Vegan
International
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Caribbean
Catering

Small veggie food shop with an extensive menu featuring soul food, mockmeat dishes, sandwiches, Asian dishes, pasta, desserts, and more. Fixed menu is a good deal with large portions. Fully vegan since Feb 2020. Quiet atmosphere but gets busy. Does not take reservations. Open Mon-Sun 12:00pm-9:00pm.


Venue map for Red Bamboo
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122 Reviews

First Review by Poundie

Vegan4life83

Points +41

Vegan
18 Mar 2024

One of my long time favorites

I’ve been coming to Red Bamboo for at least 15 years and it is a go to spot when I’m in the village and want a meal. It usually has a bit of a wait especially at peak times , a testament to its popularity (and no reservations) and tinier , intimate space . Of course this is supposed to be soul food so if you’re looking for a “whole food” experience go to Le Botaniste lol!! This is delicious and it comes well before some of these newer “trendier “ vegan places . It has always stayed consistent and prices are fine . I hope Red Bamboo stays around for a very long time !

Tucker333

Points +513

Vegan
16 Nov 2023

Super fairly priced but food was nawt good :(

Maybe we didn't order the right things but of what we had, really nothing impressed us and we left pretty disappointed. We ordered the crab rangoon, seitan katsu, and red curry. The curry was definitely the best, and the only reason I can justify giving a 2 instead of a 1. As someone who is vegan and does not eat imitation meat/cheese, it felt impossible to find something to eat here, as everything seemed to be imitation chicken or beef. Overall, the group thought the crab rangoon was a 3-5 out of 10, the katsu was a 2.5-3 out of 10, and the curry was a solid 6 out of 10. I don't think any of us will return, unfortunately, even though it is in such a convenient location and at such a reasonable price (~20 per person). I've also been so excited to try it and was so sad to be let down.

tolmeia07

Points +476

Vegan
20 Sep 2023

Absolutely delicious and fairly priced!

A really lovely spot with an incredible menu and very delicious food! Great portion sizes for the price!

Updated from previous review on 2023-09-20

Pros: Amazing choices , Delicious , Good prices

sls79

Points +89

Vegan
14 Sep 2023

Delicious and so much choice!

I was short on time so a bit worried I wouldn't be able to order and finish my meal in time, turns out I did! Ordered the 'beef' Thai massaman curry with rice - it was delicious and such a huge portion! The lady serving was lovely and I felt right at home. Will definitely visit again when I'm next in NYC.

Updated from previous review on 2023-09-14

RebeccaSullivan

Points +3090

Vegan
02 Aug 2023

Delicious Food

Been here a few times and food is always incredible. Highly recommend!

MatEP

Points +50

Vegan
18 May 2023

Total Winner

Unbelievable food, great atmosphere and a fantastic location. Not wheelchair accessible in any way but worth the extra effort

Pros: Amazing food!

Cons: Non-accessible

agentfword

Points +132

Vegetarian
10 May 2023

A neighborhood staple

Delicious food, chill atmosphere, kind people! The jerk seitan skewers and the spicy mock chicken with broccoli fed two of us amply. I was so into the food, I didn't even think of a photo til our plates were clean.

DianaGoFish

Points +176

Vegetarian
02 Feb 2023

Great variety!

Lots of variety! Very hard to choose. The seitan jerk skewers were great. Collards with soy ham were a little dull. I’m eager to try more things!

lukec98

Points +640

Vegan
29 Jan 2023

THE BEST PLACE EVER!

I cannot stress how fantastic this restaurant really is. The food is out of this world, the staff are SO nice and chatty and the options are unreal. Hands down the best spot in New York.

JasonManias

Points +1341

Vegan
25 Nov 2022

Thanksgiving Feast

Not part of their normal menu obviously but the thanksgiving feast was amazing

klingsor

Points +75

Vegetarian
28 Jul 2022

NYC favorite

Such a great spot. I started going here ~15 years ago when I lived in NYC. I love to come back and visit my old haunts, though many are now gone (RIP Sacred Chow).
Red Bamboo is as good as it ever was, maybe even better. Great food, reasonable prices, friendly staff and just a cool space

Pros: Lots of good options from varied cuisines, Reasonably priced , Delicious!

Mizzen

Points +38

Vegan
15 Jul 2022

Yummy

My favorite place for Vegan Fried Rice and Cakes

Pros: A go-to for my Asian Food fix, Vegan Cake!

Cons: The burgers are okay, but not fab

JulieVargo

Points +114

Vegan
02 Jun 2022

Fresh, delicious veggies, huge menu!

