Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Middletown! It is so nice to have a vegan restaurant so close to home. Ambiance inside is unmatched, the natural oak tables and decor, along with all of the plants creates such a serene and intimate experience! The sweet potato fries are a MUST for an appetizer. The Grilled Setian entree is my favorite on the menu, with the Southern Fried plate coming in a close 2nd. You must try the desserts, the coconut cake is one of the best I've had! Thank you ION for all you do read more

Perfect Vegan Date Night ION is an amazing restaurant. All vegan foods that are unique and delicious! I love going here with my husband for date nights! I also appreciate that they have yummy mocktails as well as cocktails. The staff is always friendly and kind. The only critique I would have is that when the sun is setting it blinds you in the restaurant, maybe they will install blinds in the future, but my suggestion is to go for lunch or after sundown to avoid this problem. But overall, great atmosphere and awesome vegan food! Pros: Delicious food!, Great atmosphere! Yummy mocktails! Cons: The piercing sunlight that blinds you at sundown read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - A perfect spot to enjoy with your loved ones! (Photo by Deanna Troy Travels) - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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I had the Tofu Scramble. So much food. So good. Home fries come with a chipotle ketchup. Mmmm. This place rocks. You would be crazy not to go. The ambiance and service is absolutely great and natural feeling. Classy comfort. read more

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Let me just say I recommend this place to any meat eater or non-meat eater, you will find something here !!!Oh My gosh! I just went here with my friend Gustavo, who was visiting from Florida and he's a vegan. I've never really thought about eating vegan, but I was a vegetarian for a while, six months. Will be working on a Sunday around 11:30, and it was pretty busy but Belle, our server and hostess set us right away. She was wonderful. She explained what the specials were for today and even recommended some really nice things for us. The inside of ION is really beautiful and it's not terribly noisy, and the tables are just unique made of natural wood. On to the food: we have the pumpkin pancakes to share with bacon. So light and fluffy!! Served over the real maple syrup! We also got the southern scramble, which was very delightful!! I recommend this place to anyone who is a meat eater or non-meat eater!! read more

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I came here with a few friends and split a handful of items. The ambience was nice. Most of the food was quite good - my favorites were the cornbread and the burrito bowl which were very tasty. The one thing that we did not like was the vegan mac and cheese - literally just nutritional yeast noodles, quite disappointing and none of us enjoyed it. I can do a much better vegan mac and cheese at home. read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Cornbread, Mac & Cheese - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Our server was absolutely wonderful! The drinks were a hit or miss, but overall enjoyed our visit. read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Always love coming here. There isn't anything I've tried that I didn't like. Love their kale salad. The vegan cornbread is very good i usually take it home to have for breakfast or order for family gatherings. Inside is really nice and rustic, but chic. Service is always pleasant and warm. read more

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Very excited to try out this place as a vegan who loves being able to shop the whole menu. The interior was cute though we were assaulted by the strong smell of weed when we walked in. I'm all about people enjoying themselves but it was not something I wanted to smell while I ate. Unfortunately, our wait was insanely long. They sat us quickly but we weren't waited on or greeted at our table for 15 minutes or so. When we finally got our orders in, it was about another hour before we received our food. We ended up being there so long we had to go out and top off the meter twice. The food was good, albeit prohibitively expensive. We had the sweet potato fries, the mac and cheese, and the bbq jackfruit sandwich. Would love for this place to be a regular stop for us but we will probably only be able to afford a visit periodically. read more

I've been a fan of this restaurant in the past, but unfortunately, my recent visit left me quite disappointed. The food quality has declined noticeably -- dishes were overly oily, which detracted from the flavors I once enjoyed. Service was another major letdown. Despite the restaurant not being busy, it took nearly two hours for our meals to arrive. Such a long wait is unacceptable and really impacted our overall experience. The ambiance also felt off. The decor seems heavily targeted toward a very specific aesthetic, which may not appeal to all guests. For example, there is a large, nearly floor-to-ceiling painting of a naked middle-aged man that felt out of place and somewhat uncomfortable for a dining environment. It didn't create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. Overall, I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and works on improving the food, service, and ambiance to make the restaurant enjoyable for a broader audience again. read more

Delicious vegan food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Enjoyed a lovely Valentine's Day dinner with my husband and we enjoyed the burrito bowl and pierogies. The chocolate peanut butter 'cheesecake' was a dream!! read more

I have been to this restaurants a lot over the last two years because it is the halfway mark between our place in MA and my child's apartment at school in NYC. Said child is a vegan so finding something that satisfies all the players (meat eaters included0 involved is important! This place is amazing. At our last visit in June, we had a fresh summer roll for an appetizer and it was sooooo good, we order another one. The drinks are refreshing and I have yet to have a bad meal. The desserts are also flavorful and you would not know they are vegan. And the staff has always been helpful and lovely. My child said that if she lived in the area, this would be the type of places they would like to work in. read more

