Vegan
American
Juice bar
Take-out
Mexican
Bakery
Vegan eatery and juicery, opened Oct 2014. The kitchen also bakes onsite. Comfortable space. Reported closed July 2022.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
Loading...
-
- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 23 Jul 2022 by Haley_Kat
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business
-
-
42 Reviews
First Review by Chasing Cornfields
shafess
Points +600
Love to see C-U with veg options! - Edit
I grew up in C-U and was thrilled to see this vegan option when I went back for a visit. Really cute atmosphere and a nice selection of food to choose from. It just makes me so happy to see new restaurants like this pop up, and I am glad that the residents of Champaign-Urbana have a real quality veg option!!
Read morePros: Cute space, Good selection, Tasty
Cons: None!
Guest
VeganYum
Points +70
All-vegan menu, good food, great staff - Edit
The employees/owners are so nice here! That and the food will keep bringing me back :) And everything on the menu is vegan :)
Read moreThey have an extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, and entrees, as well as juices and baked goods. I've eaten here a few times and the food ranges from good to excellent. It is getting more consistently-excellent the longer they have been open. I'm in town every few months and the menu is usually a bit different every time so I suspect they keep tweaking and improving. Serving sizes are generous and prices are quite reasonable.
They've been really sweet about bringing water for my dogs and even bringing carry-out food outside and letting me pay from the sidewalk when I had the dogs with me (I don't leave them tied alone outside, even briefly). The outdoor seating is dog-friendly too but the tables are just off the sidewalk so you and your dogs have to be okay with attention from passersby (mine love it).
The Saturday-night deep dish pizza is fabulous and well-worth trying, even if you usually prefer thin-crust. I love the grilled cheese sandwich too, and the cakes are AMAZING. Moist, flavorful, and perfect. Really amazing. Also, I wish they sold bottles of that green dressing they put on salads. It is delicious.
Updated from previous review on 2015-12-26
Pros: All-vegan menu, Great food, generous portions, Nice staff
Guest
Thekoreanvegan
Points +18
phenomenal. - Edit
We love this place. The food is solid and they boast one of the best vegan burgers we've ever had. Love the dessert options--incredible baker on staff!!
Read morePros: food , desserts, smoothies
Cons: they need more seating!!
Guest
AshleyMM
Points +46
great food and atmosphere! - Edit
Loved the location and atmosphere! The food was delicious too! They gave our kiddos little toys to play with while we waited for our food, which was a pleasant surprise. They clearly marked wheat free items. And the wheat free cupcakes where the best I've ever had! Just wished we lived closer
Read morePros: best cupcake ever!!
Cons: had to pay for parking
Guest
Marcyp7
Points +188
Amazing! - Edit
One of the best vegan restaurants! Delicious and fresh. I ordered the Fibbish and Chips with Brussels sprouts which were amazing! I've been searching for something that taste like that since I ordered something similar in Chicago. Best I've had! My family ordered Reuben, veggie burger and spaghetti. We also had soup and dessert. Everything was fantastic! We even got coconut Carmels for the road which were also delicious. YUM! We will definitely come back next time we're in town!
Read moreGuest
Laine88
Points +40
Must try! - Edit
It's really nice as a vegan to be able to order anything off the menu! My family gets take out from here. My kids love the tacos, their Rueben is superb, and the French dip is addictive! All the great things an ex-meat eater might miss! They are also now experimenting with their own cheeses. I've not tried it but it's on my list next stop! :)
Read moreGuest
wyattschroeder11
Points +28
Lunch delight - Edit
Fantastic food, Seitan Reuben and side salad!
Read moreGuest
JesseIves
Points +133
wonderful find - Edit
My wife used to live in CU and so we had a planned stop to walk down memory lane. We were excited to try Dancing Dog after reading about it. We got lunch, and it was moderately busy, maybe we got there at the end of the lunch rush as it seemed like the 1 server was a little swamped. I had the hot dog, which was messy and delicious, covered in chili, coleslaw, and a pickle spear. My wife got the seitan reuben, which she will order whenever on a menu. Everything was prepared well and flavorful. The ambiance was alright, but to be honest it seemed like HGTV circa 3 years ago did the decor, very dated, and not in a good way.
Read morePros: good food, vegan
Cons: decor, 1 server
Guest
hippie2783
Points +137
wonderful!! - Edit
so nice to go to an all vegan place! great service, great food, friendly atmosphere. the nachos are to die for!!
Read morePros: all vegan, great food, reasonably priced
Cons: none!!
Guest
courtneybrown8214
Points +29
Wonderful Experience! - Edit
I was using Happy Cow to look up where the closest vegan restaurant was and The Dancing Dog Eatery & Juicery had come up. I hadn't realized it was vegan!
Read moreMy husband and I ate there tonight and I was very impressed. We had the "fish" & chips and then tried their cinnamon roll, chocolate eclair, and the lemon-lime cake. I cannot find anything like this in the Champaign-Urbana area; we were very impressed! The fries were very tasty, the vegan fish tasted like real fish (something I've never dared try recreate at home!), and by the time I was finished eating my piece of cake I was seriously eyeballing more things on the menu.
