Main Squeeze Natural Foods Cafe
Causal cafe offering a large menu with a variety of dishes, from burrito, veggie burgers, and Buddha bowl to tofu sandwiches and bakery treats. Fresh juices and smoothies. Uses mostly local and organic ingredients. Open Mon-Sat 10:00am-8:00pm, Sun 10:00am-5:00pm.
Category: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, American, Organic
Reviews (18)
First Review by veggiequeenContributions +21
Great food - Edit
found some good vegan wpf options.
Contributions +130
everything we had was delicious - Edit
It was my first time and even though the staff was super friendly I had to sort of figure out it was grab your own water and utensils. Not a problem. Would have been more obvious had I not been distracted by the three small children I was with. The food was delicious. Everything we had (all vegan) was great. Did the tacos - sub vegan cheese and sour cream, TLT, Peggy w quinoa, chips and salsa. Chips were a small serving but not unjust for the $2 price tag. I don't know what kind of love they poured into that Peggy but the dressing was truly amazing. Tacos were good too and the burger was a big hit. Really good job overall on textures and flavors.
The only thing I thought was super odd was, when I asked which desserts were vegan, the response was "they're all vegan depending on how you feel about honey."
I just blinked a few times, because that's not a good answer. To make it worse, the employee didn't point out which desserts had honey in them.
I didn't state this at the time but I would recommend the staff be advised - any definition of veganism would talk about not exploiting animals, and honeybees are, without a doubt, animals.
Pros: TLT, smoothies, variety and vegan options
Cons: weird honey comment
1 Response
livylou 05 Jul 2016 - If you ask they will look up the ingredients for each cookie!!! I got that same response which I thought was odd too! But most actual don't have honey! I love the pecan cookie!
Contributions +29
Really nice veg restaurant - Edit
It's got decent food and a pretty cool atmosphere. There's usually art on the walls from local artists. The food is mostly organic, and there are lots of vegan options.
Super hard to find parking! And it can be hard to find seating since they can get pretty busy in their small space.
The smoothies are excellent. I really like their brown rice and Buddha bowl. The tofu isn't the best, but it's ok. I enjoy eating here from time to time.
Pros: Friendly Staff, Cool art, Great smoothies
Cons: parking, crowded
Best VegRestaurant in CoMo - Edit
Currently the only restaurant in Columbia, MO completely dedicated to vegetarian cuisine... juices, smoothies, soups, wraps, sandwiches, etc.
Pros: food, service, atmosphere
Cons: none
Contributions +17
great food, but not speedy - Edit
Delicious veg food with a TON of options. Parking is difficult and the line can sometimes go out the door. Because the food is made to order with care the service can feel slow. But it's absolutely worth the wait. Can also be considered pricey but again the ingredients seem worthy of the cost.
Pros: variety, ingredients
Cons: parking, speed
Contributions +16
Will eat here every time I travel I70 between KC a - Edit
Delicious! My thanks to Happy Cow for finding this place for us. We will definitely be back. Great food, great service, cheerful atmosphere.
Contributions +21
Always a pleasure - Edit
Haven't been here in a while but I always love coming back - this is my favorite stop when heading cross state. I love the staff and the community feel inside. Today was a veggie juice and the Petrushka and it was solid.
Pros: friendly staff, local, organic
Contributions +20
Coolest place in Columbia. - Edit
Whether you live here or you're just swinging through town, Main Squeeze has got to be on the menu. The portions are awesome, the food is excellent, the service is beyond belief, and the atmosphere is cozy.
Contributions +152
love it - Edit
I spent some time in Columbia and was so happy to keep going back to the Main Squeeze. I can still taste some of their food even though it's been about four years since I last had it. Really really love this place.
Contributions +11
Disappointing 1st Impression - Edit
Overall I will return to give it another chance just because they are really doing good work with attempting the local, organic, veg/vegan food experience. They are, however, missing something that makes it appealing and memorable, in a good way.
