Urban Vegan Roots

While visiting Astoria for a few days, I was glad to find Urban Vegan Roots. The variety of choices was immediately exciting and led to multiple meals in my time staying in the area. The first time my mother and I came for dinner, we were sat down quickly and the only difficulty we faced was making a final decision on what to order. In our two visits we ordered the following dishes: mushroom empanadas, The Lucky Sheldon sandwich, The UVK quarter pounder, The bangin' BLT, and the chef's shroom V steak. Each dish was fairly priced and well prepared. I hope more people make time to go out and eat at this great restaurant. Thanks for great food and attentive service. I hope to visit again someday.

The food here is delicious, I must say, but the service is some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. I came in with a group of five, and we had made a reservation in advance. Upon arriving, we stood at the front for about five minutes before anyone acknowledged us, confirmed our reservation, and seated us. Once seated, we were given water but then sat for another 10 minutes before anyone noticed we hadn’t received menus. After that, it was another waiting game for someone to come take our orders. This establishment serves amazing food, but it’s obvious they are extremely short-staffed. They need to update their staffing situation, or it’s going to hurt their business.

I used to be vegan and couldn't wait to try this restaurant. When I arrived I found parking on the street nearby. I walked in and was greeted and sat at a table. The place was so well decorated. Imani and Jimmy were my servers and they were great. I had: Vodka Martini Luca Brasi Oshi Salmon Pasta Bangin' BLT Mississippi Mud Pie I loved the food here and that salmon tasted like the real deal! All in all I had a good experience!

The vegan burger was flavorful and the fries well seasoned. The mushroom hot cocoa drink was nice and earthy, though it had clearly spilled over because the mug was sticky when the server brought it over. The service was on the slower side, but I was not in a rush. The restaurant was hosting a DJ the day I went and the music was unpleasantly loud. My friend who lives here and frequents this establishment more says it’s typically nice and quiet.

Everything is wrong here. Starting with the opening hours, which are listed on Google as 10. We drive through half of New York, hungry for Sunday breakfast. The place, as usual in vegan restaurants, opens late, but the first disappointment meets us inside. Weekend brunch is not some special food situation, food is still ordered from the menu, but an hour earlier 🤦😂 The music is so loud, in addition to the shouting of guests and staff who do not hear each other, that sitting here is torture. And the biggest disappointment at the end - a sandwich, made of white toasted bread, with poor filling, for $17 and orange juice from a bottle (not freshly squeezed!) for $4.50, which is simply strange, especially for a vegan place in NY. Absolute disappointment :(

Just wanted to mention that the food his is truly remarkably good! I'm impressed every time. ♥️ I particularly like the Oshi salmon pasta (which is textured perfectly tender and crispy) and the Chunk steak sandwich (which is cooked and seasoned just right)! Honestly, everything is fantastic.

Plates emptied. Mm food dances on the pallette. Filling and excellent textures, flavors. Ambiance is so intentional. We were lucky to come in with it empty, almost like walking in a musuem! So cute.

So good! I ordered the Korean BBQ wings and the garlic broccoli. I wasn't sure whether I'd like the cashew cheese sauce with the broccoli, so I got it on the side. It was perfect. The wings came with a gochugaru sauce that was quite tasty (just pour it down my throat, please!). Loved all of it, and it turned out to be the perfect amount of food

I liked how much variety there was on the menu! We ended up trying the: - gochujang wings (8/10) - mushroom empanadas (6.5/10) - dew drops on my garden pizza (10/10) - golden era chick'un and waffles (6.5/10) - the steak sandwich, sorry I'm forgetting the name! (7/10) - the fries (10/10) Overall, I enjoyed the food. The ambiance of the place was also great, filled with pictures of influential people. The owner also emphasized this is a community space meant for people to come together, which I thought was really cool. The service itself was great which I also appreciated.

The best part of the day was having lunch with my main guy Ray. We've been to urban vegan roots before, but not during happy hour, we ordered a few things off the happy hour menu had a few adult beverages. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant., very artsy and creative. Service was quick and friendly. We did have a place to ourselves because it was early afternoon if you're into vegan food and you're in New York City by Long Island City give Urban Vegan Roots shot you won't be disappointed.

