All around good food. Plenty of room to sit. The food is exceptional. The Mashed Potato Balls are the love of my life. It is my promised item for Book Club, had it not disbanded in the face of a divorce. I love the Almost Famous but do want to try new things. The crab sandwich was great. It can add up when you go, so budget for your meals. Location is perfect. I only wish they were open for brunch. read more

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This spot is in downtown Olympia so parking will be challenging at times . Laid back spot that also offer a Pay It Forward to bless someone with a meal . Now down to business , I wish there was a a few more options on the menu including fries . But the teriyaki burger was perfect, it was my first time eating soy curls and they were awesome . And im not a mayo fan , even as a vegan but I enjoyed theirs . As someone from the South , i can say their collard greens were a strong 8/10. With a nice smoky and savory flavor. Overall 9.5/10!! I came back the next weekend to try their Rib Plate . I deeply enjoyed and was intrigued by the Mashers & Gravy . Nice onion based flavor . I didn't enjoy the serían ribs or BBQ sauce . And the Mac and Cheese was highly recommended, but lacked flavor to me . Meal was a 7/10. Took off a star based on last visit read more

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Stopped here last week for some take out. Our vegetarian/ vegan family love to come here especially those who live out of town. Good sandwiches,specials,sides and my favorite is the mashed potatoes with gravy. Nice customer service and great food. Even if you're not a vegan you'll love it. Out meat eating sons in law enjoy all the menu items. read more

I love wayside. My fav is the chocolate chunks. Alas they were sold out. Their other dearest are fire, but the tahini bowl with mash potatoes is my fav, but the blt is a close second. Their potato balls and cauliflower are great shareable, cider/beer/wine options are great... and the staff are some of the best. Omg the milkshakes are amazing... so are the floats. The cheesecake... yum!!! read more

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Everything tasted amazing until my wife and I found hair in both of our orders, the cooks should definitely wear hairnets. Besides the hair, the service is great and portions were generous. read more

Didn't get to eat here. I arrived about 30 minutes before they closed, and the girl working at the front said they could only do to-go orders. So I left. That's not a good way to invite, or keep customers. read more

I had an amazing experience, the food is amazing, but a sweet black man at the restaurant ordered before me, never received his order, and ended up storming out without his food while we were already basically done with our food. In this political climate this especially rubbed me the wrong way, and I hope it's a misunderstanding or that there was just an error in the kitchen and that it wasn't related to his race. I don't feel comfortable leaving an amazing review after that happened. read more

Absolutely love this place. We always come here when we are in Olympia. I have added photos of the bean and rice bowl & house slaw, and the Norma sandwich with mash and gravy. This is one of the best restaurants I have ever been too, and love that it's a vegan restaurant! The portions are generous and just so delicious. And the treats are yummy too, we had a rice crispy treat this time. Good vibes all around and highly recommend. :) read more

The Wayside Cafe - Bean and rice bowl (one with sauce on the side) and house slaw - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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We came here on a whim and were not disappointed. First, the staff was so nice and welcoming. They had a good selection of food and desserts. After we ordered, the food was prepared in a timely manner. We got two different types of bowls and the cauliflower wings. The portions were very hearty and the food was amazing! If there is one thing I would recommend, it was the birthday cake. The cake was moist and delicious, literally the best birthday cake I have had in a long time. Will definitely be coming back to try more. And definitely a huge plus that everything they have is vegan! read more

The Wayside Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Now they're open for lunch on the weekends, hooray! My kids love the macaroni and cheese. The desserts are always interesting combinations and hefty portion sizes! You order at the counter and your name is called when your food is ready - it doesn't take long! Find your own place to sit, help yourself to a glass of water from the water station, retrieve utensils and napkins from next to the cash register. Then bus your own table when you're finished. I've been here so many times, I still have a hard time choosing what to get because everything is so good! And the portions are generous. Bonus jonus for compostable takeout containers. read more

The food is delicious and hits the spot. Good portions and reasonable prices. I asked for recommendations, and the cashier did not skip a beat hitting what was essential to many different types of clients. I will return to try more items on the menu, as one trip is not enough. The music and smiles on the staff's faces were inviting and made dining a pleasant experience. read more

The Wayside Cafe - Chicken bowl and side MacNCheese - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Stopped here yesterday for my first time and it was pretty decent! I got the "large marge" salad which is basically a vegan Buffalo chicken salad and it was quite delicious, and fairly reasonably priced compared to a lot of "vegan" restaurants I've been to. The vegan ranch was also a highlight for me. I would definitely come back again when driving through Olympia and look forward to trying other items on the menu in the future. read more

