• CLOSED: Vegetarian House

  • (17)
    9

    Closed

  • White Vegan
Vegan
Chinese
Buffet
Take-out
Asian

Vegan Chinese cuisine. Extensive menu consisting of many vegetable dishes with faux meat: vege chicken, vege beef, vege shrimp, vege fish, etc. Offers a cheap all-you-can-eat lunch buffet Mon-Fri. A la carte family style dinner entrees from $7.50 to $16 per dish. Simple, low key decor with many tables for seating. Confirmed closed, July 2014.


Venue map for Vegetarian House
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17 Reviews

First Review by tofutodd

justingross

Points +247

Vegetarian
12 Oct 2013

We got up and left

I never like to be harsh regarding vegetarian places because I love to support them. But this place needs help. We arrived for lunch on a Friday, about 12:45. There was nobody greeting people at the door. We stood there for several minutes before we just grabbed menus ourselves and sat down. While sitting down, I began to look around. This place is worn out. Crooked and discolored ceiling tiles, nasty flooring, dirty and chipped walls, bad decor. We sat there for quite some time before the 'waiter' came and wiped down the dirty table for us. He also appeared to be wearing less than clean clothing. Then we sat there for over 15 minutes. No service. We got up and left. There are basics that any restaurant needs to get right: atmosphere, service, and cleanliness. This place failed all three. So I beg the owners: clean it up! There are people out there that would love to support you. But your appearance and customer service will prevent many from even trying your food. Oh, and by the way, we weren't the only people that got up and left. Another couple that arrived when we did got up and left also. :(

Stevie

Points +11765

Vegan
25 Jun 2013

Vegetarian House, Portland

I breezed into here yesterday in the afternoon gap between lunch and dinner with the intention of getting something small and light. I ordered the deep fried wantons and also a medium sized bowl of miso soup. If that is the size of medium then a large must be like an Olympic sized swimming pool, it was huge. This was way more than I needed. 1 nice little touch though was it was presented in this big bowl and a small bowl was provided so the soup could be served from the big bowl to be eaten out of the small bowl. When I walked past the restaurant on the way in, at the end of the block I noticed a homeless persons tent refuge. The way the soup was presented I was able to get a take away of leftovers that I hadn't touched to give to the homeless people. The guy at the refuge was very pleased when I offered this and I don't blame him as it was great miso.

The decor could do with a little touching up if that is important to you.

Pros: All vegan, Big soup portion

cooldara

Points +301

Vegan
16 Mar 2013

Chinese Food that doesn't leave you hungry later!!

This is the second trip I've made to Portland, and it's the second time the first stop is this restaurant. The $8.00 all you can eat lunch (M-F) is AWESOME!!! It's magical food because you stay full for a really long time. Great, friendly wait staff; excellent food; great location, and TEMPURA!!! We ate lunch there three times during our five day stay.

Pros: Good, Vegan, Excellent price

Cons: Not, in, San Diego

Chia

Points +3635

Vegetarian
10 Sep 2012

Vegetarian House

I had read about this place on happycow, and here's my Vegetarian House review.

From the street, the restaurant seemed very low key and small. But it's actually quite spacious inside, though the decor is Asian, minimalist, and old fashioned. Could use some updating, in my opinion. Seems as if this is the same decor (time stood still) since the 1980s.
The menu is extensive, with lots of faux meats in the dishes. I was surprised to see that the prices were on slightly expensive for many of the main entrees (ranging from $11-15). There is a cheap lunch special all you can eat buffet, but I didn't get to see that. We only had time for a wonton soup, and it was all right.

Pros: relaxed atmosphere, fresh vegetables, convenient location

Cons: out-dated decor

Marian M

Points +44

Vegan
08 Aug 2011

Wonderful lunch buffet

While on a 3 week driving trip, we came across the Vegetarian House. The buffet was excellent - soup, 2 appetizers, 5 dishes, and green tee all for $8.00. Each dish was tasty and distinct. A vegan delight!

Pros: tasty, healthy, good value

Cons: not liscenced, very casual

kadiyali

Points +29

Vegetarian
23 May 2011

okay but not great

I have been wanting to go here for a long time because its all veg restaurant. The first time my family went there, the look of the place drove us sway! But we wanted to give this a try. Hot n Sour soup was very good. Veggie curry chicken and Chicken in Pineapple sauce tasted good. But both were way too greasy for me. I would love to try some dish which is not greasy :) And their specials menu was very very dirty!

Pros: All veg & faux meat

Cons: GREASY

Cascadian

Points +234

Vegan
10 Nov 2010

On the better side of average for Vegan Chinese

I have eaten at Vegetarian House a couple of times now and while I enjoyed doing so, I am also in no rush to return.

The service has always been friendly and prompt. The space is right downtown by the "China-town" main gate and is well-lit with almost always available. The food is good though pretty much of exactly the same greasy and heavily sauced variety that you are likely to find at the majority of vegan chinese places. I find the prices to be on the high side for the quantity and quality of the food.

Overall: good, just nothing to write home about. I'd say to check Vegetarian House out if you are fond of this style of place or if you are already going to be in the area.

Otherwise, skip it! This is Portland and there are so many better vegan/vegan-friendly options nearby plus so many better vegan/vegan-friendly Chinese and Asian places around town that you don't need to settle for this place.

Ps. In a standard "China-town" type fact-of-life you have to walk right past charred animal carcasses hanging in the window of the non-veg place next door to get to Vegetarian House so be prepared for that. :(

Pros: Friendly service, Central downtown location, All Vegan

Cons: Pricey for what you get, Standard Vegan Chinese, Carcasses in the window next door

junkfoodvegan

Points +143

Vegan
22 Jul 2010

Great lunch buffett

I love the weekday lunch buffet. It's only $7.00 for all you can eat spring rolls, chow mien, tempura, soup, fried rice and other food that changes everyday. It is the best!