Stumbled upon this place while visiting family. We were excited to try several dishes after browsing the menu online. Cool atmosphere with many entertainment legends on the wall, lots of graffiti and great tunes playing at all times. Our selections: Garlic Broccoli - hear me out, this isn't the stuff you grew up hating! Perfectly cooked with lots of flavor in each bite. Pickle Fries- love the concept of fries rather than chips or spears, I would recommend cutting these just slightly thinner so they crisp up well but a dish our son devoured. Korean BBQ Wings - Lots of great flavor, decent portion size and the seitan was not your typical dense texture. I would love to see these cut smaller so they remain a little crispy (sensing the theme here?) Bangin BLT - tempeh bacon and their housemade bread may as well be texas toast! My wife loved this one and I thought it was good, just a little too much "butter" on the toast. Wavy Gravy Steak Frites - gravy was nice and peppery, texture of the "steak" was crazy and seasoned well. I would order the gravy on the side otherwise the frites cant be salvaged unless you eat em fast Overall cool concept. As usual, vegan items tend to be on the pricey side, but this place had a vibe.

I'm currently fasting for Orthodox Great Lent (no meat) and my mom and I were curious to try this vegan place. Cool vibes reminiscent of the 80s. The owner was friendly and suggested the best menu items. Very extensive menu! For starters, we ordered the Korean BBQ wings. This had a nice flavor profile with a little spice kick. The sauce for dipping was tasty. Would definitely order these again. My margarita was good. For my main course, I ordered the shrimp tacos. These were... interesting. Definitely not like the taste of real shrimp, but it was fine. I wasn't a huge fan of the texture as I found it a bit too rubbery. The spices and black beans in the tacos stood out to me more. My mom ordered the Chef's Shroom Vegan Steak. Essentially a mushroom-style steak. The Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes in this dish were delicious! For dessert, we ordered the cookie dough ice cream. I've never had vegan ice cream before and this had a nice sweetness to it! I wouldn't mind having this over typical ice cream any day. The only reason I gave this restaurant 4 stars is because the food was pricey, as some Yelpers have mentioned. I understand rents are high in the area, but I would probably rethink the prices. In my opinion, $21 for two shrimp tacos wasn't really worth it. The ice cream portion was also small. $10 for one small scoop of ice cream was a bit steep. We ordered 6 items which added to a total of over $100. And that's including the happy hour discount. I'd come back, but I'd be wary of how much you order. You won't leave hungry, but don't expect a full course meal.

This was my favorite vegan chicken sandwich . It was so so good . I got it marinated with Korean bbq sauce . It was so good so good . Like the best ever . The sauce the housemade bread was delish . The service was quick . The ambiance was so dope I loved it so much . The graffiti and walls are so cool . It's a nice place and the prices are also really good

Very unique decor and an overall really wonderful venue for local musicians to showcase their talents! Would not go if you're looking to have tasty, vegan food though. Drinks and meals are small in portion and overpriced.

The food was plain, flavorless, and the portions were quite small. We ordered the Korean BBQ wings, Buffalo Chick-in sandwich (with a $4 side salad that was just romaine and some dressing) and the chick-un & waffles. The menu on their website vs ordering through Yelp/grubhub was also different (Buffalo chick-un or regular chick-un sandwich). And there's no way to know what's the accurate version as you can't call them and their website directs you to food delivery apps anyway. On top of that unfortunately it seems didn't travel well (despite being not that far away) so when we opened, the food had sweated significantly and shriveled a bit. It was also quite overpriced ($55 before tax and tip). I was disappointed because I was looking forward to trying vegan food in Astoria but it was definitely a let down. Sadly won't be ordering from them again, but maybe (only maybe) sitting down and eating in their restaurant could be better? Not sure.

