Delicious vegetarian food. Lovely ambience and helpful staff. I have eaten here for years and love it.

I visited Moosewood last week with a group of people. The food was excellent, every mouthful was delicious. The service was perfect. The restaurant was busy but we were able to have a fun family time. I would highly recommend them if you are in the area. read more

What a great restaurant. Simple menu that wasn't overwhelming with great drinks and excellent service. Very enjoyable to sit outside and take I. The sights. read more

Best food I have ever eaten! Got Thai bowl, creamy asparagus leak soup, and also tried cashew curry. My kids got the grilled cheese on fresh baked honey whole wheat, they are always so fussy and never eat anything ata a restaurant but loved this! (They said lemonade wasn't sweet enough, so I got to finish it and it was also great! Fresh squeezed) Don't worry if your not into vegetarian food, this is gourmet!!!!! read more

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A famous restaurant that I was excited to try. Vegetarian/vegan menu. Local wine. Food was good. Hostess was a little stiff but waitstaff was pleasant. The atmosphere was not as vibey as I had expected it to be. Overall a good experience. read more

Wouldn't recommend going here 2:30-5:00 Not mentioned on their website they offer a very limited "afternoon menu" with a handful of options A little perplexing as many items are on both the lunch and dinner menus While chefs like time to prep for dinner, this is truly the sign of a lazy one I had the wedge salad which was presented nicely and tasted good except for the pickled red onions.....little flavor and no crisp bite If you're going to pair down the menu this drastically at least be mindful of what you serve read more

About the only saving grace for this restaurant was the hostess who is able to see us within 15 minutes of our scheduled reservation. Not a heavy lift huh. The menu was extremely limited and did not allow for any substitutions. My pumpkin curry dish was neither spicy nor hot when it arrived over an hour after we were seated and my wife's lentil salad was simply bland and dry. . We were so hungry that we asked for some bread when we saw other tables getting theirs and realize that there was a three dollar charge on our bill. Our waitress was uninterested and rarely around to check to see if we needed any refills of drinks or the warm water that was served on a hot summer day. It's disappointing. Do yourself a favor and walk one block east will you find a ton of great little restaurants on a closed off Street in the middle of downtown Ithaca. read more

The Moosewood lives on as an excellent, out of the ordinary dining spot. Service, atmosphere and food always excellent quality. Would prefer soups from past Moosewood menus. Pureed soups this summer have been a bit of a disappointment read more

I have been here a few times. Overall it has been a disappointing experience. The service is unacceptably slow. We waited 30 minutes last night just to be served our salads. The place was not even very crowded. The main dishes took even longer. We also had to wait 30 minutes past the time of our reservation to be seated. The food is fine, some dishes better than others. The prices are high for what you are getting. I really wish I could say better things about this place, as my daughter likes going here because she likes the bread and soup. But the experience as a whole isn't a good one. read more

Was so excited to visit this restaurant. Was up by Seneca lake so we took a ride over one evening. First, I guess I had created a visual in my Head of what this restaurant would look like and it was disappointing. They were concerned about mask wearing but dirty carpeting covers the floors. Doesn't make sense. Slow service throughout but pleasant servers. We ordered bread, olives, white bean dip, bean burger, pasta, Thai bowls. Nothing was out of this world. Side w burger was.... No no fries. It was tortilla chips. Blah. We ordered wine and a glass of Hess came w red lipstick on it.. a lot. So please if you want masks then walk the walk and sterilize your glassware. read more

Amazing plant based options. Honestly it was one of the best meals ive ever eaten. I highly recommend the vegan chocolate cake and marsala. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Eggplant Mushroom marsala - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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WOW the line is crazy. I came here early (before it opened) and the wait list was killer. Why? I'm not sure. The food was nothing fab. What do I mean? You can make it yourself...at home. It's so simple. This place is totally underrated! The menu did not appeal to me at all but I had to order something to write a review. The menu was based on a Greek cuisine and I ordered a stew and stuffed peppers (only vegan options) and I was very disappointed. The flavors were not strong (it needs seasoning, sauce, something!!) and the portions were decent. Then as always I look forward to dessert and the only vegan option for dessert was chocolate cake. Really?!?!! Disappointed. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Stew - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Let me start by saying the food we ordered was good and fairly priced, for the most part. My family is vegan and I would just think that a vegetarian restaurant might make more of an effort to cater to all plant based eaters. There are some dishes that can be made vegan by eliminating something, which is marked on the menu. I would just like to see more choices since the menu is seasonal. read more

