We arrived sort of mid-afternoon so finding a place to sit was not an issue. There is a lot of room outside but the weather was right on the border of sunny but not too warm so we opted for inside.
When I think of a Waldorf salad, I cannot help but think of Fawlty Towers. When I think of Fawlty Towers, my wife has to tolerate a long summary of my favourite moments, but she is very patient with me. Fortunately, it is rare to see a Waldorf on a menu and even rarer for it to be vegan, so we ordered it. It could have been a more impressive presentation, but it was tasty enough. Also, a traditional Waldorf is served on a bed of lettuce rather than comprised of a bed of lettuce. There could have been a bit more dressing, there were no grapes, and at $16, it seemed a little pricey considering the volume of lettuce. Still, I wasn't grumpy about it at the time as we were hungry and there were walnuts and dried cranberries. And some very impressive eats were on their way!
R&B has made some solid choices that make their vegan menu items impressive, namely Violife Cheese and Impossible Meat. The Vegan Burger was messy and delicious! Lots of sauce, lots of cheese, and a perfectly cooked Impossible patty made this one of the best burgers that we have had and we have had some good ones lately! Also, they make a lot in-house that you wouldn't expect. Both the ketchup on this plate and the bottle of hot sauce come from their own kitchen! Nice! Good tots also.
We loved the burger but the Vegan Big Mac Pizza was amazing and our favourite. Pretty impressive crust with just enough char here and there. Their own vegan Bic Mac sauce was just enough to conjure up McD but the Impossible kept it from venturing into cruelty. The Violife again proved itself a perfect choice as it was melty and warm. Add some lettuce and a vegan mayo drizzle and we were so impressed!
Since most people probably come for the ale (and there is an extensive menu of beverages), we did not expect to be so impressed by the food but the kitchen kicks ass. There are a few more vegan options including ice cream for dessert. We love the atmosphere and book collection (I spent some time perusing a book about Kurt Cobain's 50 favourite albums while we waited) and expect this place could be jumping during peak hours. The service was great and very friendly. One of our favourite new finds in a while when we least expected it!
Food 4 1/2 out of 5
Vegan Options 4 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Value 4 1/2 out of 5
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