Rebel Cheese Essex Market

My friend is obsessed with Rebel Cheese and usually has it shipped from Texas, so when I found out they had a spot at Essex Market I had to pick some up for her birthday. The staff was friendly and helped me put together a great spread. Everything is completely vegan, but you’d never know it; the flavors are rich, creamy, and complex, just like traditional cheese. It’s such a treat to have Rebel Cheese available in NYC without the wait or shipping costs. Highly recommend for vegans and non-vegans alike.

As a long time vegan this was a total thrill to find! The cheeses are all super flavorful and the texture felt like real dairy cheese. The employee was friendly and helpful but not at all pushy and allowed me a few tastes to decide which wedges to purchase. Can’t wait to get these home and enjoy a full cheese board experience for the first time in ages!

I didn’t buy a fine cheese here because I’ve never been into fancy cheeses. But I chose their tomato-pepperoni (ish) on foccacia sandwich, which he heated up with a panini press. It was $15, but huge and satisfying and very unique to me. I also had a chocolate chip salted tahini cookie, which was soft and decadent. This place is worth it!

Ok so I discovered Rebel Cheese by watching the Shark Tank video and I decided to try it out. I’m not vegan but I always love trying new things and bonus if it’s a healthy alternative. I’ve ordered numerous times on their website and then I finally decided to take the plunge and go in person to the Essex market location. I was pleasantly surprised to discover some items that are not on their online menu. I bought a hunk of fresh blue cheese and asked about the nutritional information. The clerk wasn’t sure since they don’t make it in house, so he advised me to email Customer Service. I ended up connecting with a customer service representative, who told me there was absolutely no way to find out the nutritional information for the fresh blue cheese. I find that extremely disappointing because the cheese has to come from somewhere, and I thought everything being sold to the public needs nutritional info, or at the very least all allergy info. But the Customer Service rep told me there was no way possible to find out the nutritional contents of the fresh blue cheese. That’s my biggest gripe. Otherwise, I really do enjoy all their cheeses, despite the cost. Wish there was a way to find out what’s in this cheese though.

I’ve tasted a lot of different vegan cheese brands over the years and Rebel Cheese rivals the best of them! Ghost pepper jack was my personal favorite on the cheese flight we had today. The customer service was also great - they let us try each cheese before picking which ones we wanted for the flight.

Finally made it to Rebel Cheese in nyc. No question it gets 5 stars. I’ve tried the brie, truffle brie, and honee pistachio so far. I’ve been vegan for 8 years and this is by far the best vegan cheese I’ve had.

The best vegan cheese selection you Will experience in your life! Added bonus that their cold cuts are somewhat comparable to the real thing and delicious.

Amazing! So delicious. Great service. Cheese has been saved for this vegan who was trying to forget it existed! Tomato fromage is amazing. Cheddar, pepper jack and Brie also delicious. Virgin cheese white cheddar may have been my favorite though! Legit!

I love the variety of vegan cheese at Rebel Cheese. Both of my items were delectable. I used the Simply Blue Cheese as are part of my vegan charcuterie board. It was so divine. The cannoli was such a great ending to my dinner. I am never disappointed by their selection and customer service.

This excellent place remains surprisingly uncrowded. All items offer great satisfaction. The restaurant features unique atmospheric elements. Workers showed warmth that felt completely natural. This place has made my favorites list!

I first found this place early pandemic, and they had really limited seemingly random hours. I got to go last week and found out they're now open 7 days a week! Jump for joy time. They have snacks, drinks, stuff to make your own charcuterie board, so much on one end, and on the other is a MASSIVE glass case of cheese just like you'd find at a nice cheese shop or grocery store...but it's all vegan. Yes. All of it's vegan. For my lactose intolerant mostly vegan self, this place is a game changer. I wish it weren't so pricey for my budget, but it's worth it when I'm able to go. I got a flight which came with jam and crackers, and got balsamic fig, a mozz and a goat cheese with herbs. It was so good I want another one already if you haven't been here you don't know what you're missing, this place is so incredible

About as good as a vegan can get when it comes to cheese. A great selection of mostly nut/cashed-based cheeses in all the sorts of styles you'd expect at a regular formagerie. The person on duty was friendly but not particularly resourceful in terms of recommendations or distinguishing between types of cheeses. Sampling would have been good too. There was also a bit of a wait. A great little store nonetheless!

