Vegan
International
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Caribbean
Catering
Small veggie food shop with an extensive menu featuring soul food, mockmeat dishes, sandwiches, Asian dishes, pasta, desserts, and more. Fixed menu is a good deal with large portions. Fully vegan since Feb 2020. Quiet atmosphere but gets busy. Does not take reservations. Open Mon-Sun 12:00pm-9:00pm.
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140 West 4th St (at Washington Square and 6th Ave, West Village, Manhattan), New York City, New York, USA, 10014
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Last update on 18 Oct 2023 by Guest
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133 Reviews
First Review by Poundie
silic0nsilence
Points +29
Worth the wait - Edit
Red Bamboo seems to be in a great part of NYC. The neighborhood seemed lively, and safe. I went with my fiancee, also a vegetarian, and my future mother-in-law, a herbivore. Everyone left happy. The food was very good, and tasted very close to the real thing. I had the faux chicken parm hero while my fiancee had the faux phile-cheesesteak. We enjoyed our food, although we were expecting it to be a bit better. My mother-in-law also enjoyed her food, but it wasn't spectacular.
Read moreI am upset that the food wasn't spectacular. I was expecting the best after reading these reviews but really, it was just slightly "above average" for a vegetarian restaurant.
The food was priced pretty well, but the wait is what really brought down the excitement. The restaurant takes no reservations, so we waited about 20 minutes before we could sit down, and the three of us had to squeeze into a two-person table.
I would probably go back, but only if I happened to be near the place. It isn't worth traveling to the city and area for if it is the only thing you are going to do.
Pros: Food was ok, Staff was friendly, Portions were filling
Cons: Long wait for table, Very noisy
Guest
TRaeCH
Points +384
An excellent option in New York - Edit
Two friends of mine - one non-vegetarian - and I went to Red Bamboo recently and I must say, enjoyed our meal quite a bit.
Read moreLike most vegetarian restaurants, I found it to have a nice, friendly atmosphere; slightly more upscale, less hippy, than I'm used to but a good vibe none the less. The service was alright, not very quick but our waitress made up for it with her charm.
The food was rather good. In retrospect, we should have ordered more variety - three soy-based beef substitutes, though flavoured differently, don't offer a complete appreciation of the restaurant's potential. Serving sizes are huge. Impressively, Red Bamboo provides re-usable (and/or recyclable) Tupperware, free of charge, if you're taking home enough food. Ask for it by name! For desert, since I love it so much, we shared a big slice of carrot cake which was vegan but didn't seem to be made by them - maybe I'm wrong. It was good, far from the best though.
I might go back to Red Bamboo on a return visit to New York. I am curious to see how their mock fish and chicken compares to the beef.
Pros: Vast menu, Quick on water refills
Cons: Raw veggies lacking quantity and taste
Guest
Bow
Points +80
Thumbs up - Edit
I am vegan, my partner is omni, and this restaurant was our favourite compromise option. I am generally not much into fake meat stuff - I like my vegetables - so I sympathise with those who aren't keen for that reason (I have never seen the appeal in making food look or sound like a dead animal). It's also true that the food is not for health freaks. But that's where the criticism ends. The food always tasted fresh and flavoursome, with interesting textures and sauces. The first time we went, we shared a starter and had an entree each, and this proved to be too much, because the portions are really very generous. Afterwards, we just had main courses, and even then we had to take home leftovers! (I would have preferred less of the fake meat and more vegetables - there are enough vegetables per serving for one meal, but enough fake meat for two people, so if you end up taking some of the fake meat home, you will need some more vegetables to wash it down). We also came here once just for dessert (we cannot understand how anyone can get through one of these main courses AND a dessert - no kidding, the portion sizes are massive - am I just too British?!). The oreo cheesecake was yummy and innovative if a little heavy, while the peanut butter cake was light and fluffy and really delicious. If room in my tummy permitted, I would have loved to try the others. Everything around us looked and smelled delicious.
Read moreThe service was always prompt and friendly, and as an added bonus, this is a very gay-friendly place with a warm ambiance.
For me, the real appeal of this place was getting to try food I had heard of but never been able to sample, as I have been vegan since childhood. I was always curious about 'soul food' and happy to get to have a cruelty-free taste. After eating here a few times in short succession (we were on holiday), my partner and I felt nostalgic for healthier food, but for an occasional treat, especially if you need a compromise for a veg*n and an omni, this is a great little place. If you are not dining alone and want to try a range of things, one starter, one main and one dessert is an ample meal for two people.
