On the Fly

This place is cute and cozy and great for veggie. The falafel was good and the empanadas was a little too spicy for my co-​worker. It is affordable but parking is difficult.

On the Fly is the street food/​lunch section of Dragonfly Neo-​V, so it’s a cheap-​ish vegan place with a tiny seating area. The place is also a little snotty, like Dragonfly. There’s usually one guy behind the counter and I feel like I’m bothering him when I want to order. I’ve eaten there a few times. They have a falafel sandwich that is to die for, with some sort of awesome sweet sauce. But, I also had their sushi roll and it was underwhelming. It should be noted that my picky omnivore husband really liked the portobello «steak» sandwich even with it’s vegan cheese. We also split an apple empanada, which is HUGE and really delicious. The sauce that the apples are in is so creamy and good, but oh my, that was a lot of calories. Now that I’m thinking about this place, I need to go back. Mmm.

The best vegan brunch I’ve ever had, by far. You will start your day happy eating these super indulgent dishes.
I have tried approximately one million times (and failed) to reverse engineer their vegan version of eggs benedict.

I really, really want to give On the Fly 3 stars. But I’m not sure I can justify it given my most recent visit.
I will say that the service is friendly and attentive and overall great. Which is the main reason I really wanted to leave a better rating — I like these people!
but the food was really underwhelming. I got the empanadas, which had a flakey and buttery crust, but a completely lackluster filling. It seriously tasted like someone just stuffed it full of hummus but forgot to put any spices or garlic in the hummus. I also tried the falafel sandwich. The pita was hard which was strange, but it tasted fine. There was a strange combination of vegetables — like butternut squash — in the filling. But the falafel was mush. Crank up your deep-​fat-​fryer, On the Fly! I think had the falafel been crispy I wouldn’t have been so meh on the sandwich. Oddly enough, the empanada filling tasted pretty much the same as the falafel. I see what you did there, On The Fly.
also the storefront for On The Fly is actually not really open right now, so the menu is served at the bar on the Dragonfly side of the restaurant. which is a bit awkward when you start off on the On The Fly side and end up being moved over to the other side. The employees were really nice about it, but it was just a little weird.

On the Fly was right across the street from my polling location and given my hunger, I decided to get myself a bite to eat. I had their falafel before and thought it was decent. Their chalkboard menu had around the same offerings as my first visit six months ago. I asked about their rowdy burger– which was explained to consist of the usual black bean suspects. However, upon glancing down at the «sides,» my eyes widened at the «truffled guacamole.» Sadly, the guy behind the counter said that they ran out. I ordered the Philly V steak instead and partook in the rustic style bun and well seasoned portobello mushrooms ‘n onions. I’m not a vegetarian but I definitely think that this place is headed in the right direction for affordable, unpretentious, veggie-​friendly eats. Since it’s only two blocks from campus, I definitely won’t mind popping in to see what kind of daily/​seasonal surprises they have on the menu!

The ‘Asian Noodlle Salad’ is a m a z i n g. That is really it.
For those that comment on the service, there is no service. Its over the counter. Que?!

I was expecting a lot from OTF. I’ve enjoyed my meals at Dragonfly before, when I had a spare $ 100 to drop, and was looking for a similar ambience and taste, if not slightly toned down to match the price point.
What I found when I arrived was two loud children, apparently belonging to the woman working there, that were eating cookies and getting crumbs literally all over the floor in the entire restaurant. She had to yell at her kids to leave the restaurant in order to take my order.
She was unprepared, didn’t know what was available on the menu, and was one of those people who has to TRY to be nice to people, and you can detect that her hospitality isn’t entirely genuine. Her appearance was not professional, she had stains all over her clothes, and was speaking loudly on her cell phone while I waited for my food.
When my food was finally ready after 20 minutes, she did not have a bag to put it into and asked if I was able to just carry it out. Which I did. I took my food home to eat so I could get away from that environment.
I ordered the chili-​corn polenta empanada, the vegan tacos and the guacamole.
The empanada was fine. Probably one of the better empanadas I’ve had in Columbus, but can’t compare to anything I find in NYC or in Argentina. The pastry was flaky and more authentic than say Barrio’s, which is just made from a sheet of phyllo dough. The filling was evenly distributed and the chili was just flavorful enough that it covered the taste of the polenta.
The vegan tacos were slightly better. The filling was hot, delicious and the sauce was great. The house made tortillas were slightly dry, but edible. The guacamole was fresh and delicious.
All in all, I give this restaurant three stars. The food was good enough for the price point, and worth three stars if I don’t have to eat it there. Will try again just to see how the other dishes are.

