This non descript place is truly a great place for those really in the know. I took our vegan out of country guests and I was shocked by how excellent the food and service were in this very clean place. It looks very ordinary and unpromising from the outside but it is superb. Highly recommended. read more

If you're looking for a vegetarian restaurant in downtown I would highly recommend coming here. It's a hidden gem! My family and I have been here many times for dinner, the food has always been great and they have kept their prices low. It's certainly affordable and the portion is quite decent. It's always a satisfying meal, never disappoints. read more

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Since 1991 Sammy and Co. has been busting down some authentic vegan-based Chinese food. Check out below for the entire menu (almost). Highly recommend the duck, yum! read more

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A great spot to get vegan old-school Chinese food. I had the vegan duck (bean curd) noodles, crispy ginger beef or is it the general tao veggie chicken, and veggie dishes on iron plate. Everything was priced under $15 and the portions are huge. I think the closest to actual meat would be the crispy ginger beef or general tao chicken. I don't remember which it was but it was covered in a sweet and sour sauce and I honestly don't mind that it wasn't meat. The "duck" doesn't taste like duck at all but I enjoy the bean curd regardless. Our favourite is the fried noodle dish with duck. The veggie fish hot plate dish had a slight fishy taste from the seaweed and sauce and quite a show with the hot plate, but I prefer the other dishes more. Filled us up without breaking the bank and also had ample leftovers for the next day. read more

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What we had: Deep-fried Dumplings With Pineapple Dipping Sauce (6 Pcs) $5 Veggie Lamb Skewer W/ Satay Sauce $7.5 Assorted Gluten & Bean Curd Sheet $10 Sweet & Sour Veggie Fish $16 Fried Rice Noodle W/ Veggie Beef in Black Bean Sauce $13 Veggie Seafoods & Veg. On Crispy Noodle $14 Taste: 4.5/5 Overall pretty good. My fav was the assorted gluten & bean curd sheet - it was authentic. The rest of the dishes were flavourful as well. It came with a generous portion and an affordable price. Great value! Vibe: 3.5/5 Pretty homey and cozy. I thought it was a small place, but it turned out there were two dining areas separated by the aisle of the kitchen. Service: 4/5 The servers were friendly and helpful. read more

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Huge huge portion We came to this place because one of my friends is vegan. We came in a group of 4, and they seat us in the 2nd room where we have to walk past the kitchen. Personally, I am not a vegan, so I am not very excited about vegan food. However, I do not mind this place. The portion was HUGE. We each ordered a dish, but half of us could not finish it and we have to get container boxes. The dish came with a lot of vegetables; the "meat" was made of tofu. There are many options here. I would come here again if I were to meet a friend who is vegan. read more

Buddha's Vegan - Vegan seafood fried noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The food was not great. I ordered it on DoorDash, and it came in pretty fast. All the soy products taste nothing like the meats they're imitating -- I have enjoyed vegetarian meals before that did not market itself as meat imitations and I find those tastier. Even if just considering soy based foods, the seasoning is too much on the salty side and there is too much grease. The beans weren't cooked through either. I do eat meat quite routinely so I wouldn't be able to judge if the substitution is good enough for people trying to taper down meat consumption read more

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I grew up eating at this place after my Saturday Chinese school. I believe the owner has changed once, but the food standard still remains. Their portions have always been generous and price has always been fair. It's not a cheap as it used to be, but it's definitely cheaper than eating at any American franchise. My favourite items at this venue is definitely their hot and soup sour (nice and sour) and their mixed gluten platter (9$). **They now accept card payments!! read more

Buddha's Vegan - Vegetarian delight (noodles- 10$), mixed gluten patter (9$) and hot and sour soup small (good for two people). - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

There is a saying: healthy food is not tasty. I think Buddha's Vegan busts that totally. The chef of this Cantonese vegan/vegetarian restaurant must be talented. The dishes' flavours are authentic Cantonese and they are all using local food. That needs creativity to make the combinations tasty. I recommend you to go there if you're vegetarian. read more

Buddha's Vegan - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Not what it used to be (less varied menu than years past, before new management), but still a local institution. Huge portions. Amazing value (for Downtown Toronto area). Walked in, ordered #31: "Buddhas Special on crispy noodles" at $10.95). For $10.95 (2022 CDN $), I received what easily felt to be over 1 kilogram of food! The plastic bag was stretching! Varied bok choy, mushrooms, tofu, etc. and savoury ramen or thin chow mein noodles (sorry, not sure which). Very filling, and the broth was superb. Added soy sauce and hot chili sauce at restaurant before leaving to add extra flavours. Overall, easily one of the best local (vegan) restaurants for value / bang for your buck. "Greens Restaurant" (just a few metres east, on the corner) is very good alternative too. read more

