Ecopolitan

My wife just went to this place and ended up getting sick. She threw up on her way back and had to pull over her car. After calling, she was on hold for over 5 minutes, then they admitted that sometimes people throw up after having wheatgrass, but then immediately assured that there is no way she got sick from the place. And, to add to the insult (quoting the Ecopolitan employee) he said «you are obviously not listening to the facts». Well, the fact is she pulled over at a red light to throw up. They didn’t take accountability to the food they serve and the reactions it could have on people. That’s a really crappy way to treat an (now an ex) customer? For $ 18? 0 points for quality and customer service. Very very disappointing

I had the daily surprise, it was amazing. An heirloom tomato stuffed with an amazing began sausage. He soup was some sort of orange blossom — pure genius.

Delicious food that’s good for you? Hell yeah! I eat a lot of junk food, so I try to balance things out with as much «live» food as possible. Ecopolitan is one of my top five vegan/​gluten free restaurants of all time. I’ve had every entrée on the menu and they’re all wonderfully raw and healthy.
I love dining here, but today we got Rawvioli and Ginger Noodles to go. They travel well and make for the perfect, healthy picnic food.

Going home tomorrow, so I had to make one last run to my latest raw vegan spot in the whole wide world! The flaxseed tostadas are my fav!

I have mixed feelings about this place and feel bad giving it 2 stars because it has so much potential. But a lot of things are wrong.
1. The food is not satisfying — as healthy as food might be, it has to be satisfying for one to come in and spend quite a bit — its not cheap. The rawvoli looks so promising but is a disappointment. It is a salad, it doesn’t qualify as an entrée. An entrée is usually something hot and wholesome, this is not. Ive had vegan ravioli and it can taste amazing. The flax crisps and hummus taste raw as a combination, its not hard to make flax chips and hummus not taste raw.
2. The staff is a bit lost/​not so helpful — I was alone and almost out of battery, i asked for a charger and they didn’t have one, said they’d look around and didn’t and it’s hard to believe that no one working there owns a phone. I asked for a pen, they never got me one.
3. Its not cool to charge for to-​go boxes!
4. Heat is important — vegan is great but that doesn’t mean that an apple pie needs to be cold. I’m sure heating it a bit would taste just fine.
A lot of scope with ingredients and flavors only if they make an effort. A vegan place needs to do a little extra to draw crowds.

We walked in, no one greeted us or was anywhere to be found. We sat down, looked up the menu online so we could be ready to order. After 10 minutes, a server didn’t even make themselves known. (When we walked in, workers definitely saw us sit) Then my friend walked into the juice bar area to get someone’s attention. Two workers were juicing, saw her but still didn’t acknowledge her. She waited for 2 minutes in there, then returned to the table. We sat another 5 and said screw it.
As a sever, I hate Unilocal reviewers because they think they know everything about the industry. But there’s no reason a restaurant shouldn’t acknowledge their guests, let alone prompt them to leave.
The food is great though, so take out is probably smartest.

The juice bar I’ve been looking for! So yum! Only wish their juices included more goodies than two or three per menu recipe. Glad I found you while visiting.

when your revenue comes from people thinking you are an all-​organic eatery then you should either be all organic or you should explicitly state that certain products you are serving are not chemical-​free. I have been buying raw coconut smoothies at this place for a long time, presuming they were organic because they ‘were’ when i first asked. I came to find out in the last couple days that they are not, but then the staff went on to claim they were organic but not certified. This is A) patently false, and B) illegal. The ‘Best’ brand coconuts they are getting from the Asian wholesalers are, to the best of my knowledge, dipped in a carcinogen called sodium metabisulfite. AND these coconuts come from giant monoculture plantations and we have NO idea how they are fertilized or treated for possible pests. It is ignorant or negligent or malicious in the extreme to benefit from people’s desire to eat free of synthetics while knowing there is very likely synthetics used in growth and processing. Don’t want to believe the good doctor would cheat you? Go look at the truly organic *young* coconuts at the wedge or seward and see how, surprise surprise, those ones are the typical co-​op buckskin color they should be, while the chemical dipped variety is the same white it was when the green skin on the outside was first removed just prior to dipping in poison, and being wrapped in polywrap… derrrrrr
But leave it to a bunch of vegans who aren’t getting enough saturated fats in their diets to swallow this obvious mistruth, hook, line and sinker… wait that’s not vegan!
I want my $ 6.50/ea. back for the last 50 or so coconut smoothies Ive gotten there. /:

