Lotus Cafe and Juice Bar

awesome place for Vegan, Organic, and Gluten Free people. also BEST ACAI BOWL in town… but thats just my opinion, try it yourself!
FOOD: my usual is the ACAI BOWL and NACHOS CHIQUITOS. the nachos are definitely not as small as the title claims it to be. I normally share the nachos if i get the acai bowl or soup but could probably finish myself if i got that alone. If you like acai bowls you will definitely appreciate theirs. Ive had acai bowls over san diego — Encinitas to OB– and this has been my FAVORITE so far! no lie! I will drive to Hillcrest or Encinitas if i’m craving a good acai bowl (i live near del mar mind you). i’ve also had the fish tacos (i woudlnt come here for just that with so many other great fish tacos in town) and the chicken enchiladas (pretty good).
DRINKS: lots of juice, smoothie options, and tea options.
PRICE: very reasonable prices from $ 5 – 11 bucks, no to mention all the Oragnic, VEG, and GF options/​substitutes.
AMBIANCE: i’m not gonna lie, i feel like i could bust my yoga mat right out — its very hippy-​ish. Lots of Asian/​Indian influence with the elephant statue and pictures on the wall. i feel very at peace while eating my food. :)
SERVICE: you order then sit down and bring your food to you. no waiting on people so they’re really there for recommendations and to cut the line down if there is one which is fine with me, i wanna eat! haha
PARK in the garage downstairs of this place, you can validate 2 hours i believe :)

I usually go to a restaurant three or four times before I review it so I can be sure that the food is good or not. I had several dishes either vegan or gluten free. None were excellent; just average. In all fairness, just average is expected in a café were prices are cheap, you take a ticket at the counter, and set your own table. It was nearly empty each time I ate there, even last night, a Friday night. Also, to be expected with just average food. It could be better.
The curry vegetables were scorching hot, as in third degree burns for the mouth. I couldn’t even taste it for about twenty minutes. Not kidding. It was still too hot when we left and I didn’t bother to take it home. That night, the fry cook was probably not thinking of the guests. Caught a glance of him smoking out the «side» door which had wafted back (smelled very herbal). Mmmmm, didn’t even share…
They do tofu very well, and the fish tacos were good, the portions are big for the price and the booths are super comfortable. They serve breakfast items anytime and a long list of gluten free and vegan meals. There is a very good selection of regular teas and fermented drinks as well as organic wine. They might even have GMO free food but I didn’t notice a sign anywhere.
The front counter service is wonderful, every time there were different, but very friendly women, who will take the order and explain the menu. They are why I will go back. I still have to find a really good dish here and the menu is packed so it will take a few more trips. Being average, there is still 50% of the experience that I liked, so I will be here often.

Acai Bowl
Is GREAT! Best around. I’ve had a few other dishes and have not been disappointed.

Like most of the reviews here, our main intention was to dine at Snooze, but a glance at the volume and we were automatically deterred.
My boyfriend’s eyes caught this place and quickly looked to me and said ‘this definitely looks like some place you would eat at’ and sure enough, it was. Their selection of vegan/​vegetarian entrees are perfect. It’s a quaint little restaurant with Indian décor, and pink booths. They have acai bowls, YES! But since I eat that every other day when I’m at home, I went with vegan pancakes to load me up for the day at the Safari Park. Delicious down to every bite I could fit in my tiny little stomach!
Price-​wise I’d say is decent. It’s around $ 7-​$ 10 a plate! (: I wouldn’t mind coming back. Also their acai smoothie was good from the sip I had off my boyfriend haha.

This review is only for the chai latte!
Stepped in after getting bored of the wait at snooze (1 hr, 10 min), decided to start on morning type drinks since we were tired. Got a coffee which was just OK. They only had the regular stuff. But the chai latte, ahhh best one I’ve had to date, and came with whipped cream, yum yum in my tum!

