Sage Café

So we were eating soy chicken in coconut curry, and gnocchi arrabbiata, totally minding our own business and enjoying the quaint atmosphere when DOWN CAME THESE LIGHT BLASTS like tasers from the moon and suddenly, so suddenly, we were taken captors of the enemy alien horde. More later, when they allow us to leave our cages.

Nice little place in a strip mall. Food was good. Had Crunchy Sprout Salad and a portobello sandwich. Great service.

This place was amazing. We had the hummus to start and the tiramisu to finish! The caribe was excellent

Excellent food and atmosphere! My first time ever eating in a strictly vegetarian restaurant. Salad, pasta entre, gluten free bread and a complimentary dessert that just blew my quest and I away! Our waiter was very professional and explained the entries. Everything tasted so good.

I was happy to try this vegan restaurant in Chapel hill. It’s a cute place. The food was pretty good, but the service was a tad bit lacking, really only because our server seemed a little less than chipper. She seemed a little annoyed to answer any questions. Which we only had like 2. Other than that she did a good job. Just would have been nicer if we she was more welcoming.

Hummus was fresh and garlicky. Service was good, attentive, kind, knowledgeable. Salads creative and fresh. Osi delicious. Rice beautifully cooked. Excellent!

What a pleasant experience all around! I had the caribe as an entrée and it did not disappoint. The black beans were so flavorful and the spicy tofu had a wonderful bite to it. I am a new vegetarian and loved that I had this fantastic option outside of NYC. We will be back next time we are in Chapel Hill. Thanks!

We had a great time at Sage. Food is fresh, healthy, creative, and delicious. Prices were fair and our server was nice. The hummus is awesome!
Only complaints would be that the seating is a little cramped — though it has a nice vibe — and the service was a little slow.
I’d come back any day!

Ate here for my birthday dinner last Monday. Quaint, tiny, brightly-​colored café. I ordered the house soup which was exquisite, brimming with various vegetables, pasta, and legumes. Rather thick, more like a stew. The hummus was delicious, served with crudités and pita.
I had the pasta primavera as my entrée, which was filled with fresh ingredients and was quite flavorful. The bf had the faux chicken cutlets and really enjoyed them. The desserts looked splendid, but we were too full to sample them.
It was a great experience, and we’d definitely return. Tip: good to get here earlier if you can, this place fills up fast, even on weeknights. Also, they only take reservations for groups of 4 or larger.

The freshness and variety are stellar. Great service! Gluten-​free options, and wonderful stews. Great atmosphere for dinner.

This restaurant is in my neighborhood and it has that neighborhood vibe to it. Small, quaint and usually filled with friends from the area. First of all I always have a bowl of Osh soup. Divine. You can pretty much select anything from their menu as it is made fresh and doesn’t disappoint. Often you see the owners and their family dining inside as well and it lends to the family vibe. The grilled cheese is heavenly. All the salads are fresh and interesting. The portions are just right for me and they focus on quality. The wait-​staff I give mixed reviews. The woman normally waiting tables is a bit brusk in her manner and hasn’t quite worked on the friendly part yet. This is an area that needs improvement as this restaurant is small enough they really need to pay attention to how their staff interacts with customers.

What the description doesn’t mention is that it’s also Persian food! I have not had much of this before and now I’ll be going back for more! It’s mostly local sources and they have deals with other local businesses so everything is kept organic and local! Went for lunch, and this place is popular! But I didn’t have to wait long. Best for small groups and two-​eaters. The décor was beautiful and the service was excellent. The food — wow! I had Osh soup that left me wishing I had ordered a bowl instead of a cup. And the crunchy sprout salad — the dill dressing was amazing! Definitely will be going back.

Love this place! Delicious, fresh, and unique flavors! My favorite dish is the vegetable kabob. I love the pomegranate seeds in it and the seasoning is great! I also enjoy the budnjoon, a rich flavorful tempeh dish. Have never been disappointed by the service or anything! Definitely recommend it!

Been trying to get here for a decade! Finally took a day off and drove to chapel hill. I was not disappointed. Had the tropical salad which is arugula, hearts of Palm, avocado and cheese. It was delicious. Also ordered the lasagna and am still enjoying leftovers. everyone was friendly and I hope it doesn’t take me another 10 years to get back.

In the midst of an intense game of double solitaire between my grandmother and me, I sent my mother out to pick up some lunch for us. My inner carnivore was initially irked when I found out that she stopped at a vegetarian restaurant, but I am now glad to report that my tastebuds (and my internal organs) are thanking me.
The veggie burger that I ate was among the best that I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve eaten quite a few of them, so try not to let your preconceptions of me get in the way of this completely unbiased review. The Mezze Platter was also fantastic, providing plenty of options for selection. I found the best components of it to be the freshly baked pita bread and the highly flavorful grape leaves.
Despite not seeing the process first-​hand, the take-​out system in place here seems to be very efficient, which definitely promises more business from me in the future. Since I’ve not had a full meal inside the restaurant, I will update this review once I do so, but in terms of food, I couldn’t possibly be more satisfied.

Fantastic vegetarian café. Most entrees are inspired by traditional Persian fare but completely vegetarian. Non-​Persian meals are also excellent (vegetarian lasagna) for those looking for a more familiar meal. Family owned and reasonably priced.