Urban Vegan Roots is an establishment located in Astoria, Queens that serves 100% Plant-Based vegan cuisine. Urban Vegan Roots and Urban Vegan Kitchen in Manhattan are "Sister Restaurants," and I discovered that after having fabulous brunch at Urban Vegan Kitchen w/ two friends in April 2023. While visiting the website, I read about Urban Vegan Roots and knew that I had to visit. Fast Forward to May 2023 (lol)... myself and Natasha went to Urban Vegan Roots after attending the G&B YEE @ Tea & Milk a couple of blocks away. We were getting closer, and it started to rain, so enjoying our dishes in the restaurant while waiting for the rain to subside was a win-win situation. Urban Vegan Roots sits along a small strip of other eateries, including an Italian Restaurant, etc. It is a specious-enough yet quaint & cozy one floored place. Staff kindly greeted us and sat us immediately. The server was patient and knowledgeable in answering our menu questions. Inside of the establishment are colorful, vibrant pictures displayed as well as spray-paint mural-themed artwork, etc. Salt-N- Pepa, Queen Latifah, and other " feel good" hip-hop music played in the background. Yes, we sang and danced in our seats while eating. Both UVR & UVK play fantastic music. I ordered Fish Cakes w/ Brussel Slaw, Chili Aioli.& Dill. I also had the Mac "N" Cheese - Cashew Cheese Sauce, Bread Crumbs, Scallions (which contained nuts). Natasha ordered Potato Leek Soup w/ Scallions & Grilled Cheese. The Fish Cakes and Mac "N" Cheese were both flavorful, and the dishes were well-prepared. Natasha mentioned that she liked her food. We both had enough left over to take home. I would definitely order the same dishes again. Hours of Operation - Mon - Thurs. 9am-10pm Fri. - 9am - 11pm Sat. - 10am - 10pm Website - www.urbanveganroits.com Instagram- - @urbanveganroots Urban Vegan Roots also has a calendar of events that include DJ Nights, Health Happy Hours, Sol Food Sundays w/ love DJ Sets / Yoga & Brunch, "Open Mic Format" Every Wednesday Evening in which one can bring products to donate to the Astoria Food Pantry. You can also contact Urban Vegan Roots via email at urbanveganroots@gmail.com if you are interested in renting their space or if you want to host an event. Make reservations via Resy. Last but not least, I had a wonderful discussion w/ the Owner / Co-Owner about how Urban Vegan Roots arose from humble beginnings and the inspiration behind the establishment. He is a very intelligent individual. I look forward to returning and ordering the same as well as other marvelous dishes.

Met up with a cousin for dinner here, neither of us have been here before. The atmosphere was really interesting with the graffiti and pictures on the wall. They have a live band playing which includes 2 gentleman playing the saxophone and keyboard. There were 2 women occasionally singing with them. It was a mix of jazz and speech poetry, odd but interesting. We ordered the Buffalo cauliflower and the warrior sandwich. The cauliflower was okay. It had a very mild level of heat. The outside was crunchy but the cauliflower was a bit too raw for my cousin. We enjoyed them but it wasn't a wow. The sandwich had sautéed mushrooms and peppers with pesto on homemade bread. We both enjoyed the sandwich but we thought it was something we could make ourselves at home. The toasted bread was very good though. We ordered a side of fries as well. They were thick cut and cooked very well. They had a little too much pepper on them but if you like your fries to be spicy and heavily seasoned you would really enjoy them. Today was taco Tuesday so they had a special of 2 tacos for $2. The server was quick and always had a smile. Overall I enjoyed dinner as I don't typically go to vegan restaurants. I feel this would be a good lunch spot if you're vegan or looking to try something different.

Multiple options of vegan food to choose from!! I have tried the chicken sandwich with buffalo and bbq and wow amazing taste! The sourdough was delicious as well as their fries! It was so good I forgot to take a pic. The server was friendly and always had a smile. I will definitely be back here to try everything on the menu and to have Saratoga water. The wall art is very cool and dope ambiance as well.

The worst vegan food I have had. They try to imitate comfort food but fail miserably. The pizza had globs of inedible fake cheese-- no joke, like 1/2 cup of fake cheese per glob. It was a total mess. Other dishes were blah. Save your money!

I stopped in after pepping the menu that was on the window. I usually bring my lunch and on this day I didn't and those $2 tacos caught my eye! I walked in and was immediately blown away by the decor, it was beautiful and I sat at the small bar area just looking at all the framed hip hop and frankly all genres of musical artists. I was immediately greeted by staff and told him that I was interested in the tacos and he winked and said good choice. The next thing I knew I had two of the most humbly prepared delicious vegan tacos. I definitely will be back for that French Toast...Go Here!!

