Vegan
American
Organic
Take-out
Fusion

Vegan cafe est. 2014 located on the Winooski River. Offers plant-based dishes with lots of to-go items. Drinks include fresh juices, smoothies, tea and coffee. Open Mon-Wed 9:30am-3:30pm, Thu-Sun 9:30am-7:30pm.


Venue map for Pingala Cafe
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151 Reviews

First Review by 73Iron

steveveg

Points +2258

Vegan
30 Dec 2014

Vegan at a moderate price

Pingala offers a wide vegan menu at a moderate price. The fare is limited to breakfast, salads, sandwiches and wraps. Gluten free diners are accommodated. What we had was well done. We had a Karma Burger, ELT (eggplant bacon), and tempeh taco. Seating is a little limited, expansion is being contemplated.

Pros: vegan, reasonable prices, friendly service

Rose et Polo

Points +20

Vegan
18 Oct 2014

Perfect place!

We went to Pingala Cafe for breakfast last week-end and it was perfect! The food was delicious and the staff was really nice with us. We will definitly go back there when we will come back in Burlington. It's a must!

fredmeissner

Points +36

Vegan
11 Oct 2014

Great place!

We went here for lunch, and then breakfast the next day. Food was excellent, and the baked goods were pretty good considering they were gluten free...the maple donuts were a little on the dry side. Nice views of the falls on the Winooski river, and really nicely decorated inside, with lots of natural light. For breakfast I had a tempeh breakfast sandwich (awesome), and Becca had pancakes (not gluten free) that were also very good, with ginger butter (woah). The smoothies are also good. One of the best we've been to, don't miss it if you're in Burlington.
Updated from previous review on Saturday October 11, 2014

Pros: Extensive menu, Awesome food, Welcoming environment

Cons: Portions could be bigger for the price

Deer Fields

Points +49

Vegan
05 Oct 2014

Vegan in Burlington...Finally

You'd think a hip town like Burlington would have been ahead of the curve but Vermont's addiction to all things dairy has held the town back. Well no more. Enter Pingala in the rejuvenating old #1 Mill street where you can do yoga then chow down.

We had the spring rolls, taquitos, tempeh tacos and 5 gluten free desserts-- peanut butter brownie, cinnamon doughnut, chocolate chip cookie, coconut, carrot chocolate macaroon and pumpkin spice iced cupcake. Yum.

The taquitos were grilled crisp and served with their signature chipotle mayo which is hot and creamy, my favorite. The spring rolls' sauce was good and they were ample. The tacos were good too, especially on the home-style corn tortillas. And it was all gluten free! The chipotle mayo appears on several items, including a breakfast sandwich on which it seemed out of place. It is a risk to rely on one sauce too frequently.

Next time we'll try the burgers and sandwiches, and another order of taquitos.

Charles was cooking and made us feel welcome as did the server, though I prefer my servers' long hair tied back and don't appreciate him touching his hair prior to serving my food. Also one hopes that servers in a vegan restaurant know better than to tell customers they drank bone marrow while in India, and customers should know better than to assume all workers in a vegan shop are vegan.

The bathroom is clean and shared with the yoga studio, et al, and could use vegan soap instead of the toxic blend they call soap.

The atmosphere is a nice mix of the old mill feel and the new cuisine, though the tables were sticky on top.

We liked their compost and dish set up and their cool silverware holder. The outdoor seating overlooking the river improved the experience.

As long time vegans, we appreciate all vegan restaurants and this one is no exception. Thank you for being there. We will visit whenever in Burlington and wish you great success.

Pros: Good food, good value, Gluten free options, Great river location

JohnFinity

Points +6

Non Veg
17 Sep 2014

Non-Vegetarian - Loved this place!

I brought my adult daughter who is a vegan, to treat her to dinner. Man, if I had the ability/inspiration to make meals like they do I wouldn't miss my non-veg lifestyle at all :-) They do healthy food very well. They had a taco special going on, so I tried that. That was awesome - and slightly messy to eat just like real tacos! My favorite was their Buffalo Broccoli Bites. The slightly spicy sauce and the sprinkling of black sesame - not just tasty but a visually appealing dish as well. I want to come back JUST for that dish. I want to try more stuff too. Agree with the other pros / cons others had.

Thought you would like to know this place has appeal not just to vegetarian / vegan customers. There is a false judgement by non-vegetarians that anything veg has to be boring. This is a cool cross-over place too. Blessings!

MichaelTaylor

Points +80

Vegan
08 Sep 2014

Great little vegan restaurant!

What a great little place! Food is great, prices are reasonable and lots of parking. My favorite dish was the BBQ mushroom wrap and my wife love the tempeh tacos. Met the owner and he is a passionate young man who just wants to support veganism. Went back 3 times on my brief stay in Burlington. Highly recommended.

Pros: great food, friendly employees, easy parking

Cons: doesn't have a location in Baltimore!

DanaMcKeen

Points +18

Vegan
04 Sep 2014

Choices Galore!

So used to having maybe one option when eating out - most places don't grasp that someone may have multiple food items they do not or cannot eat. Gluten free potions as a slab of meat with some veggies or vegetarian pasta or something veggie but with cheese... Not here! Everything is vegan and almost every single item is either naturally gluten free or can be made gluten free on request. They always have a lovely selection of vegan and gluten free baked goods by the comet which is a miracle because most places might offer one or the other but almost never have something that is BOTH.

I always have a hard time deciding what to order because I'm so unaccustomed to having OPTIONS. but not only do I have a choice, every single thing I have eaten here is amazing - so I know I won't be disappointed except when my plate is empty.

