Viva Vegeria

I am a carnivore, but I had a Vegan friend in town so we checked this place out today. This was THE BEST meal I have had in a long time! I got the Chile Relleno and my friend got the Portobello Street Tacos. The portions were large, the food was very fresh, the presentation was gorgeous, and the server was very friendly. I saw other reviews before we came about the location being dumpy. It almost deterred me from trying this place. I am so glad I went anyway! The location isn’t the greatest, but it is by far not the worst either. There was a very diverse group of diners there for lunch, and never did I feel unwelcome, unsafe, or skeptical in any way. I will definitely be back soon!

Great lunch spot! I was extremely pleased with the food! I’ve been searching for a go-​to vegan/​vegetarian restaurant, and I believe I found it! Yes, service is slow, however, that did not hinder my overall experience because the food was fantastic, but I did dock one star for that.
Here’s the breakdown:
Parking is in a small lot behind the restaurant. I accidentally drove past the restaurant initially because it’s very small (keep your eyes peeled!). Do not let the outside appearance fool you!
When you walk inside, you seat yourself. Pick any table in the restaurant. From there you are greeted by your server. I ordered the guacamole and a half order vegan nachos. The guacamole was incredible. You could definitely taste the freshness – very peppery as well (which I like!). Vegan nachos… AMAZING! This was my first time trying vegan cheese and I do not miss regular cheese at all! The nachos are very filling.
Once you are finished, you take your ticket to the counter and pay there. They have a wide selection of vegan/​gf cupcakes. On my next stop, I will definitely try one! They look fantastic.
Despite slow service, I will most definitely return. Personally, I’m not phased by slow service if the food makes up for it.

Very good vegan restaurant! Kind of skeptical when dealing with groupons or any coupons of such sort but beside that it was good.

Dinner with family, first time for me, others had dined there and recommend it.
I had the sweet potato and sun dried tomatoes enchiladas which I would highly recommend. The sweet potatoes were sweet wrapped in a crispy tortilla, smothered in a tangy sauce. I would highly recommend this dish. Atmosphere was lacking but the place was clean and the service was excellent. Waitress was very attentive and took care of our needs. I would recommend this place even if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian.

Very good food. Went on a Saturday and got the buffet. So sad that they didn’t have any desserts left. My kids wanted French fries with their order, but I guess no fries on Saturdays. The grits were amazing! Sweet potato, chipotle tacos were so awesome! Will definitely go back during the week to try the larger menu. So wishing it was available on Saturdays.

Good food and service. Knocked a star because the presentation was ok and my rice was cold. Just seemed like everything was previously cooked and just headed. Would like to give them a 2^nd try

I am really pleased with the options that Viva Vegeria provides.
My meat eating husband and I visited one afternoon and we were very pleased.
We got the vegan nachos, he had the fried avocado tacos, and I had the fried mushroom tacos. Man was I full and happy when we left!
I was taken aback by the beauty in the colors of the food and the fresh taste.
The service was a bit slow but well meaning, you could tell that everyone was super laid back, but lacked a sense of urgency.

Having moved back to the South side and being employed in the health/​nutrition industry, I wanted to give this place a try. First off I must mention that I was slightly disappointed with the service. Slightly because the guy was very nice and when I did ask him for something he did it promptly, but getting him to the table was a chore and he would take forever to come check up on his own. They were not busy at all the day I went. Wasn’t the worst service ever but wasn’t the best. They’re taking a big chance moving a Vegan based restaurant to a majority non-​health conscious South side community, so they need to get with it on the service to better their chances of survival.
Moving on to the food-​I had the guacamole appetizer, which was clearly hand made and fresh. Loved it. I had the enchiladas verdes with refried black beans. My bf had the sweet potato flautas with beet slaw. Slaw was a bit spicy for his liking and my enchiladas were a little spicy, but that’s how I like it!
Generous servings. Average pricing. We definitely didn’t leave hungry. I would like to find out next time if their corn is non-​GMO or the typical stuff any Mexican restaurant uses. Will stop in again to check improvements in service and other dishes.

Great vegetarian/​vegan cuisine. One of my favorite restaurants in the US! The avocado tacos are the Bomb! Live from San Antonio, TX! Yee haaaawwww!!!

I didn’t like the decoration at all, but it’s a good concept. The service was poor, but the food is good.
Try the tacos con nopal

The food is absolutely great. The cupcakes are wondrous l. The happy hour deals are fantastic.
The service is a bit slow, but worth the wait.

