The Gypsy Den is one of those omnivorous, hipster restaurants with vegan options.  They have two locations – one located in Costa Mesa and one located in Santa Ana.  I went to the Costa Mesa location and was delighted by the cozy cafe atmosphere.  They have a large menu and bakery display case, but only a few vegan choices.

I got the Chipotle and Avocado Vegan Chicken Wrap ($9) – soy chicken, chipotle cream, salsa, avocado, and spinach in a whole wheat wrap.  I am not a huge fan of overly spicy food items, but could handle this one.  And when things got too hot, I’d just take a breather and have a few chips.  I love wraps and would order this one again.

My vegan guy got the other vegan lunch option: the Veggie Burger ($9) – vegan patty on a grilled wheat bun with lettuce, avocado and salsa.  He also opted to add vegan bacon.  We both thought the same thing – it needed some sort of sauce.  A little bit of vegan mayo would have done it.  Other than being kind of on the dry side without the sauce, it was good.

After dinner, my sweet tooth kicked in, so I got the Mocha Cupcake ($2.75).  I thought it was also a little on the dry side and a bit too dense.  It had a nice flavor, though.

Be prepared for the many naked women paintings around the Costa Mesa location.  I was a little irked by that.  Come on Gypsy Den, where’s the men?  Why does nudity always seem so focused on women?  Let’s get some equal opportunities for our male counterparts up on your walls.

The Gypsy Den is located at:

2930 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Open 8am – 11pm daily

or

125 N. Broadway Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Monday – Wednesday 8am- 10pm
Thursday – Saturday 8am – 11pm
Sunday 8am – 9pm