After avoiding Grasshopper for a year or so, I went back last night and was pleasantly surprised. The last time I had been was for a buffet dinner, and as I recall, most of the fare was very greasy, sloppy, and generally unsatisfying. I would not recommend the Grasshopper buffet. The menu seems much better managed, however. My boyfriend and I started off with a delicious mango & avocado smoothie. We inquired about the ingredients and were told that the smoothie was made of mango, avocado, pineapple juice, a touch of sugar, and ice. It was quite good - thick and smooth and perfectly balanced. At $3.75, it was a bit pricey, yet smoothies tend to be expensive, so $3.75 is a decent deal. I ordered vermicelli hand rolls and wonton soup. The rolls were good, but nothing special. They were a bit heavy on the vermicelli, at the expense of flavor and texture. The wonton soup was packed with carrots and other root vegetables - it was really pleasant, hearty yet light. There was nothing heavy, over-filling, or greasy about my two dishes. I was glad to have found two healthy, reasonably priced and tasty options. My boyfriend ordered a kale and gluten dish with brown rice. It was massive. He was presented with an enormous plate that left us aghast. The helping was suited for two people, and definitely could have been comfortably split. The dish featured kale, gluten, mushrooms, and lots of ginger, and we both enjoyed the fresh and vibrant ginger flavor. Our buddy ordered a special called "The No Name," which is a general tsao gluten dish covered in sesame seeds. Sweet, tangy, and truly crispy, this dish is something I would seriously scarf and bitterly regret. Encased in thick, deeply fried layer, the gluten made a negligible appearance in this dish. If you are in the mood to eat a heaping plate full of delicious fried food, this is your best bet. I only ate two pieces, so I cannot comment on the after affect of this fried feast. I believe our total came to $41, which seems a bit steep for 3-star Chinese food. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston! They have an expansive menu of vegetarian delights. From non-meat dishes that mock the real thing to tofu-delights. My favorite is the curry noodle dish with soft tofu. Speedy, friendly service. But don't expect a red cruelty-free carpet. read more

Outstanding meal. I have never had anything like it before. The "beef-style" seitan is delicious in any of their dishes. They also make some very tasty and healthy juice mixes, too. I look forward to eating here again! read more

Delicious coconut curry dishes as well as refreshingly spicy lemongrass entrees, hefty portions leaving you with leftovers for later. (unless you're like me and never get full) They have really good smoothies, and some pretty great options. I'd only gotten delivery from them until recently. Their interior could use a good makeover (not a total dive though) but it's always nice getting served your food on a plate. And their staff couldn't bring our food out fast enough. We weren't halfway through with the appetizer before stuffing our table with more food. Impressive, but at the same time that gap between appetizer - entree can be useful sometimes. read more

I'm all up for trying new items. A friend came to visit me one day when I was living in Brookline, and since he's a vegetarian, he suggested Grasshopper. He had gone to school in the area, and knew this restaurant well. So off we went. It was a few years ago when I went, so I do not remember the exact meal we had; but I do remember that the Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake we shared. It was really delicious. So rich and creamy, it was hard to believe that there wasn't an ounce of "real" dairy in it. Some of the meals are a bit on the pricy side, but if you factor in what the ingredients are, of course, you're going to have to pay a few dollars more. Then again, where can you go these days and eat a filling meal and not rely on meat with no worry? True gem in Allston and right near the B line - easy to get to! read more

So amazing. I got the No Name as per literally everyone's review and was not disappointed. Huge portion and absolutely delicious, probably better than chicken. It comes with rice and a very little salad as well as tea being on your table when you sit down. My friend got the kale and mushroom and it's her definite go to. The sauce is delicious. I wish this place would come to somerville! read more

Grasshopper Restaurant - No Name. Definitely as good as everyone says. - Chinese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Best Chinese food I've gotten delivered so far. Vegan and very tasty. Also the portions are huge so I ordered much more food than I realized but definitely worth it either way. Will definitely be ordering again soon read more