We went on a Saturday and the place was pretty much packed when we got there. They had a brunch buffet, but it was almost 2:00 and it looked pretty picked over. We both ordered the chicharone tacos. I had salad and black beans for sides. She had salad and jalapeño beets. All were great. The vegan chicharones (actually mushrooms) were warm and crispy. The black beans were excellent with a little bit of heat. We’ll be back.

Some inconsistencies still, but the last time we came, it was fabulous. We had the cauliflower wings and they were delicious. I will say, I love all things cauliflower though. After that, we shared the vegan classic nachos. Giant portion, filling, and tastes great. The vegan nacho cheese didn’t make you miss dairy at all.
These were both supposed to both be appetizers, but it was plenty for us to eat as a meal. We shared a cupcake and it was one of the best desserts I have had recently. I think it was banana pudding with a chocolate cake. It had a banana pudding filling and everyone needs to have one. Now.
In addition to the legit food, the service was great — everyone was super friendly.
Give them another try if you had a not so great experience before. It takes time to work out all the kinks.

Ok, I am not a veggie freak. I love meat but I can do veggies too! The first time I came here, I had the bean and cheese flautas which were good but overpriced. I liked their music and staff was very nice. I winded up coming again due to two other restaurants nearby were closed. The special was broccoli, rice and cheese enchiladas. Believe me the enchiladas were mostly rice. Very little broccoli. Very little. The soup was mostly stewed tomatoes. I like to eat healthy but I don’t like paying more than eight dollars for mostly tomatoes and rice! How about avocado, cheese, anything to justify an eight dollar meal! Hate to review a two cause staff is so sweet, but owner needs to put out!

When my best friend first suggested this vegan joint, I was a bit iffy since Id take a bacon cheeseburger over a salad any day! However, being an open minded individual and doing anything for my BFF, I gave it a try. Boy am I glad I did! The first time I ate here I had the Sopa Azteca and fell in love. The gorditas are amazing and the beet slaw is exquisite. However, they NEVER seem to have the coconut horchata :(The food is made to order so just make sure that you are not in a rush to eat.

My friends from out of town wanted to check out this restaurant after seeing the reviews on Unilocal.Tip: There is a 10% off your bill for Unilocal check-​in, and currently a $ 15 for $ 25 voucher on sale. This restaurant is conveniently located off the highway and right next to a gas station. My friends and I parked out front and I immediately liked the quaint ambiance of this restaurant. There is art work on the walls from local artists and lots of candles. Our server was efficient and friendly. For an appetizer we asked for a half order of the classic vegan nachos. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious they were! The quinoa, carrots and guacamole were excellent nacho toppings! For my main entrée I had the gorditas de frijoles negros con platano. It came with a refreshing side salad and yummy papas fritas (the garlic curry ketchup is neat!!). The gordita wasn’t anything to write home about and the plantains were dry and lacking in flavor. My friends ordered the el nopal salad (interesting tasting!) and the sweet potato poblano flautas. I also tried the el sol smoothie and it was delicious! If you are practicing a vegetarian/​vegan or gluten free diet, or just looking to eat healthier, this restaurant has many great options.

I always have a hard time convincing my friends to try this place out because it’s vegan. But seriously Viva Vegeria is so good all my meat eating friends have loved it!
Every time I go I say I’m going to try something new, but I always end up getting the gorditas because they are just too amazing to pass up. They make the food to order so make sure you’re not in a rush when you go.
The place is really cute, too. I love the papel picado and the veladoras all over the place.
I definitely prefer this location to the one on Broadway. The service and the food are a lot better at the Nogalitos one, so go to that one.
But seriously this is my favorite vegan/​vegetarian restaurant in San Antonio. I like that they serve quality food and not the fake meat substitute that most vegetarian options have. I’m so excited to have found this place because I was getting tired of going to Green.
It’s closed on Sunday, I learned this the hard way: (

I decided to try for lunch. Full disclosure, I’m coming from a carnivore background.
When I arrived, I was directed to sit anywhere I liked. This place does not have regular iced tea, only flavored iced tea. They have some Mexican sodas, bottled iced tea (also flavored) and bottled mint flavored water. I opted to stick with plain water.
I asked how the queso was and got a comparison to Kerby Lane in Austin (a bold boast!) Excited I ordered the queso as a starter. On the waitstaff’s recommendation I had the Portabella Chicaròné tacos.
The queso arrived, and it was ok. It was piping hot (not spicy) but the texture was certainly not on par with normal cheese based queso. The texture was a bit off, but it was edible. The chips were crispy and enjoyable, but overall no where near the Kerby Lane queso in Austin.
The portabella chicharòné tacos were good, but not crispy as advertised. The breading was slightly soggy. The mushroom did have a chew texture, but that is generally not what one strives for when preparing chicharònes.
The black beans side seemed more puréed, though the menu states they would be whole. It seems it was trying too hard to be flavorful. There were just a lot of completing spices and it left the beans with a muddled flavor.
As a dessert, I asked if the smoothies could be made to go. Even though the menu shows a choice of 4 or 5 smoothies, I was told they only had 2 available.
Overall, the service was pleasant and the atmosphere was calm and relaxing for lunch, but the food was only so-​so.
If I would trying to judge on whether to go vegan or vegetarian based on visiting this establishment, I would choose to continue as a carnivore.

