This is the second trip I've made to Portland, and it's the second time the first stop is this restaurant. The $8.00 all you can eat lunch (M-F) is AWESOME!!! It's magical food because you stay full for a really long time. Great, friendly wait staff; excellent food; great location, and TEMPURA!!! We ate lunch there three times during our five day stay.
Pros: Good, Vegan, Excellent priceI had read about this place on happycow, and here's my Vegetarian House review.
From the street, the restaurant seemed very low key and small. But it's actually quite spacious inside, though the decor is Asian, minimalist, and old fashioned. Could use some updating, in my opinion. Seems as if this is the same decor (time stood still) since the 1980s.
The menu is extensive, with lots of faux meats in the dishes. I was surprised to see that the prices were on slightly expensive for many of the main entrees (ranging from $11-15). There is a cheap lunch special all you can eat buffet, but I didn't get to see that. We only had time for a wonton soup, and it was all right.
While on a 3 week driving trip, we came across the Vegetarian House. The buffet was excellent - soup, 2 appetizers, 5 dishes, and green tee all for $8.00. Each dish was tasty and distinct. A vegan delight!
Pros: tasty, healthy, good valueI have been wanting to go here for a long time because its all veg restaurant. The first time my family went there, the look of the place drove us sway! But we wanted to give this a try. Hot n Sour soup was very good. Veggie curry chicken and Chicken in Pineapple sauce tasted good. But both were way too greasy for me. I would love to try some dish which is not greasy :) And their specials menu was very very dirty!
Pros: All veg & faux meatI just became a vegetarian about a week ago and am exploring different food choices. I tried their Vege Chicken Chow Mein and had them add brocolli. I enjoyed it a lot actually. I will definitely go back to try something else!
I have eaten at Vegetarian House a couple of times now and while I enjoyed doing so, I am also in no rush to return.
The service has always been friendly and prompt. The space is right downtown by the "China-town" main gate and is well-lit with almost always available. The food is good though pretty much of exactly the same greasy and heavily sauced variety that you are likely to find at the majority of vegan chinese places. I find the prices to be on the high side for the quantity and quality of the food.
Overall: good, just nothing to write home about. I'd say to check Vegetarian House out if you are fond of this style of place or if you are already going to be in the area.
Otherwise, skip it! This is Portland and there are so many better vegan/vegan-friendly options nearby plus so many better vegan/vegan-friendly Chinese and Asian places around town that you don't need to settle for this place.
Ps. In a standard "China-town" type fact-of-life you have to walk right past charred animal carcasses hanging in the window of the non-veg place next door to get to Vegetarian House so be prepared for that. :(
Pros: Friendly service, Central downtown location, All VeganFriendly, I have never had a problem with the service and the food has been served hot and I have never had to wait very long for anything other then the bill.
When my boyfriend and I walked into this place, we were the only patrons. We were a little freaked out at first but all of that melted away at first when we tried the food. I did not want to leave. I had the faux beef and broccoli and was very pleased! I live in Savannah, Ga and dream if this place all of the time!!
Pros: yummyI love the weekday lunch buffet. It's only $7.00 for all you can eat spring rolls, chow mien, tempura, soup, fried rice and other food that changes everyday. It is the best!
They have an extensive menu and they have both cheap options ($6.50) and more expensive options ($15) so you chose how much to spend. Portion sizes are good for all of the main dishes. Our favorites are the chicken fried rice, chow mien, hush puppies, curry chicken, wonton soup, and kung pao tofu.
Pros: Cheap lunch buffett, Lots of options, Tasty foodI went here expecting amazing food but was a bit disappointed. I ordered the lunch buffet, and maybe that was the problem - it had probably been sitting out for a while and had gotten greasy as the afternoon passed. I also found that as a gluten-intolerant diner, I couldn't eat very many dishes that were offered. I lived in fear after every bite that I would be struck by gluten, and the waiter didn't seem very knowledgeable when I asked him about ingredients. I probably will not go back.