Pros: Yummy food, Friendly service, Huge portions
Cons: Not very healthy, Too much like meat for some palates
Guest
serenacarey
Points +294
Vegan Soul Food - Yum! - Edit
My favorite restaurant in NYC - I go here every year! The BEST buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce and fish sticks with tartar sauce - ALL vegan, of course. The service here sucks and the people are NOT friendly at all - could it be that I wore my Republican shirt and they're liberal hippies? Maybe. But I looked beyond that and the food is AMAZING!!!!
Read morePros: Faux Fish Sticks, Vegan Buffalo Wings, Vegan options
Cons: Service, Unfriendly, Too far from home
Guest
MO_vegan
Points +57
WOW - Edit
Loved this place! We ate there multiple times while visiting NYC. Friendly staff keep the water glasses filled.
Read morePros: non vegan items marked, Fantastic fries, Good value
Guest
Yeliz
Points +46
Seriously disappointing - Edit
I have been to Red Bamboo many times since I go to NYU and live in the area. Every time I went back with a feeling that if there are so many good reviews I must be missing something. Well, I don't think so. Junk food is just not my thing.
Read moreI don't like junk food. Even if it's vegan junk food. If you are used to eating a lot of meat and miss it but don't want to have any animals on your dinner plate, Red Bamboo is a good place to go, but you won't find much other than fake meat. It is a fake meat paradise and a true vegetarian's hell. Yes, the soy chicken feels like chicken. Yes, their sauces are rich and greasy. No, these are not healthy foods. Like another reviewer said, the side veggies are missing. So when you order soy chicken skeweres, that's what you get. A couple skewers with deep fried processed soy smothered in a rich sauce and nothing else.
What disappoints me the most about Red Bamboo is the after-feeling of being unsatisfied and "down". I love vegan food and I am a good cook, so I know how truly amazing vegan food can be, all the while being healthy and nutritious and uplifting. Red Bamboo is none of these for me. It's not "oh my god" tasty, it's not healthy, it's not nutritious and it's not satisfying. Even when I was craving greasy comfort food Red Bamboo didn't do it for me. An alternative? Try Curly's Vegetarian Lunch. Or cross the street and get a dosa from Thiru the Dosa Guy. That's a better lunch special than what you will get at Red Bamboo.
That being said, the desserts should be evaluated in a separate category. They are good. But so are desserts at Life Thyme, plus they are bigger and less expensive. If you want an afternoon tea and desserts with friends, this may be a place to go... if you don't mind the freshly painted smell in Red Bamboo. I don't know if they purposely make the place smell that way but to me it's suffocating. An alternative? Go to Gizzy's or to The Bean, both just a couple blocks away.
That being said, if you are in the mood for an uninspiring vegan burger and fries and beer, it may be an OK place...if you can survive the smell (I guess if I did, you would be able to, too). That's how I can justify the two cow faces, otherwise it would be only one, which I am not allowed to give.
Pros: desserts, location
Cons: junk food, uninspiring, bad smell
Guest
jtct203
Points +79
My 2nd favorite restaurant in NYC! - Edit
Been going here since they opened and I love it. The chicken Parm grinder is insane!!!
Read morePros: great selection, good prices, great hospitality
Cons: small and cramped sometimes
Guest
hcatloved
Points +52
there's only love here.. - Edit
i love red bamboo. i love the people who work there. i love the food. i WISH they would bring it to la, because it would for sure do well there. i love the bbq buffalo wings, salmon rolls, chicken parm and creole soul chicken!!! i love red bamboo. that must be the thing i miss most about NY.
Read morePros: food, price, sweet employees
Cons: possible wait
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1131
we dig it - Edit
It was all good. We liked everything we had, though some of it tasted the same as the rest. WE'd come back for it and would tell you to go. Creole Vegan, need ya say mo'?
Read moreGo on!
Pros: Creole, Vegan
Guest
XspeedyX
Points +122
Hmmmmmm - Edit
We don't get fake meat like this in Belgium!
Read moreThe veggies are bland, but that's ok, because you're clearly here for the 'meat'.
Try the BBQ chicken!
