Last October a group of friends and I had an unpleasant dining experience at the Moosewood. I've had a busy fall and holiday season and as time passed, I had let it go. But I was recently reminded of it back home after dining with a large group of friends. I along with eight friends had dinner at the Moosewood on Monday , October 7, 2024. All of the hard surfaces in the restaurant make for a very loud space. We asked to have separate checks and the server was visibly distraught at the request. To appease the server, there was some back & forth among our group about how to split the bill to make it easier. The waitress appeared to be open to splitting the check evenly 4 ways. She was still not happy about it , but began taking our order, albeit with noticeable difficulty. With 9 of us, we were at a long table. She began taking drink orders and had moved to the opposite end of the table from me. The couple to my left had not heard that the check would be split evenly. When I informed them, they strongly objected and said "Absolutely not!" Upon hearing this, I jumped up and went to the far end of the table to inform the server that we would actually need separate checks. As I noted previously, it was loud -- the restaurant was nearly full. She was already visibly disturbed about something, I can only assume waiting on a table of 9 was distressing for her. I walked to the right of the server and she did not appear to notice me. In order to get her attention, I touched her on the top of her right shoulder with my left hand as I started to say "Excuse me..." She immediately and violently turned toward me, using her right hand to swat my hand and arm away. She then backed away several feet, with a disturbing expression on her face. The whole scenario appeared as if I had done something in appropriate. I had done nothing but attempt to get her attention and explain that we needed separate checks. I was shocked and uncertain of what had happened. Members of my group were also startled and confused. I said something to the effect that she was acting as if I had done something wrong or inappropriate, but had done no such thing. I turned to look at the waitress who was still backing away, as she then turned, going off to the kitchen or who knows where. I then sat next to a friend who was sitting on the long bench that runs along the wall. For about 5 minutes or more, several of us discussed what had just happened. As I headed back to my seat at the far end of the table, I crossed paths with a different waitress who was sent to serve our table. For context, the Moosewood is a quirky vegetarian restaurant in a quirky town. the first server was a petite 20 something with long ponytails, and if I remember correctly, shorts with nearly knee-high tube socks. Like those worn to gym class in the 1970 -- the ones with 2 or 3 colored stripes near the top. This new waitress was visibly quirky as well as color-coordinated. She had a green dress, kind of like food coloring green. Her dress, eyebrows and short cropped green hair all matched. Her eyebrows were manicured in a memorable way. They were wide at one end and tapered to points at the other. Kind of like the Angry Birds, but more like Uncle Leo's drawn on with a Sharpie eyebrows in that episode of Seinfeld. Some of our group at the end of the table where the incident occurred were quite disturbed by the whole incident. The incident put a damper on what was to be a fun celebration. The evening was really ruined for me. I was very offended by the first server's behavior. Her actions implied that I had acted inappropriately. Then all of us, but especially me, had to endure the Angry Bird scowl of the replacement server as she took over and served our meal. For me, that was just further insult. I can only assume the 1st mentally / emotionally fragile waitress had falsely passed along a fabrication of what she thought was my inappropriate behavior. The second server must have felt she had to supply an appropriate amount of indignation. Now for the food review. I had the lasagna, it was ok, but nothing really special. And you have to order bread, 4 of 5 slices of tiny bread for $5 dollars. Bread like you get most anywhere for free with a meal. Most of the others in the group said their food was good. No one said it was great. The overall experience at the Moosewood is a vegetarian restaurant that wants to be fine dinning with an over priced à la cart menu. But hey, you get to say you dined at the famous Moosewood. read more

