Whether you're looking for organic salads, vegetarian sandwiches, vegan soups or just a really healthy, flavourful (and filling) lunch, Urban Herbivore has got you covered.
Sure enough, Toronto is already a great place to find a good meatless lunch, but with the standard sandwich shops are still making a "veggie" sub out of the lettuce and tomatoes other sandwiches include as filler, this Kensington Market kitchen is redefining the Veg Sandwich.
A friend and I pop by in the early afternoon after nearly being sidelined by freshly baked chicken pupusas up the street. They smelled so good, but we were looking for a few more vitamins in this refuelling session. After examining both salad and sandwich options at Urban Herbivore, we order up 2 sandwiches: Avocado and Grilled Vegetable ($6.49).
Everything is made on-the-spot when you order, so we take a seat in the window of this house-turned-eatery and wait.
First up: Avocado. Presented on a multi-grain bun (made in-house), it's packed with avocado, bruschetta-style chopped tomatoes, spinach, sprouts, etc, etc.... and it looks amazing.
"Well how is it?" I ask(as my friend had not even considered waiting 'til my food arrived).
"This is... (chomp chomp) so, (chomp) sooo, (chomp) GOOD. Can't you see I'm eating?"
She looked more like she was inhaling, but there was no time to grow jealous. My grilled vegetable sandwich was here.
As if fresh bread wasn't good enough, these sandwiches are also toasted. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and this one was stuffed with warm grilled eggplant, soft sweet potato, zucchini, chopped tomato, red peppers, shredded carrot, alfalfa sprouts, spinach leaves, olive paste, and the list goes on (pictured at the top).
All that, and it wasn't even heavy or oily. Wow. If it hadn't been so incredibly filling I would have ordered up a second one just for the joy of it.
Finally, on the way out, I picked up some freshly squeezed pink lemonade. Very zesty, my friends. It was great (especially on a hot afternoon), but not one for the wimpy lemonade drinker! I'm pretty sure I looked like I was winking at strangers as I sipped!
All in all, herbivore or not, I'd highly recommend this lunch to anyone. It's practically got me trying to book work in the area just so I'll have an excuse to stop in.
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Urban Herbivore
64 Oxford St. (Corner of Oxford & Augusta)
Toronto, Ontario
416-927-1231
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Urban Herbivore does catering as well. We had a platter of their sandwiches, and to-die-for homemade dessert selections for an evening meeting and it was wonderful. And, tremendous value compared to other places our organization has used in the past. Healthful, delicious, economical - what's not to adore?!
I agree with the "veggie" sandwiches in other places. Everything you want to order has either cheese, or mayo or both. It is so difficult to find good non-dairy eats around town.
The avocado is my absolute favourite.
They have amazing custom-crafted salads too. Spelt muffins and fresh juice drinks.
Holy cow, do those sandwiches look good. Drool.
You're not even mentioning their DELICIOUS SOUP. $3.50 for a bowl which is a STEAL, and you can get the mason jars full of the yumminess too (if there is any left.)
mmm, soup. We didn't have any on this occasion as it was just too hot out to be tempting, but noticed the fridgeful of soups, sauces, salads, etc available. Such a great idea. Maybe I'll pass by and pick some up today...
I see you mentioned 'olive paste', at the bottom of your list. Really it should have been mentioned in CAPS LOCK at the top as it is the most vile and horrifying spread in the known universe. And even though I like Urban Herbivore on every other count, they really dropped the ball on the olive paste/tapenade situation. Last time I was there, nowhere did I see a mention of the noxious, palate-killing condiment. That shit overpowered my sandwich. I say there should be mandatory labelling when it comes to a paste that ethnically-cleanses my tastebuds. Better yet, all olives and their pastes should be banned (except for olive oil, of course). If you agree, then you should join the "Anti-Tapenade/Olive (Olive Oil Excluded) Facebook Group".
Down with Tapenade!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2325928153
LOL!! Alright folks, you've been warned.
In the meanwhile though, can I have your portion? I could eat olive tapenade by the SPOONFUL. Mmmmm.
Will definitely need to check out the place on my weekly visit to Kensington. I'm still drooling over that grilled sandwich...
Btw, I LOVE olives! Just came back from a year in Spain and didn't even know olives could come in such countless varities... IN Spain, one doesn't simply choose an olive oil by brand or whether it's extra virgin or not. One chooses by the kind of olive. There's an entire row in the supermarkets or olive oils made with every kind of olive. Most ppl buy large 4-5 litre jars for home consumption... ok, I digress...
