Red Bamboo
"This spinoff of the West Village restaurant proves that vegetarian food can be served in a stylish setting that's not draped with tapestries," writes Citysearch's Justin Hartung. New York magazine's Raquel Pelzel describes the space: "Bamboo accents around the bar and on the ceiling of the first floor lend a Southeast Asian feel, while the upstairs dining room, with glittery glass-ball chandeliers and gorgeous wood details, is so lovely you may not quibble about the food."
But you may not be able to hold back your "quibbles" if you've got anything against fake meat. Time Out New York recommends the all-faux appetizer sampler, featuring "a trio of soul chicken (in a light panko coating), Cajun fried shrimp (with a convincing sea-salt aftertaste) and kicky buffalo barbecue wings (a stick takes the place of the bone)." And Jim from VeganFriendly says, "I felt that the food I ate here was better than the food I usually get at the Manhattan location. It seemed a little more rich and homemade."
During a recent visit, we were impressed by the breezy outdoor seating, the friendly servers, and the surprisingly appetizing presentation of all the deep-fried meat-look-alikes. Have you given this vegan haven a chance?
Reviews (9)
bklynbred wrote a review on September 18, 2008 12:36 PM
I was *just* discussing the merits of fake chicken with a coworker. I'm definitely a meat eater, and really miss Buttercup--the restaurant at this location before RB--but in a pinch, I can down the fake wings with a cocktail without much trouble.
pierre de taille wrote a review on September 18, 2008 12:47 PM
This is a great place even for a non-vegetarian as myself. In the summer the ambiance can be quite awesome with live music and fresh olives. Lately though there seems to be an over abundance of the hipsters...oh well it makes it more interesting I guess.
king of the burg wrote a review on September 18, 2008 12:54 PM
although wary about the whole "vegan thing" I ended up really liking the food at this place. Great place to stop for lunch with your vegan hippie-dippy friend. It has something for everybody. I could even see myself eating here on a regular basis if I lived in the neighborhood. the service is a little slow, and a little inattentive, but they got the order right both times I went.
Also try Wild Ginger in Williamsburg. Same fake meat menu, but more concentrated on asian styles.
dead wrote a review on September 18, 2008 2:44 PM
I eat here at least once a week and I cant complain, food is always good and the service is good. Lots of friendly servers, although it might help that Ive become a regular of sorts.
tiptoe wrote a review on September 18, 2008 2:56 PM
i've eaten here and at the manhattan outpost. the food is very greasy and everything seems to be fried. essentially, i have no reason for going back.
daveinbedstuy wrote a review on September 18, 2008 2:57 PM
Only 4 vegans on brownstoner? What a bunch of blood thirsty... Does this place have a fake bone-in rib eye??
bkchic wrote a review on September 18, 2008 3:19 PM
I have to chime in because I live right down the street from Red Bamboo and the 2 times I've been there I had decent food but absolutely terrible service. The first time it was fairly crowded so I didn't think much of it. But the second time, we were one of two tables outside and there were only 3 tables inside. First, they forgot to put our order in for our appetizers and when we asked, the waiter was defensive and did not apologize for the error. Then, we had the to knock on the window to get the waiter's attention when we were ready. I asked several friends who have also eaten there what their experience was like and they all said that the service had much to be desired.
Unfortunately, even though I like the vegetarian options as well as the homemade juices, I won't be dining there anymore due to their poor customer service.
lwo wrote a review on September 18, 2008 3:20 PM
Went here for the first time this summer for brunch with some vegetarian friends.
The whole experience was awful - we were seated fairly quickly, but it took almost 20 minutes to get any service whatsoever after asking 3 times. Once we did get service, throughout the meal we had to go straight to the bar for drinks.
If it hadn't been for a sweltering hot day and the fact that our veggie friends were thrilled to be there, we would have walked out immediately.
Our food finally arrived, and we were really shocked at just how bad it was - the only thing the entire table enjoyed were the fries.
There is a TON of fried food on the menu (like jalapeno poppers, seriously) and the other stuff has no flavor.
Definitely won't go back, ever.
bklyn_girl wrote a review on September 20, 2008 8:27 PM
I like Red Bamboo's Soul Chicken - very good, even if it is deep fried. Agree with those who say service is not so good. You wait forever and have to tackle your server for everything because they rarely stop by or make eye contact after the initial order.
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