Everything I hear about Grasshopper is always extremely favorable, so maybe I went in expecting too much. Everyone's dish was good, but nothing blew me away. I got ginger buckwheat noodles, which were tasty... but the flavor just didn't kick. It was almost bland. Also, I was surprised at how many imitation meat dishes there were. I can't help but feel that if a place is known as a vegetarian restaurant, they should embrace that rather than having dishes in "chicken or beef style." Strange. Overall it was fine, but don't go thinking that this will be the best veggie meal you've ever had at a restaurant. It won't be. It will be okay, though. read more

Because itis a vegetarian pan-Asian, and one of the few in Boston, it gets four stars. Pretty bad service overall. Tiny plates if you share but large portions! They don't offer new plates post appetizers. Waiters barely speak English and they don't understand many requests. read more

Don't expect anything fancy here. The ambiance is a little bare, the service friendly and efficient. The food is excellent, nourishing, hearty vegan fare. As a vegetarian I rarely have to choose between more than 2 items on any menu, so I'm totally overwhelmed by a pages-long menu. I appreciate that the server cheerfully tells me what to order. She's never steered me wrong. The portions are huge, so plan on enjoying this meal more than once. read more

I'm a huge carnivore, but I really enjoy eating at Grasshopper more specifically, I love the no name dish, definitely one of the best items on the menu (and great for trying to convert your meat eating friends to the veg side I've learned). Grasshopper is a bit expensive, but I've been able to remedy that by going there for lunch. P.S. I love Love LOVE the hot and sour soup, its definitely a must if you spicy things. read more

It's taken me a while to write a review for this place, but given all the delicious meals I ate there when I lived in Boston, the least I can do is tell others on Yelp about this gem. Vegetarians and vegans, rejoice. Grasshopper is one of those fantastic places where everything on the menu is veggie friendly, making the only bad thing about coming here is having to pick one dish off their extensive menu. If you're looking for a place for a fancy date night, this is not it--the ambiance is a little lacking. But, if you're in search of some fantastic vegetarian food that can win over even the most enthusiastic of carnivores, then this is the place to go. Almost all the food is delicious--I say "almost" because I would advise people to steer clear of the veggie shrimp dishes. However, this is only a small section of very extensive menu of deliciousness. Some must tries: 1. the No Name special--similar to sesame chicken 2. the spicy curry vermicelli with sweet potatoes--a soup dish with tofu, gluten, sweet potatoes and coconut milk...in short, amazing 3. the summer rolls--filled with tofu and vermicelli, and comes with a fantastic peanut sauce 4. any dish with black bean sauce--I love black bean sauces and they whip up a really delicious one 5. the vermicelli dishes with veggie meat and spring rolls--simple, cheap and tasty I used to frequent this place at least three times a month when I was in Boston, and usually I brought an omnivorous friend or two in tow. But they were just as impressed by the food as I was. Outside of Chinatown, it was the best Asian food I found in the city. Service is great (the woman who runs the place is very friendly), food is brought out quickly, and they're open pretty late, at least by Boston standards. A must try for anyone, vegetarian or not, looking for quality Asian food in Boston. read more

I am not a vegan but I understand how hard it is to make a variety of foods that taste good. I had the No-Name and it was out of this world. SO good. A little expensive but what a huge portion. The light appetizer sampler wasn't very good but the no-name was so good that it made up for it. read more

Decided to stop in for dinner one day. Despite it being somewhat crowded, service was quick and we were seated right away. Looking around, we could see that portion sizes were large, so we skipped appetizers and went straight for the entrees. I went with the no name and he got the kale and mushroom delight. At the time I thought everything was pretty decent for it being vegan though everything was kind of greasy. However, our leftovers did not taste the same (of course everything tastes better fresh) and the texture of the "meat" seemed off the next day. All-in-all, I would probably not go back because A) I'm not a vegan and B) if I was, there are better options in the area. read more

My old roommates invited me to lunch here and I was thrilled to find out that everything was vegetarian. Unfortunately, they were about to start an event when we arrived so we just crammed containers with food from the buffet and ate at my roommates' place. I wasn't expecting much, but I actually enjoyed most of the food. Eating "faux meat" can really be a hit or a miss. I wasn't too fond of the faux meat mixed with the veggies, but the "no name" was my favorite (the noodles too). My boyfriend didn't really enjoy the food, probably because he would have preferred meat but whatever! I probably will return if I'm ever in the area. read more

