Market On South — Restaurant in Orlando

We finally made it back to Market on South again.

It basically encompasses a couple of separate little vegan restaurant options, a little like an indoor public market with multiple kiosks - but without the typical degree of separation ...

It currently appears to have been simplified and include just two options now: Vegan Scoops and A Lo Vegano Orlando which is a vegan Cuban restaurant.

We tried the breakfast croissant sandwich, personally too fake meaty and egg like for my taste. Although the SO apparently loved it. (I prefer tofu, seitan, or something more along those lines so it probably depends on your tastes.)

We also tried the Loaded Fajita Steak & Tostones. The "steak" was some sort of processed mushroom based option that looked pretty realistic, it was chewy, well crisped, and a little dry. Personally a little too on the realistic side for my taste, but the SO loved it too. I did appreciate that it was crunchy on the ends. A bit of some fajita veggies and a strong herb rich sauce over fried plantain bites wrapped it up. It was interesting to try, and pretty good, although not really my cup of tea.

We also grabbed an order of Yuka Fries, which were really good, crunchy and nicely done and tender on the inside. They came with a tasty sauce, although not nearly enough sauce for the serving size.

Then there was Vegan Scoops with ice cream and baked goods for dessert.

• References to the previous vegan kiosks which closed down, left for historical context. *

Previously it Included The Kind Cleaver, Retro Roast, Main House Market, and Vegan Scoops.

It has a little bit of a health food store vibe with a few small odds and ends for purchase, plus a little bit of an eclectic old fashioned vibe ... But it has a nice clean, bright, pleasant environment with great food.

The Kind Cleaver had some awesome Seitan sandwiches - their Rueben had a nice balance of flavors with plenty of sauerkraut. Plus large portions for leftovers, granted we weren't super hungry when we came in, but still good sized.

I wish we had a Kind Cleaver or the whole market nearby and highly recommend stopping in. This is one place I would absolutely go out of my way to stop at again.

While Kind Cleaver appears to be closed for now as a restaurant, it sounds like they are selling their seitan to another vegan restaurant an hour or so east. I was really craving one of their sandwiches, hopefully...

It’s a no from me. Got here at 4:00pm, waited in line 30 mins to order, no biggie - it was moderately busy and the place is tiny. Was warned food would take about 45 mins, and thought, “it’s ok, 45 is not a big deal”…then I started to see everyone around us, that ordered after us, get fed and my friend and I were still stuck there waiting. Something wasn’t right…so they bring my friend’s food out at the 60 min mark and tell me mine is right behind it. 20 mins later, I watched the server serve 4 other people who ordered about an hour after me. Still no food. Friend is done eating at this point, and I’ve already gone to the counter to ask for an update. No help from the staff - they were clueless. Eventually my friend goes up there and stands there until something is done.

Even better, when friend is served, the server makes mention that desserts aren’t supposed to be purchased at the counter and that they need to be done on mobile. This was my first (and last) time here…how was I supposed to know that Valhalla only does mobile? And why did the guy let me purchase if that was the case!? Communication is lacking.

I’m a patient person, and very compassionate about fairness, but everyone has a limit. You don’t just spend $77 on two meals and dessert to be treated like that. Some empathy from the staff would’ve been just fine and gone a long way - but this staff was unapologetic and did nothing to remedy any concerns. The food wasn’t even good at Dharma. Dry, mac’ n cheese was simply over cooked noodles with some tomatoes thrown on top. The Buffalo sandwich had very little sauce and there was nothing “bbq” about the coleslaw. My chik’n was cold. Valhalla Bakery desserts were great. Did not leave until after 6:00. This is supposed to be an in and out type of place. For the money, I’d rather eat at a nicer establishment. This crew needs lots of training and the kitchen could benefit from hiring some experienced cooks…I’m sad because I truly wanted this to be a new place we would enjoy! My best friend is Vegan, and I really wanted to support her by coming here, as she always goes to meat-serving establishments with me and makes adjustments to accommodate. The one time we go to a Vegan restaurant, we had...

Yesterday, we went to Market on South to celebrate my husband's birthday, drawn by the fantastic concept of the place and the expectation of enjoying the vegan delights we had seen online, such as The Kind Cleaver sandwiches and Valhalla Bakery desserts. Unfortunately, our experience did not meet our expectations.

Upon arrival, we noticed that the place was quite dark, which affected the cozy atmosphere we were hoping for. The customer service was another point that left much to be desired. The person who greeted us did not seem very willing to help. I asked about The Kind Cleaver sandwiches and was informed that they were no longer available, nor did they sell any other kind of sandwiches. When I inquired about Valhalla Bakery desserts, I was also told they were no longer available.

The menu at the counter was just text, with no images to help visualize the dishes, making it quite difficult to choose what to eat. I tried looking up Alovegano on Instagram to get a better idea of their dishes since the staff wasn't willing to explain anything, and although their social media posts look great, it was challenging to identify the available dishes on the Market on South menu.

Finally, we decided to leave as the experience was neither pleasant nor welcoming.

It is a shame that a place with such a promising concept and seemingly delicious vegan options does not provide an experience that meets expectations. Improving the lighting, customer service, and providing a more visual and explanatory menu would greatly enhance the experience for...