I can usually tell by the size of a restaurant menu whether or not the food’s going to be good, but this place had what seemed to be a really nice selection of veggie friendly entrees that I totally forgot about the rest. And I was deceived.
Tempeh Tacos w/​rancheros sauce sounded great. But sadly, it had very little flavor. Very tomato-​y, but with no smokey-​ness. The chips were stale and the salsa tasted like thick water
The Green Veggie and Organic Veggie juices were good, but between the bland food and prices I would not return.

Came here on a food tour and so had limited experience but from what I had I could tell the place is worth a visit.
I had a great carrot smoothie, that I did NOT expect to like (carrot-​flavored anything is kind of gross) but LOVED. Also, a very good gluten free chocolate cupcake. The servers were sweet and attentive to our large group.
If I lived in the area I would undoubtedly be back!

Visited Lotus for the fifth time in three weeks today. Once again — had an outstanding, guilt-​free meal. This place hasn’t missed for us yet!
Lotus offers a large vegetarian menu with tons of healthy options. That’s not to say we carnivores are left in the dark. Real meats are available, and in particular I enjoyed the Carlsbad quesadillas (with real chicken), multiple salads, and a free-​range egg dish with spinach and trimmings.
There’s no shortage of niche cafes in Hillcrest. But Lotus Café is the one you hit when you want awesome, fresh, healthy food and you want it quickly and without the pretense.
One useful tip you’ll need before you arrive. You want to walk in, grab a menu, and THEN walk to the counter to order. (There’s a sign, but few people read signs these days.) You’ll be in and out before you can say «lunchie munchie» and your body will thank you for it.

I like the many healthier options places springing up in town. Conveniently in front 24hr fitness so when you want to do a healthy meal after a workout. I’ve visited the Encinitas location before and is much smaller. Try the veggie stir fry it is colorful in looks and flavor. The shakes are thick full of nutrients. Red Chai Masala tea is the bomb… I’ll have to try their breakfast menu in the future.

I have to say, I was surprised that I like this place so much. I had preconceived notion about the place because it was mostly a vegan place, but they serve chicken and fish… And it is really good. The smoothies are delicious and not too sweet.
I had the quesadilla it was my favorite, the cheese was oozing out of the tortilla. I ate it all even though I knew the gas would be coming later on.

They have a HUGE vegetarian, vegan, honey-​vegan, and gluten free menu! Wow I am blown away by all the options including mock chicken, tofu, and various tempeh dishes.
Even tho I am a meat-​eater I ordered the ‘Nourishing Natural with Grilled mock chicken’ for $ 9.95. I’m always curious on how the faux meats are prepared and seasoned. This one was fairly bland, thankfully the veggies and brown rice was also served with a side of tahini sauce. This made a huge difference. Overall this was a very healthy meal, but not super tastey. I’ll probably come back to try other dishes.
I also ordered freshed squeezed organic carrot juice — which I’m addicted to! If was good!

Healthy food done right! This place has a great menu with a variety of types of cuisines for a more health conscious eater. Nonetheless it does not sacrifice taste with an abundance of flavors. It is more an order at the counter and seat yourself. It is great for a quick bite and if you want to save money on tip for a more formal sit down.
I would say it is an ideal place to grab lunch or a smoothie!

I am in love with the core concept of Lotus, but in my experience the execution lacked. I’ve been wanting to check this place out for awhile. I love the heathy breakfast options and interesting smoothie combinations.
I was walking on a hot day and decided to grab a smoothie. I love smoothies and usually make my own. I liked that this place sticks to fruit, ice and juice… no fillers. I got a pineapple coconut one but it wasn’t blended enough. I probably should’ve asked for it to be done longer, but I was a block away before I realized. There were so many chunks of fruit that is was chewy. Maybe some people like smoothies like this??? I do not. I like them to be a fluid drink.
Also the employee who helped me seemed pissed off. He had no sense of humor to the point that it was slightly uncomfortable. I mean, would a smile kill you?
Overall, it was okay. I probably wouldn’t come back for a smoothie, but I might try a full meal here sometime…

Fresh squeezed veggie juice.
Smoothies!
Self serve teas.
Wheatgrass shot!
Acai bowl (apple or soy).
A big selection of vegan & vegetarian fair although meat-​eater choices are also on the menu. Everything is oh so fresh! Substitutions welcome.
There is plenty of indoor seating plus an outdoor patio.
Order at counter and they bring the yummies to you.
Prices are great.
Staff is excellent.
Parking validated for 2hours.

