Urban Herbivore

Being vegan your options when eating out can be less than amazing… so glad that this place is available in a mall food court! I’ve been here more than once, and I’ve had fairly good service at all times. Never have had a bad experience, but they sometimes seem a bit too busy and flustered which takes a toll on their customer service.
I had a build your own bowl today and it was really good. I loved their soy-​sesame tofu, their sweet potatoes were great and overall I was pretty much in food heaven because (it being a custom bowl) all of my favourites were in it.
I’ve also had their sweet potato soup, it’s good but a bit one note. It’s quite sweet. But it is sweet potatoes… I enjoyed it overall.
Their sweets are tasty, and since it’s a bit harder to come across vegan baked goods I always get something. The prices are quite standard, I’ve had great service and mediocre service, and the food is satisfying!

Was pretty stoked to stumble upon this place while at the Eaton Centre — a healthy option at a mall food court! Sadly it can’t quite escape its location and my few experiences have been pretty middle-​of-​the-​road.
I’ve grabbed the coconut curry stew a couple of times and it’s pretty good. They go a little mental on the amount of rice, but it’s quite tasty on a cold winter night. I once had the Hippo bowl which seemed to be missing BBQ tofu, which would have made it stronger — so if you’re getting takeout you might wanna double-​check your order. I’ve had the Panda bowl in Kensington (which I liked) but this mall version didn’t taste quite as good, but overall I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve had there.
Staff can range from awesome to I-​hope-​they-​get-​my-​order-​right. I guess with it being in the mall the turnover might be as quick as their fast food neighbours.
If you’re at the mall and wanna eat healthy then by all means eat here — I’m sure it’s your best/​only option for vegan grub at the Eaton Centre. The prices are decent as well and you won’t feel like garbage when you clear your tray. Certainly much better above-​ground options nearby though.

The only vegan option in the food court. The custom. Bowls are a great offering.
Some of the soups tend to be too salty. Which take away from the health benefits.
The cupcakes and muffins are calorie bombs and are not the tastiest.
Portions are massive.

Food is decent, service is deplorable.
Staff were very unfriendly, and did not smile once. It felt like I was ruining their day by speaking to them. Two of the staff were standing at the back counter, having a very aggressive sounding conversation. It took a half an hour to get my food. I have honestly never had such unfriendly service in my entire life. I had the avocado sandwich, it was good, but not amazing, and very messy to eat. They clearly had not cleaned their panini press in a while, the bottom of the sandwich had big charred pieces on it. I tried the vanilla cupcake in order to bring my mood up after being disappointed by such atrocious service — but the cupcake was also pretty disappointing.
Whoever is running this place should really ensure that the staff are trained on how to appropriately deal with the public. I realize that customer service is not an easy job, but if they find that it is making them so miserable, they may be suited to a different job that does not involve customer service.

I love the concept of the place and in theory, the food is amazing (the ingredients are fresh and the way they put together the bowls are delicious) but this place is a bit of a disaster. The girls working there were nice enough but one tried to talk me out of a custom bowl by saying «well, we *could* do it for you if you really wanted», as if she didn’t want to do the extra work (?) involved in this. Then I ordered a sweet potato soup but bc of miscommunication, both girls made one each so I got 2. Then I had to stand around for another few min waiting to pay, watching then wander around aimlessly before they figured neither had cashed me out yet. So then I get my Hippo salad to the car and I look at it and… yuck. There was WAY too much dressing and it was soggy: All those nice, fresh ingredients were wilted and mushy and the colour of the salad was now brownish :(I maybe had 5 bites before feeling sick and had to toss it. The cookies were good but a little on the dry side. The best part was the soup, but even then, that was awkward bc the girl had stuck the spoon through ‘sip’ part of the lid, and had bent it completely and it was covered in soup on the handle part. LOL wtf? Why not just put the spoon in the bag? So weird.
Oddly, I would actually try this place again bc the food does look good, if I asked them to tone down the dressing. Hopefully, it was just an off day for the workers and it’s not like this all the time otherwise I’m worried to see how they’d handle a crowd of more than 2 people.