Beware: Sage has wait staff and management (and owners) who justify the mistreatment of loyal customers who are senior citizens if they don’t leave a 25% tip! My dear friend was wrongly mistreated when she didn’t leave a big enough tip for service which wasn’t even good! She was told by the manager here this is a «25% tipping caliber restaurant»! My friend has support Sage for years, as have I. So just careful, you may get great food here but the customer service and how they treat people are shit.

I would say this place is a-​ok. The seats are pretty comfortable and the wait staff is very attentive. I’ve gone twice so far and I’ll be back. It’s right by the small movie theater so it would be a great place for date night. Vegan things are well labeled.
My favorite dishes so far:
— The sprout salad. This had lots of fresh vegetables and was really yummy.
— The gormeh sabzi. I had a few bites of my dining companions order and I liked it better than my dish. It was savory and yummy.
— The banana chocolate cake. Served warm. Yum, this was perfection.
Ok dishes:
— The fesen joon. This was a little sweet to be a main dish. I prefer to save sweets for the end of the meal. It was good for a couple bites, but then the flavors were just too sweet and cinnamony and I wouldn’t want to base an entire meal around it.
— The caribe. This was good, I really enjoyed the grilled pineapple and the avocado. I liked that they put the sauce on the side because I didn’t like it at all, so I just avoided that.
I want to come back for lunch because I’m more interested in the sandwiches than the entrees, and you can’t order off the sandwich menu for dinner, unfortunately.

Love everything in here. Good food, good service. My favorite is the vegan wrap with sauteed tofu and all kind of veggies…

We have been to the Sage Café several times. It is a vegetarian restaurant where you can eat outside in the summertime.
The food is very good. I have tried the Gnocchi Arabiatta and the vegetable kabob, both of which were delicious. They have a nice bunch of soups, with strange sounding names (osh,…). And their main entrees come with basmati rice, which is great.
This is a nice place.

We were really pleased with Sage Café, which earned the second 5-​star review of our NC visit. The waiter was knowledgeable, interested and kind, and I enjoyed speaking with him.
I ordered the gormeh stew, and Heather ordered the soy cutlets in coconut and mushroom. My cousin ordered the stew made with walnuts and pomegranates, whose name I can’t recall. We also got a round of osh (spelled «aush» elsewhere), which is a Persian vegetable soup. The osh was much more spinach-​forward than the more yogurty one found at Helmand restaurant, and I really enjoyed it.
The gormeh stew really hit the spot without being too heavy. It was tempeh based, but the tempeh didn’t really overwhelm, and the sauce went great with the saffron rice. I think the real winner was Heather’s «chicken» cutlets, which had a chewy, stewed quality that made them incredibly meat-​like. The sauce on that one was really rich and savory. I wasn’t crazy about my cousin’s order – but then again, I didn’t order it. :)
I would definitely go again! Five stars.

There is nothing on the menu that isn’t tasty and service is always excellent. The ONLY potential down side is that it is small so it is possible not to have a table available when you arrive.
It is around the corner of the building to the Chelsea Theater, which shows recent independent films, and across the parking lot from the Regal Timberlyne Theater, which shows mainstream movies. Perfect for dinner and a movie.

Exceeded our expectations. They’re open late, which was a huge bonus for us. The staff is extremely friendly and considerate. They have tons of vegan-​friendly options, in addition to the vegetarian fare that fills the menu. We all ate well and felt fat and happy. We are definitely coming back for another round next time we are in town.
Recommendation: try the two Persian stews & the sprouted salad.

Arrived right before lunch rush and we were seated immediately. Courteous service. Flavorful food. I ordered the OSH soup (cup size $ 4) …easily could have ordered the bowl size ($ 6) and only had that. It was so good I have been dreaming of it since. garbanzos, lentils, pintos, spinach, noodles, herbs & spices– YUMMY!
I also ordered the Caribe. ($ 14.00) a little pricey for my normal lunch meal but it was delicious!
Caribbean style black beans served with avocado, basmati-​saffron rice, grilled spicy tofu, grilled pineapple squares & seasoned plantains.
They have a remarkable way of making tofu taste amazing.

Pretty bad service. Not sure if it’s because we look young or are students. We also found everything there extremely over priced for what it is. My husband ordered the gazpacho, which was a special dish, and it tasted like a thicker V8 juice. Maybe even V8 blended with salsa. I ordered the salad special and it was okay. It was over priced considering it was primarily spinach. The bread you get on the side of both dishes is good but they only give you a tiny piece.
I understand that the city is sparse when it comes to vegetarian restaurants, but this place does not deserve the high ratings. I would nudge up a star if I had better service.

I was told about this place a year ago, from the co-​owners who run the market. This was an excellent choice. It’s makes vegetarian have flavor! So many good options and good portions. Service was nice and consistent. The patio, is a little small but perfect on the cooler evenings.
This is not a hippy dippie joint, but serious Mediterranean, middle eastern style cuisine. I really want to try the Fesen-​Joon (with pomegranate juice) but this time I went with the Bud-​m-​Joon (Eggplant with cinnamon) was delicious and the side of shirazi (tomato cucumber salad) was amazing.

Loved it! This cute little café has a very well-​rounded menu with vegetarian and vegan options from all different types of cuisine. I ordered the Gormeh Sabzi with brown rice. It was SO GOOD!
I love the vibe here — the staff are so friendly but also laid back. I noticed many regulars saying hi to the staff as well. There’s something to be said for a place this size to be bringing people back for more again and again. My server, Andrew, was extremely friendly and helpful.
I would highly suggest Sage for lunch if you are in the area — make sure to try the lemonade!