No one finished their entrées. I frequented Moosewood in the 1990s and 2000s. I understand things have changed recently...but I hope the establishment will continue to evolve. Our dinner for five was generally flavorless and lacking verve. Moosewood used to be synonymous with creative, flavor-forward vegetarian cuisine. Our recent meal was meant to celebrate a family occasion. We waited, and waited, for our cocktails. We waited still longer, with our server's apologies, for our appetizers. When our main courses arrived, disappointment reigned. For example, Jambalaya should be a riot of savory flavors and interesting textures. A vegetarian version could be an opportunity to balance carrots, onions, beans and vegan sausage with garlicy peppery goodness. Instead, ours was a nondescript mush of whitish objects in a tomato-y soup. Another example is the strozzapreti with black truffles. We expected a rich sauce of oil or butter with hearty mouthfuls of truffles. Instead we received a bland and thin "truffle-adjacent" soupy pasta concoction lacking in the rich mouth feel that comes with pasta soaked in fats and herbs. Why did all the verve go away? Where is all the flavor hiding? I hope Moosewood can rediscover its sense of fun and flavor. Until some time has passed, I have to recommend skipping this pricy, faded flower in favor of newer and more vigorous options in and near Ithaca. read more

Nice to find a vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca. This place was recommended to me by a friend and I went with my family. I don't come to Ithaca very often and already have some restaurants I make sure to visit when I do, but I did really enjoy Moosewood and will be adding it to that list. Service ended up being okay once it got going, but it was a slow start. We had a reservation at their opening time at 5:30 and were the fourth group to arrive and thus the fourth to be seated, but it felt like the servers started helping the other tables way before they got to us. Once he actually got to us though, our waiter was helpful and just attentive enough. Also I appreciate that they're enforcing mask-wearing in the restaurant when not seated. I got an Iced Chai, the Thai Rice Bowl, and Cardamom Pecan Pound Cake. The chai was a little disappointing - the menu description sounded interesting but it was pretty watery. I could, however, tell that there was a nice flavour in there somewhere so I might give this a second chance if I went back. Food was really good though! The black rice gave the rice bowl such a unique flavour and texture, the tofu had a nice smoky flavour, and I liked that they used just enough dressing to flavour the dish without drowning it. All of the vegetables looked and tasted very fresh. I also had a taste of the Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic & Asiago Penne - this was really good too, and I liked that the sauce was creamy and flavourful but not too heavy. I also loved the combination of flavours in the pound cake. The cardamom aroma was very strong and the coffee glaze complimented it nicely, and the texture was good. The portions here are much smaller than at the typical American restaurant, but the prices are a bit lower. I appreciated this because I usually leave a restaurant feeling stuffed and this was more in line with the amount of food I'd eat for dinner at home, but if you have a bigger appetite you'll definitely want to add a side/appetizer to your entree. read more

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It's hard to find a good vegan or vegetarian restaurant no matter where you live let alone one that's reasonably priced. We come to the Moosewood every time we're in Ithaca. We've been visiting Ithaca on and off for the last forty some years. Recently we went there for dinner. I don't know whether I'm getting tired or they are. The ambience seems stale and stuck in another time. The food too. The cooking is far from delicate. It's vegetables that fill your bellies not tickle your senses. My Moroccan stew was definitely a stew but Moroccan? Meh. It's not just what and how many spices and herbs you use it's when and how long they get to play together. The sweet pea hummus and pita were adequate and acceptable. My wife's pot pie had vegetables and mushrooms that were entirely too big. After a couple of forks full the chunks of carrots and the monstrous mushrooms were all gone and she was eating the rest with a spoon. Our server was personable and helpful. Please reengineer the food or be a lot more careful. Oh, the couscous was steamed perfectly, if I recall. Dinner was a little overpriced, all things considered. read more

Dined here with several friends, all of us from out of town, in September. Some of us had eaten here several years ago and remembered the foosd as tasty and meeting the varied needs of our group: one vegetarian, one GF, the rest of us just looking for frehly cooked, wholesome food. Not one of us was disappointed! Service at our outdoor table was comfortable, not rushed, not slow, even tho the restaurant was very busy. The menu is limited in its offerings, which could present a problem for some people, but it worked for us. Only negative is that despite the cost of my meal, I was still hungry when I left! Portions are what I would consider small. That being said, it's worth a visit. read more

