Common Sense Yellow Deli

Not many vegan options but we were hungry and there aren’t many options for vegans inIsland Pond! We had a basic salad and a peanut butter and banana sandwich. The service was slow but the waitstaff nice. The interior was interesting and rustic.
I didn’t realize it was a religious group but according to feedback on Unilocal and looking at Google it is just that with some controversial history. Being a secular person, I didn’t experience any awkwardness but I didn’t look too closely at anything on display. I was there to eat and charge my computer!

Try getting their strawberry rhubarb pie or anything they have in the bakery!
The breakfast looked so good and I was sorry that I’d eaten breakfast at our campsite before getting to Yellow Deli.
Everyone was so nice and helpful. Forget that they have ‘different’ followings than most of us and enjoy a jewel in midst of a town that was going downhill until They arrived and added a spark to to the town’s economy

decent food for where it is but oh my. I will not go back after reading about the people (cult) that run the place. I just read the wikipedia description and this is what bothers me most.
«The movement advocates racial segregation, arguing that „multiculturalism increases murder, crime and prejudice“, and discourages interracial marriages; however, non-​white families are welcome, and interracial marriages have been tolerated in exceptional cases.
The leader has harshly criticized Martin Luther King Jr., saying that he was „filled with every evil spirit there is“ to deny the Curse of Ham, which Spriggs believes still applies to blacks today and makes them natural-​born slaves. He also thinks it was tragic that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves.»
Um.really?

There’s a lot of history and some controversy here — a little more about that in a moment– but let’s talk about what most visitors will care about: is it a good place to stop and eat? We think the answer is a definite yes. We’ve eaten several breakfasts during our visit to the Northern Kingdom, and we’ve come away very pleased. The deli has a very laid back atmosphere, a few booths, tables and a small counter, but with a sort of hippie culture: Think lots of plants, handmade tables, macramé, etc. It’s is impeccably clean and ultra-​friendly, whether you’re new (like us) or one of the village regulars (of whom there seem to be a fair number). The greetings come quick and easy, and you can get your first cup of coffee in the time it takes you to sit down. The menu is simple and inexpensive (coffee is free with meals over $ 4, and it’s hard to spend much more than that for a full meal). They do eggs over easy just right and add their own homemade fries (regular or spicy), and while there’s no pork bacon, the beef and turkey bacon and sausages are delicious. The blueberry oancakes were fluffy and tasty, too. They serve lunch and dinner, but we ate only breakfasts, and we found it a delightful stop in every way.
Now about that history, briefly, since this is not a site for much of this look back. The restaurant and several other establishments in the village are run by a Christian community known as The Twelves Tribes. Some have called them a cult, others a commune; they prefer community, and that seems fair. They were the object of a raid by Vermont law enforcement authorities in 1984 amid accusations (unproved) that they were abusing some young members. We have no idea how many there are in Island Pond now, but they appear to get along very well with locals (that’s locals tell us). They are friendly, industrious and have sought to make themselves a part of their hometown. Are they good or bad? We have no idea, nor do we claim to be knowledgeable about The Twelve Tribes. Do your own homework and make your own decisions. We were comfortable eating here and chatting with them in several places at several times, and you can see our conclusions above. We make no claims of expertise, only a very brief statement of what we found out from personal contact. Cheers!,

I am torn on this place and will give it a solid three stars. I had a decent meal but was absolutely horrified to learn that Common Sense/​Yellow Deli is essentially run by a Christian cult– the Twelve Tribes– who believe in all of the usual controlling techniques, corporal punishment, anti-​interracial relationships, shunning non-​believers, their way is right everyone else is what they call «filthy and unjust» …you know, your run of the mill cult stuff. I don’t feel right giving my money to this group and wish I had known about it before patronizing Common Sense. It is fine if you want to spend your money here, truly the food is probably as good as it gets for breakfast in Island Pond, so long as you are aware of what you are financing beforehand.

I’m not sure what the other two reviewers were expecting, or why the one person who praised all the food only gave it 3 stars, but I enjoyed my visit to the Yellow Deli!
I stopped in for the first time while riding into town from nearby Brighton State park to pick up a couple things on my bicycle. I first took notice of them because of the wi-​fi and stopped in to see if I could get access to it if I picked up a baked good or something. Well, they informed me that I need not buy anything to use it, and so I was able to check my emails and such on my phone which was great!
On our way out of town the next morning, we stopped in for breakfast since I hadn’t picked up anything the previous day. It is obviously family run for the most part, and the service was very good for what you want in a small town like this. Our server was very pleasant, and the food was delicious and inexpensive. When our server came back after initially taking our order, she had her baby sitting in a backpack carrier with her which I thought was awesome. Any place this laid back is always going to work for me.
When we stepped next door to the bakery, I don’t even think they were open yet, but they still brought someone over to assist us, and as we were perusing, another group walked in and ordered some items. After checking, it was discovered that they were all out of the items in question, but the guy behind the counter tried to get them to take a cookie for free for their troubles! I believe they declined, but still, that is awesome service!

This is a really cute sort of hippie restaurant.
The services was nice but sllllooooowww. We were dumbfounded when the waitress said that the day we were there (Sunday) was their busiest day and not all of the tables were full. A couple was sitting at a different table and actually left when they waited for an hour for their order and it still hadn’t come.
We tried to be patient, which is usually the case when we visit establishments outside of our usual stomping grounds. I was just about to say something about our lost order when I saw them coming with the food.
It was good and inexpensive. There aren’t too many breakfast options in Island Pond so the Yellow Deli/​Common Sense Café is pretty much the only place consistently open.
If this place was in a busier town/​city, there’s no way it would survive.

There obviously aren’t very many dining options in tiny little Island Pond, but given the locale, the Yellow Deli offers a pretty solid restaurant experience.
I came here for breakfast while weekending in town — the actual place looks great, with wooden furniture (it appears handcarved) lining the restaurant and quirky little leather bench-​coverings that appear to be works in progress. It’s like stepping into a combination log cabin and tiki hut — though the latter comes mostly as a result of the juice bar, which is a pleasant and unexpected find in a place like this.
I ordered eggs and toast; the eggs were cooked very well (I got them over medium, and they were just barely past the point of being liquid, but the texture was still nice so they get a pass) and the toast was delicious, though the pieces were small (the slices were hearty, thick, and fresh). I also got a blueberry muffin, which was a bit too sweet (it tasted strongly of honey and brown sugar) but obviously homemade, so again, they get points for that. They make their own granola there, which I tried — it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but it came with a good deal of fresh yogurt, which was also appreciated (as did the cute little fruit salad).
It’s nothing like the other breakfast option in town — Clay’s Place, which is right next door and a very standard diner experience. If you’re a little more earthy-​crunchy and aren’t a greasy spoon kind of person, this is your best bet.