One of the coolest places in Hendersonville, NC. Great and delicious food combined with their mission makes this place so special. The staff and volunteers are always very friendly and attentive. One thing I really love about this super cool place is that the "tip" is really a donation towards their mission, which I think is really neat and amazing. read more

Food was yummy, servers were nice and attentive. Food did take a while to come out. Around 30/40 min. We got there an hour before close and they were out of some items which is to be expected. read more

Dandelion - Caprese sandwich and broccoli soup - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Absolutely delicious food. Everything I've ever eaten at Dandelion has been amazingly good and the staff are lovely. And on top of that, it is a great cause!! read more

What a delightful place! The volunteers working are only matched by the food on offer. My wife enjoyed the special that tomato pie: generous portion, crispy top but rich filling. I enjoyed the power salad, again generously sized and no skimping on the ingredients with creamy apple cider dressing. I prefer the vinegar version, but it was still well-prepared. Sweet tea was not the traditional southern sugar with a side of tea, but nicely balanced between sweet and unsweet. Finished wonderful meal with banana pudding. Fortunately, the refrigerated and creamy version which I prefer to the cooked, though many are fans I know. Only downside, the obnoxious parking garage next door, if you are eating outside: beep-beep, etc each time car comes out which happens too frequently. Great organization doing important work! read more

Unassuming place. Quiet and calm no frills lunch place. You order at the register and get a number. Shortly after you get your food. A note on the table tells you to drop tips in jar at the register instead of on the table, charity donation for the organization. These folks do good things. My tuna melt and salad were good. My take out caesar salad and broccoli cheddar soup were well received. My wife said when I go back to get more soup, she loved it! read more

Dandelion - Open faced tuna melt on toast with tomato covered with cheese and salad. - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

I LOVE this business! The food, the ambiance, the service, and the mission. First, the food is excellent. Dandelion offers a great lunch menu with sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads. They also feature two of my favorites: Tomato Pie and Shrimp & Grits. The ambiance is very nice and the service is terrific. Prices are very reasonable as well. It is everything you could want in a casual lunch spot. Second, Dandelion serves a very important purpose. I have great admiration for their parent organization, Safelight Family. From Safelightfamily.org : "Dandelion, a local eatery Is the cornerstone of our job training program. Our internship program provides job training for survivors of violence and provides an educational and supportive environment for those who may be at risk. Participants gain experience and strengthen interpersonal skills while receiving additional services for themselves and their families. These internships help create financial stability for trauma survivors while building workforce development within our community." Enjoy a great breakfast, brunch, or lunch and know you are doing far more than dining. read more

Dandelion - Ruben. Yum! - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

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Nice little place in Hendersonville . A part of Searchlight which a great cause to support. Pot pie was excellent. The staff was more that friendly everyone went out of their way to may sure our experience was top notch! We will be back read more

If you like this type of food it's probably good. I just didn't find anything on the menu that I wanted. Just me probably. It is a popular local place apparently. friendly service. Not much ambiance, just a plane dining room with plane chairs and tables. read more

Great concept of a restaurant. Helping abused and homeless learn a trade in a not for profit restaurant is great! Food and service veneer excellent. Had a Ruben sandwich with tea. Well made and tasty. It's right in downtown Hendo, so you need to use the garage across the street or be lucky. Definitely a place to plan a return trip. They have lots of great stuff on their menu! read more

Food was awesome!!! Service was the best! Place was lovely!! Doing a great thing there! Keep it up!!! read more

Dandelion Cafe has some of the best lunches from sandwiches to soups to salads. My favorite lunch is their shrimp and grits it's an award winning dish in my book. Amazing. Dandelion's proceeds benefit Safelight a non-profit organization for victims and their families of domestic violence. read more

Well worth the stop in adorable downtown Hendersonville - the Dandelion offers some interesting spins on Southern classics. I went a little too hard with the nightshades, ordering tomato soup and tomato pie and then eating some kind of tomato salad thing, and I regretted my life choices, but not because it wasn't a delicious assemblage - it was. The tomato pie in particular is a gooey, cheesy, filling work of art. The cafe is airy and charming, and the menu (while limited) offers enough variety to please even the pickiest eaters. The mission behind the restaurant is inarguably noble, and you'll be glad you spent time and dollars here. If you're traveling with kids, zip around the corner to the (free!) gem museum after lunch to kill an enjoyable 30 minutes. read more

Dandelion - Tomato pie - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

My partner and I stopped in after a day of hiking and had a great lunch. I got the tomato pie with a side of kale and sausage soup. The soup was very flavorful and filling but wasn't overly thick. I don't like when soups with cream are "stodgy" - the soup here was perfect! The tomato pie was excellent - it was very substantial and genuinely full of tomato. I would highly recommend it (as the cashier recommended it to me). My partner got the Reuben, which he said was very good! I also got a hot chocolate, which was definitely made from hot cocoa powder mix, but it was good (as expected)! One thing I want to note is that instead of a tip, they accept a donation to a local service for survivors of domestic violence. That wasn't well explained to us, so keep that in mind when you are asked if you want to make a donation (Aka pay your tip as your donation)! Highly recommend for lunch! And I think the work they are doing for survivors is great. read more