They are very inconsiderate of the fact that they are located in front of an apartment building with people doing construction making a ton of noise with machinery during the overnight hours (11pm-4am) in the back of the restaurant. read more

The food is so amazing. The seitan dishes are incredible. The "No Name" dish is by far my favorite. I think you could serve it to a meat eater, and they would have no idea it was not chicken. The sauces they send are usually flavorless, but the rest of the food and the entrees are incredible. I shouldn't admit this, but Ive ordered from them three times this week. And tried TJ Scallywags last night. The portions are huge, and most come with rice and veggies. We split the "No Name" dish and it was plenty for both of us. You can get Grasshopper delivered if you order from www.foodler.com read more

Really, really tasty vegan Chinese food in a dive-tastic atmosphere, including animal posters on the wall - I loved the one with the baby cheetah. Tasty, extremely affordable, fast, casual. We had 5 diners at the table: 3 vegans, 1 carnivore, 1 omnivore (me). My carnivore husband enjoyed the No Name (seitan), no problem. I also had a seitan dish with "beef", peppers, and black bean sauce - amazing. One guest ordered a dish with vegan shrimp: they were tasty and craftily constructed, resembling shrimp to be sure! Another diner feasted upon chow fun "pockets", which could roughly be described as sort of ravioli-ish, but maybe more accurately as a tasty filling wrapped carefully in chow fun noodles. Awesome. Our 5th diner ordered something I would like to think of as Buddha's Delight, as it featured 3 vegan "meats". We shared the appetizer combo plate, not the "Lite" one. Everything was really tasty. There was a lot of it - we took home a lot of food. I highly recommend Grasshopper for dining out with a group of folks with a variety of dietary needs/wants as everyone can find something really delicious on the menu. read more

I love love love meat, and so do many of my friends. I also love trying things I think I will hate in hopes of broadening my gastronomic horizons. Well I have been going to Grasshopper for 8 years now. The food is not amazing, it certainly has a hole-in-the-wall feel, and a menu so big I am intrinsically worried about how they can have everything that they need to make all of this food without spoilage. All of that being said the food is really good. My self and my meat eating Friends definitely do come back to be amazed at how they have mimicked dishes so well. This is not a place for vegetables that look like vegetables, or beautifully arranged on a plate. This place is a wonderful place for a vegan/vegetarian to bring meat eating friends so that everyone can share their food without any worries. This place does not intimidate meat eaters with an in your face holier than thou vegetables are the saviour feel, and for the vegetarian it feels like they are at a normal restaurant except that they can order any of the 100+ items on the menu. Simply put this is a great place for a mixture of people to sit and not worry about their food based differences and have a good meal. I highly recommend the seitans (hope I am spelling this right) section of the menu (fake chicken). Especially the Seitans and mushroom hot pot.....simply awesome! read more

The menu here contains over 100 items and the servers know them all by both name and number. If you order number 22, they'll spout off the description. In addition, they'll take the order for a table of 10 without writing it down and they'll be no errors. One of the folks there even remembers me when I come in and knows when I don't place my standard order. On my last visit, I was actually meeting my dad there. I was walking down the street from my car to the restaurant and the same waitress must have been on a break because she was outside a few blocks away and said, "You're dad's waiting for you, he's been there about 10 minutes." Seriously, we don't go there that often! Anyway, my dad is meat and potatoes type of guy which tells you how great the food is here. He loves the "beef" chow foon or ""beef and broccoli. Everyone raves about the No Name and Sweet and Sour Sensation. Both are good, but there is too much sweet/fried food on a plate for my taste. I could have a few bites, but would never be able to finish it. I'd recommend the Happy Family. It is asparagus, onions, tofu, seitan beef, and gluten in a spicy basil sauce. This dish is definitely lighter and incredibly delicious. The Delight soup with wood ear mushrooms is also great as well. One my friends loves the chicken fingers. They remind me of carnival food and I often joke that they should be served on a stick like corn dogs. An order contains 7 or 8 of them and one is enough for me. The portions are huge and prices are pretty reasonable when you take that into account. I always end up with enough leftovers for at least one more meal. read more