Growing up my parents would always make a special cheesecake for the holidays from one of the Moosewood cookbooks, and as I got older and I wanted to start incorporating more veggies into my diet, I purchased a few Moosewood cookbooks. So when my husband and I came up to the Finger Lakes area for a weekend getaway, Moosewood was an absolutely must stop for me. I got the Rueben Burger, a Maple Latte with Oatmilk and a piece of Almond Amaretto Pound Cake that I shared with my husband. Everything was delicious , and I wish we lived closer because it would totally be more of a staple. Did takeout for everything, and they quoted an accurate wait time, and the processes was super smooth and efficient. Loved checking out Moosewood for myself! read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Rueben burger - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Soooo good! I love that staff was flexible as well to accommodate my dietary restrictions! read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Mushroom and Grits, Fried Egg, Pancake with Blueberry Honey Syrup, and a Lavender Mimosas. Lemon water - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Pros: Food was decent and healthy. 10% off for all students with IDs. My server was nice. Cons: Food was only decent. Not sure if coffee was refillable, once I was served my coffee, cake, and the bill, the server never came back asking me if I wanted a refill. read more

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Some dishes are WAY too salty (looking you, creamy mushroom pasta!) but I still love this cozy place with yummy cocktails. Veg burger is great. read more

Lord almighty I love this place so much and my heart breaks because I live so far away. My mom and I have been cooking from the Moosewood cookbooks forever. Their food is so delicious, so healthy, so wholesome, so delicious! I can't stress this enough. I'm not a vegetarian but I love vegetarian food and my vegetarian meal here was to die for. It hurts so much thinking of how long it might be before I get to go back and eat more of their incredible food. I had some salad with strawberries, jicama, spinach... Maybe some candied pecans and feta.. boy did it hit the spot. My mom had the stuffed eggplant and we shared. Though we also shared a side salad, but my mom and I are both veg heavy lately, so we were beside ourselves. The eggplant was absolutely a work of art. It was so very flavorful, full of delicious veggies, and everything was cooked perfectly. We were very pleased with our choices. The wait staff were all very sweet--my mom was so excited to talk to them and share how we ended up having dinner there, and wanted to know all about them too. And they were all willing to talk. The ambience was cool, and the place is very nice. Well lit but not bright, a nice array of seating indoor and outdoor, and an extensive drink menu and those desserts? Hot damn. Unfortunately we were too responsible to get dessert. But everyone was getting some chocolate mousse situation and it looked stupendous. Now if only they would open a few more locations closer to me... that would be quite convenient ;) read more

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We couldn't get a reservation the night we wanted and tried to come by. They had a super long wait so we ended up getting a reset for the next evening. The staff is definitely struggling to keep up with the demand! My husband and I ordered a small gochujang noodle bowl, a Dewitt burger and an eggplant mushroom Marsala. The food was okay. I definitely appreciate the all vegetarian menu but we've been to some amazing vegetarian restaurants and the food was much more interesting. The noodle bowl was the most interesting of the food. The tofu was crisp, the sauce had a pleasant kick to it, but overall the food needed more salt. The burger was dry. We make portobello burgers at home and there are so many cool sauces you can add to make the buns and the patties to feel more juicy. It would also be nice to have an option not to have chips on the side or at least offer some sauce/dip to make the dish less dry overall. The Marsala wasn't bad but I felt that it lacked some interesting flavor. To be fair, Moosewood is pretty affordable, but it feels they could use a bit more spices. I really wanted to like the food more, given the history of the place, but I couldn't. read more

As a long time vegetarian, the Moosewood Restaurant has held a mystique for its cultural influence and creative and helpful cookbooks for the past 50 years. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to dine here for the second time in a few years. While I was surprised and dismayed at some past reviews, my wife and I still wanted to go; it was a great decision. The décor was clean, polished hippie with a friendly staff. The menu is not vast but excellent choices of vegetarian and vegan dishes, many from local sources. Our meal was sourdough bread, cured olives, curried lentil soup, side beans, black bean burger and red bean jambalaya. All were very tasty and enjoyed with an Ithaca IPA and a NYS sparkling wine. Always room for dessert and the chocolate cake was moist and the brownie was delicious. I heard there had been a change in management since January 2022 and it seems that the Moosewood Restaurant is still going strong. A wonderful experience. read more

