The Vandal is truly an incredible spot!! I went with my friend to celebrate my birthday and had an amazing experience. We started with a bottle of wine and some bread and butter absolutely loved. Then we got the fried olives because our server recommended it and WOW!! Favorite dish of the night We also got the Octopus, Smoked Trout Pate, and Steak Tartare and ended with the Roasted Duck. The Octopus and Steak Tartare were my top two from this. The duck did not have a lot of flavor on its own but the sauce and sides added the perfect flavors. Ended of course with an espresso martini which was one of my favorite in the city. I will definitely be back here!! read more

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Ten years later and it still hits the same. @thevandalpgh has been woven into my life for over ten years now. I almost had my bridal shower here back then (before life shifted in a different direction & I said yes to myself instead), and somehow that makes coming back now feel even more full circle. Different season, same table-just enjoying some of my favorite food in the city with my favorite people. If steak frites is on the menu, it's not even a question. I'm ordering it. Every time. I'll savor it properly at the table like a civilized adult...but once I'm home and the pressure's off? Let's just say the restraint disappears because it's that good. I'm not really drinking right now-maybe a celebratory sip of champagne here and there-but if I were, their martini service never misses. It's one of those places that's consistent in the best way. Familiar, special, and somehow always exactly what I'm craving. read more

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The Vandal is hands-down my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh. After going double-digit times, I can honestly say it's the rare place that stays exciting and consistently delivers. The steak frites are the best in the city, excellent quality steak and fries that are somehow always perfect. The cocktail and wine curation is equally strong: thoughtful, top notch, and always offering something new to explore while still nailing the classics. One of my favorite things is how the menu changes seasonally. It keeps everything fresh, and the seasonal appetizers are consistently standout. The foie blonde is a must every time: always a little different, always delicious. Currently for mains (on top of the steak frites), the Crispy Pork Shoulder is unreal, the best texture and flavor I've ever had in a pork dish. Thursday burger nights are also fantastic. They recently added a baked custard dessert that might be my favorite dessert I've ever had. No notes. If you want a place that feels special every time without trying too hard, The Vandal is it. read more

The Vandal is a cozy little spot located in Lawrenceville on Butler Street with a small but mighty menu! It's been a couple of years since I last went and I can't believe I waited this long to come back. We started off with some drinks and apps. Then we ordered one of each entree and dessert to share and I highly recommend doing this! This dinner was a delight from start to finish and I will definitely be back. Pro tip: the inside is pretty small so make a reservation online ahead of time! read more

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Happy hour at the vandal is where it's at! My husband I shared mussels, fries, tinned fish, and some nice drinks (his coffee spritz was so good and unique) and it was really reasonable given how high the quality was. What we loved the most was the fresh bread and salted butter. The butter is from Amish country and it was so delicious. Loved the happy hour experience at The Vandal. The ambiance was so chill but beautiful and the staff were really kinda and friendly. We can't wait to go back! read more

The Vandal - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very modern and good atmosphere restaurant for some pretty and delicious drinks and shareables! Vandal had phenomenal service, a lovely seasonal menu that is super fresh, and a nice look! The drinks were great with a lot of fun options with different flavorings you don't get everywhere! The appetizers, especially the farmers cheese with fresh vegetables as well as the tuna pate were out of this world! The steak frites live up to the hype, with an excellent sauce, as well as the Halibut with ratatouille being hands down the best out of everything. Unfortunately, the gnocchi was quite undercooked, but the sauce was quite good. The other big miss was the dessert, with the panacotta being so thick, it was difficult to break apart with a spoon. The cake was a bit better, but not really worth your time or money. Overall, the drinks, shareables, and most of the entrees were really great, a nice, upscale but still casual restaurant to go with friends! read more

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We made dinner resy to make sure we have a table. We were seated in the middle right by the bar. Not a great spot as we're between too much action. Service was friendly and helpful. The trout pate was good but a required a bit of effort to share. Summer tomatoes were good, fresh and delicious. The halibut was lovely and had a good sauce. We did enjoy the food but the vibe just wasn't there for us. Perhaps, it was the seating, making if hard for us to have a conversation and enjoy the ambiance. read more

