Leigh is wonderful. Serving Columbia for so many years with the best food.......Now Main Squeeze has shifted and is still providing an essential service to our community. ♥️
Pierce Cromley
extremely disrespectful owner who will fire you out of the blue as stated by others in this review section. in my opinion, the quality of food served now is very low compared to pre-remodel. the owner tried to deny me time off for a family funeral and also my partners graduation. if you're considering working or eating here, i'd recommend looking elsewhere. for me, nourish cafe and gina's vegan a go-go are leaps and bounds better in terms of quality.
Suzanne Norton
OMG! The fluffernutter is my new true love! A vegan cookie to die for. Marshmallow meets peanut butter cookie. A match made in heaven. And she is on the thick side, not one of those steamrolled cookie types. ❤️❤️❤️ Perfection!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mandy E.
We got to this place and there was no food menu up. They just have fresh juices. Disappointed that they haven't updated yelp.
Larissa M.
The juice is soooo good, even when the juicer breaks! The people working were so kind and helpful. I am from out of town and went in on a whim. I had no idea what I wanted, but the lady pointed out favorites from both their juice and smoothie menu. A few minutes after ordering, one of the ladies working came up and informed me that the juicer had broken mid-juice. She told me she could either add coconut water to fill the cup to the top (it was almost all made, more than half the cup was already full) or she could refund me. I opted for the coconut water and thank goodness I did, because the juice is delicious! I got the purple rain and would highly recommend trying it if you ever stop in! The space inside is also super cute with a ton of eco-friendly products and cute locally made items!
Audrey Deyoung
When i moved to Columbia two years ago, Main Squeeze was the first stop on freshman move-in day. I was so happy to have a vegan shop within walking distance of my dorm! Leigh, the owner, has established such a warm environment that is one of the only places in Columbia serving vegetarian/vegan food in a restaurant atmosphere. Even though I was heartbroken to say goodbye to the made-to-order, restaurant version of Main Squeeze, the new shop has made up for it and Leigh’s welcoming and hilarious personality has kept the environment the same. I stopped in today for a vegan breakfast burrito from the hot bar and I was just ecstatic that i was able to get a hot vegan breakfast on the go. Thank you Leigh for keeping the vegans and vegetarians of Columbia fed and happy! No matter what changes are made to Main Squeeze i know that they are improving the community with their sustainable products, juices, smoothies and frozen meals. I can’t wait to see what you do next to make Como more sustainable.
Julia S.
My fiancé ordered all pre made items at 4:30pm on a Sunday instead of made to order ... Food kept warm/ hot, the only thing left was left from the morning was 1 Vegan Black Bean -Sweet Potato Burrito. - Rating... great but needs the condiments that is provided at Main Squeeze to customize to one's preference. Came with salsa Frozen and Refrigerated, there was a lot more options to choose from. What we got.. Zoodle Salad with peanut sauce - Rating- great but needed sriracha (they ran out of this condiment and all others) since it flavor or needed more peanut sauce Vegan Egg Salad - Rating- I love egg salad, so this was amazing and surprisingly vegan. I would definitely order again, as as stated earlier condiments, such as hot sauce is needed. Especially with someone like me who loves spice and flavor. Pricing was decent for what we got between the two of us. Hospitality 10 out of 10.
Veggie Mom
Love this place. Quick, grab n go meals, mostly vegan, always delish. Best smoothies in town and I think the only made to order juices. The sustainability offerings are a cool addition (love my wool dryer balls!) and lots of great gift ideas for the eco conscious. Lovely owner who cares a lot for running a sustainable business.
Jessica Mckenzie
I hate making this review, but I’m heartbroken. This was my absolute favorite place to eat in como for years. It was a beautifully unique, plant-based restaurant with a warm and inviting atmosphere. I loved the local art displayed, and the space itself was a work of art! The menu was expansive, and there was always something for everyone to enjoy. The staff were always smiling and engaging. It was the perfect place to treat yourself with a nutritious meal or have a bite with friends and loved ones. The energy was just great there. However, now I doubt I will ever come back. The menu is an embarrassingly small fraction of what they used to offer. All the uniqueness and community collaboration shown proudly in the space is gone and covered with a more “sterile” feeling remodel and paint job (no hate to the mural artist, it’s pretty and I know the work you put into it was a lot). All the colorful tables and chairs are stark white. The staff weren’t rude by any means, but definitely not the kind and bright faces I got used to seeing there. You definitely feel like a wallet with eyes. This place is no longer the friendly, relaxed restaurant I treasured as my favorite. It’s a watered down, sterilized wellness market with exorbitant prices, a hot case and some coolers. As if we didn’t have plenty of those around.I did order food, as I had already paid for parking to do so. The burrito I got from the hot case was dry and not very flavorful. The salsa was pretty good. And I got a purple rain juice (my favorite juice EVER from them). The juice was just okay, but I wasn’t expecting a big ol’ seed to hit the back of my throat ? (I’m fine and I’m not upset about the seed. It happens when you buy fresh juice. Just aggravated my mood about everything further.)I truly don’t know the motive behind this, but if it was supposed to be a business move for growth, it was done without much consideration. I’ll miss the old Main Squeeze ??
