I can’t speak highly enough about this place. My partner and I love visiting Philly and with so many incredible vegan coffee shops and restaurants, this one really stands out. The vibe and atmosphere are perfect, cozy and supremely local in the best way. The service was warm and the food was beyond delicious. The avocado toast was amazing, carrot falafel outrageously good, and the beet wrap was bursting with flavor. The smoothies were among the best I’ve ever had, full of fresh and nutrient dense ingredients. Our cappuccinos were made perfectly, the temperature and espresso quality excellent. Don’t sleep on their sweet treats either, the matcha ball was especially good. From their mouth watering specials and menu items to their attention to detail (see the beautiful green plants in the windows surrounding sunlit seating inside), this place is an oasis you must visit. Our next trip to Philly will absolutely include daily walks to Lightbox Cafe.
Thank you for HappyCow, thank you thank you thank you?I completely love this place?the atmosphere the vibe the food, their raw food is so amazing?everything is house made?I never see hot sauce made it this way before I truly love it , many many many thanksThere are so many details in all each dishes, from the pickle onion to the cashew cheese, there are so many layers of flavors. Thank you :) it’s like food is dancing inside your mouth .I really like the coconut bowl :) I’ve been heard about it. It’s nice to see it and use it in person
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emma Barbieri
Lovely vegan cafe! Highly recommended for people who want to eat a bite in a calm environment. Seated space is limited, so no big parties of people.Dietary restrictions: Possibility of subbing the bread for a gluten free option made with quinoa
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
BettySlutsky
My Philly friend is a regular here and it's easy to see why! I loved my smoothie and "falafel" salad (while those mushy balls were tasty and pleasing, I wouldn't call them falafel), and then went back to the counter for an herbal tea and two desserts- a little ball of cardamom ginger delight and a cashew rose bar or something which was SCRUMPTIOUS. If I lived here, I would be in there all the frickin time.
Teresa Hancock
Food and kava are excellent. Service on the other hand was not very good. Extremely progressive which is great but if you are not hip to all the lingo they become very rude. Service also lacked a smile and the overall energy of the place was not welcoming. Music was also way to loud for a conversation.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
Darius Fox
Food was great, coffee was better. Awesome knowledgeable and understanding staff. Definitely a hidden gem, try their Kava if you aren't a coffee person you will be hooked.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kayla Cayemitte
If I could give this place 10 starts I would!! Best cafe for plant girlies who love clean health food that also slaps. BEST VEGAN BLT I have had ever. Music is so calm and soothing also service was so nice☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Brady
I’ve eaten here around a dozen times, and every time the food and service have been excellent.
Everything I get from this adorable shop is always incredible, wonderful food drink and atmosphere ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carolyn Cuykendall
Insanely good. Creative, delicious, and healthy items on the menu. Friendly chill vibes, great music. We just got a snack: tea, smoothie and a brownie, but want to come back again for more. The teas = excellent. The smoothie was delicious, brownie was epic. Couldn’t have asked for more. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chickpea Brownies GF
Woggy
The food was very good and the kitchen was accommodating to dietary needs/requests. I also appreciate how they offer gluten free quinoa-based bread!
FlexMike
Lovely small cafe in hip Philly neighbourhood. Had a breakfast bowl, cacao and kava drink. All extremely tasty. Great friendly service and beautiful artworks for sale and on display!
Keegan Tawa
I'm not sure why I keep giving this place chances.One of the first times I came to Lightbox cafe, I came across Kratom tea on the menu. Being the oblivious summer child that I am, I had no idea what Kratom was, so I asked one of the staff members. "It creates a sense of euphoria and opens up your lower chakras," she explained to me. The flavor profile on the menu sounded nice, so I decided to take her word for it and give the tea a shot.What I really needed to hear was, "Kratom is a psychoactive opioid, illegal in many states." I know now that in low doses Kratom's effects can be mild, and they vary from person to person, but after drinking the tea, I sat in the corner of the cafe with a ring of darkness around the corners of my vision and pins and needles in my hands for about an hour, my heart beating in double-time. It was not pleasant, and it's quite frankly insane that the shop is selling Kratom without letting people what it is, the nature of its legality, and what its effects can be. Certain job roles will fire people for consuming a federally illegal substance even if it's legal at a state level.Since then, I have visited the shop on two occasions when friends asked to meet me there for coffee or lunch. On both of these occasions, the staff completely forgot about the sandwich I ordered, and I had to return to the counter to ask if it was still being made.I want to give this place some credit and mention the fact that they host a lot of sober late night events which I appreciate.However I really can't overlook the whole Kratom thing - I dont' have an issue with the fact that they're selling Kratom, but failing to tell customers what kind of drugs you're selling them could cause a potential medical emergency (perhaps the customer has a sensitivity to opioids or stimualnts), or it could even get them fired from their job if they answer to a federal authority.
