Food by Otarian

This is the most disgusting tasting food I have ever experienced. I ordered the Cape Cod Cakes over Buckwheat Soba Noodles with a side of cooked kale. It looked good when the cashier brought it out but when I dived in, it tasted so awful that I could barely finish it. I find it hard to believe that anyone would enjoy the taste of this. I feel like I just wasted $ 19!

Service was spotty
Ordered dahl and plate was miniscule and for the price insulting
See pic
Lentil soup was delicious and well priced

Seems like a great concept and a busy location so was surprised to wait a while even with no line. Ambiance is uncomfortable and the food quality not great. I won’t return

I ordered online and was excited about the options! I ordered the vegan cheeseburger (build your own way) and it was awful. The patty reminded me of cafeteria food. I got the quinoa one. The fries are ok. I was extremely turned off by my bag that was ripped and dripping when my order came. Overall I think there are better options for my fellow Vegan peeps.

I don’t normally write reviews on here but I feel that there was a lot of backlash to this place within the past year and I thought I’d say something positive with my experience here today.
I first discovered this place earlier this year when I was around the Central Park area and now that I have currently been working around the corner for the past month it’s a place I can go a little more frequently now. I’ve eaten here a handful of times and I haven’t ever had an issue and the food was great.
Today I was perusing restaurants on Unilocal for a place to eat for lunch which brought me to this page. Noticing a lot of negative reviews, I was starting to get skeptical about Otarian, almost dropping it from my list of restaurants to get lunch entirely. I tend to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt when it comes to negative reviews because, honestly, plenty of things could’ve happen behind the scenes that a good portion of the negative review writers don’t know about. Maybe an employee was having a rough day prior to you coming along? A machine or appliance is down for the day? Who knows?
Anyway, so I head over there and there was someone there who took my order immediately. Got the Build-​a-​Burger Tex Mex burger with a large side of fries. I waited no more than five minutes, when one of the employees came over and handed me my food as I was sitting and waiting. Amazing service from the two people I interacted with and in a fast paced manner. As I walked back into the office, everyone was asking what smelled so delicious as I went back to my desk. My food was amazing and utterly delicious and the fries were top notch. I couldn’t even finish my fries, there were so many! I can save them for later today now.
Another reason I love this place is their attention to the environment as a whole and the sustainability of the supplies and packaging they use, on top of it being a vegan/​vegetarian restaurant. The packaging looked new to me since the last time I came here and it really looked like they upped their game. The package design is great! (That little pouch with the handle for my fries, such a great touch) Styrofoam-​free and everything is recyclable.
I will definitely be back here again and most likely bring a friend or two. Looking to try everything on the menu at least once.

This placed has slipped horrendously and I will not be going back.
I have been going there for over a year and I have always enjoyed the good food and the excellent service. They have renovated and appear to have new management and it is now a nightmare.
I went there last evening to get a cup of soup to go. There were 5 or 6 people behind the counter and no one was sure what kind of soup was in the kettle. I waited until they checked with the kitchen and I was told it had mushrooms, tomatoes in it and so I told them fine, I would like a small order. One of the employees was unsure what cup to use, and her co-​worker told her which to use. She put the soup in the cup and started to hand it to me. I told her it was to go. Another employee took the cup from her and brought it back to the kitchen. I waited another 10 minutes until it was brought back out in a cup wrapped in saran wrap. I asked what took so long and was told they had to warm it up (it wasn’t going to be warmed up if I was staying?). I asked if it comes with a piece of bread and I was told no. I asked for a spoon and was given plasticware wrapped in a napkin. It came to $ 4.35. I was given 15 singles in change, okay, no biggy, but still weird.
I brought the soup back to my office with only had 15 minutes left to my break. Guess what? I had a fork and a knife… and no spoon.
The soup was good, but not worth the hassle.

