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Charlie Hong Kong is a vegan restaurant located on Soquel Avenue in Santa Cruz, California. It offers a diverse menu inspired by Asian flavors with plant-based ingredients. Dishes like the Green Curry Chicken Rice Bowl, Charlie's Chow Mein, and Thai Coconut Mushroom Soup highlight the kitchen’s focus on bold, savory tastes without animal products. The restaurant also features creative sandwiches such as the Szechuan Mushroom Medley and Spicy Tofu served on Cubano rolls, combining traditional and modern elements. The atmosphere is casual and inviting, suitable for families and individuals seeking flavorful, plant-based meals. A dedicated kids menu with mild and teriyaki options ensures younger diners have choices tailored to their tastes. In addition to food, Charlie Hong Kong serves handcrafted drinks, including fresh ginger lemonade, in-house brewed iced tea, and a selection of craft sodas and ginger beer. The combination of vegan cuisine with Asian-inspired preparation makes Charlie Hong Kong a distinctive spot in the local dining scene.
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Amenities & More
Service options
- Outdoor seating
- No-contact delivery
- Delivery
- Onsite services
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Highlights
- Fast service
- Serves local specialty
Popular for
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Solo dining
Dining options
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Catering
- Counter service
- Dessert
- Seating
- Table service
Amenities
- Gender-neutral restroom
- Restroom
Atmosphere
- Casual
- Cozy
- Trendy
Crowd
- College students
- Family-friendly
- Groups
- LGBTQ+ friendly
- Tourists
- Transgender safespace
Reviews for Charlie Hong Kong
Review highlights
Based on 1,398 reviewsCharlie Hong Kong is widely praised for its fresh, flavorful, and health-conscious Asian-fused menu, appealing especially to vegan, gluten-free, and organic food enthusiasts. Customers appreciate the affordable pricing and the commitment to using local, organic ingredients. The restaurant’s casual, family-friendly outdoor seating with weather accommodations adds to its welcoming atmosphere. While service is generally described as prompt and staff amicable, some note slower service during busy periods. Limited seating and parking can pose challenges, but the overall dining experience remains favorable. Recent feedback indicates some concerns about rising prices and portion sizes on certain items, suggesting room for improvement in value perception.
Absolutely delicious fresh food, amazing customer service, everything came out crazy fast! We got a hot jasmine tea, ginger lemonade, two rice bowls - one with sweet garlic tofu and one with teriyaki chicken. We added veggie medley and avocado. So thrilled at the experience!
Always an amazing meal. Seating and parking are limited, but even with a long line we were able to get seats. There are no servers as you pick up your order and sit where a spot is available. If you want an affordable and healthy meal this place is amazing! Seating is outdoors but they have space heaters and covered tables for rainy weather.
This was a great stop for lunch. I got the green curry bowl with savory tofu and it was definitely spicy and flavorful. Love that all ingredients are local and organic, and there are vegan and gf options for all the needs! Service is slow if they are busy, and the atmosphere is great as long as it’s sunny Recommended
Such a great staple in Midtown Santa Cruz. Very passionate local owner dedicated to affordable healthy food. Very affordable indeed. Myriad selection of asian-fused menu. Spicy cauliflower was tasty, as was the green curry chicken dish. Ordered hibiscus juice as well, so good! Amicable staff and prompt service. Parking on site.
The food here is absolutely delicious. The spring rolls (salad wraps) here were my favorite for the longest time, however I recently visited and I was so disappointed. The prices have gone up an insane amount. The salad wraps, which are vegetarian but delicious because of the pickled veggies were such a let down. They added two pieces of carrot in my wraps which were gone after my first bite and I was left with lettuce and noodles. I paid $10 for one wrap and peanut sauce ($3). That being said, the food here is delicious and I recommend the Spicy Dan & Gado Gado.
Charlie Hong Kong has such a cool, laid-back vibe with delicious, fresh food that hits the spot every time. I grabbed a bowl here late in the evening , everything was flavorful, hearty, and full of fresh veggies. The sauces are perfectly balanced, and it’s great knowing the ingredients are organic and healthy. The neon-lit setup gives it that classic Santa Cruz charm too. Perfect place for a quick, satisfying, and feel-good meal!
A small place with a lot of character and great content !! We were so thrilled to find so many vegetarian and vegan options . Love that they prepare all their dishes with all organically grown produce Very friendly staff . Suuuuper tasty cookies too ! A cute mostly-covered , heated, self/service dining area . I got the Dan’s Spicy delight. It was NOT SPICY AT ALL. It was creamy, sweet-ish ….not nearly spicy :(. I am pretty sure they forgot to add the spicy ingredient because I can’t imagine anyone might have found that spicy
Only very few places feed you and you will realize its worth living this life. Such is this place. I have been here multiple times. I will be here multiple times.
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Quick info
Opening hours
- Monday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Tuesday (Today) 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Wednesday Closed
- Thursday Closed
- Friday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Saturday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Sunday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
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