The Wayside Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Amazing restaurant for Plant Based folks. The locally owned business is a great contributor and supporter of the local community. As you walk in, you're greeted with their front staff, and can wander around the place to see various posters and listings of current & future events. We tried the Large Marge, with Seitan, and Buffalo Cauliflower Wings, alongside the Dan Dan Bowl - all of it was delicious and flavor packed! The vegan ranch is amazing, and pairs really well with everything on the menu. We're on a mission to try everything on the menu! read more

The Wayside Cafe - Dan Dan Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Max n cheese was good as was the sugar cookie. The dip sandwich with soy curls tasted burnt and I didn't finish. Disappointing for sure read more

Some of the tastiest food Olympia has to offer, vegan or otherwise! Don't be scared off if you eat meat, because this stuff is legit. My favorite is the rib plate with a side of creamed corn. It lasts me 2-3 incredible meals and reheats quite well. read more

Just incredible flavorful food, and no animals harmed in the making!!! Service is exceptional, and the ambience is cool, calm and convivial! If I lived closer, I would live there!!! ;) read more

It was ok! I only tired the cauliflower wings but I didn't really like it, I would go back and try something different next time though. Great customer and fast service. read more

The Wayside Cafe - Vegan Food! So excited to try it. - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Had myself a nice little day in Oly and decided to grab a bite here. I'm so glad I did! First off they have a pay it forward program you can donate to which is awesome. That aside the food was great as well! It was very clean when I walked in and they're still encouraging masks which is a plus. I ordered the tofu sandwich special which was honestly so crispy I was tempted to ask them how they do it because mine never comes out that good! The bun it was on was really fresh and bouncy and all the flavors together were really delicious. I got a giant rice krispy treat for later in my evening and no regrets there either! Everything was very tasty, the staff were kind and the place was clean. Next time if it's warmer out I'll enjoy their outdoor seating, but no question I will be back. read more

Came for lunch and really enjoyed this place. It's is vegan and plant based restaurant with kitschy decor. You can have either healthy vegan or junk food vegan and I opted for junk food. The red chili jackfruit sandwich was very good. If you didn't know, you could not tell there was no meat. The mac and cheese was good and the combo was very filling. Does lettuce make everything somewhat less junk-foody? They have soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees and bites along with dessert. I didn't have room for dessert but would like to try that next time. Menu is pretty large and you have a wide variety of tastes to choose from. read more

The Wayside Cafe - Red chili jackfruit sandwich with mac & cheese - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

We had a wonderful meal here when traveling through Washington! Delicious vegan food and ample portions. Also some yummy bakery items too. Very happy we ate here! read more

delicious comfort vegan food - the almost famous bowl and chicken sandwich are just amazing. read more

Came here with my family this evening. The potato balls, Mac and cheese, tahini bowl and Cajun burger were all delicious. The problem I had was that my six year old son and I ordered side salads...get this...it was JUST lettuce. Yes. Just leafs of plain lettuce with salad dressing in a little disposable cup. I was not impressed nor was my salad-loving child. Salad one star, other food 4 stars. read more

Delicious vegan food. It's a great place to try your first vegan meal. The service was fast and the menu had good variety without being overwhelming. read more

Ok, ya'll, call me w/e you want but when I first pulled up here, I thought of the following keywords: Rydell High, Saved by the Bell, Baywatch and 90's Seattle...in the best way, possible! Is it the interior design? Was it the name? Was it *gasp* both the interior design AND the name? Probably. I think also just the fun whimsical nature of the owners' social media posts. Located right near downtown on the main road across a nice park for outside park stroll noms, the space is quirky yet comfortably cozy. During summer, it's definitely quite warm and a bit stuffy (as you'll see/hear the fan on high up front) but hopefully your meal and good vibes will void that. The rotating art seems to highlight just local awesome work. I really quite like the paint style they went with: just nice horizontal contrast with dark pastel blue, white, black and woodsy furnishings. Their offerings are a super rounded combo of healthy & junky plant-based vegan grub! I don't really like junk vegan food but just looking at their's it's mainly just breaded/fried choice of gluten/protein (I think things like tofu and seitan patties, etc) with the rather proper & healthier accompaniments of lettuce/greens/onions/tomatoes (burger) and similar plus w/e side (entree/rice bowl). I love the big daddy salad with tahini dressing and sometimes they can add the DELISH marinated soy curls to it. Oh. Oh, yeah. My current other favorite is their occasional [Indian inspired] butter chikn special that's totally - and I quote - "Hold the damn phone!" worthy. You can ride this burger or bowl style; I've had both but definitely get the bowl for less mess. =) The burger is a beast of saucy goopy mess that beckons your fingers be licked up the wazoo. The rice bowl is just perfect. Mix some of the saucy soy curls with the cabbage and rice and holy goosebumps! I'm not a huge BBQ fan anymore but the other sandwiches/offerings with jackfruit, etc are pretty damn tasty. The desserts are great for that itch but OK to me. Staff is generally friendly and chill; they can seem a bit edgy when I start asking too many questions (regardless of line). Most of the time I see Fern and she's cool. I followed them since their early kickstarter days and very happy to see their future unfold. read more

