Eliza's Vegan Café

My partner Kiki and I stopped in while traveling, and we’re so glad we did. We managed to sneak in an order right before closing, and not only was the food absolutely incredible, but getting to chat with the owner was such a highlight of our trip. She’s genuinely one of the kindest people we’ve met. Her passion for what she does is infectious, and it really shows in every bite. We’re both vegan, and it’s always such a joy to find a 100% vegan spot that’s run by someone who truly cares. The food was phenomenal. We got the Spicy Colossal Chicken Sandwich (no joke, that thing is huge and insanely good), the Classic Chicken Sandwich with fries, the Danny's Cheesesteak, and the Mac and Cheese, which was out of this world. I love a good mock chicken sandwich and cheesesteak and these both delivered! We’re already talking about coming back next time we’re in town. Thank you for such a wonderful meal and even better conversation. — Cody & Kiki

This place is a gem in Florence! I wish more people would truly give this place a try. There's a wonderful variety and it has great southern hospitality. I ordered the Danny's cheesesteak to go. I should have dined in, because I didn't make it home to eat. It had my car smelling so good, I had to pull over and eat it lol. It was so delicious! It was kinda busy when I visited, but the service was wonderful. I don't mind waiting for good food! I live on the other side of town, but I may have to get on the interstate more often to head there. Thank you so much for the recommendation! -Keesha

I came here after reading both the really good reviews and the really negative ones, especially noticing how often the owner responds to criticism. I genuinely wanted to give the place a fair chance and see for myself. We came in around 6:30pm. There was nobody at the counter for a few minutes, but eventually a woman came out to take our order. Since my boyfriend has severe allergies (dairy + peanuts/tree nuts), we asked a couple of clarifying questions, not to be difficult, but just to make sure what was safe and what wasn’t. I asked whether the cheese was truly dairy-free (since many restaurants use different substitutes), and she replied shortly with, “We’re a vegan restaurant.” Fair enough. Then I asked whether the cheese or menu items contained nuts, because many vegan cheeses are cashew-based. Instead of explaining, she just pointed up at the menu. The info was technically there, but it would’ve been more helpful and welcoming if she had simply communicated it to us, especially since allergies are serious. She then made a comment that she was hesitant to serve us at all, assuming everyone in our party had nut allergies, even though only one person did and we clearly explained who was eating what. Another thing that made us uneasy was that after handling the register area, she immediately went to prepare the food without washing her hands. It wasn’t the biggest thing ever, but definitely concerning. On a positive note, the dining area was clean, organized, and our food came out in a reasonable time. I ordered the Lorraine burger, it was actually pretty good! I’d give it about a 4/5 on taste. My sister ordered the avocado chickpea wrap and felt it was just okay, more lettuce than flavor and not something she’d personally reorder. We also tried one of the juices, and that was delicious. The biggest issue here really wasn’t the food, it was the customer service. The energy felt cold, rushed, and a bit dismissive. When I tried a final time to ask what nuts were specifically used in the cheese (I do NOT have allergies, I just wanted to know), the response I got was simply, “It has all the nuts.” No explanation, no reassurance, no courtesy. It made the whole experience feel uncomfortable. So overall: food = decent to good, space = clean, customer service = really disappointing. Hopefully this helps someone deciding whether to try it! Im giving it 2 stars because the owner has been made aware of the bad customer service and it really is happening within the restaurant 😂 But if there was better customer service and maybe better replies to this issue with a mix of doing something about it, I couldve rated this a 4! It’s a vegan restaurant just not allergen friendly!

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