Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Take-out
Bakery
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Bakery cafe and sandwich shop. Makes freshly baked assorted breads and pastries using organic flour. Also offers soups and sandwiches. Reported closed January 2023.
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422 W Willis St (at near Wayne St University), Detroit, Michigan, USA, 48201
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Last update on 14 Jan 2023 by fullmoonplantfood
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Added by mdethier on 01 Aug 2007
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13 Reviews
First Review by mdethier
happycowgirl
Points +6091
Love it - Edit
What a find! This place has a great vibe. Outdoor seating and a few small tables inside. It's a true bakery, so it's mostly cookies, muffins, brownies, all sorts of loafs of bread. They offer a few sandwiches and usually have a pizza or flatbread offered. The smoothies are outstanding as are their espresso drinks. Not to be missed are the vegan cookies. They taste better than their non-vegan cookies.
Read moreIt's on a small side street. Limited free parking right in front, but plenty of metered parking on the main street (Cass).
Avalon is less than a mile from the Detroit Institute of Art. So if you're going to DIA or any of the museums, stop at Avalon! Take Woodward or Cass to Willis St.
Guest
StinkyVeganFarts911
Points +62
Vegan Willis Wich 4 ever - Edit
My fiancé and I loved waking up early, going to the midtown dog park and eating some vegan Willis witch’s. Best start to the day.
Read morePros: Fresh food
Cons: Busy/long wait times.
Guest
PurplePassiflora
Points +435
Lots of Great Vegan Options! - Edit
Great place that carries a lot of vegan options. Bakery items are fresh and very good. Multiple lunch options in the cooler. This is a nice area of Detroit near the waterfront. A favorite place to stop in the city.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Good location
Cons: Not always friendly
Guest
hmyrabo
Points +28
Nice cafe - Edit
Has some great vegan desserts and chill vibe
Read moreGuest
aixa_gon
Points +68
Mexican Hot Chocolate - Edit
I only had Mexican Hot chocolate with almond milk but it was very tasty, slightly spicy. Place is pretty and nice to spend some time sitting and people watching. I did see several vegan cookies offered.
Read morePros: Vegan cookies , Milk alternatives for coffee and chocolate
Guest
LindseyDavidson
Points +15
Great Service - Edit
Offered, beer, wine, espresso, premade salads and parfaits as well. They had milk substitutes and vegetarian pastries
Read moreGuest
steisjam
Points +83
Great local business - Edit
I enjoy Avalon a lot. Their bread is healthy and made from few ingredients- they don't sneak preservatives and unnecessary ingredients in. They always have a wide variety of vegan desserts and sometimes vegan foccacia. On top of it, they treat their employees well and pay them a living wage. Last, the atmosphere of the Midtown location is on point. Totally adorable.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Tuesday July 29, 2014
Pros: Friendly staff, Simple ingredients
Cons: Long waits sometime
Guest
warmstorage
Points +242
Fun vegan pastries - Edit
as others have noted, it's mostly a bakery. When I visited this week they had half a dozen or so vegan pastries, all on the sweet side. I had the apple pie pastry, the granola bar (which was so sweet it was mostly like dessert), a chocolate chip cookie, and a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.
Read moreUnfortunately it was breakfast, and I would have liked to see more savory vegan options. (In fairness, I don't like sweets much.) So I got the stuff to go, and ate it on the train later on. The one vegan
What I had was delicious, but both the apple pie and the granola were a huge mess, and totally fell apart. Not easy to eat with your hands (at least without making a big mess of it.) The one vegan foccacia available was, in a word, boring: just a vegetable foccacia without cheese. So I passed.
Several of the things I got were 16% off to celebrate their 16th anniversary, so the total price for four pastries was very reasonable: just under $6.
I'd definitely go back, just with a clearer sense of what might be available for non-sweet breakfast food.