So let me tell you that this review will be rather bias because of my first and only experience here. So, I had recently gone vegetarian and wanted to try some new food. I had given another place a try and I saw this place in a magazine. I went on weekday (slow) and they still managed to take forever to serve us. Then I decided on one thing and was told they were out, then I chose another and again, can’t do it due to I don’t know what. So after the frustration I just got something simple. Once the food came out which took forever, it was cold! Then at the end as my friend and I are paying the manager has the nerve to make a joke about choosing to go «cheap» on the menu. They didn’t have what I originally wanted so your fault. The only reason I’m giving this place a star is because their bakery items were delicious, but I will not go back here. There’s better vegetarian options in SA.

BEST vegan food in San Antonio! So happy this place exists in San Antonio, it made my stay more enjoyable. I went to the location on Nogalitos and had the Ancho and Cascabel hot wings and vegan nachos. They were so delicious! I can’t wait to try the enchiladas next time. The restaurant is super cute, beautiful Selena artwork on the walls and the staff is super nice. Will be taking Viva Vegeria candles back to Chicago with us. LOVE IT!

Recently found my daughter is allergic to milk, peanuts, and eggs. With her birthday upcoming, I began an intense web search for bakeries that would concoct egg-​less, milk-​less sweet treats. Stumbled upon this place via Unilocal reviews. I Facebook messaged the company, and received a response along with a bakery order form with confirmation that almost all of their cupcakes were free of the allergens. I also saw there was a Unilocal deal for $ 12 for $ 25 worth of food.
Decided to stop in for the evening, and let my daughter order a single cupcake and put in an order for 12 cupcakes for her upcoming birthday.
We also dined in. It was very exciting for my daughter to have non-​dairy cheese on her cheese quesadilla for the first time… we’ve had to avoid cheese ever since her diagnosis.
Food was great, service was great, and we were there super close to 9 which is when they close and I never got the sense of being rushed out, even with two toddlers being… themselves.
Looking forward to picking up my daughter’s cupcakes in a couple weeks!

We may have caught them on a bad night, but based on service, food, and atmosphere, our experience was a flop. We went in on a Saturday night for my brother’s birthday and the place was nearly empty. We were served promptly and all ordered the brunch buffet (which I found strange since it was night…) The food on the buffet was old and most of the trays were empty. There was salsa but no chips, waffles but no syrup, pozole but no bowls. As more customers arrived, it was clear that they were not staffed to handle it. Our poor waitress was sweet and doing the best she could, but she couldn’t wait on all 40 patrons solo.
The black eyed pea grits were definitely the best part of the whole experience. We have visited the other location often and always had good food. I will probably stick with the original because it’s closer and in a better part of town. Keep working at it, because I love the concept and want this place to succeed!

I am not Vegan or Vegetarian, but I do appreciate a good meatless meal! My coworker and I came here for lunch this week after reading such great reviews. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was that the restaurant was freezing! It was hard to enjoy our time away from the office because it was so cold, and everyone else in the restaurant was complaining about the same thing. So, the atmosphere was a huge negative.
I ordered the sweet potato and sun dried tomato enchiladas with a ginger kale salad. The meal was delicious! I am not huge on Mexican food so I did not expect to like it as much as I did.
Even though I had my doubts about vegan cupcakes, I gave them a shot because the reviews I had read were raving about them. They were not good. They were very dry and almost frozen. I should have trusted my instinct on that one!
The waiter was extremely inattentive. We had to flag him down whenever we needed anything. We were trying to leave in a hurry because we were so cold, and hurrying was not an option while waiting for him. He was very nice, but not a good waiter.
I will come again because its near my work and my meal was really good, however I will wait until summer because I guess they don’t use the heat in the winter.
I am giving it four stars because my expectations of the meal itself were blown out of the water. Yum!