I'm vegetarian, but my meat eating boyfriend was the one who first took me here. He loves it too! I often watch my friends eat greasy Chinese food and drool, wishing I could have it too. The no name is the perfect orange chicken-like thing! So good! Portions are huge. Good for sharing. I like the decor too. It's not swanky in the least. The walls are kelly green and have weird baby animal pictures framed everywhere. The strange tackyness is cute and feels very true to the area. read more

Grasshopper is a wonderful Asian vegan restaurant with great options that all would love. I have brought lots of skeptical omnivorous friends here who really enjoyed their meal. They have fresh, healthier meals; greasy, fried meals; decadent vegan cheesecake; freshly juiced vegetables... they have a ton of options for a place made for consumers who people would say have 'limited options'. Another thing to note: their portions are humungous. If you aren't usually able to finish your meal at a standard restaurant, definitely plan on bringing home leftovers. If you are coming here on your way to another event or engagement during the summer, be sure you have some way of refrigerating your leftovers! I like to come here during the winter en route to another destination in the city because I can leave my leftovers in the car - free refrigeration :) read more

I enjoy the meatless meat-like dishes. Price is reasonable and plenty of seating. No A/C on the hot days, but at least they turn the ceiling fans on to move the hot air. Food is very oily and over flavored with sauce and salt. Service is consistent and not that spectacular. At first visit, I loved it. The more I went, the less I go. Not sure if I would go unless for sentimental value... Still have to give three stars, but borders on two. Sentimentality strikes again! read more

Don't let the humble exterior appearance of this place fool you, it's pretty awesome. I was introduced to this place by a couple of vegan friends of mine when we met up for lunch. I am a carnivorous savage, but I really enjoyed the food here and never found myself missing anything. They do the "faux meat/seafood" thing well, but do the "not trying to fool anyone with faux meat" dishes really well, too. Good food, plenty of variety, good service, (more than) generous portions, and pretty cheap ta boot. Their juices are really good, too. You know it's a decent place when you can walk out of there full, but feeling good, and with plenty of dough left in your wallet. read more

Everything we ordered was delicious and affordable. Tofu hot pot with lemongrass and pineapple, snow peas with mushroom and carrots, fried vegetable rolls, nori rolls which was sushi style. Plenty of tables on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. Everything was great and they start you off with hot tea which. Reminds me of growing up in Little Saigon in California where that was pretty much expected everywhere you went. But since moving to the Northeast, this is the first place I ran into that did that. Very friendly service as well and they allowed us to park in the back in the one spot right behind the restaurant. I am not sure if customers normally can park there, but it was later in the evening so if this is employee parking, perhaps they knew they had an open space and just let us park there when I called to ask if customers are allowed in the lot. So you still may want to call before you get there. I wouldn't assume this is a normal thing. read more

this is an amazing restaurant. modern Chinese food with some great vegetarian twists on it. veggies are fresh and taste great. worth the drive. read more

Grasshopper Restaurant - Chinese Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

When I lived in San Francisco, I woould wake up salivating from dreams about the Grasshopper. I toyed with the idea of having friends from Boston overnight ship some of their glorious vegan delights to my SF doorstep. I live in Philadelphia now, and I still have moments where I crave this food like nobody's business. Even though it's a obscene amount of food, this is what I get when I go. I definitely get the Hot and Sour Soup and/or the Wonton Soup. Followed by the hot assorted appetizer (one of the best things you will eat) and then always either the #68 or #69, beef style. I used to get the No Name, and the "Chicken" Fingers a lot too. Grab a group of good friends, play footsy under the table, and pig out. read more

yum yum um all over the place. I love the No Name, so simple and yummy, chewy n' sesame seeds, and great brown sauce. The wait staff it attentive, and how can you not love the animal images on the wall. The giant fish take is always interesting to look at, and sometimes it smells a little odd in here. I've been here many times, sad that it's in Allston, I don't really like that part of boston too much, too many crazy youngin's running around. I love the older woman who knows everything on the menu and can always serve you with a charm. Oh, that plant that has grown around the whole restaurant, Unbelievable!... you know it's a great restaurant when a plant is alive and that large! a must for any vegetarian. Used to bring my old BF here and he was vegan crazy and enjoyed it. read more

