Moosewood has been at the forefront of vegetarian & vegan cuisine for decades and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Fresh, locally-grown edibles are showcased with every changing menu. Even as a non-vegetarian, I can attest to the colorful spotlight it shines on food, cooked to a tee. Each dish is surprisingly expository. read more

I became a vegetarian predominately at 3 and completely at 10, amidst my mother's concerns and my father's dismay. Family friends tried to assuage my parents' worries by sending us cookbooks, so I grew up surrounded by a plethora of vegetarian recipes. The Moosewood books made up most of the collection, and they were always the standouts. As such, the Moosewood Restaurant is placed on a pedestal in my world, akin to Per Se or Ubuntu. My boyfriend decided to take me while we were visiting Ithaca, and I couldn't have been more thrilled. That's why writing this two-star review pains me. However, I just can't justify adding any more stars. Six of us went, and only one was satisfied with the meal. I had the Thai red curry over rice. However, it was watery and flavorless, resembling a little bit of vegetable soup ladled over some brown rice. Everything else was equally bland and surprisingly "off." Perhaps I'll give it one more try when we're next in Ithaca. However, it's no longer at the top of my list. read more

Found it online saying that it's some sort of famous place for vegetarian cuisine. Therefore, decide to give it a try. The place was cozy, and waitress there are very friendly. Most people there eat quitely, which is a perfect place for me after a long day of work. I ordered something with mushroom + potato + brown rice + broccoli. No fancy decoration, but it tastes pretty good and healthy. I'd go back again. read more

My husband and I went here after dropping our daughter off at school. We were looking for a healthy restaurant and her roommate recommended Moosewood. We hadn't come here before because of the 3/5 stars, but I'm glad we did. I gave Moosewood 4/5 because they squeezed us in at the last minute (5:30 on a Sat), sat us outside on the nice patio, gave us great and friendly service and the healthy food we were looking for. We ordered the salmon, veggie Bolognese, white bean soup and bread. We were so full, but ordered dessert anyway. The ice cream was enough for two - we got the chocolate and coconut. They were both great, but the coconut was the favorite with the flakes of coconut in the ice cream. Went nice with the latte. For some reason, we also got the vegan chocolate cake, which we ate a day later. That was also excellent. So, we will definitely come back. Thank you, Cassidy, for the excellent service. read more

See all

This is one of the restaurants I expect Ted Allen to talk about when he talks about pretentious foodie BS. This place has great food don't get me wrong but the price for it is ridiculous and the food is so not worth it. While the food is great it's not as good as other place that I've had in the past. I am glad I went there but I'd definitely not go back. I love the cookbooks and the recipes are great but really, they are nothing new and nothing fantastic. Glad I bought them but wouldn't go out of my way to get a hold of them or to make anything from them. read more

I just so happen to be nearby on a hiking trip working up a huge appetite. Thought i could find something healthy and non carnivorous by asking around and what do you know i was directed to this great place. I sat at the bar because i didnt want to wait. the service at the bar definitely could be improved. we started off with the lentil soup and sweet potato soup. both were really good the sweet potato def topped the lentils. app: almond crusted tofu with tomato sauce and parmesan...really good if youve never had tofu start with this. u cant even tell this is tofu. packed with tons of flavor entree: bibimbap. menu changes daily dont know when this will be back on. brown rice with various grilled veggies and spiced tofu. the tofu was amazing. bursting with flavor. only thing there were so few pieces. the rest of the dish was ok. everything tasted very fresh dessert: vegan chocolate cake. definitely a great piece of chocolate. very bold in flavor. They give you a huge piece as well. im not a vegan but id order this again with a scoop of vanilla ice cream next time. never heard of this place till now. Glad i got to experience it. I would definitely visit again and try some of there other dishes. read more

Very good and famous vegetarian, vegan , and gluten free friendly fare. All dishes were fresh and yummy, but some a bit more understated than others. I love the rotating menu! read more

We dined here a few days ago with our friends who live in Ithaca. I grew up wit the nostalgia of the Moosewood cookbook so obviously as a vegetarian was very curious to try the restaurant. It's a nice spacious location, and the service is fairly good. Now on to the food, the dishes are pretty good, I tasted almost all of the entrees as our party was into sharing food. This is good hearty veggie food that is somewhat one-note in it's taste appeal. They are not bad or anything, but Moosewood seem to like to make large casserole entrees that they can easily plonk down on to a plate and call it a meal and be done with it. The leek strudel was probably my favorite from what I tasted. The feta garlic salad dressing is delicious, and makes an ordinary salad very edible. I had the avocado guacamole dish which was just some subpar pita bread alongside a bed of lettuce with so-so tasting guacamole on top- definitely a little disappointing. The vegan chocolate cake was very good, I have had better but still I was pleased it was moist and had a very dense chocolate taste. read more

