By far the best vegan restaurant in the entire Hampton Roads area!! Cannot recommend this place enough! If I lived closer, I'd come here everyday. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Rasta Pasta and Lentil Burger - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

17th wedding anniversary and my wife wanted to get me anything I wanted. I wanted Desmond's Krabcake sandwich. Thanks y'all for everything you do. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

So I forgot to take pics of the food I got but it was all very good. I got roti and pumpkin curry and I got the side platter with 3 sides of collard greens, cabbage and callaloo. All of the dishes were seasoned well and flavorful. The roti was nice and soft and tasted great with the pumpkin curry. I will definitely come back to try their other dishes read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Plate - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

I been to Desmond's several times over the years. The quality of the food is hit or miss. The service at Desmond's is HORRIBLE. This is the 2nd time in the past 2 weeks that I have ordered food for pickup and my food was not ready. Both times I had to wait at least 30 minutes after the confirmed time my order was supposed to be ready. And unfortunately this time my food wasn't that good. I'm disheartened to say I don't think I will be going to this vegan establishment anymore. read more

Love, love & love this place. everything I tried I absolutely loved!!!! The mushroom oxtail is delicious. Just a long wait, but it was worth it. read more

If you don't eat here, what are you doing with your life? Trust me on this one....that JACKFRUIT RASTA PASTA will elevate your taste buds to a new level. I took one bite and ordered a second one to take home. Vegan what? That BBQ jackfruit, taste, smells and goes down like it's actual BBQ. The flavor explosion with that pasta coupled with the tang of the sauce on the BBQ jackfruit makes you lean your head back, close your eyes and say, "Lawd!" The chef is knowledgeable and he encouraged me to select the RASTA PASTA--and that choice was spot on. My husband had the oxtail mushroom with callaloo, and rice and peas. He is NOT a vegan; he is strictly a meat eater...well, he was JUST a meat eater, Desmond's made him rethink how he looks at vegan food now. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Mushroom oxtails - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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I had Desmond's a few years back while visiting VA beach and fell in love with their lentil empanadas. I was so excited they would be a vendor at the Soullful Vegan festival so I could finally have them again. I know sometimes places raise their prices at festivals but $6 for one empanadas is crazy to me especially since it's filled with something as cheap as lentils. However, I did not let that stop me. I stood in a 20 minute line for the empanada, which was unfortunately extremely overcooked. The crust was soo hard and the filling was so skimpy (although tasty) definitely not worth $6. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Lentil Empanada - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Went right closing and food was still exceptionally fresh! I ordered the bbq lentil meatballs sides of sweet potatoes and collards. Along with the krab cakes and yellow rice absolutely delish with a Guyanese twist! If youre looking for a clean and pleasing vegan spot this is your stop! :) read more

Do not order here unless you have a lot of time on your hands or order at least an hour ahead. They are so incredibly slow!! I could understand it if the place is swamped and understaffed but when I was there, there were as many workers as there were customers. They were not even cooking at all for the longest time. I waited an hour before giving up and leaving (NOT a huge order either) without my food. I waited inside the entire time and no one was even cooking until I started asking about my order. Truly mind-boggling how they can be so bad at time management. I wish I read all the other reviews about the incredibly long wait times before coming here. I do not understand how it is physically possible to be that slow, especially when making vegan food which should not take that long to cook. Terrible, slow service!! Do not recommend!!! Mad they wasted so much of my time when I could have actually frequented a good business. read more

I was looking for vegan food today. So i stopped by Desmonds... My vegan friends rave over this place. So i figured why the fork not!! When i got there they had just opened and i was the only customer. I walked up and ordered the $9.99 bbq jackfruit lunch special with collards and cabbage mixed and plantains. It smelled really good in there as i waited... They have booth seating and a small waiting area in the front with some plants. Green was the vibe!! The restaurant was clean inside.. The gentlemen who took my order was nice. My order was up in about 6 minutes and i was on my way... I'm not vegan but i hope to be one day so i try different things to get my taste buds used to the food. I will say the jackfruit is pretty close to the idea of pulled chicken or pork, and it was very tasty with a good texture. The bbq sauce was tangy and good. The greens and cabbage were pretty good also. I also enjoyed the plantains... You only get 2 small pieces. I wish they at least gave you enough to finish the whole meal. I am the kinda person who wants a lil of everything in each bite.. They were gone in 4 bites..I like the sweetness of them.. They also put the jackfruit on top of your choice of yellow rice, white rice, or rice and peas. Its a smaller lunch size portion but its filling. I took a serious nap after eating it.. Out like a baby!! Lol. I will return to try other things on the menu... 4 stars!! Check them out... read more

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This place is so good! As a vegan it can be hard to find good quality food with flavor! Desmond's Island Soul Grill delivers!! The food was so delicious, flavorful and hot! I love when my food hits the table and the steam is coming off of it. I tried this place while visiting the area for homecoming and every time I come back to the 757 Desmond's is going to be my first stop! My husband and I got the crab cakes and the pumpkin curry--both out of this world !! read more

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Costermer service is great; I am impressed with the food, and the ambiance is so family-like. highly recommend.

