Vodega Deli & Grocery — Restaurant in New York

I recently visited Vodega for the first time, attracted by the positive reviews. The service was excellent, and the energetic ambiance created a welcoming atmosphere. However, as a non-vegan trying vegan food for the first time, I must admit that the experience left much to be desired.

I ordered their mac n' cheese, hoping to be pleasantly surprised by the vegan version of this classic dish. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The mac n' cheese was disappointingly dry, lacking the creamy texture I associate with this dish. To make matters worse, there were burnt bits scattered throughout the dish, which significantly affected the overall taste.

While I understand that vegan food can have a different taste and texture compared to traditional dishes, I can't help but feel let down by the quality of the meal. It's possible that this particular preparation may not be representative of the restaurant's overall menu, but based on this experience, I cannot recommend the mac n' cheese.

Despite the food being unsatisfactory, I appreciate the opportunity to try something new and experience a different culinary perspective. Overall, the service and ambiance were commendable, but the mac n' cheese left a lasting impression on this first-time vegan food explorer. If you're willing to explore vegan cuisine and experiment with different dishes, this might still be worth a visit, but approach the mac n' cheese...

I really wanted to like this place, but wow… what a letdown. I waited about 20 minutes while the one (very overworked-looking) employee reheated everything in an air fryer. Yup — nothing was fresh, and it tasted exactly like that. • Falafel: Dry as the desert. Zero seasoning. I actually needed water after eating one. • Fried oyster mushrooms: 90% breading, maybe 10% mushroom if you’re lucky. • Quinoa: No salt, no seasoning, nothing. • Curried chickpeas: Couldn’t taste curry at all, no salt, peas still hard. It felt unfinished. • Miso dressing: This was the saving grace. Slightly sweet, really tasty, actually perked up the salad. • Tahini sauce: Not my vibe — very pasty and way too earthy • Jerk jackfruit: OMG. No one tasted this before serving, I’m convinced. It literally tasted like canned jackfruit straight out of super salty brine, drowned in painfully spicy jerk sauce. Completely inedible.

For a vegan spot, I expected fresh, flavorful, and thoughtful food. Instead, it was bland, overbreaded, or just plain off. If it were closer, I’d honestly return the meals. Two meals, zero...

I really loved this place until the unpleasant experience I had yesterday. I placed an order at 12PM for pancakes and arrived at 12:30PM when it said the order would be ready. Apparently they ran out of pancake mix and had to make more, which is fine, but I wish they would’ve told me my order would be delayed. The girl working the front counter was also nasty and couldn’t understand why I was flustered waiting so long, and begrudgingly offered to make me something else, but with my dairy, soy, & gluten intolerance, I’m limited to what I can have.

I waited 20+ minutes for an order of two giant pancakes that were inedible. They were rock hard on the outside, but gummy and raw on the inside and had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. They also didn’t come with the raspberry jam that’s advertised that I was looking forward to. I threw the pancakes out after a couple of bites. Waste of $15 and an...