Green is Good, Green is Great
5
Posted on 03 / 03 / 2011
Even if this wasn't the only entirely vegan restaurant in the area, it still would be the best. I honestly can't believe some of the negative reviews on here, but Green really isn't meant to please high-maintenance, food snobs or even just plain snobs. I really appreciate a place where I can see that the employees enjoy their work and are treated well by the employer. The customer is definitely not always right. If you are entitled and enjoy being waited on hand and foot, this is not the place for you. There are enough places on this earth that serve the meat-eating, consumer-driven society, so let Green be!
That said, the staff at Green actually treats their customers very nicely and will help you with any questions you have about their menu and vegan eats in general. They'll bring your food to you very quickly, even during the lunch rush. I've always found the place to be very clean, bright and open with great, funky decor. There are couches, tons of four-person tables, one mess-hall length table for large groups, and recently installed booths! They also have a small, but GOOD, selection of groceries (soy curls, nacho cheese, mac n cheese makings, vegan jerky, vegan cheese, vegan marshmallows). Also, great selection of indie and organic sodas (Jones, agave cola).
Green features tons of Americanized ethnic cuisine (Indian, Chinese, Italian) and good old diner favorites (Buffalo chicken, BBQ, chili fries). Whether you are looking for junk food like burgers and shakes or healthier meals like salads and fresh fruit, you can find it at Green! Their faux-meats are INCREDIBLE. I even got my meat-loving dad to eat a bbq chicken pizza with jalapenos and soy cheese. I've also seen a lot of families with small children come in and the kids seem to love the chicken. Even saw some little ones eating edamame! If they don't want that, there's no way they'll turn down a tsoynami, the vegan version of a Dairy Queen blizzard. Tons of flavors to choose from! You can even customize your own! Also have iced coffees and almond shakes in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I honestly think there is something wrong with you if you don't like Green. I adore it and it has certainly helped me in my veganism. I think the best part about Green is that it makes veganism accessible and fun even to die-hard meat-eaters. You will NOT regret going! Happy eating, everyone!
Pros: ALL vegan, Gluten-free menu, Frigging delicious
Well said on the appearance, cleaniliness and decor. But it is in a partially vacant strip mall.... I just moved to Phoenix 2 years ago-- and all the vegan or veg places I go to in Arizona seem to be dirty--- so I thought this was the standard for locals. I am glad to read your post and know I am not the only one who feels "WTF are people raving about!!!??" And I can say I still go there for my Vegan junk-food fix---and get it To Go-- and do my best to remain ignorant of staff not wearing gloves behind the scenes. I can say on a brighter note--- I have never gotten sick off the food : )
also not my experience at all. it's always been at least reasonably clean and sanitary, and, true, green is far from high-class dining, but that's not their intention (nor should it be... it doesn't cater to all the scottsdale pretentious eco/health snobs). i don't mind busing my own tables one bit, nor do i mind the decor. green always features local artists, and i've always appreciated their very eclectic, funky ambiance. and besides, what i come for is the food. phoenix is severely lacking in good vegan food, and green has long been my favorite spot in the area. they offer a huge selection, delicious appetizers, reasonable prices, and their tsoynamis CAN NOT be beat. even the most carnivorous among my friends adores the tsoynamis, which happen to be soy- and coconut-milk based, and i'd put them at the very top of my list of vegan desserts.
it appalls me that you have the nerve to write such a terrible review when you couldn't even bring yourself to taste the food. i am one of green's *many* loyal customers, and maybe the customers you had to "wade through" or the 20 minute line should let you realize how much their patrons adore them.
i, for one, will be back again and again for the singapore tofu, thee argentine, the mexicali burger, the artichoke dip, and every tsoynami on that menu.
wow, not my impression at all! The place seemed clean and staff were friendly and I had no wait to order. As for the cooks wearing gloves? I have worked in many food establishments and yes, gloves should be worn while handling the prepared ready to serve meal but I must warn that usually you are not allowed to see the people preparing your food and this is probably in your best interests if you find a phone call disgusting, seriously beyond poor personal hygiene is the best way that I can describe the way every cook I have ever worked with comes to work and when you can't see them they certainly touch unsanitized surfaces on themselves and other objects- just to let you know. I also never perceived Green to be a high class dining establishment and take no issue with busing my own tables and paying for strictly a meal prepared for me not an evening feeling like I top the caste system! If Millennium is more your style more power to you.
Wow, I am so glad to know I am not alone in my assessment of Green. While I did enjoy some of the food I had (but certainly not all), this review is SPOT ON in terms of the poor service, crappy decor and lack of cleanliness. As I have mentioned in my own review of Green from 2007, some of the staff have seriously bad attitudes, and several friends who have tried Green agree with me on this. I will say that in a pinch, it's nice to have a vegan-junk-food option, but the ONLY thing I would recommend this place for is the tsoynamis.
That wasn't my impression of the place either. Gloves, really? Do you think every restaurant you eat at has their employees wear gloves? The place is great. And I've been to vegan places all over the planet. I can only imagine what you'd think of Hashem in Amman, or even Kate's Joint in NYC. And having local art on the walls is bad decor? This place is cool and hipsterish, but it's definitely not for people like you.