The atmosphere is pleasant. It's a small eatery, but there were other three other groups there enjoying the food. Our waitress was incredibly attentive, very sweet, and very knowledgable about the food.
I think the pricing is incredibly fair, considering this is vegan food and I know from experience in cooking at home that certain ingredients will set you back. For our two meals and three deserts the total came to $40.50, keeping in mind that we both ordered the most expensive item on the menu and then decided to taste three different desserts.
This was a great experience and we will definitely be back!
Pros: excellent food, great staff, pleasant atmosphere
Guest
feralbecky
Points +30
Five Stars Everything VEGAN - Edit
Glad to visit Urbana and find this gem. Vegan wine & beer, vegan desserts, vegan nachos, and more. Even PB & chocolate fudge! Wow. Great service too. Congrats!
Read moreGuest
AvocadoNut
Points +56
Fantastic Find! - Edit
My family (all non-vegans) and I visited The Dancing Dog last night for dinner. We all left full and happy. Our waitress Paula was wonderfully friendly and the food was delicious! They were also very careful and thorough in working with my husband's tree nut allergy. We can't wait to return the next time that we are in town and I'm sure the rest of my family will be taunting us with pictures of the delicious food that they will be getting here in the meantime!
Read moreGuest
LenaH
Points +64
A welcome addition to Urbana, but a way to go - Edit
I am writing this review because I am invested in Dancing Dog's longevity in downtown Urbana. I have lived in CU for 7 years. I was beyond excited for this to open, and have visited once for breakfast and twice for lunch over the past month. Each time I am disappointed with the menu BUT I will continue to give Dancing Dog my business because I believe in what they are doing. I want my feedback to help them grow as a business and be here for the long haul, not just a short-lived novelty as a vegan place *finally* open in town. The best parts about Dancing Dog are: location, price point for most dishes, atmosphere, the staff, new regular hours, the soup portions, and the dessert menu (YUM). I cannot comment on juices or dinner, but I have seen the menus. My biggest concern is about their menu: the majority of dishes are just veganified traditional diner food. Nachos and quesadillas with vegan cheese, faux fish and chips, pasta and meatballs, etc. I understand that to appeal to a wider non-vegan audience you need to have a few of these items, but they should not be the bulk of a vegan menu. Vegans should be the main audience. I'd hoped to see innovative vegan dishes that prove food doesn't have to be meat/cheese-like to be a good meal. I worry many of the "traditional" carnivorous-style dishes lack balanced nutrition and honestly, I feel like it kind of makes veganism look bad. I eat a vegan diet for many reasons, but one is that I choose not to eat animal products. So why would I want to go to a VEGAN restaurant only to find everything on the menu is trying to be like meat? A vegan-only restaurant should mean whole foods and creative, delicious cuisine, not processed soy products (even if they're organic) that are assembled to look like meat dishes. Additionally, the taste of most of the food has been lacking, but I believe this is not due to culinary skills, but the level of the dishes being made. Again, basic meat-style sandwiches and wraps can't be too exciting, because it is soy product trying to imitate meat. My ongoing disappointment with the cuisine at Dancing Dog is that I end up asking about every item on the menu, nothing sounds that great, I order anyway, and I end up leaving thinking about how I make better vegan dishes at home daily. I have faith that Dancing Dog can improve, but I fear that people are giving them 5 stars to generate business and no one is being honest that their "vegan" menu is severely lacking.
Read morePros: Great location, Friendly staff, Yummy desserts
Cons: Underwhelming variety
sendmorecops
A vegan-only restaurant should mean that all of the food is vegan, not that they should only serve salads and stir fries. I'm vegan and I love "fake" meat and thought everything was great. I think assuming that all vegans think and eat exactly like you do makes vegans look bad.
Read moreGuest
robpaterson
Points +136
Excellent Food, Wonderful Service - Edit
I visited The Dancing Dog this evening and had an excellent meal, and the service was wonderful as well. The staff are very friendly, and everything on the menu (including the wine) is 100% vegan. I had the vegan fish and chips.I think the vegan fish pieces (there were three) are Sophie's Choice brand, and the deep fry the pieces, so if you are looking for vegan health food, the might not be the dish for you. However, if you want the closest thing I've ever tasted to British-style fish and chips, this would be it. The tartar sauce was tasty and the coleslaw was some of the best I've had anywhere. For dessert, I ordered the chocolate chocolate chip, cookie, which was also excellent. Dense and chocolatey, slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
Read moreAll in all, I would definitely visit here again the next time I'm in Urbana. Any vegans and vegetarians in town should feel lucky to have this wonderful restaurant.
Pros: Excellent food, Excellent service, Reasonable prices
Guest
Chasing Cornfields
Points +16
Sweet eats! - Edit
Awesome little place. All staff members are really friendly and helpful. The food is really top quality. Also the presentation of the food is surpurb. It made me think I was supposed to be paying double for what I got. Overall this is an awesome place to grab some food. Even if your not vegan you will leave satisfied with the meal you just had.
Read morePros: Nice Staff, Food Presentation and Taste, Cool and Clean Environment
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 8827 times.