Been there twice, nice aroma and good food. A little expensive depending on what you get. Wouldn't be my first choice but a good option. Vegan and vegetarian options. read more

Never a bad experience here. I love the amount of vegetarian options available!! The buffalo cauliflower is the BEST here, I try it everywhere but this is the KING read more

What a lively and vibrant place to hangout. These guys have live music on weekends. The place is filled with students from UD and not to mention hot girls.It doesn't hurt getting a couple drinks. The bartender is friendly and the prices are reasonable. read more

Highly recommend this place! There are tons of options for vegetarian dishes and healthy eating. Very unique dishes and the drinks are great too! read more

Staff is rude and unreasonable. I will never come back here and will tell my friends to do the same. I used to love this place but bad employees ruin it not just for one person but will turn others away just the same. This place is not worth your time. If you are looking at reviews to decide if you should come here, well then don't. A restaurant run by people who feel entitled and better than others. Never coming back. read more

I went to Homegrown Cafe because I heard they had a great gluten free menu. However, I learned that they do not actually have much gluten free food at all. What they are actually selling is food that has been fried in oil that has been shared with wheat, which makes the food NOT GLUTEN FREE. Gluten free is a medical definition for protecting celiacs. You do not have gluten free food if you are not working to prevent cross-contamination. read more

I would give less than one star if that was an option. I am an UD alumnus and have been going to home grown for years. Last night, however my friends and I were treated extremely poorly and we plan to never return. I sat front and center at the bar - which was not too crazy - and waited more than 10 minutes to place a drink order. I waved and asked to be helped several times and was never served. Not until someone else asked for me was I actually served. After that, the bartender got into a mini debate with my friend about his credit card - blaming him for losing his card. All the while the bartender had the card in his pocket. I am not upset with the mistake, but it is not good customer service to blame the customer. If you want good service, do NOT consider this place. read more

I don't like this place very much and I'm always surprised at how much some of (not all of) my friends seem to like it. I think it is overpriced and I think the quality of the food is average. I think of this as a trendy, tending-towards upscale restaurant and bar which has a rather superficial "dirty hippy" flavor--which is more a function of its history and origins than of the food or atmosphere. The prices here seem high and the portions aren't huge nor is the quality amazing. Entrees hover around $20, soups around $5, salads around $12. In spite of the name and image, the vegetarian options are not impressive and, while vegetarians can certainly eat here, they don't necessarily have many more options than in a typical American restaurant. There are usually some good craft beers on tap, but they're not the cheapest prices in town for beers that are also on tap elsewhere. Overall, while this place is passable, I just don't understand why someone would want to eat here when there are so many really top-notch restaurants in town, with better food, and much lower prices. The Korean BBQ, Santa Fe Mexican, Mayflower Sushi, Ali Baba, this town is chock full of top-notch restaurants that are MUCH cheaper than this place. I personally would never choose to come back here but I occasionally allow myself to be dragged here by a group of people who is dead-set on eating here...and I often regret it after I leave unsatisfied and with about twice a hit on my wallet as I normally like for food of this quality. read more

Homegrown used to be awesome. We visited on 6/7/15 and got margaritas. My sister and I were already disappointed when they said they now only offer regular margaritas (they used to have a great variety of flavors). We both got the buffalo chicken and waffles. They were a huge disappointment. We've had this many times before. The chicken was all dark slimy meat. It was gross. They also were super unaccommodating. We had 6 and an infant and they shoved us in a small corner booth back by the bathrooms. I don't think we will visit anytime soon. I don't recommend. read more

Home Grown Cafe - New American Near Me - Newark, Delaware

I'm dumbfounded that I've never been here. I know this place has been around for the past decade and I had no idea what it actually was. A place that sold bongs? A bar named after its namesake band? Turns out it's a pretty awesome restaurant. The food was delicious. Or maybe it was just really good and the surprise factor boosted its rating on the Jared Eating Scale Underwriting Satisfaction (JESUS). On the JESUS scale, the Home Grown Cafe would fall somewhere between Sloths falling from the Sky to Parting of the Red Sea. We had the nachos as an appetizer with the vegan chili. So delicious. I didn't leave this first course feeling disgustingly full and heavy. Then for my meal, I ordered the grilled chicken salad with honey mustard dressing. Let it be known: I am VERY picky when it comes to salad dressings. I hate most creamy ones (see my review on White Creamy Liquids) and I hate things that are heavy in vinegar. I asked for the dressing on the side just in case it turned out to lean toward one of those categories. Turned out it was wildly amazing. Strangely enough, the salad kind of smelled like dog food when it first came out. But it was clear sailing going down my throat. My friend next to me had the turkey meatloaf with yams laced with cranberries. Also awesome. I'm only here for a few more days but I want to go back over and over. There were tons of dishes that looked like potential winners. I want to eat them all. Wheel me home, bitches! read more

