Caravan of Dreams

Doesn't Recommend

pinkevil

Joined 11 years ago

Caravan of nightmares. This has to be one of the worst dining experiences in New York that I've had in a very long time. After we were seated, we saw another customer complain about having to wait too long to get a drink and then receiving it all melted, so that should have been a sign. The waiter didn't seem to be interested in taking our orders. It took him over 10 minutes to come back to the table and he clearly wasn't busy. His attitude wasn't rude, but he clearly wasn't friendly either. They were out of all sparkling waters, so we ordered something else.. The entrees come with salads and we were served those right away. Only they come without dressing. There was a teeny little bit of dressing on the bottom, but you could barley taste it. We got the entrees in a decent amount of time too, only they were barley lukewarm and lacked seasoning. We had the Caravan Feast and the Macrobiotic Platter. The food didn't taste bad, but it was clearly nothing special. You expect a lot more for that price. While we ate, the waiter never cared to check on us or refill our empty water glasses. Even after we were done and our plates had been cleared, our waiter was standing 2 ft. from our table chit chatting with another waitress.

On another note, the lady working behind the bar was crying while she was working, which made the whole place just seem really bizarre.

We originally wanted to order dessert, but since we were ignored the entire time, we just wanted to leave. About 15 minutes after our plates were cleared, we had enough of waiting and got up to go to the front to pay, since that seemed to be the only way to get anything accomplished. The manager (assuming that's who he was) didn't seem to care either. He apologized half-heartedly while the bad waiter was standing nearby, not saying a word.

There are so many other vegan restaurants in NYC. Most of them cost less and are a lot better foodwise and definitely servicewise. Save your time and money and stay away from Caravan of "Dreams"!!

Recommends

allala

Joined 8 years ago

I love Caravan!!!. I love them because clearly they love me. The food they feed me is so good & fresh. I feel healthier after I eat here then anywhere else. Period. I find the service terrific and I do not think they take too long. I will be moving from the east village to the financial district and I am so sad that I will not have easy access to the goodness & yummyness of caravan.

Recommends

khkrinzman

Joined 6 years ago

"What a Rip Off". Here's the deal. I used LOVE caravan. I have been in NYC, vegan, and going to Caravan for years. Caravan's menu is really simple. While other restaurants have moved forward with culinary innovations, Caravan is still serving beans and sprouts.

Yet, Caravan charges upmarket prices for simple cafe food. It's really a poor value, disguised by the fact that the servings are plentiful. The service is awful. A recent visit proves both points. I go to Caravan for lunch. I decide to order this burrito. It's listed on the menu at $15, which I think is WAY expensive for a downmarket burrito at lunch, and before someone gets on my case with the organic argument, just forget about it, its rent we are paying, not quality. The waitress tells me they have no seitan, ok, so I say, I'll have tempeh instead...I end up with a totally different burrito, one with peas and beans and not what I wanted at all. Then I get the bill, and she charged me $17 for a lousy lunch burrito. I can't stress this enough, I spend tons of money on food---and I usually don't care about price, but it just seemed like a major rip off. The food at Caravan is stuff you (even I) can make at home. The decor is relaxed and east village circa 1995. It looks like that one vegan restaurant you find in every major city, with burritos, salads, and pasta dishes in a pseudo hippy "artsy" environment. I dig all that, actually, but they need to majorly adjust their prices and their service accordingly, and add a few new more complex dishes to the menu.

Doesn't Recommend

boxybrown

Joined 7 years ago

avoid at all costs...bland food...mediocre service...weak drinks!. Hands down THE MOST BLAND AND DISAPPOINTING culinary experience in my short time in New York (3 years). Even for the vegetarians in my group kept looking at each other chewing laboriously throughout the entire meal. The menu is extensive enough that maybe there are some hits but we went 0 for 3 on a diverse meal order.

It didn't help that the service was mostly mediocre too - the wait staff was really slow taking orders and bringing out drinks.

Speaking of which, the "house-blend sangria" was nothing more than kool-aid with bits of apples floating in it...if there was any alcohol a 10 year old could have downed a carafe without so much as a hiccup. If that's not a crime I don't know what is.

Everyone else seems to think this place is great. Maybe we ordered the 3 worst things on the menu so who knows. But we ordered strictly vegan stuff...I'm of the opinion that vegan cuisine should be something more than pitiful approximations of hearty, meaty dishes. Example: vegan paella (mentioned in someone else's review) is a downright delusional concept to me. So there's my bias in writing this review. But hey, we gave it a shot.

The only thing that wasn't disappointing was the fact that Venieros was only a few blocks away. I had never needed a piece of cheesecake so badly in my life, having sat through that trial of a meal.

Recommends

feffynyc

Joined 7 years ago

Great guiltless eating. Always eat amazing food...always get the pate of the day with flax chips...always get a big live salad...always get excellent service...always love the live music...always come back.

It's my favorite restaurant.

Recommends

mostlyvegan

Joined 7 years ago

Consistently delicious. Oh my god, the raw dishes here are soooo good, and every server is a sweet person! Try the live sandwich for a reasonably-priced treat. Great tea selection and a juice bar are other boons. I feel so healthy and vibrant after a meal at Caravan!

Recommends

bluegreensprite

Joined 7 years ago

Perfect!. I made reservations for a large group, 16 of us all together, and we were given a long table in the back room, which was very cozy and added a sense of privacy to our little party. Our waitress was wonderfully attentive and did not lose her cool at all when our group began to get loud and boisterous. The staff even went out of their way to print up menus without prices at my request, since the dinner party was my treat. We were also the last to leave, so of course, we didn't experience any delays in getting the check. Service was excellent! All in all, my entire group loved the experience and my party was great fun thanks to Caravan of Dreams! In retrospect, the only thing I really regret is not leaving a bigger tip.

Recommends

backandforth

Joined 7 years ago

hope you have a lot of free time. the second we entered, the manager seated us immediately. we ordered with a prompt, friendly waitress, who brought our delicious nachos in under a minute. our entrees were brought at the speed of light and our table was in awe of the incredible food.

then, things fell apart. our table was somehow switched to another waitress' section. we begged for dessert menus, in hopes of taking something sweet home. we waited 15 minutes for the menus, and another 15 to order. eventually, we got our check, but even after paying, we waited a half an hour for the desserts to be brought to the table - and that was only after we asked for *again*.

the food was so incredible, i could not believe it but i'm not sure that i could suffer through that again. it's one of the saddest things of this day and age.

Recommends

mario74

Joined 10 years ago

Great restaurant concept that needs to grow up. Vegans love it for its selection of vegan and raw dishes prepared a la Mexican. The food is definitely fresh and ample. The atmosphere leans towards bohemian with a few hints of class-- live piano music plays in the background. The wine list includes an Austrian reserve blaufraenkisch red wine and a chenin blanc in the $20-25 range-- rare finds at such restaurant prices. Logistics and infrastructure require an upgrade. My reservation for 4 was at 8:30pm, yet we were not seated until 9:20pm. Had I not requested seating, my party would have been forgotten. There were not enough wine glasses to serve the wine, so we had to wait an extra hour until they were available. The waitstaff is knowledgeable and friendly. The owner is quite attentive and even provided us a discount due to the long waits. The experience was good, but the details of service were lacking.

Recommends

moemanhattan

Joined 8 years ago

Great spot for the healthy stuff!. My boyfriend and I tried Caravan for the first time the other night, and loved it! We had the miso deluxe appetizer & the tropical thai salad, with a chai latte & a green tea with mint. AMAZING freshness and flavor. If you love to be healthy, and are tired of the same old thing, definitely swing by Caravan. You'll love it.