The Wayside Cafe - BBQ soy curl bowl with black pepper on top. So good. - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

This used to be a great place to eat. Went there tonight and the service was terrible - sorry I gave the nonsmiling rude person at the front a tip - and the place was so smoky we had to get our food to go. Unfortunately the food was so lousy I didn't eat most of it. There are plenty of great vegan, gluten free options available in downtown Olympia. We will never come here again. read more

Are you kidding me ? Completely vegan plant based restaurant?! I'm ALL about it. And it's SOOOO tasty. Fairly priced and friendly staff. HUGE portions! I was so excited to discover wayside cafe, making eating vegan easy. Also... seems like female owned or at least ran by bad ass females and I'm all about that too! I'm drooling thinking about their food and I just ate here Anyways, if you're in the mood to branch out or trying to find a place to accommodate your diet please please give wayside a try! You won't be disappointed! read more

The Wayside Cafe - Rib plate - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Three pairs of out of towners (one couple from Seattle, another from Portland, a third from central Washington) met for a vegan lunch in Olympia. The couple from central Washington (both vegans) seemed reasonably content, going with the mac & cheeze and BBQ jackfruit. The Portlanders (omnivores, but always happy to eat tasty, well-prepared vegan food) opted for the dan dan and tahini bowls and were less than satisfied. The Seattleites (one vegan, the other flexitarian) ordered cajun chicken sandwiches and potato balls. They finished the potato balls but said their sandwiches tasted like cardboard. Minimal service. Pricey. Uninviting ambiance. While we applaud Wayside Cafe's efforts to serve plant-based food in Olympia, the six of us left more impressed with the intention than with the execution. read more

Taco Tuesday is the best place around for vegan tacos. Brookies hella good too. Actually everything I've had has been excellent and the portions could feed 2. Service has that detached Olympia vibe. read more

We stumbled into this place this afternoon and it instantly became a favorite. We got the pulled jackfruit sandwich with Mac n cheese, buffalo chikn wings and a peanut butter shake... everything was perfect and delicious. read more

Delicious food, friendly staff, and a nice setting! Wonderful gluten free options too. The milkshakes are tapioca-based and a must try for those who are able! read more

Great vibe, Great location, Great food! Stopped here while touring Olympia... my wife and I wanted a good coffee and our daughter was looking for some good vegan dessert options... and this spot did not disappoint on either front. We had the drip coffee with coconut milk and it was bold and quite flavorful. Then of course we didn't want our daughter to have to consume her desserts ALL BY HERSELF... so we picked up a few "pity" pastries to accompany her. First off, none of the vegan desserts TASTED like we we were eating VEGAN DESSERTS. I say that for those that don't know how flavorful and scrumptious well made vegan treats can be.... and everything we picked here was EXTRA scrumptious. Second, the selection was AMAZING. Most places have one or two choices... if you are lucky. This place had a veritable cornucopia of sweet selections... and I say this only because i like using multi-syllabic words to make my prose seem much more significant than it really is... whereas if I followed Mrs Fusselle's sage advice from 3rd Grade, I should have probably used more simple verbiage and expressions that would strike right at the center of the intended meaning... I think she said it slightly differently, but 3rd grade was so long ago, who can tell for sure?!?!?! And finally, the vibe was RIGHT ON... Olympia is a fun, quirky city to begin with and this seems to be the epicenter from which all of that exudes. There was a table in the back, dressed up like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland carrying on quite a lively conversation and thoroughly enjoying themselves as well as the libations on tap. Our only complaint about this place, was not their fault... it was ours. We came here for dessert instead of dessert AND lunch. Once we arrived and smelled the smells and saw the beautiful creations and perused the menu, we felt quite sad that we had just eaten lunch at another fantastic establishment down the street... it just wasn't THIS FABULOUS. This was our last stop before heading up to Seattle for the rest of our trip, but we will definitely find another reason to visit the Pacific Northwest's coolest city and will plop our booties down in one of their comfy seats and gorge ourselves on these creative, plant based lunch options. Until then... you should check it out today... and tomorrow... and the following Tuesday. read more