You live, you learn… this is not my cup of tea so to speak.
After reading a handful of favorable Unilocal reviews of On the Fly I was sure it would be a place I would love… but not so much. The quaint space & simple décor was to my liking, & the prices are cheap, but I’m afraid you get what you pay for. Not that the food was ‘bad’ per se, but it just wasn’t for me. Lacking any sort of intensely flavorful or ‘wow factor’ qualities, the food was just… alright.
The bratwurst was chewy & bland but the sauce it was smothered in helped it out a bit. The empanada was simple, but again, the same sauce as the bratwurst, so I guess we overdid it with the order. The falafel was doable, wrapped in a beet & field green mix, I would reconsider this one option. However, seeing as The Olive Tree & The Happy Greek offer an extraordinary falafel, I may have to pass.
For those who enjoy simple & less flavorful (as in an amalgamation of spices) offerings, then I suppose On the Fly would satisfy. But for me, the intense flavor pairings I find at other local spots suit me better. I did however, enjoy Virgil’s Spiced Rootbeer.

I’m really into trying falafel from different places to see how it compares. On The Fly, hands down, has the best falafel in the city. I also love how they change it up every so often – once they added fresh beets to it and it was divine.
Everything else on the menu is fantastic, they have cheap Blue Sky cans and a decent collection of beers and wines.
Super!

It was hard deciding between 2 and 3 stars. I’m wondering if the 5-​star-​giving reviewers haven’t actually experienced good vegan food before or if they know something I don’t about what to order…
The ordering experience was a bit boisterous and distracting with an iPod blaring music directly into my unsuspecting meat-​eating face. I panicked and got the Asian noodle salad because it was the first thing my eyes saw and my brain understood. After ordering, my friend and I didn’t know if our food would come to us or if we had to wait for it – the general feel of the place seemed very «self service.» We milled about inside for a while until the single employee shouted (over the music) that he’d bring out our food. We chose to eat outside, away from the iPod.
The food was extremely unremarkable. My friend ordered the falafel while I had the iPod-​induced Asian noodle salad. They were alright, but pricy for «alright.» The one notable feature of my salad was it had a very authentic Japanese flavor and feel – tasted exactly like the cold, refreshing Japanese dishes they serve in the summer. Not worth the price. I think hers was mostly described as «crispy.»
We returned our dishes back inside to the bins (see above, re: self-​service) and had a quick glance over the desserts, but was disappointed, so considered heading to Jeni’s instead.
All in all, it’s not a horrible place, but not a great place. If I happen to be walking by it and am hungry, I might stop in again.

