Foods from Wild Oat
Comments

2013 May 14
I think this is one of the best restaurants in Canada. It has taken a few years for the Wild Oat to grow up, but it is such an amazing restaurant now, the food and staff and environment leave me feeling so happy...


2012 Jan 8
Wild Oat bums me out. I like the food but had a very unpleasant experience with them a year ago that keeps me from giving them any more business. I was pregnant and used to pop in for a sandwich after ultrasounds as it was on my way back to the office. At one point in my second trimester, I went to order a sandwich and noticed that the menu board had been changed to include raw cheese on several regular menu items. When I asked about it, I was told that the cheese had always been raw, but someone in the back had just realized that this should be advertised. (Raw cheese is not recommended during pregnancy because of the risk of listeriosis, which can have serious effects on the fetus, including stillbirth and death. Other vulnerable populations like the elderly are also at higher risk.) I expressed my dismay to the employee, who was sweet enough but completely out of the loop. I then wrote a note to the owner but never heard back. On the one hand, I totally understand why I didn't get a response - if anything had happened to my baby (thankfully not), there was a question of liability. On the other hand, this business is a part of our community and advocates a more healthful and conscious approach to eating. I guess I was hoping for a more caring response. It was very upsetting and there was no acknowledgment. I won't be back.

2010 Sep 15
Stopped by yesterday. Ordered 2 rosemary and goat cheese croissants. They were okay, but simply should not be called croissants. They were basically filled buns - not the light flaky pastry of a croissant.

But I will go back and try something else.

2010 Feb 17
it seems most people who post the bad reviews have that nasty experience with ordering off their menu... i usually have a pleasant experience with the staff but i also keep it to a minimum when i usually head for their buffet instead.

it changes about every 2 days or so; choose a bowl (S,M,L) and fill it up to a set price (soup+rice or everything else), get a free piece of bread as well. i can't remember prices off my head, but it's somewhere around 3$ for a S (soup + rice) to 7$ for a L (everything else). i'll check again and have a more accurate update...

TYPICALLY buffet meals include 2 soups (dahl or squash or hot&sour, etc), brown rice, 2 veg dishes (apple-cabbage or cauliflower curry or candied turnip, etc), a bean dish and 2 lasagnas. ingredients are usually listed.

the restaurant does get packed. it can be really annoying. i always try to avoid noon-2 and 5-6:30 on weekdays and brunch hours; i can't stand trying to eat while being cramped and teetering on a stool!

2009 Sep 21
We went to the restaurant side for breakfast on Saturday. It was packed, but the crepes came very quickly. I had the crepe with apples & brie & onions and didn't really enjoy it (it was sort of bland), but my friend loved his crepe with sugar & lemon.

We didn't have any problems with the ordering "system" (order at the cash, pay, give the guy your name, then sit down and listen for them to call you), and I really, really enjoyed my cappuccino (one of the best I've had in the city).

I liked this place. I'll keep it in mind for when I'm in the Glebe and looking for something fast & healthy.

2009 Apr 20
I had never had a 'bad' experience with Wild Oat before, one disappointment when I was given a 'chocolate/cherry' birthday cake instead of the chocolate I'd ordered (for someone that despises cherries unfortunately) but what just happened on the phone with us has me writing because otherwise I'd be going over there.

Let me preface this, I have ordered several birthday cakes from Wild Oat over the years, the shtick was always give them 24 hours notice and pick it up whenever the next day.

We just called now and a woman on the phone said in a somewhat snotty tone that "we have week old chocolate cakes they're kind of frozen you have have one of those we have one chocolate/cherry and one chocolate" Hi, I'm sorry but when you're told someone wants to order a birthday cake for tomorrow the quick response should not be "we have some week old you can buy if you want." it was suggested politely, "but is there time to make one fresh for tomorrow?" which was met with hemming and hawing.

Sorry, but if you're in management over there you have now officially slipped not a rung or two but the whole damn ladder.

2008 Nov 10
This is one of my favourite places in the entire city. The service is laid back and the style of ordering is difficult to get the hang of the first few times you go. On the restaurant side; you first pick what you want then go to the cafe counter and order, give your name and sit down. Then the food prep guy/girl calls your name and you go get whatever utensils you need and your food. Its more a Montreal style of restaurant. If you want there is a water jug at the side counter that you can get up and serve yourself. On the grocery side you just go up to the front cash and order what you want.

The service is laid back, but that is part of its hippie charm (on more than one occasion my order guy has been high). I love the quality of food and the healthy aspect. It doesn't sacrifice flavour for health which is a problem at other health-food stores (The green door). My personal favourites are the El Oaxaca and the Wild Card. If you don't like cilantro make sure to tell order person. I also recomend the cafe au lait (not so much the cafe latte) or the cappuccino. My spouse loves the Mango Lassey smoothie with any form of crepe.

