Vegan bakery and diner making a range of sweets like vegan donuts, croissants, cookies, cupcakes, scones, and brownies with gluten-free and sugar-free options. Serves vegan diner food. Est. 2010 as Champs Family Bakery on Ainslie St and moved here in 2014. Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-12:00am.
Category: Vegan, American, Take-out, Bakery
Reviews (75)
First Review by andreacarioca
Contributions +22
LOVE THIS PLACE MORE THAN LIFE 😂😅 - Edit
The BEST selection of vegan food I've ever seen, and the milkshakes were TO DIE FOR!!! I almost wanted to get two shakes per meal. I travelled all the way to Brooklyn from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to eat here twice on my two free days in NYC. SO worth the trip.
Pros: amazing food, best shakes in the world, super friendly staff
Cons: not the healthiest food, but who cares!!! love it!
Contributions +28
We need Champs Diners everywhere - Edit
No vegan place I've ever been to has had this wide a selection of vegan foods that you actually want to eat. I want to eat everything on the menu. Great for all meal options, breakfasts are filling and delicious, try the breakfast burrito or any of the pancakes or slams.
Any time I'm in New York you'll find me here more than a few times, loving the vibe and service, and working my way through the menu.
Pros: Amazing food selection, All meals covered, Price is decent
Cons: None
Contributions +24
it was ok - Edit
I had the mozzarella stick the mac and cheese. They were ok not amazing but ok. Then I had the philly cheese steak nope didn't like it i did enjoyed the pulled pork it was really good.
Contributions +28
THE BEST BEST BEST - Edit
Wow! Just Wow!!! I followed champs on Instagram and dreamt of going. I went to NY this month and one of my top things to do was to go to this place. I dragged my ovni friends along. We all had amazing food! The philli cheese steak sandwich was amazing! My ovni friend said it was one of the best he had tried and he is very picky with his meat - they were all very impressed. We had hotdogs and mac and cheese. All great! Can't wait to be back in NY and eat there again!
Pros: amazing food - all vegan , traditional dinner
Cons: far from the traditional touristic spots , not possible to book in advance
Contributions +52
Best Vegan Restaurant on Earth!!! - Edit
As I lay dying, my last mental energy available will be devoted to eating at Champs in Brooklyn with my children. Their Reuben is unsurpassed, their shakes are divine, their breakfast satisfied a 15 year old vegan-food skeptic and the service is inscrutable. This is beyond comfort food, this is so damn comfy, I fell asleep and floated up to Nirvana and had *dream food*. I am looking for an arpatment on Meserole St, so I can be here more often. If time and space collapse, I'll let out a final gasp for Champs. You are certainly number one. You win at Vegan. Please franchise.
Pros: All vegan., Awesome Music/Staff (Hipsters)., Perfection.
Cons: Ruined me for all other Vegan spots., I am prone to overeating here., I will cry if it ever changes.
Contributions +118
Yummy - Edit
Great pancakes with choco chips, shakes, etc. Friendly efficient service, very clean too.
Contributions +60
best vegan food in New York - Edit
This is the place to be. I live on Long Island and drive over an hour and a half to come here every time, and it's more than worth it. The food is great. Many vegan restaurants have great food but a limited menu. That's definitely not the case with champs. There are so many different options it's overwhelming. You can find almost everything a normal diner would have on this menu. Depending what time you go, parking can sometimes be an issue, and there may be a bit of a wait for a table. Plus when you're done you can go right around the block to Dun-Well for some amazing donuts.
Updated from previous review on 2016-06-26
Pros: amazing food, so many options, located near other vegan places
Cons: street parking, sometimes crowded
Contributions +75
I will never have diner withdrawals again! - Edit
Champs is the most authentic vegan diner, but honestly better than any diner I ever went to pre vegan life! The food is unreal, but take it slow because they know how to fill you up!!!
I have been here on multiple occasions, mostly at dinner time. I mean who doesn't love breakfast for dinner! The menu has a variety of offerings from breakfast and dinner items on their evening menu, which makes it super hard to decide. But I personally am addicted to the tempeh wings (buffalo style) and the mozzarella sticks! Two fav appetizers but you really cannot go wrong.
