Fern

I was a little thrown off initially by the guy (manager) greeting us from across the room, sipping water, and informing us to sit at one of the small tables since there were only two of us. yikes. Definitely not what i expected. Otherwise, he was friendly throughout dining experience.
I selected this location bc my friend is vegetarian and we were out celebrating her bday. Food was ok. Im not a vegetarian or vegan, so im likely biased. Food tasted bland probably because we ordered items with sauce, for sauce to be on side. I was happy they offered non vegan dairy options.
For price point, left dissatisfied and hungry, lol. $ 40, with tip, for lunch :-(
Nice atmosphere. Parking is very tight and limited.

Our favorite spot in Charlotte! We drive from Raleigh for the amazing Sunday brunch! The muffin basket is delicious and the chickpea quinoa cakes are AMAZING! Best vegan pancakes! As a vegan, I love they have Earth Balance & such delicious vegan options!

I was visiting the Charlotte area and I was very pleased with both my order and the service. I was greeted right away by a friendly hostess who offered me the option to sit where I wanted. Since it was a nice cool evening, I sat outside.
I ordered the buffalo cauliflower because I had been craving wings for days! I must say the cauliflower was cooked and seasoned to perfection and satisfied my desires! I had a side of vegetable purée soup but it was quite a heaping helping so I did not finish it all. That didn’t stop me from ordering the carrot cake… the best Vegan carrot cake I’ve ever had. The chia icing was perfect and the cake was moist, the only thing I’d change is to remove the raisins, I hate raisins but that’s probably a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ thing with carrot cake lovers. You either love them or hate them in your carrot cake.
I’d go back any time and would love to check out the rest of the menu.

The Bruschetta is my pizza replacement it’s that good. The falafel salad is so delicate with a touch of crunch and the caponata is to die for! 10 million stars! My favorite vegan place in this state!

My mom originally introduced me to this place and my husband and I have been regulars to this place for several months now. We love this place! We love the seasonal, changing menus (the side of local mixed veggies changes every day) and the fresh ingredients, the desserts are great (love the turtle cake and apple cake), you get super refreshing cucumber water, plus I get a night off from cooking! There have been a few times I’ve had an inconsistent dish. There are also a few items on the menu I feel I make better in my own kitchen. The parking is also inconvenient. However we love this place for date night and can indulge in yummy vegan food in one of my favorite and personally nostalgic areas of the city. We have brought friends here and they love it, too. I’ve been loving the falafel salad lately; it’s very filling, the falafel reminds me of crab cakes and the curried banana peppers are so delicious. Planning on going this week for my birthday dinner and I’m very excited (:
Love this place, try it if you haven’t!

I finally ate here. It was a beautiful day and we decided to eat outside. I opted for the taco pizza, with potato salad on the side. It was so damn good. They start you off cucumber water, which was so refreshing. The pizza was flavorful and filling. The right amount of spiciness. The waitress was on it. Service was amazing. I parked across the street where Five Guys and Home Healthy Market because parking is tight. I would suggest this place.

My husband and I have been going to Fern since they opened and it’s become a real hit and miss experience. Somedays the experience is so disappointing I never want to go back but then again, they have 2 dollar beers on Tuesdays and 1 dollar Bloody Mary’s during brunch so what’s a frugal lush to do?!
I’ve tried many of their dishes and had been wanting to try their Chicken and Waffles FOREVER and finally when that day arrived, I’d never experienced such a dining disappointment like that. First off it’s WAFFLE NOT WAFFLES YOU GET ONE SUPER DRY FLAVORLESS WAFFLE. The vegan «chicken» was «ok» — the batter way too thick and fried a little too long. Underneath the chicken was that one awful waffle. The serving of syrup is way too small as well. It was like a shot of syrup. Another dish that was a big let down was the biscuits and gravy. The biscuit was as hard as a rock and the gravy had a sour aftertaste that reminded me of vomit. Sorry but that’s what it made me think of. And their grits? More like grime. Slimy pasty grime. No never again.
On a posi note, recently tried the Chili Rellanos and the Taco Flatbread and both were awesome. Really fun and flavorful! The Chili Rellanos was fried to perfection and the batter was so light and crisp! It was fantastic!
One thing I feel I should mention in regards to our last experience is that Adam should not be a server, should not be a representative of Fern. He’s rude, doesn’t bring — or at least offer — glasses when you order a beer and is just in a word: unfriendly. Any other server we’ve had has been warm and welcoming. I don’t like calling people out but anytime this guys been our server we haven’t felt like we were appreciated or like a valued customer.
I’m not sure if we’ll go back to Fern but if we do, I hope for more consistency with the food and service. I mean it’s great to get 2 dollar beers and 1 dollar Bloody Mary’s and Patatas Bravas is to die for as is the breakfast nachos but servers like Adam ruin the experience.

