"inexpensive, mostly vegan, fantastic"   My Rating
99 kindlizard	Posted on: Thursday, September 03, 2009
	Review: Hey, really nice, clean place; pay as you come in. There's a salad bar w some fantastic salad dressings. Then they have two soups, one of which is vegan. The only other non-vegan item was the halavah(sp). Filtered water at the end is also included, as well as 4 great breads, one of which is gluten-free. The hot bar had potato pakora (great), 2 rices, mixed veg that was fresh (as was the salad, but likely not og), a spicy chickpea selection, iddly(sp), sambar, 3 chutneys, a coconut sauce. Other than the coconut sauce I tried everything (that was vegan & well 2 of the 4 breads; but c'mon, I am just one man). Everything was truly excellent. I felt relaxed and it was really nice actually to go out and not break the bank too. It was clean, the staff is exceptionally nice and patient. For anyone that would say it is far, I would just say that in eugene nothing is far from anywhere else. I didn't go out here bc I hadn't realized how good it would be and we both love it and will frequent here. Don't make the same mistake I did, if that would hold you back... I ate a lot of food and was full, but a light and happy full. That is rare bc I usually feel it more when I overdo it as one might at a buffet. PEACE!!   Pros: excellent food * variety, all can eat * clean, nice staff Cons: all good * *
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"Yummy Vegan Food"   My Rating
2 veganscarl et	Posted on: Saturday, October 04, 2008
	Review: If you're looking for delicious vegetarian/vegan food in an informal setting, Govinda's is a great choice. The energy of this place is wonderful; it's very clean, and the owner is always pleasant and greets each customer as they come in. Each time I've been there, the salad bar is crisp and fresh and the homemade dressings are delicious. As a vegan, I especially love that anything containing dairy is clearly marked. The pea dal is exceptional - and addicting! While the selection is a bit limited, it is all very flavorful and obviously prepared with love and care. And you always feel delightful after eating there, no funky heavy post-restaurant blues. :-) The only real drawback is the lack of organic ingredients. I've experienced very few restaurants that have such a consistent positive vibe. The building is small (it used to be a dairy queen) and sweetly decorated with framed Krishna prints. It's full of light, colorful, and clean. And it's inexpensive. One of my faves in Eugene!   Pros: vegan * flavorful * Friendly Cons: not organic * *
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"Excellent"   My Rating
3 BanditQuee n	Posted on: Monday, September 15, 2008
	Review: My family and friends were visiting our friend at the University. Since it was our first visit to Eugene I looked up this website and found Govinda's - we are all vegetarian except one. We were all pleasantly surprised by our meal. The veggies in the salad section were very fresh and varied - beets, sprouts, olives, on top of the usual fare of lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. The highlight, however, was the salad dressings! There were 2 in particular, almond and sesame, which were so tasty. The very friendly owner was nice enough to share the recipe to both. The hot section had few choices. I was the only one who took the greens and potato dish (I love greens and gave the potatoes to my 2 year-old). There was also brown and white rice, excellent dal and sambar, and to our delight, idli! It is my daughter's favorite food and was fresh off the steamer. There was also a coconut milk sauce which was a little bland but fresh. There were 3 homemade chutneys, coconut, plum and tamarind which tasted authentic and fresh. The desert was a mix of 2 halvas, banana and almond, and we all relished it. We all loved our meal and felt good afterwards. The food was simple, fresh and tasty. The restaurant was clean and simple. The service was prompt and friendly; the owner answered all questions patiently and was happy to talk about his food and passion. I highly recommend Govinda's!   Pros: Healthy fresh food * Friendly owner * Very tasty Cons: * *
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"Great for Vegans"   My Rating
3 oregonanni e	Posted on: Sunday, December 30, 2007
	Review: The food is excellent, the atmosphere is great and the owners are kind and friendly. There's a great salad bar, usually two main hot dishes and two soups as well as various side dishes. The salad dressings and bread are made on the premisses. Everything seems to be made from scratch. I'm strictly vegan and appreciate how the owners label anything with dairy. They are open from 11:30 - 2 pm for lunch and reopen from 5 - 8 pm for supper. They are now open on weekends. I've been very impressed by the owners who are always friendly and cheerful. I've also witnessed several quiet acts of generosity on their part. While the owners are part of the Hari Krishna movement, no attempts are made to convert anyone. There are a few booklets sitting on a cooler, some Indian religious art work and Indian music playing but it's all very subtle and pleasant. At one time I worked for the health department and can say with some authority that I'm also impressed by the cleanliness.   Pros: excellent food * great value * friendly staff Cons: small * short hours *
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"Good salad and vegan soup, mediocre hot food"   My Rating
24 groovyvega n	Posted on: Monday, December 17, 2007
	Review: Govinda's bills themselves as "all you care to eat buffet" and "80% vegan." All you can eat prices are $7.95 for adults, $6.95 for students and seniors (60+), and $4.95 for 12 and under. In addition, you can have just the salad bar for $4.50; Soup salad and bread for $5.95, or Soup and bread for $3.00. Bottled sodas, juices, chai, and herbal tea are all $1.05. I like this place for the delicious salad bar, which unfortunately is not organic. Unfortunately, neither my omni partner nor I are impressed with the hot foods selections, which I'll discuss in a minute. The salad bar has the typical salad bar choices including shredded carrots, beets, red cabbage, sunflower seeds, and garbanzo beans. They also have lentil sprouts. What really makes this salad bar stand out are freshness of the ingredients, and the abundance of delicious vegan salad dressings. I especially liked the almond blend dressing. Other vegan choices include tofu dill, and sesame. For a typical meal, they'll have two soups, one vegan and one not. I recommend the vegan mung bean soup. My partner recommends the vegan lentil soup, but not the dairy-containing broccoli soup which he found mediocre. There is typically a vegan hot meal section and a dairy-containing one. The vegan one is often a boring casserole with vegetables. For one meal, they had vegan mashed potatoes which were lacking in flavor and could have used some garlic and salt. I did not like the vegan gravy at all, and I typically like vegan mashed potatoes and gravy. They also typically have white rice, brown rice, plain pasta, and tomato sauce. Their hot food is okay, but nothing spectacular. They also offer homemade vegan corn bread, which is pretty good but not great, and another type of vegan bread. Sometimes they offer a baked vegan dessert such as an oatmeal raison bar. I like this place for the salad bar and vegan soup, but the hot food is nothing special. And I would be more excited about the salad bar if it were organic.   Pros: Delicious salad bar * Reasonable Prices * Parking lot Cons: Mediocre hot food * Not organic * No smoothies
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