I’ve eaten here numerous times. I ordered my food at 11:02. Nothing was started until 11:14, then I hear an employee tell someone to turn the fryer on for my sweet potato chiplets. I get my tex mex burger 11:20 but no chiplets. I finish my burger and still waiting for my chiplets.
I was the first person to order anything. One woman came in after me, ate, and left. 11:30 fries arrive. I ordered the chiplets, when I ask are these the chiplets she says, «those are sweet potato fries «. I said I ordered the chiplets then she says «those are the chiplets «. I ask then what are the chiplets? Her response? «The fries are the the chiplets but they’re bigger». What??? If you’re going to take a long time to make a simple order at least get it right. And when you get it wrong don’t lie about it, and don’t tell me after the fact, that «we had to wait for the fryer». It’s just bad customer service.

Stopped in for a quick dinner. My friend and I were craving veggies and we’re not disappointed.
The restaurant was clean and welcoming and the staff was warm and friendly. We were given a few recommendations and chose to burgers.
I had the tex mex and my friend ordered the lentil burger. Both were AMAZING! Ingredients were fresh and flavorful, burgers well presented, and orders were delivered quickly. I look forward to visiting again!

There are some people out there who try to do tasty stuff and creative cuisine, with good ingredients to serve Vegan food… And there is Otarian, who believe that saying «Vegan» on their walls is enough to attract vegetarian clients, and then who cares what crap you can propose, since its made of vegetables…
Honestly the person i dealt with at the main cashier was very nice and welcoming, but the person at the other counter (we ordered fries there) was nasty, she made no eye contact, no Hello, exceeded face etc.
My pastas was in fact frozen pastas microwaved, and the main ingredients of the meal i ordered (Mama Mia pastas) were missing, so i ended up with something totally different, and this is another thing to point out: no Communication between kitchen and cashier. We had already paid and were waiting for our meal for a while already when somebody told us they were running out of the main ingredients for both our meals and they are replacing them with something else.
On top of that i found hair in my pastas.
Then about the food per se, it was no tasty at all and not even close in terms of looking to what they advertise on the pictures.
So maybe i was expecting too much, and did not understand it was a fast food or something, i was expecting boiled pastas, not microwaved, etc… but the meal was about $ 11-​$ 13, so i dont know.
To sum this up, saying you are Vegan does not allow you to serve s**** and get satisfied with this just because there is no dairy, no meat, no gluten etc… please make an effort.
Anyway im not getting there again

OMG!!! AVOID THIS PLACE for your sake!!!
I don’t even know where to start! I was so excited to try this place out, but what a huge disappointment!
The staff is so rude especially the girl who works at the burger stand. No hello, no thank you, she had a very naughty attitude even if I tried to smile at her. If she could have thrown the change to my face she wouldn’t hesitate a second… What did I ever do to her??!
But the worst part is they didn’t have any ingredient left to honor our order. Ten minutes after ordering, I think it was the manager, he came to tell us they don’t have «meatballs» which was the principal ingredient… Anyway my husband had his pasta with tomato for the same price. The pasta were over cooked and so disgusting, especially after finding a hair in it, so gross!!!
Seriously how is it possible to mess up so bad!
I wasn’t spared at all, I order king oyster mushrooms with truffle mashed potato. They didn’t have truffle potato so they replace it with 3 sad carrots. And the mushrooms, oh god I don’t know what I really had but it wasn’t at all what I’ve order. I had a glutinous kind of mushroom soup, no sight at all of sautéed king oyster mushroom as it was advertised and pictured in the menu.
I was so choked and angry by what I’ve just experienced that I left the place with my husband, leaving the plates almost untouched.
I only had a mouthful of my plate, but I had a stomach ache all that evening.
I would never ever go back again even if someone pay me to. It was one of the worse restaurant I have ever been in my entire life.

I work about 20 feet from Otarian, but this was my first meal there, and I was impressed.
I did read the other reviews, and some seemed kind of harsh. Having worked as a youth in the restuarant industry, I can tell you food prep, to go orders and serving people is no joke folks. Relax hipsters from Iowa now via Brooklyn, your Bubble Tea is on the way.
Anyway, I am not a vegan, but do enjoy vegtables, so I gave Otarian a shot. I had the Mid-​Towner to go. Wild Mushrooms ragout, plenty of fresh sautaed spinach over a bed of wild brown rice, with a nice portion of one of my faves, avocado. Very tasty and a good size as well.
It took about 10 minutes for it ot be ready. Not a problem at all. Out of towners and hipsters, make sure you leave a tip on to go orders. Common NYC curtosy.
Stop by if you work in Midtown. Even if you are not a vegetarian, or vegan, whatever, the food is top notch.
A little on the expenive side. My dish was $ 14, which could get me 14 hot dogs across the street, but you get what you pay for: fresh, local cusine and a very good portion as well.
I will be back for sure.