Dandelion - Tomato pie + sausage and kale soup - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Eat here for the exceptional food, give a donation for the excellent purpose helping those caught up in and moving away from domestic violence. So happy to have found this place. Very comfortable atmosphere, super attentive staff. read more

Dandelion - Inside - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

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First of all I've been wanting to come here for awhile but they close early and it always happens to be when they are closed or near closing that I am in the area. On Yelp I seen that they have very good comments and reviews so it's been a place I just had to try for myself. One nice thing is it is owned by Safelight which from what I understand they help abused women This is their web site link, https://www.safelightfamily.org/dandelion.htm So any extra proceeds from the restaurant goes to helping them with expenses. This is what the page says: (Just alittle insight) Our internship program provides job training for survivors of violence and provides an educational and supportive environment for those who may be at risk. Participants gain experience. The woman who greeted us at the door sprayed our hands as soon as we came in. Then seated us. We asked a few questions she didn't know the answers she apologized and said it was her second day volunteering. So not quite sure if everyone does or not. The restaurant itself is not very fancy , not a whole lot went into decorations maybe lights that hung about 1/2 of the dining area were pretty. Everyone who walked by was attentive and asked if we needed anything. The coffee was pretty good and Everytime you wanted more they gave you a new coffee cup. Every restaurant has something different they do during these Covid days. They give you a menu which is pretty limited but there is dishes that sound really good and the other yelpers photos help alot to decide. I am sure there something for everyone to try.(Plus the special menu in the small holder on the table.) It was hard not knowing what to get but on Yelp I took the advice of a bunch of comments that other yelpers said the chicken pot pie was good. I ordered with a salad. I was hoping it would not disappoint. The other dish was the same but with a side of grapes. They don't have the everyday common sides which was a nice change to try something different. When it came out I had to try the dressing first. It was a balsamic. It was a thicker dressing but delicious. Then the pot pie. Let me tell you the reviews did not disappoint!! Spot on!!! From the top biscuit to the gravy loaded with chunks of white chicken meat, mushrooms and corn and more! It was so good!!! I totally enjoyed it!! Amazing!!! I told one of the girls to tell the chef that made it she said she would. The salad was perfectly cut up in smaller pieces and with the dressing it was so delicious! The whole experience did not disappoint! Food was spot on and so worth the bit of trouble finding a parking spot. They do have a parking lot across the street which is for safelight and it includes the restaurant even though she said there is 6-8 spots they fill up fast. If you are in the area and can be here before the closing time don't even hesitate to stop and eat! I over heard a table near by say the shrimp and grits were amazing, the bowl was big too! So that maybe on the list for another time! It's definitely a comeback place!! Review #550 read more

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Really cute restaurant/cafe located in downtown Hendersonville that makes everything fresh. They even get produce donated by local farmers, AND they're a non-profit that helps survivors of interpersonal violence get back on their feet. Great food and a great cause.. what more could you ask for? read more

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What a great place! Located in the middle of an inconspicuous side street with a cute little sign is a wonderful place to eat. The food is fresh and homemade. The recipes are unique and tasty. The chicken pot pie is the best I've ever had. The spinach quiche is terrific. The dessert of the day was chocolate cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting, fantastic! Our server, Hannah, was the best. read more

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Amazing food, fantastic service, for a great cause. The ambiance is good! Definitely check this out!

Great service and staff. Cute place. The Food is pretty good and the place helps train people the skills needed to work in a restaurant. Go there and feel good that you're getting a good meal and helping your fellow man or woman. This place should be supported. read more

Great place for lunch and everything our table had was great. The salads and sandwiches were all great. The story behind this restaurant is awesome and we were happy to be a part of their service. The inside is very relaxed and casual, would recommend for a quick lunch. read more

Such a great spot to stop in for lunch. Felt really comfortable with how they handled COVID. Easy to walk around downtown after as well. It was a nice plus to support a great cause as well, please leave a good donation on your bill! Great service from our waitress who recommended the daily soup as a side and couldn't have been more spot on - it was all perfect! read more

Dandelion - Chicken Caesar Wrap, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Grilled Pimento Cheese - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Food was excellent, I had the trio- soup, salad and another side. Wife had the panini and soup. Service was slow so add some extra time but worth the wait. Perfect ambiance for a casual lunch. Well lit and good temp. Free parking in ramp across the street for first hour. Profits are donated which is fantastic. read more

The mission of this restaurant is what brought us in but the food will have us back. I had the veggie burger and a side salad my friend had the shrimp and grits. Mine was great, added cheese no Mayo but it was still super moist and flavorful. The shrimp and grits are great! The grits were creamy and delicious and the shrimp were perfectly cooked and big. The service was great. The restaurant is cute and very clean. We will be back when we come to hike. read more

Great place for lunch. Or anything. Meals are wonderful and service is great also. Very limited hours. Too bad.