EXCELLENT. Great food and service. Even my very skeptical son enjoyed a fantastic meal -- the chick pea curry was wonderful. I had a kale salad with smoked trout, it was terrific. Our waitress could not have been more lovely. High marks! read more

Had high hopes for this restaurant, however the service, and lack of ingenuity and flavor with the entrees squashed my excitement. We did however enjoy the appetizers, unfortunately much much more than our entrees. read more

Old school since 1973. The C19 pandemic is still going on and limiting the number of customers to eat at this popular restaurant. They do allow indoor dining and they also have patio dining. Five of us sat down for dinner inside and luckily we made reservations because they were busy. We ordered different dishes and all of us enjoyed the food and devoured the free bread. The only downside was some of the dishes were small portions and kind of pricey for what you get. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Old school since 1973 - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

My first visit to Ithaca. Was thrilled to see Moosewood, as I have two of the cookbooks. Had a lovely meal with a vegetable chili and my daughter had the Moroccan chickpea stew. Both yummy. Looking forward to a return visit. read more

Moosewood is a classic for my 100% plant-based vegan family. We went for both dinner and brunch this weekend. We had the Thai Rice Bowl (delicious, fresh, crunchy, and peanut sauce was excellent) and Curried Chickpea Spread (very good) as starters. As entrees we had the Pepper Mushroom Marsala (pictured - very good), Bamboo Rice Stuffed Eggplant (fine dish but could be more flavorful) , and pasta bolognese dish (very good, but mostly pasta and not many vegetables). Brunch: Jamaican Jerk Stew and Breakfast Burrito (pictured); both were very good. We also had the vegan chocolate pancakes which were delicious and not too sweet. Dessert: the vegan chocolate cake and baked fruit with topping dishes are amazing. Overall, we love Moosewood for what it stands for (using local and seasonal food, and serves many plant-based dishes), but I feel that they should switch up the menu a bit more, or at least the vegan dishes. My family comes here each time we visit but are a little tired of the two vegan dinner entrees they offer. We would love to see something different. read more

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Amazing! My boyfriend and I only came for a quick little mid-afternoon pick me up before dinner. We really just wanted to get some cold drinks but ended up ordering some food which was perfectly portioned, delicious, and fresh - we left fully satisfied and not feeling heavy at all. What's also great is that the restaurant sources all its ingredients from local businesses! Drinks: - "The Fantastic!" The name did not disappoint! Thank goodness for the bubbles or I would have downed this drink in seconds! - The ginger tea, cold (boyfriend's pick) Also very good but I enjoyed my sparkly drink more. Food: - Greek salad with lemon tahini sauce: very good, great feta - Thai peanut bowl: very tasty and fresh! There was black rice which added a welcomed unique flavor and texture to regular white rice. - we both got the small portions which were a very great single serving portion at an amazingly low price! Would definitely recommend! Good food, drinks, and clean modern atmosphere. read more

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This restaurant is nearly a reason to move to Ithaca. Some items are hit or miss but others are outstanding and i can only wish to eat them again. Seasonal fair corresponding to what's available. even Big Dave didn't miss having meat and enjoyed and filled up on nutritious fare. read more

I hadn't been to Moosewood in quite some time as I had heard that the quality of the food had taken a steep decline, but one of the members of our 7-person party was vegan so we chose Moosewood for our dinner. I ordered the black bean burger. (I guess Moosewood doesn't really do fish now since I don't see any fish entrees on the online menu apart from the smoked trout that can be added to a Niçoise salad... but I remember having a great salmon burger at Moosewood some years ago that I have tried repeatedly to reproduce at home.) The black bean burger was disappointing because it was extremely dry and crumbly. I definitely wouldn't be trying to reproduce it at home. My Moosewood Bloody Mary wasn't anything special either. A friend of mine who had the Moroccan chickpea stew was also disappointed. The first server we had was great, but then a second server failed to get the bill right, and the first server had to solve the problem. For our next dinner with the vegan friend, we'll be choosing another restaurant in Ithaca. read more

wow. what else can you say. GREAT food. Like legendary. Excellent service and, considering, incredible value. We will remember our meal at Moosewood for years. read more