Went there with two of my fellow Air Force friends for some lunch today, Monday, a national holiday. Everything was great. We split 3 entrees between us. The Monday special, enchiladas, was very unique. I should say that everything tasted wonderful. We also ordered nachos. We were smart to only get a half order because it is plenty. Wait until you try what you believe to be is the cheese. I believe it is casual. And we also ordered street tacos! Those were absolutely astounding! Everything was great. Our choice of side was the jalapeño beat slow! Very delicious. I washed it down with a kale smoothie. Truly, I would come back here again. And I’m thankful that there was a Unilocal discount available :-)

Hubby and I tried out the new Vegeria location and we really liked it! They have some great artwork on the walls for sale — really unique stuff. They have booths so there is a bit more privacy than the old location. We thought our food was great! Hubby had the nachos and loved them. I had flautas with salad and black beans and it was all excellent. We took some desserts home for the kiddo and he was impressed. This is definitely a great locally owned place to support. We are looking forward to coming back!

I’m so disappointed with the experience I just had here. First of all, I’m a visitor to San Antonio and only in town for the night. As a vegan, I thoroughly researched vegan/​vegan-​friendly restaurants in the area before deciding upon Viva Vegeria (big mistake– should have gone to Green). We came here because I read that they had an awesome happy hour. When we got here, we were informed that they didn’t have ANY of the beers on the happy hour menu, except one pumpkin cider. Okay, not a huge deal bc they have Shiner Bock for $ 2. So, we ordered the super human nachos, which were quite good but obviously missing the vegan pepperjack cheese that the menu said should be on them. Again, no big deal because they were tasty even without the cheese. On to the main course: I ordered the «Gorditas de frijoles negros CON PLATANO». I ordered these bc I love platano. Guess what, they came out WITHOUT any platano. My boyfriend ordered the jicama and mango side salad and… NO MANGO in the salad. Are you kidding me??? I spoke with the waitress about the missing ingredients and she went to check in the kitchen. Verdict: They were all out of plantains and mangos. Come on! If you’re going to offer items on your menu, they need to be stocked. And if they cannot be stocked, there has to be communication between the kitchen and the servers so that patrons can be informed about what menu items are not available instead of serving up half a dish!
I would give it one star but my boyfriend liked his mole enchiladas and the nice waitress comped the nachos (although it was my entrée that should have been comped since it wasn’t what I ordered!)

My mom and I loved the brunch buffet at the Broadway location, and yesterday my boyfriend and I were underwhelmed and dissatisfied at the nogalitos location. It was disappointing, the Mexican rice was overcooked, there weren’t any clean plates out, and when there were plates out they were greasy, the waffles were dry and there wasn’t any syrup to be seen. The only decent thing was the ginger kale, and black bean tacos, and cranberry agua Fresca. I got the peanut butter cupcake and it was decent, the raspberry cupcake had a strange cornmeal texture. How do you mess up a cupcake? We were glad we got a deal on Unilocal or else we would have asked for a refund. We won’t be back to this location. Maybe the Broadway one, but it’s a slim chance.

Fred catered our wedding on December 12, 2015. We selected southwest enchiladas, rice, black beans, and nachos. Everything was fantastic, and many of our non-​veg family members and friends went back for second helpings!
Fred and Stephen came out personally to deliver, set up, and serve the buffet. As always, they were professional, open, and friendly.
If you’re looking for catered vegan food for your local event, you won’t find anything better than Viva Vegeria. Thanks, Fred!
Larissa

I gave the the flagship Vegería «5 Stars», and I’m happy to say that Viva Vegería lives up to the standard set by its parent restaurant. Every bit as magical as the original, Viva Vegería serves up creative, delicious, VEGAN dishes that anyone would love. If you are looking for heart-​healthy, oil free dishes, there are plenty of options. Looking to indulge? There’s something (many things) for you, too. I recommend trying their buffet — it’s a good way to taste a variety of their most popular dishes. Check out Vegería, and don’t skip dessert (try a delicious cupcake made in-​house) because treat yo’self — guilt & cruelty-​free.

I’ve already reviewed the original Vegeria on Broadway (I gave it three stars, meaning A-​OK!) but I think Viva gets kicked up a notch based on their AWESOME happy hour and drink prices. Also the fact that they serve booze is enough for an additional star from me. :)
I stand by my original 3 star rating for the food at both locations. I have tried many different items, and I’m always left feeling as though there’s just something missing. The nachos are pretty freakin’ great, so I definitely recommend them, as well as their queso. GET THE QUESO. But the enchiladas and other items I’ve tried are lacking in flavor or complexity. There’s always a bright flavor in there that is interesting, but also tastes as though it’s just not quite ready for serving yet. Does that make sense? I hope so.
Service is fabulous at Viva, and our items came out quickly. Prices are good, and they’ve got plenty to choose from, regardless of what you’re wanting. Desserts, entrees, appetizers, drinks, etc. Also, can we just go back to that whole booze thing? When we visited, their entire drink menu was $ 3 for happy hour. WHAT. I got a delicious gluten free beer (that I found in Trader Joe’s selling for $ 6) for only $ 3. Also, there’s one night of the week where bottles of wine are only $ 7. Seriously guys, this is a steal. They’re basically paying us to drink. You cannot get a better deal.
I don’t want you to forget that this is a gluten free and vegan establishment, pumping out food that is good for you, animals, and the world. I love what they stand for, and like I said in my last post, I want to support them to the end. I think their food is good — they might need to work on the recipes a bit more — and everything else makes them a stellar spot to try.

