Buds — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

I hate to leave a bad review for somewhere I have enjoyed so much in the past. I am just trying to provide my honest opinion, which are sentiments that have been echoed by many, many others in the slc vegan community. I am hoping someone will actually listen and bring back even one or two “high priced” $10-12 sandwich.

It is sad how downhill this place went. I was in love with Buds and ate there at least twice or more each week. Every time I go now it’s like a ghost town compared to the past. Hmm, I wonder why?

When food prices became more expensive after Covid, rather than Buds raising their prices, which is what every other restaurant I know of has done (increased pricing while not sacrificing the quality of their food)… Buds cannot say they have done this. They took away almost everything that made their food taste AMAZING. I used to take non-vegans here all the time and they would rave about how wonderful their food was. Couldn’t believe it was so tasty. Lately those same people haven’t even been able to finish their sandwiches. I can’t stress how badly the food has become.

Spring mixed greens were replaced for predominantly white iceberg lettuce. Anything with avocado was completely removed from the menu. Their amazing ginger sour cream was replaced by a bland, unappealing garlic mayo. The entire Babacoa sandwich was a standout item and was taken off the menu which is strange as employees had told me the Barbacoa was one of their most popular sandwiches numerous times. Tortillas were taken off the menu, so now you aren’t able to get a sandwich “wrapped”. Anything with hummus was removed from the menu. They added a vegan “provolone” which I will just say, does not taste good. Portions are absolutely way less than they used to be. It is truly mostly just bread and iceberg lettuce now. (I have multiple people complaining that their sandwiches are mostly bread now)

I recently saw a post where Buds is praising the fact that they have not raised prices much, I truly think that it was a wrong decision to sacrifice quality to save $1-4 per sandwich. I would have happily paid more for higher quality sandwiches and I know others would have preferred this as well.

In my opinion, Buds would have more business if they never messed with the quality of their menu. And it’s not even about change, had the new sandwiches tasted just as good then great!!! The sandwiches which are made with cheaper, lower quality ingredients and less quantity inside just don’t satisfy my taste or...

The Cliff Notes:

Good tasting, guilt-free food. It can just take a while to get your order.

Full Review:

For meat eaters like me, Buds’ house-made, plant-based proteins really do resemble actual meat. You’re likely to forget, or not care that it’s plant-based protein.

The Good:

The sandwiches and salads are both great options at Buds. The sandwiches have a hearty sourdough bread. The salads have fresh spring mix and veggies topped with delicious homemade dressings (the garlic-herb aioli hits).

My favorites are the Buffalo Salad and Pizza-steak Sandwich. The Buffalo Chicken Salad is light and refreshing yet still filling and it’s perfect for a sunny day. The Pizza-steak has house-made marinara (it’s so good) that and makes the sandwich super savory and it’s perfect for those cold winter days. You can’t go wrong with either one of those though IMHO.

My hat really goes off to the people that work there. They’re are truly the best kind of people…good humans. They go above and beyond to make you feel appreciated and certainly offer to make up for any discrepancies you bring to their attention.

The Bad(ish):

Like other reviewers have mentioned, the wait times at Buds can (but not always) be quite lengthy. It’s the one and only downside I have found here. I mean you can probably find quicker service at some sit-down restaurants nearby. For first-timers, and folks in a rush, (like me sometimes) that can be rough.

That said, I’ve found that it’s best practice to order online and then give yourself about 30 to 40 minutes...

I am a vegetarian who prefers to eat vegan; My husband is a carnivore who is open to trying alternatives. We found this place for lunch one day and we were blown away. We had a Philly and pesto chicken, and we both agreed we preferred the Philly (1000000/10); however, the pesto chicken was still great and very fresh-tasting (7/10)! The Philly has a smoky cheese-like spread on it that is to die for. Idk what they do to make their faux steak, but wow… you have to try it!

We also tried a zucchini chocolate chip cookie. If you like cookies and zucchini bread, you’ll love it! & the lavender lemonade was super refreshing. Went very well with the sandwiches and cookie. :)

We found ourselves there a second time just a couple weeks later because we were craving the Philly. We decided to get a bahn mi to try as well. The bahn mi was so good (9/10)—The only thing that could make it better is a lemongrass au jus dipping sauce.

Aside from food, the place itself is super cute. I like ordering at the window and then sitting outside to eat. The tables outside haven’t been accessible recently, but hopefully that will change during the summer. The people that work there are always very friendly.

If you are looking for a fast and fresh sandwich joint, absolutely go here. You do not have to be vegan to love this food. My husband, not vegan, now asks me to go...