My first time at ION despite wanting to try it for years! First, I would like to emphasize how cute the interior is. It's full of greenery and wood and ambient lighting; when it started pouring rain halfway through my meal, the server came around to light candles and it was the perfect cozy vibe! The service was good; my server was very kind and patient and knowledgeable about the menu. She suggested I add bacon and caramelized onions to my Clam Pasta and it ended up being a great choice! The portion size was HUGE. You can't tell in the photo, but it was practically a mountain of pasta. The flavor was pretty good, though I feel like it would've been lacking if I got it as is and didn't add the extra toppings. I also got a cherry smoothie which was a good texture and very refreshing, but the banana was so overpowering and the only thing I could taste. read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Smoothie - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Fantastic restaurant. Service is always outstanding with food. That is a spectacular.

Ion hits once again!! Definitely my favorite vegan food in CT! Our service was very friendly! Everything was top notch as always! I loved my chickpea Parmesan sandwich and the fragrance of rosemary on the roll was an excellent touch! Can't wait to go back! read more

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This was our first time here and it did not disappoint. Our server was really helpful and the staff were accommodating of making substitutions on the menu due to dietary restrictions. We had the nachos and buffalo cauliflower as apps and they were amazing, especially the cauliflower! I had the grilled seitan and my husband ordered the cheeseburger. Both tasted really good, although the sweet potato fries were way different than we are used to. Portion sizes are very big so we had plenty of leftovers. Service is a little slow and it was interesting that the restaurant does not serve soft drinks, but we had a good experience altogether. read more

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Food: My reaction when eating here as a meat eater (BIG PAUSE). This place is, by far, the best vegan food I've had to date. I had to contemplate everything on the plate after tasting it--like, how did they do that? This spot had me questioning the food because it was unbelievably good. I'm definitely coming back. I don't care what you get, but ask for the sweet potato fries. Specifically, my order was the burger with sweet potato fries. The second most impressive thing about my meal besides the taste was the integrity of the patty; it didn't crumble like a bean burger--it held together surprisingly well. Service: The service was nice. The lesser-star reviews that criticized it were honestly from haters who decided to express their dissatisfaction based on one bad experience or not getting their way. For the first time in my life, the waiters were nice; it was probably the safest environment I've ever walked into. Ambiance: If I could take a nap there after I ate or do some work, I would. I love the furniture they have (which is all for sale). I want some for my own place. Overall, it's 5 stars for me just because it exceeds my expectations. As a 100% vegan spot--not 90%, not mostly vegan, but 100% vegan--I can't wait to impress my vegan friends when they visit. I already told them, "I've got a spot just for you." read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Beet burger with sweet potato fries and my sauces of choice - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I was prepared to love this place, and while the service and the ambiance were great and the menu was inspired, the execution fell flat. As someone who cooks a ton of mushrooms, and especially king oysters in the style of scallops, I was very unsatisfied with the cook on these shrooms. While they looked a great deal like scallops, which may appeal to meat lovers, the texture was way off - these were some of the toughest mushrooms I've ever had. Usually, when prepared properly (cross-scored and seared until golden), this type of mushroom is tender, soft, and buttery in texture; sadly, the dish I was received was nothing of the sort. The zucchini was also tough, and would have been more enjoyable in a different format; the large pieces were difficult to cut and relatively flavorless (without the carrot puree). The one thing I did love about the dish was the carrot puree! This component was spot on and extremely flavorful. If I hadn't been with friends, I would have sent my dish back, but I didn't want to make things awkward considering I'm the one who chose this location for our lunch date! I may have just ordered the wrong thing, but I am hesitant to return anytime soon to test that theory. With a few modifications from the chef I think this place would be out of this world. It's really nice to have a vegan option nearby! read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Mushroom "scallops" - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I love Vegan food so ION was a nice surprise when my friend suggested we grab lunch here. First time here and will definitely not be the last. Got there around 1:30pm on Friday afternoon and there was ample street parking. The greenery at the venue was super warm and inviting. The menu is only online, which I'm assuming is to save the trees :). For my meal, I opted for the buffalo tempura cauliflower and burger. I really enjoyed the cauliflower and it was so filling, I ended up taking my burger home. I also got the Purple Haze (I'm a Gin girl now) and it was delicious. read more

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Glad I finally checked this place out. Everyone working here is so kind! I love the dim lighting and cozy but classy vibe! The tables are beautiful wood slabs with beautiful art on the walls. The mac and cheese was great. I mixed in the buffalo cauliflower and it made an amazing dinner. The sweet potato fries were amazing, you get so much so it's great having some to take home! I will definitely be back! read more