Guest
marcelina
Points +29
Favorite! - Edit
BBQ Buffalo Wings... Need I say more!
Read moreGo there, try this... it'll change your life. Haha.
Pros: Delicious!, Variety, They serve beer!
Cons: Too busy
Guest
NIBsmf
Points +1102
My Favorite All-Vegetarian Restaurant - Edit
This is the one thing I miss about living in NYC! My favorite all-time restaurant (along with the location in Brooklyn), I have never known any other place to have so many soy-meat options. Even all of my meat-eating friends/family cannot believe how realistic so much of it is. Even though I can understand some of the reviews saying that it is not the healthiest vegetarian food due to it being very processed much of the time, there are also plenty of healthier options on the menu (salads, stir fries, etc). My only complaints about the Manhattan location are that you cannot make reservations and it can get very crowded, and it is a small space. I much prefer the atmosphere and seating at the Brooklyn one, and I don't think I have ever had to wait there. Oh, and both locations are a bit pricey (expect to pay at least $10), but it's worth it since they are so specialized.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Large portions, Unique food
Cons: Small space, Long wait, Bit pricey
Guest
GoatxThrower
Points +42
This place is awesome - Edit
Unfortunately, I do not live in NYC, otherwise, I'd visit this place more often. I've only been twice, but it's by far one of the best veg-friendly places I've visited. It can get very packed and I'm not sure how I feel about the tight/cramped seating where you're basically rubbing elbows with other people. I assure you though, it is just a very minor qualm, because I can't complain at all about the food. Excellent place, I hope it's here to stay.
Read moreGuest
maliciouskami
Points +188
A Must-See! - Edit
I went on a multi-city trip over the holidays and it was my goal to eat at as many veg restaurants as possible (don't have them at home). This place hands-down wins. Amazing value for the money and amazing food. While this place is mostly vegan, I was annoyed that they still carried a few items with dairy/egg in them. With so many menu items that are so tasty, where's the point in continuing to sell cruelty? Also, expect a long wait. We came on a regular weeknight and had a 30 minute wait in the cramped waiting section before being seated at a cramped table! My main issue, however, was just looking around me and seeing all the amazing food everyone was eating, it made it very difficult to choose. We tried the bbq chicken legs, calamari, and collard green "rolls" (which turned out to be spring rolls) for appetizers. The BBQ legs were my favorite. For entrees, we got the half BBQ chicken meal and a beef meal. The beef wasn't all that great, but the chicken was. We also split a vegan Coke float and a slice of brownie-bottom cheesecake. The cheesecake tasted so real, we didn't trust it. We tested it on our non-veg friend and he agreed. We had to verify with the waitress!
Read moreAlso, keep in mind that their portions are really, really, really huge. Don't fill up on appetizers like we did!
Pros: Mostly vegan, Large portions, Great tasting and unique
Cons: Long wait, Not all-vegan, Cramped
Guest
mr.pancakes
Points +51
nice nice nice - Edit
i actualy went there 2 times but i forgot about what i had the second time!i had the Buffalo Barbecue Wings as an starter once and the Creole Soul Chicken as an entree.it was really really good they are pretty fast and the waiters are always nice.also you should get a dessert in there they have the original vegan treats cakes...yummie
Read moreGuest
nycdogswimmer
Points +34
Simply wonderful - Edit
This is my all-time favorite veggie/vegan restaurant in NYC. Even my non-veggie friends love it and come here without me! Everything I have ever had here has been spectacular, including the desserts. I love it!
Read morePros: Everything
Guest
iwiley
Points +26
Wow - Edit
This teeny, busy hole-in-the wall is faux-meat heaven! It had a casual, neighborhood feel, friendly (but not intrusive) staff, killer entrees and stellar desserts. Awesome find!
Read morePros: great food, neighborhood restaurant
Cons: small and busy
Guest
ozport
Points +36
Good Vegan Food That's Easy on the Wallet - Edit
We ate at Red Bamboo on a recent visit to the city and we were very pleased with our meals. We ordered the Buffalo "Wings" which had us drooling from the first bite. I also ordered the Soul Chicken appetizer which I couldn't finish. The Seitan Sandwich had a little too much sauce for me. Next time I'll order it light on the sauce. My husband had a Creole Chicken burger and raved about it too. Wish we had arrived with emptier stomachs because we couldn't finish everything. The best part was that prices were very reasonable for NYC. Service was quick and the atmosphere pleasant. Try it if you're in the Village!