Inconsistent is what i'd describe here. A couple of the servers can be quite moody, enough for me to notice it on several occasions. The food when it's done right can be downright amazing, but on more than several visits it feels like someone has skimped on something or they ran out of an ingrediant or it just wasn't cooked properly to the point where it's downright unacceptable. The drinks are great and there is always a respectable list of craft brews. The art displayed and the crowd to go along with it is great. The menu has something for everyone too including vegans which many will find great. There is always a seasonal change of ethnic foods too from asian to hispanic which is also wonderful. Inconsistency is what really brings it to a screeching halt for me and it's nearly a 50/50 shot for me so I know it wasn't just an off night. read more

My favorite place to eat on main st! As a vegetarian/unfortunately also lactose intolerant, this was my go to spot. My friends didn't hate me either because they're regular menu is just as amazing. I graduated two years ago and every time I come back to campus, I know I'm definitely grabbing homegrown at least once. I may or may not have grabbed homegrown twice this past alumni weekend.... My faves are the BLT (veggie bacon of course even though I've received regular bacon by accident so keep an eye out), breakfast burrito, bibimbap, any of the bowls pretty much. Recently drunk ordered the veggie burger because I couldn't decide what to eat for dinner - it was good but there's definitely other dishes on the menu that are way better. One downside is that they do sometimes get your order wrong. One time I got real bacon, the other my vegan grilled cheese was a real grilled cheese which I ended up throwing up an hour later :( Even after all of that, I'm always down for HG brunch and bottomless mimosas read more

I've recently switched to a plant-based diet (no meat, dairy, or eggs). This place has many options to allow you to eat exactly what you want while also meeting your dietary needs. Even before I decided to go on this diet their food is quite delicious. Favorite foods to date: fries, nachos, cauliflower wings, wraps, and the bacon cheese burger with vegan cheese, tempeh bacon, and beet mix patty. Great beer selection for those who like to be adventurous outside of their typical Budweiser and Coors. The atmosphere is very hip, groovy, and slightly hipster. They also have live music Wednesday through Saturday night. It can be a hit or miss with the artists, but you could always check who is playing by going on their website or their FB page. read more

Deeply disappointing 2.20.14 It was a little after 1 PM. I had a hankering for something fresh, healthy and tasty. I surprised a friend with a spur the moment invitation to do lunch. He chose a simple cheese sandwich and french fries. $10. The description of multiple cheeses drew him in. The actual entrée was dry, lacked taste, and needed a bowl of tomato soup or something to dip it in. I labored over the menu. Landed on the ahi tuna with lo mein and teriyaki sauce. $18. I cannot remember a time where I sent an entrée back. The tuna was not fresh tasting. Cooked too much. And had a pungent flavor. The server was gracious. She did not charge us for the entrée. My friend who's meal was only $10 gave her a generous $15 tip. Nobody can hit a homerun every time. Unfortunately this was a foul ball. Bathroom rating: 2 of 4 read more

Best Sunday brunch menu in Newark, in my opinion. There's never a bad option on that particular list. The bartenders are nice and fun. The menu changes seasonally, which keeps things fresh and interesting (but sometimes causes personal favorites to disappear or rise in price). The beers change weekly or faster. Homegrown is a bit expensive overall, but you're paying for quality. Some items are more cost-effective than others, like the sandwiches. I definitely recommend Homegrown as a go-to fancyish-without-breaking-the-bank restaurant in the area. I only go during off-peak hours, however, so if you want to know about the night scene or happy hours, find a different review. read more

Months have passed since my July review, and I'm pleased to report that Homegrown has worked it's way back from the abyss. The management mis-step has been corrected and the enterprise is now managed by a long standing and talented employee (Jimmy/John - ok - he's schizophrenic, but despite the two names, a great manager and great guy!) Although some of the staff that was lost due to the management misstep is still lost, the current crew is outstanding. My complements in particular to Jon, John Lee, Melissa, Chelsea (did I spell it right?), Allison, Owen, and forgive me if I've omitted anyone I see regularly - my command of names is not all that great these days. The menu is still great, and the tone at the bar during happy hours has returned to normal. It's a friendly gregarious venue where young and not so young are welcome, conversation is varied and easy, the young, the older(er), the single, and the coupled are all welcome. Regulars are returning and happy to feel at home at Home Grown again. Although I don't know the chef by name - my complements. The tequila lime sauce is sublime :) I am back to being a 3-5 night a week visitor and am pleased by it. read more

