Super friendly staff and a really interesting menu. I had the cauliflower bites and a rice and bean bowl. Both were delicious.
Janine Riggins
I'm only recommending Planta (Planta Bethesda) because it is a fully plant-based restaurant. That is always a bonus for vegans and those who eat a plant-based diet. In the past, I had many, many other positives to share about this restaurant. But my most recent visit (last week) was disappointing. I was hoping for chick'n and waffles, which I have had in the past (and felt was a restaurant staple, like something they were known for offering). Not so it seems. The new menu change was disappointing. (At least they still offer bang bang broccoli.) I ordered the chick'n sandwich and was told by the waiter that it was "the same" chick'n as the chick'n & waffles but that was not the case at all. The minute I took one bite, I knew it was Meati (mushroom based chick'n patty). I love Meati, don't get me wrong, but it is a far cry from a homemade fried trumpet mushroom, which I was expecting. Packaged vegan meat product? At Planta?? Really? The waiter seemed under-informed, was doing his best, but clearly did not know the previous menu nor did he know specifics about the current offerings. I'm not sure I'd make a special effort to go back, but will keep an eye on the menu- hoping to see some of the great dishes of the past return!
KolyanMarcus
The variety and the presentation of the menu items. Great waiter and fast service. My server Moe offered good menu items as this was my first time. Moe was informative. I recommend the Bang bang Brocoli, The lettuce wraps and Bao slider. I also had a delicious drink, a cucumber mule non-alcoholic.
MichaelStrait
Casual, friendly, busy, delicious.
inkybrown
I have been there several times over the years, and their one redeeming quality is delicious food. But the service is slow and apathetic. On my latest visit, my friend and I had our appetizers and our entrees before the drinks were even delivered. It was midday and the restaurant was only half full. They completely forgot to bring another drink. I asked two different servers and found out it was delivered to the wrong table. Our server never followed up. I spoke to the manager and she was not that sympathetic. Our desserts took about 25 minutes to arrive. So if you don't mind really slow, unreliable service but want good food, go there. The food is delicious but is it worth the wait?
Vedat Odabas-Geldiay
Being a longtime vegan, and previous customer of Planta, the food was okay, however they would not honor the prices in their published menu on their website and the manager said those are expired and we can’t serve you at those prices. They neglected to remove a special menu advertised on their website and instead of saying it’s our fault but since you counted on that to come and visit us, we will honor it this time. No, instead they said it’s too bad, it’s no longer valid, take it (the regular menu) or leave it. I had brought 5 other guests to Planta for this occasion, their first visit to a Vegan restaurant, and it was truly an embarrassing experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Ellen F
I used to love this place but we had a horrible meal here that made us sick and the front of house staff were terribly rude. We will never return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Delia
This place has really declined. We ordered a burger and some appetizers yesterday, but they ended up going straight to the trash. They were inedible. I can't understand how they expect to stay busy with food like this. I'm baffled by all the positive reviews—either people have lost their sense of taste or they've become accustomed to poor quality food and can't tell the difference anymore. We won’t be ordering from here again!
Food: 1
Denise H.
If I could, I would give this restaurant 0 stars. I entered and was seated right away, then waited 30 minutes for a server. When a server approached the table next to me, where people who arrived well after me were seated, I went to the host and asked if our server knew we were there. The host apologized and got us some water. Then, a second table that was seated after us was approached by a second server. At this point, my friend and I left, having only a sip of water. Very disappointing experience. I've eaten their once before and enjoyed the food. However, I will not return to this location and be subjected to such horrible service again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Random Knowbody
Wanted to love it here but probably wouldn’t come back. Service was great but the food did NOT live up to the hype. Appreciative to the young lady that served me she was very helpful.
