Welcome! Let's get this started.
or
Finish logging in.
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
International
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Non-veg
Serves fish, vegan options available. Restaurant est. 1973that offers plenty of clearly labeled vegan items. Sunday nights are ethnic cuisine nights; vegans please inquire. Reported to serve fish April 2024. NOTE: Please verify if fish is still offered. Open Wed-Sun 11:30am-8:30pm. Closed Mon, Tue.
60 Reviews
First Review by amysaundersbigelow
Poundie
Points +19687
Big reputation to live up to - Edit
Moosewood is well-known for the iconic cookbook that bears its name. When I was a teenager, I remember my mother preparing meals from this cookbook--I don't remember the meals themselves, but I did appreciate that there was such a cookbook at the time.
Read moreI have been to the Moosewood Restaurant a bunch of times while in the Ithaca area, largely out of a sense of nostalgia. My friends and I have always been satisfied with our meals here and have left happy. Something that is admittedly missing, however, is the "wow" factor that lives up to the high reputation of the Moosewood name. The apparent disconnect between the Moosewood reputation and the restaurant itself is something that other HappyCow reviewers have noted, and rightly so.
Am I being unfair in expecting too much? That is, would it be fairer to simply judge this according to the standards of a typical restaurant, rather than in relation to expectations inspired by its famous name? If I judged it according to that of a typical restaurant, admittedly I might have rated this place four stars. However, it might be safest to downplay the expectations--if you are not expecting to be bowled over by Moosewood, you are more likely find the food and atmosphere here to be fine.
Guest
rookievegan
Points +146
Takeout lunch on patio delicious - Edit
Takeout only this past week, but that worked out fine for us. We were able to eat in outside patio. Vegan gochujang noodles had yummy homemade sauce. My family had shawarma wrap & black bean burger, which they enjoyed
Read moreGuest
Philhower
Points +288
Delicious takeout - Edit
First time here in the takeout era and it did not disappoint. Good food. Careful attention to dietary needs.
Read moreGuest
CynthiaChu
Points +44
vegan brunch - Edit
love coming to moosewood for sunday brunch. most of their meals can be made vegan, even the pancakes and sweets. delicious food, but portions are on the smaller side. great atmosphere and my favorite brunch spot in ithaca😄
Read moreGuest
porchlife
Points +214
Vegan options from the 70s - Edit
Though a quick review of the menu told me not to have high expectations, I still wanted to visit Moosewood since their cookbook (the first one) was gifted to me as a new vegetarian by my aunt and I love the veggie pot-pie recipe from this book. However, as some reviewers have noted, their vegan options are so uninspired it's as if I were traveling back in time to the 70s/80s with dishes heavy on the sweet potato and sprout. My husband had their sweet potato roll and I had a modified dish of cauliflower with pasta and marinara. Bland -- needed some Beyond sausage or maybe some cashew cream? Very unimaginative. The best part was the delicious cocktail, a hot ginger toddy.
Read morePros: Historic
Cons: Bland, Not many vegan options, Unimaginative options
Guest
naomihhs
Points +1120
Always Great food! - Edit
The food here is great! Everything tasted fresh and wonderful.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options which are clearly marked , Vegan dessert options
Guest
VeganGinger
Points +100
Vegan options kinda bland - Edit
Used to be a vegetarian mainstay, now serves fish. Can't speak to the non-vegan menu items but I've found that the vegan ones are constantly bland. Does have good atmosphere & drinks. Vegans who prefer whole foods/healthy fare would probably like the options better then this review.
Read morePros: Large seating area (indoor & outdoor), vegan, options clearly marked. Bar seating.
Cons: Bit expensive. Like most of Ithaca, only, has street parking. At peak times can , be hard to get a spot nearby.
Guest
Champamarie
Points +131
Very pleasant brunch on the patio. - Edit
We came with no expectations. Yes, the menu was small. But I had the avocado toast on fresh ciabatta. It came with a house salad. I got the lemon tahini dressing. I did pick the peppers out of the avocado because I have enough to cry about.
Read morePros: Very pleasant on the patio, Friendly servers, Fresh wholesome food
Guest
KomukillLoganathan
Points +27
Great food! - Edit
I love their food and service! Everything that can be made vegan is clearly marked. I have tried their Samosa Wrap and loved it so much. Their salad is of good portion and my favorite dressing is their housemade lemon-tahini. Their vegan desserts: the vegan chocolate cake and the baked fruit bowl are both amazing!