I went back to this place twice while I was in Boston and was amazed everytime! The portions are huge, the atmosphere is nice, the customer service was amazing, a ton of choices on the menu, the food was just out of this world amazing! I tried 4 dishes while I was there (my friend and I each bought one each time and shared) and the seiten dishes are soooo good and even my non-vegan friend loved it and plans to go back and bring friends. It's not overly expensive and if you think it is expensive when you first sit down, just wait and see how much food they give you. Btw- when you're ready to order make sure that you put your menu down and close it that way they know you're ready. read more

Grasshopper is one of the best vegan restaurants in Boston! It's environment is very low key and the mock-style meat and different vegetable dishes are super good and unpretentious. I get the 'Beef' and Broccoli or the 'No Name' (sweet and sour 'ckn' dish), but the Buffet night is also a good way to go, although usually a crowded night, but a good spot to bring hungry friends. read more

I may obsessively love the No-Name (on the specials menu) and have to schedule my visits so I don't over eat it. The Chicken fingers are another favorite of mine. I do also greatly appreciate the large variety of options on the menu and the greens (Kale, spinach, etc) to balance out the very unhealthy options. They have huge portions so that I can spend $30 and eat for days. And they take bike benefits...ride your bike there and parking isn't an issue! Its one of the places I will miss when I move and make a point to hit up when I come back for a visit. read more

As a meat-eater, I must say, Grasshopper is great! You completely forget that you are eating vegan, because the food is just so good.When I am there, I do not miss the meat whatsoever. The food is fresh, flavorful, and variable. The amount of options are immense, and the waitress always knows exactly what each number is. You can tell she has been cooking for a long time and the food comes from the heart. The free tea is always good too and is a nice touch. The thing I love about the place is that you can decide how healthy your vegan food will be (just because its vegan doesn't mean its good for you lol!). Some items are full of veg and light sauce, but others (my favorite) are fried. The "no name" is so good. It's battered, sauced, gluten, and it tastes amazing, pretty much like chicken!I would definitely recommend Grasshopper to vegans, carnivores, and everyone in between. read more

Grasshopper has an inexpensive and expansive lunch menu, with very generous portions. I haven't been there for dinner, but quality of ingredients was apparent for the Chinese Broccoli & Tofu with Chili Basil sauce. Our waitress was attentive and sweet. read more

Grasshopper's menu is extensive and has dozens of dishes with a wide array of mock meats. The sheer variety is pretty overwhelming. I've tried a lot of the menu items, many of which were excellent and others of which were just okay. For first-timers, I would recommend asking the server for suggestions - they'll probably direct you to the mock beef with broccoli, which is really good in spite of the simplicity of concept. The portions here are huge (family-sized), so plan accordingly. If you order one dish per person, you will invariably end up with lots of leftovers - which actually isn't a bad thing. Also, they have a buffet on the third Sunday of every month. It's less than $11 for all-you-can eat, which is a fantastic value. That's also a great way to sample a little (or a lot) of many different dishes that they offer. read more

Famous for the chicken fingers, "No-Name" and many mock-meat Chinese food classics. I've been vegan and going here for several years now and I'm never disappointed by the food or the service. Funny thing is I didn't even like Chinese food before I was vegan. Usually I'll go and get a Veggie-chicken stir fry to go after my meal. Makes for a couple quick lunches at work. Grasshopper is probably the only "classy" vegan restaurant I've ever been to. read more

I've been going here for years and it's always great. The No Name (or General Tso's Gluten as I think of it) is great - portion is enormous though so watch out! Other favorites are the "Steak Filet" (tofu) which has a really tasty sauce and tons of spinach. If you order the cold noodles ask for the sauce on the side. It tends to be really peanut-buttery and heavy. Otherwise, seaweed salad, vermicelli rolls, sweet potato curry, all fantastic. read more