Did not inform us that half their menu was unavailable due to running out of avocado (at 6PM) until after we had ordered drinks and been sitting there half an hour. Would not go back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Rikita Budhrani
I'll start by saying I'm a HUGE planta fan - from the Miami to Toronto to NYC locations. However for my birthday dinner - they messed up my main order hot dish, it never came out (probably served to another table) and when the manager came over and said it would be 'on the house' and it's taking longer than expected but would be out, we waited though we expressed from the start we had plans and limited time. The dinner rush was crazy they were super packed and eventually we just got handed the check without a main. Rude to be ushered out like that and sad for a birthday girl whose family drove 30 minutes out for the meal.
Nestor Mojica
I recently visited this restaurant with my girlfriend, and our experience was mixed. Upon arrival, the hostess informed us that we needed a reservation despite seeing empty tables. I turned around and made a reservation on my phone on Resy, and told her that I had a reservation now. She then seated us.
This interaction left a poor impression. The hostess could have easily suggested booking a reservation or explaining the process to us. They turned away customers for no reason. We had to take extra steps to try and get a table.
Our waiter initially provided decent service, explaining the restaurant's family-style concept. However, as the night progressed, the service declined. We experienced long wait times for dessert, and our plates were left empty for an extended period.
I also wasn't a fan of the family-style concept or the way food was sent out from the kitchen out of order. For a restaurant-like environment, I found it too casual. I saw a few tables that chose to wait for others to get their food before eating.
Regarding the food, the highlights were the bang bang broccoli and the tofu in the lettuce wraps. However, the prices were steep, with the lettuce wraps costing $23 for a small portion. That dish really shouldn't be more than $15 for a quarter block of tofu and 4 pieces of lettuce. The udon dish was mediocre. It tasted like a cambells cream of mushroom soup with udon mixed in. The Heartbreakers and lava cake were decent but nothing noteworthy.
Overall, I give this restaurant 3/5 stars. While it's a popular spot for vegans (my brother is vegan and loves coming here), I wouldn't choose to return on my own. If I did, I'd opt for their burgers, which appeared better portioned and priced. Don't expect good service though.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
mike1366
The food is outstanding, a huge menu including creative Asian-inspired flavors and classic comfort food dishes. Service is very casual, and hit or miss.
Ashley
The Bang Bang Broccoli is always a winner. The boa sliders and vodka pizza were good as well.
Super friendly staff and a really interesting menu. I had the cauliflower bites and a rice and bean bowl. Both were delicious.
I'm only recommending Planta (Planta Bethesda) because it is a fully plant-based restaurant. That is always a bonus for vegans and those who eat a plant-based diet. In the past, I had many, many other positives to share about this restaurant. But my most recent visit (last week) was disappointing. I was hoping for chick'n and waffles, which I have had in the past (and felt was a restaurant staple, like something they were known for offering). Not so it seems. The new menu change was disappointing. (At least they still offer bang bang broccoli.) I ordered the chick'n sandwich and was told by the waiter that it was "the same" chick'n as the chick'n & waffles but that was not the case at all. The minute I took one bite, I knew it was Meati (mushroom based chick'n patty). I love Meati, don't get me wrong, but it is a far cry from a homemade fried trumpet mushroom, which I was expecting. Packaged vegan meat product? At Planta?? Really? The waiter seemed under-informed, was doing his best, but clearly did not know the previous menu nor did he know specifics about the current offerings. I'm not sure I'd make a special effort to go back, but will keep an eye on the menu- hoping to see some of the great dishes of the past return!
The variety and the presentation of the menu items. Great waiter and fast service. My server Moe offered good menu items as this was my first time. Moe was informative. I recommend the Bang bang Brocoli, The lettuce wraps and Bao slider. I also had a delicious drink, a cucumber mule non-alcoholic.
Casual, friendly, busy, delicious.
I have been there several times over the years, and their one redeeming quality is delicious food. But the service is slow and apathetic. On my latest visit, my friend and I had our appetizers and our entrees before the drinks were even delivered. It was midday and the restaurant was only half full. They completely forgot to bring another drink. I asked two different servers and found out it was delivered to the wrong table. Our server never followed up. I spoke to the manager and she was not that sympathetic. Our desserts took about 25 minutes to arrive. So if you don't mind really slow, unreliable service but want good food, go there. The food is delicious but is it worth the wait?