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It was soooo good. The ambiance was spacious and comfortably noisy. Enjoyed the paintings and chill melody playing as a I waited for my guest. The staff was friendly, like actually nice. I took the recommendations for what to order for my preferences. We ordered one appetizer and one entree for a party of two. We couldn't finish it. Rich and hearty food and scrumptious portions. read more

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I have always loved coming here, I live 3 hours away and often make a special trip on road-trips thru Connecticut to go to Ion for great food and drinks. I was so disappointed that they Do Not Advertise on there Website/Social Media they close daily from 3-5pm for a kitchen break. I appreciate they are taking care of staff and giving a break but please put this into your hours. List your hours in your social media profile. You have great food, lovely staff. Get your message across. I drove 45 min out of my way to go to your restaurant. I was turned away unless I wanted cocktails and chips/salsa until the kitchen opened again. So annoyed by this, not coming back until you update your hours. I am not making any special trips for your killer vegan eats. read more

Love it here but the least you could do is give my wife a bag to carry the 15 items she purchased across the street.

Great place! My daughter & I split the nachos & mac n cheese for lunch. Huge portions. We ended up taking the rest with us for dinner. Friendly staff. Loved the ambiance. read more

Great atmosphere! Friendly staff and lots of vegan options. I found the food just ok. Wished I loved it because I loved everything about the place. Props to Steven our server who was AMAZING! read more

I have since come back for a second time and tried to order completely different menu items and was surprised yet again by the rich flavors in these unique dishes! My favorite part is that I left full after having a good time! read more

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The experience I had here could've been good but after witnessing the owner berate her employee in front of me and charging me $7 for items I shouldn't have paid for over my dessert arriving to the table burned. Absolutely not ever going here again. The fact that she thought it was ok to not only come at us in that manner but also her server. Disgusting. I cannot support someone who doesn't even have people skills. What a shit show read more

If you read my takeout and delivery reviews, you'll note I often talk about grading on a curve since travel in closed containers damages food. When I ordered takeout tonight from Middletown's ION Restaurant, they were like, "Curve? Ah, that's cute! We're good." Then, ION proceeded to absolutely crush each and every component of our takeout order. Full Disclosure. I'm not vegan. So I can't say if things are strictly vegan like pros can. My wife and I are FAMILIAR with longtime vegan stalwart ION's offerings, although this is our first experience since they've moved north on Main Street. I like the new digs. Cool brick walls. Hanging tan canvas light fixtures. Big green trees and plants. Stringy lights. A NEON CARROT!! Good vibes. By phone, we ordered the "White Clam Pasta", "Trumpet Mushroom Scallops", Buffalo Tempura Cauliflower, carrot cake, and chocolate mousse. Service was timely, friendly and accommodating. I have no right to expect that vegan Buffalo Tempura Cauliflower will stay crispy inside a closed box that travels 20ish minutes from Middletown to Newington. But it did!! It was terrific. Nice Buffalo flavor and I liked the vegan ranch as well. I also loved the white clam pasta. It imitated capellini pasta with white clam sauce, with trumpet mushrooms standing in for clams. Other ingredients included garlic, Chablis, "butter", almond crema, and cashew parmesan, and we added "bacon" and "garlic greens". I'm not experienced with plant based substitutions for non-vegan equivalents, but the pasta and sauce were passable and tasty. The pasta had the right texture. The mushroom "clams" looked more like clams than they tasted like clams, but I respect the hustle and they worked fine. The "bacon" added the right color, crispy texture and taste. The garlicky greens color-punched the pasta and added good bitter flavor. Awesome meal! The master class continued with the Trumpet Mushrooms, which earned a Golden Globe for their portrayal of scallops. Great texture and sort of a Marsala flavor. They were served with seared zucchini spears, delicious carrot purée, chive oil and "sherry butter sauce". Everything worked here. The orange and green jolts. The contrasting textures. The flavors. My carrot cake had ginger-nutmeg frosting, a whipped cream-type topping, walnuts, raisins and fresh blueberries. I loved the spices and textures. Really good stuff! There may be some talented young professors at CT Vegan College, but decades-long College President ION is still educating diners at a high level too. Five Stars read more

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I've been here a number of times. Surprised I have never reviewed them! Here's what you should know: 1) Food is fantastic. I've never had anything I didn't enjoy. Take some chances with the menu if you're adventurous. You may be surprised at how amazing your choice turns out to be! 2) Prices are slightly high. I think good quality ingredients and good personnel command higher costs. I'm fine with the pricing. I think it's fair considering how well run and wonderful ION is. 3) The seem to allow pets. I saw a few well behaved dogs my last visit. 4) Service is excellent. I've never had a mediocre experience. It has always been tremendous! 5) Plenty of street parking on both sides of the street. Don't worry about finding a place to park. There are meters so pay attention to that. 6) Their market is across the street. If you have time check it out! Our last visit I had a beet and mushroom burger that was excellent. My wife had a seitan burrito which she really enjoyed. I also had an excellent IPA. If you like fresh, well prepared natural foods in a cool setting with flawless service this is your spot! read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Burger - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Fantastic! Must-see restaurant for vegan and non-vegans alike. Server Jeff was very attentive and welcoming.