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Tried the kung pao chicken, Buddha's deluxe and fried tofu (forgot to take a pic). "Chicken" was the most flavourful. I enjoyed the texture and there was a good portion. Buddha's delight was average; a little salty but good with some white rice. The fried tofu was the least impressive...nothing too special and I'd probably choose to try something else next time. The place is small but busy. Overall, I'd recommend! read more

Buddha's Vegan - Buddha's deluxe - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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We're always looking for restaurants that serve vegan food, but substantial, actual food. A lot of times we're stuck with a marinated tofu dish. This place hits hard. The service was great. The mock swordfish was unbelievably good and the Kung Pao "meat" had great texture with lots of snappy vegetables. I wish we lived in Toronto, I'd go here all the time. read more

Huge fan of this place, been here a couple of times and the food has always been great. Portions are very generous and the food is always delicious. It's a great place for anyone who has a vegan diet (though I'm personally not one, but can immensely respect the culture and food behind it). Went with a friend on Saturday and it's a very tiny place, at most 5-6 tables in there, but I can see a lot of business is via takeout via Uber Eats. If you're in the Bathurst/Dundas/Chinatown area, check this place out, the portions are huge. HUGE. I ordered the mock chicken and shrimp fried rice and no joke, it was sufficient for like 3 meals (either that, or I'm just a really small eater). The rice was fried perfectly, super fragrant and the rice not being overcooked. You can taste a bit of that "wok hay" from the mock chicken, that smokiness that gives that fried rice that extra dimension of flavour. Also ordered the fried tofu and it was fried to perfection with chili pepper salt seasoning to it. I like my spice so there's a bottle of chili oil right there for your disposal. Definitely recommend this place, for any of my vegetarian/vegan friends out there :D read more

Buddha's Vegan - Mock chicken/shrimp fried rice - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Ordered take-out from here. The service is friendly and the flavours generally good, BUT I do have to say I felt the description if their duck with vegetables on crispy noodles was misleading. I was expecting mock meat for the duck but it was really just bean curd sheets. It still tasted good, but it wasn't what I expected from the name so I was a little disappointed. That being said, I would return to try other dishes! The fried spring rolls were large and crispy. read more

Buddha's Vegan - 'Duck' with veggies on crispy noodles (but be warned the 'duck' is just bean curd sheets) - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

One of my fav restaurants in this area. Pure vegan Chinese food. Service of hospitality. The fried noodles is the must-try. Full of BBQ flavor. read more

Friendly and Delicious Vegan Chinese restaurant with fast service, cozy ambience. Pictured is the #52 Soya Steak & Vegetable on Crispy Noodle; Menu items are packed with well prepared with fresh vegetables & Soya proteins with a good use of Tofu for those omnivores still looking for the "mock " taste. read more

Buddha's Vegan - #31 - Vegetables & Tofu on Fried Noodle - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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When you're hungry everything almost always taste good so my group and I brought our hangry selves to BVF for lunch when got to Toronto via car via a very windy (25mph) and cold day. We ordered: - crispy noodles with veggies - three veggie spring rolls - one taro roll - vegetable soup noodle - imitation duck (small plate) Having had duck before choosing to be a herbivore I know what it taste like, and I think they did a pretty good job with the flavor The soup noodle was fine. Crispy noodle was good until you get to the soggy parts under the sauce - I should've ask them not to add the tapioca starch as another yelp reviewer did. It was not appetizing to chew through a bok choy with it squirting out. The veggie spring roll was crispy on the outside and would've been good but I think it's either the combo of veggies they used or the oil it was fried in that gave it a strange after taste. The taro roll was delicious - I wished I ordered more of this than the spring rolls. The restaurant is split into rooms and we sat in the room around the back from the entrance. It didn't do any good to keep us warm, we were eating in our jackets. read more

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Absolutely my favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurant! It's a small unassuming shop but service is always friendly, food is delicious, servings are incredibly generous and the prices are so down-to-earth! I have always left here stomach full and never empty handed because there's so much food - I always have to pack some up to go! Some of my favorite dishes are: - Preserved olive leaves, ginger and soya chicken fried rice - Bean curd sheet (imitation duck) read more

Buddha's Vegan - Preserved olive leaves, ginger and soya chicken fried rice - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I went here in the summer with my friends and I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food is! They have really big portion sizes for the price and it's very affordable. The inside is small. I ordered the mi xao gion with imitation duck and I was surprised by how good it was. The portion was so big that I had enough to eat it for dinner and lunch the next day. The imitation duck doesn't taste like duck but it's very good- the top is crispy while the inside is moist- it mostly tastes like tofu. The sauce with the noodles was really good and overall I really enjoyed it. I also got to try a bit of my friend's imitation shrimp fried rice and I have to say that the shrimp tastes like real shrimp. Overall a great experience and I'm looking forward to my next visit :) read more

