- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Karmavore
Category: Food Specialty Food Specialty Food [Edit]
610 Columbia StreetNew Westminster, BC V3M 1A5
(604) 527-4212
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
10 reviews for Karmavore
10 reviews in English
-
Review from Purdy J.
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome vegan store in a very convenient location (on the popular Columbia St. between New Westminster and Columbia skytrain stations) although I wish it were closer to home.
Karmavore is 2 level store with all things vegan including shoes, purses, belts, clothes, makeup, condoms (yes, condoms!) human AND animal food, and cleaning products. The basement level is like a mini grocery store with a deli where you can veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads and all sorts of treats including vegan soft serve ice cream!
I was elated when I took a look at their menu and had to sample a little bit of everything. I went a little overboard and was a little excessive with the desserts but I regret nothing... Here's what I had:
-vegan burger with glutefree bun option: yummy burger with a meat-like tasting patty, loaded with daiya cheese, veganese and fresh sprouts.
-mushroom croissantwich: good tasting mushroom patty, croissant was nice and flaky but didn't have that buttery/greasy feel and a nice vegan cheese that was not daiya.
-vanilla soft serve ice cream with chocolate sauce: delicious, and very creamy. I wasn't a huge fan of the chocolate sauce but I have pretty high standards when it comes to chocolate.
-ridiculously chocolate cake: OMG, it really is ridiculously chocolately and so rich. I highly, highly recommend!
-chocolate donut: okay, a little dry but not too sweet. It resembled an old fashion chocolate donut.
-tiramisu: lots of layers and quite cakey. It reminded me of the generic vanilla birthday cakes everyone has as a child. It had a layer of icing of the outside with slivered almonds. I wasn't the biggest fan of this dessert but it wasn't bad either.
Pricing was very reasonable. Food was all prepared for you in compostable take away containers and after you order at the counter, you have to go upstairs to pay... There was also very little seating, about 2 small tables with seating for about 8 so it made you feel like they didn't want you to stay and eat (dining area was comfortable but not a place I would want to hang around).
Overall a wonderful place for vegans. I love it... I wish they had a washroom so I could stay longer and eat more desserts! -
Review from Stephanie F.
Vancouver, BC
10/22/2011
I love that this place exists. I also love everything about it.
There is no other place in Vancouver that even remotely compares to Karmavore for a vegan looking for everything from food to skincare. I love going here knowing they'll have what I'm looking for, and even better, what I didn't know I was looking for. I'd choice the drive to go here over Whole Foods any day.
Not to mention their deli is delicious. A warm vegan chocolate croissant with tea is a perfect on the go breakfast. But I love everything from the pie to chili. The only thing I don't particularly recommend are the cheese sticks. Daiya semi melted on a way to tough french bread is not my cup of tea.
The employees are also extremely helpful! I wanted a pair of vegan ballet shoes they had, but as they did not have my size, the lady at the counter gave me all the information to purchase them direct.
I recommend this place to any vegan. They have two floors of wide selection and are really compassionate people. It makes me happy every time I go there.
It's also conveniently close to the skytrain, and usually has parking, although metered. -
Review from Orin M.
Surrey, BC
11/20/2011
I could have sworn I already reviewed this.
Love love love the cakes from here. Seriously I come here for the baked goods.
Also like that I don't have to read labels. May seem a bit pricey but if you consistently buy these products at other stores you will see that prices are at par even with the "discount" grocery stores. -
Review from Jenna B.
Coquitlam, BC
2/17/2012
Karmavore has some really cool stuff. My mom has chemicals reactions to most deodorants so I always need to be on the look out for unscented, or naturally scented products. Say hello to Karmavore! They have lots of natural body products , as well as some yummy vegan things. I bought some vegan mac and cheese that can be made in the microwave it was kind of expensive but, it was to die for. Also, got a really nice deodorant. This store is expensive sadly, and it you have a wheelchair sadly it has a downstairs where all the food is, and it's not wheelchair accesible. I love the store, I just wish there was more of it, and maybe had a live produce section.
-
Review from Raymond K.
Vancouver, BC
9/10/2011 37 Check-ins Here
Wonderful location. So close to the Columbia SkyTrain station.
I really liked the overall look and presentation of the store. Very inviting, beautiful and modern. A very beautiful store.
