Plant-based cafe opened Aug 2017 featuring vegan food and drinks and communal table seating. On the menu are vegan pizza, burgers, salads, small plates, soup bar, desserts, bottled juices and mylks. Sunday brunch. Sells a few market items. Organic and local ingredients. Gluten-free options. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-8:30pm, Fri 11:00am-2:00pm, Sun 9:00am-8:30pm.
Categories: Vegan, American, Pizza, Organic, Take-out, Fusion
5 Reviews
First Review by nafanc
Contributions +26
Favorite Vegan Restaurant in the Western MA area - Edit
I love this restaurant! The service can sometimes be slow (they’re a fairly new restaurant and are still getting into the groove of things) but the food is worth the wait. I’ve been here multiple times and have never been disappointed with anything I’ve ordered. Definitely check it out!
Contributions +1197
Too good to be true! [with updates] - Edit
Update:
I’ve been back many times. The food is still delicious and beautifully plated. Unfortunately, the service hasn’t been as good on my last few visits. Although they have a lot of staff, it seems they have trouble keeping up with the rush times. Our brunch came out quickly enough today, as we got there pretty early (10:30 or so). But after brunch, we decided to get dessert, and it took us 30 minutes just to order and get a slice of cake from the display case. Other patrons around us were waiting even longer for their meals. I hope they figure out how to manage the busy times, because they have amazing food and I’d love to see them in the area for the long haul.
Update:
I've come back several times since my first visit and continue to be impressed. Their market has a lot of great products, many of which I've searched for unsuccessfully in other places. It's really good to see so many awesome vegan brands all in one place.
I also tried the Pulse burger today and was really pleased. There are two types of veggie burgers: the grain/pressed veggie/composite burgers and the meat imitation burgers. I am usually partial to the latter, like the Beyond Burger or seitan/tempeh/tofu based burgers, because of their savory quality and texture. Pulse's burger is more of the first category, but I still loved it.
Everything in the burger was simply fantastic. Great bread; bright, fresh veggie; big, juicy pickle slices; savory cheez; and hearty sauce. And all of that perfectly complemented the burger patty, which featured mushroom and various veggies (zucchini perhaps?). I was blown away by how much flavor it had, and the texture was great too - a nice departure from many grain burgers that are mealy and/or flour-y.
Really great work, Pulse. Keep it up!
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This place is phenomenal. The food is fresh, delicious, and beautifully presented. The staff are warm and welcoming, giving prompt and friendly service. And the space is open and inviting.
We came as a party of three and ordered five different items to share: Blanca pizza, garbanzo butternut squash soup, mac and cheez, chef's choice roasted veggie calzone, and chef's choice mushroom and grain bowl.
Everything was really enjoyable., and all at a very reasonable price. Our check was about $40 for everything, and all of the items are clearly super fresh and lovingly made. The portions are also generous, so we ended up with leftovers!
A few memorable notes: the mac and cheez arrives on a cute cast iron skillet. The mushroom dish came with a super generous helping of the good stuff - lots of delicious mushroom in every bite. The Blanca pizza was lovely in its simplicity, with nice colors and really good flavor.
All in all, we had a wonderful experience. I really hope this place thrives.
My one concern is that their space is really large (perhaps too big?), and they seem to be stretching themselves in many directions in terms of what they do. They have a huge staff, and In addition to the food cafe, they also have a separate juice bar that is in the back of the building and a vegan snack market with things like bread, popcorn, etc., on another side of the building. I think the building also has an upstairs, but I'm not sure if they're using it.
But I hope my fears are unfounded! Pulse is so, so great, and I would love if they're here for the long haul. It's such a great place for the veg*ns among us, and I suspect that they could also do quite well with omni patrons as well, given the high quality of their offerings.
Best of luck to Pulse. I look forward to coming back many more times!
Updated from previous review on 2017-08-18
Pros: Delicious, beautiful food, Nice decor, Good value
Contributions +30
Love this place! - Edit
Pulse is fantastic vegan dining experience! The menu is a great mix of comfort food like pizza, burgers and mac and cheese , hearty soups, healthy salads and innovative teas, smoothies, and plant milks, to name some of the many offerings on the menu. They make all of their sauces, cheeses, burgers and seitan from scratch and there is no comparison to pre-made products that some places use. I had to look twice at the "cheese" in a calzone I had there, it seemed so much like dairy mozzarella! The desserts are almost too good, the cheesecake is incredible. The prices are reasonable, the staff are really nice people, and the atmosphere is very pleasant and relaxing. They just started serving brunch and while the food was outstanding, it was the only time I've been there when things were a little chaotic and the kitchen got backed up. It was their first brunch and they got unexpeectedly slammed, and I'm sure things will go much smoother on future Sundays. I'll find out tomorrow, going to visit again! They're located at the site of a former bison farm/restaurant, and it's so great to see vegetables, flowers and herbs growing where bison were once being fattened for slaughter. Oh yes, they grow much of their own produce and have a farm site nearby. My only complaints are... no coffee and closed Friday and Saturday! I respect their religious customs to be closed on the Sabbath, but would it be a sin to hire some people of other or no faith to work those days? It's not a good time to be closed! And while I miss a good cup of joe, especailly at brunch, it's been an opportuntity to try other beverages like a warm tumeric latte and a grain coffee latte, both of which were really good, if more soothing than stimulating... overall, a great place for delicious, nourishing and fun food in a lovely space with great people... I wish them great success for many years!
Updated from previous review on 2017-11-04
Pros: Great food, lovely space and pleasant atmosphere, super nice staff
Cons: Closed Fri and Sat, No coffee
Contributions +100
My new favorite restaurant in Northampton/Hadley - Edit
Pulse Cafe rules over the many other vegan/veggie options in the Northampton/Hadley/Amherst area of the Pioneer Valley in Western Massachusetts. Their menu is varied, nutritious, delicious, and reasonably priced. The staff are genuinely helpful and friendly, smiling and paying attention to the details that make all the difference. Specials are displayed behind the counter, which is where the chef works, so you can watch your food being created if you like. My food was so good, I ordered another special to go, along with two desserts, which had just the right amount of sweetness (not too much). The physical space is large and spotless. I hope they can cover their overhead and stay in business. My only complaint is that I don't live closer. If I did, I literally would eat here 4-5 days a week! Vegan, veggie, or omni, you won't be disappointed @ Pulse Cafe.
Pros: Delicious, nutritious food, Spotless, large open space, Amazing desserts
Cons: I don't live near it!
Contributions +143
A little disappointing - Edit
I've eaten at quite a few Seventh Day Adventist restaurants, and have always enjoyed delicious food. Pulse Cafe does not live up to previous experiences.
They come across as a gourmet eatery, but most dishes are too bland. For the prices they charge, I think sandwiches could be on more interesting bread. The bread and pizza dough taste mass produced.
I tried a mylk my first visit, and found it very hard to stomach. The few good things are the sweet and russet potato wedges, and the sauces accompanying them.
I've been twice now, and I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.
Pros: condiments, nice staff
Cons: prices, untrained staff
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