Ugh, not worth the frustration!
Came here for the first time to take-​out lunch. I ordered a Bubble Tea and a Roasted Red Pepper wrap. Firstly, I had to pay for them separately even though I ordered them at one register… not very efficient, but whatever.
After waiting 20 MINUTES for my wrap. I asked what was taking so long and he said «Your Lonestar wrap is coming». When I tried to explain that’s not what I ordered, he kept walking away from me and saying «Yes, yes, it’s coming». Then they handed me the wrong wrap saying «well, we made you this wrap.» No apologies. No attempt to actually make my actual order.
Aggravated and now late returning to work, I took the wrong wrap and left. I WILL NOT BE RETURNING. I gave them 2 stars instead of 1 because the food wasn’t bad.

If you don’t mind waiting 30 minutes for some half decent food, this is the spot for you. BTW, that wait time only applies if you are THE ONLY PERSON IN THERE.
When the food finally comes an «employee» will kindly ask how long you’ve been waiting for your food… I must have forgotten to take off my invisibility cloak while I was sitting down.
This place is bullshit, the management is bullshit, the food is bullshit. Please spare yourself the migraine.

Great:
— Loads of gluten-​free options both warm freshly prepared food and some pre-​packed items (like in a supermarket).
— Food tastes good.
— Also offers ‘sit in’ dining, be it you may have to share a table. But very good value.
Not so great:
— The place seems like a complete chaos. I am sure the girls working there mean well, but as a customer I felt very confused. Drink bar on one side, hot food kitchen on the other, with employees running in between. Only part of the menu written down above the counter, the rest in the menus that are lying on the counter. Customers are not sure who is waiting (to order) and who is looking in the menu.
— Loud
— The warm food is prepared ‘one at a time’. Long waiting times for hot food.
— We ordered take away. When we got to our hotel one item was not in the bag but on the receipt and paid for.

How refreshing to have healthy vegetarian food in a Midtown increasingly, overwhelmingly dominated by Wendy’s (located across the street) and co.
It’s best described as a coöp where different eateries share a space: Chinese boba /​smoothies, burgers and other lunch entrées, and desserts. Although they occupy the same counter you’ve got to order separately, a hassle they could surely avoid with a smart point of sale system. But it’s no major inconvenience. They’re still pretty new.
The food’s a bit expensive for my taste, although I understand it given the high land value and relatively high-​quality ingredients. Drinks run a bit expensive, but again they seem more wholesome than most.
Bespoke Burgers offers more than meatless burgers, including Indian food and lasagna.
I got the curried vegetables and mango-​strawberry-​banana smoothie for $ 5.50. The white rice I ordered wasn’t as I expected, flavored with something like jasmine rather than plain. The vegetables and curry sauce were extraordinarily plain, and I wish they were spicier. It was overall a highly unpleasant entrée.
The smoothie was delightful — fresh, cold, sweet.
Joseph at Bespoke provided delightful service, explaining the entrées and mentioning spice levels for a white guy like me.
It was moderately busy early on a Saturday afternoon, so I wouldn’t expect overwhelming crowds (until the word gets out).
The crowd represents a cross-​section of the city — some in tanks, some well-​dressed; some in workout gear, others in dresses. And despite stereotypes about white hipsters, half the patrons were black and another quarter Indian or Middle Eastern.
They’ve got a couple tables, alongside ten stools. You could fit a few more people standing. Stools are high, such that you’ve got to bend over to eat.
Utensils are comparable. Unfortunately they do offer bottled water. Why not compostable cups and a water dispenser?
How nice that a small shop and not Veggie Grill he brought humane food to the city.
I didn’t like the vegetable dish, but I believe strongly in their mission and potential so I’m boosting the score I’d otherwise give.

