SluttyVegan — Restaurant in Florida

I stumbled upon this amazing vegan restaurant and it was a great experience, in more ways than one! First of all the food is delicious and scrumptious! I got the breakfast sandwich and french fries (the crinkle cut which are my fav!). I was able to sub a GF bun (they had english muffin so I’ll try that next time!). I also got the cuban bowl for later! I did have that for dinner and it was great as well! Yummy flavours and the beans were 10/10, next time I’ll get a separate side of those! There were so many choices on the menu I can’t wait to go back. I also love that there are milkshakes too. The atmosphere was delightful too! Charming, spacious and trendy with an Insta wall where you can take a pic! Tables and booths were plentiful and a little couch chair set up as well. The restrooms were tidy and clean and that’s very important! The vibe is laid back, calming and infectious!

Here’s the other reason this restaurant is so amazing! I was there at 12:48 (the time on my receipt) and it was BUSY! That’s great! There’s a strong delivery component so orders were coming in from every direction! People were there to pick up mobile orders as well. “The natives were getting restless”…meaning some customers were complaining about the wait time. That’s why I love the picture at the register “We’re not fast food we’re fresh food. Wait times may vary thank you for your patience” That says it all! Healthy eating isn’t always quick and easy and coming to a vegan restaurant one should know this already. I’ve lived a life of eating this way and it takes time for preparation and that must come with patience. So, back to the natives…one customer in particular started complaining very aggressive and loud. The front staff explained there was a delay and apologized, continuing to ask for patience. She stated she had been here for an hour…here’s my favourite part…it was 1:08. I looked because this was the woman in front of me when I ordered I thought to myself “I’ve been here for an hour?” Well, remember the time on my receipt? 12:48 to 1:08 is only 20 minutes. She was relentless in her complaining. A member of the staff came out from the kitchen and made a announcement for everyone to hear that they were working as fast as they could and there was just a bit of a back up and she asked for extra patience. The afore mentioned “restless native” basically said she was tired of waiting and why wasn’t the food ready and repeated she’d been waiting for an hour and so on and so forth. The staff person was very patient and apologized and said her order would be out as soon as possible. I was very impressed with everyone’s patience with this particular situation. The thing is…the grumpy Gus grumps of the world are just that…grumpy! Often times they just want everything to be about them, not willing to take certain circumstances into consideration! I decided to go to the staff and tell them what I thought of my experience. The one unruly customer had since left so I felt comfortable talking with them. Ana was the staff member I spoke to and she was so kind in explaining to me that there was new staff and it was a busy Saturday and they were really doing their best. I explained to her that the rude woman had not actually been waiting that long. She explained the restaurant is family owned and the owner is there 5 days a week and cooks herself and is a big part of the customer service. I shared it was definitely delicious food and so worth the wait! I told her of my plans to write this review and she said it would mean so much to the owner. I want her to know that it really was a GREAT experience despite the wait time and I will tell everyone I know all about you and your FABULOUS food! It’s hard to find Vegan and GF food that’s full of flavour and not just vegetables and rice! Thank you for a wonderful dining experience! Also, might I add that the portions are worth the price as I will have leftovers and that gets lots of bonus points in my book!

This restaurant and my dining experience definitely gets a 10...

I was very excited to try this vegan restaurant based on all the positive reviews. I gave it two tries (one delivery and one takeout) and was very hopeful it would be as awesome as others have indicated. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. The first time, I ordered the American Bowl wrap and the yuca fries. The wrap was good, not great, but good - it really could have used more flavoring - it was quite bland tasting with the only thing saving it for flavor being the frisco sauce. The yuca fries tasted great and honestly, I was willing to overlook the bland wrap for another round of those yuca fries. I did notice I had some indigestion that evening after eating, but didn't think anything of it at the time. I next went to their restaurant in-person and ordered takeout - the Caribbean bowl wrap and the yuca fries. The wrap was tasteless - no flavor at all, just tasted like plain white rice with black beans and straight up non-flavored tofu and corn. There were no seasonings on the rice or the tofu or the black beans. I forced myself to finish it, but it was honestly the most tasteless thing I have had in a very long time. I was still looking forward to the yuca fries, however, what I received was not the same fries I'd had previously. These were fried with some kind of breading on top in very thick grease. The last time I had ordered them there was no breading and very nice garlic sauce drizzled on them. I ate a few of them and immediately felt sick to my stomach. I ended up with bad stomach issues that evening after eating there. I don't know if they had run out of their yuca fries and substituted some kind of pre-made, frozen thing but they were gross and the grease on them made them even worse. Twice, I had bland meals with stomach issues afterwards. Once, I had tasty yuca fries (the only reason for a star given) and the second time something I can't even describe properly was substituted for them. Sadly, I will not be back. Vegan food can be quite flavorful when done right. And it can be healthy, too. There was so much potential here but unfortunately, Vine Vegan fell short. The atmosphere at the restaurant is cute and cozy and the server I had during my in-person visit was friendly, but that's all I can really say that was positive about my experience. I hope they figure out how to bring flavor back to vegan - and fix whatever happened to those yuca fries. As for me, I'll never know, because stomach problems twice after eating your food is...

PROs: Food is good, tasty and certainly vegan creativity of some classic favorites without use of meat and dairy is greatly appreciated.

CONS #1: Shifty Read the Fine Print tactics….. let’s explain…The price on the menu board does not match the price charged or the price on their Clover App. When I confronted the lady at the counter AFTER my order was already charged she stated menu prices are for Cash not card. Oh ok the good old switcharoo of “read the fine print” or get screwed tactic. Nice job of deception that all customers of all walks of life hate. I’m not buying insurance policy here - I’m buying food!!! I totally get it when cost of transaction for small businesses is part of consideration especially on menu items that cost 2 to 3 times the average food outlet, but here’s a novel idea to Vine Vegan owners—let the customer know by announcing it while customer is ordering that there is a up charge when customer pulls out a card… versus say nothing hoping customer won’t notice and you get away with it… it’s about perception - sure looks and “feels” shifty to hide behind tiny font buried on the menu hanging high 20 feet away. What else are you hiding? Are meals truly Vegan? Should I trust that claim if I can’t trust the pricing?

CONS #2: Vine Vegan uses commercially available HIGHLY PROCESSED foods - (e.g. impossible meat, impossible chicken tenders etc…) …. these are not healthy- sure they may be vegan but all the seed oils and saturated fats and preservatives used in these fake meats are endocrine disrupters leading to auto immune diseases and cancers over time - go read up on NIH published studies on PubMed. So if your motivation is not to hurt animals - Ok then eat that stuff and be be virtuous in your own eyes. However , if your motivation is eating a healthy alternative to 1000’s of other food outlets …this is not the place for healthy alternatives … sure they have a couple of dishes without “highly Processed” ingredients like a salad but…. I can get a boring salad at McDonald’s for 25% of the cost. To this point I wish VV was more about “heathy” Vegan versus “ideology” Vegan.

CONS # 3: they hardly ever answer the phone to order while I drive home from work and want to pick up. I was told to go to the Clover App or order online - HOW IF I’m DRIVING??? Think before you answer. And while on Clover App please pay the higher price than on the Menu, as above mentioned in CONS #1.

3 Cons = Taking Off 3...