Favourite Chinese vegetarian place, hands down - and I'm not even vegetarian! Prices aren't that pricey, good portion, the food tastes good, and I like how enthusiastic and nice the service is here compared to many other places in chinatown. One of my friends is allergic to shrimp and mentioned how they missed the taste of shrimp. Buddha's vegetarian came to mind. If you've ever ordered the deep fried salt and pepper shrimp here, you know what I'm talking about. How does something that's not even made from shrimp taste so much like shrimp?! Some sort of Chinese vegetarian magic, that's how. I usually order that dish along with a noodle dish. The beef satay rice noodles are good here too, but this time my friend and I ordered the buddha's crispy chow mein. I wish there were more soft parts to the chow mein - since it was crispy throughout, but regardless the dish was delicious and loaded with vegetables! We also ordered the bean curd sheet and it was deeelicious. Though I question why they call it imitation duck when it doesn't look or taste anything like duck, but anything to woo the meat eaters. Support your local Chinese vegetarian businesses! read more

Buddha's Vegan - bean curd sheet! instagram.com/toastedbao for more of my foodieventures - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Wow, I am truly speechless. That mock chicken and shrimp in the friend rice could fool anyone. Such delicious food, massive portions, and reasonable prices. The best part is that I don't have to settle for just ordering a veggie dish, I can now get all the taste of general tso's chicken just without the chicken. Amazing. Thank you! Note: review based on delivery, not an in-person experience. read more

Looking for tofu that tastes like duck without all the footprint. This is the place for tofu that taste like chicken, beef, duck, fish and other seafood. They make really delicious and wholesome home cooked chinese food. It is a tiny place just off Kensington Market. It feels like your average chinese restaurant experience but added with a homely and warm welcome from the people there - maybe they are the owners. My friends and I shared three entrees of: -fried rice with lots of yummy peas, mushroom and corn -Cashew vegetables - green and red peppers, mushrooms, tofu -stewed beef and vegetables Overall, I would definitely visit this restaurant again. read more

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Definitely exceeded my expectations... i love the food that I got. Their stir fried green beans with soya is very tasty, maybe a little salty but having the fried rice noodles with eggplant &tofu in black bean sauce balances the taste. We also had the dumplings which tastes good too and the spring roll, its okay. And all in all I'm pretty happy with what we've ordered. I'm not a vegetarian but I didn't feel the need to have some meat on my dish. read more

Great food, kind service, wonderful big portions just don't order too much even though it all sounds good! Everyone but us was speaking Chinese read more

Buddha's Vegan - Half eaten portions of black bean noodles with beef and sweet and sour spear ribs. Dumpling soup (medium!) - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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AMAZING AUTHENTIC VEGETARIAN/VEGAN CHINESE FOOD. wow so so good! we had the dumplings and spring rolls as starters (both vegetarian and amazing) for mains we had the imitation beef which was deep fried, battered and in delicious sauce. we also got crispy noodles with tofu and veggies which was similar to any veggie chow mein I've had at other restaurants but was still good. perfect greasy/satisfying authentic chinese food but finally the full vegetarian option of your dreams!!! tiny hole in the wall vibe with limited seating, was extremely busy and quite a long wait so don't go if you're in a rush. was SO worth it! read more

Buddha's Vegan - crispy noodles with veggies and tofu - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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3.5 rounded down. Able to get a seat for 2 on a Monday night without problems. Staff was friendly, a bit aloof, and no indication of "CASH ONLY" until it was time to pay. Food was solid. We got the pan fried noodles with mushroom and salt & pepper "shrimp". Lots of flavor in both dishes with the pan fried noodles being the star. The "shrimp" had the salt & pepper added to the fried noodles on top, not the actual batter - not sure why. Again, we were only told cash only when we received the check - no indication on the door, menu, by our server. This should be fixed. Overall, a solid offering for vegetarian Chinese food. read more

Buddha's Vegan - pan fried noodles + budda delight - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

