We were able to reserve a spot on the opening weekend, and they were very prepared for opening. They had some learning moments and took it all in stride. My allergies are pretty extensive, and they had the best allergen menu I've seen to date. The setting is also cozy and not overly hipster or anything like that. The food was great overall. My wife never, ever finishes a meal and finished an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The only thing we had and did not like was the sausage, but that was minor because everything else was excellent. All of the desserts look solid, and they really, really know how to work with mushrooms well. Will be back as regulars, thanks! read more

We absolutely loved our experience at Sanctuary Bistro this evening. The owners recently moved to South Charlotte from the Bay Area in California. Luckily for Charlotte, their restaurant moved with them. Sanctuary Bistro is vegan, gluten-free and absolutely delicious! The restaurant is located off of Rea Road, directly across from the Greenway. It is an intimate space with gorgeous details inside. Everything from the wooden/resin tables to the light fixtures are perfect in this space. The staff is friendly, knowledge and professional. The beer menu features local craft breweries and the wine selection is wonderful. This evening we shared the sushi, fried mushrooms, and broccoli/'bacon' souffle. They were all spectacular. The presentation was beautiful and the food was delicious. I am not vegan, Chef Barry created dishes that taste as though cream and cheeses were included. Everyone enjoyed their main dishes of ravioli, cauliflower curry and jackfruit bolognese. For dessert we had a delicious carmel 'cheesecake'. Please, do yourself a favor and visit Sanctuary Bistro. You do not need to be vegan or gluten-free to enjoy yourself, I guarantee something can be found for everyone here! read more

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Popped in for lunch because I happened to be in the area. This restaurant has a beautiful aesthetic inside, friendly service and delicious food. The beet salad is a STAR- one of the best I've had even including beet salads I had before I became vegan. This is the type of vegan restaurant I would take a meat eater to: the food is *just good* and not gimmicky. So happy to see that Charlotte is introducing more vegan options! read more

Sanctuary Bistro - Mushroom chowder - Vegan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Blatt Dilla -pure perfection. Every ingredient expertly prepared. Potato Salad is BETTER than any milk-based traditional version. A++++meal!!! read more

OMGsh!!!! This place has amazing food! Half of the oyster poboy didn't make it home! Delish!! read more

Sanctuary Bistro - OMGsh!!!! This place has amazing food! Half of the oyster poboy didn't make it home! Delish!! - Vegan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I love food - all types of food. However, when I was pregnant and had to go vegan because of a gallbladder issue, I realized there were no decent vegan restaurants in Charlotte where you could eat food and not be wishing you weren't vegan the whole time. Fast forward two years and I just tried the brand new Sanctuary Bistro... And while I'm not vegan anymore, this is a place I could go again and again. We went for the soft launch and tried half the menu. Literally everything was amazing and didn't make me miss near or cheese for a minute. From the butternut squash ravioli and salads to the cauliflower curry and jackfruit 'beef' bourguignon to the desserts that were so good I forgot to get photos of them, this place would literally satisfy anyone. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Great owners, great people work there, food is sometimes excellent and sometimes good but good is a good minimum bar-wonderful aesthetic, very good vibes read more

I went while they were still in Berkeley. I had just gone vegan and I was struggling with food allergies and the transition from an animal to plant based diet. The food here is truly an experience. Everything was delicious. I ordered dessert. I ate it. I ordered another. I ate it and then I got more dessert to go. I love this place read more

Omg this was literally my favorite vegan restaurants I've ever been to. We ordered the charcuterie board, ravioli, beet salad, and falafel. Everything was amazing! I was with a non vegan and he liked everything as well. Definitely coming back here every time I'm in Charlotte. read more

Wonderful food. Don't care for the reservation fee though. Personal touch by the owner and staff. They go the extra mile

I honestly don't know if my picture did it any justice! Everything was amazing the customer service and the food. I'm new to this Vegan lifestyle and if food taste this great I will continue. The food was so flavorful can't wait to go back. read more

Sanctuary Bistro - Fried oyster mushrooms - Vegan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Loved this place when it was situated in Berkeley Ca! Now opening in North Carolina; enjoy! Such a special place; delicious and cruelty free With an an innovative menu and lovely ambiance read more

Easily one of the best vegan restaurants I've ever been to. The atmosphere was quiet and quant. The staff treated us like family and were so excited to serve us, and share the unique vegan recipes. I love that they served homemade everything! The vegan charcuterie board was fantastic. And the entires and desserts were to die for! We also got a take home meal...claim chowder...and let me say, it was the best best soup I've ever had in my life! They had a great vegan Restaurant resource paper and highlighted a local rescue farm, changing hearts. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great service, delicious food! I loved the variety of dishes & the oyster mushroom clam chowder blew my mind!!! read more