Read morePros: Good Soul Food, Buffalo Wings!, Affordable
Cons: Only in NYC!
Guest
michal
Points +93
try the bourbon chicken! - Edit
the bourbon chicken is my favorite thing on the menu & anyone else i know who has tried it says the same thing! it's amazing. there's usually a wait and it's a tight squeeze but they know what they're doing down there, that's for sure.
Read moreGuest
condekedar
Points +9511
Great place - Edit
Red Bamboo has a huge, diverse menu with great, inspired and unusual dishes. I had their mango-pepper "chicken" which was spicy and sweet. Excellent mixing of tastes and the portion was huge, enough for two meals. The service was fast, friendly and attentive. I didn't like their lemon cheesecake, though, which was too hard, too sweet, and also dried-out. Prices are excellent, especially compared to other veg. places in NYC.
Read morePros: Taste, Prices, Service
Guest
A.Z.P.
Points +635
Tough choice next to VP3 - Edit
Both of these restaurants are so good it makes for quite a quagamire to decide which to go to, considering their proximity. I came here for the first time a few months ago on a trip to NYC. The restaurant is smallish and has an okay atmosphere. The staff was nice but we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. I liked most of the things we ordered, but not everything. The Vege buffalo wings appetizer was amazing. I also had a ginger beef stirfry which was fresh crispy and delicious. My gf had the whole chicken, which she really enjoyed. The chicken comes shaped like a real chicken with a neck and everything, the presentation here is clever and creative. Lastly, the ice cream here is some of the best vegan ice cream youll eat. Altogether, we were 2 vegetarians and 2 carnivores. Between us, we vegetarians liked the place, but I think our meat eating girlfriends enjoyed it more. But considering the selection and tastes, its hard to not like Red Bamboo.
Read morePros: Varied menu, Creative presentation, Meat-eaters like it
Cons: Smallish, Not enough tables, Noisy
Guest
Nickysr
Points +140
Wonderful! - Edit
We dream about Red Bamboo when home in London - this is one of the best vegan places I have ever been to. The menu is mostly mock meats and thats fine by me! The Buffalo Wings are amazing, so is the Philly Steak sandwich and the Soul Chicken. I have even flown home to London with takeout for my husband, this is how good it is!! The staff are lovely, tattooed boys and girls with friendly dispositions and attentive service skills. The icecream shakes are to die for and are a meal in themselves. The menu is extensive and everytihng I have opted for has become the current favourite! Please go when you are in NYC!! - you really will not regret it!
Read morePros: mock meats, kind staff, variety
Guest
bullcityveg
Points +203
I don't know - Edit
I've been to Red Bamboo 3 times...and the third time I only went for dessert (which is, I've been told, imported from Gianna's Grille in Philly, and those same cakes are sold at Teany). I waited 2 hours at the no reservation restaurant on a Friday night...and the food, while not bad, was not worth a 2 hour wait, particularly when it all tastes like the stuff I get in the freezer section at whole foods...
Read moreIf you're big on vegetarian meats, then this place is for you. If you want vegetables, don't bother.
Pros: vegetarian meats, really good cake
Cons: very few veggies, small space/long wait
bullcityveg
BTW-- these cakes are from Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, not Gianna's Grille. You can get them at many other places (Atlas Cafe sells them).
Read moreGuest
tartarugafechada
Points +76
the best vegetarian food i have found - Edit
this is simply the best vegetarian restaurant i have found so far. the mock meats are incredible and the vegans cakes (made by the same vegan chef who used to make the Veg City Diner cakes) are absolutely incredible. suggested entree: butterfly chops with collard greens with a jerk seitan skewer for an appetizer. dinner prices are reasonable (at least for NYC) ($8-$13) and the lunch specials, featuring slightly smaller portions and/or sandwiches with an appetizer, are superb and cheaper. all non-vegan menu items are carefully marked. if you are feeling adventurous (or under the weather) try their hot ginger juice. it will cure whatever ails you.
Read morePros: vegan soul food, vegan cakes, lunch specials
Cons: can get crowded
Guest
Poundie
Points +15549
Tasty - Edit
Great Carribean vegetarian food. The place does get crowded, so do make reservations for dinner, especially on weekends.
Read morePros: Good taste
Cons: crowded
Guest
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