Hard to say TOO much about a mall foodcourt place, but for what it is, this place is damn good. If you’re vegetarian or vegan and in need of some decent and moderately priced food, then you’ll love this place. It was fresh and the portions were great. Too bad it’s in a mall surrounded by consumerist gluttony. If you work in the area, this is probably somewhere you should frequent. If you’re just passing through, keep moving.

Wow, the service here is awful — the staff really seem to enjoy yelling at their customers.
I went there for the first time today during lunch. First thing I noticed were the staff constantly screaming at customers to get into the correct line up. You’d think screaming is an exaggeration, but that’s what they do. Worse, if you are in the wrong line-​up and make it to the counter to order your food (after waiting 10 – 15 min) they don’t serve you and tell you to go to the other line-​up, so you have to re-​wait. My thoughts? If you are constantly needed to tell your customers this, maybe your process isn’t clear.
I was lucky enough to have chosen the correct line, and ordered my food to go. I ran into a friend, so I ate in the foodcourt instead of taking my lunch back to the office. I didn’t finish the meal, and I went back to ask for a bag on the way out. Instead of just handing me a bag, the girl at the counter starts yelling at me about how that’s not environmentally friendly or good for the planet. «Think about it!», she screams, in front of the crowd standing there.
I was shocked and started to walk away, but I couldn’t deal with the fact that this chick was so rude to me, so I went back telling her that I refuse to be scolded like that. Does she apologize? Nope — she calls me a «crazy lady». And better yet? She’s the manager!
Anyway, the food was okay — not great, but not bad for what you pay either. There are a plethora of these vegan/​vegetarian places opening up, and I don’t think it will be long before another one opens up here and hurts their business. I’m not the first one to complain about service, based on the other Unilocal reviews, so it’s clear the owner doesn’t care.

I ordered a custom bowl for $ 10 including tax. The portions were huge that I only ate half of the bowl! Very reasonable pricing considering all the ingredients are vegetables, rices, salad, etc. I would recommend this place for anyone who is looking for a healthier option in the Eaton Centre. The only downside is the service. I was confused where to pay after I received my food. The staff took a long time to realize I was ready to pay.

Done with the place and I am sad. This was my go to lunch place for a long time… till they changed their menu recently. Previously you were able to pick 1 «premium item» with your salad bowl, but now that will cost extra ($ 2 I think). Also they have changed their serving size — you now get half of what you used to get. That is a big no no in my books. You can change all you want in the menu but did you expect regulars won’t notice the drop in serving size. Sure changing the take-​out packaging may mask that for a few people… but how many can you fool?
Thank you but no thank you — I am taking my money somewhere else.

Yikes. Their menu update is stab in the heart to any regulars.
Things that have changed:
SIZE:
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Maybe a year ago, Urban Herbivore (UH) changed their take-​out packaging size. I thought maybe I remembered it wrong, but I’m glad other reviewers noticed it too. Now, their eat-​in bowls are about a third smaller, which bring it in the «not quite filling enough» category for me, but for smaller stomachs and diet chasers, it is probable a welcome change.
PREMIUM TOPPINGS:
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UH tried to secretly discourage customers from choosing their more premium toppings months ago by moving them to the back where people would not be able to see and that new customers would otherwise not know to ask for. With the new menu, the premium toppings cost $ 1.50 each, including avocado, BBQ tofu, fried vegetables, and a few others.
DRESSING:
— — — — — — — — — — –
There are more choices now, but they got rid of old ones, including my favourite Red Wine Dijon. I had chipotle. That was a no.
NUTS & SEEDS:
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What was once «nuts and seeds» is now only «seeds».
TIPS:
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I still forget this even after over a year of visiting this place: get your forks, spoons, and napkins when you pay. Counter-​intuitively, but most likely due to their layout, you have to grab cutlery before you get your food.
What used to cost me $ 11.50 would now cost me at least $ 15. While the taste is still great, the price is a bit steep for a casual lunch. I haven’t visited their competitor, Freshii, in a while. However, I’m inclined to look elsewhere.