The diner style interior makes for an awesome authentic experience and it is a fun place to take a non vegan friend and make them drool! ;)
Pros: Authentic , Amazing menu , Delicious vegan milkshakes
Cons: Beware -- food sits heavy! , Staff is not overly friendly , Pricey
Contributions +38
My favorite place in NYC - Edit
Definitely my favorite place in the city. So many good options. Just amazing. Took me forever to choose what to eat because everything seems amazing, and the staff were really nice. Definitely coming back!
Pros: Great variety of vegan diner foods. , Great music playing in the background., The staff were really nice and helpful.
Contributions +36
The best junk food - Edit
I love going to Champs whenever I'm in the neighborhood. It's the best vegan junk food I have had. I haven't had anything there that I disliked.
Pros: Absolutely delicious, Good variety of foods, Cool style
Cons: Bad cell service
Contributions +149
Recommend eating in - Edit
Diner take-out is always a little sad, not Champs' fault. Good, solid vegan diner food, as you'd expect, with mid-level ingredients. I recommend the poutine! And grateful for neighborhood delivery.
Contributions +38
Really fun diner experience - Edit
Had heard a lot about this prior to my trip to New York and really wasn't disappointed. Tofu scramble was the best I've tasted, and the pancakes were amazing. Really nice to have the american diner experience, as it's always nice to try veganised versions of local traditions when you visit a different country.
Pros: Brilliant tasting food, Great coffee
Cons: Popular, so busy
Contributions +17
King of Brunch - Edit
We came here last Saturday for the first time. There was no doubt, we just had to come again this week! So we did.
What a magnificent little brunch gem. My personal favorite are the pancakes with blueberries, chocolate chips, butter & maple syrup. True bliss. What can I say, just so well-done! Intensely tasteful, fresh blueberries, great texture pancakes.
Staff is fast and friendly. Decor is really nice and funny. Ambiance is all in all just welcoming.
There is quite the wait though, we had to wait for about an hour. However, totally worth it!
Pros: Amazing food, Plenty brunch options, Welcoming ambiance
Cons: Waiting time
Contributions +22
Best Vegan Diner Food - Edit
I go to Champs very often with my boyfriend. To the point where the waiters know us. My boyfriend isn't vegan and he loves Champs. I strongly recommend the seitan asada fries and the tempeh wings!
Contributions +32
Best brunch in Brooklyn! - Edit
I love the tofu scramble sooooo much, always our first stop in Brooklyn!
Pros: Delicious food!
Contributions +14
Food like a Champ! - Edit
I visited today with my two sons and a friend. I'm the only vegan at the table but had adventurous foodies with me who were willing to try vegan food. I also have to add that I'm a super picky eater so I was a bit skeptical on how the food would taste. I had pancakes with tempeh sausage n bacon with tofu scramble n potatoes.... can I say delish! My family also loved their meals which included hash browns, cowgirl chili, cookie dough pancakes and waffles. All incredible! If we didn't know it was a vegan spot, we would think it's regular food!
The staff is super friendly and attentive. I read reviews where it's cash only but they did accept our credit card.
We will definitely return as I have a few other food items I'm looking forward to trying. Btw....as others have stated, the food is not only delicious but super filling. Love at first bite.
Pros: Delicious food, good value, Friendly staff, Nice vibe
Cons: Small space
Contributions +111
Great for breakfast and lunch! - Edit
After landing at JFK around 11:00am, the first thing we did was to head out to Champs Diner because that's the first thing vegans should do after landing at JFK. Why? Well, just go, see for yourself, order some of their amazing food, eat it and realize there is no other vegan diners in Earth like Champs Diner. Are we stop to Champs on our way back to JFK airport, you bet!