Here’s your review, from a non-​vegan, meat eating person.
I went here for my mom’s birthday, per her request. I looked at the menu, and said «oh, ok, the macaroni and cheese sounds good. Alright. I can do this.»
The outside of the place seems old, but the inside seems not as old but it’s still old.
Water was served. Without ice. It was a little (read: really) warm.
I had an Orange Julia smoothie, which wasn’t too bad. Actually, it was pretty good. :)
Mom had the Sweet Beet juice. She liked it. I didn’t.
Main course: I ordered the so called Macaroni and Cheese. Dad ordered some sort of kale salad. Mom ordered the Pesto Pasta.
Now rememeber that I am NOT a vegan, and I do eat meat.
Mom, who is a vegan, reports that her pesto pasta was good.
Dad barely eat his kale salad. He’s like me (not vegan, meat eating)
First bite of my mac and cheese. Oh, it’s cold.
Unexpected. Well, I guess this is a raw place with raw stuff.
I ate it. I didn’t like it, but I ate the whole thing.
Dessert: Lemon cookie? Sounds pretty good. Father and I orders that. Mom orders cheesecake.
Her cheesecake was good. My cookie tasted like raw cookie dough. No lemon taste.
Kinda pricey as well.
If you’re a vegan, you might like this place.
If you’re not a vegan, you most likely will not like this place.

This place usually has great food but it’s absolutely not good enough to make up for the horrendous service. On 3.26.16 I went with a couple of my friends and was completely and willfully ignored. I don’t know if it was because there were two Black women in our party, but after we made eye contact with the server several times, he refused to even acknowledge our presence. After sitting there for over 15minutes the server walked past us 5 time without even offering us menus which we eventually got ourselves. Meanwhile he was sure to bus tables and take dessert orders from the table next us. After realizing that we were not going to be served we got up to leave and he looked at us and removed the menus from the table like he was happy for us to go.

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. It’s healthy and is completely satisfying! The servers are very friendly and food is fresh, raw, and vegan. I got the marinara «pasta» dish and the sweet beet juice. The juice was one of the best I have ever had. You wouldn’t even know that it was good for you and the marinara was refreshing and yummy!

Ahhhh the juices are great! Many options, with the food so great. Huge fan of the Tostadas. My only issue was waiter took to long to ask for our orders but other then that was great!

I almost couldn’t find it because I didn’t realize it’s in a house which is bizarre but somehow it works out fine. They have some really good smoothies that are super delish & worth trying. You should check it out not because it’s raw, but because it’s tasty goodness. I was surprised by the lack of breakfast items even if they seemed breakfast-​like, they really aren’t. I would suggest coming for lunch. They seem to have a place in the back where you go to order takeout but you have to walk through the dining room which is weird. Super friendly & they will answer questions should you have no idea what some of the items are.

I like what they are trying to do here but they kind of miss the mark to me. For one thing all the colon cleansing marketing and stuff that greets you as you walk in is off-​putting. I like a clean colon as much as the next guy but it just doesn’t jibe with a meal.
The space is homey (well, it IS a former house) and pretty charmingly done. Alas, the chairs are beastly hard and straight (they look homemade?) to the point that they begin to get quite uncomfortable while you wait for your food.
And you WILL wait for your food, we sat an hour after ordering waiting for our meals, on a busy but not crazy evening.
It is prep-​intensive food but I have to say the staff seemed kinda blasé and disengaged. Nobody ever said «sorry for the wait» or gave us a «We are a bit behind in the kitchen…» heads up before ordering. They need to step up the staff engagement a bit. It can be hard to discern mellow from apathetic and I can’t say which we were getting.
Anyhow – We had the RaWvioli, the Marinara pasta, and Ginger nut noodles.
I’m a cyclic vegan, and happily eat raw food but don’t agree with it as the sole paragon of a healthy diet… so you know where this is going…
I trust if you are coming here you know you are in for raw food, so for example the «noodles» in the pasta are zucchini. But I think all the rave reviews are from folks who just ache for anywhere to eat out and have skewed their expectations, and I think the guaranteed clientele has dulled their creativity here.
It’s reasonably tasty for what it is, and if you are a desperate raw vegan you don’t have many choices so will be glad for the place.
Flavors are good (though they rely far too much on salt), food was fairly fresh (though my greens were a bit tired looking).
I would go again if invited or maybe pop in for a to-​go juice, but not seek it out…

We went and had such a lovely time. The food was very good, fresh, and delicious. We will be back when we’re in town in the future.