We were out of town for a hike and needed a delicious yet healthy meal. Using happy cow's app we found Home Grown Cafe, and I am glad we did. The food was terrific, every bit of it. We had the vegan burger which was spectacular, a large salad, and soup, far more than the two of us could eat. But, eat we did. It was really special. Our server was terrific when we gave her a list of special requests, and she dealt really well with my confusing, changing order. Thanks so much. We might go back to Newark just to eat at HGC. read more

I love to eat at local restaurants, especially those that serve local, sustainable foods, so I was really excited to try this place. The food was decent, though nothing spectacular. I had a tilapia dish served with sauteed spinach, potato cake and sun-dried tomoato aioli. Nothing was seasoned and the overall dish seemed disjointed. The fish was a little overcooked and poorly seasoned. The spinach was perfectly sauteed, but again lack seasoning and the potato cake was also quite bland. I am not sure what the chef was going for with the aioli, but it didn't come across as sun-dried tomato. It just seemed more like pink mayonnaise. Other than getting a protein, a veggie and a starch on the same plate, I would call this a failure. Unfortunately, the food was not the worst part of the experience. The service was slow and unattentive, which is a bad combination. read more

Pros: we were seated quickly, the chocolate lava dessert, the black & white chicken were very good. Cons: our sangria was terrible so we told the waiter, who was clearly very bothered by this for some reason & made it very clear he wasn't happy we wanted something else. Then, had us wait for about 30 min before even coming back for an appetizer order, even though we saw him walking around chatting with his coworkers. When he brought over our new drinks, he slammed them on the table and didn't say a word. In terms of food, all of our meals were just ok. The punjabi hash didn't have Indian flavors & the "naan" tasted like flattened soft pretzels. The Korean chicken entree wasn't spicy at all. The veggie burger was..bizarre. Not bad, just an odd cluster of tastes. Overall, it was just ok & not worthy of a trip to Newark just to head here. read more

Update: I give Homegrown's manager Megan props. She politely reached out to me offline to make amends, offering a gift card to try again. I will try again; but it will be some time from now in the hopes that things have turned back around. I turned down the offer as the track record recently points to a systemic issue that can't be turned around in a week. That said at some point in the future I will try homegrown again, but it will be sometime in the future. I have such found memories there, that I won't ever completely give up on them. I am wishing them luck. Bob -- Original post I have been going to homegrown since it opened as a much smaller restaurant. Over the years they had a great beer selection and innovative, fresh, local food. They would try new things and sometimes they weren't so hot, but not everything works out. I had them rated a 4 or 5. Then at some point I backed it off to a 3. Now I'm abandoning homegrown. I used to be a regular. There 3 to 4 times a week. I knew all the bartenders. Now I go every 6 months hoping it's turned for the better. The food isn't bad, but it's not special. It's surely not consistent. Their menu is like a pick your own adventure book. Their hostesses continue to be incompetent. We come in. They tell us we will be seated right away in one of the many open tables. 15 minutes later we get seated. 15 minutes after that we see the waitress for the first time. My beer doesn't show up for another 30 minutes. Then my kids milk after that. At the end she asks if we want anything else. Our drinks by this point have been empty for 20 minutes. Nope. I wish this were the exception, buts it's become the default. Long waits to get seated in empty tables and poor, long service when it's only 75% full. Bring back the old food and old service. Please. Bring back the homegrown of the 2005 to 2010 years. It might be longer than 6 months before I try again. read more

Home Grown Cafe has good food and good beer with reasonable prices. We go there fairly often, especially when we have a group with a vegetarian since they have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options. The menu has seasonal changes but some standard fare is always available. Service can be hit or miss. On a recent visit our waitress had to stop the bartender from chatting up some ladies so that he would get us our drinks. It can also be busy, especially during the school year, but you can make reservations--definitely a good idea for a bigger party to avoid 30- to 45-minute waits at peak times. An added bonus for me was being able to make the reservation with OpenTable. This is the Main Street restaurant I recommend most to friends who visit and people who ask me where to go in Newark for good eats. read more