Gil Canett
If you're looking for fresh VEGAN food, you have a better chance going to your local Walmart. The food here is stale. The atmosphere is superficial. I asked for a refund and was asked if I'd like some Elizabeth Warren cookies instead. Not only distasteful, but ALSO disrespectful because I voted for Pete Buttigieg. I'll take my queer money elsewhere.
I love this place! I just wish they hadn’t gotten rid of half the old menu, I miss the Petrushka wrap :(
Marsha Hamilton
I love the owner and this was my go to for healthy choices when I lived in Columbia. The Cafe is more of a market now with tee shirts and lots of things to buy. I wish Leigh continued success
Joan R.
I believe this is the only fully vegan "restaurant" in Columbia. My daughter lives here so when I come to visit we often end up here. It is a grab and go place now but they have some hot soups and smoothies you can get made fresh. There are lots of delicious options in the freezers. Last night I chose a chicken broccoli Alfredo. It was really tasty. My other daughter who isn't vegan likes this place so that speaks volumes for how good the food is. The prices are a tad high but reflect current economy. Got some vegan ice cream to go too. Soy delicious in the freezer. Parking can be tricky but we easily found parking on a side street on a Saturday afternoon in April. Follow me on IG @eatveganwithjoan
Kylie Smoot
I used to go here all the time. It was so cute and they had so many vegan food options. They renovated the whole thing including their menu and now there is very limited food options and just not as cute as it was so I rarely ever go now.
Lindsay Tiefenbrunn
SO fun to be back at a place that was so special to me in college. The owner is a gem, and cares deeply about her customers and her shop. Smoothies are 10/10. Such a great place! can’t wait to be back soon!!
Leigh is wonderful. Serving Columbia for so many years with the best food.......Now Main Squeeze has shifted and is still providing an essential service to our community. ♥️
extremely disrespectful owner who will fire you out of the blue as stated by others in this review section. in my opinion, the quality of food served now is very low compared to pre-remodel. the owner tried to deny me time off for a family funeral and also my partners graduation. if you're considering working or eating here, i'd recommend looking elsewhere. for me, nourish cafe and gina's vegan a go-go are leaps and bounds better in terms of quality.
OMG! The fluffernutter is my new true love! A vegan cookie to die for. Marshmallow meets peanut butter cookie. A match made in heaven. And she is on the thick side, not one of those steamrolled cookie types. ❤️❤️❤️ Perfection!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We got to this place and there was no food menu up. They just have fresh juices. Disappointed that they haven't updated yelp.
The juice is soooo good, even when the juicer breaks! The people working were so kind and helpful. I am from out of town and went in on a whim. I had no idea what I wanted, but the lady pointed out favorites from both their juice and smoothie menu. A few minutes after ordering, one of the ladies working came up and informed me that the juicer had broken mid-juice. She told me she could either add coconut water to fill the cup to the top (it was almost all made, more than half the cup was already full) or she could refund me. I opted for the coconut water and thank goodness I did, because the juice is delicious! I got the purple rain and would highly recommend trying it if you ever stop in! The space inside is also super cute with a ton of eco-friendly products and cute locally made items!
When i moved to Columbia two years ago, Main Squeeze was the first stop on freshman move-in day. I was so happy to have a vegan shop within walking distance of my dorm! Leigh, the owner, has established such a warm environment that is one of the only places in Columbia serving vegetarian/vegan food in a restaurant atmosphere. Even though I was heartbroken to say goodbye to the made-to-order, restaurant version of Main Squeeze, the new shop has made up for it and Leigh’s welcoming and hilarious personality has kept the environment the same. I stopped in today for a vegan breakfast burrito from the hot bar and I was just ecstatic that i was able to get a hot vegan breakfast on the go. Thank you Leigh for keeping the vegans and vegetarians of Columbia fed and happy! No matter what changes are made to Main Squeeze i know that they are improving the community with their sustainable products, juices, smoothies and frozen meals. I can’t wait to see what you do next to make Como more sustainable.