So, if I am being honest here, I was definitely hesitant on Fern. I am not a meat lover, but do feel every meal must include a protein (chicken or fish). And, of course the entire day, I wanted a hamburger.
Needless to say I joined my Dinner Group at Fern after checking out the menu, other Unilocal reviews and photos. From the menu I thought I could branch out and may be some of the Seitan options would really taste like meat.
We arrived around 7:00 and I was able to observe the restaurant. Very simple, with a great setup and comfortable feel.
We decided to start with several appetizers: Brussel Sprouts, Pimento Cheese Dip, Cauliflower, Noshes and Choizo and Cheese Dip. The appetizers were all amazing. Great flavor, fresh and definitely great portion sizes to share with several. I have to say the Brussel Spouts and Chorizo and Cheese Dip were my two favorites. The chorizo dip, served in a hot skillet, definitely did not taste vegan and had a great kick to it, with some peppers and corn, served with toasted bread.
As for the entrees, I wasn’t as impressed as I was with the starters. I chose the OM Burger, a white bean patty, with a side salad. First, the patty, too mushy. The waitress made it sound like it had a panko breaded crust, offering different textures, but it all appeared to be the same to me. Just the same consistency with no real flavor, very bland. The salad was a disappointment too, very blah. The others enjoyed the bolognaise, black bean burger and chili rellanos. Several people really didn’t say too much about their entrees, while others enjoyed. I think it was mixed bunch, especially after we all LOVED the appetizers.
Two of us decided to split the chocolate cake with peanut butter mouse. The cake was too hard, very dry, but that mousse… OMG. I could eat it was a spoon out of a jar. It was smooth with an amazingly light peanut butter flavor.
I think Fern is definitely a great place to check out. I suggest enjoying a good beer or wine and having some appetizers, you won’t be disappointed!

Meh, honestly nothing too special. I think vegan/​vegetarian food can be so incredibly creative, delicious and fresh, but honestly that didn’t came through here. We ordered two entrees (butternut risotto and spaghetti and meatballs), and they were OK, the spaghetti was probably a tad yummier and flavorful. The risotto was simply boring. The dessert was actually really delicious (turtle cake), a peanut butter ice cream with a vegan chocolate cake. The meal was ok, but probably the service didn’t help either. The waiter was very uninterested in us being there… And almost got off the feeling that he was doing us a favor. I personally tried to engage him, and be nice, but nothing. Maybe he was just having a bad day? Overall… OK but, personally, think could be so much better…

I’m on the Daniel Fast and this place EXCEEDED my expectations! 8 had the Polynesian cauliflower and walnut risotto. The ambiance is amazing and the music was GREAT!

First night at Fern and iLoved it. My cousin and I were leaving church and wanted to have dinner. However she’s in the Daniel Fast which limits her highly to eating out. I remembered a friend telling me about Fern and that they were a great vegan restaurant.
I’ll be honest the parking isn’t great, but it is in a very small space. But the food makes up for the lack of parking spaces. We shared an appetizer, and each had our own entrée. I truly enjoyed everything I ate, and I seriously need the recipe for the cauliflower! Out of this world good! Excellent job Fern… I’m SOLD!