2008 Feb 8
Warning: Rant Below!
Last night we were in the Glebe to pick something up and then were on our way to go skating. Mr. KSW was starving so we decided to go into Wild Oat to get something to eat. We figured: fast, cheap and healthy right?

We have been into Wild Oat many times before but only to the take out side where we have bought bread and grocery items, so this time we wander over to the restaurant side.

The menu board is located at the back of the room right above and behind the station where the food is prepared. We walked over and were looking over the menu and then asked the guy preparing the food if we were to order from him or sit down and someone would serve us?
Before the poor guy said a word, to our right, a guy near the cash rudely interrupted me and said in a very sarcastic voice something to the effect of "Hello, you are supposed to order over here, that's why I am standing here!"
To which I replied "Obviously, we don't know what the procedure is since we have never eaten here, otherwise I wouldn't have asked him...."
Seriously - if we were regulars, would we need to ask what the drill was? So instantly I was on edge and a little pissed. But we gave our orders anyways (two grilled sandwiches with salad) and went to sit at a table. No further procedural instructions were given so I assumed they brought your food to your table.
After watching the prep guy organise a few plates, I noticed he would put them up on the counter and call out the name of the customer whose order it was and then that person would go up and get their food. I remarked to Mr. KSW that no one had asked us our names.
After about 20 minutes we still were not called up and there were only 3 other tables full in the place and they were all eating. Then the prep guy started walking around, wiping the counters, stirring soup. We thought that was a bit strange.

Then two more people came in, ordered their food and sat down and in about 10 minutes their food was called. Then I realised something did not make sense so I went up to the food prep guy (Mr. Sarcastic was not around) and told him that we had been waiting 30 minutes and had not gotten our food. He looked at his order papers and asked what our name was - I said that the guy had never asked our names!!!! He did not look pleased, apologized and asked what we had ordered. I told him - veggie pate sandwich with salad and roasted beet sandwich with salad. He wrote them both down and then repeated them back to me and said he would make it right away.

Mr. Sarcastic then comes out from the back, Mr. Prep points to us and they have a discussion and then Mr. Sarcastic comes over to our table to apologise and say that it's his fault as he guesses he forgot to give Mr. Prep our order (WHAT??) and then proceeds to offer us a free beverage. We each accept one and wait for our food. By this time Mr. KSW looks like he is going to kill and eat the next living creature that walks by our table.

Finally Mr. Prep brings us our food (because he still never asked us our names). On each of our plates are a tiny sandwich and a miniscule pile of salad. We paid $10 each for this plate of food. The final insult comes when I open my sandwich and there is NO veggie pate in it. Only lettuce, tomatoes, shredded carrots and red onions and some tahini. At this point I could not be bothered to say anything so we quickly ate the food (which was good) and left.

One of the WORST experiences I have had in a while and we will certainly never eat there again.

2007 Oct 29
I have had a wide array of experiences at the Wild Oat - from good to downright awful. Good experiences such as the sweet smell of cinnamon buns in the morning, awesome greek pizzas at luch and yummy rice milk latte's. The bad though is sooo bad. I have developed food allergies after eating there regularly. There is a particular taste in all their food that a lot of people agree you just can't ignore after a while. One head baker didn't believe I was getting oral hives from eating their hazelnut spread so on one occasion asked me to close my eyes and open my mouth. Much to my delight I had a mouthful of hazelnut spread in my mouth and had to endure 3 hours of hives! I also have found the sexual harrassment at the restaurant rather discomforting as well. Upset female staff members, over the top flirting, all while trying to order a latte. Well, I'm finished eating at the Wild Oat. Eating out shouldn't be a traumatic experience!

2007 Jan 28
It was almost 1 in the afternoon and I happened to order the Japanese Breakfast. It comes with a huge bowl of colourful greens (and purple), hearty brown rice at the bottom and your choice of tofu or eggs all combined with sautéed onions in teriyaki sauce. It came with miso soup, which was unfortunately too watery for my liking.

I only wish I had a camera with me to show the bowl because it was just so colourful! My only complaint was there was too much of the salty sauce and the bowl was too small to do a mixing of the ingredients so the balance of the less-flavoured rice and greens contrasted much against the sauced tofu and onions.

I like how they also have a "next door" bakery as if they say, "If you like our lunch, buy some of our products for dinner!" I bought their olive bread of which I am eating right now...scrumptious.

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2012 Dec 12
They have these loaves called "Walking Bread" and there are 3 kinds:

plain,
carrot and raisin (i think)
fruit and nut (sprouted kamut, currants, dates, apricots, almonds, walnuts, sunflower, hempnut).

I had the latter and it is DELICIOUS. Heavy, filling and tasty, nutty and just a tad sweet! Good on its own (I've been taking bites out of it like a candy bar - don't judge me, I live alone) or sliced and toasted and buttered like a grown-up. Very tasty.