Kaya's Kitchen

I can’t adequately express how much I love this restaurant in a review. It’s some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had. Each dish is not only top-tier delicious but very affordably priced, quality considered. I found the Seitan BBQ Ribs to be especially impressive as someone who converted to vegan eating later in life: stellar texture and flavor. Every single thing on this menu is a winner. Nadine always takes great care of customers both eating in and taking out.

Jersey doesn't have a lot of fully vegan restaurants and those open for dinner are even fewer. Still - Kaya's Kitchen is a high quality vegan restaurant not to be missed, if you enjoy plant-based food. My partner and I love breakfast food at all hours so were very glad they serve breakfast all day. We each had a vegan take on the Jersey pork roll. It was absolutely delicious and the home fries were cooked nicely as well. I had a delicious, earthy fresh juice - Jungle Boost. Desserts were tasty too, though I felt like my Tiramisu could have used a little more coffee flavor. The cream was one of the best vegan creams I've ever had. There are some gluten free dessert options too. The staff was extremely friendly and good vibes all around. I will be frequenting this restaurant a lot in future. Looks like they do a lot of takeout as well, if you don't have time to sit and enjoy in the restaurant.

Its hard to find total vegan so it was refreshing to be able to order anything. Worth the drive. Stew on mashed potatoes was delicious. Got french toast, hoagie, and chili for take home. All were fantastic. Will go back.

First, this is an all vegan restaurant, so this review is based on vegan food, not "is this the same as full menu restaurant". That being said, the food here is fantastic (with the only negative being the 'chicken' fingers.). The tofu, saitan, mushroom, and vegetable dishes are great. Nice vibes, we had live music on a Friday night. Attentive staff. Daily specials.

BELMAR: Kaya's Kitchen is a beloved, long-standing vegan spot in the heart of downtown, offering an extensive menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even catering. We grabbed their “Thanksgiving Feast for One” this holiday, and it was incredible: three different proteins, all the classic fixings, and a slice of pumpkin pie to finish off the perfect meal. They usually have a couple of outdoor tables available for dog-friendly dining when the weather is nice. Be sure to give them a follow to stay updated on specials and events!

I’m always hesitant to give vegan restaurants anything less than 4 stars, but this was really not up to snuff. We got the lion of Judah bowl, the BBQ ribs and a cannoli. The lion of Judah bowl was so-so. Dry-ish chickpeas and dry lentil loaf. Occasional pleasant pops of ginger and allspice, but the sauce was boring and slightly too sweet. The Seitan BBQ ribs were too chewy for my tastes. Ribs should be tender and fall-apart. The dough would be better amended with some tofu or chickpea flour to introduce some tenderness to the gluten. The BBQ sauce on the ribs, however, was phenomenal! The perfect blend of sweet and savory with a mild black pepper undertone. We also got Pierogies, the sauce was flavorful! Like a beefy broth with onions. The Pierogies and filling themselves were simple, soft potatoey, and mild, but the sauce definitely pulled its weight. The Cannoli was disappointing. Having sat in the fridge premade, the shell & chocolate chips got totally soggy (and the filling was weirdly grainy) pass on this one unless you can get one fresh. (And I don’t know, if the graininess of the filling was because of cold coconut oil, maybe leave it to sit at room temp? But then you may encounter sogginess. There may just be no winning in this situation.) We sat outside, and the counter person was super friendly and accommodating. I’d be willing to give them another try. Maybe we just chose the wrong things.

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. We came here a few years ago and kept wanting to come back and finally did for our ten year anniversary together. The service is phenomenal and extremely pleasant. The food is the best for any kind of food, let alone vegan. My fiancé is vegetarian and this is obviously her favorite place. The seitan stroganoff was insanely amazing. The buffalo tempeh was outstanding and the cucumber ranch dressing with it is the best pairing I never had before. I didn't get to try her Reuben sandwich but she said it was incredible. The chocolate peanut butter bomb cake was excellent. The potato salad is the best I've ever had anywhere in history and I've been to more parties and tried more potato salad than I could remember but this was the best ever and so good we brought a side home. If you are vegetarian/vegan and haven't been here, you're really missing out. Also, being a byob makes it perfect. Definitely one of our favorite restaurants ever. Creative perfection is the best way to describe this place.