They accept debit and credit cards now! And they offer free delivery through Doordash (prices for items are $1 more than regular menu price). I got take out for the first time today and the employees are so friendly and happy over the phone and in person. My absolute favourite dish when dining in is #75 - CRISPY VEGGIE CHICKEN W/ BLACK PEPPER SAUCE ON HOT PLATE. It comes sizzling to the table with a pile of bean sprouts and the sauce is poured tableside. It's a show stopper and bystanders will stop to look. I personally love to add garlic and onions to everything and today's take out order was the only time since dining with them that I thought the food was lacking in flavour. So I would suggest dining in for a better experience. There is limited seating though and there is no decor or ambiance so don't expect an attractive dining area. They give very generous portions for a great price. Completely vegan. Offerings of crispy chow mein, flat white rice noodles or rice to top with saucy vegetables and mock meat. I would stick with the noodles as the fried rice options are pretty basic. Heading back in a few weeks :) read more

This small restaurant tucked near Kensington Market / Chinatown serves a variety of Chinese vegetarian dishes, mostly containing mock meats and gluten. Seatings are limited inside and a lot of people order for take-out. read more

Buddha's Vegan - Veggie Mock Seafood & Vegetables on Crispy Noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Amazing restaurant: family owned (always the same people working), delicious, fast service and extremely cheap! This is one of those hole-in-the-wall gems in Toronto that you must try especially if you're vegetarian and loves Chinese food. They have a variety of dishes ranging from hot and sour soup to curry marinated "chicken" to mock "duck". I would highly recommend getting the chicken in iron plate. It's one of the most flavourful mock meat I've ever had! Not to mention their portion is huge!! They also have some mock meat in a freezer that you could buy to take home as well. read more

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I have been here 15 x and counting; the first time was in 2007 ( the 2nd time in 2016). Some of the fried rice options are mostly rice, with very little veggies. The mock meat fried rice are good choices. My faves from the main menu & sides are the duck, lamb, fried tofu & fish. Fried dumplings : meh. Fried taro: yum. If you love noodles: order them, and bring a few containers to store the massive noodle portions. I have been bringing several ppl to eat in & kept on promoting them online. The stuff at the mini markets are priced lower than most/ any. The mock chicken from the menu is bitter, they said it is because the manufacturer put too much pepper in. read more

Had to log in specifically just to rave about this place. They say the best foods are served at the hole in wall places and this is proof. Service was good and food was better. They were out of the broccoli 'beef' but everything else was outstanding. I'm from Los Angeles and this is some of the best vegan food I've had and without a doubt the best Asian vegan. Don't worry about the local and try this gem of a place. read more

This restaurant changed my life and how I view vegetarian Chinese food. Before I came here I thought it would consist of merely stir fried vegetables in lots of oil over rice or noodles but I was wrong! They have tons of unique options here and all of them are delicious! The time and care they take in preparation is very evident and the imitation meat options really do taste and even feel like meat! The decor isn't the greatest (1 star off) but the service and food is top notch read more

O M G So when I got to this place, my friend and I were already stuffed. We had done an impromptu food crawl (see my previous reviews Cold Tea, Tibet Cafe, and Golden Patty) and said friend had seen this place on Dundas and really wanted to check it out. I thought, why not. Let's do it. We got there around 8 and didn't know what to order, so the server said he'd bring out the two best dishes he loves. He brought out the sweet and sour "Chicken" and the fried green beans with tofu. The green beans and tofu were so delicious. Perfectly cooked, well balanced soy and garlic flavours, I was so stuffed but had to keep eating. And then the sweet and sour chicken. Here's the thing - I hate sweet foods. I have never enjoyed a sweet and sour anything in my life before, put a pineapple on my pizza and I will fight you. But this SSC was DELICIOUS. The seitan was perfectly crunchy and crispy, and the sauce wasn't overly sweet, it was so delicious. I was shocked and amazed. This is definitely the best vegan restaurant that I've ever been to. I don't even miss the meat, I'd defo come back here anytime anyday. read more

Buddha's Vegetarian Restaurant is not much to look at from the outside. It's located in Kensington/Chinatown area of Toronto. It's an easy drive from the center of town since all you have to do is drive east on Dundas. Lots of mock meat dishes. My favorites are items # 61 - Soya Beef Brisket, Mushroom & Turnip in special sauce. The dish was a spot on representation of beef brisket cooked in a clay pot with turnips. I also liked # 19 - Imitation Duck with Vegetables. The Mock Duck is essentially bean curd sheets rolled up to recreate the texture of duck. The Braised E-Fu Noodles with Vegetables and Mushroom # 37 was excellent without the added oil that is usually a feature of this dish. The Spicy Ma Po Tofu # 12 was the one dish that missed the mark. The Ma Po Tofu did not have the flavor nor the ground porky texture of the traditional dish. The dishes were all low fat and appeared to be prepared without garlic. Overall, I enjoyed this meal very much. read more