We had black bean veggie stir fry and two side salads for lunch. Everything tasted so fresh and amazing. Salad dressing and sauce were complex and clean. I wish I saved space for dessert because the menu looked amazing. We’ll be back soon and often!

leg

Points +406

Vegan
30 May 2022

Friendly Staff, Quick Service

This restaurant is like the size of a studio apartment, yet it is filled with so much character. I love seeing people veganizing their own cultural dishes, and this menu is full of ethnic foods turned vegan. There were a lot of things I wanted to try. I got two appetizers instead of a main course. I got the Caribbean jerk-spiced seitan skewers and the almond coconut chick’n. I enjoyed both, but I think the latter wins. The texture of both were amazing. The seitan was not overly chewy like many are, and the chicken was very crispy on the outside. Both had great flavor. The family next to me seemed to be enjoying their food too (even the little kids). The little bathroom is very nice. The staff was extremely friendly, and I never had to wait a second because they were always right there and alert (even though there was only 1 waitress and 1 hostess). I do have one minuscule criticism which is that the menu is 100% meat alternatives. I understand the point is to give us vegans the foods we can’t typically enjoy, but we want everyone to enjoy vegan food. This leaves some people like my mom (an omnivore), who is willing to eat vegan food, but only naturally-vegan food like legumes, vegetables, tofu, etc., out.

Pros: Great service, Diverse menu, Intimate

Cons: Menu lacks produce

Libra77

Points +2799

Vegan
28 May 2022

Red Bamboo

We absolutely loved it here. Extensive menu, something for everyone. One of our favourites in NYC when we visited.

EthanMinter

Points +99

Vegan
26 May 2022

So Many Options

They have a million options and they’re all solid. Big fan of this place.

DerekShannon

Points +48

Vegan
16 May 2022

Amazed

Incredible food. Extensive menu. Will 100% be back.

Pros: Worth the hype

Cons: Compact

PurpleCurrant

Points +3882

Vegan
02 Apr 2022

Vegan chicken

I went a long time ago but I still remember their drumsticks, tasted really realistic!

Updated from previous review on 2022-01-09

Luchi

Points +735

Vegan
11 Dec 2021

Affordable copious meals

Plenty of choices, fake meats, Chinese inspired meals as well as western cuisine (American, Italian)

Mystisunshine

Points +243

Vegan
24 Sep 2021

Super delicious

Had the coconut chickn and potstickers- both were cooked perfectly and full of flavor - highly recommend!

JaredJn

Points +56

Vegan
19 Sep 2021

Surprised

I was completely surprised how delicious everything was! I had the popcorn chicken, bbq Buffalo chicken, chicken lomein, southern fried chicken, and the vegetable dumplings.

My most favorite was the popcorn chicken! I definitely recommend checking this place out.

Pros: Lots of vegan options, Lots of mock meat , Delicious food

Cons: A touch pricey, but not too much

forgoodwill

Points +58

Vegan
15 Sep 2021

Could be better

We ordered the Seoul pancake, creole nuggets, and asian dumplings. The seoul pancake was bland and not as crispy as it could’ve been, kinda pale. The soy sauce that came with it & the asian dumplings was pretty diluted. The dumpling filling was pretty good but very doughy. But the salad that came with the dumplings was really good! Good dressing but it’s just a few bites.

We had the two veggie entrees: black bean and the teriyaki. The teriyaki sauce was nothing like teriyaki and was also very diluted. Veggies were okay but it’s all about the sauce and it didn’t live up to it. Way more watery than it should have been.

The black bean was a bit better, nice strong black bean flavor. But nothing too special.

Service was not great. Waited several minutes after being served our appetizers to get our silverware. Was served the wrong rice with my teriyaki but it’s a simple error that was easily fixed. We sat at a table that was way too close to the narrow hallway. Bit nervous about an accident with the elbows.

Overall, these 5 plates cost my $65 and I don’t think it was worth it at all.

Go to Luanne’s Wild Ginger on Smith street instead. You’ll get better service, better ambience, better value, and better taste. Their soy nuggets with their unique sauce blow this place out the water.

Updated from previous review on 2021-09-15

Pros: Lots of mock meat options.

Cons: Not very flavorful, Weak service

MichaelSquillace

Points +574

Vegan
24 Aug 2021

Caribbean Jerk-spiced Seitan, Tonkatsu Chops, AMAZING!

Caribbean Jerk-spiced Seitan, Tonkatsu Chops, AMAZING!

Coconutsux

Points +129

Vegan
17 Aug 2021

Amaaaazing

I had the chicken Parm once and pasta carbonara. Also tried popcorn chicken. All perfect!

madinthemoon

Points +48

Vegan
07 Jun 2021

So good!!

so many different food options and the staff is super friendly! love it!

Kimster

Points +31

Vegan
29 Nov 2020

Drive from NJ

My husband and I actually drive into the city from NJ (yes, dealing with tolls and tunnel and traffic), just to eat here (and now, during Covid, take out). I love the coconut chicken appetizer and the ribs dinner. My husband likes the sandwiches. We both LOVE the death by chocolate cake. We actually call to make sure they have it and ask for a piece to be saved for us as soon as we sit down (big enough for two). It IS very cozy and gets busy most evenings (no reservations), but we just take a walk in Washington Square Park until they call us. Wait staff is friendly and efficient. Our favorite vegan restaurant in New York City!

Pros: Delicious food, Friendly staff, Doing take out during Covid

Cons: Tight quarters, Usually a wait for a table pre-Covid

delicateillusion

Points +130

Vegan
23 Sep 2020

Just unbelievable!

The shrimp! The fried chicken! Everything was unbelievably good. Nice atmosphere. Def a must go!




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