On the Fly has all of what I wish Dragon Fly Neo-​V would have:
1) Simply tasty food
2) Consistent quality
3) Non-​pretentious, laid-​back atmosphere
4) Good music
5) Cool people
6) An easy name
Right next door to each other, owned by the same person, these two restaurants are worlds apart.
* You won’t have to take a second mortgage out on your home to have dinner with a friend here. This place has reasonable prices, the other place doesn’t.
* They always have great music playing on the iPod dock. I know this is a small thing, but for me, it’s an important part of what makes this place really low-​key, and helps me to relax while I’m eating. I never feel rushed, and as long as they aren’t busy, the waitstaff are always willing to chat about cool stuff.
* I have eaten here many times and, although I wish I could afford to say that I’ve done the same for Dragon Fly, I cannot. The one time I had a meal at Dragon Fly it was impressive… until I got the bill. I remember thinking to myself: «Does this meal come with sexual favors I have not yet received?» The food at On the Fly is consistently prepared and, although it’s not crazily sophisticated fare, it’s super tasty, earthy, well seasoned and filling. Also, the food is generally fast to the table, and they have a free water container: you can pour your own! The one time I ate at Dragon Fly, I wished I could just go over to On the Fly and eat my meal there. Alas, my date wanted to wait for dessert, but afterward she said she would have preferred a cupcake from next door too, so I didn’t feel so bad.
* Although I didn’t have a necessarily bad experience with the waitstaff at Dragon Fly, I always feel like I have a much more — how do I say this… genuine? — experience at On the Fly. Does that make sense? I want to connect with people, ask my neighbors if what they’re eating is good, and feel welcome. Next door is stuffy and pretentious.
* I added the name-​thing in, because my mind always has to think about the name of the other place: is it Dragonfly? Dragon Fly? Dragon Fly Neo V, Neo-​V? C’mon, guys — get your marketing together. On the Fly. Simple.
In fact, I think that’s the best word to describe this restaurant: simple.
If you want complex, go next door — they’ll be happy to oblige.
In this fast-​paced, hectic world, I just want to go into a restaurant, feel comfortable, relaxed, and not have to worry about making an impression. The impression I get at On the Fly is a smiling cashier who knows the food and wants to make sure I have a good time while I’m there.
So…back to the vegan thing. I thought these two places were 100% vegan, and I recently found out they aren’t. Although they are mostly vegan, they sell vegetarian food (add dairy, honey) and even omnivorous food (if you count eggs and possibly other things). I was shocked to see them all excited about their special, what seemed to me to be an All Egg-​Stravaganza, brunch during Mother’s Day this year. I’m vegan, and I don’t want to go to a place that’s so focused on how humanely the eggs are raised. They’re still eggs, and I like having more than one restaurant in Columbus that’s focused on and celebrates vegan cuisine. When you throw eggs into the mix, it’s just not the same.
Sure, many of the places I’ve reviewed in the past are vegetarian and even omnivorous, with some vegan food. I’m cool with that. If there’s a place that caters to non-​vegans, but they’re vegan-​friendly, that’s okay by me. However, when a place sells itself as completely vegan, all your friends talk about this great vegan restaurant, and suddenly you pick up a bag of chips and find that there’s one item that’s not vegan… now I have to question every item in the place. «So…is that vegan?» Worse, does the person I’m talking to really know if the ingredients are 100% vegan or not? I realize that this is a problem anywhere I go, but I sometimes prefer to go to places where I don’t have to be so diligent. On the Fly is one of those that’s mostly there for me, but not quite.
So let’s talk about the food! (Yes, please!)
I love the empanadas… love, love, LOVE! Someone took a picture of one here on Unilocal,and it does it justice. So tasty, with sauce drizzled over the top. Of course, in the picture I’m looking at, you can’t see the tasty inside. You’ll like it though. It’s one of my favorites, for sure.
For someone who doesn’t eat meat anymore, it’s nice to have a good animal-​friendly meat substitute. Enter: the Philly ‘V’ Steak! It’s not real steak, but who cares? It’s awesome! I’m a big fan of food that’s secretly vegan. Bring a few friends, share, and see what they think.
I seem to get the Street Food Salad quite often, and for good reason. It tastes good, is nice and filling, and seems healthier than the empanadas.
The Sesame Roll is also something I enjoy.
They have outside seating, which is nice when the weather’s good.
All in all, I like this place. Now maybe some of that will rub off next door?

It was good, but not nearly as good as the other reviews made it out to be. We were ignored for several minutes when we first walked in and when we asked questions about the menu we could barely hear the answers over the music that was blaring. We made our choices and made our way outside, my friend got the Asian noodle salad and I got the falafel.
He gave the salad high marks, mentioning that it tasted just like what he’d gotten in Japan. I tasted it and it was definitely better than what you get at Noodle and Company and for less money.
My falafel was good, crispy and served in a pita that was warm and soft. It wasn’t the best I’ve had in Columbus but it was close.
We went back in to throw out our trash and looked over the desserts but none of them looked all that appealing. We asked about the Devil Dawg, which is on the online menu but apparently no longer served there, and once again the explanation was difficult to hear.
I definitely wouldn’t have a problem eating here again, but there are way better places around if you aren’t a vegan. If you are, I’m guessing this is the holy land.

I just had to add my 2 cents about how wonderful this place is. Having moved here from California, my one complaint about Columbus is the lack of cheap, healthy, yummy eats that are plentiful out there (You might be thinking there are better things to complain about but you’ve never lived in SoCal… Cbus really is better). This place has a limited but varied menu of delicious vegan treats. I love the Streetfood Salad (which is now called something else) but is basically greens and seasonal vegetables, asian noodles, and tofu in a delicious soy-​y asian dressing. IT’S SO YUMMY!

I would literally go here for lunch every day if it were local. Eating their food seems to reverse the aging process it is so healthy, not to mention tasty, and it’s made in the same kitchen by the same award-​winning chef as the parent restaurant next door. Kudos to Magdiale and Kristen for extending an affordable option for healthy eating in the wasteland of fried food and fat that is central Ohio. My favorite is the Sesame Roll, but it’s all good, and make sure to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner (and later) that they sell at state-​minimum prices. Nice touch!