I want to give a higher rating-I mean the food IS great-but I don't find the atmosphere to be relaxing-or even inspiring. (I feel like I'm in a cramped, generic NYC vegetarian eatery. (Sorry, Moosewood-love the food, but not the dining room.) The menu features fresh, healthy, seasonal selections and I've always loved everything I've had here. However, I'd prefer to relax more with my meal. I've been finding that I'm passing up the opportunity to eat here on my frequent visits to Ithaca. Instead, I'll crack open one of my Moosewood cookbooks and prepare one of their delicious concoctions at home for my Moosewood fix. read more

Very expensive. They have a separate lunch and dinner menu, so don't try to order some amazing sounding lunch item on the menu at dinner time. They don't make it anymore. They only have a few items on the menu so it is not easy to bring picky people or people with allergies. My mother likes their only vegan dessert - the chocolate cake, however I think it is too rich. If you like rich chocolate cake, this is for you. It is in a good area - The Dewitt Mall - with other shops to visit. read more

I had a really sad visit on my first trip to Ithaca. In my mind I wanted it to be great, but I think the Moosewood lives on better in the cookbooks than in real life. Atmosphere: Imagine you are eating in the Barnes and Noble Cafe with bright lights and people awkwardly standing everywhere. The bar is so small that they probably shouldn't have one. The only place to stand (if all the bar stools are full) is at the waiting station where you feel in the way of the staff, because you are. The poor hostess has to yell your name above the crowd when your table is ready in hopes that you are still there. Please get a pager system for her!! The food: Soups were ok, I have made better from their cookbooks. The entrees were so disappointing and overpriced. The pasta was hard and was obviously cooked earlier in the day, the sauce was a lumpy beschamel with 4 tiny heirloom grape tomatoes for $16. My husbands curry was room temp and the rice was no better than the minute rice I destroy at home on a regular basis. I also never got the second drink that I ordered, but it was taken off the ticket. We left hungry and went out for drinks and some bar food elsewhere later that night. It is pretty clear that there is the demand for the place, but they may have lost track of their roots. Everyone seemed more focused on getting tables turned around and getting people in and out versus providing a decent experience for the guests. Total bummer. read more

Eh, it's just okay. Food is nothing really special... it's like chips and dip, macaroni and cheese, sandwich with pesto and mozzarella. Pretty easy food, and none of it was like WHOA THIS IS THE BEST MAC AND CHEESE I HAVE EVER TASTED. It was just average (though I will say the guacamole was SO fresh and tasty!) The inside of the restaurant is kind of dated and felt old. We had a little hiccup in the service (which was mostly attentive) because we decided to split the bill, leaving a ten dollar bill and intending to put the rest of the check on a card. They were very confused and didn't have really any idea how to do that in their system... it took a while to get things sorted out. All in all a kind of forgettable experience, I wouldn't really go back. read more

I definitely prefer this place for lunch. I find the dinner potions to be way over-priced. The lunch portions are definitely a better deal. This restaurant is famous, so there will always be people coming. The food is either amazing or rather average. The service is sometimes disappointing. I highly suggest the vegan chocolate cake... it never disappoints :) read more

The food was AMAZING ! We ordered the hummus plate ,vegetable barley soup,noodles and curry. Everything had so much flavor and was on point. They have a lot of awesome drinks as well ! So happy we found this place as we are not from the area. They have a lot of outdoor seating which is great. Highly recommend! read more

No favor at all when I got the pasta. Home made pasta from the bottle probably was better. Soup was also flavorless. probably won't go back. Service was ok. read more

college drop off- plan was to order food and eat at the slope for sunset. while placing the order I requested plates and utensils for 5 and for the salad dressing to be on the side. when picking up the order, i asked if the plates and utensils were in the bag and they assured me they were.... needless to say, we ate salad from plastic cups (good thing we had some!) and the dressing was mixed in, not on the side. salad was just ok, but very disappointing that they got this wrong. Not inexpensive either- $35 for a "family size" salad that wasn't so family size... we're a vegan family that won't be eating here again read more