Read morePros: Vegan & vegetarian friendly , Great service, Excellent food
Guest
VeganMetsFan
Points +140
Vegetarian dining of yesteryear - Edit
Go to Moosewood if you want to time travel and experience a vegetarian (pescetarian really) eatery of circa 1970s or 1980s - lack of vegan choices, missing flavors or spices, bland, unimaginative, salad of lettuce, carrots, cucumber and olive, steamed veggies, slow service.
Read moreI know the famous cookbook, which is very dated in its own right, still brings plenty of business to the place; it does get very busy especially in the summer and on weekends. On our last visit, which honestly was a few years back, we waited more than an hour to get seated one Saturday evening in the summer.
If you're not into that kinda of time travel, especially avoid Sunday nights when they do ethnic cuisines. Trust me you could do a better job at home with health food store bought Indian or Thai or any other sauce.
If you must eat out, go to any of Ithaca's albeit non-vegetarian Asian restaurants, but they all have extensive vegetarian/vegan choices. Or better yet, go to Ithaca Farmers Market (April to November), you wouldn't believe all the restaurant quality food there and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options!
28 reviews and only 4 photos on Happy Cow is very reflective of its state of culinary affairs - there's nothing to show off!
Hey, but at Moosewood you can get a souvenir glass or a t-shirt...
Pros: Outdoor seating
Cons: Outdated unimaginative cooking, Surprising lack of vegan options, Overpriced
Guest
DanimalPanda
Points +539
Good for Vegetarian/Flex, Not for Vegan - Edit
It's a nice place to visit, maybe once or twice a year if you are vegan. Their plant-based entrees were limited to two options when we visited in early August.
Read moreStill they were AMAZING. Presentation is most of the meal, if that's what you're after at the moment.
Pros: Friendly prices, Great desserts, Nice people
Cons: Limited vegan options
Guest
jeanha
Points +136
Limited vegan options, but excellent vegan chocolate cake! - Edit
Like other reviewers, I am disappointed that Moosewood restaurant serves fish & seafood. When I became vegetarian in the 1980s, I first taught myself vegetarian cooking from the iconic Moosewood cookbook. When I first visited Moosewood Restaurant in 1989, I was disappointed to find that (unlike the cookbook) they were more "pescatarian" than vegetarian. I recently went back, and was hoping that they might have changed with the times and dropped the fish & seafood. But, unfortunately, no.
Read moreWe went for lunch, and there were limited by adequate vegan options. We started with a spicy sweet potato soup that was delicious. For entrees we had a ragout special and a Chipotle-Mango BBQ Tofu burger. They were both good, but not that exciting. The vegan chocolate cake was fantastic!
Pros: excellent vegan chocolate cake
Cons: serves fish & seafood
Guest
TheVeganBlend
Points +159
Vegan Brunch! - Edit
Moosewood is an institution in Ithaca, but as a vegan I've been disappointed (Especially because they serve fish as an advertised "vegetarian" restaurant). Recently they have started an expanded Brunch Menu and it is definitely worth the trip! My husband and I both had the Vegan "Chickn and Waffles". Although it is more typical to have seitan for the "chickn," in this case it is Oyster mushrooms and was very good. I would recommend Moosewoods for brunch and lunch, but there are much better options in town for dinner (dinner options tend to be bland at Moosewood and a poor representation of vegan cooking). The lunch burgers and salads are reliably good. My star breakdown; brunch=4.5 , lunch=4 , dinner=2 .
Read morePros: Great brunch, Reliably good salads and burgers for lunch, Outdoor patio
Cons: Bland dinners, Cafiteria-ish feel
Guest
Jo Zee
Points +36
Loved My Food But.... - Edit
Our server was so nice, I feel bad criticizing the food. Hubby's dish was quite tasteless. For what we paid, he felt it should have been better. This once famous eatery has lost it's attraction I'm afraid, however, I did enjoy being able to say I was there.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2017-10-01
Pros: Lovely atmosphere., Friendly and very courteous staff.
Cons: Expensive.
