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Disappointed

2 Posted on 05 / 04 / 2013

I read some amazing reviews about this place so I was very excited to try it as my first vegan restaurant experience.
Boy, do I wish I didn't go.
My boyfriend (who isn't vegan) and I went on the first Sunday of the month which is when the big buffet is supposed to be, I say supposed to because there was about 6 items to choose from, 7 tops. This confused us because we were told this is when the big buffet was, when they have the most selection. So how much exactly do they have on a normal day?
What confused us further after this was none of the food was labeled. I have no idea what I ate there that day.
The food was alright, I am not a big fan of faux meat and that seems to be a focus of theirs.
The place was clean, and I liked the decor. The seating was a little strange but for such a small building they made good use of the space.
Lastly, the people who worked there were awesome, I didn't have the heart to tell the girl how disappointed I was. When she asked me if I liked the faux chicken they apparently had there I said yes, though I honestly don't know if I even had any of it.
Good place if you don't mind a very small selection.

Pros: Downtown Ottawa, Clean, Friendly
Cons: Smallest buffet

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lunch buffet - expected more....

3 Posted on 04 / 06 / 2013

i chose this restaurant for our family trip to ottawa, for the lunch buffet, based on the HC reviews.

while the place was nice and clean, and the food was tasty, I was a bit disappointed. the choice was very limited for a buffet and it was almost entirely asian food. (we were planningh for an asian restaurant for dinner)

I am not sure i would return, because of the very limited options.

I must mention that the staff were very nice (the service), and accommodated us to use a private room for a nappy change :), as the bathroom did not have a changing station

Pros: tasty food, clean place, friendly staff
Cons: very limited options for lunch buffet, mostly asian food for lunch buffet, no diaper change station in the bathroom

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Best Vegan/ Meat Eater Friendly Restaurant!

5 Posted on 12 / 14 / 2012

The reason I say meat friendly restaurant is because this place has the best veggie/mock meat I have ever tasted. As I can remember the taste of meat, I can compare. The dishes are not expensive because the food is very savoury. My favourite dishes there are crispy nuggets(taste like real nuggets), crispy crescents (vegan prawns SO AMAZING), orange imagination (chik'un balls like from the chinese restaurant in amazing sauce with rice and veggies on side), joy luck special and green earth rotisserie are both chik'un breasts but with different sauces. There are just vegetable dishes as well like eggplant medley and amazing wonton soup. Their pad thai and chow mein is very popular as well. My favourite dessert there is their homemade thai banana rolls. MMM toppedoff with vegan vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. I go there for buffet as well and it is always something delicious, all you can eat. If you have any questions about food, ASK servers about your taste. (They have lots of gluten free option as well)

Pros: Amazing Food, Not expensive , Heart of Little Italy
Cons: A bit dark lighted, Closed Tuesday

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Seriously awesome Food!

5 Posted on 10 / 08 / 2012

We tried the Thanksgiving plate for one person which included faux turkey with stuffing, autumn veggies, harvest soup, mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and a delicious punk in cheesecake - all vegan and absolutely delicious. We also had the chick'un burger that was incredible in itself but the hand cut Fries took it over the top. Can't say enough good things about this place!!

Pros: Delicious, Healthy

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Good Selection and Excellent Value

4 Posted on 08 / 08 / 2012

Friendly place with quiet and efficient service. Tried the Sour soup... it was excellent, with lot's of shitake slices. My wife and daughter tried the Buddha burger and enjoyed them, The rainbow soup was also good. Fresh juices too! Overall a pleasant experience, with the only real off note being the whole grain rice, which should be rinsed a little more prior to cooking (to remove the "off" flavours. Amazing value for money. We will eat here again!
Updated from previous review on Wednesday August 08, 2012

Pros: Great Value & Great Service, Good Selection, Good Sized Portions
Cons: A Little Dark and Worn in the interior

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Tasty, Great Servers, A Lot of Faux Meats

4 Posted on 03 / 17 / 2012

I ate twice here recently...once for lunch on a weekend and once for supper on a weekday. I ordered off the "rice corner" section of the menu both times, and both main dishes were tasty and generous in size.

