it. The ambiance was also very unique because where you eat is next to a giant window that looks into the bakery where all the pastries are being made. Would give it 5 stars if the app allowed me too.
Read moreGuest
chelsea.elle13
Points +447
Very few options - Edit
Really disappointed, they shouldn’t even be on happy cow. No vegan desserts, all they really have for vegans is tofu scramble which is so easy to make myself that it’s not even worth it.
Read moreCons: No vegan desserts & limited options, Weird/hidden location
Guest
ajw2106
Points +44
Good vegan breakfast! - Edit
Went here for breakfast the other day and had a great tofu scramble with black beans and smashed potatoes. Great way to start the day! And the staff were very friendly and attentive. There aren’t too many vegan options, but what they have seems great.
Read moreGuest
laurasaurus
Points +43
No vegan desserts - Edit
Had the chipotle chicken salad with tofu instead, it had a delicious orange chipotle dressing. But aside from the tofu scramble and one or two other things, not very vegan friendly. Really disappointed there were no vegan options for dessert or baked goods. Service was very friendly , if slow.
Read moreGuest
ginaanbe
Points +16
Not very vegan friendly - Edit
Very little vegan options!!! Menu said that most of the menu options could be made vegan, vegetarian or gluten free. Only a few of the savory options can be made vegan. Tofu scramble or the chilaqules. When we asked if it any of the sweet breakfast options i.e. pancakes or waffles or crepes can be made vegan they said no. Also all of the pastries (except 1 type of cupcake) were not vegan and there was at least 50 different types of pastries and desserts! Good for vegetarians and non vegans.
Read morePros: Tasty food for non vegans , Vegetarian friendly
Cons: Expensive, Very little vegan options
Guest
valijoy
Points +70
delicious! - Edit
We very much enjoyed our meal here. I would give 5 stars if allowed. I got the tofu scramble for breakfast and it was flavored and spiced perfectly. I was also able to get hot chocolate with almond milk and it was so good. I enjoyed being able to look into the bakery production room as well.
Read moreGuest
Dazzle59
Points +60
A few standout vegan options! - Edit
I agree with vgndrl that Chocolate Maven doesn't offer many vegan options. The owners and chef are Sikhs and ovo-lacto vegetarians, and I wish they would add more vegan options to the menu (especially during dinner). However, that doesn't stop me from visiting the Maven for a soy cappuccino and their New Mexico-style tofu scramble (be sure to request no cheese on the black beans). Also - the Maven's garlic rosemary french fries are out of this world!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Tuesday February 07, 2012
Guest
stacypatel
Points +157
Bland and expensive - Edit
We wanted to love this beautiful restaurant so very much. It seats only a handful of tables and faces large glass windows into the production area of the bakery. Although they do offer vegan options, which we appreciate, the offerings we very bland. We ordered the red and green chile breakfast burrito, chilaquiles, all made with organic tofu and breakfast potatoes. The chile was bland, tofu flavorless and not seasoned at all, the food was barely warm. They do have soy milk for coffee drinks, no baked goods that are vegan at all. The prices did not match the quality of what we were served. The staff is helpful and friendly and guided us to the vegan options. In a warehouse district, a bit challenging to find. There are better options for breakfast in Santa Fe.
Read moreGuest
ecogeek
Points +32
Delicious veggie reuben - Edit
We stopped by here to taste their veggie reuben and despite the server's comment that they didn't normally make it on the weekends (it was a Saturday) they accommodated us. The reuben was excellent and the chips also very good. Would go back and get a sandwich with veggie soy ingrediants the next time. It was about 2 pm and the café was full of customers. Great to see some veggie choices.
Read morePros: Friendly, Helpful
Guest
binjones
Points +87
Chocolate Maven nearly Vegetarian Nirvana - Edit
I a vegan, but my wife is not. We were on or annal cross country trip when we came upon te Maven for breakfast. Despite the fact it is not heavy on vegan, what was ordered and the fact that they were willing to accommodate gave us one of the greatest experiences during our trip.
Read moreFor those who complain about what tey do not have try driving across American and you will see really how much that do provide and how the were accommodating.
We loved the Sante Fe scrambler and wish we could match all of their flavors. The black beans were great even sans the cheese We highly recommend the Chocolate Maven
Pros: Flavor, Simplicity, Complexity
Cons: Limited
Guest
vgndrl
Points +23
Vegan friendly? I think not. - Edit
I was travelling through New Mexico on my way to Colorado and did some research to see what places I could stop at for dinner while in town. I decided that I should stop by Chocolate Maven after reading the reviews on this site. I was very disappointed when I arrived at tea time and was informed that there was nothing vegan available. The women behind the counter told me that all pastries are made with eggs and dairy and that some of the premade food was vegetarian, but not vegan. They were very unwilling to make any sort of alterations to the food to make them vegan. I would recommend this place to vegetarians but definitely not to vegans and suggest removing "vegan friendly" from this restaurants information on this site.
Read morePros: Veg friendly
Cons: Nothing vegan
wnoyes21
I think perhaps you had an un-informed server. Many of the Mavens pastries are egg and dairy free, although they don't label them vegan. Perhaps what they serve during tea-time is different, I've never attempted it, but I would give them another try if you pass through again.
Read moreGuest
skotting
Points +13
Great Vegetarian Options - Edit
The good news is that the Chocolate Maven has remodeled, and there is a lot more room, especially downstairs, and it is a gorgeous environment now. The bathrooms are really nice, and the dining room window the bakery is huge, and totally fun to watch the bakery in action. We had a great vegetarian meal, and there were tons of vegetarian items on the menu. There were vegetarian versions of a lot of the sandwiches. I got a fantastic salad with tons of really fresh greens and sliced tofu. For breakfast the tofu scramble is one of the best I have had and you can get most of the egg dishes with tofu, you can even get vegetarian eggs Benedict with veggie Canadian bacon. The soups are always vegetarian, and the Maven is famous for soup and bread. Personally, I find the staff is really friendly especially for such a busy place. They are eager to help, cheerful and quick. So it is one of my favorite places to go on a regular basis. I always buy an awesome loaf of bread on the way out. Oh yes, there is also high tea in the afternoon with cute little vegetarian tofu salad finger sandwiches and all sort of goodies... totally fun. The parking lot is probably the worst aspect, and I agree with the suggestion to park in the street and walk up - I just avoid pulling back there at all. It can get crowded and busy too, but to me that's part of the fun. Overall I really love to recommend the Maven. It's a unique place in Santa Fe, and it is popular with us locals for good reason. At any rate, I would not visit Santa Fe without including time for the Chocolate Maven.
Read morePros: Del Veggie Choicicious, Lots of Veggies, Cheerful and friendly
Cons: parking, hard to find, waiting in line
Guest
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