Wonderful vegan food, inspired by the chef of dragonfly neo. Service is sub par but still give it 5 stars for how inexpensive and delicious the food is for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores alike! Try the falafel or the sesame roll, you won’t regret it!
(don’t forget their house made hot sauce!)

On The Fly is vegan «street food» /​carry-​out attached to Dragonfly, and makes a great lunch stop for vegans and vegetarians, surely, but the food is high quality and should please all but the most hardcore meat eaters as well.
The menu is extremely small (around 6 choices, plus a few desserts?), but they DO vary the composition of some of the offerings from day-​to-​day — such as the KIND of empanada offered, or the fixins in the chili.
The falafel and emanadas are excellent, and the chili is good, but depending on the make-​up, can be great (the chick-​pea chili was just OK, the black bean & corn chili was excellent), and the sesame roll is very tasty as well.
Nice beer & wine selections (as well as other bottled drinks — root beer, tea, etc.) and some fun dessert options, such as the AWESOME dessert empanada finish the meal.
The menu size does make frequent returns somewhat less exciting (even with the variation), and the indoor space is TINY, so when the weather isn’t suitable for sitting on the patio, dining-​in may be a challenge. The other knock is that since it’s usually only one person behind the counter prepping most of the food, orders can get a little backed-​up when they get busy, but for the most part, they do a good job of turning things around in a timely manner.

I was so excited to see that Dragonfly had opened a lunch spot. The dishes are inspired by streetfood and are correspondingly cheap (around $ 6 – 8), at least by restaurant standards. The staff was very friendly and explained the menu to me. I had the lentil-​carrot empanada, which was very nice and filling. I wouldn’t feel guilty bringing a non-​vegetarian to this place because a lot of the dishes were very hearty. The dishes today were empanadas, falafel, chili and bread, a sandwhich made with portobello, and two asian-​inspired dishes, one of which was a salad and the other was a roll. I will definitely return to try more.
The restaurant is quite small, but no one was there when I arrived for a late lunch, though someone arrived as I was leaving. I took mine to-​go and I suspect other people do too. They accept credit cards, but prefer to only use them for orders over $ 10.

My girlfriend brought me to On the Fly today for lunch. She had been before with a friend, but had not eaten herself, so her interest was piqued enough to guinea pig the both of us. It’s a very small spot with a very small menu. I’m pretty sure it’s all veggie fare. I ordered the Falafel Sandwich and Kittiya ordered the Phillie «v» Cheesesteak. Both were very good. The Falafel was flavorful, if just a tad soft, and the veggies were nice and fresh. There was a nice twist in that a beet was part of the sandwich topping… a very pleasant surprise. The pita was also very fresh tasting. Kittiya’s sandwich was apparently using mushroom to replace the steak and it was tasty. The roll was beautiful and tasted great to boot.
The one place I am tempted to dock On the Fly for, is the décor. It is certainly shabby in a nice modern shade of yellow over 5,000 less appealing layers of paint sort of way… but it’s all a bit too sloppy. It’s almost cool, but the dumpiness is lurking just below the surface. The chairs, with a cracked rainbow lame upholstery, are way off. If they buff it up a bit more, it would feel more intentional. But maybe I’m just being picky.
The staff was very friendly.

On the Fly is exactly what I needed. A string of adjectives is most useful in these situations. Quick, organic, local, inexpensive, delicious. I’ll stop there. Thats what I needed.
I ordered the black bean empanada. It was drizzled with a home made hot sauce, and presented in a sheaf of paper nestled in a lime green triangular bowl. Apparently, all the food is prepared in the Dragonfly kitchen next door. No place this size could create something this delicious without a little help. The atmosphere felt pretty hip and upbeat. Some kind of intelligent electronica was thumping behind the counter as I checked out the stellar stock of craft beer. I assumed they were really expensive, but as I glanced at the menu on my way out, I noticed the phrase «all beer sold at state minimum». Mental note.
This is the kind of spot that gives Columbus some real tangible character. I hope it reveals that Columbus can support interesting independent business ideas.

On the fly is a wish come true for many a person. Dragonfly finally opened a mini-​dragonfly of sorts. It’s a VERY inexpensive version of our favorite restaurant. It’s really small, and a kind of ‘pop in, pop out’ place. There’s essentially no seating, but, as you can see by the name, it needn’t have any.
It has wine/​beer/​etc and is based on doing world ‘street food’.
It has JUST opened, and i’m not positive of the address, but it’s right next to Dragonfly. The hours right now are changing a whole bunch as they get more and more business.
Hopefully people who live around there can give some updates/​correct my info.