Let's first talk about the space located in the one and only Astoria. High ceilings, mellow music played at an ideal volume, windows thick enough to drown out the passing N train, and a super eclectic collection of photographs and graffiti art on the walls. Most importantly: excellent, quick service and some of the best plant-based food you'll ever eat. My friend and I indulged ourselves in the "wavy gravy chunk steak frites" and "we not going to sizzla coconut shrimp." Both of them were 10/10 and would satisfy anyone -- from long-term vegans to dedicated carnivores. Can't wait to return to try more of the menu. Highly, highly recommended.

WOW! This place was amazing! New restaurant but food, ambiance, and service was spectacular. The space is of a decent size and beautifully decorated with photos, graffiti etc. The waitress was attentive and frequently checked in. Some people mentioned the dishes being small and they were but they are filling depending on what you get. I would suggest getting some shareables and a plate. I shared the Mac and cheese and the buffalo cauliflower bites. The buffalo cauliflower bites were crispy and delicious. For the meal I got the chick-un & waffles. The chick-un was just the right crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. My bf got the seitan Parmesan and said it was appetizing. I also tried the Dam, That's My Jam cocktail and really enjoyed it. It had the perfect amount of spice.

Great food and service, went on a Sunday for brunch and the place was such a vibe with good music playing. I enjoyed the mushroom empanadas, French toast and Mac and cheese. My non vegan brother joined me and thought the waffles were tasty.

Food was okay, and came very quickly. I ordered off the QR code on the table but our server was very friendly. This place strongly reminded me of Urban Vegan Kitchen in the city... I wonder if they're somehow sister restaurants? Vibes were the same - extremely loud and felt like I was in a house party. If you like that sort of vibe, this would be a fun place for you, but I was just hungry and wanted food. Not a good place to have a conversation at all lol. I didn't want to be a Karen and ask them to turn down the music so I just quickly scarfed down my food and left. Otherwise, cool place with an interesting vibe.

It's good, but I prefer the menu at the downtown location. I like the decor of this location better though. Staff is just as friendly and attentive at both. Overall I'd say they're as good as each other. If you like one, you'll like the other, though you might have a slight preference like I do.

Honestly, the food tasted fine. My problem is not with the actual quality of food, but I am floored that this tiny portion is $19 worth of cauliflower. I understand that often vegan substitutes for meat products can be expensive, but cauliflower fried with buffalo sauce?! Such a disappointment, such a rip off.

Lovely restaurant, but the dishes are far too small. I came here in August expecting to try a vegan restaurant on the same level as No5NYC in Long Island City. First, the restaurant is beautiful, with a delightful seating arrangement bar a classic bar, and well-thought-out decor. Wait service is professional and prompt wait service. The food looked delicious, so I ordered a margarita pizza. When it arrived, I was surprised to see how small the pizza was in size. and to be honest, it was not worth the approx $20+ I paid. I did not order drinks as I was heading on to another location after that for drinks. Ultimately, I think Urban Vegan Roots might be a success. However, they need to think a little more carefully about what sizes of pizza should be offered for $20 Value for money is still important.

If you have not tried Urban Vegan Roots on 31st St you are missing out!!! The food is absolutely FANTASTIC. Seriously chef quality food. The service was fantastic, our server was so attentive and a water glass was never empty. The menu has so many amazing options to choose from. Even if you are not vegan you will absolutely love this place. The ambiance was fantastic, very upscale and unique with the art. Absolutely AMAZING!! A true 10/10 food experience.

From the first time I went there I Loved the ambience & the atmosphere is amazing. The staff is very friendly & knowledgeable. Their vegan pizza is amazing (unfortunately I didn't get a picture of my pizza, but it tasted great) their drinks were delicious as well.

We've been to Urban Vegan Roots on both of our recent trips to NYC. It's a very cool looking restaurant with a music theme. They play good music too, and apparently there is live music sometimes. We enjoyed the food each time and the drinks are interesting as well. However both times they were not very busy despite being on a weekend. I hope they stay in business!