You should look around and notice that this restaurant is filthy. Just look under the cooking equipment, on top of the refrigerator and in the corners and sides of the space. They use inferior ingredients and 99.9% is non-organic including the greens, potatoes, peppers, and non-filtered tap water... and you are paying organic prices for the dishes. Go to a regular restaurant and just buy what suits you it is a lot cheaper for getting the same produces.
The joke is on the buyers.
I was there a few days ago and ordered the sandwich. Contrary to all the ranting about the olive paste, it was very delicious. you can substitute other toppings for the standard ones if they don't suit your taste. I ordered an avocado, bruschetta, artichoke heart and radish sandwich on whole grain. It was delicious+AMAZING (and I'm not even a vegetarian)! and HUGE. For 8.50 it's worth splitting with a friend since you won't be able to finish the entire thing yourself.
Clearly you were raised on Kraft Dinner. The word philistine comes to mind!
Soup, sandwich and fresh juice came to $18 today. Everything tasted good.
Sometimes your order isn't ready all at once - but that's pretty typical of many places in Kensington.
Would like to see at least a small focus on organic. I would pay extra for that. Don't think anything is organic currently.
This joint is awesome! The staff are friendly & attentive. The food is wonderful. I'll be definitely making this a regular hangout.
Had one of the most delicious chocolate chip cookies. Cant wait to go back.
i love their grain bowls. mmm
but their juices/lemoades are sooooooo sour for my taste. makes my tongue burn half way
The spelt sweet potato muffins are ridiculously delicious... will be your breakfast and snack! Grain bowls beat others in town hands down.
Their salads are priced decent, $8.50, for the amount you get. Way better than Fresh.
SWEET POTATO DATE MUFFINS. You have to try them. I am not kidding - I don't kid about these things.
Seriously, since I've had a muffin from there, I've been hooked. I live about a block away from Herbivore, so have possibly too much easy access to the muffins at this place. It's like a crack addiction and it's pretty well where my money goes.
Anyway, muffins aside, their grain bowls and sandwiches are pretty awesome too. Highly recommend getting the celery root, bbq tofu, and seitian as toppings for your bowl.
Sandwiches. The only thing I have tried so far that I didn't really like was the "handwich" which is basically a hand-shaped bun with toasted coconut, tomato, lettuce, and cashew butter on the inside. It was $6 ($2.50 cheaper than their other sandwiches), but I wasn't that happy about the lack of sandwich fillings. The $8.50 sandwiches are loaded full and I can usually only finish half in a sitting.
Kay, final word - seriously, muffins. Try the muffins.
I forgot to mention in my last post that I am desperately trying to replicate the muffins at home. It's because I'm moving out of the city soon - I'm pretty sure I'll go through withdrawal shakes once I leave.
My question - Does anyone have a decent recipe for this?!
Its an absolute favorite of mine..I hate the fact that my current job is not close enough to UH. I wish they open 5 more lcoations in downtown.. like 'Fresh' (which is good too... but UH is way better on its own menu.. no body beats that..)
Ew!
Look at their Dine Safe record and tell me if you want to eat there anymore: http://app.toronto.ca/food2/DineSafeMain?userRequest=view_history&ESTABLISHMENT_ID=10199013
Someone above noted that they do catering. I tried to have my event catered but they do not deliver.
Someone above noted that they do catering. I tried to have an event catered but they do not deliver, which means they don't really cater.
so disappointing...
the last two times i've been the staff was super unfriendly (especially today, it was like i was bothering the guy when i asked him what the soup of the day was, i didnt see because he was standing in front of the sign, but he just pointed to the board and said "umm it's always right here."
they were missing loads of stuff, which they didn't bother to say when i ordered my salad, so when i got to the bar to start choosing, they kept saying "oh, we are out of that, that too, etc"
im all about supporting vegan restos but i won't be going back!
I've been to UH once, and had the "handwich" just because it it was cheaper than a lot of the other stuff on the menu. I must say it was pretty good and was like no other sandwiches i've had before! Fillings were: cashew butter, coconut, lettuce, tomatoes, and olive tapenade i think. It was really filling and i'd definitely go back to try their other sandwiches and grain bowls, as recommended by other customers. However, for the high prices, i wish that the foods are organic so i know for sure i'm getting my money's worth. But thumbs up for the fact that theire foods are 100% healthy and doesnt lack in taste =)
tried this place for the first time today and i was very disappointed. ordered the grilled veggie sandwich, the bread was ok, veggies were soggy, the spreads they used were decent but overall tasted pretty bland. it was $8.50 which seems extremely overpriced for a mediocre sandwich. the people working were awful, either extremely rude or just out of it. won't be going back, not worth the money or hype.
i would love to frequent this place more often, but the staff are a complete turn off. They have basically talked themselves out of sales with me on 2 occasions. Rude, Un-attentive and lackluster is putting it nicely.