My fiancé ordered all pre made items at 4:30pm on a Sunday instead of made to order ... Food kept warm/ hot, the only thing left was left from the morning was 1 Vegan Black Bean -Sweet Potato Burrito. - Rating... great but needs the condiments that is provided at Main Squeeze to customize to one's preference. Came with salsa Frozen and Refrigerated, there was a lot more options to choose from. What we got.. Zoodle Salad with peanut sauce - Rating- great but needed sriracha (they ran out of this condiment and all others) since it flavor or needed more peanut sauce Vegan Egg Salad - Rating- I love egg salad, so this was amazing and surprisingly vegan. I would definitely order again, as as stated earlier condiments, such as hot sauce is needed. Especially with someone like me who loves spice and flavor. Pricing was decent for what we got between the two of us. Hospitality 10 out of 10.
Love this place. Quick, grab n go meals, mostly vegan, always delish. Best smoothies in town and I think the only made to order juices. The sustainability offerings are a cool addition (love my wool dryer balls!) and lots of great gift ideas for the eco conscious. Lovely owner who cares a lot for running a sustainable business.
I hate making this review, but I’m heartbroken. This was my absolute favorite place to eat in como for years. It was a beautifully unique, plant-based restaurant with a warm and inviting atmosphere. I loved the local art displayed, and the space itself was a work of art! The menu was expansive, and there was always something for everyone to enjoy. The staff were always smiling and engaging. It was the perfect place to treat yourself with a nutritious meal or have a bite with friends and loved ones. The energy was just great there. However, now I doubt I will ever come back. The menu is an embarrassingly small fraction of what they used to offer. All the uniqueness and community collaboration shown proudly in the space is gone and covered with a more “sterile” feeling remodel and paint job (no hate to the mural artist, it’s pretty and I know the work you put into it was a lot). All the colorful tables and chairs are stark white. The staff weren’t rude by any means, but definitely not the kind and bright faces I got used to seeing there. You definitely feel like a wallet with eyes. This place is no longer the friendly, relaxed restaurant I treasured as my favorite. It’s a watered down, sterilized wellness market with exorbitant prices, a hot case and some coolers. As if we didn’t have plenty of those around.I did order food, as I had already paid for parking to do so. The burrito I got from the hot case was dry and not very flavorful. The salsa was pretty good. And I got a purple rain juice (my favorite juice EVER from them). The juice was just okay, but I wasn’t expecting a big ol’ seed to hit the back of my throat ? (I’m fine and I’m not upset about the seed. It happens when you buy fresh juice. Just aggravated my mood about everything further.)I truly don’t know the motive behind this, but if it was supposed to be a business move for growth, it was done without much consideration. I’ll miss the old Main Squeeze ??
If you're looking for fresh VEGAN food, you have a better chance going to your local Walmart. The food here is stale. The atmosphere is superficial. I asked for a refund and was asked if I'd like some Elizabeth Warren cookies instead. Not only distasteful, but ALSO disrespectful because I voted for Pete Buttigieg. I'll take my queer money elsewhere.
Restaurantji Recommends
I love this place! I just wish they hadn’t gotten rid of half the old menu, I miss the Petrushka wrap :(
I love the owner and this was my go to for healthy choices when I lived in Columbia. The Cafe is more of a market now with tee shirts and lots of things to buy. I wish Leigh continued success
I believe this is the only fully vegan "restaurant" in Columbia. My daughter lives here so when I come to visit we often end up here. It is a grab and go place now but they have some hot soups and smoothies you can get made fresh. There are lots of delicious options in the freezers. Last night I chose a chicken broccoli Alfredo. It was really tasty. My other daughter who isn't vegan likes this place so that speaks volumes for how good the food is. The prices are a tad high but reflect current economy. Got some vegan ice cream to go too. Soy delicious in the freezer. Parking can be tricky but we easily found parking on a side street on a Saturday afternoon in April. Follow me on IG @eatveganwithjoan
I used to go here all the time. It was so cute and they had so many vegan food options. They renovated the whole thing including their menu and now there is very limited food options and just not as cute as it was so I rarely ever go now.
SO fun to be back at a place that was so special to me in college. The owner is a gem, and cares deeply about her customers and her shop. Smoothies are 10/10. Such a great place! can’t wait to be back soon!!