I am donut over cupcake gal but my friends could not find donuts in town and they bought me cupcakes for my birthday from Vegeria which I had not tried yet and have to say best vegan cupcakes!
So I would buy a cupcake now but only from here. I am picky and I am sold on vegeria cupcakes!
I can’t wait for tamales!!! Their so good too!!!

The sweet potato enchiladas were delicious. I’m fairly certain they use daiya cheese ;)
I was a little bummed that they didn’t have the coconut horchata because I really wanted to try it.
Took an «Old School» cupcake to go.
It always warms my heart (and stomach ;) to see a vegan restaurant, with quality food. I always feel better both physically and spiritually when I eat completely vegan.
I love the story behind this place. Way to go San Antonio for putting such love and compassion into your food!
Ps. They also offer several specials on Unilocal… and LivingSocial ~ check ‘em out!

I lived in San Antonio for 4 years over a decade ago and so exciting to come visit and find vegan (and gluten free) gems like this. The proportions are huge! Everything was super tasty! Oh and everyone that worked there was very sweet. One piece of advice for you guys, don’t use styrofoam to go !

There are many Vegan options to choose from. On my visit I ordered the Super Human Nachos and my girlfriend had the Sweet Potato and Sun Dried Tomato Enchiladas. I loved my nachos. A bit expensive and not as much as compared to other popular San Antonio chain restaurants but the flavor and fresh ingredients beat them hands down. I came in hungry as I hadn’t eaten all day and I was satisfied by the time I finished them. My girlfriend’s enchiladas were really tasty. Not as sweet as you would think from the ingredients. She loved her dish down to the last bite.
The staff here are very friendly. It has the atmosphere of a family run restaurant. They came over on a regular basis to check up on us. It was a great experience from the beginning till end and we’re definitely going back.
The restaurant is a little out of the way so be on the lookout for the giant corn drawing on the side of the restaurant. Plenty of parking is available onsite.

Today I stopped in for lunch. It was my first time at this location. I ordered the Friday Special — Kitchen sink nachos. The nachos were a huge portion, enough for at least 2 people. I just wish they would have had lettuce or spinach, and tomatoes, or other vegerables. I also had the guacamole. The next time I will ask to substitute the white rice for quinoa. The guacamole was really good.

When the first location opened many years back my husband and I were some of the first customers, so I felt it was only right to be one of the first customers at the new location too. We live in Austin now and so sometimes when going to other places that isn’t in Austin it is hard to not be bias on good food. I had the sweet potato taquitos and my husband had the giant nachos.
my plate: (in picture) Taquitos, salad and beans
husband’s (picture): nachos
I did like the taquitos a lot and had queso to go with it. I would love to just have a plate of those. plate of 8? is that gluttony? who cares! lol. The black beans I didn’t like so much. They had a off flavor for me and again this is because I am used to eating a lot of vegan tex mex in Austin. The spinach salad was fresh and the salad dressing wasn’t anything that I remember much. The queso was one of the best that I have had, and I love that it is just right amount of cheezy.
The nachos were good as always and it looks like they even make their own tortilla chips. My husband actually was able to eat the whole entire plate. Fatty! lol
Now onto dessert. the peanut butter pie!!! OMG it was so good that we bought three slices. and my husband had to stop me from buying a whole pie for $ 20.00 bucks. I still have a slice in my fridge right now. The pie wassss sooo good, but I would of liked if it was more solid. The pie is quite watery when not in the fridge 100% of the time. that is the ONLY thing I would critique.
The customer service is good as always, the place is very hot inside, but figured that was part of the starting up atmosphere of the place. Over all if I am in that neck of the woods I would go eat there. I will have to try the original location again and compare the eats and the differences. Sorry for only 3 stars, but it is only because I am comparing it to a city that has more options … But I am happy San Antonio has options like this and also making it easier to eat with compassion!

The food was delicious and healthy, it is a very smart alternative to what is common out there!
It is in my list of preferred places to eat, I definitely recommend it.