The "three flavours" with brown rice was outstanding...I would order this again. The "sweet and sour" dish was good, but I didn't like the faux meat. Next time I would order it with tofu.

I tried the carrot cake, but the piece was small and it was dry. I had a tropical smoothie, but I tasted more banana than anything else. I ordered the summer rolls, only to find that they come with lettuce...something I can't eat and that is not listed on the menu.

If you are fond of faux meat, you will find a lot of options. If you are not, you will need to substitute tofu for the faux meat. There are very few dishes offered without tofu or faux meat.

The servers were very friendly and efficient. The only complaint I have about the service is that the meals arrived a few minutes apart. I assume this relates to the kitchen staff and not to the servers.

Pros: Large portions (rice corner), Friendly servers, Large range of faux meats
Cons: Most items based on faux meat or tofu, Lettuce in summer rolls (not on menu!), Meals arrive one at a time

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Expanding Horizions

4 Posted on 02 / 27 / 2012

Green Earth is both in Ottawa and Toronto. Their lunch buffet is generous and delicious. Their menu is good too. Service is good, sometimes slow, but always kind and considerate. It is on our list and we highly recommend the Green Earth. Far better than the other restaurants that surround it!

Pros: Good location, Good food, Good srvice
Cons: Hard to park

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One of our Fav veggie restaurants

5 Posted on 01 / 28 / 2012

We all love love love Green Earth and have been going there for a few years now. We regularly go to their Toronto location and when we are in Ottawa, we also visit the location there. My daughter, who goes to Trent University in Peterborough, comes back to Toronto at least once a month, not to see us, but to go to Green Earth! Huge menu, but probably my favourite is the curry and veggies. A bit hot too, but just right. My favourite appetizers are the veggie nuggets and the spring and summer rolls. Oh, such good soups too. And can't forget the desserts...the vegan chocolate cheesecake is delicisous as is the chocolate cake. Haven't tries any others, but certainly they are good as well.

Pros: delicous food, nice ambience, pleasant staff
Cons: not enough locations

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Mock meats

3 Posted on 01 / 27 / 2012

Great that its a 100% vegan restaurant, but almost every dish has a meat or dairy analogue, hence is highly processed. Lunch all-you-can eat weekday buffet is about $10. Tied to a fringe vegetarian/vegan religion, but you are never approached to join or harassed.

Pros: vegan 100%
Cons: processed (meat analogues)

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Not the best buffet experience

2 Posted on 02 / 21 / 2011

We went there on Monday afternoon at around 1.30pm. The buffet closed at 2pm and the restaurant closed at 2.30pm. But when the time we arrived, they were already ran out of food. Basically left only half bowl of brown and white rice, some turnip and carrot soup and a plate of water melon. i asked the waitress whether those food will be refilled and she said the kitchen was working on it now. So we decided to stay. After waited for a while, they refilled a small portion of each: stir fried brocolli and carrot, french fries, salad, mock meat and tofu and salad rolls. The refilled portions were small and there were 4 tables including us, around 11 persons there. So things ran out soon. Basically we had the buffet but left feeling still hungry. There was only one waitress too, so basically they were lacking of staff. The food wasn't particullar good too, may be because they were just 'refilled' so was done in a hurry. So for buffet lunch, may be people should go before 1pm since they started at 11 or 11.30am.

Pros: Clean, Ambience
Cons: Service, Food management

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green earth

3 Posted on 08 / 15 / 2010

normally I'm not really a mock meat fan, but when I am in the mood for it this is the place I go to. Their fake chicken/duck/whatever it's supposed to be is quite good! I've gone to the buffet a few times (they do a lunchtime buffet during the week for under $10 and the first Sunday of the month they do a dinner buffet for $12.95 I think) and it's hit or miss. Generally the fake poultry is a safe bet but some of the stuff isn't as great. It's a real mix of foods. Generally asian inspired but I have had mashed potatoes (that tasted like instant??) there before. I've had the Green Earth Rotisserie off the menu a few times and it's been consistently good so sticking with the menu is a safe bet if you don't want to chance the buffet (you can always go back and take a look at it and decide).