Pros: all vegetarian, good pricesI ate here only once and I really hate reviewing places only on one try, but since my experience was very similar to others reviews, I thought my opinions worth sharing. The food we had was pretty good, the atmosphere was a little weird and hard to explain, you'll have to go to really understand. They have many different faux meats to try, though they did tend to be more expensive then I thought they should have been. My sister had the "fish" and it was unique and tasty and very filling, I had the General's Chicken (not spicy at all, I might add) not too many veggies, just rice, faux meats and lots of sauces, a lot like most simple Chinese restaurants but this one happens to be vegetarian. We had a decent meal and nothing too bad to say about it, except that it was a little pricey, but I can't really recommend it too strongly either, when I'm back in Portland I will be trying another Chinese restaurant.
Pros: Great veg*n sellection, Veggie BuffetI was excited to eat at Vegetarian house because I'd seen it many times before going there. It was disappointing. The religious/cult on the big screen was creepy. The food was barely tolerable. All the sauces tasted like they had ketchup in them. We ordered 4 dishes and split them up,so it was a varied assortment. We had to doctor the food up with pepper,soy sauce and Sriracha. Plus,our table was a little sticky.
We recently tried The Green Wok and I'd highly recommend it rather then wasting your money at vegetarian house!
I went to Vegetarian House last night. It's a decent sized space, nothing fancy though. The service was quite friendly. The waitress was very attentive and accommodating to our special requests. My wife and I shared the steamed vegetable potstickers which were pretty typical. I got the Sweet and Sour Chicken which was awesome. My wife got tofu and veggies which I thought looked a bit boring, but it was exactly what she wanted. The place is moderately priced, maybe a tad on the high end depending on what you order. It's just a few blocks from where we were staying Downtown which was cool because many of the other veg place seem to be in southeast Portland.
Pros: Good food, Friendly serviceAnother restaurant that I was able to taste samples of at Vegfest last weekend. St. Louis has nothing of the like, so a place like Portland, with all its vegan option, is heavenly. They had a faux-beef that was very good. The flavor/seasoning was perfecto! It's on my list of must-dos when I travel back to PDX.
Pros: Great vegan food, Cheap cheap buffet price, Friendly staffI went to partake in the lunch buffet prior to going to the airport. I didn't expect that the food would be even half as good as it was! I ended up eating seconds and waddling my way to my flight home. This establishment accepts AMEX and the price is right! If you happen to be in the area, this is the place to eat.
Pros: really good food, great prices, friendly staffI enjoyed the food while dinning at "Vegetarian House" although the service was not all that great and the servings were very small giving the prices(too much), the food was great.
Pros: quiet, foods decent, non-smokingWow I cannot say enough good stuff about the Vegetarian House! 10 year old LOVED it and thats saying a lot. The salt and pepper "calamari" is some of the best ever!! Not much charm to the place itself...BUT it soooo makes up for it in the super good food.
Pros: amazing foodthis was the fist place we ate and loved it.
at first, it might come off as expensive, but you get HUGE portions (I rarely do not finish my plates, I didn't here). It was well worth it. The menu is huge, and intimidating. You can even get vegetarian squid. But I can't wait till next time. This place is very good, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Pros: Huge portions, Location, Way of the master TV..hahaMoved from Portland a year ago and share happy memories of Vegetarian House with my friend. First, the buffet rocks. No one can match the quality for the price. I'm happy to say the V-House buffet never made money from us. Totally unpretentious atmosphere. No religious anything. No weird vibes for us. Fun campy ads for Ageless Xtra at the tables. Ordering from the menu cost more. It should. The portions were huge "American" portions. This is a great restaurant for those who tire of pretentious Portland veg/vegan restaurants and want to slum it with the downtown workers. If you need veg food that looks like meat you can find works of art in their freezer to take home or enjoy there. For those who don't need meat "substitutes" you can enjoy the view of chickens in the windows next door as you exit. If you're from the east coast you might not understand. Sorry. Go Old Town!
Pros: Great fare, Near strip club, Pricesome of the worst food ever served. first we ordered steamed dumplings but were informed that it'd take 30 minutes, but fried would take 5. apparently water takes longer to boil in Chinatown. everything we ate was gross. what made it worse was the religious blasting away at us on the flat screen. if you could muscle through the food, the portions were big, or did it seem that way since there was so much of it left?