Great spot for even us none vegans. Nice table near a fireplace with fire going. We had the polenta and cheese plate for appetizers. Cheese plate had delicious apple chutney, nuts and pickled veggies. I had the veggie lasagna which was delicious even for a meat lovers. Only knock is it was hard to find as we walked right past it. We were just visiting Ithaca but would be our first choice if we came back. read more

We went here because my wife owned and used their cookbook for the past 25 years and loved the food. There is no way any of the stuff at this restaurant came from any of the cookbook recipes. This was a massive let down. Everything we had was bland and clearly spooned out of giant vats prepared long ago. Zero creativity, it was just really bad technique. You didn't need teeth to eat any of it; absolutely no texture. I have had that exact salmon entree at a Marriott lobby restaurant. This place must have the greatest margin in the country; cheap ingredients and no skill and expensive. Ok ambiance and decent service. Terrible food. What a downer. read more

We loved our dinner here- our server Jamie was attentive to us without hovering and was friendly. She suggested great menu options. The cocktails and food were both delicious, we didn't even miss having meat! Well-priced, delicious, good service! read more

One of the best meals ever - not best vegetarian meals - just best meals full stop! It's no surprise they celebrated a half century.

Delicious vegetarian menu, nothing stunning but satisfying enough. I have tried their pasta, and wished there had been more sauce and a bigger portion. My friend did not enjoy the buffalo chick'n sandwich because there was too much vegetable compared to protein. The lavender lemonade's lavender syrup was a bit overwhelming. However, the gochujang noodle bowl is very yummy, and had a great balance of flavours. Refreshing and stimulating at the same time. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - gochujang bowl - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My family heard so much about Moosewood over the years and we were looking forward to eating there on a recent trip upstate. Unfortunately, it fell short of our expectations. I ordered an Egyptian red lentil soup. It was good but there was nothing particularly "Egyptian" about it. My wife had a salad which was fresh but nothing special. We also ordered a hummus appetizer which was mediocre. I've had much better hummus at cheaper Middle Eastern restaurants. The entrees were subpar. I ordered a spicy Korean noodle dish which was basically cold spaghetti, raw slivered carrots and sesame oil. It was lousy. My wife had a pesto pasta dish which was also mediocre. The best thing we ordered was a polenta cake topped with strawberries for dessert. The service was friendly but overall we were disappointed with the food. Moosewood did not live up to its hype. read more

Straight to the point, my family adhered to all of the previous reviews and did not order the bean burger. We got the Polenta Cakes, Red Bean Gumbo and a Farro Salad to start. The polenta cakes were the best dish and were crispy and flavorful. The red bean gumbo and salad were good. For entrees, we got the Strozzapreti, Crepe, and Coconut Curry. The Strozzapreti was delicious, the noodles were a bit overcooked but the breadcrumbs and mushrooms were great. The crepe was definitely confusing. It was filled with quinoa and sweet potatoes but very bland and the inside was dry. The roasted kale was kind of mushy and didn't add to anything, and the cream was plain and not very exciting. The Cocount Curry was tasty with the right amount of spice and also good. The wine was very expensive, served in a tiny glass and not that great, a cocktail probably would have been better. Overall it was a good meal and good service. read more

Legendary vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca. I had a salad and soup. Tofu accompanied the salad to add a protein. My dining partner had soup and salad. Filling and Tasty. Downtown and within a easy walk to colleges in the area. Would recommend. read more

Visited the restaurant after a gap of 8 years (we live in NYC) a week after NY entered into Phase 3 allowing indoor and outdoor dining. The good and bad points below: Good: They have started allowing pets (dogs) in their outdoor area. The contrast here could not have been more stark. When we visited in 2012 the hostess practically ran us out of the outdoor area and reluctantly agreed to let our then 6month old dog sit on a dirty puddle outside the seating area. This time they were not only welcoming but quickly brought out a bowl of water for our four legged child. The food remains very good though not excellent. Bad: Despite telling the waitress three times that we wanted a Matcha latte with no sugar to go. They brought one that was cloying with sugar and watery and practically no milk. We took it back to remedy it and they agreed reluctantly to fix it only to return it by adding milk and did nothing about the sugar. Not planning on a third visit The contrast to Mix's on Elmira road could not have been more stark. It was so good we went there twice for dinner. read more