Typically I have a photo of the food for a review but I couldn't even wait to take one. This place is incredible! The entire staff was nice and helpful with ordering. They were playing great music and serving some bomb a** food! I got the Rasta pasta with bbq jackfruit. It was a large serving and sooo flavorful. I've had some Rasta pastas before that we're very oily but this one was perfect! It had fresh veggies in it that made the whole dish taste fresh and less heavy! My husband ordered the BBQ jackfruit plate with yellow rice and candied yams. While the entire dish was a symphony of flavors, colors and spices, THE YAMS stole the show. Holy shit, those yams were the best thing I've ever tasted. Candied yams are usually thanksgiving trash, not these. These yams were sweet, with some spices and not as mushy and typical candied yams. A REAL TREAT! We will be back to try many many more dishes. read more

Excellent choice if you were looking for vegan options. The food is made to order and the flavor is amazing.

I've wanted to try Desmond's for several months and finally went today for lunch. I called in a pickup order and showed up about 15 minutes later as asked. This place is lit! From the music, to the food, to the staff, I will be back every week! It was so hard to choose which lunch special to get but I went with the jerk mushrooms, yellow rice, and collards this time. All options come with delicious plantains an let me tell you, everything was fire! So much flavor and greatly portioned! You quickly forget it's ALL VEGAN!! The pineapple "gingerhale" was amazing a well!! I can't wait to try the brown stew jackfruit next week!! Go here ASAP!! They also have sea moss products; just overall healthy and delicious!! read more

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I had the jack fruit and mushrooms Rasta pasta. It was good. The veggie Mac and cheese was good however if you not use to the cheese you may not like it. But I quite enjoyed it. The service was a tab bite slow, compared to the 20 mins she stated the food will be ready. The ambiance and decor was great. I will be back to try other items on the menu. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

The food was super delicious! You can smell the flavorful aroma of their well seasoned foods as soon as you open the door to the restaurant! lol My friend and I dined here and I was very content because Desmond's was my friends recommendation... I'm a vegan so being at the restaurant was soo satisfying because I had plenty of dishes to choose from. My friend is not a vegan and she still enjoyed herself and ate a flavorful and well portioned dish. The service was fine. The ambiance was descent, plenty of seats inside and outside. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Roti & Channa - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

** came back home to my second home to check on my grandmoms and get her out the house. thought id check out the vegan restaurants in va.beach, since the vegan wave seems to be in and ive been dabbling in it from time to time here in nyc. came in nice outside seating in front of restaurant. we were seated, tables a lil sticky ((menu sticking to it )). but other then that the hospitality was there. food was ok, not bad..... they didn't have the rasta pasta nor oxtail mushroom or jasmine rice that my grandmother wanted. we then ordered started w/ strawberry kiwi juice w/ ginger in it. ( ginger wasn't over powering #yum ). my grandz got the yellow rice w/ krabcake sandwich. she enjoyed it although shes not big on onions that she kept taking out she enjoyed it for most part ( guess next time shell know lol lol ). i myself ordered the 2 krab cake w/ callaloo and sweet plantains. delicious i enjoyed. they also sell many different flavors of sea moss. ive seen but never had, received sum good info on it and how to use it. and i winde up buying a jar. 1st vegan restaurant that ive tried in va. and compared to the thousands of restaurant in nyc and hundreds of vegan ones. i can say this place can definitely hang in there for the long run in va. come get yall a piece. ill be back for the rasta pasta signed, i love to eat, and i do it out consistently!! mr.von teese & family xoxox ** read more

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I absolutely enjoyed this food here! I have a career that travels me quite often, and I have different foods around the world, but this is hands-down the best I've had in over 20 years! It's fresh, very robust and flavorful! Not to mention, the customer service is impeccable! Thank you for this amazing experience! read more

10/10!!!!! Even if you're not vegan you will LOVE this place and not miss meat at all!! Had the jerk jackfruit and pumpkin curry, sides and appetizers are all incredible. Everything is incredibly flavorful, fresh, and comes out piping hot. Best vegan food I have ever had and definitely one of the top restaurants in the 757! read more

