Great night out
Posted on 04 / 26 / 2013Went last night and had awesome service and awesome food. Love this place. Can't wait to take my mom when she visits next month.
Vegan-friendly, Ovo, Lacto, American. Beer/Wine
Reviews
First Review by Boomer
Absolutely Fantastic!
Posted on 01 / 27 / 2013I have been here twice now and both times were very excellent. The first time I had the vegan French Toast and the second time I had the BBQ Jackfruit sandwich and a Mango Cheesecake. Both times the food was very delicious. The cheesecake was the best one I have ever had.
Pros: excellent food, great value, very friendly staffCons: None
Charming Veg Restaurant and Tasty Food
Posted on 08 / 15 / 2012My husband and I visited the Green Owl twice while visiting Madison, and I was very pleased both times. I had the vegan schnitzel with porcini mushroom gravy, and then the crabby cake po boy (both super tasty, especially the po boy). What really stood out however, was the Italian beef sandwich that my husband ordered both time, that was made with seitan and giardiniera and really good. If I am ever in the area again, I would probably order that.
We also split a choc. mint vegan cheesecake that was delicious (all of their desserts were vegan), and I tried their house cocktail of locally made kombucha and vodka. They seem to have several kombucha flavors each day; I tried the ginger and the blackberry. Both were very good.
I highly recommend this restaurant if you are a vegetarian and in Madison.
Best veg food in all of Wisconsin!
Posted on 07 / 19 / 2012I visited the Green Owl twice while in Madison, once by myself I sat at the counter sipping their delicious home made lemonade and eating a fabulous macro bowl and then again when I brought back my entire family after a wedding. There is indoor and outdoor seating and they staff is so accommodating (I couldn't believe how well they handled my nonveg family!) The macro bowl is exactly what I needed and they did it w/o oil specially for me! The decor is modern and spiffy and there are plenty of ceramic owls to go around! Don't pass this up, they serve breakfast, too!!!
Pros: healthy food, lemonade, kind staffAwesome!
Posted on 07 / 07 / 2012I saw this place on Happycow and stopped here on our way back from the Dells to Michigan. How awesome. Madison is lucky. My girlfriend and I split an Italian "beef" sandwich and it was awesome. Spicy. Delicious. Fun place. The wait staff was super nice and we even got to chat with the owner for a few minutes. Very down to earth people. That was my first time in Madison and already want to go back just for another sandwich.
Pros: wonderful food, wonderful staffGreat Place to Eat in Madison
Posted on 05 / 30 / 2012The food at the Green Owl is always great, and most of it is, or can be made, vegan. If you eat there, try one of their desserts, they are absolutely heavenly, and they are almost always all vegan. I have been there with omnivores who loved the food as well, especially the Schnitzel. The Green Owl is always worth a visit!
Pros: Excellent Food, Atmosphere, Friendly StaffAwesome Find
Posted on 05 / 06 / 2012As vegetarians who can't eat gluten or dairy, finding restaurants with tasty options is always a challenge. Green Owl has been a god-send in that way. While the options that meet our needs are a bit limited, what they do have isn't an anemic compromise of an item already on their menu. For example, the gluten free sandwiches are not just the fillings served on lettuce instead of bread! (Sleezey trick used by many restaurants to claim gluten-free options). Green Owl has become a regular for us.
Pros: Excellent Food, Friendly Staff, Great portion sizesCons: Need more menu options for gluten free
Great food, great atmosphere
Posted on 03 / 07 / 2012I'm in town for business and drove across town to try this place which came recommended by a few locals. I was not disappointed! I had the vegan schnitzel with mushroom gravy, broccoli and roasted potatoes, with an appetizer of kale chips, and creamy broccoli soup. The chocolate lava cake was fantastic. My colleague had never eaten vegan food and agreed to come as an adventures. She had the "chicken" parmesan, and loved it-- we may have a convert on our hands! The service was great, the place had a nice, quiet, casual but classy ambience. I would recommend reservations though, it was pretty full when we arrived at 6:30pm. Kudos to The Green Owl Cafe!
Worth Supporting!
Posted on 11 / 28 / 2011We recently ate at Green Owl for the first time and really enjoyed it. I had a Crabby Cake Po'Boy which was quite tasty. My two fellow diners both had a grilled cheese with apple (sandwich of the day), which they both gave rave reviews on for flavor. Kale crisps on the side were light and tasty, not over-seasoned, and a bottle of local beer hit the spot as well. The soy cheesecake for dessert was amazing - good fruit flavor complementing the soy cheese and cream layers (I've sometimes had soy cheesecake that has a strong chalky taste, but this did not - very good end to a fine meal. I'm generally put off when the menu features what appears to be meat substitutes, but Green Owl makes their selections stand on their own, and we all agreed we really enjoyed our meal.