Great food. Long overdue review! We are grateful to live near by a vegan spot offering such a big menu. The buffalo cauliflower is hands down my favorite. I always get it when we come. ( it’s GF) The house made sauce it comes with is so delicious and refreshing I could drink it. I got the corn fritter special today and it was so YUMMY ( also GF) and a big portion. My husband loves the black bean burger or eggplant pesto sandwich. We love the FF. Just wish they came more crispy/well done. It’s a great spot with great food

I used to go to their restaurant in Princeton and was really upset when they closed. On our way down to visit the Christmas Village in Smithville we stopped in here for lunch. We both had the chicken sandwich and it was really tasty. I got mine with potato salad and my sister got hers with french fries. We both finished it and ordered some of their chicken salad to go as we are both obsessed with it. Took home 6 containers worth- I'd call that obsessed :) Would definitly come back as they had some amazing vegan options to try in the future though I do think i'd stop by Federici's down the block and get some pizza too

Ordered DoorDash 7 or so times same item Kale Caesar salad No dressing and no utensils Called Kaya's they gave me a BS non answer Never again You Kaya's Kitchen need to remember Karma I am it !! Do better or get the hell out of the game

Kaya's Kitchen has been serving delicious plant-based cuisine in Belmar for 19 years now (BTW, eatery named after owner's child was born). They obviously are doing something right. We first ate at Kaya's when this eatery was in another (smaller) location a few blocks away. We have been back a number of times over the years and always have been very pleased with the food. The only reason we do not dine here more often is that we are not vegans or vegetarians. But guess what? You do not need red meat or white meat or seafood for protein. Seitan, tempeh, tofu, lentils, beans, etc. can provide plenty of protein. Kaya's does a lot of take-out orders as well as dine-in. If you choose to dine in, you may want to bring your own bottle of wine. The ambiance is pleasant, cosy. Last evening, Tess was our friendly and very attentive server. We started with BBQ Seitan ribs, $13, yummy and such a big portion. Then, for entrees we had 3 tacos with ground tempeh, $16. and Garlic Sesame Sensation, $21 plus $3 to add tempeh. Everything very delicious and so much food that we had to take some home and had no room for dessert. Go once and I will bet that you will return.

I had a meal here today with my husband and friend....everything was delicious: Seitan steak sandwich with fries, breakfast tofu scramble plate and kale Caesar salad with the best chicken substitute I've ever had...vanilla coconut cake for dessert had fabulous flavor and consistency and our server was very friendly and took good care of us. Thank you.

My food was delicious if maybe a little too spicy for me but I took it home and finished the rest later. The staff was very quick and kind and accommodating. The whole vibe of the restaurant was homey and cozy and they were definitely busy but I don't think we had to wait long for our food to arrive.

Kaya Kaya Kaya I love you and your kitchen. The customer service is super. The one guy at the register always wears really cool t-shirts. I just moved to this area recently and it is my absolute favorite local vegan spot. Menu items are well assorted and prices are relatively decent considering how much work they put into the food they make for you. BUT. I would change only some things.... 1. Mac and cheese is mid. I said it. Would be better with a little more thickness and texture. Tastes a bit too much like Daiya. 2. I would personally change the packaging for take out orders to prevent fries and breads from getting soggy. The plastic and tin containers seal too much moisture for those type of dishes. Okay, thanks for always having my vegan a$$. These guys are awesome and the atmosphere is really tranquil. Feels like home.

The cauliflower bites are out of this world good! They are Buffalo Style and it is hot but one of the waitresses suggested I ask for the BBQ sauce on them instead. I have been doing that and they are so good 10/10! I literally wanted to update this review to tell you to go and try the cauliflower bites. They are an appetizer size but they do give you so much. We continue to go here often. My mom loves their black bean burger. The potato salad is amazing! It tastes just like traditional potato salad. The dinners they serve after five are so plentiful and so delicious! We love it here!