SO IMPRESSED.
I live in Long Beach but frequent San Diego, and when I knew I’d be coming here this past Saturday I went to work on Unilocal to narrow down where I wanted to eat. San Diego has so many gluten-​free friendly restuarants, that I’d go so far as to say it gives L.A. a good run for its money.
I eventually decided on Lotus Café and I am very glad I did. I got here around 2pm and it was pretty mellow, only a few other people eating and a handful of people ordering to-​go. This is located in Hillcrest close to all the cute little vintage shops… I parked in the structure right next to Lotus and Lotus validated my parking so that whole transaction was a breeze. The restaurant itself is actually pretty big with a huge covered patio in the back and tons of seating in the main restaurant. Super clean, open and comfortable. You order at the counter and then they bring your food to your table. The girl who took my order was friendly and helpful and made plenty of suggestions on the most popular gluten-​free items and also how I could make a regular menu item gluten-​free. I took awhile with the menu, but eventually decided on the tempeh tacos with a side of guacamole.
They have free reverse osmosis water (white people water) at the hot sauce bar (mega points for having Cholula and Sriracha) and also a cold case with bottled teas, etc.
My food came out really fast and I went to town. The tempeh was delicious! Not sure if its made in-​house or not, but it was better than any store-​bought variety I’ve tried. The tacos also had enchillada-​like sauce, lettuce, sprouts and cheese (soy cheese option available) and came with chips and salsa (the salsa was pretty standard, but good) and the guacamole I ordered was close to perfect.
So much more I want to try on the menu. they have gluten-​free bread so you can order any of the sandwiches or burgers on the gluten-​free bread (they use Rudi’s brand… I asked of course because most gluten-​free bread tastes like horse shit). They also have breakfast served until 12 I believe, but they do have some breakfast options (4 or 5) that are served all day, and a good majority of the breakfast menu is gluten-​free.
My meal was under ten bucks and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They had gluten-​free brownies and HUGE gluten-​free carrot pineapple cupcakes in the bakery case, but I was way too full to think about getting one, which I later regretted.
This place gets a high recommendation from me for sure.

Mostly a vegetarian and vegan restaurant, but there are turkey burgers, salmon, and fish tacos. So there is something for PETA (People. Eating. Tasty. Animals.) folk or semi (non beef) vegetarians.
I had the Turkey burger, it came with blue corn tortilla chips, no complaints, their ketchup taste much better than Hinez, kinda had a BBQ sauce flavor to it maybe its an organic brand? Guess their thing is the smoothies and juices, i never get that stuff since i have my own Vita Mix, much cheeper to make my own.
I shared a vegan chocolate peanut butter cupcake, which was also okay, the cupcake was a little dry, but the peanut butter frosting was creamy and delicious, and chocolate and peanut butter go so well together.
The décor is pretty fancy for a Juice bar with a pretty decent lunch menu. Service is simple, order and pay at the counter, bring the number to your table and they will bring it to you. The problem with most places in Hillcrest is you can never find parking which is why i almost never bother, but there is validated 2 hour parking in the structure which makes it easy and convenient.
As a meat eater, there food is pretty good, nothing that i’d make a special trip to go there for but if I’m with a vegetarian or vegan person or happen to be in that little mall for a movie or something then i’d make another pit stop there.

Less of a reason to travel to north county when the Lotus Café goodness joins us here in San Diego proper. Parking a problem in Hillcrest you say? No longer a problem — Ganesha, the remover of obstacles is there to give free validation when parked in the garage below
Menu is the same delicious menu as Encinitas. Allergies? No problem. Gluten Free (GF) and Vegan options are plentiful. Also free filtered water
low energy? lacking chlorophyll in your diet? Try the wheatgrass shot!
They just added some more breakfast options, buckwheat pancakes (Gluten Free) — were rather good.

