Vine and Bean

Quaint setting plus stellar food made with incredibly FRESH local ingredients. Sometimes overwhelmed, service can be slow. Patience is tastely rewarded.

Ok. This place is way overpriced. My boyfriend and I went there for brunch I ordered the «egg pie» which was a slice of quiche that was 10.50! The food tasted pretty good. No complaints in that department. Our waiter was fabulous! He was from Lucky’s and is one of the only reasons why I am giving this place even 2 stars.
But here is where my main beef is…
When we went to pay the woman who cashed us out (who I think might actually be the owner) was so rude! She was having trouble with the credit card machine. It was acting up possible a problem with the phone line. Instead of being apologetic she accused my boyfriends credit card of breaking the machine over and over again for the entire10 minutes it took her to cash us out. It was so incredibly rude and awkward and embarrassing… We won’t be going back.

I had an extremely disappointing experience at the Vine and Bean for brunch. I went with a party of 4 for brunch with a reservation. We were seated and placed our order for food. Three of us were drinking coffee, and the waitress was pretty diligent about refilling our mugs. I was impressed. 45 minutes goes by. I am less impressed as I start to experience a little caffeine intoxication by my fourth refill, with no food in sight. The manager comes by to reassure us that the kitchen is moving slowly but surely, recovering from being «slammed» this morning. Sounds good, I have delightful company so I don’t mind. An hour goes by and our patience is wearing thin. I have to begin rejecting the waitress’ repeated kind offers of coffee, as I’ve had no food and probably close to a gram of caffeine. Just kidding. The table next to us is steaming mad because they don’t have their food either. Their food comes up about 65 minutes after ordering. We are encouraged because maybe the finish line is in sight. A waitress comes by to reassure us that our food is almost ready. In fact apparently it wasn’t, as we kept waiting. Eventually waiters/​waitresses/​managers stopped coming by to reassure us that food was on its way, which was preferable to empty promises. Ok this recount is getting boring. No food arrived until over an hour and a half after we ordered! Ninety… freakin…minutes. You have a bakery, why not offer us some cookies or muffins to tide us over until food arrives. I have never waited this long for a sandwich in my entire life. The reuben was good, but quite small for the first $ 15 reuben I’ve ever ordered.
By far the worst aspect of the meal was the lack of effort by management to either apologize at the very end of the meal for the ordeal or even partly compensate us for the atrocious wait. So we ended up paying $ 68 for a party of 4 for the worst brunch of my life. This place is overpriced and overhyped, and unprepared to convey the experience of local ingredients and fresh preparation that it aspires to.
I understand restaurants have busy days. They probably shouldn’t have seated so many people at the same time. However the main reason I will recommend people steer clear of this place is that there was no effort on behalf of the management to mitigate this disaster of an experience. Thumbs down.

Went in for a late brunch on Saturday afternoon. I heard it can get really busy on Sunday, but today we got quick seats.
The location and the ambiance definitely stands out. Love the Jazz playing in the background. The service is timely. Ordered the Biscuits & Gravy, which was hearty and good. The potatoes could be better cooked. I’m curious about the «Shipwreck» on the brunch menu. Saw a patron next to me eating it. Maybe I’ll head back another time to try it.
I would go here again.

Vine and Bean is a great place to go and reflect upon your weekend and catch-​up with a pal. The ambiance is intimate and comfortable. One feels at ease putting their elbows on the table and laughing out loud.
The food/​coffee/​tea is all locally sourced, which is great and respectable.
The best things that I have had there: Granola, that is homemade and the biscuit with sausage gravy. Both are an excellent start to the day.
Service suffers on the weekend due to amount of diners. I suggest going during the week or when they open on the weekend.

The food is fantastic, especially for vegetarians and vegans! There are tons of options with fresh, local produce in an adorable, cottage like setting.
My only gripe is that the service is terrible almost every time I go! And, I have a few friends that have made the same comment. However, they have refunded me for part of my meal and given me a gift card for my experience, so the management is definitely making somewhat of an attempt to change.
If they can get the service component together, I’d make it my regular spot for breakfast.

Vine and Bean is Lucky’s less popular friend — which I ENJOY. It’s the same menu/​food, but not as well known. You can actually get a table at this place!
Vine and Bean is located in an old home, and the outdoor patio is literally sitting in their backyard. I went there with my parents for my father’s birthday — and you feel like you’re in your own back yard, but you have service, delicious food made for you, and … strangers!
I would definitely give it a try. It’s laid back amazing brunch — and at far less of a wait then Lucky’s.