Been wanting to try Kaya's Kitchen for a while and went with a friend that has vegan and gluten free dietary preferences. I didn't love the food especially for the price point. We tried the Buffalo soldier wings and the coconut curry rice. It wasn't bad and tasted home cooked. Neither dishes were super inventive and could have been made at home... it was too home cooked tasting. Sandwich or burger options might be better, would try again. The people that worked there were friendly. The people next to us got the Turkish Delight platter and that looked amazing. The interior was a bit tired looking. Update- my friend and I got a touch of food poisoning from this food. Tho it didn't taste off at the time.

This oyster po boy sandwich was 100000% AMAZING! Definitely the best vegan oyster po boy sandwich I ever had- super filling and the mushrooms were crunch but not too hard! Flavor was amazing! Only reason why I gave this meal 4 stars is bc the size of potato salad was OK- nothing great but was pretty decent. Can't wait to come back and try other things! And prices are reasonable!

I've been here several times over the past few years and the food is always amazing. Service has always been great. Highly recommend the combo platter as it always hits the spot! I'm sad this place isn't closer to me.

Staff is exceptionally sweet & food is great- just have to order the right things. Really cute indoor vibe too! I brought 4 of my meat eating friends here and they loved it- buffalo cauliflower wings were bomb, oyster mushroom hoagie exceptional, tacos to die for, & impossible burger so so good. I got the quesadillas and i didnt like how cheesy/ soggy they were personally! Would definitely return to try other menu items everything looks soo good!! also SO affordable!

Kaya's kitchen is hands down my favorite restaurant!! They have a clean, open, inviting space. I celebrate every occasion here. So many non vegan friends & family members love coming here. They care about quality, creating the most amazing healthy masterpieces, have beautiful welcoming energy of staff and provide a safe comfortable clean environment for all to enjoy! I've never have an awful meal or poor experience here. Thank you for existing, Kaya's!

Straight from the mouth of my four year old: "This restaurant. I think the food here is really good." And then as we were leaving, "we should definitely come back!" Honestly though we will need to come back-- I want to eat everything on the menu and all the desserts, twice (at least). Quick, reliable service, decadent portions, and fabulous flavors. I can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

I love this place, I love the ambience, the music, the service staff, and the food. It is also reasonably priced, and I always end up finding parking too. I like it better for casual social dinners than for more formal business meeting dinners. I like the decor, the restrooms are comfortable and clean, and I always leave with feeling happier and more satisfied than I arrived.

Went here last night with my non-vegan girlfriend and we both loved our dishes. I got the garlic sesame sensation and added seitan, she got the BBQ drumsticks. The garlic sesame sensation was nicely seasoned and flavorful, and I like how the BBQ drumsticks are shaped to look like the real deal. She enjoyed the drumsticks as well, and she loved the veggies and gravy. The portions were generous, so she took enough home from her plate for lunch the next day. Would definitely get both of these again! There was also a guy playing love music on his guitar, which added a little extra flair to the evening. Can't wait to come back!

Our first time here! What a wonderful vegan/gluten free restaurant. The hostess/ server was a joy to talk to, knowledgeable, and professional. The real shining star occurs in the kitchen, where a great selection of hot entrees are prepared. These entrees are varied in flavor profiles, and spice level. With this business in the area, there is no need to try other businesses offering cold and uninspiring rice/açaí bowls.

Not sure what is going on with this place lately. They serve delicious vegan food, but the prices for what you get are ridiculous. On the cheesesteak you have to pay extra for the cheese. Ordering the quesadillas for $16 you get two quesadillas with a little cheese and a few beans, but nothing else in them. That should not be considered a meal, it is barely an appetizer.

Always great food, fresh presentations and the desserts - all vegan!- are delicious! Great ambience and the service is excellent every time we've gone! Highly recommend!

It exists!!! Whole fresh food, healthy options, amazing menu, big portions and a cost that our family can afford! Indoor and outdoor seating. Fun summery drinks. And kind, sweet staff. Thank you! We will be back.

Been eating here for years. The food is consistently tasteful & well prepared. Service very welcoming.

I've been coming here forever, especially if you include its former incarnation, Veggie Heaven. Staff is super friendly, it's BYOB, and has a nice relaxed vibe. Definitely recommend this local mainstay.