They just recently redid their menu. I used to be a regular but won’t be returning. The famed boxed salads as photographed by Unilocalers in the attached pictures have been changed. You can no longer get bbq tofu, tempeh, roasted veggies, or avocado without paying extra for these «premium» toppings. New salad dressings too. Also, they now measure your salad. Every scoop is measured and then the salad is measured into a tiny bowl. Big rip off. Also, they don’t appear to have a choice of nuts and seeds anymore. They just have a mix which when I tried it tasted very bitter.
Also, I agree with some of the customer service issues people identified. The employees are either space cadets or rude. Methinks the long lineup here will soon be dwindling, especially since the new changes to the salad bar no longer justify the rude ‘tude.

As a vegan, I was super duper excited to become a regular at this place. I work in the mall and was delighted to hear that an Urban Herbivore opened up. That being said, the service is quite disappointing. I have given them more than 5 chances to change this opinion, and every time it is terrible. They are often sold out of common items such as tempeh, but that is the least of their problems. They SERIOUSLY need new staff who understand a basic level of guest service.
I have a story for you. One day I came here at precisely 3:05pm and asked for the lunch deal that I was super excited to try. Half avocado sandwich with coconut curry soup. Sounds amazing, no? Well, I’ll never know. The cashier asked another coworker if the deal was still available, and the coworker casually said «nope — no sandwiches left». I look up at the menu, and at least half of the menu is sandwich based. I asked if that went for ALL sandwiches and she said there isn’t any sandwich bread. I can see a 3^rd coworker in plain sight making himself a sandwich at the sandwich table next to the large box of avocados and stack of sandwich bread.
I wasn’t real impressed, and left empty handed. I avoid this place except for their Hostess cupcakes which I periodically crave. Otherwise, I prefer the pitas at Extreme Pita in the food court who are always kind and gracious towards me.

Food is amazing!
Service is seriously questionable.
I absolutely love this place but lately I can’t believe how I’m being treated when I go there. There are two girls in particular who are so rude. Miserable in fact. They have both been there a while. The new staff are friendly and always smiley.
Twice this week I gave gone there for lunch and asked for a grain bowl with quinoa. Both times the quinoa wasn’t ready. Today The girl at the cash says, quinoa isn’t ready yet and walks away to do something else. I ask how long it will be. Her answer… Its not even close to being ready. She then proceeds to give me a miserable look.
Normally in a customer service setting, one might say something like — no sorry the quinoa isn’t ready yet, it will still be another 30 minutes or so. Can I get you something else?
Service as of late makes you feel like a total inconvenience to some of these staff. They obviously don’t want to be there and they sure make it known.
Not sure who is managing this place but they should have their staff wear name tags so that we can advise them of those who are bringing their business down.
I know my issue sounds menial however this has been a long time coming. I come twice a week and have been for over a year. The customer service is getting worse. And as a regular return customer, I and everyone else should be treated better. Management needs to address this.

Love their salad and sweet potato soup! Their toppings are mostly marinated so your salad is extra delicious with all the fixings. Salad usually is never filling for me but this as a dinner is more than enough.

I have been to this place at least thrice and Mr. H is a huge fan of the salad here. And most times I end up coming here to pick it up for him. My recent visit however left a sour taste in my mouth.
As we all know, Eaton Centre food court is very crowded during lunch hour. There is absolutely no place without a queue, Urban Herbivore was the same. There were people in line to pay and then there were people standing in front of salad bars waiting for service. After I paid I noticed we were all crowded (people paying and one who had already paid) around the pay area and hence I moved forward to the second salad bar (in front of the centre table). The man in the 2^nd salad bar was helping another woman and I waited till he got done (note: I was the next in line anyway, the lady behind me was using the 1^st salad bar). Once he got done he stands right in front of me starts calling for the next customer, I’m staring right at him and saying“Hi! Hello! Excuse me” and he totally ignores me. He points to a blonde lady behind me and she being a nice woman points at me and says I’m next.
And this is what happens:
Me: I’ve been standing here this whole time.
Server: I can’t serve you cause you are not standing in the right place (so rather than telling me that he chose to ignore me??)
Me: Huh? Where am I supposed to stand?
Server: You are supposed to stand next to 1^st salad bar cause I may not be making a salad next. We have rules.
Me: (Huh?) Well why didn’t the lady at cash tell me where I’m supposed to stand, especially if you have rules! Also, there is no place to stand cause it’s so crowded.
Server: I’m sorry, I cannot discuss this any further.
(I move away and then he calls me back saying ‘ok I’ll help you this time’)
He proceeds to make my salad and starts telling my about the rules and why I was wrong to stand where I stood (after telling me he was done discussing). I just tell him to make my grain bowl so I can leave.
I have stated this before and I’ll state it again in my review, whether I pay $ 100 or $ 10, if I’m not being treated well at an establishment, It’s just not worth it! I refuse to pay someone to be rude to me.
I will not and never will be going back to Urban Herbivore again.