Pros: no dead animals in the window
kindlizard
a bit more info... they have a huge flat screen tv in there blasting master of the way tv trying to convert you and get your money. A woman was prepping food at a table, not the kitchen, and dropped something on the floor (carpet) and put it in her food pile. it was gross. I cannot tell anyone enough to dissuade them from hurting themselves here. W a name like veg house, it draws attn from a lot of folks, but please, there are plenty of places in Ptd, just look at the page or send me a pm.
I was totally unimpressed by this place. Maybe because I am from the East coast where there are lots of vegetarian chinese places all 100% better than this one. We got there during the lunch buffet but it looked so unimpressive we decided to order from the menu. It was a bit expensive to me for what you got and not worth the price. I can't even remeber what I had to eat but it was a about a year ago that I ate there and I have no desire to ever go back. The service was also almost nonexistent. We had to keep getting his attention from where he was sitting talking to some friends. I can't think if anything good to say about Vegetarian House so I won't say anything else. If you are craving mock meat go to the vegetarian Vietnamese place in SE Division: Van Hanh Restaurant
Pros: vegetarian foodThe food here is not bad at all, but as with most other religion-oriented joints, the vibe is downright weird. If you can get to Bay Leaf, go there first, but if you're stuck downtown, just sit with your back to "Supreme Master Television" and enjoy the authentic-ish eats.
Pros: Decent foodFood: 5 Happy Cows. Atmosphere: 2 Happy Cows. I understand why this restaurant gets mixed reviews. The menu here is based on authentic Chinese recipes, so if you are expecting American fast food-style "Chinese," look elsewhere. If you are more familiar with traditional Chinese cooking, then you will probably enjoy. All of this said, the food is good! Unfortunately, the restaurant looks like it hasn't been updated in about 10-20 years, and the owners are a bit nosy. If you're downtown and craving for Chinese, check it out--otherwise there are better options. My husband had the Orange Chicken and it was delicious.
Pros: Good food
kindlizard
I've never had Panda Exp, and still think this was likely the worst meal ever. Hard to say.
I have been there on MANY occasions and I always love it. I always order Sesame Chicken and Orange chicken for entrees and Pot Stickers for appetizers. I took my brother there who is a meat eater and he loved it- he said it was much better than 'real' chinese! They never fail to satisfy.
Pros: Good food, healthy, friendly staffI like Vegetarian House. The caveat is that the food is greasy, but personally, I like some vegan junk food every once in a while. The buffet is good but fried, it tastes like good old Chinese food. The service is always attentive and friendly, and you can watch Supreme Master Ching Hai TV while you eat.
Pros: Attentive server, Vegan junk food, Buffet is cheap
I got the Tofu Hushpuppies and they were really good. It was a nice place to eat dinner, quiet and clean. It was kind of expensive but the server did tell me that it was a huge platter. I shouldn't have ate the whole thing really, it was truly enough for two people. It was good food. The broccoli was nothing to brag about (when is broccoli ever anything to brag about anyway) but the centerpiece was the platter of six hushpuppies. Best tofu I've ever had and I am not a huge fan of tofu. That says a lot right there.
Pros: Food for your $, Good service, Open until 9pmI have been here several times, I love it. I always get the spring rolls and vegetable noodles, my mom and best friend, husband, and even my three year old loved it. We also got three kinds of imitation chicken and they were all good. Later we brought the left-over home for my best friends mom and she liked it, she didn't know it was vegetarian untill after she ate it, we gave her the chicken and the shrimp dish. I go here every time I'm in Portland.
Pros: excellent food, good valueI've been vegan 3 years now and this place hardly passes. I went for the buffet which is probably unfair to write a review on since they need to control costs because its all you can eat. It was on the bad side of average. Lots of fried stuff and veggies were overcooked. They aren't pushing any boundries in health or taste. Just very plain chinese you should expect from any take-out place. I moved here from Atlanta and our Chiense vegan there was above and beyond.
Pros: Lunch buffet, Location
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no religious anything??? who was that on the huge flat screen tv in the main dining area? the tv blares loud and clear, the supreme master bs. dude, c'mon. what would an east coaster not know about your Chinatown? if anything, east coasters would think that area of town was anything BUT a slum as you put it. Take a long walk away from Chinatown in Philly, you wouldn't understand. The food is just bad, why would steamed dumplings take 30 minutes and fried 5? Does water take a really long time to boil in Old Town?