Viva Las Vegan! ;) Solid vegan food. I came here with 8 family members and an old neighbor who is vegetarian. She was fine with going anywhere as long as no red meat was on the menu but most places in the area only offer a couple vegetarian options. This spot's menu was exclusively vegan and huge! We started off with "Turkish Delight" and "Kaya's Combo" which were both very sharable. We were quite impressed with both. The Turkish delight came with Mediterranean faves of hummus, falafel, babaganoush, tabouleh, olives, cumin pita, and a tahini sauce while Kaya's Combo had plenty of tofu "chicken" nuggets, tempeh buffalo wings, seitan ribs, potato salad, and dipping sauces. For my entree, I loved my Pesto Eggplant sandwich which arrived with crunchy fried and breaded eggplant topped with red peppers, basil pesto, and other yummy toppings on a pretzel bun (choose this bread if given the option). For dessert, their carrot cake is the one to get! With such a great experience vegging out, this is just the veganning! ;) NOTES/TIPS: **BYOB, huge space, lots of tables. Menu has definitions of vegan, seitan, and other terms. **My kids really enjoyed their lemonade which was mildly sweet **Changing table in the women's bathroom **Angled parking and street parking available nearby

I ordered the Tempeh Reuben with the side house salad on DoorDash. It was prepared and arrived quickly. The tempeh was a bit overcooked and I feel could have been a bit more seasoned. However, all of the sandwich toppings helped tie everything together. The sauerkraut and Russian dressing were super flavorful. The house salad was a lot more hearty than other restaurant's "house salads", and included sprouts, seeds, chickpeas, tomatoes, and spring mix. It came with a delicious tahini dressing. I will most likely try other items at Kaya's Kitchen for great vegan food!

The golden temple was absolutely delicious. It was loaded with flavor and had the perfect salt content. The sauce was delectable. This place never seems to disappoint and the carrot cake-phenomenal!

Always amazing. Also did their Thanksgiving Dinner take out and it was awesome. Never disappointed with Kaya's!

My family took a trip for lunch there today and the food was excellent! The atmosphere was nice and the server extremely pleasant and handled our rowdy bunch well. Sad that they didn't have a large black Hail Seitan shirt but what can ya do?

I love the concept of this restaurant and I really wanted love the food. The menu is so extensive - all of us were so indecisive when picking our dinner. I am a vegetarian and so I was excited to try the buffalo seitan wings, I didn't like them and the texture was weird and soggy. I also ordered the chili, it was good but not omg good. Everyone else enjoyed their entrees though so I need to go back and give it another go. The service was questionable, all the waitresses seemed newly hired/inexperienced. They would ask us questions like "are you finished with that?" when the dish or bowl was completely empty. Didn't come around in a timely manner, especially during dessert.

Here in NJ for a conference and was pleasantly surprised to find so many vegan options in the area! Kaya's menu looked promising, so we headed right in, as longtime vegans excited about an exclusively vegan menu. Prices were a tad steep, but we still got 2 starters and 2 entrees. The country chicken nuggets were room temperature when they arrived with some sauces that tasted bottled. When the girl who was not our server brought the food out, 2 of the nuggets slid off the plate and onto the table, and instead of apologizing and offering to bring new ones, she just asked my husband if he was "ok with that", which put him in a real awkward spot, to where he just said it was fine. He ordered the seitan steak, which was an incredibly thin slice of seitan, covered in some gravy-like sauce that tasted more like BBQ. I ordered the enchilladas with the chicken filling, which were NOT enchilladas at all, but 2 burritos covered in sauce. The sauce was spicy, and the chicken was soggy. It should have been called "smothered burritos" not enchilladas. (Picture attached) I also would like to mention that the server we had was probably the worst server I've ever experienced. She wasn't rude or mean or anything, but just a really terrible server. Talked super low, so we had to keep asking her to repeat herself, and never asked us how the food was. We sat there finished with food still left on our plates and I had to ask for a box and the check. Never have I had a server not check on us once and ask us how we were doing. Oh - and it was dead in there. Maybe only 2 other tables were seated. VERY disappointed. This server needs a new job where she doesnt have to talk at work.

After a rocky start with this restaurant, I absolutely am obsessed with the kayas app sampler, their Mac and cheese, their French onion soup and all of their desserts they order for their case! The food is great and the specials are always fun, would highly recommend to an vegan vegetarian or adventurous eater!