Came here with my significant other to pick out some vegan cheese and Jarell was beyond helpful! I don't normally write yelp reviews for stands and marketplaces but I feel compelled to here. Jarell took time to ask what flavors we enjoyed eating and recommended several cheeses based on our likes. He worked with us to create the perfect assortment and when I was asking him about the crackers he personally came from behind the counter to take a look and tell us his favorites. If you're in this area and you like cheese- you need to come here. Notice I didn't say vegan, because if you're not vegan it doesn't matter it is THAT Good!

Every bit as good as I hoped it would be! So glad I can have brie and parmesan back in my life, now that I can't eat dairy anymore. We will be ordering this to make a charcuterie board. So glad this place exists!

Incredible selection and service. Haven't had a bad cheese here. I love the way the cheeses and everything are all laid out, and I love that you can also ask very specific questions about the cheeses and the person helping you will be knowledgable. They take their vegan cheeses seriously.

I've been dairy free for about 5 years now and have never had vegan cheese as good as Riverdel!! So good in fact I went here after my breakup to buy cheese to feel less empty. Anywho, the cheese made me smile more than he ever did. 10/10

Fabulous cheese. I order from the store in Austin even though they have one in NYC that is closer but I can't get to it. A little expensive but for those of us who can no longer eat dairy it's nice to have this option. Just be aware that shipping takes longer than expected so if you're aiming for same week delivery forget about it.

5:40 pm --cashier turned me away & the people in front of me. I was ready to buy--cashier told me they were given permission to close early. Website said open till 7-I traveled from Brooklyn just to shop at Rebel. Won't make that mistake again.

I have tried a lot of pretty bad non-dairy cheeses, so I didn't really go into this tasting with the highest of expectations. We ordered a "cheese flight" of three -- a smoked cheddar, a blue, and a Brie. I'd say that the flavor was great on the smoked cheddar, but the texture wasn't quite right for what is typically a hard cheese. (If you're a fan of spreadable cheese, I guess this might be more your jam.) The flavor wasn't quite there on the blue, but the texture "worked" better. The best combination of taste and texture was the Brie, which was particularly tasty with the jam and crackers. I wasn't *mad* to have eaten this -- and often vegan substitutes do make me a little grrrrrr because they're often so processed and so terrible. But this was not bad, and I'd like to try some of the dessert options (tiramisu) and a cream cheese, the latter of which never really impresses me much as an actual dairy item.

This place! Highly highly recommend for any vegan looking for quality vegan cheese. There are so few places like this available for vegans and this place does not disappoint. There are so many options for vegan cheese. The staff are always so helpful. It's a small section nestled inside the busy Essex Market. I have tried so many of their cheeses and have never been disappointed. A must try if you're in the area.

We managed to stumble upon this shop while looking for a place to sit down and eat. Absolutely amazing. The amount of choices is incredible, and after purchasing a few types of vegan cheese, I can confidently say that Riverdel is an amazing choice! I highly enjoyed everything I got there, and would definitely go back!

Really inconsistent with how much cheese they give you. Last time a guy and a new girl helped me but gave me 3 pieces of cheese less than 0.25 in thick. Really laughable as I come here weekly but probably will no longer. 1/8lb of cheese for $16! Crazy! The woman that regular works there gives me a consistent and fair amount.