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Had a friend in town who's vegan so I brought her here for dinner. Serving size was great. Loved the rice and cabbage, mushrooms were flavorful and tad bit salty. Have to go earlier in the day so hopefully they won't be out of some items. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Mushroom oxtails - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Service and food 10, I walked in 7:34pm they close at 8 but the service didn't waiver!!! Food is cooked to order - Rasta pasta omg the best I've had since being vegan. I also got banana pudding and peach pudding and 2 cookies - In my defense it's my birthday . I will be back soon!! Thank you guys for making my experience memorable!!! read more

If you're looking for a sit down restaurant where you are waited on, this is not the place for you. There isn't much ambiance. It appears they do A LOT of take out. With that being said, they do have tables where you can sit and enjoy your food and they did bring us some water. Now on to the food! This is why I'm giving Desmond's five stars. The food is amazing. So full of flavors!!! I got the BBQ jackfruit with peas and rice, collards and plantains. Oh my dear lawd, it was good! The collards were my favorite. If you want good food, go check this place out! read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Plate with Rice & Peas, Collards and Plantain - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Delicious island flavor in vegan form! Call in your order and head to the door for pick up during COVID precautions. The rasta pasta brought a touch of spice with its creamy noodles and jerk mushrooms. I devoured half the box sitting in my car....in their parking lot! read more

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The Rasta Pasta with jerk mushrooms, and the plantains are fantastic. The oxtails & cabbage are good. The rice n peas were lackluster. If you go at or near opening time be prepared to wait or be told they are out of what you want due to lack of prep work I assume. The mac and cheese was "unavailable until later" and there was a 30 min wait for the rasta pasta because the sauce had to be made. I entered at 11:54am and they open at 11am. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Hands down the best Rasta pasta I've had. Vegan and all. Tried them at the Vegan fest. The staff was super friendly! read more

Time to update this review. I love the fact Desmond's is Vegan and you can get some of your favorites in a vegan version i.e. Philly Cheesesteak made with mushrooms, meatballs made with beans, sides made with no meat as seasonings and etc... The dishes that I've tried so far has been so salty! Empanadas are flavorless with hardly any beans in it, collard greens has a sweet and vinegery taste (yes I made my own word to describe). The wait time is ridiculous!!! I place an order for pick up, they give me a time and I am still waiting an extra hour for my order. The next visit they forgot to make my order. 3rd time I waited an extra 1.5 hour for my food to be ready!! I wish I am lying but this is all based on true stories!! Someone that came out behind me was fussing about the same thing so at least their consistent with their customer service LOL! They don't apologize for the inconvenience and they just all around have bad customer service. But anywho...I can't continue to support a business that operates like this. read more

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Let me start with...I am not vegan, but I tell u what, after tasting some of the dishes here at Desmond's I am impressed. The dishes take me back home, so flavorful, savory and satisfying. The rasta pasta is my favorite, the sauce, veggies, and jerk mushrooms elevated this dish. Although they are busy (which is a good sign) they are very friendly. They only offer take out at this time. read more

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[Coronavirus review] This has got to be my first vegan Guyanese restaurant. Takeout is available online. They didn't quite have what I ordered, but I got a quick call to change my side selection, and a second to recommend something that hadn't been on the menu. Despite me getting an email that my order was ready for pickup fifteen minutes before I arrived, I still had to wait another ten or so for my pholouri (which had a harder "p" sound than I was expecting the way they said it). But hey, it was fresh, and it was delicious. Guyana has quite a history, and the cuisine here reflects worldwide influence. My original side order of chow mein was replaced with pancit (Indonesian for rice noodles), and the pholourie is a vaguely Indian dish of fried split pea dough, which came with mango chutney. My lentil balls had a barbecue flavored sauce that was a little sweeter than I would have liked, but which balanced with the other items, notably my cabbage side. Other menu options included more European pasta and burgers, and distinctively Caribbean greens. They also had a nice non-alcoholic beverage selection, and I'm on board with Ting, a sugary grapefruit soda, but would definitely try some of the others. It wasn't a perfect experience, but having gotten filling plant-based (and soy-free) cuisine within driving distance of the coast was a win, and I'd be pretty excited to come back. read more

