It's a Mecca for vegetarians. Quality and atmosphere is quite good, though the prices have significantly risen and portions decreased lately. It's a must try if you are vegetarian, also one of the few places in Ithaca where you are guaranteed to get gluten free dishes if you are allergic. Also most of their famous cookbooks are available for sale at the entrance. For most people it's a good but somewhat overpriced choice.
Went there for gluten free options. I will not go back because of the price (10 dollar for a taco) but the tastes are very good. Their music is good too but can be hard to hear over other loud customers. They charge you an extra 18% automatically but the server will tell you to tip because that 18% extra charge is not for the tip.
Love their Sangria. Nice to get your drink at the bar while you are waiting for your table. They are able to serve Gluten Free entries. Too bad, the tortilla chips aren't fried in a dedicated GF fryer. Had to skip the chips and salsa.
Military & Healthcare Discount!
Great food and lots of options for adults and kids. We went on Father's Day and was there 10 minutes before they opened, but the owner still let us come in and get started. Kids age 11 & 14 both easily found something.
Great fruit cobbler for dessert. All food had a good presentation and taste. Gluten-free buns available as up charge. The mushroom sandwich was good. Did not know what to expect of it, but good. Chicken nuggets are like chicken bites, but very soft. Lots of options besides fries, including tots and sweet potato fries.
Like much of this area, parking is in a paid garage. Walk about a block.
Good food! They offer vegan options as well. They mention gluten free options, but it is mostly turning the sub into a loaded salad.
Most of the tables are set up outside, but there are a few spots inside to eat. Eating outside allows you to enjoy Ithaca’s unique downtown area. If you enjoy subs, soup, and salad then this is a good place to try out.
I love CTB and always go whenever I'm in town.
Please be careful packing your food, though -- we ordered a vegetarian bagel on sesame and another on a gluten free bagel and they were packed so that each box had half of each bagel.
Great experience and food was delicious. Very accommodating to my gluten allergy.
If you want the gluten free bread, you must call ahead. They do use the same equipment to cook the gluten free injera with the normal one, but they clean it in between. I opted out of the injera to be safe, but the food is delicious.
The avocado salad was spicy and a great starter. The meats were flavorful and juicy. The lentils were spiced to perfection. The food doesn’t really match the dated/sparse interior, but it’s delicious and makes up for the space.
Love the concept and love the food! Everyone was amazing and the food even moreso, the blueberry coconut lemonade was the best! Also the portions are huge! My sister had the chicken and waffles and it was fantastic. The menus are labeled so you can see what's vegan and gluten-free and what's locally sourced. Definitely appreciate being able to support the local farmers.
Also, all ordering was done via an iPad at the table to limit contact. Every table was sanitized and they observed the social distancing rules. I highly recommend it and next time I'm in Ithaca I'm stopping by.
I stopped by Mama Said Hand Pies this past weekend with my Gluten Free friend, and we were pleasantly surprised by the variety of options in the store, savory and sweet, GF and not GF. I got the Japanese Beef Curry and a Blueberry Lemon hand pie, my friend got the empanada, and we both loved our food! The dough was perhaps a tiny bit dry, but they were both reheated and packed with flavor!
First time here- meal was lovely. All the courses were excellent, service was great, wine list is simultaneously serious *and* affordable. Bravo.
Bonus points for being so accommodating to my gluten-free situation. Not always an easy thing with French cuisine, but was no trouble at all here. Much appreciated, and we'll surely be back.
Popped in because I was passing by, delighted to find they had several gluten-free options. Picked up a slice of apple spice cake that was absolutely scrumptious!
So happy to see gluten free and vegan options. I am new to this diet and was stunned at how delicious the food was. The staff were lovely and everyone seemed to be having a great time and getting along well. Can’t wait to try more of their menu options.
I love Asempe Kitchen! The food is healthy (at least for my dietary needs), filling, and tasty. Service is fast, so I can be in-and-out when I’m in a rush for lunch, but the atmosphere is nice, so I like to chill there when I can take my time. Except for the (delicious) monthly Sunday brunch special, the food is all vegan—and I think gluten-free—which makes it inclusive for my friends and colleagues. All this makes it a great place for events! Recently Chef Kuukua kindly let us reserve the whole restaurant; she even rearranged it into one giant table so that we could all sit together. Despise most guests being non-vegan and new to West African food, *everyone* had a great time and gabbed about how amazing the food was (and how stuffed they were). It was a huge hit!
Ordered pad thai. I asked if their dish was gluten free and was assured that it was in fact GF. I did not have a reaction and the meal was very tasty. Not sure if they omitted a sauce to accommodate my request but certainly ask if you're concerned and they'll take care of you. I wish more places would denote on their menus which items can be made or are made with this allergen in mind. Thank you again Thai Basil
This place is new in town and has something for everyone! Gluten free or vegan, doesn’t matter he’s got the hookup. There is plenty of seating outside and also inside upstairs. We walked in and ordered on the kiosk, it was user friendly and easy to pay on. Food is made to order so it took about 15 minutes but it was worth the wait. While I was waiting I tried a slice of chicken bacon ranch pizza and it was Amazing. We will definitely be back!
I've been eating at Ooy's for a year now.
I often order the John on gluten free bread and I usually get a Match Madness smoothie. The gluten free bread has always been soft and never had gaping holes like everywhere else. They also haven't charged me for gluten free bread ever, which I wish was a dining standard but oh well.
The food is always spot on for me. The service is always good too! Everyone is soo nice when I come in. They also always recognize me even when I drastically change my appearance.
So here's so problems people have pointed out.
The wait, I personally always go during times that aren't very busy and I don't worry about time often. HOWEVER, many people place their orders on the phone ahead of time so they can do pick up and eat outside.
The newer staff probably feel worse about the wait than you do.
Improper sandwichs: whenever something is lacking, I always go up immediately to alert someone when I'm in a restaurant. I always phrase it like, "this was probably a mistake but the egg on my sandwich is smaller than I'm used to when I get it here" 10/10 times I'm offered a remake or a discount.
Prices: if I could eat at Ooy's everyday I would but I am broke most of the time. However, I understand that the cost is due to the rising cost of living. I would much rather my local barista and cook have a livable wage than anything else. So... if I ever win the lottery, there would be signs and one of them would be eating there constantly.
Wonderfully decorated for Valentine's right now, but I imagine they will always be colorful. Good coffee and free wifi with plenty of plugs for charging electronics. Lots of comfy seating and places to spread out and get some work done.
I had a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on gluten free bread which was very yummy! The drip coffee was under $3 for a small which is a miracle in this town. The woman running the counter was warm and attentive. This is a great addition to Ithaca!
Celiac friendly
