Urban Herbivore

my vegan friend and i decided to try out this place and oh my god was it the best decision we’ve ever made. although im not a vegan, id recommend this place to every person i talk to. i ordered the customized salad bowl and it was so filling! they have tons of toppings and dressing to choose from. the prices are pretty reasonable considering how fresh all the ingredients are (for example, my salad here was $ 10 = 10 piece chicken mcnugget meal at mcdonalds $ 10). the worker there was super kind, the atmosphere was relaxed, plus they even had a sample of their vegan cupcakes to taste. this place has definitely got me thinking about going vegan

Horrid service. Would be nice if I was asked what I wanted as a base for the curry order — as opposed to just assuming rice. And then get mad at the customer for questioning it?
Could not be less friendly.
I’ve always wanted to try this place but was extremely disappointed.

Cute little spot that can easily go unnoticed at the corner of Kensington Market. Portions are huge, but the prices reflect that. Had to split my meal into 2, so in the end it was worth it :)
You can pretty much build your own salad so customize to your liking/​taste.
The only thing I didn’t like about this place is the lack of seating and the bathroom that is not even in the same building.

3.5 stars — only because I stopped by briefly for a cupcake.
Pros:
— Staff were friendly.
— Delicious vegan red velvet cupcake.
— I really like the interior and ambiance — it was very relaxing, especially with the wooden bar table, hanging potted plants and the fact that most of the restaurant is surrounded by glass.
Cons:
— Pricey — especially for the bowls.

I’ve been coming here since it opened years ago when I lived in Toronto and worked close by. Happy to see despite some mostly minor changes its still good quality vegan food for a reasonable price. I had the tropikale smoothie today which was perfect, and the bowls looked as good as ever. Good for a casual, quick but good bite.

Was it my leather wallet that upset the staff? You could tell that Urban Herbivore takes Veganism seriously even prior to you entering the place. There is a crossed-​off fur sign (Canada Goose Jackets beware!) on the door that we thought was a symbol of their devotion to the cause.
However, there isn’t as much devotion to the food. We had the Moroccan Stew with Quinoa and while the portion was huge the taste was somewhat bland and lacking.
Have you had a dish that you simply stopped eating because it was way too boring? Yes… this stew did not exactly set our taste buds to vegan-​disco party.
And although it’s a big portion the prices ($ 10) were not comparable with the value you are getting out of it, and for that price you could try out other Vegan food places in Kensington Market e.g. Hibiscus’ Vegan Savoury Buckwheat Crêpe.

First day in town, first meal: first ever bout of FOOD POISONING from a Tempeh sandwich with Grapefruit juice.
Server/​cashier had awful attitude, there was some construction work in the back –loud enough to hear inside due to the open design between spaces.
1,000% avoid at all costs!
(Regret not having a sweet potato burrito across the st at Big Fat Burrito)

Delicious vegan options that make you feel both healthy and full. The salads feel a little pricey until you see the sheer size of them, and the ingredients are generally really good quality. The sandwiches are delicious. More than once, however, I’ve gone a little bit before closing and they have either already cleaned the sandwich press so they won’t make you one, or have run out of bread (!), which is always a little saddening. Still, I’m glad this place exists.

The best salad and grain bowls in the city! So satisfying, flavourful, and healthy. Can’t go wrong with this place, it just never disappoints. :)

I had a really good salad here the other day. The ingredients were fresh and it was HUGE. My favourite was the dilled cucumbers. And $ 10 flat was a good value.
I was somewhat put off by the service, though. The guy who served me was abrupt and I felt like I was bothering him by ordering my food. From what I could hear the customers behind me got the same treatment.
I may give it another shot — we’ll see!

This place is overrated. It has so much potential, too! What a bummer. It is somewhat overpriced, but nothing surprising for the area.
Here are my two main issues:
The food is pretty inconsistent. This is a major turn-​off for me. I’d like to know that when I am ordering the same thing I ordered last time, I am going to get something that looks and tastes pretty much like what I ordered last time.
The service is enough to make me not want to come here again. Honestly, people working at Urban Herbivore: get over yourselves. You *do know* that your job entails taking people’s orders and answer their questions, right? At least pretend to care, or. something? I’ve worked in food service before for many, many years; it is honestly not that hard. And ffs: answers customers’ questions. The abysmal service is the main reason I am not going to come back. Actively being made to feel like you are a nuisance is annoying, to say the least.

