Pricing:
Expect to pay about $10-18 per entree whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Distance:
There are several locations. There's one on the coast highway and the new one that just opened up is close to the El Camino Real/Encinitas Blvd. intersection. Both places take 5-10 minutes to drive to.
Thoughts:
While there are crossover dishes, the vibe of the Swami's close to the El Camino/Encinitas Blvd. area is very different from the Highway 101 establishment. This review will primarily focus on the former location rather than the latter.
While the coast highway location is frequently packed and has a distinct earthy quality, this location definitely took a few cues from Beachgrass (the restaurant that used to occupy that building before Swami's). In fact, the dinner menu is almost identical to what Beachgrass used to offer. Expect flat-ironed steak, stuffed chicken and ahi as your food options.
The "Swami's" menu can be seen more during breakfast and lunch. Along with more traditional omelets and club sandwiches, you can also find a few tofu type of dishes. Plus, there's the selection of famous Swami's smoothies.
While the view is somewhat lacking, I actually like this new Swami's better than the coast highway edition. It's closer to where I live and there's never a wait to get inside. The food is quite good. So regardless of what time of day you go, it's going to be a fast sit-down dining experience.
My only complaint is the erratic nature in the quality of their service. This entire restaurant seems entirely dependent on the manager. If she's there, everything goes well. If she's not, it's anyone's game. Special food adjustments won't be made, you'll order sides and get the wrong ones, your smoothie never shows up, your standard entree will be missing ingredients, etc.
So if you are laid back enough to be able to roll with these possibilites, I highly recommend Swami's. If you're the type of person where you would find this annoying, you should probably go elsewhere.