Pros: Gluten Free, Delicious

Cons: Tiny, Wait Time

teal_ocean

Points +122

Vegan
30 Aug 2014

Great Place!

I felt like I had to wait forever to get up to Pingala. It was worth making it happen. When I walked in it was pretty busy, but people were being served quickly. The menu is fully Vegan so I was overwhelmed! I'm not actually complaining about it!
I had the ELT and buffalo broccoli. Both superb! Can't wait to try the Taquitos and grilled cheese and kale.

Pros: Clean, Choices!, Friendly staff

Cons: Busy intersection, Parking is a little wonky

Debra Winter

Points +40

Vegan
14 Jul 2014

Excellent breakfast

We had the pancakes and the Harvest hash and scramble wrap. The pancakes were good and the wrap was amazing. The place has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

HowardPacker

Points +92

Vegan
24 Jun 2014

As Good as the Reviews Claim

The reviews that give this place an excellent rating are all accurate. I had the BBQ Jackfruit wrapped in a spinach tortilla. The texture of the Jackfruit was excellent, and the BBQ sauce was great. Even their coffees (I had a latte) with choices of milks (almond, soy, others) and added ingredients (chocolate, maple, others) are luxurious and delicious.

The facility is a unit that is located in a large converted mill along a river, but it looks like it was just built yesterday. Everything is spotlessly clean, and that even includes the bathrooms. Also, they have outdoor seating overlooking the river, which was great for bringing the pooch along with me for my outing. It is an informal facility with casual dining.

I was only in town for the day, but I would absolutely dine there again to try out more items.

Pros: Great Food, Super Clean, Dog Friendly

NIBsmf

Points +1102

Vegan
11 Jun 2014

Considered moving to the area just for this place!

Seriously, this restaurant was so good that I really had the thought to leave my old life behind and move to Burlington to be near this place! Well, the beautiful VT country side and relaxed pace of life probably also contributed to the thought. Here's my usual breakdown of the place:

Food: 10. I was really pleased with everything I got: a maple latte, a maple doughnut, a breakfast sandwich (with a maple glazed tempeh patty, of course, because you can see that I adore maple syrup), and a side of "hash" (lots of veggies instead of just the usual potatoes). I tasted my boyfriend's maple cinnamon bun, and that was also delicious. This is rare that I say this about a place's menu, but I think everything on the menu sounded great. If I lived or worked near this place, I would try everything on the menu! One thing I really liked about the menu overall is that the items were often classic comfort foods made healthier (e.g. lots of veggies added to things plus a focus more on tempeh and tofu rather than mock meats). I wish more vegan restaurants had this balance down.

Price: 8. Pretty average for a vegan restaurant. I felt that the prices were generally reasonable. I also felt that the portions were generous compared to some places that charge the same prices.

Staff: 9. The guy at the counter was really friendly and helpful. My only complaint is that he pointed it out several times that he was the only person working at the time. While I felt for him, I'm not sure if he was looking for sympathy or what. But anyway, minor complaint.

Atmosphere: 9. I love the location in an old mill right next to a river! My only complaint about atmosphere, which is another minor complaint, is that there's little seating.

Parking was easy outside of the mill.

Pros: All vegan!, Delicious food, Balance of healthy and comfort-like food

Cons: Small staff makes for longish wait, Little seating inside

SueSveeg

Points +16

Vegan
16 May 2014

Awesomeness

Pingala Cafe & Eatery is the best all Vegan restaurant! The place is warm, friendly and hip...the food = awesomeness!!!

The plant based food was fresh, vibrant and delicious!! It feels so good to know that there's a vegan place and not have to worry about what you are really getting!! Friends & I tried Grilled cheesiness, Pulled BBQ, Banh Mi, Warm Thai Peanut Salad, GF brownie and the Vegan/GF P'nut Butter Choco Chip Cookies are out of this universe!!

Servers are courteous, helpful and friendly. The owner, Trevor Sullivan checks in with customers to make sure thet're pleased with the food. All good....all the time!

Pros: Excellent food, Great vibe, Great prices

Cons: None

cassandramarie

Points +36

Vegan
28 Apr 2014

Amazing!

delicious! so many great options that will please everyone. my brother who doesn't eat vegan loved it as well! best vegan food place I have been to hands down. the location is beautiful and located at an old industrial building, very quaint and decorated comfortably. good vibes!

Pros: menu, atmosphere, location

Cons: none what so ever

accbouchard

Points +20

Vegan
05 Apr 2014

LOVE this place

A great all vegan menu with a wide selection of gluten-free options! Tried a maple almond latte, a smoothie, trail mix cookie, hummus, breakfast sandwich - all wonderful. Reasonable prices. Very friendly staff. Cozy little space with a nice mural, great river view and eclectic decor.

Pros: amazing food, friendly/knowledgable staff

Cons: not a lot of seating, limited hours

NaomiBill

Points +48

Vegan
20 Mar 2014

100% Vegan!

Love this new vegan restaurant! It is wonderfully reassuring to be able to get food somewhere where I don't have to worry about asking ingredient or preparation related questions... everything is vegan! I'm a little obsessed with the Grilled Cheesiness with avocado, check it out!!!

Pros: 100% Vegan, Convenient Location, Tasty Baked Goods

73Iron

Points +32

Vegan
05 Mar 2014

Amazing Menue

The Menue is amazing, so many options to choose from. And they are complete meals. Prices are not bad either. The Buffalo kickin is great!

Pros: All Vegan, Proteins, Baked Goods




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