I love their cookbooks. My ex boyfriend's family is from just outside Ithaca so I've made the trek from Boston on two occasions. We stopped here both times, being vegetarians and all. The first time we went it was phenomenal. I had mushroom and barely soup and a salad. Both were awesome. Their bread was also very tasty. We had a ton of white wine sangria which is my absolute favorite sangria of any restaurant i've ever been to (no joke). The second time, unfortunately, was much worse. I had a tostada entree and it was ten times more expensive than one I could get at an average mexican restaurant and also ten times more bland. My ex's food was so bad he was actually jealous of my tostada. I can't seem to recall what he ordered though, I think something with eggplant. The sangria was still excellent. The staff on both occasions were extremely nice. The atmosphere isn't fantastic, but it's unpretentious and homey. Which I kind of actually enjoy. read more

I admit it, I'm a hardcore meat eater. So I went here secretly hoping they had a "hidden" meat dish or something to placate the carnivore in me. Alas, I was disappointed and had to make due with Moosewood's reputation as a fine vegetarian restaurant. I probably came here for dinner on an off day, but the food we received tasted fairly bland and not particularly well done. It wasn't bad by any means, but just kind of meh. I understand the food quality and service can be hit or miss, so I'll probably give Moosewood another chance, but keep this in mind. read more

I have been here today just once, with my boyfriend. After having read the yelp reviews, we had mixed expectations, and we do agree with those who are a bit disappointed by the place. First of all, it is a bit expensive, although not crazily so. We had a chilequile that was not bad, but also not particularly surprising, and a portobello mushrooms sandwich (in a multigrain baguette) with fontina cheese and red onions, which was good but not outstanding. Also, I just do not understand cold sandwiches... The desserts were much better. I had a rhubarb-strawberry trifle with whipped cream, cake, and custard, which was delicious. and my boyfriend had a blueberry frozen yogurt, that was pretty good (he liked it more than I did, and the same difference of opinions holds for the trifle, so we are even). We also had a beer of the Ithaca beer company which was good. The staff was a bit on the fake-friendly side, but not annoyingly so. I appreciate that they change their menus daily, but this also explains the mixed opinions: you can't get everything right all the times. And it is surprising that the dinner menu doubles the prices for the same dishes. read more

Overall an A-OK meal, and it's great to see so many wonderful vegetarian and vegan items on a menu. My friend and I both had artichoke hearts to start and a stuffed acorn squash as our entree, which was delightful. Service was a little overbearing and/or too attentive at first, in that it felt like our waiter was impatient for us to make our decisions and order. We were gabbing and catching up and clearly hadn't even looked at our menus, but our server didn't seem to be able to gauge whether we were ready and kept coming by every couple of minutes. However, once we ordered and our entrees arrived, our server relaxed a bit, and was even nice enough to write down the ingredient list for our entrees when we told him how much we liked them. While the experience was more or less good, I only get to Ithaca about once a year or so, and will probably give another place a shot the next time I'm in town. read more

Wonderful restaurant for haute vegetarian! Calling all locavores. The marriage of wine and good organic food is unbeatable. And I was not even that familiar with the cookbooks! read more

In short: Food was good; service was subpar. I won't return. There are so many excellent restaurants in Ithaca, so try them instead. My daughter chose Moosewood for one of our graduation weekend meals. The restaurant was bustling but not overcrowded. We ordered appetizers including a cheese and charcuterie board and guacamole. The apps were flavorful... we did notice that for all the appetizers, the food we used for the dip or for the cheese was in short supply. We ran out of crostini and chips before we ran out of cheese and guac. I don't think that I have ever had that happen. Our entrees also were flavorful... Thai and Indian dishes... but not worth returning for. Just go to a Thai or Indian restaurant for more authentic dishes. The biggest problem was the service. We rarely saw our waitress. Our water and beverage glasses remained empty most of the night, and our meals were oddly timed. For example, I got my entree when the salads came, but all other entrees came at the expected time. Because I grew up with a Moosewood cookbook in the house, I am glad I gave them a try, but no one in our party plans to return. read more

I am a vegetarian and 20-plus year fan of the Moosewood cookbooks. I have been to Moosewood restaurant several times and find it really disappointing. Last night, the food was bland and indifferently prepared. A key ingredient was missing from one dish. The salad was served with a produce sticker stuck to a piece of tomato. The salmon was poorly cooked. The waitress got the order wrong and didn't seem to care at all. Sadly, I think this place is coasting on reputation, which at this point, is undeserved. postscript: It is ridiculous to give MR a good rating simply because they serve vegetarian food. Big deal, this is 2016. You deserve better! Please make a trip to Philly and try some of our vegan restaurants such as Charlie Was A Sinner or Vedge. Fantastic, innovative food at similar price point. read more