Guest
S.nattanja
Points +51
Being Smart at Moosewood - Edit
As a local, I have been to Moosewood a fair number of times, and as the other reviews indicate, it can be fairly hit or miss. However, if you follow a few guidelines, you will probably have a good experience. First, I would avoid any dishes centered around sauteed vegetables, even if the menu tries to make it sound interesting by making it ethnic (ie African Curry, Sauteed vegetables with French words in the description); these dishes tend to be very bland. Other dishes that include baked items (ie falafel platter, quesadilla without cheese) are usually quite good - the salads are also very good, and the vegan chocolate cake is absolutely amazing. Keep in mind that the portions tend to be quite small, so you may be better off ordering a few courses (ie. a soup or salad, a main dish, and a dessert).
Read morePros: Chocolate cake is amazing
Cons: Limited vegan options, Hit or miss
Guest
saveur
Points +1168
Glad I went - Edit
I knew there were lukewarm reviews for the restaurant but since it was Moosewood, we went ignoring them. I assumed it wouldn't be busy, but it was packed and shortly after we arrived on a Sunday evening, they said they wouldn't accept any more people without reservations.
Read moreWe ended up getting the 2 vegan bean dishes. I never see bean centric meals and enjoyed our choices (Brazilian feijioda and the Basque white bean special). The white beans definitely looked like something I could have made at home (the dish seemed similar to the Basque skillet chickpea dish from their cookbook, with additional veggies added). The black bean feijioda was more complex with a few different components. It still reminded us of a home cooked meal and we were fine with it. The only disappointment was that there was a limited menu for vegans. For dessert, the vegan chocolate cake was dark and delicious.
Pros: Home cooked vibe
Cons: Limited vegan options
Guest
iwanderafar
Points +25
Love this place - Edit
I recently ate here with 3 non vegetarians while on vacation. We all loved our food. So many wonderful choices for both vegans and vegetarians! There are some seafood options available. The restaurant itself is warm and friend with a large window and lots of wood and a big bar. I had the tempeh tacos and the soup of the day and we ended with a delicious berry crumble.
Read moreService was friendly and efficient. I wish I lived closer.
Since many buddhist who eat fish consider themselves vegetarian, it's not fair that Happy Cow won't let me give this place 5 stars.
Pros: Excellent food, Friendly service, Clean and comfortable atmosphere
Cons: Not near where I live, Smaller restaurant
Guest
mt19
Points +392
Promised so much ... - Edit
Went based on its reputation, left very disappointed. It's not even a veggie restaurant, vegan choices were really limited, veggie choices not so great. Main dishes were dull, uninteresting and over priced. Service was poor, maybe it used to be good. Now it's one of the worst places we ate in the USA. Skip it and look elsewhere.
Read moreCons: Food, Service
Guest
agoeringsdh
Points +17
Moosewood in Ithaca, NY - Edit
We had always wanted to visit Ithaca and make the "pilgrimage" to Moosewood, but had heard that it was no longer the place it once was. Well, we went anyway and we were happy we did. The menu was full of great choices and the food was delicious. The place was very busy, but everyone seemed to have time to answer questions about the menu, the area, directions, etc. Loved that so many of the staff were 50+, as were many of the diners. We'd definitely make a return visit.
Read morePros: great location, busy, friendly ambience, great menu for vegetarians
Guest
KMR607
Points +410
Go for lunch, skip it for dinner - Edit
This is a good lunch place, nice salads, vegan options, casual atmosphere. Dinner is overpriced, and for some reason always disappointing.
Read morePros: Comfortable, casual atmosphere, Vegan optioins
Cons: Expensive for dinner
Guest
Thesindelk
Points +125
A Very Special Place - Edit
After seeing their cookbooks for years, visiting Moosewood Restaurant felt like a pilgrimage. It was very busy, but we were seating way before the time we were cited.
Read moreThere were two vegan specials the night we went, a chickpea soup, which my boyfriend had, and a lasagna, which I had. Both were excellent, as were the salads and side of tofu.
The food is comforting without being heavy. I highly recommend a visit.
Pros: Delicious dishes, Small, intimate menu, Vegan options
Cons: Serves fish, which is confusing
Guest
Ajolote
Points +1853
not impressed - Edit
I had the same experience described before. Only one vegan entree - the curry-, not impressive, but came with a tasty lentil soup. The cocktail and alcohol list is pretty impressive and the place is nice and cozy, but it leaves much to be desired. Good service experience.