Pros: friendly, tasty, numerous vegan options
Cons: too many sweets, not enough savories
Guest
vegette
Points +386
Must visit this coffee shop/bakery! - Edit
Avalon is a Detroit institution and a great place for a quick breakfast or lunch or snack. Most ingredients are organic. There are many many vegan cakes, cookies, muffins, soup and foccacia. Everything else is pretty much vegetarian. Most of the bread is vegan - only the brioche and challah is made with eggs. Excellent baguettes. Full coffee bar. There are often lines and a wait, especially on Saturday, Sunday and lunches. Pricier than a standard bakery, but you are paying for quality ingredients.
Read morePros: Huge selection, Friendly service, Delicious
Cons: Long lines
Guest
kwanza
Points +309
worth a visit - Edit
This is a bakery/cafe which service a wide range of pre-made sandwiches, cookies, brownies and muffins - some of which are vegan. Everything is clearly labelled. All drinks can be made with soya milk in place of dairy milk.
Read moreEverything I tried was good (but not spectacular). I paid $3.50 for a sandwich, which I thought was reasonable value for money. It can get very busy at weekends.
Pros: wide range of products, vegan options, central location
Cons: very busy
Guest
batsnbikes
Points +92
One of the best places in Detroit - Edit
They have a decent selection of vegan baked goods. Most of their breads are vegan. The vegan baked goods are well labeled as such and are in their own little section. They have a decent variety: cookies, muffins, granola bars and more.
Read moreThey have excellent quality ingredients so their prices reflect that but are worth it.
p.s. You may or may not find some bread in the dumpster ;)
They are closed on Sunday and Monday. However they are open early and somewhat later Tues-Saturday 6am-6pm.
I'd also say that they are more of a bakery than a cafe, if you are looking for vegan sandwiches and soups check out Goodwells next door.
Indoor seating is limited but weather permitting outdoor seating is available.
Pros: quality, bike rack, dumpster
Cons: small
Guest
animallawgal
Points +83
Vegan (non-bread) options come and go - Edit
This is the bakery that supplies the vegan cookies and muffins you see at all the suburban Detroit coffee shops. They are strictly organic, so be prepared to spend about $6 for a loaf of bread, $2 for a cookie or muffin. A couple years ago they used to have some great vegan ready-made sandwiches and soups, but they slowly disappeared. For vegan lunch options, you can usually find a ready-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but I miss the vegan avacado, sunflower and pesto sandwich they used to make regularly. Maybe I was the only person who ever bought it? Anyways, there is often one vegan veggie focaccia bread available by the slice. They are first and foremost a bakery, so it remains a great place to buy organic bread. They usually have one or two types, each, of vegan cookies and muffins. Last time I checked, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and offered a 10% discount if you showed a Wayne State student ID on Wednesdays. They have a cooler stocked with drinks such as Odwalla juices and have their own coffee bar. If you are in the area and need a quick lunch, you might be able to get something decent if you are vegan, no guarantee though. The staff will gladly heat up anything you buy in the oven, if you want.
Read moreMy favorite breads are the farm bread (aka sourdough) for making sandwiches at home, and the cherry walnut for something sweet to snack on.
If you're not familiar with the neighborhood, look for the nearby "Spiral Collective" which is easier to spot ... Avalon is only a couple doors down from them.
Pros: organic, they know what "vegan" means
Cons: inconsistent vegan selections, homeless people hound you for change
Guest
mdethier
Points +38
Best Bread and Pastries - Edit
Avalon is the place in Detroit to buy bread, pastries, grab a latte or soup or a delicious and warm foccia (bread, veggie toppings). Vegan hot foods, cookies and soymilk lattes are offered. Inner city Detroit is changing, and Avalon is one of the best things to happen here. In a funky neighbourhood near Wayne St Univ. No evenings, but Sunday brunch has just started.
Read morePros: Fresh baked goods, organic flour, great coffee
Cons: limited hours, limited parking
Guest
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