Beautiful urban bohemian space with excellent and super attentive service and servers. These are type of employees employers should be proud of. With more vegan places emerging, it's easy to find good points of comparison. However, I'll just leave comments on absolute comparison vs relative to other. Unfortunately most vegan restaurants choose to deep fry popular dishes because it's hard to get flavor otherwise. The food was good but not great. The Soccotash Mush Room Scallop was overly salty and had a bit too much citrus dressing, which overpowered the delicate flavors of the mushrooms. Chicken and waffle was ok, but chicken could have used some more flavor, perhaps some spice on the batter. Man n cheese was good.

Not good . Nice staff. Bad food. All previous criticisms are accurate. Everything tasted microwaved

I'm not Vegan so I always avoided this place. HOWEVER, the food is delicious. I'll be back for sure. Very good. Awesome ambiance too.

The lucky Sheldon sandwich and buffalo bites were soooooo good! The waiter which I also think was the owner provided great customer service, the overall vibe of the place was so cool, and the food all came out at a decent time! Definitely will come back again

Prices are absolutely astronomical! But the food is very tasty. $40+ for 2 appetizers tho, so not sure if I can afford coming back lol

Best lunch I had by far on a recent trip to N.Y. Very fresh and hearty salad, great dressing.

my first time trying chicken and waffles as a lifelong vegetarian and it was amazing! i was genuinely shocked with the first bite, the flavors in this dish are amazing and i appreciate the use of seitan because it's so high protein. my recommendation/request for their menu is to add a simple and cheap veggie options. like a small plate of carrots and celery for $5. they have lots of healthy options like salads but I wanted a main that was mostly carbs and protein and don't want to spend another 15 or $20 just to get some veggies in with it.

Amazing food! Everything we tried was amazing I recommend the Mac and cheese, oyster mushroom steak, and the fish sandwich, and the ceviche were all amazing. The place is beautiful and the staff is very friendly and inviting.

I tried to contact the restaurant in order to get a refund or apology. No response, so I have to leave this review here. Have a look at the Thanksgiving Dinner that ended in the trash. I feel disrespected and grossed out by the presentation, size and smell/taste of this food. Just unbelievable!!!

Like many other reviewers have mentioned, the portions are disappointingly small. I did not feel my pizza was worth $19 especially with so little cheese. I hope the restaurant can find a better balance between fair prices and portions. The restaurant handles their own delivery and as evident in the photo, the food was not delivered with care. Three stars for good tasting food.

It was really yummy just need to give more portions of the food for the price being paid, the service was great a very clean restaurant and the vibe is great

Great addition to the neighborhood! The mushroom empanadas are so delicious. I also have to add that the service was amazing. I will be back

Great food! Great atmosphere! Great people! Don't leave without trying the Korean bbq wings. We love grabbing a mocktail here as well.

Food was delicious for I quickly ordered, love the atmosphere and customer service was fastastic what more can I ask..

Stay away. Waited 30 mins for our food with no explanation. Rowdy atmosphere, even for a Sunday brunch. 20 minutes after placing our order (and paying, tipping in advance on our phones) we asked a server to check on our food. He did and never updated us. So we asked him five minutes later and he said they were working on it. Another five minutes go by and I ask to speak to the manager. They bring me someone else who had been serving tables. Instead of apologizing, she said that a 30 minute wait is pretty standard at most restaurants. Hah! She unapologetically tried to gaslight me into thinking I was crazy. She told me that they were putting the finishing touches on our meal and so we stayed. The food was cold. I've eaten in Astoria for more than ten years and I can tell you that there are easily hundreds of better restaurants to choose from. Do not eat here.

The pizza was VERY undercooked (almost doughy), the Buffalo chicken sandwich that I got was so salty that I took half a bite out of it and had to send it back. The atmosphere was very nice, the waiters were very nice, definitely a nice place to go to on a Friday night, just didn't enjoy the entrees. I enjoyed their mocktail options. They do live music so it's a good place to go to if you're sober and want to get drinks and appetizers and enjoy your night out

Really good vegan food! I have been to their sister restaurant, Urban Vegan Kitchen, so I was really excited to check out this spot. Food was great, staff was friendly, and I love the decor inside. My favorite dishes were the Buffalo wings and the In Da Club sandwich. Highly recommend!

Great vegan food. Love the menu and the decor inside, the buffalo wings were my favorite. Very friendly wait staff as well