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Realizing that I neglected to review my dining experience at the Vandal, and now I'm dreaming about going back! I visited a few months ago for a celebratory dinner with my husband, and it was a BUSY Friday night - cold outside, but cozy and inviting inside! We made a reservation and we were glad to have done so. We had, to my mind, the best seat in the house, which is the corner window booth with lots of space to sit and enjoy your meal while people-watching on Butler. We tried lots of delicious dishes and each enjoyed the house dirty martini, which arrived in a lovely presentation with a sidecar/second pour of the cocktail. We were blown away by delicious flavors across the board, but my goodness - the steak frites dish was mind-blowingly tasty. Probably the best I've ever had! We also LOVED the fried olives with sausage and cheddar. Frankly, we didn't have a bad bite all night. The Vandal is now squarely in my top current restaurants in the city, and is an excellent choice for a special occasion or romantic meal. I will say that we visited another popular Butler St bistro-inspired restaurant shortly after our Vandal visit, and I would say that we preferred everything here over the other spot without any hesitation. I want to visit for their burger night in the near future! I also want to note that the space is SO chic and gorgeous, and the service is excellent. All in all, a truly wonderful and special spot in the Pittsburgh dining scene. read more

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SUCH a delicious meal. Every single thing was a 10/10. Our server was great. Ambiance was cozy and we even ended up landing a table when we were supposed to sit at the bar! A little pricey, but worth it. read more

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The food was so well-prepared, with unique flavor combinations that elevate it past just another 'new American' dining spot. Their tight menu prevents decision fatigue and caters to a lot of palates! The menu also changes and reflects seasonal local ingredients. Their wine program is also great, with a focus on Sonoma / west coast wines at reasonable prices. Finally, the service was so incredible! Loved everything. read more

The Vandal - Gnocchi. Steak Frites - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Try all the entrees ...at the Vandal. We celebrated my friend's belated birthday there last week and it was the perfect celebratory spot! With cocktails all around, we started with the bread service and then doze into all of the entrees on the menu. I always prefer sharing... I mean, why choose just one? We dove into: 10 oz Hanger Steak Seared Sacllops Grilled Duck Breast Crispy Pork Shoulder Desserts: Seasonal Sorbet - Pomegranate Baked Custard Dark Chocolate Mousse read more

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One of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh and I don't know what took me so long to go! The steak was beyond amazing and the sauce was as well. The dirty martini was the best in Pittsburgh and the steak tartare was as well. read more

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Wow! That's literally all I can say. We went here to celebrate an anniversary and from the moment we stepped in the staff was super friendly and even brought us our complementary bubbles to celebrate. The cocktails were perfectly balanced and bold. The martini service is something special. Crisp and delicious and another martini chilled for you after you finish your first one. The smoked trout pate was delicious and flavorful. Not fishy but you definitely tasted and appreciated the trout. The steak tartare was tender and the perfect amount of chips for the tartare. The seasonal duck with vadouvan was amazing. Full of flavor and juicy. The branzino was tender. To end the night we enjoyed the pavlova with citrus curd and raspberries and that was the perfect end of the night. From the service to food to drinks everything was perfect! read more

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We had a Saturday Girls night out and stopped here after dinner. The vibe was so cute and quaint. Very intimate setting. There were lots of people on dates here and they serve small plates. As stated we were here just to drink. We were served complimentary Prosecco. We had a variety of drinks and you call tell the bartenders and mixologists are professionals. We thoroughly enjoyed every cocktail we had. We also ordered bread service with Amish butter. This is the BEST bread and butter I have ever had! read more

The Vandal - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Came back to the vandal after 2 years and was pleasantly surprised by the meal. It was my favorite restaurant a few years ago, and for a while I felt their food became more expensive without the same progression in quality. However, last month I noticed one of my favorite menu items returned, the steak and fries. Stopped by to try it and fell in love with the Vandal all over again. Now back at the top of my list of fav places in Pittsburgh. Their food is everything I loved when it first opened, original and delicious, something you cannot find at any other restaurant. It was so good I came back three more times in the same month. My favorite is of course, the steak and fries. One of the best steaks I've had. Not too raw but still juicy inside. Other dishes that I loved were the Foie blonde, trout pate, and salmon crudo. The oysters were nothing special but I did like the small side dish of horseradish ice and hot sauce. One of the other entrees I really enjoyed were the crab cakes, which were also one of the best crab cakes I've had. I liked how it had a decent amount of crab meat in it, was not too dry, and the base. The mushroom tartine was also a huge favorite amongst my friends. Not a huge vegetarian but all my vegetarian friends loved this dish bc of how flavorful it was. The duck was a bit too sweet and I felt that there was too much sauce in the dish. The duck itself felt a bit too raw (both in cooking style and flavor). Drinks are always great, but especially loved the Rosa Blanca. One of my favorite non alcoholic drinks from this year. Overall, can't wait for their spring menu!! read more

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Such a cute spot! We absolutely loved our appetizers (beef tartare and crudo) and wished we had ordered more. The martini service was amazing, and our waiter was really helpful. We love that they rotate the menu and host events like discotheque! read more

