Far West Fungi — Restaurant in Santa Cruz

Love the variety of mushrooms that Far West Fungi offer to the masses. As a plant-based eater, mushrooms become a focal point of my diet to incorporate textured variety in my meals.

I love the options of fresh and dried mushrooms here as well as their hot menu offerings. There isn't a whole lot of space inside to actually dine in, so you're better off grabbing it to-go and taking it somewhere to enjoy.

On a cold fall day, I went for a side of their Vegan Gumbo ($8) which incorporates their famed mushrooms along with vegan sausage and veggies in a spicy stew. Rice is included in the side but no greens unless you order a full bowl. I quite enjoyed the gumbo although I found it a bit on the saltier side. Still, the option is fantastic and I would order again if I'm downtown.

I am curious to try their other items including their fried mushroom burger someday. I will definitely be back to consume more...

I am a new customer. I wanted to try 2 oz of a mushroom powder for $13. Their website tried to charge me $13.45 for shipping.

Since this is insane, I called to ask if they offered free or discounted shipping for such an order. After 10 minutes of confused people transferring me around, they said they "could not do anything" about the shipping.

For reference, UPS Ground or USPS Flat Rate to/from these addresses would be $6.13, and a plain ole enveloped with generous weight and sizing would be $4.36. And of course, that is without a corporate bulk discounted shipping rate.

Nowhere near $13.45. Seriously, give me a break. Way to treat your...

A fabulous all vegetarian restaurant with a couple of vegan options.

I ordered the mushroom Zuppa soup and was blown away by how flavorful it was! There’s some serious black magic going on that makes that broth so amazing- apparently a house mushroom blend. The meatballs were also pretty great (also made from mushrooms). My partner had the truffle grilled cheese which was excellent, but could have been a bit more salty.

For drinks, we had the berry kombucha and the spruce lemonade, both of which were excellent!

Definitely worth a visit if you’re in town- they also sell fresh mushrooms, some of which are hard to...