We were excited to eat here and they did not disappoint. Despite not having a reservation they made room for us on the patio. Service was quick and friendly. We had the pesto pasta and the gochujang noodle bowl. Both were yummy. I wanted more of a pesto taste with the noodles-they were creamy but less pesto-y. We had the vegan chocolate cake for dessert-wow! Moist cake with a thick slab of icing in a size perfect for sharing. The icing had a bit of a fruity taste to it-not sure what it was but a very satisfying dessert. Be sure and make reservations or get here early and enjoy! read more

We enjoy vegetarian food and have spent many years in India enjoying great vegetarian restaurants. .In Singapore the vegan restaurant we regularly visited was Original Sin and we used to say " some day we'll visit Moosewood" and try the best. We visited Moosewood in Mid July when farm stands are full with tomatoes, zucchini, peaches and summers bounty. Moosewood is serving January Cauliflower cheese soup and black bean burgers! I am against the death penalty but any vegan restaurant destroying the Moosewood brand and any interest in vegan food might be worthy of the culinary gallows. Massive disappointment! read more

Stopped for lunch on a beautiful fall day. The restaurant was busy but not crowded. We were seated immediately and served just as promptly. The service is welcoming and efficient. The space is high-ceiling, light and clean. The cafe chairs were somewhat uncomfortable. The Superfantastic Lemonade lives up to its name. And we also tried a sour, lemony beer called the Liquid State Surf Guitar, which paired very well with lunch. We both had the Daily Special: soup, salad and bread. The soups are really the stars of the menu. We had the broccoli cheese and the red lentil chipotle. The salads were fresh and crisp mixed baby lettuce, but are really just vehicles for the salad dressings. We had the lemon tahini and the spinach basil. The bread was the least interesting - a slab of fresh Tuscan style bread served with a bowl of olive oil. It was not the garlic bread listed on the menu. Feeling a little let down on the carbs, we decided to split a vanilla bean rye cake with plum compote, which was superb! read more

Moosewood Restaurant - The vanilla bean rye cake with plum compote - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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The irony for my wife and I is that we stopped in here with my daughter, knowing it's a big Vegan place and we aren't Vegetarians. They had a lot of initials on the menu, including, GF, so I of course had to ask the server if they had anything EG? She asked what that was. I replied, "Extra Gluten, with all they people asking for Gluten Free you must have a lot left over." I think she was scared of me the rest of the meal. We ordered several tasty dishes. It was funny that when we first showed up we were asked if we had a reservation? It was early, around 6 pm, I looked around and there was not one person in the place. I had to laugh. We were seated and by 6:45 the place was packed. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

yum yum yummy! it was a cold evening, had no reservation, and we didn't want to wait long so sat outside. The food was worth the chill and the service good. read more

We stopped in on a busy Saturday evening with no reservations and were greeted pleasantly by the hostess. The wait time was short and was seated promptly. Our waiter Evan was GREAT and the food was very good. We also ordered the vegan chocolate cake and the cheese cake. Highly recommend to get dessert to go. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Large House Salad, local basil and garlic hummus, west African white bean soup and gochujang noodle bowl. - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Bowtie pasta, sauce with 'shrooms; after this dish you'll have no room On tap you'll find a local cold brew; goes well with some pineapple stew! Good location and service. read more

An excellent go-to. Homey, classic vegetarian fare. A dash of real 20th-century hippyism. Good environment, friendly people, tasty savory food. Prices are fine. Pay no mind to the jaded haters. No, Moosewood is not a chic NYC vegan test kitchen. It's a good place run by real people who care about the community. I love it. read more

So tired. So lame and snarky service. The decor is dated and many places, including whole foods have better Vegetarian and vegan fair. Just not worth it read more

It was good; it's just that I am vegan and cook delicious si judge them solely on my palate.

I learned to cook from the Moosewood Cookbook and when I saw the restaurant in Ithaca, I knew I had to go. So glad we did! The mixed reviews gave us pause but we had a wonderful experience. The hostess was a bit frazzled and didn't seem to have a good grasp on things, but once we were seated, everything was perfect. The service was attentive and every single thing was delicious. We had fresh homemade pita with hummus -- fabulous. Followed by a beans, rice and vegetarian sausage dish that was filling and flavorful. For dessert, we shared a brownie that might be the best I've ever tasted. Tried a local NY wine that wasn't bad either. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to digging up my old cookbook and revisiting some of my favorites. Highly recommend! read more