• 3
• Mostly organic, but overpriced & undertrained

The best thing about The Plant is that they use mostly organic ingredients sourced from around the Bay Area. This is no small thing, and we truly appreciate it. The food is fresh and reasonably tasty, though a bit on the simple side (we would've preferred more flavor). The two areas where The Plant scores lower than average are value and service. We're happy to pay a small premium for organic ingredients, but at The Plant the premium is large and the portions are small-to-medium. The higher prices might be justifiable if great table service were provided, but it's a counter-service café where, at least during our visit, the best server was warm if brisk while the worst were barely paying any attention (not replying when greeted, forgetting part of our order, taking away our utensils before we had finished). One dreadlocked gentleman was very sweet and helpful, but the others seemed as though they had better things to think about than their customers. I'm sure everyone meant well, but they could use some training from someone who understands and cares about great customer service. In short, The Plant is a very casual café that unfortunately prices itself like an upscale, full-service restaurant. They do serve organic produce, which is worth something, but other places in California offer equal or better organic food with far better service for around the same prices, making The Plant substandard value even considering the organic ingredients. That said, it does offer a few good vegan items (mostly salads sandwiches, and a pretty good veggie burger, as well as a few appetizers and and entree or two) so it's an option if you're in the area when better veg*n options are closed or if you're dining with carnivores.