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This is a Hong Kong Style Buddhist Vegetarian restaurant. Buddhist vegetarian is more than just "vegetarian". This is not a Seattle hippie cafe, and it is not Gordon Ramsay cooks greens. It is superlatively cooked, simple, austere cuisine. Every vegetable is tender but sings with flavor. Saucing is minimal. The menu is small and when you allow for the similar vegetable bases that go into most of the dishes - it is in fact smaller still. (Vegetables. Vegetables in soup. Vegetables on Noodles. More Mushrooms in your vegetable mix. Vegetarian chicken and your vegetables. Vegetarian fish and your vegetables etc.) But the vegetables speak for themselves and don't need much saucing. Celery is powerful. Cashews taste overwhelmingly of cashew. White mushrooms give an honest accounting of themselves without having to use the old mediterranean trick of sauteeing them in olive oil onions and garlic until they taste like olive oil onions and garlic and not like mushroom. Seaweed soup is one of the seaweediest things you will ever eat. (This aint nori paper for your sushi. This is a drink of the China Sea.) Two non food notes. One. The decoration is minimal. This is a hole in the wall - albeit one with healthy food. Two - The owner is a deeply deeply committed Buddhist filled with the wisdom that comes from a life of dedicated self purification. He is gregarious, friendly and has tales to tell. His conversation will cure you of even more karmic illnesses than the food will. If you need to detox from your sordid evil life, this is a great place to do so. The food will purify your body. The owner will purify your mind. read more

I'm not vegetarian but enjoy a good vegetarian dish. We came here on a cold rainy Saturday night and ordered the imitation roasted duck on noodles. First, the dish is huge and can serve 2 people. The imitation duck is actually roasted tofu skin which is layered and has a firmer texture than tofu alone. The sauce is good and comes with lots of braised veges. An awesome restaurant for vegans/vegetarians who like Chinese food. read more

Buddha's Vegan - "Duck" on noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This has been my family's new favourite vegetarian restaurant for the past 4 years or so. We used to go to Simon's Wok for over 15 years but noticed they had a decline in respect to flavour, quality and portion size. My aunt brought us here a few years ago and we absolutely fell in love with this place. The portions for some dishes tend to run on the larger end which is good if you go with a big group but not ideal if you go with just 1 or 2 other people as you can't order too many dishes to try (unless you don't mind taking out a lot of leftovers). I always appreciate that their dishes are lighter in flavour, not greasy/oily compared to other vegetarian restaurants. The prices are so cheap so we tip a lot. The inside of the restaurant is very much so small, lacking in any sort of decor, very cozy, family like but the amazing food makes you not even think the mentioned a bad thing at all! We don't live in the area but when we are nearby this is the place to be for vegetarian. I only wish they were closer to Markham :) read more

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Oh my goodness, this is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto. The portions are huge, and the food is amazing. I would recommend sticking to the vegetable dishes. It will give the customer an opportunity to immerse themselves in how good vegan food can truly be. My friend ordered something with shrimp in it, and everything was very tasty, except for the shrimp which didn't have much flavour. The service was excellent and extremely friendly. Tea was offered and chopsticks are available for all. Forks and spoons are also available. There was not much seating available on the inside and it was quite small inside, but it was quite cozy and family-oriented. read more

Pleasantly surprised! Great place to grab a quick vegan dinner in Toronto. Good food & extremely friendly staff! read more

Buddha's Vegan - Vegetarian Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Food quality is 4/5; service was super friendly and accommodating so that deserves an extra star. This is a vegetarian chinese restaurant. I am not a vegetarian but like to come here once in a while for a change. This restaurant has been around for many many years. I used to be a regular customer there when we lived in the area. We moved so we don't get to eat here as frequently as I would like. The quality of food remains good after so many years. The restaurant looks dodgy, but food is good and portions are large; great value. Dinner for a group of 6 people cost us $50 with apps and entrees. Appetizers: - immitation duck: my all time favorite, delish - spring rolls: my least favorite , too much cabbage. I would prefer soya rolls - taro rolls: if you like taro (a type of yam), you will like this. Very rich and filling. - soya rolls: yummy with bamboo shoots and chinese mushroom. I would recommend it Entrees, we tried: - Buddha mixed vegetables fried noodles: chow mein was crispy. One of my fav - general tao chicken: I'm not a big fan, too doughy but my friends loved it - mock beef with tofu BBQ sauce: delish, highly recommend it. The tofu was so flavourful - stir fried green beans with soy: good flavour, I liked the beans Overall, good reliable vegetarian chinese food with large portions at very reasonable price. If you're looking for a fancy sit down place, this is not the place for you. The manager (or owner?) was super nice and friendly read more

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