I have been here twice and it's been fantastic. When you walk in you are immediately greeted with the smell of spices which wrap you in a soft caress. Every dish is delicious and leaves you feeling content but not bloated, as you might find in a heavier kind of dish. This time I started with the rose cardamom London Fog, which was naturally sweet and a welcome flavor. Towards the end it did get a bit strong, but I liked it enough to definitely get it again. The seasonal soup was light and refreshing while being full of nutrients. It felt homemade in the best possible way. The quesadilla flavors blended well, but of the three was probably my least favorite dish I had this time, as there was barely any cheese compared to other fillings. Overall it's well priced, very welcoming and inclusive, and full of great dishes that can feed your vegetarian soul. Would highly recommend any time you're in town. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Black eyed pea soup and rose cardamom earl grey steamer with almond milk. - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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My college roommate and I returned to Ithaca after many many years and went to Moosewood for dinner cause it's an Ithaca institution. Warm cozy decor and atmosphere, friendly service, and a really cute gift shop in the restaurant. Overall I enjoyed our meal, though found my pasta dish really salty, and at the end of the night our waitress disappeared and we had to flag down several different people for service. read more

Wow, the original Moosewood. Great plant based meal, my cousin had the spinach lasagna and I had the chickpea stew with couscous. Everything could have been hotter. Nice ambiance and fun shop in the corner with cookbooks, clothes and some prepared foods. Great to remember my earliest cooking adventures with the first Moosewood cookbook! read more

very good. delicious lunch with all fresh vegetables and wonderful spices. I got the coconut curry and my parents got the bean burger and soup/salad combo. Each dish was presented beautifully. we were also able to sit outside with our dog which was a huge bonus. read more

This Ithaca staple is a haven for vegetarian and vegan foodies. Beloved for its homey atmosphere and its reliance on undeniably fresh local ingredients, Moosewood is a tried-and-true favorite for this pescatarian. I selected this spot for a birthday dinner one year, and my dining companions and I just cherished the cozy environment and the adorable little store. I loved the delectably creamy, hearty pumpkin curry, and on other occasions I savored the Thai-style rice bowl. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure to secure a treat on your way out! I tried the vegan carrot cake, which was just divine. Moosewood's menu changes to match the ebb and flow of the seasons, which means you'll find a new trove of treasures upon each visit. If you're just passing through town, don't leave without a taste of this quintessentially Ithacan fixture! read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Pumpkin Curry @ Moosewood Restaurant - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Delicious vegetarian food. Lovely ambience and helpful staff. I have eaten here for years and love it.

I had been hoping to find myself here since the 1970's and had m glad I finally arrived! Even with reservations, we had a 30 minute wait. Pros- spacious, light and airy. Iconic Vegetarian and vegan options! Cons- Impersonal, cold servers Average food Wine was turning I was hoping to bring back something useful with a Moosewood logo. But other that cap and sweatshirts there was not much in their gift shop area. There were, however, plenty of books and cookbooks from Moosewood. I'm glad i was here in passing through. No need to come to Ithaca just for the experience. read more

I have been there about 6 times in the past year. Lunch and dinners. I have picked something new every time, and not once I was not totally impressed. Fresh ingredients, very flavorful. They use lots of middle eastern seasoning as well as much from around the world. The staff are very nice, attentive and they know what they are serving. Great place and location. read more