Sanctuary Bistro - Beet salad - Vegan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Took my gluten free mom here for her birthday. The food was incredible, plenty of gluten free beer options and incredible service. They made her a birthday dessert and the chef allowed us to try a creation of his own for a little appetizer! Very cute! Make sure to make reservations in advance as it is a small dining room and they fill up fast! read more

Thankful to have found an upscale, delicious restaurant where our entire family can enjoy food(celiac and vegan). The food has wonderful flavor, texture and layers. Our family's personal favs were the sushi, crispy oyster mushrooms, coconut tofu, lions mane roast and lentil curry. Topped it all off with a light lemon cake dessert. Had zero leftovers-too good not to eat it all! Many compliments to the chef! Excellent service-the waitress hustled all night. Rec reservations-small place and tables were full. read more

Vegan food that is absolutely amazing. Great service and kind owners. Fried mushrooms are the best thing on the menu!

Visited this restaurant vegan restaurant back in September. They tried their best to accommodate some different food choices. However they fail MISERABLY on the so-called oyster mushrooms & jackfruit! They were so greasy they penetrated the everything on our plates! I do not recommend these dishes! Being from Jamaica there is no reason for them to be trying to sell these types of dishes. Although I give them a little effort for trying to make different food items! At the end of the meal when we tried to give back the oyster mushrooms that we were contemplating taking with us, the owner basically told us we could not! I was taken aback! She basically told us we cannot waste the food! I'm thinking "are you the one paying for it! " I even asked her how are you gonna tell the consumer what to do ? The owner of the restaurant was Very rude at the end of the meal; but Very nice during the meal! The service will be a reason not to ever return! The food will definitely be a reason to NEVA return! read more

This place is vegan gluten free. They even had gluten free beer. My boyfriend and I went and it was so good. Definitely recommend! I finally felt like I was at a fancy vegan restaurant. Amazing! read more

Amazing creations! An arsenal of vegan recipes so good we were wracking our brains trying to figure how they did it. Bleu Cheese, Creme Brulle, Bacon, Hollandaise! Jennifer, co-owner was the friendliest and her suggestions for ordering were spot on. Will keep this spot in our faves. Bravo! read more

This was our first indoor dining since the pandemic, and we are glad we chose Sanctuary Bistro. We stumbled across this wonderful restaurant just a few spots down from Trader Joe's and Olive Us, and we had an amazing Saturday night dinner. The ambiance was warm and welcoming, and the owner, Jennifer, made sure everything was just right. We sat at the rustic bar since we were walk-ins, and we had plenty of space and enjoyed the relaxing music. From this vantage point, I noticed it was a "phone free" zone, which made for a pleasant evening filled with meaningful conversation. Now for the most important item, the food, and Chef Barry hit it out of the park! We started with a complimentary amuse bouche that set a great tone for the evening. We then had the soup du jour, a wonderful New England style chowder with trumpet mushrooms. It was delicious, and even better than any chowder containing dairy. For the next course, we had the King Trumpet scallop mushrooms. My wife was in love with the wine sauce. Next was a large Macadamia miso salad (similar to Caesar salad). We did not know if we could finish it, but in just a few minutes the plate was clean, and we were both very pleased. Finally, it was time for the main entrees, I had a great jackfruit bourguignon and my wife's spicy blackened portobello dish was equally as incredible. With an immense amount of will power, we were able some of our entrees for lunch on Sunday and so we still had some room for dessert. I talked my wife into the oatmeal smookie, a twist on the classic s'mores. This was a great closer for the evening. For those keeping score, we had seven different dishes, and all seven were wonderful. Vegan or not, you owe it to yourself to go out and enjoy this gem of a restaurant. read more

Wow! Once upon a time I was vegan and recently tested the waters again to shed a few diameters. I didn't know vegan food could be so elaborate. As a reborn, part time vegan I am still wrapping my palate around the textures. But the presentation - impressive; and the flavors were good. The chef is a talented creature and kudos for what he has done. Really nice ambience as well. It's a perfect date night - small and cozy. Will definitely make a second trip. read more

Excellent experience! The service (Noel), the food (Barry fishing it up) and the vibe were all terrific! I started with the chowder and the mushrooms were terrific (even coming from a New England guy!). The Buffalo Tofu followed and that was delicious as well. The water with the strawberries and mint was a very nice touch too! I will be back.........often! read more

Very nice place and great folks! The place is cute and the staff/owners were amazing! The food was good and different, well Seasoned too! read more

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Amazing vegan restaurant!! Everything tastes wonderful and it's such a cute place. The owners are really nice.