They have an extensive menu and they have both cheap options ($6.50) and more expensive options ($15) so you chose how much to spend. Portion sizes are good for all of the main dishes. Our favorites are the chicken fried rice, chow mien, hush puppies, curry chicken, wonton soup, and kung pao tofu.

Pros: Cheap lunch buffett, Lots of options, Tasty food

Cons: Some items are pricey, Food is a bit greasy

greenvegan

Points +64

Vegan
06 Jun 2010

Okay But Not Great

I went here expecting amazing food but was a bit disappointed. I ordered the lunch buffet, and maybe that was the problem - it had probably been sitting out for a while and had gotten greasy as the afternoon passed. I also found that as a gluten-intolerant diner, I couldn't eat very many dishes that were offered. I lived in fear after every bite that I would be struck by gluten, and the waiter didn't seem very knowledgeable when I asked him about ingredients. I probably will not go back.

Pros: all vegetarian, good prices

Cons: limited gluten free items, communication with waitstaff was shady

thoor_ballylee

Points +321

Vegan
20 Apr 2010

Alright in China Town

I ate here only once and I really hate reviewing places only on one try, but since my experience was very similar to others reviews, I thought my opinions worth sharing. The food we had was pretty good, the atmosphere was a little weird and hard to explain, you'll have to go to really understand. They have many different faux meats to try, though they did tend to be more expensive then I thought they should have been. My sister had the "fish" and it was unique and tasty and very filling, I had the General's Chicken (not spicy at all, I might add) not too many veggies, just rice, faux meats and lots of sauces, a lot like most simple Chinese restaurants but this one happens to be vegetarian. We had a decent meal and nothing too bad to say about it, except that it was a little pricey, but I can't really recommend it too strongly either, when I'm back in Portland I will be trying another Chinese restaurant.

Pros: Great veg*n sellection, Veggie Buffet

Cons: Weird atmosphere

Mighty Vegan

Points +96

Vegan
28 Sep 2009

Good place

I went to Vegetarian House last night. It's a decent sized space, nothing fancy though. The service was quite friendly. The waitress was very attentive and accommodating to our special requests. My wife and I shared the steamed vegetable potstickers which were pretty typical. I got the Sweet and Sour Chicken which was awesome. My wife got tofu and veggies which I thought looked a bit boring, but it was exactly what she wanted. The place is moderately priced, maybe a tad on the high end depending on what you order. It's just a few blocks from where we were staying Downtown which was cool because many of the other veg place seem to be in southeast Portland.

Pros: Good food, Friendly service

Tigra220

Points +10447

Vegan
25 Sep 2009

Tasty Cuisine

Another restaurant that I was able to taste samples of at Vegfest last weekend. St. Louis has nothing of the like, so a place like Portland, with all its vegan option, is heavenly. They had a faux-beef that was very good. The flavor/seasoning was perfecto! It's on my list of must-dos when I travel back to PDX.

Pros: Great vegan food, Cheap cheap buffet price, Friendly staff

Herbiv4

Points +1795

Vegan
10 Apr 2009

Very Impressed

I went to partake in the lunch buffet prior to going to the airport. I didn't expect that the food would be even half as good as it was! I ended up eating seconds and waddling my way to my flight home. This establishment accepts AMEX and the price is right! If you happen to be in the area, this is the place to eat.

Pros: really good food, great prices, friendly staff

Cons: pay for parking on street

kindlizard

Points +1086

Vegan
05 Aug 2008

god awful

some of the worst food ever served. first we ordered steamed dumplings but were informed that it'd take 30 minutes, but fried would take 5. apparently water takes longer to boil in Chinatown. everything we ate was gross. what made it worse was the religious blasting away at us on the flat screen. if you could muscle through the food, the portions were big, or did it seem that way since there was so much of it left?

Pros: no dead animals in the window

Cons: food, preachin' blues

kindlizard

02 Aug 2009

a bit more info... they have a huge flat screen tv in there blasting master of the way tv trying to convert you and get your money. A woman was prepping food at a table, not the kitchen, and dropped something on the floor (carpet) and put it in her food pile. it was gross. I cannot tell anyone enough to dissuade them from hurting themselves here. W a name like veg house, it draws attn from a lot of folks, but please, there are plenty of places in Ptd, just look at the page or send me a pm.

desnudo1

Points +39

Vegetarian
19 Jul 2008

mmmmmmmm

great lunch buffet
every fake meat product around

915phil

Points +62

Vegetarian
04 Apr 2008

Good Food, Weird Vibe

The food here is not bad at all, but as with most other religion-oriented joints, the vibe is downright weird. If you can get to Bay Leaf, go there first, but if you're stuck downtown, just sit with your back to "Supreme Master Television" and enjoy the authentic-ish eats.

Pros: Decent food

Cons: Weird vibe

tofutodd

Points +94

Vegan
26 Sep 2006

Poor to average

I've been vegan 3 years now and this place hardly passes. I went for the buffet which is probably unfair to write a review on since they need to control costs because its all you can eat. It was on the bad side of average. Lots of fried stuff and veggies were overcooked. They aren't pushing any boundries in health or taste. Just very plain chinese you should expect from any take-out place. I moved here from Atlanta and our Chiense vegan there was above and beyond.

Pros: Lunch buffet, Location

Cons: Bland, No atmosphere, Not healthy




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