The Vandal - Steak tartare, tuna crudo - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Amazing! Amazing! Yummyyyy!! I went with my friend for a last minute dinner on a Friday and I was amazed. Their steak is out of this world!! Fries & Garlic Aioli? YES! Oysters? Absolutely!!! Great service and ambiance. It's a little dark so it's perfect for a date night but it's also loud. Pics are blurry because I was too excited to care lol Cannot wait to go back there again. read more

The Vandal - Oysters - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Highly recommend! Incredible food and drink. Love their steak tartare and arguably the best steak frites in all of Pittsburgh, it's really to die for. Really nice cocktail and wine selection and enjoyed the martini service. read more

The Vandal - Martini service - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We came here last night for our anniversary and had the steak frites for 2. It's a 22oz steak with a side of French fries. Overall, it was good but not sure if it was worth $80. The garlic aioli was delicious, the steak was cooked more medium than the medium rare that was recommended and was pretty salty. I really enjoyed the Lillet Rose Spritz I had before dinner. It was so refreshing and perfect for a hot day. Dessert was also great, the caramel was my favorite part. Our server was wonderful, she was helpful with recommending a wine to pair with dinner. When we arrived there were no menus available which I thought was odd but we didn't wait long to have them brought to us. Overall, a nice place with a good service but the food seems a bit overpriced. read more

The Vandal - Steak frites - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Food was amazing. We got the steak tartare, prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe, and steak frites. Steak was cooked perfectly and the fries were so good we had to ask what they were fried in. Just canola oil, but you could have fooled me. Tastes like they were fried in duck fat or tallow. So good. Drinks were great. Got the martini service and pornstar (pornshop, pornstore, pornsomething) martini. Service was great and the restaurant had a chill vibe. Even the music sounded like they had my playlist going. Very impressed. We will be back! read more

The Vandal - Steak frites - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Another enjoyable experience at The Vandal last night. Everything was very good. Started with the Trout pate, then mussels, followed by the duck and pork. Service was perfect, they were happy to decant our wine. The ambiance and lighting were perfect, but the menu font size portions were too small, for me. read more

Third time at the Vandal and still loving it! This time we went for the Wednesday Happy Hour (yep, it's only on Wednesday). Oysters are $1/piece, so fresh and delicious!! (6/person min order, 12/person max order) Cheese plate is amazing too, everything from Chantal Cheese Shop, high quality insured! Other dishes are as good as they look in the picture. Shrimp toast and Foie Mousse Toast are definitely two of my go-to, so good! - Highly recommend - the lighting and environment are so good, if you are looking for a place for either girls night out or a date, you won't disappoint coming here. read more

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Came here on our first night (ever) in Pittsburgh and what a great way to be introduced to the city. Though it is a place that takes food seriously, they didn't take themselves so seriously as to be stuffy and unwelcoming. We appreciated the friendly yet professional vibe. We had a good sampling of the menu, from snacks, the shared plates, entrees and even desserts and we loved their creative interpretations of classic dishes. The cocktails were also both unique and delicious--you usually have to sacrifice one for the other, but not so here. Everything was on point from start to finish. We're just visiting, but we will most definitely return when we're back in town. It was also our son's 19th birthday and Vandal made it a most memorable night. read more

First time at The Vandal. Superb service and great food. Really nice vibe. Will definitely be back

Enjoyed their summer 2023 menu. They have a great happy hour on Wednesdays for oysters ($16 for dozen oysters) that comes with a yummy yuzu cucumber mignonette. The foie mousse was sweet and savory- perfect while the cherries are in season for summer. The cocktails were perfection, especially the cucumber gimlet. The steak tartare was delicious and reminded me of Yukhoe - marinated korean steak tartare served with a raw egg. Definitely worth trying out this summer menu! read more

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Pornstore Martini ..... THE most wonderfully delicious cocktail I've had. You must try this. What a great place and I'm so fortunate to live in the same neighborhood as The Vandal. Planning our next visit ASAP to include dinner. The dinner choices are spectacular. The dilemma will be what to select! Great job Sarah with our cocktails! Terrific ambiance, as well. K. Petersen, Lawrenceville read more

