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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335 Reviews
First Review by magickbaby
veganmamabear
Points +344
Excellent horchata, OK burrito - Edit
The staff and atmosphere at this place are both lovely.
Read moreWe are Mission style burrito people, and found the burritos very heavy on beans and rice, but much less so on other fillings, making for a heavier meal.
That being said, the hot sauce was delicious, as was the horchata. The flan was very good as well.
Guest
MariaD
Points +3018
One of the best vegan burritos I've had in my life - Edit
The tofu burrito was incredibly flavorful and packed with beans, veggies and tofu. Very glad to have ordered in from here when visiting Monterey ❤️
Read moreGuest
BertieBert
Points +82
Incredible! - Edit
Huge menu, there is truly something for every craving, everything is so flavorful. Took a nonvegan who could not believe their tastebuds!
Read morePros: Lots of options, Tasty
Cons: Hours are inaccurate, they are open 1pm-830pm
Guest
elinorcita
Points +46
Delicious and authentic - Edit
We love El Cantaro and usually go once a month as a special Sunday lunch. The combo plates are my favorite and my kids love the grilled cheese, french fries, and fruit. You have to get an horchata as well! Everything is cooked fresh and I love the dining area which is clean and welcoming.
Read morePros: Taste, Location , Cleanliness
Guest
MichaelStrait
Points +26
Seriously Good Vegan Food - Edit
On our first visit to Monterey since becoming vegan (5 years ago) our first stop was at the only fully vegan restaurant in town near our hotel and we were not disappointed! El Cantaro Vegan Mexican Restaurant is a cozy little place near Cannery Row with a surprisingly large menu of vegan options including feaux meats if you like. We had the veggie enchiladas and grilled pineapple veggie burrito. They were so good, made with fresh ingredients. We'll definitely be going back to try out other items on the menu. Such a delight to know everything is vegan so you don't have to worry about ordering something billed as vegetarian but not really vegan.
Read morePros: Fresh authentic Mexican vegan food
Cons: Smallish place with not much parking
n0_Neimz_FLatAerth
all Real food should be a Basik Right for all! And not a money making business!
Read moreGuest
Brycew
Points +1350
Wide menu of regional Mexican dishes - Edit
It would be great enough that any form of vegan Mexican food exists on the California coast, but El Cántaro blows expectations away by featuring little known Mexican dishes that are hard to find at Mexican restaurants anywhere in the US, such as mole poblano, chiles en Nogada, tlayudas, memelas, pozole and so much more! Have brought omni friends here and they were convinced it wasn’t vegan. Highly recommend the any of the tacos, tortilla soup, memelitas, and horchata!
Read moreNote: there is another location of El Cántaro in Sacramento with mostly the same menu, not sure if it’s the same owners or if it’s more of a franchise arrangement, either way the Sac location is good too!
Pros: Large menu, Some dishes that are normally only found in Mexico, Desserts
Cons: Closed on Saturdays and closes early on Fridays , Staff is friendly but not enthusiastic
Guest
Anngee
Points +156
Authentic taste - Edit
This was my second time coming here. The food is so delicious and filling.
Read moreI got my burrito wet with both sauces. Warning ⚠️ the red sauce was really spicy! I loved the flavor of the green sauce. The nachos were really good and the guacamole had the right amount of citrus.
I ordered a strawberry cheesecake togo after we were all done eating.
Pros: Free parking out front
Guest
toastandjammies
Points +1282
Overrated - Edit
I really want to love this place, but I’ve gone several times over the years and have always been disappointed. Maybe it’s the bad vegan cheese that tastes like it’s from the early 2000s? Or the fact that a lot of the food is too greasy? Either way, I’m not a fan.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-02
Guest
MatMountain
Points +290
Tasty Mexican vegan food! - Edit
We loved our items, very tasty and traditional.
Read morePros: Great flavor, Blue zone items
Cons: Plastic knives (bring your own, too much waste), Plastic containers for hot sauces
Guest
SteveTaylor
Points +89
Huge menu, great options, affordable! - Edit
The only vegan place in Monterey, great for visitors (except that it's closed on Saturdays).
Read moreHuge menu, options for everyone, and tasty. Affordable and quick service.
Pros: Lots of options (almost too many!), Great flavors, Good choices of fake meat vs whole foods
Cons: Closed on Saturdays
Guest
Daniella.Davina
Points +18
The Tamales are fantastic! - Edit
The Tamales are fantastic! The staff was friendly. I’d come back again 👍
Read morePros: Tamales, Friendly staff, Nopales
Guest
dragonfly913
Points +21
Delicious, unique Mexican vegan - Edit
This restaurant has Mexican standard fare and more unique offerings as well. I love to try things on the menu I have not had before. I am never disappointed. My omnivore friends and family members have also very much enjoyed their food. We leave satisfied for a reasonable price. There is lots of variety. The one time my food was too spicy for me, they quickly and cheerfully replaced it to my satisfaction. A great restaurant with a a relaxed atmosphere and good customer service. By far my favorite vegan restaurant.
Read moreGuest
SarahS88
Points +2619
Loved it - Edit
So excited to support the only vegan place in town! The food was great, our fav dish was the spinach enchiladas- will come back if we are in Monterey ever again!