The food here is excellent, as you would expect from a renowned restaurant that puts out recipe books. I ordered the risotto which was very good but did lack a certain bit of flavor. I had food envy for my date's thai coconut curry which was unbelievable. Atmosphere is quirky and cozy. Unfortunately, our pleasant lunch was ruined by the waitress completely ignoring us after we were done eating. 5 minutes turned into 30 and she still had not asked us if we wanted boxes for the remainder of our food, or dessert. She passed us multiple times to wait on the neighboring tables but never a glace in our direction. Initially we planned on ordering at least two desserts. After 15 minutes of being ignored we considered not getting dessert but I still *really* wanted some. By the time 30 minutes rolled around we were too frustrated to even bother. We asked for the check, paid and left. Went down the street to Sarah's Patisserie for dessert instead. That waitress lost out on another $10. Very unfortunate. read more

My first experience at Moosewood was for a colleague's birthday lunch. Our office has some dietary restrictions so we decided to go with Moosewood. I myself am a carnivorous lady but am a lover of vegetables and since I heard such great things about Moosewood, I was excited for the opportunity to try it out. I got a cup of the potato leek soup which was very flavorful and jam packed with pepper. The kick definitely caught up to me by the last bite, but otherwise a great appetizer. It was a very filing soup (probably because of the potatoes). For my main course, I had the pesto panini without provolone. I didn't grow up eating a lot of cheese, so I usually ask for no cheese. The sandwich had otherwise wonderful things: pesto, roasted red peppers, eggplant, etc. on Ithaca Bakery's multi-grain bread. The sandwich was nice and crispy from pan in press and the wonderfully flavored. I was so very full at the end of the meal. To top it off, I had a chai for dessert which was just the perfect touch. My colleague definitely enjoyed her visit. The menu has lots of wonderful choices: sandwiches, salads, soup. It was packed on Friday for lunch, such a great meal. I would highly recommend it especially for folks who are vegetarian and/or vegan. read more

I just had the strangest moosewood experience. The ambiance and waitstaff were excellent and so was the dessert. We went for the pricey frittata that sounded like heaven but the reality is that it was almost entirely potato. Any server could see this when cutting the frittata. So expensive and disappointing. Tomorrow I have a reservation to bring a group of travelers there. They will be warned read more

I think this is the only plant-based food restaurant in Ithaca, with exception of Star Truck. I appreciate the simple fact that this is a plant-based food restaurant that's been in business for decades (I believe), and that when I come here, I don't have to strain my eyes on the menu over the poverty of plant-based meal options at most restaurants. So you may think I'm biased because of my dietary choice, but I feel those meat-eaters are just as biased in their tastes, and their views. Meat eating contributes so terribly to climate change, and as far as I'm concerned, animal-based food tastes greasy and leaves my mouth bad aftertastes. I wish there were more vegetarian/vegan restaurants everywhere. I was there for lunch the other day with an elderly lady friend - everything was good and tasty, and the service was very pleasant. I had mushroom soup (delicious!), mushroom philo pizza (very good!), iced ginger tea (very very very good!!!!! made from fresh ginger with orange and lemon - I was so glad it was unsweetened other than very slight sweetness of orange - very pleasant on a hot day, wonderful) and fudge brownie that came out warm with whipped cream and sliced orange and strawberry. My old lady friend had lentil soup (v. good! she shared with me) orange-flavored vegetable sautee with rice, which seemed good. She also had almond amaretto ice cream from Dennis' in Newfield - I had a taste and it was really creamy and absolutely delicious, with an interesting flavor. The best ice cream in Ithaca. I had one of his at Farmers' market and it was delicious! Interior is woodsy, ... meaning, furnished with all wood furniture. I really feel comfortable in the woodsy ambience. I love it! There were people waiting around when we came (Saturday 1 p.m.) Fortunately, my friend had a reservation for us - which may be a wise thing to do - and we were able to get a seat immediately. read more

I ate at the Moosewood twice last week. The first time was with my wife and two young boys. The kids had a pb&j plate and fruit plate. My wife had a veggie burger and I had a frittata. It was all bliss! Our server was fantastic and helpful with the attention spam of the kids. The next time I can alone and had a dish with black eyed peas. It was good, but perhaps a bit bland. The server was a little less attentive than the first time but still not bad at all. I sat in the outdoor seating both times. The second time, it was oddly hot; much warmer than the actual temperature on the street. I almost found it unbearable. I think they would greatly benefit from a few fans. I wish there was a 4.5 rating because this one was tough. I think a few more times and I could call it a 5. read more