While some of the products could be found at Whole Foods Market, it was so nice to be able to buy something without spending so much time deciding whether it was vegan or not: everything was vegan!!! :-)
I loved visiting their deli section for the vegan cupcakes and vegan cheese cakes. Oh, I really liked the frozen cakes and pies as well.
Very good service. Competitive prices. -
Review from Billy L.
Port Coquitlam, BC
1/22/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Very interesting store indeed. This was one of the only places that sound vegan dog food. Yeah, our dog is allergic to meat... So they carry the made in Italy food. Baller...
The store was very nice and we were both greeted by the employees of the store. They carry a wide variety of vegan products from fresh food, bakery goods, to clothes, and cleaners.
Very chic store indeed, we'll probably be back for some more dog food if it works out. -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
10/3/2009
I'm conflicted about giving this shop the "I'm a fan" rating because it's a vegan store and I'm an unrepentant meatarian, but for those of you on vegan, gluten-free or soy-free diets, this place is like a mini-superstore.
Karmavore is very small, with a boutique feel to it, yet they manage to stock items in every category of ethical, from leather-free shoes and bags, vegan condoms (!) and cruelty-free cosmetics to vegan chocolate bars, marshmallows (wow, those weigh a ton) and ice cream bars made with coconut milk. There's even vegan pet food, including what I'm told is the only vet-approved vegan cat food on the market.
They also carry gluten-free BBQ sauces and gravies (just in time for Thanksgiving) and dairy-free mac and cheese, among other prepared food items. I do like that they donate a portion of profits to animal charities such as the SPCA.
Yes, Karmavore Vegan Store is in the depths of New West - but almost everything in the shop is available in their online store and they ship everywhere.Listed in: Bright Lights, Royal City
-
Review from Karen R.
An inspiring, however empty looking store with super pleasant staff and an almost hidden grocery section downstairs? With food items readily available elsewhere at more reasonable prices and non-leather belts over sized (as if for larger girthed persons), other than a few semi interesting items, sadly all I felt this store had going for it is for what it stands for.
-
Review from Rhea D.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2011
Karmavore is fantastic! I am so happy to have a store that carries nothing but wonderful ethical animal-free products. We discovered the store this past summer and were delighted when they moved to a new bigger and beautiful location. The croissants are amazing, the Sweet and Sara marshmallows make my life better, and I absolutely adore the Field Roast Grain Meat! Along with all the other delicious treats available they carry a wide range of personal care products and clothing/accessories :-) Yay Karmavore!
-
Review from Melissa F.
Vancouver, BC
6/18/2010
If you are a vegan and want some tasty treats and things you may have thought you were giving up for good then Karmavore is the place for you!
I don't even know where to start with this place of vegan amazingness! They have something for everyone. I haven't tried everything but here's what I've loved so far: Sweet & Sara marshmallows and smores (two flavours; original and peanut butter... That's right, you just read that - peanut butter smores... They are as good as you think they are. Trust me.); Primal and Stonewall's Jerquee "beef" products (Primal's Hickory Smoked and Stonewall's Teriyaki are my favourites. They don't last 5 minutes with me); Field Roast roasts; Tofurkey "turkey" and gravy, Tempeh maple bacon (seriously wicked in a sandwich) and their sesame ginger Tempeh strips (great in a stir fry); there are a lot of "cheese" options and I have tried several but they best so far are the Daiya cheeses and the Teese Cheese. The Dayia is great on top of pizzas, in grilled cheese, on pasta... Seriously melty goodness. The only Teese Cheese product I have tried so far is their cheese sauce - I made Mac & Cheese with this and good Lord was it creamy and amazing. I was in dire need of some good Mac & Cheese and this is it!
I have tried more but those are my favourites up to this point.
If you are looking for non food vegan items, fear not, they stock those too. They have t-shirts (I really need to have the Cow Hugger t-shirt but they have two size, xs & s and I have a healthy chest so...), shoes and purses, belts, makeup, nail polish, bath products, cookbooks, pet products, health products... The list goes on. To be honest, if you are hoping that their clothing is going to be on par with anything trendy you are probably not going to find what you are looking for here. That's not to say that the clothing is horrible, it's just that you aren't going to see it in People In Style anytime soon. That being said, if you are looking to shop for some treats in a place where you don't have to read a single label to check for gross animal ingredients, this is the place for you! The service is super friendly and the staff are always willing to give you suggestions on the products.
Now if they would just open one up a little closer to Vancouver, all would be right in my Vegan world!
