Red Pipe - New York

I really want a charming veg cafe in my area, but this place consistently disappoints me. I have tried multiple times to enjoy it, ordering 3-4 vegetarian dishes, espresso, coffee, and cold brew. Unfortunately, everything is just average at best. The only positives are the cozy interior, the supportive community, and the delicious prepackaged muffins from another source. While the food and drinks may be lacking, the vegan muffins are truly exceptional.

This cafe has totally overhauled its menu and business model, so previous reviews are irrelevant. It serves meat and tuna fish now. Its new menu actually has zero vegan options but there seem to be unlisted grab-and-go vegan wrap options in the fridge. There are prepacked vegan baked goods (made by Sensible Edibles) and plant-based milk options. There may have been a change in ownership or management, because this spot is now called Red Pipes Cafe . The website still has the old menu (RIP Mediterranean and Vegan Reuben sandwiches) but the Facebook page has images of the updated menu. It seems like most of the food is pre-made and heated up to order now rather than made fresh. That 's probably for the best because it certainly speeds up food prep. The vegan baked good options are good, but the tofu wrap I had (not on the menu, but available in the cooler) was abysmal. There was zero effort made to make the wrap even remotely appealing. The tofu was raw, completely unseasoned, and still a little wet, as though it wasn 't pressed/drained properly. There was hummus and a little dressing in the wrap, but definitely not enough to counteract the plain tofu. I didn 't enjoy or even finish it. The coffee is good and the atmosphere is cozy. I appreciate the local art on the walls. I hope the cafe brings back more quality vegan options. Updated from previous review on 2022-01-07

Thank you for the amazing atmosphere! The environment is so relaxed and chill. I love that there are table games to play. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting. Thank you!

I have had a mix of excellent and disappointing meals since I began coming here a year ago. I was about ready to give up on the restaurant, but decided to give it one last try. I 've decided I will definitely not be returning. The quality of the food has gone down, although what solidified this decision for me was the owner 's nasty attitude. We ordered two decaf iced cappuccinos and thought nothing more of it. After drinking part of it, we decided to double check that it was made with non-dairy milk (I 'm strict vegan). Turns out that unless you specify which kind of milk you want, this *vegan* restaurant defaults to whole milk. This is both concerning and disappointing. When we expressed this to the owner, there was no apology, just him blaming us for not specifying. (His employee, Paige, handled the situation with much more grace, apologizing and making sure I wasn 't allergic) He reluctantly remade them, and when I clarified that they were decaf, he ignored me. I repeated myself, and he said I heard you, you just should have specified sooner. Ummm, the original order was decaf... Seriously? I 'm going to be working to find and support a better establishment.

I made a special trip to this restaurant because of its rave reviews, particularly for their baked goods. However, I was disappointed by my experience. I ordered a BLAT sandwich along with four different baked goods: red velvet cupcake, pecan pie, apple spice muffin, and chocolate cheesecake muffin. The only item that I enjoyed was the red velvet cupcake. The pecan pie was a disappointment and did not resemble a traditional pecan pie at all. I believe that anyone could make a better vegan pecan pie using a recipe from Isa Chandra. Their vegan bacon also fell short compared to other recipes available online. On a positive note, my non-vegan friend had a smoothie that he found satisfactory.