Read moreGuest
JanBou
Points +48
Delicious Mexican food! - Edit
I got a combo plate and everything was so good, can’t wait to go back.
Read moreGuest
AlexViecco
Points +65
Amazing food. So many choices - Edit
The food looks amazing and was extremely fresh. Highly recommend and I have to tell you it was delicious. Had the pozole and a Baja taco. Could add a burrito and call it a day!
Read moreSalud !
Pros: Fresh, Tasty, Delicious
Cons: N/a, Small stomach and live too far to eat more often
Guest
TheJBJ
Points +56
Very delicious Mexican & tons of options - Edit
I ordered combo #3. Enjoyed every single bit of it, including the tangy green tomatillo sauce on the enchilada and black beans (choice of black or pinto). It was very filling and nice to have so many vegan options! Would totally come back here.
Read morePros: Tons of options
Cons: Can’t think of any?
Guest
Luchi
Points +885
Incredible - Edit
Delicious everything with overwhelming amount of options. Made my day, just perfect
Read moreGuest
zoeythebird
Points +277
Yummy! - Edit
Food was good, drinks came in glass instead of plastic 👍
Read moreSmall parking area and roadside parking was available.
Guest
BeckyC
Points +910
So much choice! - Edit
I had total vegan choice panic in this place and opted for the combo 1, it was all delicious, fast and the staff were helpful!
Read morePros: So much choice , Huge portion
Guest
Pilot.lj
Points +1525
Left me feeling bummed - Edit
I was excited to try this spot especially since vegan only restaurants are lacking in MRY. Unfortunately I have to agree with the other negative reviews of this place. Flavors are lacking or bad, and price is wild.
Read moreI live in LA so am used to high prices for food. This spot is like your typical meat Mexican corner restaurant. I ordered the combo #1 with mole tamale and green enchiladas. The cashier also convinced me I must try the crispy potato taco.
Tbh crispy potato tacos don’t impress me, if a meat serving Mexican spot has anything vegan it’s that, so this was my first red flag.
My total for a combo, and a single crispy potato taco was $30 ☠️
While surprised by the price, I’d be willing to pay that if it was reaaalllllly good. Spoiler, it wasn’t.
Green sauce on enchilada was good. However it was filled with basic veggies and nothing to be impressed with here. Rice and beans were fine, as to be expected. The tamale… was really bad. I love tamales but I couldn’t eat this one. The flavor was over powering. I like mole but this mole tamale was inedible. It reminded me, for some reason, of tea that steeped way too long and turned bitter and overpowering.
Finally the potato taco, it was fine.
I always want to root for an all vegan spot but I really can’t recommend this one.
Guest
jackhare12
Points +15
Amazing - Edit
Always forget to write reviews but my goodness this was good. Tacos and burritos were top drawer.
Read moreGuest
babidi
Points +3036
Huge menu - Edit
The menu is huge. I ordered a combo meal to get a taste of different items, and it was delicious.
Read moreGuest
Corrigan
Points +254
Great Mexican food - Edit
Crispy potato tacos are a must! We also had the chicken burrito which was also fantastic
Read moreGuest
carokris
Points +76
Large tasty portions! - Edit
We really enjoyed our lunch here on a recent visit to Monterey. The portions were very large; the chips were fresh; everything was prepared to order. There are a lot of “alternative meat” options, but we stuck with the mushroom filled empanadas (which came on a huge platter), beans and rice.
Read moreGuest
Freckles_
Points +368
Home-style Mexican Food - Edit
This place checked all the boxes for a regular quick-service mexican restaurant. The vibes were nice and the place was running smoothly. The food was the best I've had. I ordered the combo #1 with the chicken tamale and green sauce enchilada. The tamale was outstanding but the enchilada stole the show. I would come back and order the enchiladas 100%. Other people in my party ordered the combo #3 and the burrito with cactus which were also very good! We also tried the blue zones inspired dish resembling a Mexican pizza which was also pretty good for being healthy! Would definitely check this place out over the aquarium 🤫.
Read moreGuest
NathanielLegg
Points +2857
Amazing! - Edit
Absolutely amazing vegan Mexican restaurant! I haven’t had vegan Mexican food so good since I was in Merida, Mexico. Everything was fresh and delicious. We tried a ton and really enjoyed it all. There was a decent amount of seating inside and some outside. Also some parking available out front. My only concern is the not reusable dining items, such as plastic utensils and paper plates. I would definitely recommend coming here!
Read morePros: Delicious authentic food, Fun atmosphere , Great staff
Guest
hetalshah24
Points +1139
So, so difficult to choose - Edit
This is a small informal restaurant close to Cannery Row with an extensive menu. I might have taken 10mins just to decide what to eat as everything sounded so good. Finally, our group went with Veggie Supreme burrito, Chilaquiles with the salsa verde, Tamil Rajas, Fish Baja Style taco. We had horchata for drinks which were excellent. My favorites were the veggie supreme burrito and tamal. We did have the red spicy sauce on the side and it was really good. Overall loved the place, people and food. Would definately come back.
Read morePros: So many vegan options, Good food, Good staff
Guest
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