I go to Urban Herbivore on almost a weekly basis.
The reasons why I enjoy going to Urban Herbivore are:
— salad bowls are delicious and consistent
— it’s close to my work (walking distance) & the lines aren’t usually too long
— price is not too bad ($ 10) for a healthy bowl that will fill you up
— the variety of toppings are usually pretty great, especially to change things up if you go often and want a variety. Swapping between salad & grain bowls is also a nice option.
The reasons why I dread going to Urban Herbivore are:
— amount of toppings vary depending on who is making your bowl. Some are much more generous than others. Usually the more pleasant ones give you more toppings (go figure)
— the service is always hit-​or-​miss. Sometimes you will get friendly service, and you leave happy and feeling like you’re a good person. However, sometimes, you get service that literally makes you feel like you just harmed someone’s child. If you catch them on an bad day, you will literally be barked and yelled at if you ask a question or if you ask them to clarify something. Sometimes the eye-​rolls that you get from the staff defy physics.
— having to always tip-​toe your way around in fear of getting attitude is not the way service should work in a restaurant. As a customer, you shouldn’t be afraid or intimidated to ask a question or for a little extra tofu without feeling like you’re asking them for their last kidney.
All-​in-​all, I’ll keep going back because it’s tasty, but if the service was better I would definitely go more often.

Had the ‘Hippo’ salad to go, on recommendation of the helpful cashier. The quality of veggies & grains was very good (no brown spots, brown rice cooked perfectly), I would have given a 4.5 but had to subtract points for the terrible disrespectful attitude I received from my salad maker; I was waiting behind 3 others who ordered before me, so I wasn’t completely alert to her calling my name, I apologized when I got to the counter and she had the audacity to say,“you NEED to pay attention when I call your name” with an eye roll; shocked by her attack, I tried to explain that I was behind people that weren’t yet served, she had the nerve to say,“NO, they are not!”(yes they were, I was lined up behind them), as she was in charge of making my salad and I became extremely fearful that she was going to spit in my food, I let it go… pity, I would’ve gone back if not for this!

I used to go here for lunch all the time and have been really pleased with it. I always found it a bit pricey but was willing to pay the price for a big bowl of veggies.
However, since changing their menu I must say I’m quite disappointed. They decreased the number of toppings available for the salad/​grain bowls from 7 to 6, and are now charging an additional $ 2.50 if you want tofu, tempe, grilled veg or avocado on your bowl… bringing the overall price to $ 13 or more.
I heard another customer expressing disappointment over the price increase while decreasing the available toppings, and the staff member looked at her blankly and curtly said, «food is expensive».
So, overall, although they have a decent product, the price increase combined with the staff’s «I don’t give a shit about you» approach, I may find a new lunch spot.

I’m here about once a week and I always get the salad bowl. It’s a little pricey but I’ll pay for a big, good salad.
I enjoy sitting outside or inside by the window. The only other seating area has big tables and uncomfortable/​awkward seats.
The staff is a little surly but it’s part of the place’s charm. lol

I actually love this place’s salad/​grain bowls — it’s a very large portion for which you get to pick 6 toppings. What makes it worth it is how varied the selection is– roasted tempeh, barbecue tofu, artichokes, kimchee, a long with lots of coloured veggies and such.
They offer nuts/​seeds and a choice of dressing on it for extra flavour/​personalization.
I always leave feeling full and healthy, and having eaten a salad bowl tailored to exactly what I want.
I’ve tried their soup once and it was really tasty. I wasn’t too impressed with their cupcakes, but I don’t go there for desserts anyways.
That said, the service is sometimes slow with only one person working both the cash register and the salad bar. They always seem understaffed.