My wife and I have been to Home Grown a number of times and it's one of her favorite restaurants. This is mainly because it's one of the only vegan restaurants available in the area. You can get almost any selection on the menu in a vegan version, and the quality of the food is very good and consistent each time we visited. Their various grilled cheeses and soups are excellent (love the chili), and visiting for brunch is a must! If you are a beer connoisseur, they always have a varied selection and it would be hard to find someone who has tried them all. The specialty nature of the restaurant makes it a little pricey, but not ridiculous. Just be aware. read more

I was psyched to try this place again, because the food was great the last time I was here (about a year ago.) Unfortunately, now, the food's pretty forgettable. I remembered the atmosphere at the bar being a little unwelcoming last time, but I thought I'd give it another shot. The beer list is pretty good, and I would have liked to explore it more, but the bartender (Ed?) was being ridiculously abrasive and antagonistic to another patron, which made the overall bar experience awkward and uncomfortable. Too bad. read more

Went with 3 others. We came because we saw a groupon for this place. We had good service (not including the fact that our food took forever to come out) but the food did not compare. We ordered the Nachos: The chili was not very flavorful, there was not enough cheese. Pretty bland. I got the Organic Kale Salad which sounded good but just lettuce, 2 slices of bell peppers, STALE croutons and a little parm cheese. I also got the Banh mi braised pork sandwich...sounds good right? not so much. I was told by the waitress there as never a complaint but it was not for me, and i had my friends try, they did not like it either. My friend got the gyro and was not happy with it. He had been there before and said he tried the falafel and really liked it but did not like the gyro. Two others got the grilled cheese and this was the only thing that was decent. Unfortunately, will not be back. read more

Stopped here for a quick lunch with two friends. It was Saturday around prime brunch time, and pretty crowded. However, we were seated immediately and the server was very attentive. I got a mimosa (duh, brunch) and the BLT, which is a standard BLT PLUS an over easy egg, muenster cheese, and aioli. Very tasty, though I wish I would have gotten it on wheat bread instead of white (they didn't ask and I forgot to request it). The egg was cooked well, and the yolk oozed perfectly. The home fries could have been a little crunchier. My boyfriend got the Tex Mex omelette and it was quote "pretty good." My friend had already eaten and just got a side salad - no complaints from her on that. Homegrown has a relaxed, hippy-esque vibe, and often has live music, which I've heard is fun. I would like to return for a real boozy brunch, as their "brunch libations" looked amazing. See: Irish coffee, crackacino, tequila sunrise, up all night martini, AND a build your own mimosa bar. How can you beat that?! read more

We were on our way from Baltimore to Bethany Beach, "around the top of the bay." I figured lunch would put us somewhere near Wilmington. I found HGC with Google, looking for heathy local food. On that strip of Main Street in Newark, DE, there are places to eat everywhere. Our lunch was great. Good, fresh food, excellent service. The waitstaff was alert, attentive, and helpful. Service was fairly quick. We liked it so much that we stopped on the way back from Bethany as well. They offer a full menu. It's not just a "bean sprout and tofu only" kind of vegan/vegetarian place, but the mushroom soup was obviously home made and very good. They have a very good selection of omelettes. that are huge and come with their own small home fries. The fries are not stringy, but small chunks cooked until they are crispy. I asked for mustard and was brought three small cups of different mustards; none of them the pale yellow Frenches. The small salad was huge and filled with very tasty ingredients. Even with all the eateries we have in Baltimore, we need a Home Grown Cafe here. Towson or Charles Village would work. HGC reminds me a little of Paper Moon on W. 29th Street, south of JHU, but a better menu and better preparation. I also appreciated how quiet it was. Cafe Hon and Dogwood Deli can be annoyingly loud when you're trying to enjoy a good meal. HGC has custom wall panels that absorb the chatter. Apparently they have live music in the evenings. Too bad they're just too far from Baltimore to drive for a meal. Metered street parking (quarters only for 12.5 minutes each) was easy, but there's a lot behind the restaurant and HGC will stamp your parking ticket. They also have a "regulars" promotion card that gets punched and after nine meals you get a free one. read more

Amazing amazing amazing . Every.time !!!! They change the menu seasonally , I have zero complaints. My fiancé and I dine here almost every week read more

Always order the buffalo cauliflower wings, and you can't go wrong with the salads and wraps, especially the southwestern salad, absolute winner! I go here almost all the time as someone with special dietary needs, and they are very accommodating and almost any meal can be tailored to be meat or dairy free. The drinks are also good and cheap, the only thing I suggest is to communicate with live bands at night to lower the volume! It can get so, so noisy at night especially the weekends. Friends and I went out for a couple drinks and I couldn't even hear my own thoughts! Other than that, I love, love Homegrown. read more