This was my second or third visit to Ecopolitan. The other times, they had been out of the mac n cheese, so I was excited to try it since we went for Friday lunch, not Saturday dinner like before. I got the Mac n cheese and a piece of sausage pizza. After all the waiting, the mac n cheese is the only thing I’ve had that i wouldn’t order again. It’s just bland, and served with more spinach that mac n cheese, like a salad. I make a better vegan cheese sauce at home. That being said, I’ve had all the kinds of pizza, the burrito and the tostadas and they have all been very good. A great place for anyone, but especially vegans or vegetarians. It’s great to be able to pick ANYTHING on a menu for a change.

I’m obsessed with this place. The casseroles and burrito are sooooo good, as are the desserts! And, well, everything I’ve eaten here I’ve liked. It has a lot of personality, too. Fun, healthy, and different!

Maybe one of the healthiest meals I have ever eaten. Cool environment and great staff. Pasta was incredible. This place has personality.

I’m a vegetarian (sometimes a vegan) so I thought this place would be right up my ally.
I’m not sure if it was an off night or what, but the whole experience was painful. It took over 2 hours for my group to get a smoothie, food, and check. The check itself took 45 minutes! On top of that they automatically add 18% gratuity for groups of 5 or more (I was with 4 other people). I get that for large groups, but for 5 people?!? This was on a week night and it was not busy.
It’s too bad because I thought the food was good (although pricey), but I won’t be back for that slow of service ever again.

A cute nicely decorated restaurant in what looks like it used to be an old run down house. The server was super nice and checked on me quite often. Ordered the savory casserole and it was awesome! I never realized how great Vegan food can be!

This place was really good. I got the fruit salad and it was delicious next time I will get a juice

Ecopolitan is a gem of a find for vegans and vegetable lovers alike! A couple friends and I met there for dinner on a Friday evening. The staff was friendly on the phone when I made reservations and in person. The server was very knowledgeable on the menu and was great at giving recommendations to my friend who doesn’t eat vegetables. The venue is small but welcoming with parking off the back alley. I think I enjoyed the restaurant the most partly because I’m vegan. Normally, I enjoy the challenge of finding vegan items at a normal restaurant however that was not the case tonight. Tonight, I was able to order anything from the menu including dessert! Thank you Ecopolitan for making that possible!!!

I have been a fan of raw food for a few months now. I swear I’m in love with it. The thing is that I have not had many dishes but the few that I have, I cherish them dearly. There aren’t too many locations here in Chicago. When traveling to Minnesota, I told my brother that I needed to have raw food so we decided to check out this place.
Upon walking into this place, I liked the environment. It was very much like entering someone’s home. I felt more like a guest than a customer. The waitress was very nice. There was very little interaction between us and the waitress — just average service I would say but nice people nonetheless.
My brother and I ordered the burrito which was absolutely delicious. It has to be on my top five favorite foods list. The burrito filling is so authentic and raw. Tastes exactly like taco meat but a healthier option. Every time I eat raw food, I feel good about myself. It gives me the full satisfaction with half the calories and guilt lol. I was also able to try a few other things such as the cheeseball with crackers and the pizza.
I would highly recommend this place! You’d be surprised at how good raw food is!

We had the Rawvioli and Chili Cheese Burrito. They were both yummy. Then ended the meal with cheese cake. The walnut crust was amazing.
Great new location to try. If you want something different, something healthy yet delightfully delicious, you should check out Ecopolitan.

