Being from Ithaca but living on the left coast hasn't reduced the power of Moosewood. I bought one of their cookbooks at a local bookstore and the check-out person started asking me all these questions about the restaurant. This has happened at least three times here. With good reason. Moosewood is not 'fine' dining. It isn't fancy or fusion. It doesn't put on any pretensions of being something it isn't. It isn't going to satisfy your hunger for morels, truffles, fine wines, or foie gras. What it is is very well done vegetarian food in a remarkable atmosphere that makes you feel like you're having dinner with your family. It's warm and welcoming and, oh yeah, the food is really yummy. If you're staying away just because vegetarians can be annoying and preachy, well you're right, but they aren't at Moosewood! Being (mostly) a vegetarian restaurant is totally secondary to Moosewood being just a really wonderful place. The menu is changed daily so I can't tell you what to get, but I think I've only been dissapointed once. Get the house dressing for your salad. Get whatever looks good fod dinner and desert. Also check out their cookbooks. Once again, not fancy! This is food you can actually cook, without blowing your account, and will satisfy your soul. read more

Honestly not all that impressed. It's an establishment, so I'd recommend stopping by if that appeals to you. However, the food was fairly bland and the presentation was poor. Service was also on the slower side. Having a vegetarian restaurant isn't as unique as it once was, so Moosewood should try to improve to meet the competition. read more

I was super excited to finally eat at the infamous Moosewood restaurant. I've owned one of cookbooks for years. We each ordered an entree which came with a fresh green salad. My niece got the farfalle with pesto which was good. I got the special vegetable molé and my sister got the shrimp and grits. My molé didn't really taste like a molé to me but more like a ratatouille since it was pretty watery. It was ok but nothing to write home about. My sisters dish was the best of the 3. However, as she was eating her dinner she discovered a long piece of plastic wrap embedded in her food. It was gross. The waiter presented the dish to the manager and they removed the charge from the bill which was the least they could do. I also got the strawberry lemonade, which was very tasty. Highlight of the meal was shrimp and grits (minus the plastic wrap) and the strawberry lemonade. read more

Dinner is consistently below average (bland). Dessert is always fantastic. Lunch has been tasty the 2 times I went. This review is about dinner only. I usually love vegetarian food. I rarely cook with meat, and I prefer simple flavors. Thought I'd love this place... The food at Moosewood is typically disappointing but occasionally mediocre. They don't understand how to season food -- like I can sometimes identify which spices would improve the dishes. They overcompensate for the lack of flavor by adding fat, which helps the overall taste but is no substitute for understanding ingredients. Moosewood is like home cooked food in that it doesn't taste as good as restaurant food, but usually the reason homemade dishes are less tasty is because they have less butter and salt. Somehow, Moosewood has managed to keep the unhealthy aspects of restaurant fare yet lose the upshot of deliciousness. I will say, however, that their salad dressings are fantastic! Service is pretty slow, but I have only gone when it has been busy. Atmosphere is pretty good. It has a warm, comfortable vibe. Very casual. The price is high for Ithaca generally. Their bland food is *definitely* not worth what they charge. My vegetarian friend has dragged me there (for dinner) a handful of times, but I refuse to go back anymore (for dinner). I will, however, go back for lunch. I think the difference is that they serve sandwiches for lunch, which are harder to mess up. read more

Great food but service is lacking. Dessert was by far the best. We tried the vegan chocolate cake (5 stars) and the vegan fruit crumble (4.8 stars) and the cinnamon coffee ice cream (amazing). read more

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

Always great to receive a positive response from management. I'm impressed by their willingness to be open to feedback. I also think my previous review inaccurately reflected a greater level of disappointment than I intended. I will continue to be a fan, as I hope that Moosewood will succeed for a long time to come. I'm adding one more star. read more

Loved the moosewood experience!! I have a sensitive stomach and was happy to be somewhere that accommodates my dietary needs with offerings for the rest of my party too Warm and friendly waitstaff: Shout out to Lexie (I think that was her name)... read more