Riverdel is tucked away inside of Essex market. I love the fact that there is an all vegan gourmet cheese shop in the city. There were so many varieties available - I would say 30+. About half are Riverdel branded. We got the vegan flight and tried 3 cheeses plus crackers. The cheeses were delicious - we got a spicy one, one that resembled Brie, and one that was fig and onion. All were creamy and SO good. The crackers in the flight were super basic and not enough for the amount of cheese. Not a huge deal at all, but would have been nice to have something more gourmet to match the cheeses. We also got some pastries - croissants, cookies, etc. I enjoyed those, but this is a place you come for the cheese. And I would definitely go back!!

A VEGAN cheesemonger? Pinch me. Thank you for existing, Riverdel! I cannot wait until I feel safe enough to venture out to their shop in Essex Market to peruse their goods (and sample! I am not a sample person, usually, but how could I resist?). This review is for mail order. I ordered: 4 oz Catskill Fire (Cheezehound) My absolute favorite! It's spicy, salty, cheesy perfection. I loved the firm texture as well. 4 oz Trufflehound (Reine) If you love earthy chevre-style cheese, this is for you! 4 oz Rustic Alpine style (Riverdel's oat milk cheese) This was my least favorite as I didn't like the almost gelatinous texture nor did I like the flavor at all. Perhaps it was the wrong item, but I didn't think this resembled what I would expect to be something like Swiss cheese. Some tips: -Try to order as early in the week as possible. Their cheeses are on high demand and sell out, naturally, so this way you'll be able to get your favorites. -Follow their storage advice (it's on their website)! I typically leave out my vegan cheese to get to room temperature. If you wish to do the same, do NOT leave the entire piece out unless you plan to eat it all. I stupidly did this and the majority of my order had mold on it by the next day. I think I had legit tears in my eyes as I threw it away. The moral of the story is to protect your purchase. These are not highly processed cheeses like you find in the health food store. I've been a diehard fan of Riverdel since purchasing their cheese at Orchard Grocer. I think that with so many varieties, you're bound to find something you adore! The fact that you can sample means that you'll be able to be confident that you're picking a cheese that you truly love.

Best vegan blues! Loved the Nutty Foods brand Simply Blue. Wishing they gave taste samples.

Best vegan cheese on planet earth. I adore your cheese. Let me know how to buy it online!

I love Riverdel's vegan cheese wheels and their provisions. Their staff is great. I especially adore Danya! Few requests: To add more low fodmap provisions, and to have a better line queue system. People get very feisty and loosely entitled about their spot in line even if you know for-a-fact you got there before them LMAO They're ridiculous ^_^ Anyway, I love Riverdel. Go try their "cheeses" and taste for yourself

This cheese monger is awesome! Dani guided me through cheeses and snacks to create a yummy cheese plate for my movie experience next store at the Regal. The vegan chocolate, Chomp is so yummy, also got the Trash and Rebel cheeses. I'll be back!!

I haven't been to Riverdel in over 2 years and it felt great to stop by here when I was in the area for other reasons. They have a great selection of artisan vegan cheese either made by them or from other local vegan cheese businesses. They also have a big selection of vegan grocery food from your pasta to even a vegan yogurt starter! I decided in the truffle and charcoal cheese from Cheezehounds and it's been forever since I had the Riverdel Pepper Billy! The minimum to order is 1/4lb. I would definitely come back if I need cheese or other goods for special occasions. They also offer a few vegan baked goods from local vegan bakeries

I've been a patron of Riverdel since they opened in Essex Market. Their vegan cheeses are absolutely delicious. I brought some truffle cheese to a non-vegan cheese fete recently and it was a hit! Their cheeses are not cheap and they tend to get moldy faster than other cheeses, but these are craft cheeses and well worth the while. Just be aware you can't leave them sitting in the refrigerator. The staff has always been friendly and helpful to me and yes, sometimes there is a long line, but that's because they're so good!