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I cannot believe i hadn't tried this earlier- was missing out this whole time! Absolutely amazing! Each and every item had its own distinct flavor- the jackfruit bbq sandwich, vegan mac and cheese, krabcake sandwich, and sweet plantains. Not only was the food amazing, but the people are so friendly. We were instantly greeted with a smile and felt right at home. The chefs are so interactive, welcoming, and talented. Will definitely be back! read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich and Vegan Mac - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Have you ever found a restaurant that was just soooo good that you wanted to keep it all for yourself. Well here is mine. This is a plant based restaurant. Small in size with just a few tables, and both space also. The flavors coming out of that kitchen were off the chain. Many years ago like in the late 80's truth be told, I found a little dive restaurant in The Bronx that served Escovish kingfish with root veggies and arroz. I never got a chance to go back to the restaurant. At the end of the summer I moved to Miami. However I never forgot that meal. The kind of meal you have that just delights your mouth and soul. Abuelas type of cooking. This is what I felt as I sat and ate the dishes from Desmonds. The fact that this restaurant is all plant based food. PLANT BASED is a supreme delight. I can absolutely forget that I am a carnivore and order everything on the menu. This day we visited in was out with other Breast cancer survivors and changing our diet is near and dear to our heart. Just not always so easy to do. So I will be a regular at Desmonds and can't wait to visit and try their new menu that we were told by a sweet waitress that they were working on. Service was very good. The lovely young lady did explain the dishes to our table and what was in them. Arepas arepas arepas!! Are not part of the regular menu but the lentil empanadas are so give them a try. There I shared my secret and most flavorful restaurant in the 757. Huggs all read more

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Rasta pasta w/jerk mushrooms!!!!! Mac and cheese!!!!! Fried Plantains!!!!! read more

The food and atmosphere are perfect! It's vegan, soy, & dairy free! The first time I came was New Year's Day! I had thMango champagne pancakes, lentil sausage, and potatoes! AHHMAAAZING! Of course I tried my friends food (chilkn and waffles & Krab Kakes) everything was so good! Today a good friend and I went! It was her first time she has the vegan mac n cheese, rice and peas& bbq jackfruit! I had the Rasta Pasta with Jerk Mushrooms! It was so filling I didn't even eat half of my bowl! But when we heard they had banana pudding we both had to try it! My friend is severely lactose intolerant, she tasted it and couldn't believe it was dairy free!! If you're in the are you should definitely give it a try! Sn: it's in the shopping center directly behind the BP, GPS will try to table you past it! read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Rasta Pasta w Jerk Mushrooms (Vegan) - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

Food is EXCELLENT! I'm not vegan but will go meatless at least three times a year. This is now my fave vegan spot. I guarantee you will love it. Bless up! read more

12-17-2021: Everything was AWESOME. I ordered the Big Myck, Guava Glazed Lentilballs, Empanada, Slaw, Vegan Mac, Collards, and Fries. The flavors are just incredible!! I shared the Big Myck with my sister (next time I'm getting my own!!) and we both loved it!! The fries were so good. We tasted everything else and it was delicious!! I haven't eaten the Empanada yet, but last time it was great. The Guava Glazed Lentilballs...I may have to hide them so I can eat them all. LOL I love supporting a vegan small business!! Everyone was so friendly, like last time. They all work so well together. The hardest part about going there is not eating the food on the 15 minute trip home! read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Krabcake Sandwich Lentil Empanadas Island Ting French fries - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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The food is good but we put in an order online. Came to pick it up and still had to wait over an hour mid day on a Saturday while not very busy. This happens often here. read more

Ok so I think I have been to most places in town but this place right here comes HIGHLY recommended by the locals and rightly so. They offer to my surprise MANY vegan options. Even vegan mac b cheese. Which was very flavorful but not creamy. I ordered the oxtails, collards and yams because they ran out of the baked mac I hear they can't make it fast enough. It's while supplies last. The food was delicious. Very flavorful and meat fell off the bones. The staff was pleasant and the vibe and energy was positive and I was not one bit ashamed as my posh tail Made slurping sounds as I sucked on the oxtail bones . I will definitely return! Hopefully I will finally get to taste the mac and cheese read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Great menu. Vegan mac is super tasty - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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A lot of people have been talking about this place. I have mixed feelings about it. Pro's: -Krabcakes were delicious -vegan Mac was good -the kewli tea they have is AMAZING -everything is vegan Cons: -customer service was meh -it took a little under an hour for our food. -collards tasted like ocean water and vinegar, I couldn't eat them -food is very expensive I am glad I checked it out, don't think I would return. read more

The food is good but be prepared to wait for 20-30 minutes. I made a preorder a week in advance and it was not ready at the designated pickup time. They told us to come back in an hour and STILL had us wait for 20 minutes and then only bagged up our food when we complained. Very disappointing!!! Good food but because they played with my time, NEVER AGAIN!!!!!! ............ late update to be fair... the owner refunded the money for the full amount read more

Oh lawd lawd lawd. Thank ya!!! It was glorious. Plantains, well seasoned. Stew, delicious. Mac n cheese, gorgeous, delicious. The only crime is the sweetness. The Mac n cheese was pretty sweet because of the coconut milk. I'm not the biggest fan of sweet mac,but it was so well seasoned that I can kind of forgive it. Would I go there again? Probably. Nice job y'all. read more

Desmond's Island Soul Grill - Mac n cheese, plantains, jackfruit stew - Caribbean Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia