• Haymarket Bookstore Cafe - Maybe closed

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  • White Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Organic

Cafe with a '60s atmosphere. Coffee, smoothies, pastries available at counter on main floor; full menu downstairs (order at counter, delivered to table). No tipping. Note that doorway on Main St is easy to miss, so look for it. Reported to use milk in some items so vegans confirm. NOTE: Maybe closed February 2024 - please send updates to HappyCow. Open Mon-Fri 7:00am-8:00pm, Sat-Sun 8:00am-8:00pm.


Venue map for Haymarket Bookstore Cafe - Maybe closed
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22 Reviews

First Review by Jaxxy13

macymoo

Points +1028

Vegan
24 Dec 2023

Call before going

The cafe was listed as open online, and it was closed. A passerby said this happens often. Call ahead.

kale_queen

Points +444

Vegan
30 May 2023

Good

Used to be better but still a Northampton staple. Good vegan options (is all vegetarian).

Audj

Points +137

Vegan
15 Mar 2022

True vegetarian spot never disappoints

Has always been a favorite and has been amazing during the pandemic

Updated from previous review on 2021-11-02

Pros: All veg, Fair wages, Cooks are always friendly

UnaMJ

Points +182

Vegan
14 Dec 2021

it's alright:)

they have some vegan options

StephanieLanger

Points +922

Vegan
23 Nov 2021

It was ok

They did have some vegan options. The space was kind of grungy. Bought a vegan breakfast burrito, and it was pretty good. They could have offered plates and napkins.

gabandtonic

Points +2750

Vegan
26 Jul 2021

Solid coffee spot

Lots of vegan options, really cool vibe. The chai really hit the spot.

kdowning

Points +301

Vegan
04 May 2021

Delicious food, great business, cool atmosphere

This place is awesome! The jalapeño burger was incredible!! Also had a few vegan baked goods. Gives away many meals to those in need in the community each week and has a pay what you can system.

JenniferMyszkowski

Points +59

Vegetarian
15 Feb 2020

We love Haymarket!

My husband and I met here, so it will always be special to us. We eat here every time we’re out in Northampton for dinner. My favorite dishes are the tacos and the spinach enchiladas. Also, the breakfasts are delightful. My favorite juice from the cafe is called Drinking June. I love their baked goods because they aren’t super-sweet (I try to reserve sugary treats for special occasions only). Soups are always hot and tasty (mmm...sambar).

It’s a great place for blind dates — there are bathrooms and exits on both floors if you need a quick escape route.

It is tricky for anyone with accessibility concerns.

Final thought: They feed anyone who comes in in need of food. They don’t take tips — staff is paid a living wage. Instead of tips, you can donate to the Common Bowl, which is a fund they use to feed people in need. Each month, they post how much money was collected and how many meals in turn were served the prior month.

Pros: Excellent and tasty food.

Cons: Sometimes it’s a little arm-pit-y in there., It’s a little rough around the edges.

770veg

Points +3331

Vegan
03 Dec 2019

Nice spot and good food

Nice spot with a good vibe. There is a good selection of vegan goodies in the baked goods and some on the menu as well. I had the vegan tofu scramble which was delicious. My only caveat is I feel like they could have more vegan options in comparison to the amount of non vegan options

Pros: Good food, Nice space

Cons: Could be more vegan options

HaleyMoriarty

Points +242

Vegan
22 Aug 2019

cozy restaurant

the top floor is a cafe and the bottom floor is more of the restaurant. it’s nice and cozy and they have a few vegan options that are clearly marked. they also offer smoothies. if you’re looking for a cake, I HIGHLY recommend the chocolate peanut butter cake. it’s vegan and the best cake i’ve ever had!

ldv30

Points +159

Vegan
09 Aug 2019

Vegan snacks

They had lot of vegan baked goods but not vegan meals. Almost all their dishes have eggs, which is really gross and cruel. Decent spot.

Pros: Vegan goodies, Big coffee

Cons: Not vegan

kelwood13

Points +384

Vegan
17 Jun 2019

Bigger Than Expected!

I was always hesitant about eating here because from the outside it looks really small, but my friend advised me that there's actually a spacious downstairs area, as well! I'm glad she told me, because the food, drinks, and pastries here are delicious. I especially recommend the lattes!

The staff are all very nice, and vegan options are clearly labeled. A lot of the dishes can also be made vegan, if you ask.

Pros: Yummy food/drinks, Nice atmosphere, Friendly staff

Cons: The upstairs can get pretty busy

MartyTrammell

Points +53

Vegan
06 Jun 2019

Delicious but not a bookstore

Haymarket is a great place for a pastry, sandwich, or smoothie! The vegan cinnamon rolls are out of this world! I wish there were more vegan sandwich and entree options but everything I've had has been good. I'm not sure why this entry refers to it as "Bookstore Cafe". As far as I know, it has never been a bookstore and bookstore is not in the name. Great place nonetheless!

Pros: Good food, Community staple

Cons: Noisy

nafanc

Points +1615

Vegan
23 Sep 2017

Pretty good

The upstairs area is a cafe and downstairs is the restaurant. I went downstairs for a casual dinner. It's unfortunately not very well lit, as it's underground, but the space is cozy enough.

I ordered the tofu scramble, which was pretty good. It had a nice array of mix-ins, including mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and onions. It was also accompanied by a salad and brown rice. The salad was really good. The greens were beautiful, and the dressing was really tasty. I believe it was miso based.

Overall take: this is a good place to do some work or reading while enjoying a drink and/or light fare. The food is pretty good, but I wouldn't it consider it destination-worthy for the meals alone.

hclfrachel

Points +24

Vegan
05 Mar 2017

not bad :)

I got an amazing smoothie there with strawberries, bananas, passionfruit, and soy milk. It was delicious! However, their vegan cheesecake was quite bland. Nice texture but there was very little flavor. Friendly service.

Pros: Amazing smoothies, decent amount of vegan options, nice atmosphere

Cons: Vegan cheesecake was bland

HappyGardener123

Points +154

Vegan
16 Apr 2014

the soup!!

I go here for the soup and the soy chai. Perfect on a chilly day or any time of year! Just ask which soups are vegan (and gf for me as well) and the staff will be able to help.

Sarah P

Points +8516

Vegan
20 Jun 2013

cosy, fun, comfortable with good food

It's true, several people I know (as well as myself) have been informed by staff that certain seemingly-vegan items contain milk. The tempeh in the tempeh tacos, as mentioned in an earlier listing, as well as one of the tofu dishes have been reported by staff to contain milk. Nobody I've known for all the years we've gone to Haymarket ever knew about that. I found out after I saw a newspaper article published about the owner, and included was a recipe for tempeh that called for cow milk. I then asked staff about items on the menu items and was informed about the items many of us assumed were vegan that actually contained dairy. I believe these items should be better labeled or presented on the menus.

YOU HAVE TO ASK ABOUT EVERYTHING ON THE MENU, INCLUDING DRESSINGS, BREADS, SOUPS, TOFU AND TEMPEH.

Pros: Cozy atmosphere, fair price, helpful staff

Cons: not 100% vegan, sometimes crowded, items that appear vegan contain milk

ranchboy

Points +27

Mostly Veg
18 Jun 2013

ask for the (KO) Kale Octopus!

It's not on the menu. Wonderful drink with lots of kale.

Pros: great food , healthy

Cons: loud upstairs , busy

sglcklch

Points +2815

Vegan
29 Aug 2011

OK place

I've been to this place twice so far. First time was for dinner in the dining area downstairs a long time ago. It wasn't at all memorable; I vaguely remember the setting being a little dingy and the food just OK. Yesterday I came here again and grabbed a vegan banana chocolate chip cookie. Was yummy, very banana-ey with loads of chocolate chips. Couldln't find any seat since everybody was on laptop and seemed to be there to stay.

Pros: location, good price

Cons: hard to find seats

vegman444

Points +70

Vegan
22 Jul 2011

WARNING--TEMPEH TACOS NOT VEGAN!

I've eaten at Haymarket for years, and for the most part the food is good, the staff downstairs is nice, and the atmosphere is cozy. For some reason the staff upstairs in the juice bar/bakery seems to always have an attitude. It's so odd, but try it out for yourself and see what I mean. It never fails. So a week ago I went in and ordered the tempeh taco plate with no sour cream. I reiterated to the order taker that I wanted it vegan. She said without the sour cream it would be vegan. I ate them. 2 days ago I go in and order them again, and again reaffirm that I want the plate to be vegan. This time, a different counterperson tells me, "Oh, these tacos are not vegan. The tempeh is battered in milk. I know. We make them here. We use milk." WTF?! So thank you Haymarket...I am no longer vegan. I ate milk. I'm sorry, but why on earth would a place go to the trouble of preparing tempeh tacos, ostensibly to appeal to the veg crowd, only to then engorge them with the pus of a cow?! I was not a happy camper, but the counterperson was very nice and apologetic, so I just quietly stewed and had the supposedly vegan baked tofu sandwich. Please spread the word re. the tempeh tacos!

Pros: Lots of food for low price(not@breakfst), Many vegan choices, Free wifi

Cons: Vegan doesn't always mean Vegan!, Snotty attitude of upstairs staff, Juice bar closes too early

conniex721

Points +136

Vegan
16 Apr 2011

Great Spot

I love the atmosphere of Haymarket. I find the food to be a bit hit or miss. I've gotten a vegan cookie that was bland and way too salty. However, I've also gotten the vegan chocolate cake, which was delicious. My tempeh burger had too much bread and unseasoned tempeh, but the curried soup I got was amazing. So there's some really good stuff it you don't mind sorting through the not so good stuff. And, as usual, I appreciate the soy milk!

Pros: Atmosphere, Wifi

Cons: Some Bland Food

Jaxxy13

Points +25

Mostly Veg
09 Mar 2007

Loved it !

The tempeh burger was the best ever! I also tried the Kukicha twig tea,and loved it so much I ran right out to buy some from the Cornucopia market located right across the street in Thorns market .

Pros: informative staff, awesome menu variety, cozy spot

Cons: tends to get very busy




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