Read moreGuest
trematode
Points +149
A little disappointed - Edit
Moosewood was recommended to me when I went to New York on vacation. I was warned that they served fish. After a 10 hour drive, we hit up Moosewood. I was excited because I had received one of their cookbooks as a gift and was familiar with them.
Read moreThe restaurant wasn't what I imagined. It was very gimmicky. There were shelves with cookbooks, mugs and sweatshirts for sale with the Moosewood logo on them.
It was very busy the night we went but it didn't take us too long to get a seat. It was either an owner or manager who lead us to our seats.
I was a bit disappointed by the menu. Only one item could be veganized (a lentil curry dish).
While we were looking over the menu, the owner/manager seated a well-dressed woman besides us. The owner/manager was incredibly friendly with this woman and took the time to explain their menu and the alcohol choices to her. The boyfriend and did not experience that and I wondered if it was because we were young or how we were dressed.
Our meal was good and we ended it with a slice of vegan chocolate cake. I was disappointed to spend that much on food and have there be only one vegan option.
Pros: good food
Cons: lack of friendly service, expensive, few vegan options
Guest
passedout
Points +300
A Disappointment - Edit
As said in the other reviews, there are only a few very unimaginative vegan options to choose from and nothing that even the most novice chef couldn't make at home. For a place with such a rich history of pioneering vegetarian food I expected more.
Read moreThe night I went they had one veggie curry dish that could be made vegan. Since this was the only vegan entree of the night I had no choice. It tasted like something I could whip up with $5 of ingredients.
Here's to hoping they can step up their game.
Cons: bland food, high price
Guest
mars
Points +544
Simple food, nice atmosphere. - Edit
The first time I went to Moosewood was 1984. I had 3 of their cookbooks. I was looking forward to an updated menu. We had the coconut croquettes which were tasty and not greasy. Definitely needed the chutney. The Black Bean Ful was okay with cuke slices, tomato and pita. The Samosas were good and filling, but not worth the price. The tomato barley soup was really good. The guacamole was not tasty at all and total mush.
Read moreFew vegan options for such a famous restaurant. The fare was not much more than you could make at home, but uses lots of local ingredients. Didn't get to try the beer. Perhaps next time.
Nice atmosphere for lunch or dinner with friends. Very good service. Longer drink list than food menu. Not sure it's worth the price if that is an issue. However, they do strive to cater to many diet needs and disciplines.
Pros: Service, Atmosphere, Special diets
Cons: Pricey, Not inventive
Guest
steveveg
Points +3211
Very vegan suitable - Edit
I found sufficient choices for a vegan. Of the 4 entrees, 2 could be made vegan, one was only lacto vegetarian, and the last fish. Both appetizers could be made vegan. So I had sufficient options to choose from. We had a Stewed Batilgian and Vegetable Feijoada. Both were delicious. The Egyptian red lentil soup was also very good. Our dessert was a very tasty vegan cranberry-blueberry crumble. The ambiance was relaxed and friendly. We were seated near the bar, but the clientele there were not intrusive and did not detract from our dining experience. Moosewood is still a very worthwhile restaurant to dine in.
Read morePros: vegan choices, excellent food, pleasant ambiance
Guest
mark m braunstein
Points +508
go around the block to Greenstar - Edit
The three reviews previous to mine are correct. This place is stuck in the 1970's. It's only barely vegetarian insofar as it serves fish, but I've eaten at many dead meat restaurants that offered more vegan options than here. Look at the menu: 1 page of entrees, 1 page of salads and sandwiches and sides, and 5 pages of booze! Among the sides, top of the list is Bread and Butter. The word BUTTER is given as much prominence as the word BREAD! No alternatives to butter, not oil, not avocado, not tahini, only butter. Of the two vegan entrees of the day, neither was no more imaginative nor better tasting than what you probably prepare at home. Unless you intend to get plastered, spare yourself the disappointment and stay home. Or walk around the block from Moosewoods to Greenstar Natural Foods Coop. You don't even need to walk around the block, as both Greenstar and Moosewoods are accessible from and connected to the same indoor mini-mall.
Read morePros: iconic
Cons: not vegetarian, not vegan, not imaginative
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 17886 times.