I used to live in the area and remembered being at a friend's home and taste-testing items for the menus. Left the area, yet returned years later to live and it was a treat to eat here and bring house guests. Now back 10 years later on a visit and I was disappointed. Was seated right away, but people seated after us were served and not until I asked who is taking our order did it happen. The falafel on brown rice was tasty but must have been sitting out waiting for the waitress because it was not hot. My sense was there are now more tourists thus no high standard to be met....mediocrity at its best....figuring I will not be back. Careful, a good reputation could be at stake. I am not a cook, do not buy the cookbooks, just want good food when finally in town to visit what used to be a place to get a 5-star meal and service. read more

I was excited to try Moosewood -- my aunt bought me their original cookbook when I originally went veg around 1990 and I absolutely love their veggie pot-pie from that book. However, I found their vegan (and veg) options uninspired and more akin to recipes you would find in earlier decades -- pure vegetable and not very complex (sweet potato as a base for my husband's meal; mine was cauliflower - not filling/satisfying at all). I'd suggest they experiment with more fun advancements such as cashew cream, aquafaba, and plant meats; heartier options like Beyond Meat sausage would do wonders for the pasta dishes (the night we dined there were no pasta dishes as vegan options, but I requested to switch out my rice for pasta - when they brought me the rice, the waitress acted like it was my fault). And chocolate cake is kind of a default vegan option in restaurants that attempt to add at least one dessert, but there are so many ways to easily make desserts without eggs that everyone would enjoy these days so I'm not sure why they don't have more options. I'm glad I made the "pilgrimage" but next time I'm in town will hit the Thai restaurant instead unless the menu is updated. The ginger hot toddy was the best part, and the atmosphere was nice though eerily quiet with no music. read more

As another reviewer noted, the service can be hit or miss. The food was good and the experience was ok too - up to the point that they asked us to leave - not because we were extending our welcome or being obnoxious - just because they wanted to seat another larger party. My wife and I were having a nice dinner with our vegetarian daughter and boyfriend who were visiting from out-of-town. I was surprised to get last minute reservations on a busy Saturday night. We ordered the food right away and it took a little while to come out... not overly long, but not quick either. We got bounced to another server for dessert. All-in-all minor stuff. I had signed the check a few minutes earlier and my daughter was finishing her coffee when the hostess came to us and the table next to us and asked us to leave. Apparently there was another larger party after us and they needed to combine the tables together which they did ASAP after we started leaving. I've worked in the restaurant and hospitality industry before and to be booted from a restaurant in such a way is one of the worst things you can do. I won't be going back for some time, if ever. The hit/miss service along with the fact that the menu is not strictly vegetarian/vegan anymore, it seems like Moosewood has "jumped the shark" and is resting on its past laurels. This is Ithaca and there are many other food options available that have good vegetarian and vegan options. read more

My sense is that people go to Moosewood to pay tribute to something famous - a bit like going to Hendrix's grave or to Graceland. So we went for lunch out of curiosity, and everything we sampled was fine, though I couldn't help but think that it was veggie food from a different time, veggie food without tremendous flavor, veggie food that won't necessarily convince your carnivore friends to switch teams. What actually shone here was the tomato soup which was simple and pure, absolutely delicious. A little less exciting was the fishcake which was more monotonous than exciting, as was the ciabatta with brie (though points for the perfectly caramelized onions, and the perfectly tart pear). The service was slightly brusque, and the ambiance was a bit chiller than I expected. But I'm glad we checked out this institution. read more

A wonderful restaurant. Everyone who goes to Ithaca should eat here, vegetarian or not. Sit outside if you can. Had the best pea soup of my life here. Yeah, this place actually made me get excited about pea soup! I know this will be one of the first places I stop at the next time I end up in Ithaca. read more

Visited Moosewood after three year break. The good news: the salmon was good and the chickpea/curry paste was excellent. We asked for some veggies instead of couscous with the salmon. Served string beans. Not much imagination in the "veggie" department. Lots of carbs, little creativity with vegetables. Salad was pedestrian. Carrot cake was not fresh!!! It was also not aesthetically pleasing. The famous Moosewood brownie was microwaved-we presume it was not freshly made, either. They didn't microwave desserts in 1973 at the original Moosewood. After recently eating at Avo in Nashville, Moosewood just became a memory. Avo sets a new standard!!! read more