Push past the camel colored drapes and enter into vegan paradise. A cheery hostess greeted us and quickly directed us to a quaint table by the window. Cool cucumber water was quickly poured into our glasses — its the little details like this that made our experience fantastic.
My partner ordered the taco flatbread. Rojo sauce, soitan chorizo, onion, tomato, jalapeño and vegan jack (you can order mozzarella instead, too) topped the flatbread. He paired it with crispy fingerling potatoes. Both were phenomenal — I particularly enjoyed the potatoes (it was quite a generous portion, too!) I had the OM burger, a white bean patty topped with smoked tomato, poblano garlic aioli and pickled cucumber between a potato roll (or collard leaf). I paired this with their side salad. Both of my selections were good — nothing to write home about, but enjoyable none the less. I was a bit disappointed with the quality of the tomato. It was mealy. It might be better to try this dish again when tomatoes are in season.
I always like a restaurant that politely slides in the the dessert menu — even though we did not order from it, I always enjoy checking out what their offerings are. I wish we had space to tempt our taste buds! They all looked delicious!

Fern is a perfectly adequate spot for vegan food and meals. Decided to try this place out during restaurant week so I could get more of a complete experience. My friend and I made reservations for a Thursday evening at 6:00 and were able to be immediately seated. I’m not sure if the night was typical or not but it completely filled up within the hour.
The parking situation for Fern is pretty nonexistent so your best bets are parking across the street in the Healthy Home Market shopping center. Fern is a cozy spot that’s heavy on decorative charm: mason jars, twinkle lights, and the heavy placement of ferns (naturally) around the restaurant.
Back to the food and drink: We decided to go the cocktail route and started off with spiked teas. I found these pretty blah. The tea was quite weak and there just wasn’t much flavor.
For appetizer, we both chose the beet and goat ‘cheese’ crostini — a very delicious bite! The ‘cheese’ was really creamy and perfectly balanced the beet. First course: we both chose the butternut bisque. This was my favorite part of the meal. The bisque was hearty and topped off with pepitas (my favorite). It was also pretty to look at. Second course: fried tempeh with mashed potatoes and kale (I think it was kale). This wasn’t bad, the fried tempeh had a nice crunch but, honestly, I did miss having meat during this course. Dessert: I went with the turtle cake and my friend went with the pineapple bread pudding. She absolutely loved her dessert and couldn’t stop raving about it. I thought the turtle cake was all right. The cake was very dense and a little dry but the peanut butter mousse saved it.
I’m not sure I would go back to Fern for a full-​on meal, maybe for a quick bite or for one of their smoothies/​juices.

I was excited to try out Fern. You walk straight into the dining room from the parking lot through a curtain. The restaurant itself was small and cozy.
Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed with the food. It was very hit or miss.
We started with the Brussels Sprout appetizer. The Brussels sprouts were excellent… nice char with a subtle balsamic glaze.
I had the OM burger. It was decent… nice seasoning but nothing special. My friend had the black bean burger. He hated it… very mushy and hardly cooked. He got the country fried tempeh as a replacement… but he said it was just OK.
The sides were hit or miss. The quinoa salad was bland. On the bright side, the fingerling roasted potatoes were outstanding! Perfectly cooked and seasoned.
For desert we had the beignet s’mores. Definitely one of the worst deserts I have ever had. The beignets were doughy, chewy and flavorless. There was a garnish of tasteless marshmallow and graham cracker. Avoid at all costs! Yuk!

A wonderful experience!
Presentation taste and quantity — all super!
Service ambiance people — amazing!
Overall a terrific place!
Will Be here again and again !

I came in for brunch. Had a decent experience, the food was pretty good! I guess it’s hard to compare «fake» meat to real meat. But I got the Chicken and Waffles, with chicken-​friend tofu, and sweet potato waffles. The waffles were pretty tasty, I loved the sweet potato addition. The «chicken» was just Aok. I would have liked it to be a little crunchier.

Fern is really a hit or miss sort of restaurant with my recent visit. The interior is still has a very nice and organic vibe. Perfect for taking out a vegetarian date, wait staff don’t offer much explanation of the dishes when asked unfortunately which may have caused me to hate the dish I ordered.
I got stuffed peppers which I thought would be pretty big peppers stuffed with the rice and other stuff. Negative, they’re tiny very spicy peppers that I could not finish. I also felt like I was eating a burrito bowl at chipotle with no lettuce or beans and mostly rice with a bit of seitan. SUPER BORING and would have turned me off to future visits if it wasn’t for our other course!
My friend’s dish was a delicious vegan bolognese. The sauce was so savory and warming on the cold rainy night we went! The umami imparted from the tomato sauce permeated the zucchini noodles perfectly while keeping a nice subtle al dente bite to them. I probably would’ve ordered another one of these dishes if anyone would have checked in during dinner to see if we were enjoying our meal.
Fern you’re alright but maybe work on that service a bit okay?

