• 4
• Still Great

Eden Alley has been going through a lot of changes in the last few years - due primarily, as far as I can tell, to a lot more vegan and vegetarian competition in KC. While that's great for diners, it's been tricky for this old standby who have been tweaking their menu, and offering discount gimmicks, to mixed results. They are still very much an old-school vegetarian/vegan restaurant - in the crunchy '70s vibe - in an era of much more ambitious fare. That said, it's still a favorite that I visit frequently. We usually start with the vegan curried spinach dip, which is warm and spicy in your mouth and in your belly. For entrees, I tend to look to their daily specials and am rarely disappointed. The portions are hearty and not outrageously priced, and I wish I remembered to go to their Saturday brunch more often. The restaurant is best in the warmer months, when you can enjoy their lovely patio and the Plaza people-watching it enables; the big indoor dining room can seem cozy and warm on one visit, or echo-y and cold on another. My only real complaint about Eden Alley is how present their food - it seems like half the menu comes delivered in a big pile in a bowl. Sometimes that's great; other times it seems like a watery, sloppy mess. The desserts, in particular, suffer from the presentation issue - at a time when folks are doing amazing things in vegan and gluten free baking, Eden Alley's desserts usually look lumpy and dense. To be fair, they do usually taste great, and I guess that's the main thing?