never disappointed! I love their daily combo deals so today I ate a delicious tempeh and avocado sandwich, arugula and spinach salad and creamy tomato soup
I’m hoping to become vegan in the near future and you won’t even think you’re eating vegan here — it’s simply delicious :)

Pretty delicious stuff, I must admit. Also not expensive, very fresh, and fast service
I am not vegan or veggie but this is good, and very filling
I got the monday special — a half tempeh sandwich (OMG yum what is tempeh I love it) and a small salad with carrots, beets, spinach, artichoke, peas, quinoa and bbq tofu (again– omg yes)
Very filling and all together 10 $+tax
I also had a pineapple lemonade. Which I AM IN LOVE WITH

I always order the salads so this review will only be based on the salads. This is my go to salad bar for lunch when I’m at work. For the huge portion of salad the price is really good. They have 3 different types of greens you can choose from; kale, arugala (not sure to spell it lol) and spinach mix. I always get the kale and arugala (other salad joints charge more for kale but not UH) and they are the only salad bar I know of that has pickled toppings and they are the best. I add it to my salas all the time. You get 6 toppings included with the salad bowl. I usually get pickled cucumbers, Kim chi, pickled beets, cooked broccoli, avocado and tofu. The pickled toppings make the salad taste so much better and because of that you don’t even need a heavy salad dressing so I usually get olive oil. The salad is so big sometimes it’s enough for me for 2 meals.
Also ask for what they have at the back that you can add to the salads… For some reason they never post those items. It’s items like tempeh, grilled vegetables, bbq tofu.
Some times if u come in the morning they have samples of muffins or cupcakes for tasting and they are so yummy.

I LOVE URBAN HERBIVORE. Ok, I am a carnivore but this place made me ‘think’ about becoming a vegetarian while I was enjoying my salad.
I ordered a salad bowl. Here’s how it works. You pick your base, 6 toppings, and a dressing. I went with quinoa and beluga lentil salad with artichoke, sesame tofu, chickpeas, beets, snow peas and avocado. I chose cranberry dressing. Oh yeah, nuts/​seeds are free, so I asked for little bit of everything.
WHOA, I was completely blown away by the weight of that salad (fully loaded, make sure to grab your bowl with two hands) and the taste. Ingredients are über fresh and the salad is delicious and nutritious.
People who work there are super nice, friendly and patient. I took my sweet @$$ time picking the toppings. The lady who served me was patient and never stopped smiling. She offered nuts/​seeds and she was quite generous when she sprinkled them over my salad.
I couldn’t even finish half of that salad so I asked for a box from one of the guys in the kitchen. I got one right away and with a big smile.
This is the feel good place that serves great, fresh food with daily dose of smiles.

Been here twice now it is absolutely FANTASTIC! Both times I got the salad bowl let me tell you that the portion is HUGE. it is legit enough for lunch and dinner haha and I am a BIG eater. I always clear my plate wherever I go out to eat and I cannot physically finish this in one sitting. Yes, you are paying just under $ 12 bucks for a foodcourt salad but its worth it :)
i need to comment on 3 toppings in particular. the kimchi cabbage is SO good. Also, the roasted cauliflower is a-​mazinggggg. I might consider getting double next time. Lastly, the roasted veggies oh-​my-​god divine. There’s eggplant, peppers, zucchini, and sweet potato and it’s perfect in the salad bowl. ask for double!
Complaints. They lie when they offer avocado as a topping. Been there twice now and both times they happen to have no ripe ones. really I think it’s because avocados aren’t cheap so they don’t want to give it to u. 2^nd complaint is that the food leaves a stronggg aftertaste in my mouth even hours after i was done, but it’s too good to even care!