Updated review: I was really hoping to be pleasantly surprised with my second visit.
I got the spaghetti and «meatballs» to go. Even though I called a half hour prior to my pick up, it was not ready and I was told it was accidentally given to somebody else (I understand that accidents can happen.) It was beautifully presented and the flavors of the sauce and white bean and eggplant «meat balls» were wonderful! I also loved the texture of the meatballs rather than frozen TVP. The drawback is that the meatballs were not heated through even though I ate one within five minutes of it being handed to me. I’d like to say that perhaps they hurried my order and maybe took it out before final temp (but it was not 145° F for sure.) I also am used to zucchini noodles being the texture of spaghetti noodles, but instead they were the texture of spaghetti cooked for approximately five minutes versus eight or nine and too crunchy yet (again, maybe they hurried my order because of the earlier mistake?)
I actually wanted to come back earlier to retry the place, but the man that answers the phone lacks professionalism and courtesy. There is no please or thank you and his customer service skills are lacking based on his cold responses to my simple questions about specials of the day. It really made me not want to go back, but I did since I really wanted to give this place a better review (because the manager reached out to me and because I like to support vegan restaurants). Also, note that at both visits the man that gave me my order was extremely nice and very cordial (not the same person that answers the phone.) So this will end my visits to Fern, and my final rating for them is average, but I surely wouldn’t want to deter someone else from trying it.

Fern is the second veg restaurant in Charlotte I tried after making the vegan switch. As a super newbie vegan with very few options in the QC, Fern has become kind of a safe haven. The thing I appreciate the most is that everything is easily converted into vegan-​friendly dishes.
The food is good, plain and simple. Herbivores and, dare I say, carnivores alike shouldn’t have a problem finding something satisfying on the menu. Though, I have to say that brunch is my favorite. Their «chicken» fried tofu and waffles is delicious. It’s a little spicy and a little sweet. And, their coffee with dark chocolate almond milk is just what you want on a Saturday morning.
I keep seeing people mention the Om Burger. I finally tried it tonight and it was disappointing. The bun, in particular, was chewy and too big. I finally decided to stop fighting with it and just pulled the patty off. My suggestion is to pick one of the other tasty menu items. Dessert on the other hand is fabulous.

My wife made the decision to eliminate meat from her diet a few months ago. No beef, no pork, not even chicken or turkey. No shellfish, but fish including salmon and mahi mahi is still cool as are eggs and dairy. It’s been an interesting time trying to eat around this new program, especially since my daughter and I are unrepentant flesh-​craving carnivores.
For this week’s family brunch, I offered to try a restaurant completely focused on vegan and vegetarian options. Fern hit the spot with great reviews and options that I felt would minimally inconvenience us meat eaters while giving my wife options other than salad.
As Mrs. K. is still figuring out vegan, I could see that the menu was a little complicated. So while we studied it, I got us started with coffee (with almond milk. Stevia and Sugar-​in-​the-​raw on the table) and the cinnamon rolls. The rolls arrived and we were able to place our brunch order. Tasty and doughy, not too sweet at all. Yum.
Sausage and gravy for my wife, Mediterranean scramble for daughter and the zucchini/​spinach benedict for me. It was clear by what was left when we asked for the check who had enjoyed their meal most thoroughly. It was me — my plate was clear. The zucchini fritters were tender and moist, sort of like a crab cake except without crab. Topped with steamed spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise, really tasty. I’d recommend it thoroughly.
The scramble wasn’t that great, according to daughter. Rather bland, she said. And she didn’t care for the quinoa. Oh well. Mrs said that the biscuits were too cakey but the gravy was good.
For sides, I had the crispy braised fingerling potatoes. It was as close to home fries as you’re going to get and they were perfectly crunchy and salty. The sweet potatoes were good (tender and sweet), but not the best choice for their brunch meals.
Service was excellent. The coffee was great. And the price was pretty decent. I don’t know that we’d return for brunch, but only because it’s challenging for the carnivores. Maybe lunch or dinner next time. That said, you herbivores would love this place.