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Mexican food restaurant est. 2013 in the New Monterey area. Casual, colorful decor. Order at the counter, and food is served in to-go style (disposable ware). Menu is all-vegan and uses some faux meats. Dishes offered include crispy potato tacos, fajitas with side of rice and beans, tortilla chips, taquitos, tamales, and combination platters. Horchata and cake available. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-8:30pm, Fri 11:00am-3:30pm, Sun 11:00am-8:30pm.
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791 Foam St, Monterey, California, USA, 93940
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 17 Jun 2024 by Guest
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365 Reviews
First Review by magickbaby
EricNanson
Points +18
OMG!!!!! Amazingly delicious!!!! - Edit
Every dish had it’s own unique delicious flavor! Lots of gluten free options also! Some of the best food I’ve ever had, of any cuisine! Anywhere!!!
Read moreGuest
JosephMash
Points +173
Interesting all vegan Mexican place. - Edit
Huge menu with lots of authentic Mexican food in a small diner setting. Uses a lot of mock meats (either fake steak, chicken or fish) which isn’t to my personal taste. There are however pure veg options (crispy potato fried taco was delicious) and the nachos are incredible and huge!
Read morePros: Loads of options (maybe too much), Certain dishes are incredible
Cons: Huge reliance on fake/mock meats (personal pref), Menu can be a little confusing
Guest
dbrightwell71
Points +20
Vegan paradise - Edit
So many options, it’s difficult to choose. Everything looks delicious and the two dishes we had, combination one and combination three, tasted as good as they looked.
Read moreGuest
NicoleParks
Points +4159
WOW!! - Edit
the best vegan mexican food i have ever had. super authentic and delicious. i got the tacos/enchiladas combo plate and my non-vegan boyfriend got the mole and we were both really impressed!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-09-05
Guest
arlnsmith
Points +20
Very Healthy & Delicious Food - Edit
We found this wonderful little neighborhood restaurant while visiting Monterey. We were so surprised to find a good Mexican all vegan restaurant right near our hotel. We ordered a little bit of everything; spinach enchiladas, chili rellenos, tamales, vegetable tacos, rice, beans. Everything was vegan and everything was delicious and a little bit different. The tortillas were thicker, the vegies were an assortment, the sauces were yummy and spicey.
Read moreEven though it was quite busy, the service was very good, just a women at the counter taking orders and the cooks right there in front cooking up your dinner fresh. They did a lot of take out, but we sat at a small table and ate. There was plenty of room to seat customers.
Try it, you won't be disappointed!!
Pros: Healthy food, Delicious food, Friendly staff
Guest
traveling_vegan
Points +392
One of the best - Edit
Honestly, some of the best vegan Mexican food i’ve had in a long time. I can’t remember what my order was called but I loved every bite of it!!
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
samanthaskywalker
Points +18
Unparalleled Vegan Mexican Food - Edit
I did my undergrad in Monterey and did not understand just how special El Cantaro is until I moved to the East Coast. I have not found another restaurant (even in NYC) offering vegan food that even comes close to El Cantaro in taste, quality, and authenticity. My favorite item on the menu is easily the mega quesadilla with vegan steak, and my only regret is that I was so infatuated with that damn quesadilla that I didn’t sample enough of their menu before moving. I am far from the only person who recognizes how special this restaurant is so it can be busy at times and there is limited seating, but I used to order online and take my food to the cliffs at Pacific Grove and my order was never anything but perfect.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Authentic, Kind and accommodating service
Cons: Can be slow at times, Limited seating
Guest
FAvo
Points +28
Best vegan Mexican food - Edit
Was in Monterey for car shows, not many fully vegan restaurant in the area , went on the last day of my trip and I regretted! Should’ve go way earlier!
Read moreAMAZING, so tasty, delicious and full of flavours,
I’ll come back in Monterey just for this restaurant!
Love it !
Guest
jpick
Points +116
Easily affordable, Incredibly Good - Edit
The food was so reasonably priced and absolutely delicious. We shared a light lunch of 3 tacos—mushroom, chik’n, and Baja “fish”. We’ll definitely return. It’s a “not to be missed” all-vegan restaurant. Extensive menu. It’s a block from the aquarium. Get takeout and go to the nearby park. We will eat there every time we go now.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-08-19
Pros: So fresh! AKA—homemade salsa verde, Outside seating, two tables, Extensive, all vegan, creative menu
Cons: Limited seating and parking, Disposable service ware
Guest
dveg8
Points +938
Authentic Mexican Food and all Vegan! - Edit
This is not the classiest restaurant, but the food is amazing and the service is fast. You order at the counter and bring the food to your table. Mostly indoor seating with two outdoor tables.
Read moreThey have their menus on large monitors and the only unfortunate thing is that they run out of some items.
We had Enmolatas, a Chicken burrito, a Mushroom Quesadilla, and Chamoyada, a shaved ice mango and pineapple drink.
If you've never had authentic Mexican food before, this is the place to go for the vegan version.
The cooks must be plucked from real Mexican restaurants and prepare their authentic dishes with all-vegan ingredients.
Highly recommended.
Updated from previous review on 2022-08-15
Pros: Authentic Mexican, but all Vegan!, extensive menu, you'll enjoy eating food you've never experienced
Cons: ran out of some items, restaurant is not classy, but food is top notch
Guest
RomainFr
Points +598
Very good - Edit
The food was good. It's cool to have combo plate to try differents dishes
Read moreGuest
susieqt666
Points +33
The best vegan Mexican food! - Edit
The food was amazing. Authentic Mexican, yet vegan. The tacos and enchiladas were so delicious and the chile relleno was some of the best I've ever tasted. The service was great and we will definitely come back when in town again.