I had the tempeh burrito and it was OK. The toasted sprouted wheat tortilla was delicious. The excessive brown rice was a bit too much, it was stingy on the flavor elements (lemon tahini, feta, raw spinach), and the tempeh wasn't jazzed up much. The food was all prepared very well, with lots of care, it just was bland and definitely did not live up to the price.
The server was borderline rude, or tired, or something. She acted like we were a pain in her backside. We were not aware of the "bus your own table policy". There was no "thank you", "thanks for coming", "come again", none of those boring but inviting customer service comments that can make the difference between returning and never coming back again.
I wish the food had been amazing to overcome the uncomfortable atmosphere, but the crowded tables (that had not been cleaned), and almost exclusive (like either you are the "in crowd" or you are an intruder) vibe were a turn off.
Pros: Healthy Food, Variety, Good Intentions
Cons: Expensive, Unfriendly Staff, Uncomfortable Atmosphere
Contributions +26
omg yum - Edit
I LOVE Main Squeeze. Before I went veg I used to go there for their Rice, Beans, Salsa, and Quesadilla if I wanted to be super full all day long. Now I'm vegan and I absolutely adore their Buddha Bowl. I like that you can get it in a smaller size for less cash. MS is a bit pricey compared to your average restaurant...but then I don't mind a couple extra dollars when I know I'm buying fresh, organic, and often locally made food from a homegrown business.
Because of the price tag (average entree is about $7-8--if you get a smoothie it's an extra $5 on top of that but so worth it) I only go there once every 1-2 weeks but I wish I could go more!
Pros: delicious, filling, friendly folks
Cons: price tag
Contributions +306
Love, Love Main Squeeze - Edit
I have been to Main Squeeze twice now, and plan to eat there every time I go through Columbia. They have a varied menu (all vegetarian, most items can be made vegan), everything my husband and I have had has been great, they have plenty of vegan desserts, and the fresh juices are delicious.
I recommend the Lotus Bowl...which is tofu, spinach, and broccoli with a tahini lemon sauce over brown rice. Yum!
It has a nice atmosphere and is not terribly overpriced.
Pros: Vegan desserts, Excellent Food, Great fresh juices
Contributions +16
Best vegetarian restaurant in Columbia - Edit
however, it is the ONLY vegetarian restaurant in Columbia.
Most of the food tastes good, but seems a bit overpriced. We go there on the rare occasion, but mostly just fix food at home because it's WAY more affordable.
Pros: all vegetarian
Cons: pricey
Contributions +26
Main Squeeze Rocks - Edit
I LOVE Main Squeeze and eat there EVERY time I go to Columbia.
Pros: Great daily specials, lots of vegan options, Super tasty desserts
Contributions +89
I wish I was in School again:( - Edit
I'm so sad I got old and don't have a reason to go to Columbia anymore. But to be honest with you the Main Squeeze is reason enough!! They have wonderful sandwiches and always have great interesting daily special. I'm such a crazy vegan that I subscribe to their daily newsletter just to salivate about what they are severing everyday. The haystacks are in a league of their own. Their fresh juices and smoothies are great for a hangover too!
Contributions +1287
Please stop and pick me up some haystacks! - Edit
If you are driving from Columbia to St.louis grab me a few coconut vegan haystacks. I will gladly pay your weight in gold! They are so good! I make it a point to stop here every time I am in Columbia or passing by. The vegan philly cheese steak is mouth watering. Their burger buns sometimes have honey in them so be sure to ask because their veggie burger is home made and worth getting, too. Don't miss the abundant desserts at the counter (vegan ones clearly marked)
Pros: haystacks
Contributions +2276
Great Restaurant! - Edit
To sum this place up: EXCELLENT! Both the food and juices were incredible! The decor is both pleasant and artistic, and the employees are very friendly. It was so good, I made sure to stop here a second time before I left Columbia [I was there only a day].
Contributions +23
YUMMY! - Edit
This place is great! My daughter had a swim meet in Columbia and we ate there twice that weekend for breakfast. The food was great, the selection was good and the staff was pleasant. The atmosphere is fun - lots of artwork and a wall of hand and foot prints. Parking is a problem, though, but it's worth the walk.
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