Nice and relaxing evening here. Wednesday is acoustic night, service was friendly in an unfussy way. read more

Home Grown Cafe - cauliflower wings. These are so good I love them even if my husband laughs every time I order them. Buffalo don't have wings either honey. - New American Near Me - Newark, Delaware

How disappointing! When I lived in Delaware 8 years ago, this was my favorite restaurant on Main Street. The food was always fresh, inspired and the restaurant had a great "buzz" to it (loved their polenta fries). I returned to Delaware this year and ate at Home Grown for the first time since I returned and unfortunately, nothing about my meal was particularly memorable or interesting. Slow service, really uninteresting menu (pretty standard, other than allowing the option of changing the item to vegetarian). The chicken parm was ok, but the meat was a little on the tough side and the cheese was tasteless. My partner got a farfalle wrap sandwich that was so garlicky, he had to stop eating it. I am glad that I have a residence at the beach, because overall, most of the restaurants in Northern Delaware are pretty unimpressive. I am sad that this once great restaurant has given into mediocraty. read more

I love how many vegan/vegetarian options there are. I just wish they tasted a little better. I had the grilled seitan, kale and something else. I thought it was pretty terrible so I asked to have something else. My waitress was LOVELY about the whole situation and suggested the mushroom mac and cheese which was actually pretty delicious. It was just too much of the same thing. I'm a fan of variety. I enjoyed the atmosphere and on that particular Friday night there was a fantastic band fronted by a man who was doing amazing things with a cello. I'd give it another try read more

Experienced the worst service with the hostess this morning. I usually have awesome experiences here but their hostesses this morning were unprofessional, useless, and not able to do their jobs. Wish this experience wasn't bad because I've had awesome ones there before. PS also can't handle special instructions on pick up orders read more

We completely agree about the "hole in the wall" look from the outside (and the inside isn't too spectacular either) and also agree about the fantasic food! What a pleasant surprise!! We have written to HG and encouraged some spruced up decor, both inside and out, because we feel that this gem isn't getting the attention it deserves. Not only was our food absolutely fresh and delicious (omelette, veggie burger, lox and bagles, loaded tater tots), but our server was friendly and attentive. read more

If you are looking for good food and cheap drinks Home Grown is the place for you. The two stars could be five stars if the door boy checking IDs showed some respect to the clientele. Every time I have arrived for some casual drinks I have been treated with a negative attitude and felt as though I was unwelcome. I hope Home Grown can handle the situation because everyone who goes there loves the restaurant but hates the treatment at the door. read more

Love this place! The service is thoughtful and food is fantastic. It is tough to find quality vegetarian options but this place has so many and they don't seem like after thoughts or side meals. Hands down one of my fave joints in the area. read more

Home Grown Cafe - Buffalo Cauliflower Wings - Boss!!! - New American Near Me - Newark, Delaware

I love Home Grown Cafe! I have been going there for years. I remember when I was a teen and they were just a little store with a counter and a couple of tables - and the first place I ever had Falafel. Now they are a nice little comfortable restaurant with local art on the walls and feature different bands. Their food is made from a lot of locally found ingredients (mushrooms from Kennet) and is always fresh! My favorite is their Green Apple wrap with feta cheese and walnuts. Yum! Kim B. read more

They try vegan, albeit half-heartedly. Inconsistent food quality, some absolutely disgusting vegan proteins (tofu is good, and the seitan is ok, but often uncooked in the middle). Vegan cake has been freezer burned every time I've gotten it. And word on the street is the owner "hunts" captured, big game animals (like that dentist dude with the lion). Worst thing is that they ignore suggestions for improvement. read more

Amazing food. They have a super inclusive menu for those who are vegan and vegetarian.

I stopped in with a group of friends for lunch to start our summer off right and it was a good plan. I got the Corned Beef with fries and I was not disappointed. Our waiter was very accommodating and friendly. Several people in my party had dietary restrictions and there were no problems. (ie. Celiac Disease & Dairy Free) The only reason I gave 3 not 4 stars is because I felt the price point was slightly high. As a "treat" I will be back in the future. read more

It seems like a chain on the inside but it is really good food! Came around 2 on Sunday. It wasn't busy. The buffalo cauliflower is awesome seriously. And had the pork lettuce wrap which was also very tasty. Would eat here again to try other things. Yards stout was decent. read more