Lacto
Ovo
American
Take-out
Gluten-free
Breakfast
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Breakfast and lunch spot using non-gmo ingredients. Menu changes seasonally. Tofu can be substituted for egg in breakfast dishes. Vegan veggies sausages offered. Large smoothie menu with non-dairy options. Vegetarian and vegan soups, salads, and sandwiches. Open Mon-Fri 7:00am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun 8:00am-3:00pm.
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8 E 4th St, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 45202
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Last update on 31 Dec 2020 by craigmc
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Added by ArpineKostandyan on 05 Apr 2018
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22 Reviews
First Review by jgilk
Kirsses
Points +806
Meh - Edit
This is the restaurant you go to when you need a vegan option for yourself but normal food for the rest of your group, and you have no other choice. It was fine but the veg options feel like they’re made just to have a veg option rather than to make a good veg option comparable to other menu items.
Read moreAgreed with other reviews — the tofu scramble is not impressive and the goetta is mushy. The potatoes, however, are cooked very well. There are just many better options.
Also, ambiance wise, it just has that cold stark feeling of all the restaurants trying to be ~hip~. There are much cozier, better tasting options around — unfortunately just not many for brunch.
Pros: multiple vegan options, friendly staff
Cons: food lacks taste, uninviting ambiance
Guest
JG
Points +160
Impressed! - Edit
I know some of the negative reviews are from a few years ago, so maybe things have changed more recently, but this place was absolutely fantastic, if you ask me.
Read moreVery friendly and knowledgeable staff, and all of the items I sampled were absolutely outstanding.
The Mushrooms Rule the World sandwich was a show stopper. The server suggested getting sweet potato soup as a side to dip it in, and the flavor combo was out of this world. The ginger pickles were fantastic, and the goetta with chimichurri were the perfect foils.
I also had a chance to try the tofu scramble with goetta, spinach, black beans, and garlic herbs. I love tofu scramble because it means I can load it up with hot sauce, but this was so outrageously flavorful I wouldn’t dare.
Even the house coffee was solid!
I guess there’s a reason this place was packed on a Saturday morning. It’s really good.
Pros: Excellent food , Unique vegan options (house made goetta), Friendly service
Guest
GenevaJohnson
Points +101
So flavorful! - Edit
I ordered their bee-spoke scramble. I had the v goetta with tofu and added spinach, black beans and garlic herbs. WOW! So much flavor and creativity in the scramble. It came with a side and toast. Our server, Grace, was so knowledgeable about which options were vegan friendly and even down to what contained honey. Plus, the coffee was delicious and their house made syrups were also vegan.
Read moreGuest
mschlater
Points +1201
Not good! - Edit
Had the tofu scramble with vegan goetta and toast. It was just so bad! The tofu scramble had random chunks of cauliflower in it and the goetta was mushy and didn’t have a flavor. I was also served butter with my toast after specifying no butter.
Read moreGuest
Veganmouse
Points +1235
Great options, good food - Edit
Lovely service and nice atmosphere
Read moreLots of vegan options
Got the tofu scramble with veggies and a side of goetta, all Delicious
Updated from previous review on 2024-04-06
Guest
caseywetherell
Points +129
very yummy! - Edit
i loveeee their vegan goetta mushroom sandwich!!! their avi tofu scramble is amazing too, but i don’t love the goetta on its own, which is the only vegan meat side option. i wish they still had their vegan sausage! i’ve been going here for years and haven’t had a bad experience
Read morePros: vegan goetta sandwich, avi tofu scramble
Cons: vegan goetta flavor is weird on its own, no longer have vegan sausage, only vegan goetta
Guest
maddielle
Points +325
Great brunch spot - Edit
Great brunch food, friendly service, great locations
Read morePros: Veg options , Willing to substitute , Good and fast service
Cons: Very very busy , You'll need to ask questions , Crowded and loud
Guest
JohnGardner
Points +646
Very good - Edit
The "Mushrooms Run the World" sandwich is so good! Deep flavor, and the ginger pickles (made by them) are a burst of fresh in the middle of the savory, really made the dish.
Read moreGuest
VeganbyChoice
Points +1763
Flavorful lunch - Edit
There are a few clearly marked Vegan (V) options for breakfast and lunch. Nice atmosphere. Friendly service. I had lunch at 12:30pm on a Monday and it was crowded. I ordered the Seedywich sandwich. It comes with roasted eggplant, a seedy greolata, arugula, and their tangy vegan sauce on griddled multigrain bread. That vegan sauce makes the difference and elevates this dish to a better than good level. The ginger coconut sweet potato soup was delicious. I will come back when I am in the area. Would love to try their Vegan breakfast options next.
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Friendly service, Tasty food
Cons: Portion size in the small side
Guest
VickyRaeStewart
Points +99
Not impressed - Edit
You can get tofu scramble with goetta and veggies. The only other option would be oatmeal or sides. There’s no plant-based cheese.
Read moreThis is not the place to go with a new or aspiring vegan.
Cons: Really only one vegan option.