So great to find a vegan restaurant as we visited this area. Nice hip vibe, Angie was just the right amount of attentive during our meal. Love that it's BYOB. Shared the kale Caesar salad with a different dressing in my half. So good. I ordered the Mediterranean sampler as my entree. I took more than half home. Felafel were crunchy highlights as was the feta, better than real feta I've had. One sister got the stroganoff dish and also brought half home. Her dish was hands down fave. Another sis got the portabella sandwich - she asked for sriracha mayo (not spicy) which added to the goodness. Last sister got tempeh Reuben on gluten-free bread. A messy delicious dish. Too full for dessert though we'd practically drooled watching folks at next table share a ginormous death by chocolate slice of cake. We'll travel back this way just to eat here again.

My husband and I both enjoyed our vegan burgers. He had the black bean burger; I had the lentil vegetable burger. We both preferred the black bean burger. We both ordered it with sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms and potato salad on the side. The burger really needs the added toppings. I appreciate the healthfulness of the whole wheat bun but I didn't think it went well with the lentil burger,and I wanted to leave room for dessert, so I stopped eating the bun after a while. The vegan potato salad we ordered as a side is exceptionally delicious. Lots of chopped vegetables. Perfect accompaniment for the veggie burgers. So glad I didn't get the fries. Better than most non-vegan potato salads. I highly recommend the SWEET yummy cinnamon bun dessert with pecan topping. HUGE portion large enough for 2-4 people to share. Server had it heated for us. We brought home the leftovers from that one huge portion. Best vegan pastry I've ever had. Kaya's has more and better tasting desserts than it used to. Do peak in the dessert showcase on your way to the table; you'll want to leave room for dessert! Kaya's decor and menu keep improving. I'm so happy for them. I can't wait to go back.

I have been a vegetarian for 5 years and have been coming to Belmar for as long as I can remember. When I stumbled upon Kaya's I was so excited, i had never heard of it before. It's like a vegan diner! so many options, it's a vegetarian / vegan paradise! I wish I had known about it sooner. Will definitely be going back

Went in for dinner for the first time tonight after previously getting a few take out items. First the staff is really welcoming, our waitress was attentive and checked on the ingredients in an entrée I was considering. The samplier is terrific, I had had the ribs before and they were wonderful as always and I enjoyed everything else on the samplier as well. I had the lentil loaf which was delicious and my husband had the chicken parm sandwich which he also enjoyed. I took home the chocolate cake which is sooo good. The restaurant has a relaxed comfortable environment too which was nice.

I usually eat vegan for eating clean but I wanted to try the sampler. It tasted very processed and overly sauced. I'll try again but something prepared differently. Not a fan of ribs wings and nuggets.

Get the Kale ceasar salad it's amazing. Just the perfect amount of dressing and the croutons are delicious.

Went here a few weeks ago for some vegan food and left horrified. I was celebrating my wedding anniversary and had my children and conservative in laws with me. The service was good and everything was fine until we heard a commotion at the front of the restaurant. Somebody screaming and cursing. It was the owner screaming at a homeless man to get the F out. My husband went out to smoke a cigarette and make sure there wasn't gonna be a fight. He saw the homeless man leaving and offered to give him money for food, the man's reply was he didn't want money for food and wasn't even trying to get food all he wanted was some water. He said he was assaulted earlier in the week when he tried to get some but was desperate on a hot day. i will never go back to this establishment and recommend other do the same. How can you own a vegan restaurant when the motto should be to support and love all living things. If that outburst wasn't enough to make me not wanna go back the whole dining room smelt like weed towards the end of our meal, wouldn't have minded so much if I wasn't with my children and in laws. will be taking money to real vegan restaurants up the road that are organic and stand for the vegan movement

Excellent food. Highly recommend Kaya's. Inventive vegetarian dishes that feature Tofu and Tempeh in ways that are reminiscent of meat dishes- the Tempeh Reuben for example. So much flavor. You have to give it a try.