This restaurant is horrible. When the best thing on the menu is the soup and salad, you know something is wrong. When I asked for ranch dressing without looking at the menu, she pointed to dressings they served for the day and it wasn't listed. If you enjoy overpaying for under seasoned veggies and tofu resembling cat food, come to Moosewood. If I wasn't dining with family, I would have stood up and left after the dressing comment. $65.00 for veggies. I'm just appalled anyone would come here willingly. The staffed appeared to be in a fugue state. We were seated in a bizarre spot. I can't fathom how this place still exists unless the other customers are as torpified as the staff. I almost felt like I was on a hidden camera show that was trying to determine the minimum standards for what constitutes a restaurant. McDonalds makes a better salad. read more

Big disappointment -- terrible service For more than 30 years, I have collected Moosewood cookbooks, but lived too far to enjoy the restaurant's food. When a family event brought us to the area, I was excited that we would finally get to Moosewood. We made reservations to ensure a dinner experience at Moosewood. Arriving at Moosewood, first they messed up our reservation. We did have a confirmationf or 6, but they had put us in for another time. They did agree to accommodate us, admitting that sometimes the computer messes up. This should have been an omen of things to come. Our drinks arrived and we watched the tables around us enjoy their meals and leave. After 45 minutes, our entrees arrived; the salad course never arrived. I was so angry at how we were treated that we offered to settle our bill and left w/o dining. read more

My boyfriend and I went upstate for a few days and one of the anchors in our pretty free form vacation was that we would eat dinner at Moosewood. I have seen the cookbooks and got the sense that it was a crunchy, old school vegetarian restaurant kind of in the style of the resty I work at, and love, Angelica Kitchen. First off, this place isn't vegetarian. I had read in a 2007 guidebook that they served fish only on Sundays, but I guess that changed and now they serve fish every night. I'm not really skeeved by things like this, but I think folks looking for a pure veg experience should know. I should also mention that the menu isn't teeming with vegan options. Having said all that, I did feel it was worth the visit. They have a really huge canopied outdoor dinning space. The atmosphere was indeed crunchy, but also kinda sophisticated and, most importantly, clean. The staff was friendly, polite, smart, and attentive, but not so much that they checked in on us every 5 minutes (which I HATE, leave me alone!). My omni boyfriend and my vegan self both enjoyed our meals. Nothing was amazing, but it was all very, very fresh and good. That combined with the atmosphere and service made Moosewood a place I look forward to returning to whenever I next find myself in Ithaca. read more

We had lunch here, the tofalaful burger was great but not really a burger more like a patty. My husband also loved his ginger tea and two bean chili. We ordered a piece of the chocolate Cake based on previous reviewers. That cake is worth 10 stars. Amazing. We look forward to visiting Moosewood again. read more

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

Under impressed, big hype, just meh food. There are many other great restaurants in Ithaca. Feels stuck in the 90's vegetarian food. It SEEMED like not much local, organic, and/or seasonal options (this could be false, but that's what it felt and tasted like). I was under this false impression they were the east coast Chez Panisse and everyone must eat there at least once. Sadly, that's far from the truth. read more

Like many others, we have a Moosewood cookbook in our house. We were surprised to find that the restaurant was right next door to the hotel we recently stayed at in Ithaca. As such, we had to give it a try. We went for an early-ish dinner (5:30, right when they opened for dinner) and were seated in a nice spot out on their patio. I had the southwestern shrimp and grits and my wife had the pasta special of the day. Both were delicious. Menu items are a little bit pricier than average but that reflects the quality of the food. If you enjoy vegetarian/vegan/pescatarian fare, give this spot a try. read more

Wonderfull food, wait(er,ress) staff was knowledgeable, and helpful. Food was tasty, pleasing, and portions were done well. Loved the choices. read more

Excellent restaurant with good food and great service. The salmon cake is extremely delicious and all their sparkling drinks are refreshing. Definitely try the ginger tea too! Cameron is very helpful and knows the menu very well! Will be back again soon. read more

Hit or miss. I've eaten here 4 times and the food has either been fantastic or particularly amateurish and tasting as though it came out of a giant metal tray under a warmer. Once, my husband ordered a "pot pie" which was inexplicably served in a bowl, with a spoon and without any kind of crust (it wasn't a pie). The service is always friendly but usually poor. I do love the cookbooks though and have had some fantastic meals there. A great place to take your mother. read more