Guest
Jackiem
Points +16
Tasty! - Edit
This is a good place to eat. I’ve read mixed reviews on the tofu scrambler, but I thought it was great. I got the Avi scrambler, sub tofu for eggs and no cheese. I recommend that dish, it’s fantastic. The sweet potatoes were good, and the multigrain toast was awesome with the scramble. My Dad got the vanilla almond oats which were really tasty, especially if you like oatmeal. They use almond extract in the oats which just takes them to another level.
Read moreSome people think the food is a little bit overpriced, but the restaurant is in downtown Cincinnati and everything is of great quality. I think you get what you pay for here.
Pros: A few vegan options, Friendly waitstaff, Food was out quickly
Cons: Hard to park
Guest
swimatt363
Points +313
Great scramble and vegan goetta - Edit
Good food with some nice vegan options. Good service too.
Read morePros: Nice tofu scramble, Nice goetta
Guest
GrnsRGood
Points +198
Not a lot for vegan and gluten free - Edit
Really cute and excited to come here. Very disappointing menu for Vegans and GF diners
Read morePros: Cute place, Downtown , Food is okay
Cons: Very limited food items, Don’t take cash, Only breakfast and brunch
Guest
lenalikestea
Points +37
very gross - Edit
the whole experience was just very disappointing. i was so excited when i heard about all the vegan breakfast options that the sleepy bee has. i really wanted vegan pancakes because their site says their pancakes are made with almond milk. the pancakes, however, contain eggs so they are not vegan. i was disappointed but still hungry so i ordered the veganized worker bee special: tofu scramble, diced sweet potatoes, and vegan goetta. the worker bee special normally has toast too but the worker, who knew i was vegan because we discussed it, took off the toast and didn’t allow me to add a different side. that was a little upsetting but not terrible. the issues began when they brought out my meal. my plate was filled 1/3 of the way with their nonvegan white potatoes instead of the vegan sweet potatoes. it was an innocent mistake so i politely told the worker that i ordered the vegan sweet potatoes and could not eat these ones because they contain honey and milk. the worker nicely took my plate back to the kitchen and returned in like a minute. all she had done was grabbed the potatoes off my plate (missing many potato chunks and the butter and honey sauce that they were in all over my plate) and put the vegan sweet potatoes over it. She had made almost half of my plate uneatable because it was covered in nonvegan potato chunks and their sauce. The little bit of tofu scramble and vegan goetta was disgusting. The tofu scramble tastes like plain tofu with yellow food coloring and it was cold. The goetta was also very bad. If you are looking for a good vegan goetta go to Grandma Debbies in Findlay Market. Her goetta is a thousand times better. my nonvegan dad also order the worker bee special but didn’t veganize it. His was all cold and not good too. We ended up having to pay $35 for [censored] food that we only ate a couple bites of. fellow vegans, do not even bother with this nasty cafe.
Read morePros: the mug they served coffee in was cute
Cons: expensive , cold and gross food, doesn’t respect vegans
Guest
hec0605
Points +615
Really good almond oats coconut. - Edit
The almond oats are really good, I also had the lentil bowl and I really enjoyed it
Read morePros: Clear vegan options outlined
Guest
Keeperr
Points +47
Best breakfast spot in Cincinnati - Edit
The Avi Tofu Scramble is the best vegan meal by far! Make sure to get sweet potatoes because the other side has a honey glaze on it.
Read morePros: Good amounts of vegan options
Cons: Somewhat pricy
Guest
brittderr
Points +244
Yummy tofu scramble - Edit
Delicious tofu scramble. Plenty of add in options including vegan sausage.
Read moreGuest
aleksandrasliwka
Points +44
Loved it! - Edit
Very nice place, super friendly staff, busy during brunch times, reasonably priced, big servings! Sources many ingredients locally. Would def eat here again!
Read morePros: Great vegan avocado tofu scramble, Offers vegan sausages and tofu scramble, Many plant milk options
Guest
dzgarcia
Points +148
Decent, not wonderful - Edit
Overpriced for what is offered. And I had a surprisingly greasy tofu scrambler, veggies aren't greasy so I'm not sure how that came to be. They have a good concept, but there is definitely room for improvement.
Read morePros: Vegan/vegetarian/eggitarian options
Cons: Overpriced
Guest
sfaulkiner
Points +154
Cozy with knowledgeable waitstaff - Edit
I grabbed a quick lunch at Sleepy Bee when I was staying down the street at The Phelps Marriott and it was DELICIOUS! I had their shiitake BLT with sweet potatoes and the house ketchup, which is amazing. I took a pear scone home with me and it was heavenly.
Read morePros: Several vegan options, Knowledgeable staff, Large seating area
Guest
Tantrix4u
Points +615
Delicious! - Edit
We always enjoy Sleepy Bee, solid vegan options, beware the bacon on the [censored] Mary.....server knew we were both vegan. ☹️oops
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Clearly marked menu, Locally sourced, organic
Cons: Not inexpensive , Always busy=long wait, Bacon 🥓 garnished the [censored] Mary. YUCK!!
Guest
jgilk
Points +16
Pancakes are NOT vegan!! - Edit
It’s a good place to eat but my wife & I read a review about their VEGAN pancakes, they have eggs.
Read morePros: Lots of options , Clean, neat, Friendly service
Cons: Pancakes are not vegan
Guest
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