Cafe Evolution

We travel over an hour every weekend to eat here. The specials are always great and Sunday Brunch is a favorite. Even my non vegan family members love this place.

I am sitting in this café waiting and waiting and waiting for an overpriced avocado sandwich. Apparently everyone who frequents this place has no job and nothing else to do. … Still waiting, 10 minutes later.

I’m really sorry to have to update my review for Café Evolution, from 5 stars to 1 star, not least because the food, made by the wonderful and very nice chef, Heather, is very good. But the other employees have completely and irreversibly soured my impression of this place, which is too bad because I’m a local vegan and I’d love to support vegan businesses in the area. In particular, the blonde/​white-​haired woman who prepares the food behind the counter today gave me the most sarcastic, rude ‘apology’ when I asked her where my order (a sandwich), which I’d ordered 25 minutes earlier, was. (I had been waiting in the restaurant while other customers who had placed orders after me were getting their food.) I was informed by the cashier that they «had been waiting for me,» because I guess it’s my responsibility to enquire after my food order. Then this woman rudely and sarcastically said «we are sorry, what else do you want us to say.» Hmm, how about «sorry you were sitting here for 25 minutes waiting for a sandwich – our bad,» or «Oh, we leave take-​out orders by the register, not at the counter where the rest of the food appears. Sorry you weren’t aware of this, too bad about the mix-​up!» No, instead she made clear that it was my problem, then stomped over to the register to get a stack of cash, which she then exasperatedly laid out on the counter for me, in such a manner that indicated that she wasn’t the least bit sorry, but instead was pissed off at ME for being annoyed at having to wait 25 minutes for a sandwich. I didn’t take the money because I believe in paying for the goods that I acquire (though maybe I should’ve taken the 20% tip I’d given them…). I just wish she’d been less unpleasant, and I hope she’s able to adjust her attitude or else they’re going to lose more local vegan and (once) loyal customers like me. Evolution even catered my wedding three years ago! But I couldn’t recommend them to anyone I know now, not if they had to work with people who act like this. What a bummer.

I recently discovered Café Evolution and absolutely love it. When I moved here, I imagined — given the crunchy reputation of the area — that there would be fantastic choices of vegetarian or at least healthy food. That certainly hasn’t been the case outside of one sandwich at Woodstar, one sandwich at the Coop and salads at Esselon (sorry, Green Bean). Café Evolution was a great find. They offers healthy, home-​made vegan food with a selection of sandwiches, noodles and salads. Recommended!
UPDATE ⁵⁄₅ from 5 stars to 3
I know that «you don’t want to see how your food is made» in restaurants with a back, but I wish there was some policies on cleanliness/​sanitation here. I haven’t been back recently after seeing one of the workers do a enormous sneeze all over his hands, then walk over and work the regular (handling cash) /​take an order from me, and then walk straight over to make my sandwich with no hand-​washing and no gloves. Just picking up the bread, no big deal. :shudder:

I love this place. I ate here several times a week when I lived in the valley. I was almost scared to eat here because I was afraid it changed in not so good ways over the past few years. I was worried it went hipster or completely gluten free. Or stopped smelling like baking bread inside. Or something.
I’m glad to say Evolution is as good as ever. The breakfast burrito was amazing, so was the coffee. Nooch and hot sauce are still on the counter. People are friendly and quirky. Yay, I can’t wait to stop by the next time I visit Northampton

I went in not expecting much, since I’m not a vegan and fairly closed off to that lifestyle. However, I ordered a sandwich and it was creative and delicious! The interior décor is cozy, the place is spacious, and there is enough seating. My friends also enjoyed the plates they ordered.

Pretty good.
A bit disappointed that their regular menu items are not available when they’re serving brunch on weekends (actually, SUPER DISAPPOINTED), but other than that, no complaints at all!

Driving home from Thanksgiving with family we found this place on Unilocal.It was perfect!
I got the chili burrito as a bowl, my husband got the tofu sandwich and they were both fantastic. We got a large dark roast coffee which was strong, (not burnt), so dark, so delicious. Trust vegans to have some powerful coffee. ;)
Overall we left full and feeling awesome.
Check out the Polaroid art on the walls.
(Ransoms: They have a parking lot, bathroom has available kid seat for toilet, AND they have a Ms. Pac-​Man table)

I’ve been here twice. I’ve only had cold peanut noodles with tofu. I’m not sure if I will ever have anything else because it’s soooo yummy!
Their desserts are always a great treat to take home as well.
Can’t beat a restaurant that is 100% vegan-it’s so rare for me to be able to eat anything on the menu!