I find it hard to explain to people why I love Urban Herbivore, given that my visits there basically entail my paying $ 12 for a large box of vegetables with some tofu and dressing thrown in there. But honesty, aside from the slightly inflated price point, I can’t see what’s not to love — Urban Herbivore is all about simple, fresh, and delicious food, and at the end of the day, that’s what counts for me!
As I mentioned, I always opt for a grain bowl or a salad bowl when I visit. The portion size is MASSIVE (which, if you’re like me, is a very good thing indeed), and the ingredients they use are always high-​quality and tasty. The staff are perhaps a bit on the sullen/​quiet side, but they’ve been very kind to me in making some exceptions to their topping rules before (you’re not allowed more than one pick from this one group of proteins). I have it on good authority that the sandwiches are to die for — I will definitely be sampling one next time I come by! Also a promising baked goods selection.
Bottom line: No, you don’t go to Urban Herbivore for a fancy meal out, but you DO go to Urban Herbivore for a mountain of all-​natural goodness. If you’re in the area and you’re feeling flush with cash, then it’s a great place to grab lunch.

Had the avocado sandwich on the whole wheat bun — a great lunch choice! I liked how the sandwich came with a small side of salad.
Love the bright interior and seats along the window. It’s great for people watching while munching on your food or chatting with friends.
There are additional seats (larger tables) behind the counter towards the kitchen. The only inconvenient thing was that you have to pass through the kitchen to get to the washroom.

Urban Herbivore was a pleasant surprise for this pescatarian. I had a BLT (BBQ tofu, Lettuce, tomatoes) on Rosemary Focaccia with a side of mixed green salad dressed in sesame-​ginger, mustard. Yummm! It was so good that I had a second serving for the road. The experience almost didn’t happen because the servers didn’t greet their customers and welcome them to the establishment nor informed guests of their menu — patrons did the job of recommending sandwiches over salad bowls and two for one vegan cup cakes for a short and sweet snack.
Towards the end of my delicious experience, I used the washroom which was oddly accessible through the kitchen. Design flaws aside, the food was filling and the drinks pleasantly tart. I would revisit Urban Herbavore on my next casual date. I recommend Urban Herbavore for a simple, guiltless pleasure.

I am a vegetarian and I am embarassed that this place exists. Just because you are a vegetarian/​vegan business does not mean you can conduct yourself with any less dignity than a regular business — you still need to deliver quality food and service at a fair price in a clean, pleasant environment, and Urban Herbivore does none of these things.
You guys are not doing a service to the vegan/​vegetarian community or gaining us any respect by serving crappy, overpriced food in an unclean venue.
I honestly don’t understand why this place is rated so highly on Unilocal.Do all the hipsters of Toronto secretly have trust funds that they can’t find enough things to waste money on? Who else is actually buying stuff here?!
[ food: ⁵⁄₁₀ ]
Bleh. No flavour coordination whatsoever. You might as well grab some of the day-​old vegetables being thrown out in Chinatown and drench them in whatever liquids happen to be sitting in your fridge.
Sandwiches are mediocre. I’ve had the BLT and the tofu sandwich. Both were meh-​worthy and not worth paying for. If a five year old kid made this and served it to me while playing chef I might stomach it and eat the whole thing with a smile, but come on. This is (supposedly) a business run by adults.
At least I’ve never gotten food poisoning here, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I did.
[ service: ³⁄₁₀ ]
Good god, could the people here care any less about their jobs? Having entire conversations and ignoring me while I’m standing at the counter? The employees at McDonalds usually show more attention and respect.
Maybe they should use some of their conversation time to wipe down the tables every once in a while, judging by the food scraps and crumbs sitting all over the place.
[ place /​décor: ³⁄₁₀ ]
Could this be any more poorly designed? They have a massive kitchen space (dunno why since most of their food isn’t even cooked) but very little sitting room — this narrow little unfinished wood bar that’s probably supposed to give a «natural» look but in all honesty simply looks cheap and like someone gave up halfway through building it. Leftover food crumbs on the tables aren’t swept up. I felt gross eating here.
[ pricing: ¹⁄₁₀ ]
Nothing here is worth half the price that they’re charging for it.
[ conclusion ]
The worst of what Hipsterville, Toronto (Kensington) has to offer. Don’t bother going here. Would give zero stars if I could.