Their desserts are....odd. I have not had one that I've liked unfortunately. They garnish the cake with a grape tomato which is kind of weird. And sometimes they'll put a weird gelatinous thing in the buffet.

It's a nice little area too, despite living not that far away I rarely make it down to Preston. If the weather is good there's a patio out front that's really nice to eat on.

Pros: good prices, friendly , good fake meat
Cons: Supreme Master TV, kind of creepy, a little hit or miss with the buffet

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Nice plate to have dinner.

4 Posted on 03 / 31 / 2010

I don't know how is the lunch buffet. I went there for dinner. If you don't like fake meat and fried items, check the menu carefully. I've been able to order a really nice plate by talking to the server, because i was not sure of what i would get. I first had a really great salad, with greens, avocado, strawberry, apples, nuts, that was fresh and tasty. We got fresh juices ( carrot/ginger ). Then we ordered rice with grilled veggie and tofu brochettes. It tasted great. The desserts we chose, cheesecake and almond/chocolate were both vegan and came with vanilla soy ice cream. I liked how everything was nicely presented. Nothing i never tasted before, but they have a way to set up plates, and some personnal touches that i appreciated. The service was quick and lovely. I would recommand that place for dinner ; enjoy a fresh juice, a dessert, and order a plate with non-fried food, and that can be a nice experience.

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Truly Bad

2 Posted on 03 / 03 / 2010

Just bad. Bad food and it was all cold. There was one thing I ate which had a little bit of heat to it. Probably the second worst vegetarian fare I've ever had.

Cons: Food is cold, buffet consists of french fries etc

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Good restaurant

5 Posted on 02 / 18 / 2010

My husband and I had been to the Toronto Green Earth restaurant a few times, and enjoyed it. The menu is the same (or almost the same) as the Ottawa restaurant. The Ottawa restaurant is in a slightly nicer area, and is bigger and feels a little more upscale, as well. The staff was friendly. We went on Valentine's Day, and didn't end up ordering the special prix fixe menu, but it looked really good. I wish we'd been able to go for the buffet, but we were only in town for a couple of nights. Recommended!

Pros: Friendly staff, tasty food, few non-vegan options
Cons: Not the healthiest food

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ITS a must to try it there.

5 Posted on 01 / 12 / 2010

hi all .

I have been going there for the past 4-5 months at a regular rate off 4 time a week or so.

nothing but great thing to say about that place.
great service ,always smiling very kind and nice peoples that work in there.

the food is always very good...for the buffet or reg menue.

if you want to eat healthy and at a great price..try the buffet there ..weekdays and first sunday off the month

healthy and tasty.

two thumbs up .

marco

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Not bad

3 Posted on 12 / 08 / 2009

Good selection, most of what I have tried is excellent. Buddha Burger excellent, best burger ever! Fried terrible. Service not so great. They do things like bring the food out as it is ready rather than all at once so you have people eating and done before others even get their food and if they wait then it's cold. Anyone running a restaurant should know this stuff. They are obviously trying to be very friendly, which is great but it can be extremely persistent in doing so and it can get tiring when you just want to eat. I sometimes hear a kid running around in the kitchen. I'm sure that is a violation of health and safety laws and it makes me concerned whether it is clean and sanitary in there. So, a bit of a mixed bag, but the food is generally really good and this place is worth a try.

Pros: Selection, Good food
Cons: Service practices

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Go Green!

5 Posted on 10 / 10 / 2009

We have been to Green Earth many times.The service is gracious and good. The food is superb! I have never been fond of vegan desserts, but here it is different. Don't eat without ordering dessert.

We have had the luncheon buffet many times and also ordered from the menu. Everything was excellent. One evening a group of 5 of us went in for desserts. We laughed and talked. Our friends were delighted we introduced them to the Green Earth.

Best hot and sour soup ever. The reviewers who said this food was bland don't know how to order!!!