I came here for dinner on yesterday evening (Thursday). The space is pretty small so make a reservation if you can. I made a reservation at 5 pm for 7:15 the same day. No issue! I really like the ambiance of The Vandal. They incorporate little touches that I appreciate (I.e. fresh flowers in a cute little vase on each table, lights dimming as the evening goes on, a tea light candle with votive on each table, etc). This place is a great place for a low key date night. We started out with drinks. I ordered a glass of red wine (Merlot & Cab Sauv) and my date ordered the Lillet Spritz. We also ordered the smoked trout rillettes. For our entrees, the main reason we decided to come here on a Thursday, was for the burger night. We both ordered a burger. The waiter came back and said there was only one burger left, so we ordered the burger and the bucatini. Everything we ate and drank was really good! The only thing to be mindful is that the burger is very rich. It was really good, but really rich. My pasta had a little kick to it but it added to the dish. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at the Vandal. I will definitely be back! read more

We had a family style milestone birthday celebration dinner for 11 and it was just a wonderful experience, from the neighborhoody hip vibe to the friendl staff. All the shared plates were delicious, creative, and of quality that one just can't procure without raising stock and planting one's own harvest :-) read more

The ambiance was so cute, cocktails were truly very good, but ultimately I wouldn't recommend the food for the price. By pictures and menu, this place seems like a win for the neighborhood. Ultimately the food was not up to par or what was expected. We ordered beef tartar that lacked flavor, an endive Caesar salad that only tasted of parmigiana cheese, the steak au poivre had not a peppercorn in sight or taste, and the duck was over which led to the skin being rubbery. read more

Seasonal menu! Most important thing to note is that the menu constantly changes based on season Service was great- it's an intimate room with few tables, however we dined as a large group of 8 with a reservation. This would be a great place for a date night We ordered a few bottles of Champagne for the table as well as their Orange Wine feature which was awesome!!! I did have a friend order an espresso martini and they weren't really a big fan as it's a liquor based martini with no actual espresso Duck portion was small so glad we also got a few appetizers along side bread. However it was cooked to perfection and I do love a whole anchovy on a Caesar salad! read more

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The Vandal may be our favorite restaurant in Lawrenceville! A great atmosphere and excellent food.

We came to the Vandal this month for our restaurant club and we all had a great time! I was initially worried that I wouldn't be able to eat anything being vegan but I called in advance to ask. I was told that one of the chefs was vegan and they would be able to make something special for me! They made me a vegan bucatini with mushrooms and asparagus and it was so good!! Everyone else enjoyed their food also! I really enjoyed the vibe and aesthetic of The Vandal too but I would definitely recommend making a reservation! The seating area is relatively small so making a reservation would be the best way to ensure you get a seat. I would definitely come back! read more

The Vandal - Vegan bucatini pasta - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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I was really excited to try this place, as the interior was cool and the menu items looked delicious. Everything was well plated, but out of all the items we ordered, only one thing really stood out. Oysters / yuzu - cucumber mignonette: the flavor of the yuzu and cucumber sauce just didn't work and through off the oytsters. Arancini / spring pea, parmesan fondue: bland and boring Wild Green Gnochetti - morel mushrooms, sherry cream: absolutely delicious. The morel mushrooms were fantastic with an earthy, meaty flavor that was really accentuated by the sherry cream. Portion size was small however. Roasted Half Chicken / English peas, pickled ramps, spring onion: the chicken was very bland and not at all appealing. The peas were the best part of this dish, which says a lot. Halibut / Manila clams, fava beans, artichokes, mint: the fish was perfectly cooked, light and flakey, but the flavor was lacking. My party ordered three cocktails, two of which my friends hated, and the special cocktail (which was pineapple based) which I really enjoyed. Would not come back to this place. read more

The Vandal has been one of my favorite dinner restaurants in the city for special occasions, so I was sure to book a reservation for my friend's first ever visit to Pittsburgh this past Saturday. The drink menu offers a small but thoughtful and creative variety of wines, cocktails, beer, and NA. I settled on the Dia Carota as is, while my friend substituted tequila for the mezcal. It was so good that we both ordered a second round! The rest of our group enjoyed glasses of one of the red wines. The shareables were perfect for 4 people, we enjoyed the arancini (2 orders), grilled zucchini, and tuna crudo from the regular menu, in addition to specials including the fava bean and ricotta crostini with pickled green tomato and wild mushrooms with soft cooked egg, caramelized shallots and mustard vinaigrette. The other half of our group also ordered the steak frites as entrees. Lastly, we shared the polenta cake and another chocolate dessert. Overall, I love that the Vandal's menu is always evolving and find their quaint, romantic atmosphere so charming! read more