It's no wonder this place gets 3 stars. I would love to get this place 5 stars, but the food and service is really a hit or a miss, sometimes it's amazing, other times it doesn't deserve 1 star. After seeing plenty of vegetarian options, I was excited to try out this place. I went here first for brunch and got the Tofu Florentine, don't get it. Seriously I'm warning you. I thought it was going to be tofu scrambled eggs. Nope. It's the weirdest and gross dish I've ever ordered. Tofu swimming in brown sugar and covered in cheese. I took a few bites and immediately ordered the Tofu Quiche. The Quiche was great! Super flavorful and had great texture. Highly recommend! I ordered the Prosecco, which was was nice. The waitress was great and comped me for the Tofu Florentine. The 2nd time I went, my experience wasn't as good. It was a busy Sat night, so I ordered take-out from the bar. I got the tofu wings and veggie lasagna, which was on the daily special. The food took more than 30 min and it was COLD. I found out that the food was sitting in the kitchen for 20 min and the waitresses were too lazy to get it. After 20 min, I asked for the food and they said the kitchen was backed up. They didn't even bother to check if the food was ready and someone else ended up bringing it out 10 min later. The lasagna was burnt, you can see from the pics. The vegan wings were STONE COLD. I only ate 1/2 the wings, they are not even shaped like wings, they are more like paddies. Honestly, if I was feeling better, I would have complained to the manager about the poor service and food. Overall, first experience was good, 2nd was poor. Probably won't be back. Luna downtown has much better food and service. read more

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Full disclosure: we are huge fans of the cookbooks which we have owned since we first got married, and it only took us a quarter century to make the pilgrimage here. Although I was surprised how unassuming the restaurant is given its legendary reputation, it did not disappoint in the least. Everything that passed my lips - from the Golden Milk, to the White Bean & Roasted Garlic Spread with Local Shishitos, to the Gochujang Noodle Bowl - was exceptional. The outdoor patio was full but all tables were socially distanced, and was very hospitable on an October evening. read more

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The mothership for vegetarians and vegans. Delicious Moroccan chickpea stew and fantastic service. Vegan cake was vegan cake. Not as good as non-vegan cake but good for a vegan cake. Overall 5 stars. read more

Went for my anniversary and it was lovely and has a great upscale feel. Small menu, but we loved everything and the cheese board is a must.

I love the quality of the food here! As a family with dietary restrictions we always have so many choices here! It's delicious

The food was amazing and the server was attentive and authentic. My husband and I went for my birthday and had a great 3 course meal.

On our recent trip to the Ithaca area, my family made it a point to try Moosewood. I'm a longtime vegetarian and I own a Moosewood cookbook that I use from time to time. Plus, other people recommended it to us when they heard we were headed to Ithaca. We did takeout and went to pick up the order ourselves: gojuchang noodle bowl, vegetable jambalaya over rice, a kid's pasta, a side of Ithaca Bakery multigrain bread, a fudge brownie, and a peach crumble. It looked like Moosewood had both outdoor and indoor dine-in options, but takeout is better for us at this point since we have a toddler. The best item was the vegetable jambalaya, flavorful but not too spicy. In contrast, the gojuchang noodles were bland, and not spicy at all. The kid's pasta, fusilli with tomato sauce, was basic, but I realize that's the intention with kid's meals. The juice that was supposed to come with the kid's meal was missing from the takeout bag, but we didn't realize this until we had made the 20-minute drive back to where we were staying. The bread was fine. The peach crumble was the second-best item we had, and probably would have been even better if we ate it sooner. Then there was the fudge brownie. The brownie at Moosewood is supposedly famous, so I was expecting a fantastic brownie. The brownie we received was fantastically dry. Maybe it could have been saved with some ice cream, but it was served on its own. My husband read somewhere that the recipe was from the 70s, but it kind of seemed like the actual brownie we ate was from the 70s. It may be that Covid and staffing shortages have negatively impacted Moosewood, like many other restaurants. At this time, I don't think it lives up to the hype. read more

Pricey but delicious vegan/vegetarian meals. I really enjoyed my meal here but did feel v thankful I want the one paying. Would definitely come back but would just be more mindful of the choice/price of my meal. Haha read more

Good overpriced food. Great healthy fix but portions are small and expensive but delicious nonetheless.

