Many friends had told me this place was terrible or hit or miss. I had read a few good reviews so I decided to finally try it. Neither of us could eat the entree. Mine tasted like nothing but raw onion, cold rice and something putrid. I can like almost any food. This was not even good enough to take home to-go and recook differently.
I have never heard of a restaurant that makes you pay for something that you only eat a bite of. They were very rude and said we were wrong. I hope this place closes soon because it gives vegan food a bad name and probably makes meat eaters never try vegan again.
I know people want to keep every vegan business open and many will not post a bad review because of that, but I have to be honest in my dining experience. Let's see some change with great food where there is a line out the door waiting.
Updated from previous review on 2016-11-24
Pros: nice area of town
Cons: Only a couple of gluten-free options, Gross, Rude owner
foodiemarieh08 Sep 2016 -
Did you try any of their stir-frys? The whole menu is fancy veggies and French sauces. Where else can you get a vegan béarnaise sauce? Also, they do have a website - maybe take another look and revisit the menu? www.dayarestaurant.com What you describe is exactly what they are all about.
foodiemarieh11 Dec 2016 -
Wow, you are rough! First not enough veggies now they are "putrid and disgusting"? Remind me not to ever invite you over for dinner! Lol
Delicious! Breakfast lunch & dinner + deserts & ice cream!!!! Organic non gmo. ❤ this place!!! Stellar service. Beautiful dining room. Lovely area of town. Some raw. All plant based.
Pros: Vegan, Non gmo. Organic, Raw
Cons: Only one toilet in entire restaurant , Street parking
My wife and have been looking to try Daya for over a month and finally got a chance to this evening. We loved it. The choices, flavors, presentation, atmosphere, and service are all top quality. I especially liked the ability to quickly find raw, gluten free, oil free, and/or soy free via the abbreviations by each menu item. They even had a very tasty local kombucha on tap to compliment their beer and wine selection. We're definitely putting Daya on our list for special treats.
Updated from previous review on 2016-09-24
Pros: Lovely atmosphere, Great service, Excellent food for the price
Cons: Parking can be tricky. Try the east end of Morse.
Had a great meal here - japanese tacos, indian curry soup, buffalo cauliflower bowl and key lime tort all were superb. The owner was friendly and brought us a cheese sampler which was lovely. The staff were friendly. A must to visit - the locals are really lucky to have this place.
Pros: vegan, buffalo cauliflower!, delicious
Cons: mac&cheese too much like vegan version of the box
I have been going to Daya since they opened last year and I have to say it's one of my favourite vegan restaurant ever. I highly recommend the buffalo seitan bites, heart of palm cake, thai peanut salad, japanese stir fry, stuffed shells, rosemary crusted seitan, buffalo cauliflower wrap, sweet potato fries, and peanut butter oreo dessert. Honestly, you can't really go wrong with anything on the menu!
I travel a lot for work and have had the opportunity to visit a lot of vegan restaurants including Blossom, Candle 79, Millennium, Gentle Gourmet, Funky Fresh Café, Plant, Vedge, Mildreds, Pure Food & Wine, Peacefood Café, and many more. I'm happy to say Daya ranks up there with the best of them. They make everything from scratch in house using organic ingredients. They even make their own cheeses and seitan. All this for the same price others charge for pre-made food. We need more places like Daya to represent the vegan movement!
I walked in Daya and immediately loved the interior style. I ordered the black bean burger and truffle fries and it was delicious. I didn't even use ketchup with my fries because they were just that good! Would definitely recommend!
It was the worst vegetarian restaurant in my life. It is Upscale in price, but not in taste. The onion soup was terrible, totally salty, my wife only taste, one spoon and she did can eat! They charge the soup even though my wife could not eat it. We order coconut juice, they served the can juice of publix!!! How easy is open a coconut and voila! Upscale restaurant serving canes? The mushroom? Average taste, but for the price? If you want waste the money this is the perfect restaurant. My rate is 1 star but the system does not permit this rating.
debbiesmall06 Nov 2016 -
Wrong! French onion soup is fabulous had last night. My husband so not vegan & he loved it too. Is not expensive. The cheese on it is cashew and they make it themselves. The coconut water is in a can & not available at Publix. I have seen it at specialty Mexican markets. They also have sodas with stevia which are great. See my photos. I don't believe this review.