Really great vegan food... have been here over 10 times. It feels like home cooked vegan food. My meat eater boyfriend and my old school Italian dad even love it... which is saying a lot. I like the global entrees and the sampler is a must. They also have delicious desserts that you'd never guess were vegan. Don't come here because it's vegan, come here because it's delicious!! I took off a star because of their high prices. I also was looking forward to going their one night (straight from the train) but they were abnormally closed! It ruined my night :(

What a fabulous restaurant! Seating is spacious and comfortable. Space is good for a large group or an intimate meal. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Parking is more convenient than it may appear. The menu has lots of tasty favorites, but everyone seems to be impartial to the sampler and I don't blame them! Lots of delicious desserts and drinks!

I absolutely loooove kayas! I've been coming here for years as it's the best vegan place in the area (in my opinion) i love that they pride themselves on organic food and using whole foods to create delicious meals and not processed items. I am addicted to the buffalo tofu wings! Ive tried many things on the menu and Kayas has never disappointed me. They have a good selection of gluten free options, which I really appreciate as it's typically hard for me to eat out. And the desserts are to die for! I have such a sweet tooth so I allow myself to indulge when I come here because I know it's worth it On top of it all the inside is so adorable! I love the tribal masks and decor with the cozy seating layout.

This place is awesome! I liked the atmosphere and staff was great! Food was really good! My non vegan friends enjoyed this restaurant as well!

Went here last night for my brothers birthday and was underwhelmed. I was super excited to try this restaurant after seeing so many great reviews. To start, it took longer than expected for someone to greet us and take our drink orders. I believe we waited about 20 minutes just for the drinks. They do have a huge menu of various items, things from falafel to pizza to burgers. We ordered the sampler, pepperoni pizza, and the cheesesteak. It took about 40 minutes for our food to come out. The cheesesteak was delicious, def my favorite. It came with fries that were cold when we received them. The pizza was okay, I liked the pepperoni but I wouldn't go back just for it. I didn't care for the sampler, the bbq ribs were good but i didn't enjoy the rest. Half of the reason could be it was cold by the time it got to us. We asked for extra Dijon mustard and they charged us $1.50 which is absolutely ridiculous. I have been charged for sauces before but that just isn't reasonable especially for the amount we receive. I was really excited to try but probably wouldn't be going back.

Love to come here even though I am not vegetarian. Food is very good, we did a lot of takeout during Covid. Very friendly staff although service was a bit slow, but enjoy the live music while waiting

FANTASTIC! Highly recommend EVERYTHING! We loved the Kaya's Combo, which let's you sample several items on one plate. All delicious, especially the ribs. Rocky Mountain Stew is amazing. My wife enjoyed the Gyro and the Perogies were great too.

The seitan ribs are great! I had the tofu burger it was good too. Everything we've tried from here has been delicious. It has very chill atmosphere and very accommodating to first time vegan food diners. The wait staff was very knowledgeable about the ingredients. I would definitely recommend this place for everyone but especially to those who are very iffy about vegan food and cuisine.

Absolutely delicious menu that is total heaven for plant-based eaters - they've got healthy clean options as well as more indulgent comforting options too and wonderful vegan desserts daily. I always stop by when I'm in the area, it's a real treat!

Never ever disappoints! I tried the Pineapple curry dish and it was absolutely amazing. I added in the veggie nuggets. Highly recommend! Great to order to-go too, they keep the food super hot and it's efficient when you come to pickup.

BELMAR: Kaya's Kitchen is one of a few vegan restaurants in the area and their two outdoor tables are dog friendly! Their nice staff brought a water bowl for Brie. Offering a huge menu with lots of variety, there is something for everyone!

THE BEST OF THE BEST! Delightful dishes and I've had a lot of them, that are deliciously put together and creates a party in my mouth!! YUUUUUMMMMMM UMMMMMMM YUUUUMMMMM is all we were saying! The meatloaf and all of it is delicious! The blend and herbs are pure masterpieces TAKE YOUR FRIEND HERE FOR HIS OR HER BDAY or whatever day! This restaurant even fit a quartet in the back love it! This restaurant is SHORE to please! Been coming here since it opened had to write a 5 star review! Asa matter of fact see you guys soon keep expanding your menu I won't go anywhere else! your food is the BEST. Thank you for making my experiences with vegan food wonderful! It changed my life for the better!!