Pros: Clean, Delicious, Good Value

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Excellent restaurant

5 Posted on 08 / 05 / 2009

Our family just had a beautiful dinner at Green Earth. Courteous, prompt service, and the food was superb. We started with the Paradise Sushi, fresh, tasty and accompanied by a delicious, slightly salty sauce, and the Crispy Crescents for appetizers. The Crescents were definitely crispy, very yummy and served with a sweet chili sauce. For entrees we chose the BBQ tofu which had a smoky, slightly sweet and piquant flavour; the Hawaiian Style Fried Rice which was a lovely, lightly sauteed mixture of crisp veggies, pineapple and rice; and the Fettuccini Alfredo which had an amazingly creamy, mild sauce with a nice pile of noodles and fresh veggies. For drinks we had carrot-orange juice and mango tango, both were fresh, moderately sweet and tasty. We splurged on dessert, ordering the Thai Banana Rolls with ice cream, and the Chocolate Cheesecake. Both were rich and absolutely scrumptious, and attractively presented. Altogether a very satisfying meal - we'll be return customers for sure :) A most pleasant way to celebrate the personal and global benefits of a vegan diet.

Pros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, friendly staff

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Amazing Experience!

5 Posted on 04 / 12 / 2009

I just had my first meal at Green Earth. Wow!

My first impressions were positive. I liked the atmosphere and it looked clean, so did the kitchen! The server was great and my food was there within 10 minutes! The food itself was awesome, it was exactly what I had in my mind when I ordered it, no surprises. (Aubergine Grille)

I will definatly go back and bring people with me. I might even go back again for dinner tonight!

Pros: Easy to know what is vegan, Clean, Many choices

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Slower Food, Slower Diners and Slower Expectations

5 Posted on 03 / 29 / 2009

The food at the Green Earth is infused with Love!! Slower food, slower service and slower expectations are one of the hallmarks of a quality functional vegan or vegetarian restaurant.
If a diner comes in the door in a hyper-McDonald's state of mind then it is their own responsibility to slow it down to the ambiance and the mood of the vegan restaurant.
It is very challenging to run a new excellent vegan restaurant with all the old expectations that fast-moving, wired diners carry in with them. It is URGENT not to sacrifice the quality of the food for the speed of delivery. Please, fast-food folks, go to the fast-food (vegetarian) restaurants. Let the rest of us slowly enjoy the slow food experience............Thanx.
How about a second Green Earth Restaurant out in Bells Corners for we westerners??

Pros: Won Ton Soup, Crispy Chow Mein, Thai Banana Rolls

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Good food but not worth the appalling service.

2 Posted on 03 / 08 / 2009

We went to Green Earth yesterday for (Saturday) lunch. I was excited about a new vegan restaurant in town!

The ambiance is nice, if a little institutional. [edited by wm- see terms].

The menu is mostly vegan and very extensive. Generally, the food was decent but a little bland. The side salad that comes as a side dish is a sad, limp pile of shredded lettuce and carrots with a flavourless dressing.

Dessert was excellent and I would consider returning for the dessert alone. The cheesecake was magnificent.

The biggest problem I had with this restaurant was the service. The service was slow, and the waitstaff did their job in very slow stages. It took a few minutes to be seated, another few minutes to get the menu, another few minutes for water, etc. In between courses, the service was inattentive and painfully slow. Someone on staff would come out to the dining room, bring someone cutlery and go back behind their counter (instead of checking in on the other diners, taking orders, etc). It took dessert a half-hour to get to us and only after we walked up to the counter and asked about it (another table had ordered the same two desserts, they said, and they forgot about us - even though we were seated in the front window in plain view). Water was filled up once in the ninety minutes we were seated. We had to ask for cutlery. We had two people serving us and weren't sure of who our real waiter was.

Overall, the service was appalling. I attribute it to beginner hiccups but, in my opinion, you have to hit the ground running when you open a new restaurant and have the service (at least) fine-tuned from the beginning.

I would only go back for their daytime buffet so I wouldn't have to wait for service. We went to the counter to pay (not wanting to wait another half-hour for someone to return to the table) and the woman behind the counter (one-half of our wait staff) said it was hard to find good waitstaff for a vegan restaurant. At least she acknowledged that it was terrible but she didn't do anything to make up for her fellow staff. No excuses, please.

