Moon and River Cafe
| Address: | 115 S Ferry St, Schenectady, NY 12305, USA |
| Phone: | +1 518-382-1938 |
| Site: | stockadecafes.com |
| Rating: | 3.6 |
| Working: | 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM 9AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
TH
The Atheist Butt Pirate
I am a strict vegan. I absolutely HATE things that have animal products in the "ingredients" list. It is to the point where I cannot even keep a duck feather I pick up off of the ground without feeling like a monster. Every place I went to and asked if there were vegan options handed me a salad and said "Enjoy" sarcastically. Ever since I became vegan, I never felt at home in restaurants OR cafes, and sometimes, I actually felt threatened. I felt like everybody there wanted me out of the place and to "die with all my friends in PETA." Whats the first thing I hear when I walk inside of Moon and River Cafe from the guy running the place? Thats right, "Are you vegetarian?" At that moment I felt at home. I knew that this was the best restaurant I will ever see in my entire lifetime. I told the guy that I was, but infact the more "extreme" and philosophical form which is, and we ALL know is Veganism and he gave me a list of his menu and IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY gave me a verbal list of recommendations based on my DIET and what was popular. I chose the Mediterranean Vegan Pizza (My mother had it too). I saw it and it looked extremely greasy, but then when I tried it, I realized that all it was was a mixture of oil (not much though, probably less than a tbs) and mainly the juice of the vegetables that were on the bread. IF that were all grease, Id feel like I drank it straight from the bottle, but I didnt. It was very delicious, and I actually wasnt satisfied, I WANTED MORE!!! It was really that good. If I had more money, I would eat like five more helpings. Also, there arent many people that go there at once. It may appear "deserted," but I like it that way. Its not too loud... not loud at all, and everybody gets along fine. I feel like the food possessed me though. All I can say is that to me, this is Moes Tavern, and I am Homer Simpson... if you forgive the simpsons reference... I just REALLY love this place. He will make a whole crapload of money from me over the coming years if I ever get a job. Please, whether you live in Schenectady or youre just stopping in for a special occasion, come visit this place. ESPECIALLY IF YOURE VEGETARIAN. You wont be disappointed... SERIOUSLY!!!
DR
Drew McCalmont
I decided to check this place out after reading the positive reviews on this site, and being close proximity to my relatives house in the Stockade. I was aghast at how misled I was. The decor is a little odd; it looks like a hippies basement. On a scale of 0 to Vermont on the granola meter, this place is radio-active. The ambiance of a restaurant is not much of an issue provided that the food is good. To put it kindly the food SUCKED. My aunt and I were the only ones in the restaurant. The waitress awkwardly took our orders, after she was done kibitzing with some random guitarist dude, who wasnt playing any music. Then 10 minutes after the food was ordered, a guy showed up at the door, who I later figured out was the owner/chef. A little while later, we got our food. I ordered the tostada, which at most restaurants is more or less a "taco salad." Ive been to many Mexican restaurants, including many on the west coast, and I am well aware of what constitutes a tostada. The dish I received: two little tortilla shells with a little bit of refried beans, sour cream, jalapeños served on a 6" diameter plate, which is wicked small I might add. The "tostada" looked like it was lightly-cooked in a toaster oven or more likely an easy-bake oven. Being the somewhat-demure person I am, I ate what I ordered. Afterwards, I respectfully told the waitress that I was very disappointed with the food. She then proceeded to tell the boss, somewhat in my face. The boss rolled is eyes (he was probably high) and said: "Dont worry about it." Needless to say I will NEVER return to the Moonbat Café.
IM
iMacOfDeath
When you walk into the Moon and River Cafe, the first thing youll notice is that the seating is mismatched and displaced; and what seating there is, is crowded in this tiny restaurant. This particular night, a band known as the Jazz Men were playing. The music was good, but the band was way too loud and I could hardly hear what the people across the table from me were saying. The service was pretty bad, the cook/ waitress only showed up once to take our orders, once to drop off the food. My father ended up returning the dishes, and my uncle had to get up to pay the bill. The food selection is only vegetarian, vegan, and meatless dishes; only offering real chicken as the meat of choice. So dont go expecting beef or pork, you wont find it. My meal had to be changed once due to them being out of tomato sauce, and the cook/ waitress asked me to pick another chicken item since she had already prepared the chicken. So I was forced to pick, however the chicken sandwich which I went with was rather good; if on the small side. No drinks on tap, only bottled drinks; so dont expect any refills even if you get water. This location in schenectady offers 100 other restaurants to pick from, my suggestion is to do just that.
LI
Lindsy Coon
Coming here is like going to your grandparents house for a visit--there is mismatched furniture, lovingly used board/card/tile games, and a nice old man asking if youd like a slice of chocolate cake. If thats what youre looking for, then perfect. But its not for everybody, as its not your typical cafe. I found the environment and service to be relaxing and welcoming, but then again my friend and I were the only people in the space. The menu is extensive with so many options, especially for those with a plant-based diet. We ordered ourselves lunch and also dinner to-go. Again--back to visiting grandpa style--our to-go meals were packaged in the type of container pie comes in from the grocery store. We personally didnt mind this, and actually celebrate it, but again not everybody would be pleased with repurposed/reused containers like that. The food was very home-style. Richard, the owner, makes it in a space the size of a small apartments kitchen. The drink options and the food were all delicious and we thought it was fairly priced for a "home-cooked" meal. If you can get past the messy newspaper pile on the floor and the feel of being in someones home, its worth a visit.
LU
Luke Smith
My wife and I visited yesterday and I was blown away. After living in Brooklyn this place felt right a home, but without the pretentious and cold bartenders and waiters. The owner asked us right away if we were vegetarian or vegan, saving us the trouble of having to narrow down our choices - this is the largest vegan/vegetarian menu I have EVER seen, let alone in the capital region. I wanted to try everything, but settled on the recommendation of the vegetarian Italian Sausage sandwich (with fresh asparagus and home fries). Let me start by saying that the asparagus was fresh, grilled perfectly. The sandwich was excellent. It was on a warm ciabatta roll, was a perfect portion size, and the home fries had a little kick but werent too oily. This isnt a chain restaurant where you get some salt-laden mass - the portion sizes where just fine, and left room for the delicious desert (I cant recommend enough the berry pie). There are lots of great options for food in Schenectady that I am just discovering, but for a vegetarian this place is a gem. I cant recommend it enough.