I have always wanted to go to this place, but I was always confused if the restaurant was the top or bottom door and the colon cleansing sign always made me weary of eating at a place that has both.
Well I went into the upper door and found a very cute little restaurant. It is in an old house giving it the charm that Lyndale ave can offer you. It is very quiet. Yes, it was lunch and only a handful of people were eating besides my friend and I (and it can only hold maybe 10 people), but those walls must be sturdy since no noise from the outside entered. There was also some pretty rad music playing in the dining area, making it seem even more hip. I mean how much more does a gluten-​free, vegan, raw, colon-​cleansing establishment need to do?
Anyways, I was excited, I had never eaten at a place like this and I mostly eat carbs and use heat to cook. My friend and I started with the 3 dips, which were very flavorful and served with the greatest chips in the history of the world, made with flax.
I got the tostada, and, yes, the tortilla part was basically a larger version of the chip! Score. Toppled high with lentil taco ‘meat’ it was very flavorful and extremely filling. I could only eat half of the full order. My friend ordered the raw mac and cheese, which was also delicious made with zucchini noodles. Both meals looked like they were made from a magical forest, which Ecopolitan is obviously hiding in their kitchen, with plenty of greens and goodness.
To finish, I was informed I had to try the cheesecake, and so glad I did. It was ridiculous how much it tasted like the real deal, being that it was made out of dates, cashews, and pecans as the main ingredients.
So I was full after this meal, but I didn’t feel crappy, I felt like I could take on the world! My body was happy with what I put in it and for like 7 hours after!
I definitely recommend to anyone, it can be a little weird if this is not your thing and it is a little more expensive with the use of very fresh ingredients, but still worth a shot right? Even if nothing sounds appealing they have fresh squeezed juices and smoothies, no one can disagree with that, right?

This is the first vegan place I’ve ever been to. I tried the cheese burrito and my friend had the nachos and cheese. Both were very good. It has a home feel to it. Very laid back vibe but it’s a nice spot. The lavender tea was amazing

I love this place I always get the burrito wrap when I come here with freshly squeezed apple carrot juice mmm! I always try to atleast eat clean around the beginning and the end of the year my vegan kick! and I tried this place super bomb lil pricey but well worth i never feel bloated or sleepy I feel energized! They got other things to like sauna and other healthy stuff to try for your body I think you can even stay there for a vegan month trial I don’t know exactly all I know is the food is bombtastic and you need to try the juices they make. and they service always pleasant

If you eat organic raw vegan food, you’ll know the drill when you get to this place. If you don’t know about it and are in Minneapolis, this is a great place to start and experiment because for raw organic food, the prices are fabulous.
The smoothie and juice menus are extensive. Go for whatever suits your mood, you’ll be happy.
The desserts are good but calorie and fat heavy as they are but based. Watch out– a little goes a long way, but worth it. Prices again are awesome.
The entrees are also very fairly priced– salads for the neophytes, appetizers for the uninitiated and entrees for the experts and adventurers. Lots of avocado and zucchini, some rot veggies, and plenty of nuts. You will not leave hungry. Again, the portions are awesome and food is fresh.
Loved it and support going!!! Only down side is that there is a similar therms for the entrees of but, zucchini and avocado– so a bit more variety would kick it to 5!

This was the first time eating at a «raw food» restaurant. My wife and I were so impressed with everything we tried that we had to give this place 5 stars.
We started with the cashew log cheese roll with sun dried tomatoes, olives and fresh basil. Simply delicious! I could have swore it was real cheese based on the taste and texture. The flax crackers served with it also went very well with the «cheese».
We ordered two entrees so we could share and taste both. Choosing two was tough enough as there are so many things that piqued our interest! We had the rawvioli and the chile cheese burrito (collard leaf wrap). Both were delicious, and hard to believe nothing was cooked! Great flavors with both entrees but the fresh flavors in the rawvioli and the spiciness in the burrito stand out. Both are highly recommended.
We finished up our meal with coconut supreme and pecan fudge drinks. Just wonderful! No sugar added to either drink.
They also had quite a few other coconut based drinks, smoothies and juices which I’m sure are also delicious. Can’t wait to try the other menu items and drinks!
It’s really amazing how good and flavorful uncooked natural/​raw food can taste. The chef/​cooks here have us convinced. We’ll be back!

A flavorful raw vegan café that has a laid back hipster vibe. Take it from a vegan, this place is delicious!
Drink
1. Green House 16 oz: fresh and smooth. Not pulpy at all. It’s also garnished with a little mint lead.
Food
1. Pesto Pizza full size: 2 slices of baked sunflower nutritional yeast crusts (at least that’s the flavors I taste: nutritional yeast provides a «cheesy» flavor). Flavored with pesto sauce and topped with leaves, sliced tomatoes, diced marinated mushrooms, and sprinkled with some walnuts. Excellent!
2. Raspberry «cheesecake:» created from cashews, sea salt, and several other nuts this one was my least favorite. The texture matched actual cheesecake however it wasn’t as sweet as I expected. Although the raspberry sauce was delicious! The perfect combo of tangy and sweet as a raspberry.
Price: Decently priced for a pure raw vegan restaurant. They tend to be pricey since the produce and ingredients of pure vegetables are expensive. Plus the fact that it usually takes a lot more produce to come up with these creations, like juicing, etc.
Customer Service: Great staff! I came in on a Friday afternoon and it was very busy. The waitress did a great job attending to all customers in a timely manner and was sensitive to our time, when we wanted to order, dine, and pay the check.
Overall: I would highly recommend when in Minneapolis! Simply delicious!