This is quite simply one of the best meals I've ever had. The place is very charming and romantic. The staff is very caring and understanding about dietary requirements and the menu is very creative. My wife and I got the charcuterie board. I never thought I would be able to have one again after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It was incredible. The cheese was made out of cashew, the gluten-free bread was incredible, and there was some nut/vegan sausage. My main course was a mushroom-type steak with mash potato, oh wow! Finally, for dessert, we got a chocolate cheesecake. The base was made of nuts. If you are in Charlotte, you must go, whether you have gluten intolerance or not! read more

The food is fantastic! Our favorites include the ravioli, beet salad, chowder and "bacon" mushrooms! We highly recommend this to everyone we know! read more

Our favorite place for brunch! The waffles and dillas are delicious, all vegan and gluten-free. There's also a wide selection of herbal teas. We had a cooking class here on Tuesday and learned how to make appetizers from Chef Barry and his wife Jennifer, who are lovely and friendly folks. I would recommend these classes for a fun afternoon with friends and to level up your vegan cooking skills. read more

Amazing mushroom chowder!! I've missed eating New England clam chowder as a vegetarian, so I need this soup in my life. Just wish I had a Sanctuary Bistro in my area! read more

I love Sanctuary Bistro so, so much! I enjoyed eating at their location in Berkeley and it was a go-to spot for celebrations especially, any time I wanted to introduce family to plant-based foods, or "treat myself." 5 stars, definitely! read more

I haven't had great experiences with vegan restaurants in the past but this place was delicious and the kids loved it too. We went for brunch and loved the waffles and the beet salad. The buffalo tofu quesadilla and souffle were also tasty. My daughter hates mushrooms and the fried oyster mushrooms over waffles converted her. Wish I had taken pictures. We will definitely be back frequently. Happy to find this gem! read more

We had one chance to dine-in before the pandemic and our meals were fantastic. Great menu, chef-prepared, quality food. Recently, my entire family has developed an addiction to the Buffalo Tofu Wrap. We order and pay online, pick-up, get in the car, someone says "OK just one bite then we finish it at home"..... haven't made it out of the parking lot yet with a sandwich. The ultimate comfort food and just so delicious. Love, Love, Love Sanctuary Bistro! read more

This is definitely at the top of my list of best restaurants EVER and I lived in the Los Angeles area, recently, for a long time and savored many of their best. So I am delighted to have such a marvelous restaurant right here in Charlotte. Sadly I live in the University area, so it's over 30 minutes to drive to Sanctuary Bistro, but oh-so-worth it. The food is exquisite: 100% vegan and gluten-free and amazing. We especially like the Po Boy Dilla, although everything they do, they do really well. They are also very dedicated to creating a better world and so do as much as they can for various charities. As you can tell, I'm a big fan. Only eaten there about five times since they opened and can't wait to go back!!! read more

One of Rea Road hidden Vegan gems. The $3 for 25 brunch special is amazing. The chef did not disappoint you with flavor and taste. The staff is friendly, courteous and, the atmosphere very pleasant read more

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Ordered pick-up - I called, ordered, they said 20 minutes on a Saturday night and when I arrived 20 minutes later it was ready. A nice crowd sitting at tables eating while I picked up in the back. I ordered Po Boy Dilla and Soup du Jour which was New England Oyster soup. Of course it is all vegetarian. The soup was not bad and the Po Boy Dilla was very good. Pretty good for vegetarian food. read more

Such a great vegan restaurant in Charlotte! I ordered takeout a few times last year during quarantine but this past weekend was my first dine-in visit. Food is consistently great, vibe is great and such nice people providing great service. So glad they're still here! read more

Amazing food, beautifully appointed space, lovely helpful, smart people...highly recommend ordering and going in to pick up so you get the full experience. The shepherds pie and berry cobbler are delicious and the gluten free baguette came out of the oven crusty on the outside and soft on the inside...yuuummmmmy. I'm not even gluten free and I loved it! read more

This place was amazing and a real hidden gem. I was recommended by a friend who raved about it, and it truly exceeded my expectations. Run by a husband and wife duo, it is clear that so much love and care goes into every dish. The soufflé was my favorite but you truly could not go wrong here. Highly recommend for a date night or an intimate dinner with friends- vegan or not!. read more

Food and staff are great! Also, they are taking proper Covid precautions !

Came here to try the dessert. Unfortunately couldn't try the creme Brule as there was no outdoor seating available. Still got the tiramisu which was delicious. I'll definitely be back for brunch or another meal to try other dishes. Or just go back for dessert. Didn't have a reservation which may have helped. Great service. read more