Really good food. We stopped in for lunch and the menu board did have a few out for the day over some items but I was able to get a great chicken salad on a croissant that was some of the best chicken salad I have had. There is a large list of side that all seem wonderful and the beet with feta and some nuts was wonderful. Our service was very good with a nice waitress and someone else did stop by to check on us. We were lucky when we got there, no wait. When we left there was a line to get a table. The restaurant is run by women and helps battered women and has some training and interns..what a great place. read more

A delightful little cafe featuring creative and beautifully presented southern dishes. What's more, eating at The Dandelion helps employ people while raising money to combat domestic violence. The iced tea was refreshing alongside the most delicious bowl of shrimp and grits I've ever had. The beet and goat cheese salad was also scrumptious. My friend really enjoyed her Panini and grape salad. We were both impressed by the cozy stting and warm service. Prices were exceedingly reasonable. The folks at the Dandelion, together with the the folks around the corner at the thrift store, are really making a difference in the lives of others. read more

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Its a good cause but I have eaten there 3 times and not once have they gotten my order right.

This place is amazing- first, great quality food lovingly prepared- innovative, tasty,appealing dishes. We are having all our favorites- Eggplant grill sandwich, black bean hamburger. So many sides to choose from beet, walnut, feta salad and I'm having cucumber fill salad. Healthy! And loads of meaty choices too. Try breakfast. Served till 11am. And go get a loyalty card. Now for the serious talk- this place helps people surviving domestic violence start back to work with training and support. The staff is amazing, hardworking and grateful! This is the first step, thriving in our community. Come eat - Enjoy- and do a good deed!! read more

Dandelion - Eggplant sandwich out of this world!! - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Had lunch for the first time ... the food was very good and plentiful. We had a Turkey Ruben and regular Ruben. The place is run by volunteers who were very friendly and accommodating. Their mission is very impressive. The service was a tad slow but they were very busy and apologetic for the delay. I would go back anytime and would also suggest you visit their thrift store next door. read more

Great food and service! Also takes donation in the way of tips for a very worth cause of Safelight non-profit organization for battered women and those seeking help from domestic violence! read more

I can't say enough good things about this place! The food was superb and the service was sterling. They take donations for their non profit in lieu of tips. I ordered the grilled pimento cheese and corn salad, but I also tried the shrimp and grits as well as the chicken salad. All were A+. read more

Dandelion - Pimento grilled cheese and corn salad - Cafes Near Me - Hendersonville, North Carolina

Great food, great cause, great service. My fave for lunch, but try brunch, too. Eat a great meal and feel great about helping some people who need help. LOVE the food! read more

This little place is wonderful! The decor is modern and chic. The food is really good! Aside from that, they train victims of domestic abuse to work in restaurants so they have a marketable skill. You can eat here and feel good because the food is yummy and because you are helping someone to be self sufficient and independent. A true win/win read more

Such a beautiful mission and beyond delicious food. We enjoyed the tomato pie so much that we ended up buying a whole one to go. Wish that I could give it more than 5 stars!! read more

We (6 women) were visiting from out of town and saw 5 star reviews for Dandelion on Yelp. We walked in and saw the white board listing the lunch menu for the day. We soon learned that the restaurant is part of a non-profit organization called Safelight. After ordering and paying before being seated, we were shown to a table. The staff was attentive and friendly - they brought drinks and refills to us and then delivered our food. What an unexpected surprise - the food was delicious! A few of us ordered the reuben plate- it was grilled perfectly and we all ate every bit of it. Our vegetarian ordered a salad plate and said it was delicious! Knowing that our tips were a donation to this worthy cause and seeing the positive atmosphere all around us made this meal truly special. We'll be back the next time we're in Hendersonville! read more

A good & unique find with delicious food. Lots of sides to try that you don't usually see. Gluten free options too!

Love this place! Everyone is very sweet and kind . Food is fabulous. Ordered eggplant sandwich with hoat cheese and it was divine. House salad is wonderful also. If i come into town, and it is midday, i tend to stop for an early lunch. Place gets packed at noon and parking is limited so try to get there early. Highly recommend Dandelion for a no frills, but wonderful food and service with a smile. read more

Doesn't look like much when you pass by but I had heard and read many good things about this place called "Dandelion". Ladies were all Awesome. Smiles on there faces and the laughter coming from the back made me want to go and see what it was about. I didn't. I ordered the chicken pot pie and it was like nothing I've ever tasted. The spices and the mushrooms, loved that surprise, definitely come back for this meal. read more

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Great quality food (not fancy but really good), nice people working there and lots of smiles and sincerity, also really easy parking right across the street in the big, new pavilion. Eat quickly and you don't pay anything! read more

A gem in Hendersonvillle that has healthy quick prepared options. Great for meetings and hanging out. Everything is freshly prepared and many options. Sweet treats are good too. Menus change daily. Tomato pie was incredible ! Very nice staff! read more