Pros: Tasty food across the board, Friendly waitstaff, Dynamite dessert
The Green Owl Cafe
Posted on 10 / 04 / 2011Green Owl Café appeared to be THE place to go to in Madison, and that it is. The space is cozy and adorable; the staff was very pleasant too. Our waitress recommended both the vegan wiener schnitzel and the crab cake po' boy sandwich, so that's what we went with. The food was presented nicely and looked tasty. The schnitzel came with vegan broccoli cheddar soup that I didn't care for, as it had a strange taste; it also came with roasted potatoes and broccoli, both items were really good. The schnitzel was made of the same soy product used in most fake chicken dishes - had I known this I would not have ordered this dish, as I don't care for the stringy fake chicken, but many people like it. Overall I'd give the schnitzel and average rating, as the sauce atop of it was uninspiring as well. The sandwich was great and warrants 4 cows alone - I only had a few bites of it so I can't comment on it fully. I'd definitely try Green Owl again.
AMA-ZING!!!
Posted on 09 / 22 / 2011I drive across the country several times a year for work and found this place on happycow...it was AMAZING! For a vegan gal like me they had anything you could ever dream of and more! I shared a crab-cake, friend had the non-chicken Parmesan and I had enpanadas, they were both the stuff dreams are made of...not to mention the coconut cream pie! ALL Vegan! The ambiance was great and so were the people...really can't say enough good things!
Pros: Tasty food, versitile, desserts
Absolutely Wonderful!
Posted on 09 / 02 / 2011This is a GREAT restaurant! We ordered the Crabby Cake Po'Boy with the Roasted Baby Red Potatoes, the Vegetarian Jambalaya, and the Lemon Poppy Seed Cheesecake. Everything was absolutely wonderful and full of flavor. The Po'Boy was excellent and the chipotle remoulade added the perfect touch of spiciness. The marinated baked tempeh in the Jambalaya was the best tempeh we have ever eaten. The dinner was topped off with the best vegan cheesecake we have ever eaten. This restaurant is definitely worth a visit!
Pros: Absolutely excellent food, Service was great, Clean, asthetically pleasing decorCons: Not located in Minneapolis!
Totally Veggie/Vegan Awesome!
Posted on 07 / 03 / 2011Very helpful staff for new Veggies. Excellent food! We'll be back again & again.
Pros: excellent food, good value, friendly staffCons: parking
Fabulous Find!
Posted on 06 / 05 / 2011Things that I didn't expect to be great like the kale crisps, the green beans and the cabbage coleslaw were OUTSTANDING. At the same time, things I thought would be great like my fish sandwich, we're just so-so. Nothing wrong with the fish fillet itself, it needed a good tartar sauce and better bun.
The vegan schnitzel lived up the the hype. Yumilicious!
Drink selection is oustanding. Try the kombucha. Homemade flavors. When I was there they had lavender-dandelion-red clover kombucha and it was fabulous.
One waitress working hard and three others hardly working. Not sure if we came in during a shift change, but it seemed odd. All staff was delightful to us. I wished I lived in Madison so I could go here all the time.
Pros: free Street parking right in front, great owl decorationsCons: none!
jackfruit sammie was awesome!
Posted on 04 / 10 / 2011The jackfruit sandwich was truly amazing. This sandwich blew my mind. Part of why I eat veggie/vegan so often is how tasty the food is. Prices are reasonable also and it seems to be in a hip 'hood!
Pros: inviting space, good menu selections, reasonably pricedCons: close early on sundays
Green Owl has our hoots!
Posted on 03 / 06 / 2011We ate at Green Owl yesterday, 3/5/2011 for the first time and were pleased with the food, menu, ambiance, and price. The Jackfruit BBQ was real hit but the chili, corn bread, no-meatball sandwich and kale crisps were good as well. Nice to find a pure vegetarian "island" in the island of Madison. Not fans of booze being available, regardless of it being WI or not.
Pros: healthy food, good value, tasty and interesting foodCons: booze sold
Great food.
Posted on 10 / 22 / 2010I enjoyed the selection and the daily specials. It was great to be able to choose among vegan desserts as well. Pretty easy to find on our way back to Milw. from the Capitol, being off of Hwy 151. We were even able to sit outside.
Pros: good choices, friendly service, great foodGreen Owl
Posted on 07 / 11 / 2010The Green Owl is doing vegetarian food that has never been done before. The food is awsome, prices are reasonable, the service? Some times they don't see me sitting at the bar. But they do and it is a nice bar. I highly reccomend the Green Owl. Some of these negetive comments are from people who don't want a vegetarian restaraunt to succeed!