You can go here for all your cheese needs. Besides their own homemade cheeses you can buy by the pound, they have most brands of packaged vegan cheeses and cheese products (ravioli, cream cheese, boxed mac and cheese). They also sell vegan sandwiches and desserts but I don't necessarily recommend them. I got a whole wheat english muffin with a slice of tofu, vegan bacon, cheese, greens, and a slice of tomato. It was good but just nothing to go crazy over. On the other hand ... you can go crazy over their homemade cheeses. Whether you need something specific for a recipe or just want to try out different types, they have the cheese you need: blue cheese, feta, all kinds of cheddar, gouda, cheese with beer, cheese with figs--you get the idea. For the cheese plate you get to choose 3 cheeses and I went with the white truffle, Heinrich, and a kind of white cheddar. I was excited to try the Heinrich that had beer and caraway seeds but it ended up being my least favorite because there were way too many seeds. Surprisingly my favorite was what seemed to be the most basic, the cheddar (I wish I could remember the name!). This cheese was amazing in its similarity to the dairy version. I would love to make a mac and cheese with it being as rich and flavorful as the real thing. You are welcome to sample their cheeses as well before purchasing and the woman that helped me was super nice.

Going to the Riverdel booth in Essex Market is such a divine experience. It's vegan self care! I feel so fancy picking out a cheese and getting new ones recommended to me and having it sliced fresh. There are some really nice people working there that seem like they genuinely love plant based cheese! They also have so many other goodies in a mini grocery and hot sandwiches. If you're in need of a pick me up, browse the cheeses at Riverdel... just be prepared to walk out of there with more than one! Ps random but Essex Market really did them dirty by placing them right across the aisle from a meat vendor. It's kinda off putting.

Great cheeses but why are they sooooooo slow? It makes no sense. If there are two people in front of me in line, I usually just give up and leave because I know I'll be waiting for 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure they could make 2x more business if they just moved faster.

I said I am allergic to gluten, and I literally came here because I have celiac. Despite me repeating I am allergic to gluten and I cant find the crackers they recommend me  trying the vegan cheese with. The employee insisted they have GF and when I couldn't find it, he came all the way around and told me all of these are gluten free. He recommended Norwegian Crisp Bread Knekkebrød (Rosemary And Lemon) $10.50. Which says wheat free! Vegan... I trusted him and didn't want to offend after being drained by the owner she made me feel bad about asking questions. I walked up and tried it.. My whole body felt so heavy, few hours later my skin itching and pimples  plead on the following day on my arms and face (skin rash) I am bloated, fatigued, depressed, and over eating to replenish my immune system that is the fighting the gluten attack!!! I am so sick!!! it kills my immune system, if I get covid I DIE. this business put MY LIFE AT RISK!!! to sell and trick the costumer, GOD forbid if it was someone else he would have died!!! The gluten will take up 3-6 months to leave my body completely. You must offer to cover my medical bills!!! Should I sue them? .  English is my second language. please check the camera! The employee confirmed it is since its a vegan place and all home made, I didn't feel like offending anyone and believed his words!!!!  it doesn't contain gluten..you can't print the label and the owner was there and ignored my allergy! I hope you understand the consequences of the misinformation your employee done and how much it damaged my body, and you are responsible for this this is your business. Its your job to teach your employee and you were present and saw me asking him and ignored like ( i dont care I want your money$) You are not bringing value or service to the community. Sooner or later you will pay for this. You lack empathy

I was only vegetarian because I couldn't give up cheese. I had tried all the vegan cheese alternatives and they were so bad! When I came across Riverdel everything changed. This place is sooooo good and the cheese is better than non vegan cheese (and I'm a cheese addict). Once a week I'll go and get 3 different kinds until I try all of them. So far my favorite has been "tramp" which has truffle and the havarti dill they are so flavorful. (The lady working behind the counter makes me nervous and feel rushed.. I feel like I have to be extra nice to her or she'll be mean/rude) Would appreciate if staff was a little more friendly.