The Vandal - fava bean and ricotta crostin, Dia Carota, arancini, wild mushrooms with soft cooked egg - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This spot in Lawrenceville is so beautiful! Great lighting and decor inside. Very trendy and the presentation is gorgeous. However, I found this place lacking in flavor and seasoning. They have 1/2 price oysters on Wednesday for happy hour. Friends said that the oysters were bland and only ok. It comes with a cucumber mignonette and hot sauce in a cute dropper bottle. I had the tuna crudo and while the elements accompanying were cool (strawberry gazpacho, pistachios), the tuna was bland and flavorless. The steak tartare was also bland but it was really pretty with the egg in the middle. The thing we tried with the most flavor was the foie gras toast, although I'm not the biggest fan of foie gras. I love that they give you sparkling water. Overall, great place to check out but I'm not sure if I'll be returning. They do change their menu a bit so maybe in the future I will come back if something catches my eye. I'd love to see some more vegan options here too since I do have dietary restrictions. Service was great since it was a Wednesday happy hour and we were the only table there. read more

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had an excellent dinner this evening at vandal. the steak frite for two was perfectly cooked and seasoned, while our appetizers (steak tartare and melon/cucumber) highlighted the quality of ingredients. the service was attentive, friendly, and helpful! each member of the team made the dinner feel relaxed and special. the wine list was not super extensive, but well rounded. loved the back patio, but next time would love to eat in the main dining hall or try a seat at the wine bar! read more

Came here for date night during restaurant week and was very pleasantly surprised! Location- busy lawrenceville. Parking can be tough. Small cozy venue with open kitchen concept and adorable bar. Drinks- fantastic. One of us did the wine pairing and the other got this amazing mezcal refreshing drink I would come back for. Food - we chose this place because we're not big dessert people and the dessert wasn't part of the restaurant week courses (but they did have them which look delicious). The dishes weren't necessarily complex but the ingredients were fresh and perfectly made. There were two people in the kitchen making things fresh and they still came out quickly. The summer salad was probably my favorite. Overall - will def be back. Cozy location perfect for date night or a small group of people. Highly recommend! read more

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Came in for brunch on a recent weekend while visiting my daughter at UPitt. Wait was not long and the place was hopping when we got there. Server was pleasant and attentive, helping us as necessary throughout the meal. We each ordered a coffee and settled in to try and determine if this would be a breakfast-based or lunch-based meal. My daughter chose breakfast and I chose lunch. My daughter's salmon Benedict on a potato latke had the fish cooked really nicely (medium rare). It was a thinner piece, which kept it from overwhelming the dish. The fish sat atop of homemade potato latke, flanked by two perfectly poached eggs and topped with some hollandaise sauce. A small bed of mixed greens accompanied the plate, topped with thinly sliced red onions and cucumbers. She seems to enjoy it. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich with a side of fries. It was offered either as a "regular" sandwich or spicy...I chose the regular and that may have been my problem in retrospect. The sandwich was incredibly dry and needed something to kick it up a notch. Looking back I probably should have gotten the spicier version in order to bolster the flavor. The accompanying fries were crispy and just about perfect. We also decided to order a side of bacon, which could have done with another minutes or so of cooking as most of the pieces were on the more rubbery side of doneness. Both my daughter and I prefer bacon a bit crispier, maybe I should have asked for that level of preparedness? I really liked the concept here, but execution was lacking. May be worth another try to see if this was a one-off fluke? read more

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Really fancy and homey brunch place. I absolutely loved the brunch drinks and the chai and earl grey lattes. Highly recommend trying any of these. We didn't have trouble finding seats quickly on a Saturday morning. The seating area is small so there is definitely less privacy compared to other settings. I recommend reviewing the menu prior to going. The menu is very specific and does not have as many of your typical breakfast/brunch options. We got the cinnamon roll, a must, that uses an amazing citrus glaze. YUM. We got the salmon benedict and the breakfast sandwich. Both were delicious. The benedict uses cooked salmon over a potato pancake. The breakfast sandwich was large with a good amount if bread. I would recommend if you like bacon and a nice omelette style egg. Looking forward to coming back! read more

The Vandal - Wine Bars Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is a cute little cafe in Lawrenceville! We made a reservation for lunch on a Sunday. The vandal didn't look particularly busy at 1:45pm. We were seated immediately and service was quick too. For starters, we ordered the bread service. It came with a butter croissant and cranberry pistachio bread. I like croissant but not so much the cranberry bread which my friend loved. I ordered the schnitzel and my friend got the omelette later on. The schnitzel tasted pretty good but was topped with apple sauce which I'm not a fan of. My friend's entree was big in portion and she was barely able to finish it. I finished my schnitzel but since it was sweetened by the apple sauce, I didn't feel like ordering dessert later on. Overall, the vandal is a cute spot to visit for some fast food. read more

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