By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO — One of the things that’s great about San Diego is the great variety of restaurants we have here. There’s something for everyone, which is cause for celebration for the many vegetarians and vegans. No longer forced to rely just on wilted salad while their carnivorous counterparts dine on meat, there are now many meat alternatives and many restaurants offering different cuisine with those alternatives. So naturally we had to have a vegan Jewish deli as well.
Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli is a tiny deli with limited seating outside that caters to those who are vegan but miss or never had the opportunity for good old fashioned deli sandwiches. They opened first in Portland in 2019, and now there’s a second location here in San Diego. The staff is friendly and were very patient with all my questions about each dish. A word of caution though, if you’re middle aged with a tiny bladder, they don’t have a public bathroom.
They’ve got bagels, they’ve got “corned beef”, they have “pastrami” and “bacon”- pretty much everything you would expect, except it’s all made from wheat and plant protein. Some of the reviews on their website say that you won’t know you’re eating vegan food, and while that might be true if you’re a vegetarian or vegan, as a card-carrying carnivore that was not my experience.
To me the dishes were good for what it was, but I definitely knew that it was not meat, the texture, flavor and aftertaste were very different than the same sandwich with meat.
I went into it not expecting it to be the same experience as a regular deli. I went into it just wanting to try it for what it is. And to make sure my carnivorous tastes didn’t influence me too much, vegetarian Cailin Acosta, SDJW’s assistant editor, accompanied me.
I ordered the Rueben with a side of “chicken” salad (they were out of latkes) and Cailin had the Philly “steak.” We also got the RZA bagel which is “egg,” “cheddar,” “bacon,” and “bacon” scallion shmear on a jalapeno bagel. The RZA was very creamy in texture and was interesting. The Rueben was more to my liking and the predominant flavors were the sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. The “cheese” gave it a nice creaminess. It was very filling.
The chicken salad had a really nice texture and bite and perhaps was the most “meat like” of the things I tried. Cailin had the Philly and found it to be very satisfying with the gravy adding a lot of “meatiness” and umami flavor to the sandwich. As a vegetarian she really liked it and said that she’s generally been really happy with the things she’s tried there. And she’s especially happy that no animals are harmed in the making of her lunch.
Of course, no self-respecting “Jewish” deli would be complete without desserts, and Ben and Esther have plenty to offer there. Cailin got some black and white cookies to take home to her kids and they reported back that they were very yummy with the perfect blend of crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
All in all, I don’t see myself going back there on my own, as I prefer the more traditional carnivorous options, but I would definitely come back if I’m bringing a vegetarian/ vegan friend to enjoy it. And I’m happy that San Diego has the option.
Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish deli is located at 6663 El Cajon Boulevard in the College area and is open daily until 3pm. Get there early though, the matzah ball soup sells out fast.
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Sandi Masori is a food and theater reviewer for San Diego Jewish World.
Thank you for highlighting Ben and Esther’s. It is important to note that an entire code of laws I’m Judaism (“tsa’ar ba’alei hayim,” the requirement “to prevent the suffering of living creatures”) mandates that animals be treated with compassion. The vast majority of meat produced in the U.S. comes from factory farms, where animals are treated with undeniable cruelty including being subject to debeaking, dehorning and branding without anesthetic.
I love Ben and Esther’s! As a vegan of eight years for humane reasons, and vegetarian before that, I was thrilled when they came to San Diego.
Nice review. Although I’m a Rabbi’s kid, and come from 40 generations of Rabbis, I was a picky eater, who kept kosher and didn’t really eat meat or fish when I was little before I officially became a vegetarian/almost vegan. I say my taste buds are so picky, especially as a super taster, if I like it, it’s got to mean it’s good. I never had any traditional Jewish foods, but love just about everything I’ve had at Ben and Esther’s. I take all of my friends and family and they have all loved everything too, even those who just want to try it, live healthier, or live cruelty free. I say try more of the veg options because they’re getting better and tastier than ever before. And if you don’t like one thing or place, another might surprise you. I know my non veg friends usually prefer the taste of veg food whether they keep kosher or are meat eaters or not.
Thanks for the review and the knowledge there is another deli in SD.
Thanks for the great review. I am an omnivore so I don’t know that I would go there on my own, but with a vegan friend I would go for a lunch.