A co-worker highly recommended Moosewood to me so I made the drive down from Rochester to try it out. I was seated outside;I went on a Saturday and there wasn't a wait to be seated which I was pleasantly surprised about. It's very big on the inside and it was definitely hopping. I had the chips and dip. The guacamole seemed like just avocado; it could've used some lemon/lime and definitely needed cilantro. I also had to salt it myself and I'm definitely not even that big on salt. It lacked flavor. The pico was more or less the same, it was missing flavors. I didn't enjoy them. Next up we had our side salads. The lemon tahini dressing was pretty yummy. The miso ginger dressing didn't have a good flavor. I didn't like it at all. For the entrees, we had a mushroom marsala and the Jamaican Jerk stew which was a special at the time I think. I found the stew to have a good combination of flavors. The thing I didn't like about it was that it was very bland; it felt like it was super under spiced. It was filling and I liked that it was lemony, but the flavor just wasn't complete for me. It's called Jerk stew but I didn't taste any Jerk seasoning. The marsala had a strong flavor and while the flavor palette wasn't really for me, my friend didn't hate it. It went well with the pieces of bread. By itself, it was too much of a flavor bomb. I was happy that there were so many vegetarian options. Overall, the food was ok. The service was ok. I wanted to like it more, but the food really didn't do it for me; it was very bland. read more

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I visited Moosewood last week with a group of people. The food was excellent, every mouthful was delicious. The service was perfect. The restaurant was busy but we were able to have a fun family time. I would highly recommend them if you are in the area. read more

What a great restaurant. Simple menu that wasn't overwhelming with great drinks and excellent service. Very enjoyable to sit outside and take I. The sights. read more

A famous restaurant that I was excited to try. Vegetarian/vegan menu. Local wine. Food was good. Hostess was a little stiff but waitstaff was pleasant. The atmosphere was not as vibey as I had expected it to be. Overall a good experience. read more

This is probably the best vegetarian restaurant that I've ever had the pleasure to eat. I tried the samosa wrap and it was bursting with flavor until the las bite. Looking forward to visiting again and try more things in their menu. June 2019 update: I went there with a friend for dinner time. This time I tried their Salmon with wild rice. Although a little pricey ($24), it was AMAZING and worth every penny! I also ordered their chocolate cake and it was delicious. Since I can't get either out of my head I am seriously considering purchasing their cookbook next time I stop-by. read more

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Wouldn't recommend going here 2:30-5:00 Not mentioned on their website they offer a very limited "afternoon menu" with a handful of options A little perplexing as many items are on both the lunch and dinner menus While chefs like time to prep for dinner, this is truly the sign of a lazy one I had the wedge salad which was presented nicely and tasted good except for the pickled red onions.....little flavor and no crisp bite If you're going to pair down the menu this drastically at least be mindful of what you serve read more

We love this place. We first went here over 30 years ago. It was our first true vegetarian experience at the time. After so many years later it's still wonderful. We appreciate that they change the menu often. The prices are very reasonable. Good drinks too! We had the Moosewood 75 cocktail, a delicious white bean dip, black bean burger and curry bowl. I hope we don't wait another 30 years to return! read more

The Moosewood lives on as an excellent, out of the ordinary dining spot. Service, atmosphere and food always excellent quality. Would prefer soups from past Moosewood menus. Pureed soups this summer have been a bit of a disappointment read more

Had to try Moosewood during my vacation in Ithaca after hearing about the famed vegetarian restaurant from friends. Love the idea of a restaurant with local organic ingredients, though my food was very bland, I had the lemon asparagus penne. This could be that I'm just used to pasta soaked in butter, but the dish had little flavor. My family members had the Samoa wrap and the Moroccan stew, which were both very tasteful and well presented. I also really enjoyed my cream of asparagus soup, was very balanced and light. Service was good and consistent and the atmosphere is bright and cheerful, with plates that could be from a Mexican restaurant or a casual eatery. The drinks are very good, be sure to ask about the beet shrub and raspberry soda, it was excellent. Overall we had a good experience, if you're big into vegetarian food, Moosewood is probably going to be one of your favorite new places, they also mention that most dishes can be made vegan. read more

Moosewood Restaurant - Moosewood bar - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York