The boy brought me here as a surprise (and perhaps an olive branch) because I really don't like eating meat and I think we do it too often. That being said, I also don't like fake meat. We had gotten takeout from JT Scalleywags in the past, and the whole "chiken" thing always bugged me. Can we just eat real vegetables/legumes? Whats with the fake stuff? We both agreed on that before we ordered, and the night was relatively successful. We started with the miso soup (more his thing than mine). It was definitely the freeze-dried kind, and it came kinda cold, but we sent it back and enjoyed it when it was returned to us warm and ready-to-eat. Then we ordered the veggie tempura, which was entirely too much food-- HOLY COW-- this is a meal. I wouldn't order it for an appetizer unless you're a table of 4 or more. I think we also got some spring rolls, which, for the life of me I can't remember, so consider them unremarkable. The boy ordered the Spicy Curry Vermicelli Noodles, which was strange because he doesn't love curry or spicy things, but I ate most of it the next day for my lunch, and it was very good. I ordered the grasshopper supreme and it was fabulous. The eggplant and mushrooms were perfect, the black bean sauce was great, and the spinach and asparagus held up for 2 days and through 2 reheatings-- this was a GREAT all-vegetable dish. The serving staff is super-sweet too-- the elderly man server is adorable. They lose 1 star because the bathroom is not fit for human use and I really hoped our adorable eldery server sanitized his hands after being in there. enough said. read more

Before my first visit to Grasshopper, it had been my first dining experience at a vegan restaurant. The novelty of it all really widened my eyes and filled my stomach with all sorts of appetizers in attempt to try a little bit of everything. Since then, I had always remembered this place quite fondly, always dreaming of the tofu "chicken" fingers. I revisited recently, namely to get my grubby hands on some of those Sweet & Sour tofu fingers, which were still very delicious, although the sauce did leave some sort of strange texture in my mouth. Regardless, I wasn't disappointed and was left extremely full of vegan chinese junk food. Our server, while taking our orders, seemed to want to show off her memory skills by asking for only the numbers that match up with our menu orders, but she then failed to remember to bring one of our dishes. This was another double date. My friends downed a shared veggie lo mein dish which left them both full: an impression on how big the servings you get for your money. My boyfriend ordered the Chicken Style Curry, which at the end of the meal, looked like he hadn't even touched it. Having had the chance to give the Grasshopper another chance, with a couple of additional years of vegan experience, I must say my impression of it has slightly diminished. Mainly due to the fact that I've shifted more towards accidently vegan eating rather than tofu-everything dishes. So far, I've enjoyed everything I've eaten here - it really is good junk, though my cravings for this kind of food doesn't come too often. With Peace O' Pie right next store, I gotta say I'd be more inclined to get a slice of dairy/soy-free pizza over imitation veggie squid, but I am grateful for it's existence. read more

I tried this place for the first time last night and I must say I was most definitely pleased. I didn't think someone could pull off vegan chinese food especially since I'm a meat lover, but the seitans were extremely satisfying! We tried 4 different plates, I had the No Name which is basically like sweet and sour chicken (it tasted just like it, I couldn't tell it was fake chicken). My friends ordered the beef seitan coconut curry platter (delicious), chicken seitan with asparagus and snow peas (yummy), and the watercress (had never tried, but really did enjoy). It's an added bonus that they serve their entrees with brown rice for a dollar extra (nice way to add a healthy kick to the meal) and the jasmine tea is both complimentary and savory. We tried the cheesecake for dessert, but it tasted a little too much like tofu for my taste and the strawberry sauce was not anything special (seemed like canned sauce if you ask me). Overall, I'd come here again and would recommend it to anyone who loves asian food. read more

I'm not the biggest Vietnamese food fan. I'm also a vegetarian that doesn't really like veggies. I'm more of a carbotarian lol. With all that...I have to say that this vegan restaurant is one of the best in Boston. The food is delicious and you are served big portions. You will probably have leftovers to take home. The restaurant makes their own table cloths and are up for purchase if that's your fancy. The staff is friendly and they are usually busy, but I have never had to wait for a seat. Be sure to stop in sometime! read more