Vegan-friendly
Lacto
American
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Breakfast
American comfort food with some international dishes and full bar. Offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus plus a kids' menu. Variety of tofu scrambles plus nachos, wraps, sandwiches, vegan mac n cheese, lasagne, vegan cakes and burgers, seitan fajita, among others. Formerly known as Vita Cafe. Instagram cafegertrudepdx. Former veg options turned vegetarian August 2020. Reported closed, Oct 2021.
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3023 NE Alberta St (at Alberta District), Portland, Oregon, USA, 97211
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Last update on 01 Oct 2021 by Guest
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56 Reviews
First Review by tofutodd
Kplant
Points +4575
Delicious for all beg and not - Edit
Food is well presented. Quick and friendly service. Nice environment. Bring your non veg foodies to enjoy as well. Serving local Kombucha was great.
Read morePros: Tasty food. , Desserts yum
Guest
dr.d
Points +45
Best vegan options around! - Edit
Wow what a fantastic vegan place to eat. And my friends to enjoy animal products will like it here too. A wide variety of options for the vegan great little place great wait staff highly highly highly recommend!
Read morePros: Great food
Cons: Can’t think of anything
Guest
jacksalt
Points +259
great place to get brunch with omnivores and vegans alike! - Edit
especially now that cup and saucer closed this is my go to for a mixed diet crowd. everyone from gluten free, vegans and meat eaters can find a good meal here. they default to vegan/vegetarian with very few meat options. everyone loves the corn cakes! great for a group or just a couple. a classic for a reason! (don't confuse it with caffe vita maddeningly located two blocks away for god knows what reason)
Read morePros: good variety, good for groups, something for everyone
Guest
blakebob
Points +25
So Long Vita—I used to love you! - Edit
Used to be my favorite. Now. Ugh! Way too salty tofu and vegan sausage. Brown rice not cooked long enough— crunchy. Gravy cold. I could go on. Should have gone to a food cart. I’d rather cook my own food.
Read morePros: vegan options, Nice teas
Cons: Rice not cooked long enough, Music too loud, Salty, salty food
Guest
lboada
Points +20
Great for mixed company - Edit
I'm vegan and loved my huge potion of vegan lasagna and colorful, fresh, side salad.
Read moreMy non vegan boyfriend really enjoyed his vegan burger with cheddar cheese. He even said he couldn't tell the difference between it and a meat burger which is a win!
We both enjoyed luscious vegan cheesecake.
Kind and attentive service, prices as expected $57 for two alcoholic beverages, two entrees, and two desserts. The street it is on is definitely one we will head back to for its funky shops, art, and other tasty treats.
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Fast service, Decent prices
Cons: Huge servings (not really a con)
Guest
rev.j.p.rinehart
Points +132
was great once upon a time - Edit
Back in the day when it was across the street, the staff seemed to care and about the food and the restaurant. For the last decade, the competition has gotten better and Vita has just regressed. Some of the worst service I've had in my life North of Conquistador & the Gladstone/Center St row of terrible service
Read moreGuest
babcocklori945
Points +146
Insects everywhere - Edit
A few years ago, we went to Vita Cafe a couple times and loved it. We just went in January 2019 and it was full of swarms of flying insects. I had to walk through clouds of them and that was enough — we left. There is no way I would eat there. It’s winter and yet they have a serious infestation. Something is not right.
Read moreGuest
familyjules
Points +255
A must in Portland - Edit
While there are handfulls of Veg-Friendly restaurants in Portland, Vita Café, is exceptional. Although they do serve dead animals their vegan options are amazing.
Read morePros: Vegan options are off the wall
Guest
NML
Points +483
Decent Breakfast Spot - Edit
The menu has many vegan options across the board for all meals of the day, including desserts. The atmosphere is that of a local diner--good energy with decent service. It certainly was not dirty, but there was noticeable dust on light fixtures and a general feel that basic cleaning only is the priority.
Read moreI ordered the corn cakes which turned out to be one large corn cake. It was tasty.