This place definitely doesn’t scream a stereotypical juice bar ambiance. It actually felt like a Thai restaurant with all the glam and bling. Actually, if I believed in «clean energy» and eastern meditation — I could imagine this place gives off that kind of karmatic vibe. Yeah, I definitely dont know the hip lingo for this so I’ll stop while I’m ahead. But I have to give it to them, they put a lot of money in their decorating.
My whole party came to try their Acai bowl, and Acai bowl we tried. for $ 6.95 they gave a decent size (enough to be a light lunch) with half a banana and one or two strawberries cut into thin slices. Honestly, it seemed lacking in fruit if you measured how much was given. But what was cool was their granola was really crunchy (probably organic, too), and it’s not only sprinkled on the top but also the bottom layer is granola too. YUM. They also had a light drizzle of honey and plentiful shavings of coconut. I honestly preferred mine with SOY MILK because it was less watery and more thicker, which is a plus. The apple juice made it a little bit too sweet and watery than I preferred.
In my search for great acai in San Diego, this place was definitely good but not the best!
Pros:
— It was nice they gave 2hr complimentary parking
— Very clean interior.
— Attentive and helpful staff
— Wish they gave more fruit in the Acai bowl.
Cons:
— A little pricy. But I guess it works out? Maybe?
— Their silverware and wood-​looking bowls are the SAME ones that UCSD dining halls use. HAHAA these are probably from sysco, huh. Totally called you guys out. Considering I associate cheapness with these utensils, I expected something more… classy? Watch out, other UCSD students will recognize these too — we’ve been around this for too long to not remember.
tl;dr: Acai bowl with Soy milk is a great choice!

I really wanted to like this place but there were too many reasons not to.
I think my experience started bad because of their tricky groupon deal I bought. I have never bought or heard of a deal that was only to be used $ 5 at a time. I think this deal backfired on them making them appear tricky!!!
Now the kicker… my friend ordered a turkey burger and ate half of it before a green worm/​caterpillar inched it’s way over the bun. Apparently the lettuce went bad and they failed to notice. They replaced the burger but didn’t check with the other people eating items with leafy greens on it. So make sure you check your meal to make sure something else isn’t eating your food before you. Nothing more revolting than a worm our any other bug in your food… especially when you’re half way through eating it… They apologized and explained since they do not use pesticides it is a common occurrence… but the nonchalant attitude the staff had about it was dis concerning.
I have been to the Lotus Café twice now, both times I have had difficulty with the staff while ordering. I was trying to use my $ 5 off groupon deal and since the smoothie I was trying to order was $ 4.65 she said no, I had to find a different item that was at least $ 5. Then after a moment she realized that the «wasted» .35 wasn’t a big deal. So she told me no I couldn’t order the shake because she thought I would be wasting my $ 5 card.
I ordered the Acai bowl and was quite surprised to bite into frozen fruit! I had to think about it as an ice cream bowl rather than Acai. Frozen blueberries, strawberries, bananas and barley defrosted Acai on a cold rainy day right after the gym… burrrrr! I have had much better Acai bowls. They should add seeds (pumpkin whatever) and possibly oats… their idea of granola literally looked like a Nature’s bar crumbled up into a bowl. Their were parts of the granola that was still in the shape of a bar.

Nice diverse healthy menu with tons of vegan options and also two hour validated parking. We had the special of the day fresh Alaskan salmon. We also had a small cup of vegetarian chili with cornbread on the side. I saw a few reviews that questioned the service but we had positive pretty efficient service. We had to request that the salmon be recooked because it was underdone and it came back out nicely cooked within 10 minutes. The veggies included with the salmon plate were really good marinated in teriyaki sauce. I will go back to the Lotus Café especially because I have to because I bought a daily voucher with four $ 5 dollar punch cards.