The service here is painfully slow and the staff has ZERO sense of urgency. Seriously, they couldn't care less. There was less than 5 customers and I still waited 15 minutes for two packaged to go items. Silly me for waiting. This is not the first time and I'm positive it will not be there last since clearly there has been no improvement. I've been supporting since they first opened up in Brooklyn, they were MUCH more friendly and attentive then. Won't be returning.

Vegan cheese galore! This was one of my favorite finds while at the Essex Market. I ordered several cheeses to make a cheese plate for my family's Christmas dinner. Mind you they are all carnivores but told them these are made with nuts and the only cheese I could eat. Well, all I can say is that these were so good that all the cheese was gone before we had dinner, everyone was shocked there was no dairy in them. Needless to say I loooved them all. I just found out I can order online and get it shipped to L.A, so I'll be placing an order ASAP.

I really hate leaving bad reviews for small vegan business. But the wait here was absurd. The lady took her dear sweet time chit chatting, sharing samples and fiddling around I kid you NOT for an hour after I said I was in a rush to pick up some cheeses and head to Penn to catch my train (which I missed btw). Jesus Christ lady this is NYC ain't you ain't lasting long with your snail speed

My sister and I tracked across the city in search of the best vegan cheese, and man did this place deliver. We split a sample box and all of the cheeses, jams, and crackers DELIVERED. I was a bit of a cheese person before going vegan, and this was perhaps some of the best cheese I have had. The staff was very present, and amid the chaos of Essex Market, Riverdale is incredibly calm and lovely. It may seem expensive, and perhaps it is, but I am definitely glad my sister and I made the splurge. Getting to try so many wonderful selections of cheese made me so excited to go back! I highly recommend :)

I want to start by mentioning that I own and run a restaurant. I felt compelled to write a review. My first impression is positive. The cheeses in the display case look so inviting and delicious. They have many different options. I like that they offer exclusively non dairy options. Here's the problem: I wasn't able to actually buy anything. I've visited the location twice. Each time I was excited and wanted to try it, and each time I walked off frustrated, ignored by the employees. During my first visit, there was one employee working, and she was tending to a family of 3, who looked like they were really enjoying the experience. She didn't greet me or check up on me once. I knew what I wanted, and waited over ten minutes to order some cheese. This was taking too long. I left. Still, I really wanted to try some cheese! At my second visit, i went with my husband. There were 2 employees working and 2 people ahead of me. With double the employees, there should be double the efficiency and speed of service, right? Wrong. As we waited to be served, the customer ahead of us kept trying more samples while holding the staff hostage with their attempts at wit and banter. At this point I was given one cheese sample but the employee never returned to me so I could place my grilled cheese order. We continued to wait as the guest ahead of us was doing his best impressions of a late night talk show host. One of the staff sensed our growing impatience, and tried to give the customer a hint by joking about a cheese sample limit. Sadly the customer was oblivious as he called the employees cheese dominatrixes. Okay, weird. We got sick of the lame jokes and the wait and left. I get the employees want to give a personal touch to each customer. But they need to be more sensitive of other people's time, especially for customers who don't want to chat and just want to get their food and go. The staff need to learn how to multitask and handle more than one customer. It doesn't take much effort to just acknowledge me and take my order. Or at least be able to politely tell an indecisive customer that you need to tend to another one waiting in line in order to keep the line moving. I went to try this place twice, and each time I left with nothing and frustration. Management needs to step up and work on improving the flow. Until then, I won't return.

This is a vegan cheese lover's paradise. My friend and I went last week and hand to God, I dreamt about going back the same night. It's embarrassing, yet true. The woman behind the counter was more than knowledgeable about the cheeses and so kind to us both. I am going back tomorrow to buy more cheese and can not wait. If you have been wanting to go vegan, "but cheese though!", as I once was... just go to Riverdel. They help make the transition easier.

This is an amazing 100% vegan cheese shop! They have a huge selection of unique vegan cheeses you won't find anywhere else, as well as pasta, sauces, breads and prepared sandwiches and baked goods. You can get everything you need for a special meal here and it's totally worth a visit if you're vegan or just looking to try something new!

