Rebel Cheese — Restaurant in Austin

We've been coming to Rebel Cheese over the years, about once a month or every couple of months. Overall, we found their food and services to be satisfactory. Until yesterday...

Yesterday, there were 3 of us dining there. One had grilled cheese with salad, one had a green salad, and I ordered Bahn MI sandwich with carrot salad. The sandwich is not a part of their regular menu.

The service was good. The food tasted good overall. Good enough for me to share a few bites of the sandwich with my companions, but I ate most of it myself. We all enjoyed their cheesecake.

By the time we went to bed, the stomach pain kicked in. Then extreme digestive noises, then... full night of having to be near the toilet. My companions ended up with stomach pains, while I got a full night of pain and extreme diarrhea, followed by a full day in bed with stomach pains. I got no sleep due to this.

We reached out to Rebel Cheese by 11 or 12 the day after. They made it sound like it couldn't be their food, although we were fine before dining there, our lunch much earlier in the day at home, and our problems began after eating there. Given that my companions had less digestive issues while I sustained the brunt of the poisoning, I am assuming it was something in the sandwich I ordered that must have been contaminated.

The best Rebel Cheese staff did for us? They took the day to "investigate" and to talk to the owners. Then, they said they'll keep investigating. They took the complaint nonchalantly without taking responsibility. How is it helpful to us? They need a food inspector in that place - that is going to be our next step, so more don't end up in a similar situation. We will never visit the establishment again and cannot recommend it.

UPDATE: the 2 other people who ate thr meal at Rebel Cheese with me, got progressively worse over a few hours as I typed this review. One of them is a child. Thanks, Rebel Cheese! This is one meal we...

My Rebel Cheese Saga

After a brief hiccup (that was quickly and very kindly rectified), I received my package of Rebel Cheese yesterday morning. The anticipation had already built as it was, but alas!, we made the difficult decision to postpone our cheesy tasting to later that night as I had to (begrudgingly) head to work. I got off early enough to go pick out a nice red, because cheese and wine, amirite? My partner ended up not feeling well once I arrived home, so we again decided to wait until she felt better so we could thoughouly enjoy the experience together. A couple hours later she said she thought she'd be up to try a few bites, or at least a little of the chili marmalade on some bread she baked just for this momentus occasion. All it took was. One. Bite. And the carnage commenced. We were going to be bougie about it and make a nice board spread, but that quickly went out the window as we tore into several cheeses, a salami and mushroom jerkys, barely stopping to wipe the knife clean after each cut. Bits of cheese falling to the table were quickly swiped up with a finger. The grapes and wine I had just bought sat forgotten at first, but then made for a great compliment to everything once remembered. We finally had to employ some will power before we devoured it all in one sitting. The cheddar wedge was perfectly smoked. The honee pistachio chevre, tomato herb fromage and brie (omg, the BRIE!) were all so smooth and creamy and full of flavor. The chili marmalade was delicious had such a nice kick to it and the salami was peppery and amazing. The mushroom jerky was an experience in itself, who knew you could make jerky from mushrooms!?!?!? When I say that these amazing products are some of the best we've eaten since going vegan 10 years ago, I am not exaggerating! Thank you, Rebel...

Ugh, after being a regular + coming about once a week for months, I have finally got to be done with this place.

Pros: The food. The food is really great here (when it is made correctly, see later)... I have never had anything bad, I have tried almost every cheese, this place is great! Note, though, that the kitchen is SMALL. If you come on a weekend, expect to wait ~1 hour for your food, including salads.

Cons: Where to start... I think most of my frustration with this place is with the owner/management, because the staff, for the most part, have all been lovely and helpful. However, there are constant changes in policies/prices, as well as poor customer service that will keep me from going back. I was there yesterday for lunch to pick up a to go order (which was ~40 bucks), and I ordered a caesar salad + chicken, along with 2 other meals... When I got home, the salad was literally a bowl of lettuce with a pinch of cheese. No chicken, no dressing, no croutons... Lunch ruined.

Additionally, I used to love this place for their cheap wine, and, in fact, I even mentioned to an employee that I was surprised there was no uncorking fee about 3-4 months ago. Well, lo and behold, the most recent time I went there was a $10 uncorking fee that was not posted ANYWHERE, nor was I told there was one. When I questioned how my bill was so high, I was told there was an uncorking fee that went "straight to the staff" that I inevitably tipped ON TOP OF because I did not know I was charged one.

Long story short, I personally cannot come back because though the food is good, the constant whiplash, deception, and inconsistencies just suck. However, if you're swinging by in town and/or looking for some good vegan food, I suppose this...