It would be a good spot to take a group of people with a wide variety of food preferences. I appreciate that they have several options that are both vegan and gluten-free. Overall, this is an OK place to eat. But, when compared to all the other gluten-free vegan dining options in the area, this one does not make my top 5.
Pros: gluten-free options, nice waitstaff, open early
Guest
oleiah
Points +587
slow but ok - Edit
We ate here within an hour of closing time, and while there were only a few other tables, the service was pretty slow. Their process for seating guests was so strange: instead of a host/hostess, there was a sign to write your name down on a clipboard to be seated. But then nobody was really checking it... we stood around for a few minutes til an employee came to the front and lazily motioned for us to be seated.
Read moreWe tried the vegan nachos, but with Daiya cheese instead of cashew cheese. They were OK, but kind of bland. Needed more tomato/salsa or citrus of some kind. There was a lot of plain-tasting rice piled on the chips. The nachos took forever to come out, and then our food came out 1 minute later, so we were trying to scarf down the appetizer before our entrees got cold.
I got the buffalo tofu wrap, which was pretty tasty and huge! I could only eat half. The other half made excellent leftovers. Husband got grilled cheese, which he enjoyed.
Maybe the service would be peppier and the atmosphere more lively if we went not so close to closing time. The seats were uncomfortable but we felt like we shouldn't hang out too long, anyway.
Pros: vegan cheese, lots of seating
Cons: atmosphere not super comfortable
Guest
JulieH&JulieA
Points +72
must try nachos - Edit
Adore vegan nachos and this place delivers. Add fajitas with chorizo and the meal is huge! If you tell them its your 1st visit, you may get a free piece of cake! All vegan dessert choices. Try the chocolate chocolate cake.
Read morePros: many
Cons: if there is a con, it is the outdated decor.
Guest
AlyssaHodges
Points +193
Gluten free vegan chicken and waffles? - Edit
YASSSS! Do I really need to say more?
Read moreGuest
SarahHa
Points +190
Delicious - Edit
I had lunch at the Vita Café. The Seitan Cheese Steak with Daiya cheese was great and the orange juice was fresh.
Read moreGuest
BarbaraDianeYoung
Points +32
nice find - Edit
Very busy little cafe! Good food and good people
Read morePros: A lit of vegan options!
Guest
Realfoodvegan
Points +164
this place is gross - Edit
I was really excited to eat here after seeing the reviews but I was really disappointed. I ordered 4 different dishes and all of them tasted bland and weird. The only thing that was good was the cake.
Read morePros: good dessert
Cons: bland food
Guest
soohyun
Points +91
Great brunch spot for all diets - Edit
Went for brunch on a Tuesday morning with a vegetarian, two omnivores, and myself (a vegan). They had two pages of brunch options and the hard part was choosing which to order- they all sounded good. We ended up ordering the corncakes, PDX breakfast, breakfast burrito, and a scramble. Place was pretty busy and service was somewhat slow but you could tell they really wanted to make things perfect. Overall worth the wait.
Read morePros: Nice interior, casual, Reasonable prices, good portions, Omnivore-friendly
Cons: Long wait, Desserts can be pricy
Guest
Veg4Jay
Points +2171
Very Good Vegan and Veg Food - Edit
This cafe has excellent Vegan and Vegetarian Options. You cannot go wrong. They do offer some egg and milk/cheese options and always have a vegan equivalent. They do offer one meat burger in case you travel with hardcore carnivores. The cafe is pleasant Portlandic and the staff are friendly and helpful.
Read morePros: Great Food and Many Choices, Helpful and Friendly Staff and Fun Environment , Reasonably Priced
Cons: One Meat Offering for the Carnivores
Guest
blissfulbhajan
Points +49
One of my favorite brunch spots - Edit
I go here all the time bringing my vegan and non vegan friends and it's always a crowd pleaser. I would definitely recommend their Mexican corn cakes!