I can’t speak highly enough about this place. My partner and I love visiting Philly and with so many incredible vegan coffee shops and restaurants, this one really stands out. The vibe and atmosphere are perfect, cozy and supremely local in the best way. The service was warm and the food was beyond delicious. The avocado toast was amazing, carrot falafel outrageously good, and the beet wrap was bursting with flavor. The smoothies were among the best I’ve ever had, full of fresh and nutrient dense ingredients. Our cappuccinos were made perfectly, the temperature and espresso quality excellent. Don’t sleep on their sweet treats either, the matcha ball was especially good. From their mouth watering specials and menu items to their attention to detail (see the beautiful green plants in the windows surrounding sunlit seating inside), this place is an oasis you must visit. Our next trip to Philly will absolutely include daily walks to Lightbox Cafe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beet Lox Sandwich, Avocado Toast
Thank you for HappyCow, thank you thank you thank you?I completely love this place?the atmosphere the vibe the food, their raw food is so amazing?everything is house made?I never see hot sauce made it this way before I truly love it , many many many thanksThere are so many details in all each dishes, from the pickle onion to the cashew cheese, there are so many layers of flavors. Thank you :) it’s like food is dancing inside your mouth .I really like the coconut bowl :) I’ve been heard about it. It’s nice to see it and use it in person
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lovely vegan cafe! Highly recommended for people who want to eat a bite in a calm environment. Seated space is limited, so no big parties of people.Dietary restrictions: Possibility of subbing the bread for a gluten free option made with quinoa
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My Philly friend is a regular here and it's easy to see why! I loved my smoothie and "falafel" salad (while those mushy balls were tasty and pleasing, I wouldn't call them falafel), and then went back to the counter for an herbal tea and two desserts- a little ball of cardamom ginger delight and a cashew rose bar or something which was SCRUMPTIOUS. If I lived here, I would be in there all the frickin time.
Food and kava are excellent. Service on the other hand was not very good. Extremely progressive which is great but if you are not hip to all the lingo they become very rude. Service also lacked a smile and the overall energy of the place was not welcoming. Music was also way to loud for a conversation.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 5
Service: 1
Food was great, coffee was better. Awesome knowledgeable and understanding staff. Definitely a hidden gem, try their Kava if you aren't a coffee person you will be hooked.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If I could give this place 10 starts I would!! Best cafe for plant girlies who love clean health food that also slaps. BEST VEGAN BLT I have had ever. Music is so calm and soothing also service was so nice☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve eaten here around a dozen times, and every time the food and service have been excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Beet Lox Sandwich, Chickpea Brownies GF, Coconut Curry Lentil & Carrot Soup GF
Yummy brownie and good tasting oat chai!
Beet Russian Sandwich (vegan) was amazing. Highly recommend.Vegetarian options: everything is vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything I get from this adorable shop is always incredible, wonderful food drink and atmosphere ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Insanely good. Creative, delicious, and healthy items on the menu. Friendly chill vibes, great music. We just got a snack: tea, smoothie and a brownie, but want to come back again for more. The teas = excellent. The smoothie was delicious, brownie was epic. Couldn’t have asked for more. ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chickpea Brownies GF
The food was very good and the kitchen was accommodating to dietary needs/requests. I also appreciate how they offer gluten free quinoa-based bread!
Lovely small cafe in hip Philly neighbourhood. Had a breakfast bowl, cacao and kava drink. All extremely tasty. Great friendly service and beautiful artworks for sale and on display!
I'm not sure why I keep giving this place chances.One of the first times I came to Lightbox cafe, I came across Kratom tea on the menu. Being the oblivious summer child that I am, I had no idea what Kratom was, so I asked one of the staff members. "It creates a sense of euphoria and opens up your lower chakras," she explained to me. The flavor profile on the menu sounded nice, so I decided to take her word for it and give the tea a shot.What I really needed to hear was, "Kratom is a psychoactive opioid, illegal in many states." I know now that in low doses Kratom's effects can be mild, and they vary from person to person, but after drinking the tea, I sat in the corner of the cafe with a ring of darkness around the corners of my vision and pins and needles in my hands for about an hour, my heart beating in double-time. It was not pleasant, and it's quite frankly insane that the shop is selling Kratom without letting people what it is, the nature of its legality, and what its effects can be. Certain job roles will fire people for consuming a federally illegal substance even if it's legal at a state level.Since then, I have visited the shop on two occasions when friends asked to meet me there for coffee or lunch. On both of these occasions, the staff completely forgot about the sandwich I ordered, and I had to return to the counter to ask if it was still being made.I want to give this place some credit and mention the fact that they host a lot of sober late night events which I appreciate.However I really can't overlook the whole Kratom thing - I dont' have an issue with the fact that they're selling Kratom, but failing to tell customers what kind of drugs you're selling them could cause a potential medical emergency (perhaps the customer has a sensitivity to opioids or stimualnts), or it could even get them fired from their job if they answer to a federal authority.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1