A unique vegan dining experience. Definitely worth trying out. The stuffed shells are so delicious! Make sure to try several choices on the amuse-bouche menu.
The apps are outstanding. Suggest the bbq cauliflower and buffalo cauliflower. Upscale yet casual atmosphere with friendly service. Most of all each dish has excellent flavor.
We heard about this new all-vegan place opening in Orlando and decided to check it out today. The restaurant is beautifully decorated complete with modern paintings, hardwood flooring and romantic lighting. A great place for date night. The staff is friendly and the menu is diverse (including many soy free, gluten free and even some raw options)
I ordered the seitan dish, my husband ordered the tofu tacos and my son had the mac 'n cheese. Let me start by saying the seitan dish is $22. That is a good chunk of change in my book so I'm thinking this dish will be amazing. It wasn't, but it was good enough. The texture of the seitan (which I believe they make in-house) is similar to Worthington's Choplets, extra chewy. The flavor, however, was very good in a rosemary and butter sauce, similar to a veal schnitzel. The seitan has a walnut crust and although I could not detect the walnut flavor it did have a nice crunch at times. Would I order this dish again? Probably not. The plate included a large piece of seitan filet with two small pieces of potatoes. That's it. I think the plate could benefit from some added greens (i.e. asparagus, broccoli, light salad, etc.) to give it a more complete feel.
My husband's meal was delicious. His plate came with three tacos, which included soft corn tortillas, breaded tofu, cabbage salad with avocado slices on the side) The dish is $16, I believe. The breaded tofu has a really nice texture that melts in your mouth. It is hard to tell is tofu. The cabbage slaw is nicely seasoned in a light aioli and for those who enjoy it there is even a spicy sauce on the side. I still think $16 for a tofu/cabbage taco is a bit extravagant but it was the best dish of the night.
In all my travels I have yet to find an out-of-this-world vegan version of mac 'n cheese at a restaurant and this place is no different. The pasta was overcooked, the sauce was extremely runny and it was way under-seasoned. However, it is a nice option to have if you come to this restaurant with children because everything else is ridiculously expensive for a child.
We tried the apple tartin and key lime tart for dessert. The apple one was super sweet. One bite was plenty for me, which is a good thing because it comes in a tiny shot glass. The key lime tart was ok. It tasted like a typical raw cashew cheesecake (cashews, coconut oil, lime juice...).
All in all, a satisfying meal. I would return and perhaps try some of their small plates instead.
Pros: Good food, Great ambiance, Expansive menu
Cons: Super expensive, Small portions, No children's menu
Love Daya. Artsy. An Awesome date night spot. ALL VEGAN. And just... well done. And a much needed place for Orlando. The menu is fairly diverse. The dishes are tasty and well done. Reminds me of a place you'd find in NYC. Just well done, and happy we have this addition in the CFL area. EVERYTHING is made IN HOUSE!! To include the seitan and vegan cheeses!! Thank you, Daya!!
Pros: Tasty, Very Clean and Well done, TASTY!!
Cons: No delivery, Not next to my house, No gardein. ha!
14 Reviews
First Review by JanireReinsma
Contributions +65
0 Star- Made us pay $30 for meals too DISGUSTING to eat - Edit
Many friends had told me this place was terrible or hit or miss. I had read a few good reviews so I decided to finally try it. Neither of us could eat the entree. Mine tasted like nothing but raw onion, cold rice and something putrid. I can like almost any food. This was not even good enough to take home to-go and recook differently.
I have never heard of a restaurant that makes you pay for something that you only eat a bite of. They were very rude and said we were wrong. I hope this place closes soon because it gives vegan food a bad name and probably makes meat eaters never try vegan again.
I know people want to keep every vegan business open and many will not post a bad review because of that, but I have to be honest in my dining experience. Let's see some change with great food where there is a line out the door waiting.