This place is a winner and just being inside feels positive, happy and uplifting! Maybe it’s the happiness of knowing that no animals were killed. Plus, all the other patrons look so happy and I could hear the laughter all around.
So, I’m glad that I drove out here from Northampton, even if I was shocked by the poor curb appeal and parking (which is limited although they have their own lot). But then, once I walked inside, it felt like I had been transported to some hip spot in some other place, besides the small town of Florence. The seating is eclectic and varied w/​options from traditional tables to a coach, a booth, easy chairs, a high bar and even an old chaise longe. They also have a little table for children.
I already can’t wait for my return visit.
I ordered one of the specials — a gluten free quinoa cake, and it was yummy… It came accompanied by what seemed like a dense salsa with a nice kick to it. And the quinoa cake balanced the flavor of the salsa perfectly. It could have been double the price in NYC at some swank restaurant. See my attached photo.

My favorite spot in the area! The food is delicious and fresh. What wonderful food creations!

You know how they say if you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere?
I recently brought these cupcakes through a 6 hour bus ride where they kinda sorta melted and then I cut them into quarters for a vegan potluck in NYC. And everybody asked me which bakery I’d gotten them from because they wanted to go RIGHT NOW.
I’d say they’re pretty damn good.

$ 5 min for card so you can’t buy just 1 coffee. No real cream because the place is all vegan. They should have a sign warning that there is no real cream.

They take credit cards now! $ 5 minimum, just FYI… But, hey! Progress! This is great news for someone like me who always forget to carry cash around.
Today I am here for breakfast enjoying a delicious maple pecan scone and coffee. Yum! I highly recommend this place for any meal of the day, and I urge you to stop buy and load up on amazingly delicious and LARGE sized baked goods to take home for later!

This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time! As a vegan, it’s a dream come true. For anyone else, be prepared to leave saying «I can’t believe food without any animal products is that delicious.»
Be prepared for a nice, casual café experience, but bring an appetite. Their food and baked goods will blow your mind.

I adored everything about this place, from the worn-​in and cozy décor to the friendly service. I had a special (can’t remember the name, it was something odd) that was basically a play on thanksgiving: a savory tempeh/​grain loaf atop roasted veggies, topped with gravy. A colorful side salad and brown rice came with it.
True vegan comfort food. Can’t wait to go back!

This place is great! It’s a little off the beaten path but once you get there there is plenty of parking which is always nice. The inside of the café has lots of seating options and there was pleasant music playing.
The food was wonderful. We ordered the nachos, which came out quickly. It was a large portion and really tasty, perfect ratio of chips to cheese/​chili. I ordered the tofu sandwich. It was piled high with good quality veggies, tofu was perfectly seasoned and the bread was exceptional. I have to admit I was thinking that my sandwich might be too «healthy tasting» but it was perfect! My spouse had a large salad which she enjoyed with the miso dressing. I topped it off with a mint chocolate chip cupcake. This was hard to decide on because there were so many vegan baked good options and at least 5 types of cupcakes. The cupcake was delicious and moist and the frosting was really tasty!
There is also a decent selection of beverages and a wide selection of hot teas. I opted for the free and good tasting tap water which was help-​yourself style, always a plus.
If you live in the area or are here for a visit please check this place out. It’s really amazing!

Cute little vegan bakery & Coffeeshop tucked away from Northampton in florence. Spacious. Lots of tasty items to choose from. The coffee had several different alternatives to milk; soy, almond, rice, hemp and maybe one more type. Very cozy. And quiet.

As a vegan, this is my go-​to place in the Northampton area. Not only is the food delicious, but there is a plethora of animal rights literature available. This heartens me, because Star & co. are putting their money where our mouths are, rather than using «vegan» as a trendy gimmick to get customers in the door.
As others have mentioned, brunch is a delight. I always bring my weekend visitors here. Tremendous selection, and so nice to find vegan versions of breakfast favorites like pancakes and french toast.
I got my birthday cake here this year: a vegan, gluten-​free, soy-​free carrot cake. (I wanted it safe for all my friends!) It was dense and delicious, getting rave reviews from everyone.
Non-​veggies who come to Evolution enjoy the food as much as the vegans. Some are surprised to discover we don’t just sit in a corner nibbling on raisins and lettuce. ;)

I go out of my way to come here! It’s so delicious and everything is vegan. Bring your non vegan friends so you can convert them :)
5 stars. staff is always super friendly, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve gotten. Usually burger specials. soups are always good, tofu sandwich, avocado sandwich, ahh everything is delicious and prices are fair!