Read morePros: All vegan! , Absolutely delicious Mexican food
Cons: A little pricey but worth it
Guest
fivesstarr
Points +137
Yummy - Edit
Drive to Monterey just for the enchiladas and refried beans and rice. Mmm
Read moreCons: Closed on Saturday
Guest
Vegan_Hiker_Foodie
Points +6017
Delicious and big menu! - Edit
We ate here as a mixed groups of vegans and omnis and everyone enjoyed their food. There were so many choices I almost had trouble deciding. It was so awesome not to have to wonder what was vegan or not. The food seems authentic and the staff was very friendly. Would def visit this place again.
Read moreGuest
mccolligan
Points +263
Best Mexican food, vegan or otherwise - Edit
We came here 3 times during our short stay in the area. I've never had such amazing perfect vegan flan. Tried a variety of items: enchiladas (the zucchini ones with green sauce was the best), hard/soft tacos (beyond crumbles ones were the best), tamales, taquitos, rice and beans....all very fantastic. Very friendly staff. Only wished that food was served on real plates and metal utensils available so as to not accrue so much trash. Wished we had one of these in our state!
Read morePros: Flan, Friendly Staff, Lots of variety/options
Cons: Throw away plates and utensils
Guest
KarinaLynch
Points +538
Amazing!! - Edit
Wow! The best Mexican restaurant, the variety is impressive, and the ice cream is just fabulous!😋😋😋
Read moreGuest
sra_narwhal
Points +24
Great! - Edit
Delicious chick’n enchiladas with tomatillo sauce, good portion sizes and came with rice and beans. Ready and delivered quickly through door dash. Recommend!
Read moreGuest
Corona
Points +288
So many vegan Mexican food options - Edit
The food that we got was delicious. We got a pozole, yum! And a torta, with meat substitute AND mushrooms delicious! The horchata was refreshing.
Read moreI only wish they didn’t use single use plastic and disposable everything when eating there. But also the space is small and I don’t see much space for dishwashing ability.
Parking is limited.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Delicious food
Cons: Disposable everything , Limited parking
Guest
JanaMeyer
Points +38
Not tasty, unfriendly staff - Edit
It is incredible how disgusting vegan food can taste, I had no idea you could ruin a taco like that. We had a plate with 4 tacos and beans and a burrito - the girl at the cashier was speaking extremely silent, I could not understand her. I give 2 stars because it is vegan, otherwise I would have given 1. A shame.
Read moreGuest
mongoose10
Points +762
So. Many. Options! - Edit
Very casual place with limited seating. Order at the counter. HUGE menu with so many options. 5 stars for the menu and how delicious the food was. Minus a star for how pricey it is in such a casual setting (paper plates, plastic cutlery). Combo platters cost about $16-17 each. Definitely worth a stop though if you’re ok with the price.
Read morePros: HUGE menu. , Casual.
Cons: Expensive.
Guest
Dariush
Points +1134
Good, can be better - Edit
I was very happy to have bumped into this place, right next to the Aquarium. The actual experience was a mixed bag. They have an enormous menu, which was exciting, including some dishes like tlayudas that I had never encountered. On the other hand the restaurant (including open kitchen) is small- arguably too small to accommodate such a large menu. The result was a longer wait for my food than I expected, and also cramped seating. The food was good though. My two cents would be to streamline the menu to ensure the staff can accommodate folks in a more timely manner- or better yet keep the menu but get a bigger venue and hire more kitchen staff.
Read moreGuest
Professorkirby
Points +54
The absolute best - Edit
Phenomenal Mexican food. Most places, there’s one or two things you need to try. But here, everything is a 10/10.
Read morePros: So high quality, Tortilla soup is to die for
Guest
LondonVS
Points +267
Amazing Burrito - Edit
I got the vegan chicken burrito with black beans wet with green sauce, and it was fantastic. I also got the fried plantains which were super good
Read morePros: Lots of options, Great food, Massive portions
Cons: Not scenic
Guest
yummy81
Points +192
Awesome! - Edit
This is authentic and vegan:) Small friendly restaurant with amazing food. You just gotta go!
Read morePros: 100 percent vegan, Authentic, Friendly
Guest
AbbeyCowens
Points +26
AMAZING Mexican food! - Edit
I haven’t had Mexican food in forever because it’s always dairy. I had the enchiladas which were phenomenal! My husband had a humongous burrito that he loved. I didn’t miss the dairy as they have vegan cheese, sour cream, etc. I was too full but they also have vegan desserts.
Read morePros: Tasted like authentic Mexican food, Desserts
Cons: Plastic utensils even when eating there
Guest
theresabee
Points +717
Good Vegan Pit Stop - Edit
It was tough to find a spot with vegan options in Monteray, so we were thrilled to come across this little Mexican joint!
Read moreWe ordered the combo 3 and a couple of other small items. The enchilada was good, but the taco, beans and rice were somewhat lacking in flavour.
The menu is huge, though, so very happy to see so many vegan options where one doesn’t have to worry about lard, dairy in the guac, etc.
Pros: Large menu and variety of dishes, Quick service, Tasty enchiladas
Cons: No wi-fi available
Guest
Yodavidverde
Points +34
Fantastic Delicious Mexican food - Edit
We had the combo 3, cheesecake, spicy mango dessert (name?) and horchata everything was truly exceptional!
Read morePros: All vegan, everything exceptional!
Cons: This place doesn’t exist in Berkeley!
Guest
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