Awesome specialty vegan cheese shop! Perfect for making a cheese platter/if you need soft cheeses. I had never really had vegan soft cheese (besides Mykonos, does that count?) before this, and these cheeses were actually really nice! I got the Brie and aged cheddar. Both solid choices!

We had such a great experience here; Clauditte was exceptionally patient with all our questions and have us great information and advice about the cheeses. We bought 7 samples and then bought a pound of our favorites (the house picante, Reine sharp cheddar, Rind lapsang, and Conscious Creamery maverick). They are in stall 35 on the ground floor (the one where you enter).

I am not a full time vegan only because I LOVE cheese. Riverdel's vegan cheeses, however are incredible. The texture and taste are very similar to dairy cheese and I was very impressed with the vast variety of options they have. The person working when I visited last Friday was so excited to explain everything about the cheeses, was such a great help, and chose a lovely set of four cheeses so I could create a cheese board. The truffle brie was amazing and so were the dragon fig and something that had mustard in it. Will be back for sure!

A lot of vegan cheese choices this place is a goldmine for vegan cheese lovers. it's a bit expensive but good quality lots of choices.

My husband ordered some cheese for delivery. We immediately put it in the fridge upon arrival. When we opened it the next day, 2 of the 4 cheeses had small spots of mold. When we contacted the store they referred us to proper storage of cheese. Very disappointed

AMAZING!! Whoever gave them less than five stars is seriously delusional. This is the best cheese you'll ever eat, vegan or not. They also have other vegan foods and sandwiches. Very friendly staff and affordable prices. The brie, fig, and truffle cheeses are some of my favorites. 10 stars if I could.

So happy to have you in the neighborhood! What an incredible selection of vegan cheeses. I'm excited to try the fig orange jelly, next time. The two girls working the counter this morning were very polite and helpful. NOTE TO THE MANAGEMENT: Why is there a minimum purchase of $8 for the cheese (FYI: that's the cost for three 1 oz pieces of cheese). So I can't just purchase one 2 oz piece of cheese. Silly. I found that a bit ridiculous, and won't go for it again next time.

They have some amazing vegan cheeses! I particularly enjoy the ones that have camembert mold. As with dairy cheeses, the flavors and textures are very varied. I find exploring the range to be quite fun, but for sure, there are some I will always come back to and others I only need to try once.

This place is so good! Cool staff, clean place, and an insane variety of vegan cheese! Nice selection of other vegan stuff too- love it!

I come with my non-vegan partner every time we're in new York now!

Riverdel is revolutionizing the non-dairy artisanal cheese game. As a vegetarian, cheese was one of my last hold out foods. This place is a perfect substitute for my cheese cravings. It tastes better in most cases and there is the added benefit of knowing no animals were harmed in the process. When I tell my friends about the cheese here they don't believe me! And when they finally taste it they are blown away. This place is amazing.

I love the selection , service and set up of this place ! Absolutely perfect and cheese are delicious dairy free alternatives

This vegan cheese is soooo good. I'm not a vegan but I love to try new things. I also feel like I can eat a quarter lb guilt free without feeling like crap from dairy. It doesn't really have the texture of cheese but more like a spread. I've tried 4 types and all were amazing.

Had such a weird experience here. Was my first time and also very excited to go here. However like another previous person stated the customer service kind of sucks. The person behind the counter in the morning prioritized cutting cheese above the growing line of people who were placing orders. She told each and every one of us that our cheese order would have to wait since she was cutting cheese and to come back in 10-15 mins. How does that work? Isnt this something you do in between customers? There was literally about 4 people waiting for no reason while the person behind the counter just made a list of what we needed. Needless to say, I didnt spend any money there. Sorry guys.

Best vegan cheese spot in the city, hands down. You won't find this kind of assortment anywhere, so many to try! Service was very friendly. The smoked Gouda was just bonkers along with the pepper Jack. Can't wait to come back to try more!