Disappointing. We ordered salads, some sort of bean and rice enchilada things (not too memorable, I'm afraid) and an eggplant parmesan entree. Definite lack of presentation (bare wood tables with cutlery seemed kind of ... naked). The salads, as mentioned elsewhere, were uninspired to say the least: shredded iceberg, carrot, a tiny tomato. Hmmmm. The bean and rice dishes were perfectly palatable, but nothing to write home about. The eggplant dish was pronounced fine, but unexceptional. We didn't bother with dessert, but went home and had cookies and ice cream from Wegman's instead. And it wasn't cheap. To tell the truth, they seemed at least as interested in selling you cookbooks and other stuff (the entryway is full of it) as in running a restaurant. I'm not sorry we went, but I don't think we'll be back. read more

Delicious dinner, drinks, and dessert! A great place for people who have not ever been to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant!

We enjoyed our dinner at Moosewood on our first visit to Ithaca. I have been cooking from the original Moosewood Cookbook for years, so it was a treat to have the chance to come to the source. The service was pleasant. It wasn't super fast, but we were well cared for and our meals arrived a the proper temperature and simply, but well presented. We were not rushed during our meal, our glasses were refilled, our questions answered, which made for a enjoyable experience. I am puzzled by negative reactions to fish, butter, etc. being on the menu, & the claims it isn't vegetarian enough. Wake up, read the website: their cuisine is Healthy Natural Foods. Yes, they are pioneers in moving away from the meat-based diet that was the rule in 1973, contributing thousands of recipes to form an eclectic collection of nutritionally-balanced and aesthetically pleasing dishes that are better for your health AND the earth's. Eating whole grains and lots of fruits/veggies was definitely at the core, but fish and dairy were on the menu from the start. A quote from my 1977 edition of Moosewood Cookbook: "There is no specific dogma attached to the Moosewood cuisine...using - in addition to vegetables - cheese, eggs, nuts, beans, grains, bean curd, and fresh fish..." read more

Let me start by saying I was very scared to try this place. I am not a vegetarian and my dining partners are meat at every meal kind of people, but the concept of this restaurant appealed to me. Plus two people that formerly lived in Ithaca told me it was great. I bribed my colleagues with chicken wings on me after we ate there if the food wasn't good. Fortunately the food was good enough to not have to by wings afterwards. I started with a very fresh tasting chips and salsa. Of course, everything was organic and made in house. You have to really try to mess up chips and salsa, so I wasn't off the chopping block yet. I moved on to a garden salad that had a really great vinegarette salad dressing. That too was homemade. My main meal was a pasta stuffed with kiel and fresh cheese. I saved the menu to yelp specifically what I ate. Of course i lost it, so let's suffice it to say it was well seasoned, a great portion size, and very enjoyable. One colleague got the same salad and spinach soup. He enjoyed both and came out with a much cheaper bill. Like some of the other reviewers I will say this place is overpriced, even for organic and local ingredients. I'd still give it a try. read more

Moosewoods is a perfectly averafe dining experience. Nothing outstanding but nothing really bad. Small portions and highish prices for what you get. I have been here a few times and honestly cannot remember a single meal that was great or something I would specifically drive here to get again. The service is kinda fine and so is the food. As I said, pretty average. In a place like Ithaca that has lots of better dining options (even for vegetarians), this just doesn't cut it. But the restaurant is always busy so maybe I just don't get it. Judge for yourself if unsure. read more

It was just about what I expected---well-cooked vegetarian food in the classic Americana-vegeteriana genre of yore, not too special but solid nonetheless. I'd return. read more

Great place in Ithaca. There are plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. They also serve cocktails with top shelf alcohol. The menu is extensive. A stress free very casual lunch. Highly recommend it if you are at Cornell, SUNY Binghamton Ithaca College or the Apple Fest! read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Olives, chickpeas and tofu. - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

This is the best vegetarian restaurant I know of...I recommend it highly. It fills up nightly...no reservations accepted. The food is excellent. Oh an grab a brownie to go....yummy. It is a casual eatery...the service is quick and friendly. read more