Being a longtime vegan, and previous customer of Planta, the food was okay, however they would not honor the prices in their published menu on their website and the manager said those are expired and we can’t serve you at those prices. They neglected to remove a special menu advertised on their website and instead of saying it’s our fault but since you counted on that to come and visit us, we will honor it this time. No, instead they said it’s too bad, it’s no longer valid, take it (the regular menu) or leave it. I had brought 5 other guests to Planta for this occasion, their first visit to a Vegan restaurant, and it was truly an embarrassing experience.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
I used to love this place but we had a horrible meal here that made us sick and the front of house staff were terribly rude. We will never return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
This place has really declined. We ordered a burger and some appetizers yesterday, but they ended up going straight to the trash. They were inedible. I can't understand how they expect to stay busy with food like this. I'm baffled by all the positive reviews—either people have lost their sense of taste or they've become accustomed to poor quality food and can't tell the difference anymore. We won’t be ordering from here again!
Food: 1
If I could, I would give this restaurant 0 stars. I entered and was seated right away, then waited 30 minutes for a server. When a server approached the table next to me, where people who arrived well after me were seated, I went to the host and asked if our server knew we were there. The host apologized and got us some water. Then, a second table that was seated after us was approached by a second server. At this point, my friend and I left, having only a sip of water. Very disappointing experience. I've eaten their once before and enjoyed the food. However, I will not return to this location and be subjected to such horrible service again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Wanted to love it here but probably wouldn’t come back. Service was great but the food did NOT live up to the hype. Appreciative to the young lady that served me she was very helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bang Bang Broccoli
Restaurantji Recommends
Did not inform us that half their menu was unavailable due to running out of avocado (at 6PM) until after we had ordered drinks and been sitting there half an hour. Would not go back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
I'll start by saying I'm a HUGE planta fan - from the Miami to Toronto to NYC locations. However for my birthday dinner - they messed up my main order hot dish, it never came out (probably served to another table) and when the manager came over and said it would be 'on the house' and it's taking longer than expected but would be out, we waited though we expressed from the start we had plans and limited time. The dinner rush was crazy they were super packed and eventually we just got handed the check without a main. Rude to be ushered out like that and sad for a birthday girl whose family drove 30 minutes out for the meal.
I recently visited this restaurant with my girlfriend, and our experience was mixed. Upon arrival, the hostess informed us that we needed a reservation despite seeing empty tables. I turned around and made a reservation on my phone on Resy, and told her that I had a reservation now. She then seated us.
This interaction left a poor impression. The hostess could have easily suggested booking a reservation or explaining the process to us. They turned away customers for no reason. We had to take extra steps to try and get a table.
Our waiter initially provided decent service, explaining the restaurant's family-style concept. However, as the night progressed, the service declined. We experienced long wait times for dessert, and our plates were left empty for an extended period.
I also wasn't a fan of the family-style concept or the way food was sent out from the kitchen out of order. For a restaurant-like environment, I found it too casual. I saw a few tables that chose to wait for others to get their food before eating.
Regarding the food, the highlights were the bang bang broccoli and the tofu in the lettuce wraps. However, the prices were steep, with the lettuce wraps costing $23 for a small portion. That dish really shouldn't be more than $15 for a quarter block of tofu and 4 pieces of lettuce. The udon dish was mediocre. It tasted like a cambells cream of mushroom soup with udon mixed in. The Heartbreakers and lava cake were decent but nothing noteworthy.
Overall, I give this restaurant 3/5 stars. While it's a popular spot for vegans (my brother is vegan and loves coming here), I wouldn't choose to return on my own. If I did, I'd opt for their burgers, which appeared better portioned and priced. Don't expect good service though.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
The food is outstanding, a huge menu including creative Asian-inspired flavors and classic comfort food dishes. Service is very casual, and hit or miss.
The Bang Bang Broccoli is always a winner. The boa sliders and vodka pizza were good as well.
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