Honestly, the food is not good enough to warrant the terrible service. We left frustrated and disappointed.

Pros: Dessert, Location, Extensive Menu
Cons: Service, Food Quality

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I love it and will visit regularly

5 Posted on 02 / 22 / 2009

This restaurant was just open on February 14, the Valentine's Day. I have been there twice, and my wife has been there three times already since then.

The restaurant can sit at least thirty people and the atmosphere was quite cosy. It was newly decorated and everything seems to be brand new, including the counter, floor, desks and chairs. The walls are filled with delightful paintings. You can watch Supreme Master Television (a positive TV channel that is also online through www.SupremeMasterTV.com) while waiting for your favourite dishes. I can feel the positive energy there, and the environment is quite uplifting.

Here is some of the information that I collected from their recipes and flyers.
- 15 Appetizers, price from $3.75 - $4.5
- 6 Soups; Small - $4.95, Large - 6.95
- 9 Salads, price from $6.95 - 10.5
- 10 Rice & Noodles, etc., price from 7.5 - 10.5
- 4 Noodle Soups, $7.95 each
- 6 Veggie Burgers, $6.75 each
- 4 Sandwiches etc., $6.5 each
- 7 Desserts, price from $3.95 to $4.5
- 5 Smoothies, $3.95 each
- Various Fresh Juices and Beverages, $1.25 - $4.25

Lunch Buffet is $8.95/person, and offered from 11am to 2pm weekdays.
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat: 11am-9pm
Sun: 12pm-8pm

Cooking style: Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, Italian
All food has no meat, no eggs, no MSG.
Menu items are all vegan except four as indicated by a red bullet on the menu.

They also offer free drinks and appetizers until March 31.

They have both dishes that have the natural taste of fresh vegetables and plants, as well as dishes that look and taste like meat. There is so much choice that I think it is suitable to Vegans, spiritual practitioners, monks and nuns that observe a strict vegetarian diet, as well as people who want to try a more sustainable life style but still love the taste of meat.

Here are a few dishes that I liked:
Hummus with pita bread and Spring rolls appetizers
Chow mein and Crispy Chow mein
Earth warming soup
Cheesecake

I would highly recommend this restaurant.
I will post more later on when I have a chance to try more.

Pros: Delicious food, Friends stuff, Cozy atmosphere

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delicious

4 Posted on 02 / 18 / 2009

If you can look past (or appreciate) supreme master tv playing quietly in the background then this restaurant is great.

The decor is nice, the place is clean, and the staff are very friendly. The food istelf was amazing. Don't leave without some dessert or you'll be missing out. Lunch for two (including dessert) came to just under $30.

Definitely worth checking out.

Pros: cheap, clean
Cons: supreme master tv

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Great Taste, Nice Welcome

5 Posted on 02 / 18 / 2009

I went to Green Earth Vegetarian Restaurant with my family and everybody left happy and fulfilled. My kids were asking to go back the next day!
I took some crunchy chow mein noodles with veggies and soy protein on top. We had the chance to taste crunchy won ton as a welcome appetizer offered by the restaurant on grand opening week. My daughter and mother-in-law enjoyed their won ton soup, while my husband took a garden burger with greens. My younger daughter had crispy golden rolls that filled her up so I was lucky to have the fettuccini Alfredo she had order for my lunch the following day. They were green and tasty, accompanied by a vegan cream sauce and some mushrooms and red peppers. We also shared a platter of spring rolls made with rice paper. They tasted very fresh with the mint leaves and noodles that were inside.
Then the house offered us dessert to thank us for visiting them: banana rolls with vegan whipped cream.
Everything was delicious. The restaurant is very clean, the decor beautiful with inspiring paintings and decorated fans. And the owners were so welcoming and friendly that it almost felt like visiting relatives.
This restaurant is a fine addition to Ottawa's dining out experience. Since it is very close to my home, I will go there often.
Prices are very reasonable: $62 for 5 people and an extra doggy bag lunch with the 17% tip included. I also noted that the box containing the leftovers was made of cardboard.
Congratulations and good luck to this restaurant.