I came here for brunch with friends and really loved the atmosphere and our servers were amazing and so personable! the food was good- I really appreciate their focus on vegetarian and vegan foods and being a sustainable business overall. the food could've been a little better- I felt like some of the dishes were a bit simple/underseasoned but the base of the dishes were great and were in general very tasty. will definitely come back soon read more

This restaurant is super overpriced and I was not super impressed. I got their red pepper pasta and I felt like it was nothing special. They just added some sun dried tomatoes and some veggies. I guess they change their menus on a daily basis so maybe I will try something else next time. read more

We went here only because it was touted as the #2 restaurant to go on the Tompkins county site.. and my 13 year old is vegetarian. The only one that hated her meal was the vegetarian.. we let he waitress know that when we finally got her attention (by that time I just gave my daughter my sandwich ). Came in for lunch at 2:25.. waited a considerable amount of time for the bread and soup we ordered.. and by the time they brought it our sandwiches were coming out. Specifically asked for no sour cream on mine.. came wth sour cream and for the time we waited I opted to scoop it off and use a napkin for the rest. Really expensive lunch for $65 and we left hungry. Soup was 80% broth. Wait staff never came to check on us.. we had to hunt people down for our bill after sitting there for 10 minutes with our plates pushed away. Good concept, food was ok, service and attention to detail horrible. read more

I'm in Ithaca once or twice a year, and I always make it a point to get to Moosewood. To say that it's a great vegetarian place does it an injustice; it's a great restaurant, period. The food is what really makes it; the ambiance is so-so, the service reliable and friendly but not exceptional. But oh, that food. I've never been disappointed. Soups, salads, entrees, all creative and delicious. read more

I grew up hearing stories about this place, so I had pretty high expectations. Their menu was a little bit more limited than I would have liked, and even though their lemonade is delicious, they don't do free refills. We got a salad to share, and the dressing was fantastic (we tried the spinach basil and feta garlic). The portions were good, but the olives were crazy salty! This is coming from someone who puts salt on fruit, so you know I'm being pretty serious here about the olives. While I think this is a great place to try once in your life, if you're in Ithaca, I think I'd check out some of the other local restaurants first before I came back. read more

The Moosewood is one of the most famous vegetarian restaurants in the US, and rightly so. They have virtually defined an entire category of food, complete with a half dozen cook books and consistently excellent food in their restaurant. They've also started selling some foods packaged in local grocery stores. http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/ read more

Ithaca was one of my first stops on my cross country road trip last year, affectionately known as The Blaze of Glory 2007. I knew if I was going to stop in Ithaca, I had to go to Moosewood. Now, I didn't actually eat their supposedly scrumptious vegetarian food, because the kitchen wasn't open. However, the bar was, so I'll just review the bar, and the general atmosphere. The decor and overall ambiance are kind of bland. It's not quite homey, and it's not really laid back and kitchy. The bar/waiting area had those yellow wicker chairs. However, their drinks were tasty. They have a pretty impressive list of cocktails, and many were made with fresh fruit. Also, the bar gave out free chips and salsa with drinks. That's always a pleasant kick. read more

Great service, healthy food, great ambiance. I enjoyed a romantic late evening supper here and would love to go back. Desserts were amazing, the entrees were tasty and super fresh. Loved it. read more

Not good. Don't eat here. I love vegetarian food, but this is way too pricey for the mediocre food you get. Imagine paying $15.50 for a small dish of polenta lasagna and a side salad. Yea. Very disappointing. Much can be done with creative vegetarian cuisine. This was like a commercialized version. Did not match the prices nor the expectations. I'd try out "Just a Taste" down the street instead. read more

A firm 3 stars, could be so much better. Moosewood's revolutionary cookbooks opened up a whole new world of healthy, flavorful meals for vegetarians and non-veggies alike. Alas, as of September 2020 much of the love seems to be missing from the cooking. The friendly staff couldn't make up for the relatively bland flavors and uncreative salads. Prices were reasonable (not sure why others were complaining when you can get a soup for $8 or small noodle or rice bowl for $5.50). The Gochujang Noodle Bowl was pretty tasty. Overall OK, but wished it had introduced us to new flavors and new dishes that would have us falling in love with Moosewood all over again. read more