Update: After seeing the business owner's response, I went to their IG and looked at pics of the food they advertise. It looks nothing like what we received. I wish I had taken pics to show the vast difference.
If the food in their pics matched what we were served, I assume my review would be much different. That said, I stand by my comments and still think $25 for one small scoop of "beef" is not a great value. For future events, please prioritize quality control and maybe market your menu differently? For example:
- Sandwich Combo (1 sandwich and 1 side for $XX)
- Southern Platter (choose 1 meat and 3 sides for $XX)
- Meat only (1 meat for $XX)
- Sides only (3 sides for $XX)
It would be more straightforward and less confusing for customers if the menu was written that way. I'd also like to add that the price would be less of an issue for me if the food was actually good.
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I tried their food at Vegfest Santa Cruz today. I was really excited because they had a long line, we were only about sixth in the queue, not at the end. The people ahead of us mentioned that they were at another event in Berkeley and completely sold out before they got to the front, so they wanted to make sure they tried it today.
The line moved extremely slowly; they eventually felt bad and went around offering free cans of kombucha for the wait. When I finally got to the front, I asked a question about the menu. They had brisket listed for $25, I wanted to know if it came with a side or if I had to buy them separately. The woman confused me. At first, she mentioned that I could get three sides with the brisket for $30, but then she clarified that it was actually $25 for brisket only and that I would have to pay $10 extra for three sides. I explained that I only wanted brisket and mashed potatoes, not three full sides. I needed more time to think, so I let my friend order first.
My friend ordered a spicy fried chicken sandwich, which was also listed at $25. They told her that it came with one side, so she chose mac and cheese. Then, she asked why I wouldn't be able to get brisket and mashed potatoes for $25 instead of paying $35 for brisket and three sides. They told me that I could get one side and brisket for $25.
After 40+ minutes of waiting, we were excited to eat. Unfortunately, the food was extremely underwhelming. The brisket was dry, and some pieces had way too much char. The mashed potatoes gave boxed mashed potato vibes, they were unseasoned and bland. I wish they had some sort of sauce to help flavor the meal, but since it was sauceless and bland I only had 3 bites and gave up.
My friend enjoyed the chicken sandwich, but she said her mac and cheese tasted like nothing. It was basically plain pasta with no cheese flavoring or seasoning. I sampled it and agreed that it was really bland. They could at least add some salt, pepper, and paprika if they're going to call themselves Southern Fried Vegan.
By the time I got to the other spots I wanted to try, both the Omakase and corn dog were sold out. I'm so sad that I wasted so much time waiting in line for overpriced bland food that I didn't even finish. Since the only flavorful item was the chicken sandwich, I can't recommend this place to anyone and regret waiting in line. read more