Updated from previous review on 2016-11-24
Pros: nice area of town
Cons: Only a couple of gluten-free options, Gross, Rude owner
4 Responses
foodiemarieh 08 Sep 2016 - Did you try any of their stir-frys? The whole menu is fancy veggies and French sauces. Where else can you get a vegan béarnaise sauce? Also, they do have a website - maybe take another look and revisit the menu? www.dayarestaurant.com What you describe is exactly what they are all about.
debbiesmall 06 Nov 2016 - I was there & saw LOTS OF FANCY VEGETABLES!!!
HERE IS THEIR website
http://www.dayarestaurant.com/
With so few FULLY VEGAN
restaurants please be careful not to defame a great one!!!
foodiemarieh 11 Dec 2016 - Wow, you are rough! First not enough veggies now they are "putrid and disgusting"? Remind me not to ever invite you over for dinner! Lol
vegandeb 12 Dec 2016 - I was not the only one that thought the dish tasted spoiled. My friend thought the cashew sauce was old.
Contributions +16
Top notch vegan food - Edit
My girlfriend and I came here on a date a few months ago. We each tried different plates and we loved everything we ordered.
Contributions +459
All vegan Sanford Florida! - Edit
Delicious! Breakfast lunch & dinner + deserts & ice cream!!!! Organic non gmo. ❤ this place!!! Stellar service. Beautiful dining room. Lovely area of town. Some raw. All plant based.
Pros: Vegan, Non gmo. Organic, Raw
Cons: Only one toilet in entire restaurant , Street parking
Contributions +235
Absolutely Lovely! - Edit
My wife and have been looking to try Daya for over a month and finally got a chance to this evening. We loved it. The choices, flavors, presentation, atmosphere, and service are all top quality. I especially liked the ability to quickly find raw, gluten free, oil free, and/or soy free via the abbreviations by each menu item. They even had a very tasty local kombucha on tap to compliment their beer and wine selection. We're definitely putting Daya on our list for special treats.
Updated from previous review on 2016-09-24
Pros: Lovely atmosphere, Great service, Excellent food for the price
Cons: Parking can be tricky. Try the east end of Morse.
Contributions +765
Awesome - Edit
Had a great meal here - japanese tacos, indian curry soup, buffalo cauliflower bowl and key lime tort all were superb. The owner was friendly and brought us a cheese sampler which was lovely. The staff were friendly. A must to visit - the locals are really lucky to have this place.
Pros: vegan, buffalo cauliflower!, delicious
Cons: mac&cheese too much like vegan version of the box
Contributions +33
best vegan food around - Edit
I have been going to Daya since they opened last year and I have to say it's one of my favourite vegan restaurant ever. I highly recommend the buffalo seitan bites, heart of palm cake, thai peanut salad, japanese stir fry, stuffed shells, rosemary crusted seitan, buffalo cauliflower wrap, sweet potato fries, and peanut butter oreo dessert. Honestly, you can't really go wrong with anything on the menu!
I travel a lot for work and have had the opportunity to visit a lot of vegan restaurants including Blossom, Candle 79, Millennium, Gentle Gourmet, Funky Fresh Café, Plant, Vedge, Mildreds, Pure Food & Wine, Peacefood Café, and many more. I'm happy to say Daya ranks up there with the best of them. They make everything from scratch in house using organic ingredients. They even make their own cheeses and seitan. All this for the same price others charge for pre-made food. We need more places like Daya to represent the vegan movement!
Pros: delicious food, nice vibe, good value
Cons: parking
Contributions +106
Daya is Da Bomb - Edit
I walked in Daya and immediately loved the interior style. I ordered the black bean burger and truffle fries and it was delicious. I didn't even use ketchup with my fries because they were just that good! Would definitely recommend!
Pros: Completely vegan!
Cons: No cons.
Contributions +18
The worst - Edit
It was the worst vegetarian restaurant in my life. It is Upscale in price, but not in taste. The onion soup was terrible, totally salty, my wife only taste, one spoon and she did can eat! They charge the soup even though my wife could not eat it. We order coconut juice, they served the can juice of publix!!! How easy is open a coconut and voila! Upscale restaurant serving canes? The mushroom? Average taste, but for the price? If you want waste the money this is the perfect restaurant. My rate is 1 star but the system does not permit this rating.