I have been planning my visit to Moosewood for months now (own and love several of the cookbooks) and it did not disappoint! Service was attentive and the food was great. We had a phenomenal coconut lime pasta salad, vegetable lasagna, and pecan crusted salmon. Everything on the menu looked great and the ingredients were all high quality. Hope to return soon! read more

Having had a food stained copy of the Moosewood cookbook on my shelves for decades I was excited to have an opportunity to dine at the restaurant. I wasn't disappointed. The surrounding are pleasant, kind of modern and "fern bar-ish", service was pleasant and prompt, there is a good and well priced wine list. The menu is relatively limited and as I understand changes frequently. We started off with a black bean salsa which was tasty but average and served with fabulous corn chips. These alone were worth the visit. The salad was fresh... no surprise there and the garlic feta dressing was quite good. I had wanted to try the West African peanut stew but since everyone else at the table was having it I opted for the Hungarian Stuffed portabello. Everyone was happy with their choose. Mine was a portabello stuffed with a spicy potato mix served over noodles with some cooked red cabbage on the side. Having cooked any number of recipes from the cookbook I wasn't surprised. with the flavor. Wholesome, tasty and not extra ordinary. Over all I'd rate it slightly above a 3 and worthy of a visit. read more

As a vegetarian and owner of the Moosewood cookbook, I was pumped to discover that the original Moosewood restaurant is located in Ithaca. Maybe I hyped this place up too much, but I was extremely disappointed with my dining experience here, and I unfortunately do not think that I will return. The menu offerings, which rotate seasonally, are actually unique and appealing concepts, but the execution of such concepts simply falls flat. The veggie burger was extremely dry and void of flavor, and it fell apart upon being handled. My vegetable curry over brown rice was equally underwhelming; the brown rice tasted over-boiled and lacking in seasoning, and the amount of veggies was skimpy. The portions of both entrees were small for the hefty price, so I actually left hungry. The service was just okay. The restaurant itself was very hard to find, and I had to ask local pedestrians for guidance. Moosewood is actually located within a shopping mall that looks like it hasn't been renovated since the 70s. Basically every restaurant in Ithaca offers vegetarian options, so I would recommend dining at any such establishments rather than this strictly vegetarian restaurant. read more

I liked it much better before it got all cleaned up and modern. There are lots of choices, yes. It's pretty much a must-see due to the cookbooks. The food is really good; I've only been disappointed once. What I miss is the familiarity and friendliness that The Moosewood used to have. Molly Katzen left ages ago; maybe that did it. I think it was the renovation and expansion. I still stop in once when I'm in Ithaca. But I prefer the ABC cafe. read more

Hmm. Maybe I expected more since all the reviews I've heard from word of mouth. It wasn't overly special though. The guac portion was tiny. The side of chick peas were just chick peas with an oil on them. The salad was pretty meh. The red beans and rice were great and a huge portion, so that somewhat saved the meal. Enjoyed an Ithaca Cascazilla from tap. Very friendly bartender and staff, but have to keep this to 3 stars. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Red beans and rice - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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

Very disappointing meal. Moosewood has always been one of my favorite restaurants in upstate NY, so we traveled down from Syracuse to celebrate our anniversary. Sadly this was a mistake. We arrived at 6pm, and I ordered one of the specials only to be told they were out of it. My replacement of farfelle with asparagus pesto was bland and cold as well, my husbands salmon was cold. Our appetizer of basil hummus was fresh tasting, but small and the pitas were hard and stale. At this point I think we ordered dessert because a) we came so far and b)for them to redeem themselves- dessert didn't come through for us. Apparently Moosewood is under new management. I'll give them six months to get their act together and try again. 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

This place has a great homey cozy feel to it. However, every time I visit the place, the menu items are very limited (not many meat options) and the service is very slow. read more

See all

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 was in town visiting my mom over the weekend and she suggested Moosewood based on a recent visit of her own. I'm pleased to report that we all left very satisfied with our experience. I'll start by noting that the fig infused bourbon cocktail was fantastic. Had I not been hanging with my mom I would have been inclined to indulge in a handful of those bad boys. Instead I called it quits after one and dialed it back to a local IPA. The name of the brewery escapes me at the moment, but it was not remarkable given our current abundance of insane IPAs. Anyway, I ordered a small mediterrainean salad to get things started. It was very nice with a great house vinegerette. For the main course I went with Salmon with sesame crust (that included some other things I think). A perfectly cooked pieice of fish as far as I was concerned. I also had a chance to try the Greek Lasagne and the Mezze?? For dessert we shared the brownie with local coconut ice cream. Yummy! Our waitress was always around when we needed her with a big smile on her face taboot. Great spot! read more