I am always excited to find a raw food restaurant in new cities. My initial trip to Ecopolitan was not what I was expecting considering this place was on my «To Try» list for the longest. The place is located in the Uptown area and the space inside is fairly small. Definitely not for a group. But ideal for solo dining or a couple. No real ambiance so not first date appropriate.
Since I was unsure of what I wanted to try, I went with the surprise item. I guess it was no surprise that I got the macaroni and cheese. It makes me wonder if that is just the surprise for everyone. I plan to go back and see if the chef gives me the same dish. Even though I was told the chef changes daily…
As for taste, it was pretty good. Very appealing to the eyes. Next time I will try a smoothie or juice. They take a $ 1 off if you bring your own container or mason jar.
Parking can be a challenge to find but there is private lot dedicated to Ecopolitan customers. Turn down 24^th, right onto the alley behind Ecopolitan, and a right into the private parking area. They have signs posted so once you are in the alley, it won’t be hard to spot.
Overall, I was more disappointed with how they were handling the food. I understand that I never know what goes on in the kitchen at restaurants, but for places that have an open view of the kitchen, I expect all food safety and hygienic measures to be followed. Just sayin’

If Prince had to list his «Top 5 Favorite Restaurants In The Twin Cities,» I would bet that Ecopolitan would be on it.
It’s been a while since my last visit, so today I refreshed my mind and taste buds about one of the Twin Cities’ only gluten-​free, raw, organic, and vegan joints.
Once you enter the Victorian house, take the door on the right to find yourself in another world. You’ll first notice how incredibly quiet and dim it is, and I would have to agree with Clare S who wrote that it feels like «walking into a joint where you would get a tarot card reading or pick up medical marijuana.» It’s quiet, but you can hear the sound of rabbit people happily munching their healthy «pizzas,» salads, or deserts while gulpin’ down all sorts of nutritional juices in the dim light. (I can be one of those rabbit people, BTW.) Love the gigantic map in the random «hallway» and educational pamphlets about sustainable foods. Super cool.
Today, I chowed down a Red Bell Pepper «Pizza» and sipped a ginger lemonade.
Red Bell Pepper Pizza: Is this what I ate? Honestly, I’m not really sure, since there was a lot going on! Did I eat gluten free bread? Was it even bread? Hmm, the shaved cucumber, sliced avocado and couple of strawberries were fine. The sauce –was that the red bell pepper?- could have had more flavor. Not sure if the handful of sprouts went very well with my «pizza.» Actually, I couldn’t eat it with my pizza, because it just constantly rolled off. Is this what people feel like when they try Vietnamese food? LOL! Oh, and, uh, the plate is kind of small, so you’ll have to eat this pizza with a fork and knife. (Which is, totally fine.) Eating it with your hands will result in a gigantic vegetable-​orgy mess. Overall though, I give some props for creativity. Just, hmm, it’s too much craziness just like this paragraph.
Ginger Lemonade: Delicious and refreshing. Also, several hours have passed and I feel terrific! Like, I totally want to attempt a no-​handed cartwheel right now-​kinda good. Try a juice.
Service: Dude was super nice and the food and drink came out fast. (I guess there’s only so much chefs can do to prepare raw food. Haha.)
Price: Holy crap. Ecopolitan is much more expensive than I would’ve thought, especially considering the fact that they serve raw food. For the amount I got, I find the price hard to justify. And, I frequently shop at The Wedge!
Overall, would I consider eating at Ecopolitan again? Sure! Would I go back for a drink! Why not? (Well, actually, my eyes started to itch like crazy towards the end of my meal, and I briefly considered ripping my eyes out. Are there roaming cats? There must be…) I could see myself back in the future to try other items on the menu. Not the pizza, though.
Ecopolitan has overpriced food and not so great pizza, yet great drinks and service. For now, it gets three stars from me.