Cons: Very bad taste, Only upscale in price ,
1 Response
debbiesmall 06 Nov 2016 - Wrong! French onion soup is fabulous had last night. My husband so not vegan & he loved it too. Is not expensive. The cheese on it is cashew and they make it themselves. The coconut water is in a can & not available at Publix. I have seen it at specialty Mexican markets. They also have sodas with stevia which are great. See my photos. I don't believe this review.
Contributions +1078
Happy to have an upscale vegan place! - Edit
A unique vegan dining experience. Definitely worth trying out. The stuffed shells are so delicious! Make sure to try several choices on the amuse-bouche menu.
Contributions +27
Deliciously prepared and lovely presentation - Edit
The apps are outstanding. Suggest the bbq cauliflower and buffalo cauliflower. Upscale yet casual atmosphere with friendly service. Most of all each dish has excellent flavor.
Contributions +67
Good food, Super expensive - Edit
We heard about this new all-vegan place opening in Orlando and decided to check it out today. The restaurant is beautifully decorated complete with modern paintings, hardwood flooring and romantic lighting. A great place for date night. The staff is friendly and the menu is diverse (including many soy free, gluten free and even some raw options)
I ordered the seitan dish, my husband ordered the tofu tacos and my son had the mac 'n cheese. Let me start by saying the seitan dish is $22. That is a good chunk of change in my book so I'm thinking this dish will be amazing. It wasn't, but it was good enough. The texture of the seitan (which I believe they make in-house) is similar to Worthington's Choplets, extra chewy. The flavor, however, was very good in a rosemary and butter sauce, similar to a veal schnitzel. The seitan has a walnut crust and although I could not detect the walnut flavor it did have a nice crunch at times. Would I order this dish again? Probably not. The plate included a large piece of seitan filet with two small pieces of potatoes. That's it. I think the plate could benefit from some added greens (i.e. asparagus, broccoli, light salad, etc.) to give it a more complete feel.
My husband's meal was delicious. His plate came with three tacos, which included soft corn tortillas, breaded tofu, cabbage salad with avocado slices on the side) The dish is $16, I believe. The breaded tofu has a really nice texture that melts in your mouth. It is hard to tell is tofu. The cabbage slaw is nicely seasoned in a light aioli and for those who enjoy it there is even a spicy sauce on the side. I still think $16 for a tofu/cabbage taco is a bit extravagant but it was the best dish of the night.
In all my travels I have yet to find an out-of-this-world vegan version of mac 'n cheese at a restaurant and this place is no different. The pasta was overcooked, the sauce was extremely runny and it was way under-seasoned. However, it is a nice option to have if you come to this restaurant with children because everything else is ridiculously expensive for a child.
We tried the apple tartin and key lime tart for dessert. The apple one was super sweet. One bite was plenty for me, which is a good thing because it comes in a tiny shot glass. The key lime tart was ok. It tasted like a typical raw cashew cheesecake (cashews, coconut oil, lime juice...).
All in all, a satisfying meal. I would return and perhaps try some of their small plates instead.
Pros: Good food, Great ambiance, Expansive menu
Cons: Super expensive, Small portions, No children's menu
1 Response
debbiesmall 06 Nov 2016 - I had eggplant parm $12 very reasonable. I posted a picture of menu with prices. I did not see anything for $22.
Contributions +17
A much needed addition for Orlando with VEGAN!! - Edit
Love Daya. Artsy. An Awesome date night spot. ALL VEGAN. And just... well done. And a much needed place for Orlando. The menu is fairly diverse. The dishes are tasty and well done. Reminds me of a place you'd find in NYC. Just well done, and happy we have this addition in the CFL area. EVERYTHING is made IN HOUSE!! To include the seitan and vegan cheeses!! Thank you, Daya!!
Pros: Tasty, Very Clean and Well done, TASTY!!
Cons: No delivery, Not next to my house, No gardein. ha!
1 Response
debbiesmall 06 Nov 2016 - Uber will deliver food now. ?
Contributions +16
Amazing vegan food experience - Edit
Contributions +18
Plant Based Perfection - Edit
This is high standard plant based Paradise! Not a bad entrée in the bunch!
Pros: Made In House, Raw Options, gluten free options
Cons: None!
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