Great staff, kind and cutest people ever. Very vibey atmosphere cute for any date night, but food not the BEST i've ever had. Enjoyed the garlic parmesan cauliflower bites, great amount of crisp but low on the flavor profile. Wish it was paired with a different sauce. Nachos were good, we got them without the veggie protein, also felt like the flavor was missing. My bf got the chickpea parmesan sandwich and he liked it but wouldnt get it again- the sweet potato fries were really crisp but i felt again the flavor wasnt there. Did not like the mac and cheese at all, felt like there was no cheese. Dont know if id return but def a cute spot :) read more

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Wow!!! This is an amazing restaurant!!! I want to eat here every day of my life. Delicious!!! Thank you Ion Restaurant for being so great!!! read more

Always a terrific experience with professional service and awesome food enjoyed with good friends and dog friendly!

I stopped in here to use a $25 gift certificate for a to go order. I asked to see a menu and they said I have to look online. I thought that was a bit odd because not everyone carries a phone all the time, especially older people. The inside has a great vibe- lots of plants, chill music and colorful handwritten specials on a menu board. My Southern Plate was ready after a short 10 minute wait. It was absolutely delicious and completely vegan as this is a vegan restaurant. I will definitely return when I come back to Middletown. read more

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Vegan restaurant with a hippy vibe and a solid selection of both foods and drinks They don't have any hard copies of their menu, they just refer you to their website I came with my GF and tried their green tea, burger, and fries. The tea, fries, and ketchup that came with the fries were all very tasty, but the burger was subpar. My GF also tried their "grilled seitan" and was not a fan either, as it was very spongey read more

Food was exceptional, service was amazing and Ambiance was fantastic. We came for my birthday! I'll be back! I had the Southern plate, and my husband had the veggie burger. soooo delicious read more

This is my favorite vegan restaurant. I love the assortment of dishes they serve. They always have unique specials. My two favorite dishes are the vegan nachos and the sweet potato fries. I always end up ordering a bunch of food just so I can come home with leftovers. read more

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The Southern Plate has the traditional southern items. I'm not vegan, but i loved this and the unique tastes that try to replicate real foods. read more

ION Restaurant, It's Only Natural, ION - Southern Plate - Vegan Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

As a gluten-free, dairy free person I have a hard time finding a place to have a delicious dessert. My boyfriend and I have come here on multiple occasions to have coffee and a slice of cake in the evening and it has NEVER disappointed. The peanut butter "cheese" cake is to die for. The service is fantastic and everyone who works there is attentive. Also, the vibes are immaculate. Everyone makes me feel uncool in comparison because of how cool they are (which is a good thing, I swear). I will be coming here for more meals and definitely more sweet treats. read more

I have been a regular for 2 years at ion restaurant and I'm very disappointed of my last visit. Waitress Rachel L came back to my table and asked me why wasn't my tip higher, then began to badger me on how i am a regular customer and should be tipping more. Since when is it okay to bewray you're customer about tips in front of their significant others/Dates, I'm utterly embarrassed. Yes the food was good but nobody deserves to be treated like that, I will not be returning and I highly encourage you taking a look at other vegan restaurants in the area (Flora, G-Monkey, Fire & Spice) before choosing to spend you money & time here. . read more

Finally got to check out Ion. While I am not a vegan or vegetarian I was curious to try the food. The restaurants is medium sized with individual and community seating. The decor and atmosphere I would describe as quaint, dark, and cosmic; a very nice vibe. The service was excellent! The host and waitress were friendly, attentive, and welcoming. We sat a community style booth and looked over the menu. Everything on the menu is plant based. Their menu changes based on the available ingredients. I ordered a kale salad and cheeseburger. The kale salad has massaged kale with olive oil topped with quinoa, beets, carrots, lemon. Tahini, red onion, and sunflower seeds. It tasted fresh and flavorful. I was on the fence about the cheeseburger, but very happy I got it. It was really, really good. It was hot and cheese oozed from the sides. The patty was made from beets and mushrooms topped with romaine, tomato, onion, pickle, cheddar maple aioli sanwhiched between a whole wheat roll and served with a side of the largest sweet potatoes fries I ever seen. I definitely recommend stopping in. Note: Metered street parking is available. read more

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