Pros: Great food, Near JFK airport, Tons of options
Cons: I wish they had a second location in Manhattan
Contributions +401
Everything was great! - Edit
Came for dinner on a Saturday night. The wait was about 30 minutes, not bad at all. The food was so great! I had a cookie dough milkshake to start that was perfect, and we shared the carne asada cheese fries. My husband picked that, and I wasn't sure I would like it because I don't usually like a lot of fake meat on something, but it was so good! The asada strips were a great size and texture, and the sauce was yummy. I got the big bowl of mac and cheese for dinner, and honestly couldn't hardly eat any of it! I was so full! We took it to go and split it for dinner another night, it was that huge! I really liked it too. My husband got The Grinder and said it was just ok. If we went again, we would probably split the fries, and then split an entree. The portions were huge! Would love to come here again and haw more off the menu.
The only thing I didn't like, the tables are REALLY close together (we heard every detail of the awkward first date next to us!). Also, the table we had was so small. They put two water classes, a carafe and silver ware and we barely had room for our plates. But I know, this is Brooklyn so they aren't working with a ton of space.
Updated from previous review on 2016-12-10
Pros: portions, milkshakes
Cons: small tables, so close together
Contributions +493
Pancakes! - Edit
I've been here threes times during our stay in NYC and always for breakfast. I had the biscuits and gravy the first day and whilst it was tasty, I preferred the waffle and pancakes that I had on subsequent visits. The servings are large!
Contributions +70
best shakes - Edit
The shakes here are out of this world... make me think it's dairy but of course it can't be. So creamy! Also the tatertachos (tater tot nachos) are incredible. The breakfast burritos are also killer!!
Contributions +26
The best - Edit
Seriously, the food here is incredible. Over the course of several visits on my trip I had the Hangover Hash Browns (lovely, albeit an absolutely huge serving that would have fed me for days!), the Mac & Cheese, French Toast, the Reuben, the Cubano and the Country-Fried Seitan. All were amazing and I'd be hard pushed to pick my favourite dish. Gets busy, so I'd recommend making an early morning visit here (I ordered several of the sandwiches to go which kept me fed as I wandered around NY) and if you are on your own, you may get asked to sit at the counter. Staff are lovely and keep the bottomless coffee flowing! p.s. They take cards (or at least did when I was there) :)
Updated from previous review on 2016-11-11
Pros: Excellent Food
Cons: Gets very busy
Contributions +38
champs diner... first class vegan! - Edit
Amazing service, menu choice and taste. I had the 'chicken' burger meal it was full of flavour. For 9 meals and starters it cost us approx £160! Bargain I say! Go... go now!
Contributions +132
Great spot for your vegan junk food fix. - Edit
YUM YUM YUM.
On a week-long visit to NYC we stopped in at Champs for a meal on a weekday at around noon. The wait was 30-40 minutes and we were fresh off a plane and not in the mood to wait. Our loss. We went back a few days later in the early afternoon and were seated right away. Although the service was a little slow, the meal was downright delicious. I had a strawberries and cream milkshake that I am still dreaming about - it was fresh and so tasty.
Pros: Satisfying food, delicious milkshakes and desserts, Great value , Cute, authentic diner
Cons: No public WiFi, Service on the slow side, Potential for a long wait at busy times
Contributions +14
Awesome vegan grub! ?? - Edit
A tight spot but service was great! The food was delicious (and filling;)!
Contributions +14
Amazing food. Ridiculously rude staff! - Edit
Love the food here, my friends and I come here a couple of times a month. The bad service is a running joke. We only return because we love the food so much!
It's such a shame that the management have chosen style over substance when it's comes to their staff. Visit, and you'll see what I mean!
Contributions +42
awesome - Edit
Cozy little diner that seats 30-40 people... Cute black/white decide with helpful and friendly staff. Food was delicious and on point! I got the cubano which was amazing, and my wife got the Reuben (which seems to be the case everywhere we go) and she gave it 4/5 stars. Both came with a side salad. The place had two gender-neutral bathrooms that were covered with stickers and urban art. LOVED everything about this place! Would totally come again!!!
Contributions +15
Unfriendly service - Edit
Really unfriendly service which made us leave before even ordering :(
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