Disappointing food, bad service
Posted on 07 / 04 / 2010The food we tried at the Green Owl was ok and the service we received was bad. My dinnermate and I split two items and also shared a soup The best part of the meal was the Cauliflower Curry soup. We also got the epanadas and the meatball sub. The sub was decent, spicy and saucy, but nothing special for $9. The empanadas are overpriced ($13)for the small portion of food you receive. They tasted like nothing as did the beans and rice that came with it. The sauce on the rice was the only part that had flavor. Also was not served the side of sour cream and never had a chance to ask for it because of the bad service. We waiting a long time to be greeted and to order. After our waitress brought out our meal and did not come back again until we were completely finished eating. She did check on a table near our several times, and each time she had to pass our table but did not say anything. After she brought our check it also took a long time for her to come back and get it so we could get our change. I would not return the Green Owl. It was a waste of money to leave unsatisfied. I would much rather go to Monty's for better food and service.
Cons: Service, Portions/value
good, but I hope it gets better
Posted on 05 / 19 / 2010I read two complaints in the local media about the Green Owl.
One was that they used weird, processed foods (I don't remember the exact wording), referring to the wheat gluten "meat" that comes in many dishes. This is just an uninformed person making an uninformed comment. There's nothing wrong with seitan (or meat analogues made from gluten) and it has been delicious in all the dishes that I've had at the Owl.
The second gripe was the surprising dearth of fresh vegetables. I think this critique actually holds some weight. It's not like there are NO vegetables served here. There are. Just not as many as I had hoped, and many of them are not "fresh" i.e. raw or recently cut and cooked. I haven't been there this spring/summer yet, so maybe they're doing more of a local thing and they've been waiting for local produce. I certainly hope so, because that would be a touch that would make this good restaurant great.
My personal gripe is that a lot of the dishes are fairly expensive. I realize that vegetarianism and veganism are largely thought of as being a middle to upper middle class phenomenon (and there is some truth to it), but when you look at what is in some of these entrees, it's hard to understand why they need to cost $13. They're the ones figuring out the right price points, so I don't really like to second-guess them on that, but all I'm saying is that they would get easily twice as much business from this vegan if their prices were even 20% lower. It shouldn't have to cost $40-$45 for two people to each get an entrée and split an appetizer and a dessert between them.
I did really appreciate that they have a lot of vegan options and that they're clearly marked as vegan. That scores them big points from me. The vegans win and the waitstaff wins.
Overall, a great place to eat. Serve more vegetables and knock a bit off the price and I'll definitely come back much more often.
Oh, and lot of the waitresses are pretty cute. That never hurts.
Pros: clearly-labeled vegan options, good waitstaffCons: too expensive, not enough vegetables
Yummy!
Posted on 05 / 13 / 2010I went to The Green Owl on Friday night. I was not the least bit hungry, but since I was in a town that had a veggie restaurant I *had* to try it. It was a little awkward to eat alone there because the tables are so close to each other that you can't help feel like you are invading on somebody else's space...and when you dine alone it's hard not to eavesdrop when the other patrons are so close. However, that it quite mild and not really an irritation at all. Don't let that comment stop you from going to this amazing establishment!
I could not decide what to order. I had my choices narrowed down to the vegan schnitzel ($13) and the vegan Jackfruit BBQ sandwich ($8). I asked the server what she thought. She told me that if I felt adventurous I should try the sandwich & so I did. It was amazing!!! I ordered it with the red potatoes (you get your choice of side) which were also tasty. This food was delicious. And even though I wasn't the least bit hungry (I felt full when I arrived, actually), I scarfed down my entire meal. YUMMY!!
The staff was very polite. The restaurant was very clean and fresh looking. I can't wait for my next stop in Madison!!
Pros: Delicious, Good portions, Inexpensive
Great Find in Madison
Posted on 01 / 26 / 2010I regularly travel for business to Madison from the Seattle Area. I was lucky enough to try this place on my last trip. I had the Vegan Schnitzel, Pate and Vegan Hot Lava Cake. YUMMY! I will be back there this week to dine again. Great Atmosphere and busy environment. Compares to the best vegeterian resturaunts in the big cities.
Pros: Excellent, Vegan Hot Lava Cake
Great Addition to Madison
Posted on 01 / 06 / 2010Madison is a great town (I was born here but live in upstate NY now), but has had trouble supporting vegetarian restaurants. This one seems like it has a real chance to survive. The food is very, very good ... the atmosphere is pleasant and they even have our favorite waitress from Monty's. Like our other favorite veggie places, the people here have a real passion for vegetarian, especially vegan food. I hope they are here for a long time.
Pros: Many good vegan options, Alcohol, Nice peopleCons: Confusing address
Down to the very last morsel
Posted on 12 / 31 / 2009What a delectable atmosphere to be in. The background music was at a delightful level, the overall aesthetics were hip and pristine, the service was wonderful and the food was out of this world!
This is a splendid place to bring family ands friends from out of town who have dietary needs and gives virtually dreamland to choose from, but still very enjoyable to those who want a spectacular place to dine. They even a a small kids menu and offer for those able a beer, wine and cocktail menu.
It is a bit pricey, but totally worth every penny down to the very last morsel.
Pros: delectable cuisine, enjoyable service, splendid atmosphere- Link to this page from your site.
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