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My husband and I found this place 5 years ago searching for something vegetarian while traveling through. My husband has recalled how good this food was many times over the years and every time we had been passing through was on a Sunday when they were closed. Today we passed by on a Saturday and we found their new location which is so much nicer, we've had two children since and they loved the Mac and cheese! It was just as good as we had remembered. I stopped myself several times while ordering because I didn't have to omit the meat. Truly a breath of fresh air! Outstanding taste! Thank you! read more

We were looking for. Vegan restaurant on our way from PDX to Lynnwood, Washington today. The Wayside Cafe & Deli fit the bill. We had the Nacho special with Soycurls. a Bargain for $11 plus $2 for protein (we chose the Soycurls). Great dish, super generous portion. We also had the "Ribs" (made with Seitan) served with mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Collard Greens and Mac and Cheese. The "Ribs" were delicious, the Collard Greens had the requisite smoked flavor, the gravy was perfect with the Mashed potatoes and the Mac and Cheese were excellent! It's interesting to note that: I recently had a similar (real) Pork Rib plate with the same trimmings at Reverend BBQ in SW PDX. I equally enjoyed both the plates at Reverend and at Wayside. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. read more

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Wayside advertises itself as a vegan junk food Mecca, and it certainly satisfies the label! But be warned: given the focus on junk/comfort food made vegan, you won't find a plethora of healthy options here. What a good feeling to order from a menu and not have to think twice about whether your food is vegan or not! I ordered the buffalo cauliflower wings (best I've ever had!!! Omg YUM!!), mac and cheese with red chili jackfruit (pretty good and weirdly better leftover and reheated?), and the sesame slaw (not flavortown at all, would not recommend). If I could redo my order, I'd skip the jackfruit in the mac and cheese and instead get tempeh bacon my main takeaway...the buffalo wings are a must and I'd order them every day if I could, but at $8/order, my wallet tells me no! So overall, it's awesome to have an entirely vegan restaurant with unique and tasty options and I can't stop dreaming about the cauliflower wings. In my eyes, the main drawback is the lack of actually healthy food, which could be improved with more variety in veggie side options! It's also worth noting that the employees are super helpful and friendly! 10/10 for service read more

The Wayside Cafe - Cauliflower buffalo wings (MMM), mac and cheese with red chili jackfruit, and sesame slaw - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

It was just perfect weather to try something new!! My husband is vegan and I'm not. I wanted to surprise him and see I'm open to his world. I decided to try this place out. The restaurant is wonderful it's also a good vibe walking in. We ordered and sat down. Our food didn't take that long. I paid about 45 bucks for the potato balls and the two sandwiches(the Norma),cinnamon roll,two drinks. My husband loved his,ate it straight up. I'm not a vegan and I can honestly say I didn't notice the difference. The food was good and again i couldn't tell the difference. Couple things I hated was I couldn't find parking so I had to pay 6 bucks at the hotel behind them(not the restaurants fault just the location sucks). I guess you can say I'm picky. The music was loud I couldn't hear myself think nor hear my husband read more

The Wayside Cafe - Potato Ball - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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Always amazing! The staff are friendly and the food never disappoints. It's so nice having vegan options here. 10/10

the Wayside was excellent...staff is friendly and efficient, and the food well prepared and delicious. We had lunch there, including the "chicken" sandwich and the French dip...both were excellent, and the sides (house slaw and Mac & Cheese) were plentiful and tasty. We both aspire to be full time vegan, and the Wayside certainly presents a convincing pro-vegan argument. Highly recommend! read more

I want to like this place more, but it's barely ever open and the menu is very unhealthy despite being vegan. I can't find anything I can eat on the menu. I like it's spirit and the people working there are cool and friendly. read more

I went during arts walk and expected it to be packed, but it wasn't half bad! Stuff was super nice, told us there would be a wait but food came relatively fast. I tried the cauliflower wings since they were out of chicken and it wasn't bad, just not entirely my jam. Cute storefront though! read more

Decided to try this place out. This is what I noticed: Servings are large. You get a good bang for your buck. I ordered the rib plate. The Mac n cheese tasted pretty close to the real thing. The mashed potatoes were ok- but that's preference because I like mine super creamy and I've only been vegan for 3 months so I'm still adjusting. Ribs and greens were amazing. No waitstaff. But I like that. It's a small restaurant, only a few employees and it hasn't been open long. Expect to put your order in and wait for your name to be called. I will definitely be back and will review other dishes. read more

The Wayside Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Olympia, Washington