I used to really like Otarian. I was actually walking past when they opened the doors for business. The friends I were with thought it would be neat to be some of the first people to eat at a new establishment. The Tex Mex Burger was amazingly good and the entire premise of the company wanting to leave a smaller carbon footprint seemed to help the food taste even better…
…fast forward to now.
It just re-​opened now as Food Bar at Otarian, I ordered on Seamless, of course the Tex Mex Burger, and I couldn’t have been more lack-​lustered at what was served to me. I have a huge avocado allergy so I asked for no guacamole, which I specified on the instructions when ordering, and it came literally smothered in the stuff. Also it lacked cheddar cheese and had a few wilted pieces of lettuce and tomatoes on it. Overall, it looked like something Linda Blair vomited up in The Exorcist.
Needless to say I wasn’t about to slam an epi pen into my leg for the sheer joy of reliving a memory of a burger that USED to be my favorite. So I called the restaurant so they could fix what was just delivered. No Answer. Called 4 more times before finally having to call Seamless for my money back.
Whatever company has purchased Otarian… they are off like a herd of turtles. The whole experience has left a terrible taste in my mouth.
I work in an industry that orders Seamless… a lot! I won’t be talking up «Otarian» anymore.

So there are two things: The food and the smell of the eatery.
The food: I ordered the mushroom quinoa burger with vegan cheese (+20 cents) and fries. The fries were great. The burger was the mushy kind, but tolerable. Nothing too special. Oddly, I was provided a plastic knife but no fork for the fries.
You will need a key to access the restroom to wash your hands, which you should do since you have to eat the fries with your hands.
The smell = [The smell of an old apartment full of cats] + [the smell of an over-​the-​stove vent with years of caked-​on grease from cooking fried foods].
It is more or less a fast food joint for veggies and vegans.

Stopped in to try the sweet potato fries (chiplets) and was not disappointed. For a quick on the go snack it was perfect– even came in its own little handled basket.
A word of caution — they have categorized their menu into «vegan» and «vegan option». There are very few labeled straight vegan so if you are looking for a lot of choices this can be disappointing.

This place is okay! I guess we can consider this vegetarian fast food? I was hungry on my way home and decided to stop by. I walked in and I was a bit over whelmed by the choices.
I wasn’t sure what was good I asked the people who worked their what they recommend and neither was too eager to give me recommendations on much of anything.
I finally decided on a quinoa burger and took it to go. When I got home I wasn’t sure what I was about to experience but thankfully it wasn’t terrible however it wasn’t great either… It could have been that I waited to long to eat the burger so I can’t really judge.
Overall this place is okay if I’m in the area again and in need of something to eat I’ll give it a try except this time I’ll stay in to enjoy my meal.

Two strikes – not three – you’re out.
The first time I ordered from here, I thought it was just the 20-​degree weather that cooled off the hotness, even though I work right across the street. The second, okay… it feels like microwaved-​temperature food. No food from the grill is ever just lukewarm. I had the Mushroom Quinoa Burger the first time and it tasted nothing like mushrooms. I thought the texture was mushy because it wasn’t well-​cooked, which is why it was just warm. The cheese looked old and stale – reminded me of those school lunch burgers which they just heat up with the bun and everything. I got fries along with this order and they were much tolerable than the burger itself. Came with a free bottle of water.
I came back the other day for a Tex Mex burger and the service was just bad. The guy decided to look through mail when I was ready to order and took him awhile to finally acknowledge me. Seems like he didn’t pay attention that much because he mistook my order as «to stay» instead of «to go.» Not a big deal but the service was just lackluster. The Tex Mex burger was a little better than Mushroom Quinoa but I guess they just make the burgers warm, which is odd. Didn’t taste too great. For the prices they charge, the sizing is reasonable but the quality is just bad. There’s always something wrong with this place, whether there’s no heating or the door handle is broken. I think this place tries too hard to present itself as a fancy, healthy place but their execution and presentation is poor, and this place seems very disordered.