Read morePros: Great food, Lots of variety
Cons: Seating is not super comfortable
Guest
kemioyes
Points +40
Bland and not enough sustenance - Edit
I had the veggie wrap and it was about 2/3 full of spinach. And the hummus was more like a dressing than hummus. When I've had hummus sandwiches or wraps, the hummus to veggie portion is usually 50/50 or 40/60. This was 10/90. Bleah!
Read moreCons: Food
Guest
Jojewo
Points +160
great food - Edit
Stopped in for breakfast. Many vegan options. Food was really good and original. The fake turkey florentine was excellent. Best hollandaise sauce of any vegan restaurant we've been to. Biscuits and gravy were tasty. Staff was efficient. Would definitely go back.
Read morePros: great hollandaise , clean, many vegan options
Guest
JenVeg14
Points +414
Won't visit again - Edit
I was disappointed with my visit to Vita. I always like to try "house made" veggie burgers because they are usually great. Unfortunately, the vegan patty wasn't delicious. It was dry and crumbly. Also, the server asked me if I wanted a salad, very much sounding like a side salad that came with the burger, but when I got the bill, he charged me for a FULL salad for $6. I was upset he didn't mention it was going to be a full entree menu for $6. With all the great veg places to eat in Portland, I won't eat here again when I'm visiting.
Read morePros: Mostly veg
Cons: Apparently if you order a burger, it is JUST a bur, Staff needs to disclose when they offer additional
Guest
along112
Points +416
Awesome breakfast spot - Edit
This is a trendy little place in Portland on Alberta street. When you want some traditional breakfast food that is greasy and not very good for you, this is the spot. Great for when you're craving comfort food. They have a "country fried steak" which is deep fried tempeh covered in almond gravy and served with fried potatoes and it's very good. They also have a good hollandaise sauce on their Florentine. They have lunch items also. The buffalo tofu wrap is probably my favorite on that menu. End your meal with a delicious piece of vegan cheesecake!
Read morePros: Great comfort/hangover food
Cons: Staff not as friendly, Cleanliness
Guest
lorip
Points +70
Always delicious - Edit
We eat at Vita regularly. They have the best tofu scramble around. I often make a trip for the vegan lasagna with pesto and marinara sauce. Also their vegan nachos are amazing. The severs are also so friendly and efficient. A family favorite!
Read morePros: price, quality, variety
Cons: can be a long wait on weekends
Guest
lai.9292
Points +371
Great Vegan options - Edit
We tried the buffalo tofu wrap and vegan sausage sub. They both were great, although I preferred the wrap. The buffalo fried tofu with crisp cold veggies wrapped in a wheat tortilla was awesome. I would have liked the sub to have some greens added to the mix as well.
Read moreIt'd be pretty rad if they gave you a side salad or fruit with the sandwiches.
Maybe I will come again with a non-veg friend to share a bite, but I came in thinking this was a vegetarian restaurant. I am a little apprehensive eating from a kitchen that also prepares meat and dairy.
They get my support for making solid vegan options. The breakfast menu looked good too.
Pros: vegan options
Cons: unsure of organic ingredients , serves animals
Guest
Veganaxos
Points +66
Better than Caffe Vita - Edit
Don't get confused: Vita Cafe is the one to go to, not Caffe Vita. Worse, they're just a few doors down from each other. WTF?!?
Read moreAnyway, VC is excellent. I went there three years ago and then again this week and each time it was a highlight of the trip. The Buffalo Things with the ranch sauce were delicious, as was the vegan Mac and Cheese. The desserts are a particular highlight.
But whatever you do, just don't go to Caffe Vita. Never.
Guest
Marcyp7
Points +188
delicious! I would've given 5 stars if I could've - Edit
Perfect restaurant for vegan options. Delicious and creative food with great and friendly service. I could've eaten there for every meal but unfortunately we discovered the restaurant on our last day for breakfast. Yum!!
Read moreGuest
holter
Points +52
Great Variety - Edit
Vita Cafe has great daily specials. I've tried almost everything on the menu and have not been disappointed yet. Veggie and Vegan options available. Friendly staff, clean.
Read moreGuest
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