Health food store and vegan buffet restaurant operated by 7th Day Adventists. As of summer 2016 food is offered by weight. The restaurant is open on Sunday for brunch (store is closed). Open Mon-Wed 11:30am-3:00pm, Thu 11:30am-8:00pm, Sun 10:00am-3:00pm.
Categories: Vegan, Buffet, Salad bar
13 Reviews
First Review by will-travel-for-food
Contributions +56
Good home cooking - Edit
Country Life is good old fashioned home cooking, veganized. The buffet is also a treat (rare to find a vegan buffet). We tend to go for brunch and there's usually something for everyone (vegans and the non-vegans in our extended family). The restaurant has a kid-friendly area at the end of the buffet tables near the windows in the other room. Since Country Life is run by Seventh Day Adventists, there is religious literature on the tables but just as a sort of fyi. We're not religious and we've never felt anything pushed at us here.
Pros: Great food, Decently priced
Contributions +171
Great buffet in Keene - Edit
After a weekend of camping in NH and eating veggie burgers - this place was a godsend. We stopped by this place on our way home to MA.
The buffet rotates daily. I got the BBQ beef which was fantastic, with lots of veggie sides, and a cookie for dessert.
Pros: affordable, vegan buffet
Contributions +13
Great lunch food - Edit
It is great to have a truly vegan place in downtown Keene. No need to ask if that creamy dish has dairy! There is a hot buffet, with entrees, vegetables, and soups. There is also a well stocked salad bar. Desserts and other foods and items are available as well. Self serve, pay by weight. Charming seating, friendly people. The food is always fresh and delicious.
Pros: Everything is vegan & tasty, Friendly staff, Reasonable prices
Cons: Limited variety on any given day, parking only on street, not open for breakfast or dinner
Contributions +137
New pricing not a bargain - Edit
I stopped here on a visit to Keene after finding the profile on HappyCow. While earlier reviews highlight the affordability and $7.50 plates, they have now switched to pay by the pound for the hot buffet. The buffet was full of beans, rice and potatoes in various incarnations. Hearty veg dishes but foundationally cheap ingredients that weigh a lot. Thus, a pound (and more!) happens very quickly and the flat rate is now $7.99 per pound. Yikes! I also had their small salad bowl, which is very small, and is now up to $4.50 from the $3.50 reported in earlier reviews. The salad bar is good, however, with a lot of different veggie options. If I were ever to come again, it would most likely be for the salad bar on its own. The large salad plate is $6.50, which could actually be a good deal as it is MUCH bigger than the tiny bowl, but only 2 dollars more. The hot buffet is just too pricey for my budget, especially considering what is being served (beans and starch). I did get some kind of gluten-free vegan scone/cookie that I ate the next morning, which was amazing! It was a tropical flavor with chunks of pineapple, coconut, and macadamia nuts, YUM! I believe it was $3.50 but was filling and with those ingredients actually seemed worth it. I would buy those again for sure. And, as I said, perhaps the large-plate at the salad bar. Hot buffet: 3-stars Salad bar & baked goods: 5-stars
Pros: Good variety in salad bar, Tropical "scone": amazing!, Real food ingredients
Cons: Hot buffet & small salad are pricey , For me their style of Christian messaging is not, comfortable (but mild enough that I would return)
Contributions +65
updated model... good food - Edit
I think there is a modest change of ownership... and a wider range of price/size offerings -- from a small plate or soup only circa $3.50 to the king plate including soup and desert as well as salad and a delightful range of vegan dishes.
Contributions +50
Amazing place! - Edit
A truly amazing place. Very local, and so happy to hear it's been around for over 20 years! They offer buffet style eating. Which is great because there is something new everyday! I want to mention that they always have a cheesy (vegan) dish there, so that always makes me happy :) I recommend going to brunch there every Sunday! And their soups... mmmmmm.
Pros: All vegan, and gluten free - what more could you a
Cons: Nothing!
Contributions +53
Cozy, inviting, delicious, and affordable - Edit
My friends and I stopped in for the Sunday brunch. I was excited, because I remembered this business back when they were in Boston over a decade ago. It has an even better set-up now: it's cheerful and bright, with plenty of open space and lots of food to choose from at the buffet.
Everyone was happy with their food. The place makes you feel like you are home for the holidays, and Mom missed you so much, she made you a huge meal with all your favorites.
We all live in the Boston area, but everyone opted to get a frequent diner card, because we know we'll be back.
Pros: Delicious, wholesome food, Buffet-style: choose what you like, Extremely friendly staff
Cons: No coffee/caffeine, No chocolate
Contributions +50
A Gem of a Vegan Restaurant - Edit
Country Life is a hidden gem down a side street in Keene NH. The cook and owner, Peggy, is amazing - she offers wonderful innovative vegan food. We haven't been there during the week when lunch is served, but we go to the Sunday Brunch as often as we can. The buffet table is loaded with interesting vegan entrees, a great salad bar, awesome desserts, soup, pancakes, and more. You pay by the plate size, from $3.50 up to $10.50 I believe. We usually get the $7.50 plate. It is not all you can eat - you fill up your plate once and in one layer. Everything is invariably good and she serves a different buffet every Sunday, bringing us back to try more. I wish she would publish a cookbook of her recipes.
Updated from previous review on Monday January 06, 2014
Pros: Excellent food, Nice atmosphere, Good value and quality
Cons: Not open for dinner, Limited hours
Contributions +16
Delicious, colorful, variety - LOVE it! - Edit
A wonderful array of delicious vegan food. All prepared with care. Nice and comfortable country setting. A great place to meet with friends. People there are friendly and helpful. And the price is right. A great place to introduce your friends, your family or your neighbor to healthy vegan food. They would no doubt find something they like. I normally don't bother to review restaurants. But this time I have to say I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Pros: Excellent food, Nice atmosphere, Friendly people
Contributions +66
Lunch buffet - Edit
Buffets are few and far between so it was nice to stop in here a couple of times. Clean, bright dining room with plenty of elbow room, slow and relaxed setting. The buffet is not huge and is mostly cold salad items. Note the interesting reading material available if you get bored.
Pros: set price, good salad
Cons: limited selection, religious atmosphere
Contributions +44
good place - Edit
I have only been there once and it was pretty good. Not SUPER impressive, but a good all vegan option if you are in the area. They used to have a location in Boston that I went to a few times. Nice people.
Pros: good food, nice people
Contributions +36
Good - Edit
We went here during visit to see family in Newport. The place is good-- a little wierd hearing the religous conversation, but I guess i cant complain because I am on their turf at their place, but pretty good food the pot pie was great, real hearty. Not many options to choose from. I would go again if i am in the area
Pros: Pot Pie
Contributions +472
Delicious, healthy, and inexpensive! - Edit
Went here for the first time yesterday. The food was absolutely fantastic. I got the all you can eat buffet for $7.50 and tried pretty much everything that was available. Everything (from the salad dressings to the soups to the entrees to the desserts) was delicious. I wish this was closer to my home so that I could go here more often. This place is run by Seventh Day Adventists and is very health-oriented. No heavy-handed religious message at all. (There is a picture of Jesus on the wall... That's about it.) A large quantity of free literature related to healthy eating is available, too. The people working there were very nice. The place is a part of the same chain that owned Country Life in Boston (RIP). If you're anywhere near Keene, NH, be sure to try this place. Even folks from Worcester/Boston would benefit from driving here to eat.
Pros: AWESOME food, cheap buffet ($7.50), kind employees
Cons: It's in New Hampshire!
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