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Not worth your time or money

2 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2012

20,000 Cows may be an institution, but it's time is well past.

Having been to 20,000 Cows more than a decade earlier and having enjoyed that experience, we were looking forward to the new owner reopening the place. Our anticipation did not match the reality.

If you feel like dining in someone's crumbling loungeroom, then this is the place for you. The lack of care of the premises is just the start. We were so shocked by the prices (which didn't have a hint of being "suggestions" in any way) that we decided to try some of the cheaper options; a curry for $25 in Australia in 2012 is found in places with gold cutlery, not with a bunch of cobwebs!

Our entree of spinach and nut cheese rolls consisted of two pencil-thin tubes of pastry containing a leaf of spinach and something white. Whether this white stuff was made out of nuts was impossible to say. This was truly a minimalist item both on size and on taste.

Our main was a pasta with a coconut milk and mushroom sauce. This was a bland and hastily prepared meal, with a strange mix of cooked and uncooked vegetables. It was at least 1/3 too expensive.

Thankfully there was a nice paratha to finish off our meal, but it too was small for the price.

We decided to cut our losses and did not order any of the overpriced desserts.

There is very little going for this place. The waitresses seemed unsure of what they were doing, we never got the water we were offered, and even the bill was mucked up.

The new owner took over only in early 2012, but really, 20,000 Cows should have retired a long time ago. It needs a lot of work to get up to scratch.

Pros: none
Cons: ancient premises, ridiculous prices, badly trained staff

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Absolutely delicious

5 Posted on 01 / 08 / 2011

We've been to 20 000 Cows about 6 times. The food here is consistently really high quality, and wonderfully presented. And Diverse!

But that's only half the experience. The furniture is all mismatched, and old, there are cobwebs, the tablecloth may have dried candle wax on it - but hey, when the food is that good, who cares.

The vegan cheese on the Pizza is amazing, and the chilli sauce which comes with the Amazon Croquettes is worth bottling!!

The menu is international, so you'll find all sorts of dishes from many areas of the world. Everything we've tried has been fantastic, with one exception - a cauliflower entree dish with vegan white sauce, very sad.

Not sure about the "pay-as-you-feel" concept though, as all items on the menu are priced, and they add it up at the end and expect you to pay the menu quoted amount.

Still, a real highlight of Vegetarian dining. 5 Cows! (Sorry, can't give 20 000)

Pros: Extremely delicious, International, Vegan
Cons: Not low-fat, Pricing structure dubious, Not open 7 days

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Yummy!

5 Posted on 05 / 05 / 2010

I went to Lismore specifically to eat all the yummy vegan options available. I had heard all about 20000 Cows and was not disappointed! I love the way it is decorated with recycled furniture, the staff were warm and the food was amazing. We went there two nights in a row and every dish we had was great. The lemon rose water drink was also beautiful.

Pros: excellent food, friendly staff, great value

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Vegan Food

4 Posted on 09 / 03 / 2009

I recomend the Falafel Roll as the best deal.
Fezz

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Yum

5 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2008

Great food, quaint atmosphere, modest prices. All vegetarian (vegan i think) dishes, Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean options.

Highly recommended!

Can also buy the Wolf and Lamb cookbook by the chef / manager - al dishes are in the book.

Pros: all vego, laid back, hippy philosophy
Cons: must book

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Quirky and tasty institution

5 Posted on 12 / 02 / 2007

20000 Cows is an institution...the food is good and very spicey (perhaps a little much at times??). Menu doesn't change much, but is varied.

Atmosphere is unreconstructed '70s hippie and the place is in a little weatherboard in a pretty grotty part of Lismore. Also, it is a bit 'one in, all in' for seating, so not much chance of a secluded, intimate candle lit dinner. But all this is part of the charm.

There is a strong philosophical bent to this place(think about the name...). So it is a vegan's vegan restaurant.

It suffers from not being on the coast (Byron Bay) in terms of recognition, but more than worth a go.

PS Also makes tempeh for sale.

Pros: food, philosophy
Cons: not for a intimate dinner