In my opinion, neither Lucky’s nor its east-​side sister, Vine and Bean truly live up to the hype. And I have really, really wanted to like both places. But «meh» kind of sums up my experience dining either place on multiple occasions.
I had brunch with some friends at Vine and Bean this weekend. I love the location. Larchmere is one of my favorite neighborhoods. The building is beautiful, and the restaurant has a sweet patio out back. We were seated quickly and given the schpiel about V&B’s focus on fresh, local food since one of my dining companions had never been there before. I kind of feel like these days that’s not much to brag about because everyone’s doing fresh and local. It’s almost something to be expected and it’s unusual if someone admits to being a Sisco-​exclusive operation.
Service was inconsistent; the waitress was polite and fine, but she forgot a friend’s coffee and refills a couple times during the meal. When one of my companions attempted to substitute whole-​grain toast for whatever comes with the Shipwreck she was told that the restaurant doesn’t do substitutions on weekends. WTF it is just toast. I’ve seen others complain about this detail for both Lucky’s and V&B and it just seems ridiculous to me. I get it if whatever ingredient you’re trying to get subbed is key to making the dish what it is but give me a break, it’s just toast.
My boyfriend ordered the biscuits and gravy, which is his go-​to dish in new restaurants. «That was featured on the Food Network!» the waitress exclaimed proudly. I know that might be a selling point for some people but I am not usually moved by whatever dish Guy Fieri has screamed about. Because Guy Fieri is gross.
So being the moral hypocrite that I am, I also ordered the biscuits and gravy, which I had actually never had before. I’m usually an omelet or a Shipwreck girl. But gravy sounded good. I was hungover, maybe, and my irrational hatred of Guy Fieri could be overcome temporarily.
Coffee drinks were good. And the food was fine. Not great. In fact, I’ve had much better biscuits and gravy elsewhere. But it was serviceable. Minus the fact that the bunch of grapes they garnished my plate with were soaked in sausage gravy.
I wish I could love this place, because I’m a huge fan of brunch and eating local and all that jazz, but I feel very lukewarm about the food, the service, and the «OMG we were on the Food Network» attitude in general.

Four stars for the food, two for the service.
Have been to Vine and Bean several times and the food is always knock-​out. A tad on the expensive side but well worth the added expense.
The atmosphere of the place is great. Situated in an old house, Vine and Bean has a beautiful outdoor patio for summer dining and a fireplace inside the restaurant for those cold winter months. The inside is definitely a bit noisy, though.
My only true complaint is the service. Both times I have been there, two entirely different servers were equally rude and abrupt.
During my most recent experience, the server pointed us to a table and stood there for a drink order without ever uttering a word. When drinks were brought out, he had spilled the orange juice on his tray and proceeded to dump the residual OJ on the floor right by my feet. And on my pants. And on my sweater. Our table of four was then served our plates at separate times. No bueno.
Poor service definitely leads me to think twice about spending money for good food.

I crowned Lucky’s in Tremont «best brunch in Cleveland» when I reviewed it a few years ago. At risk of starting a sibling rivalry, I’m changing my vote to Vine & Bean (both are run by Heather Haviland.)
I’m in love with this place, foibles and all.
The space is charming and cozy. It’s an old Victorian house that has been renovated to serve as a restaurant. The fireplace warms in the winter and the spacious outdoor patio and garden delights in the warmer months.
The food is comforting and delicious. Most excitingly for this Michael Pollan fan, they source produce locally (when possible) and meats that are raised humanely. I love the Canoewreck, Shipwreck, Breakfast Burritos, Granola, Reuben, and the waffles. First timers must not miss the pecan bacon (I like to share an order with the table.)
The people are very sweet. Their passion for the philosophy of the restaurant is evident. I always feel welcome and that my support is appreciated.
There are some foibles; no one’s perfect, right? I wouldn’t suggest coming here if you’re in a rush. While the service is always friendly, it can be slow. Just relax and enjoy. They also are not extremely flexible when it comes to substitutions. In part, this is due to their limited kitchen space.
They offer dinner, too, that I’ve been meaning to try. Live music is on Friday and Saturday.

Three stars for food, four stars for atmosphere.
We really wanted a brunch place, so, after reading a fellow Unilocalers review, we headed to Vine and Bean Café. I always love driving down Fairmount on my way back from work, and Vine and Bean café is off of it.
The café itself is an old small house with colors from the 70s and old furniture. It reminded me a lot of the house I stayed in when I was in Maryland– random doors leading down stairs, etc.
We were led outside to the back patio. It was great weather– sunny, quiet, old R&B music playing… how cool is this place to chill on a Saturday afternoon with some friends? Very chill, very cool.
The food itself… was alright. I ordered the veggie egg pie… which was okay with its vegetables (kind of wish it had more kick to it) and it somewhat oily banana bread. My friend ordered the shipwreck– which looked really heavy. I think it was pretty standard tho? My other friend ordered the reuben… which he termed as being «okay.» I think Zingermans in Ann Arbor would have made a reuben three times that size. It was strange too– they wouldn’t let you substitute any of the dishes (like holding off the cheese, taking out certain items, etc). I’m not sure why? That’s…just strange. It makes you think. :P
But we got the bottomless mimosas. That was definitely a plus. hahhaa.
If you’re looking for a place to chill, this is a great place to go. For food? It’s definitely. meh… but do-​able.

I’m from California. I’ve lived in San Francisco the majority of my life, I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 4 years and I’ve lived in New York for 1 year. I swear Vine and Bean feels like it has been transplanted from Haight Street in San Francisco, or Soho in NY, or beverly hills in LA. It’s amazing, and there is no way that this could possibly exist in Cleveland! The restaurant is über cute and trendy and the service is amazing. The food is even better. Super impressed with brunch it was utterly delicious. The sausage gravy over the biscuits… omg nom noms in my stomach. The home made jam, I wish I could have just taken it home and smothered it on everything!

I should note that this is a review for dinner. I have no doubt that brunch is awesome, but I highly suggest that you steer clear of V&B on weekdays.
Very, very disappointed. I’m a fan of Lucky’s and was hoping to be a fan of their sister restaurant, Vine and Bean. I’m glad I used a Savvy Avenue gift card instead of paying for the entire bill. I still feel like I wasted my money.
The one saving grace here is the staff. The service here may have been better than the service I’ve experiences anywhere else. Our server was also our chef, and he was very helpful and very friendly. The dinner menu is lacking, so I had a tough time choosing something. I expressed my concerns and was told that I could create something similar to a menu item. Very nice touch. Just not implemented well.
The entire dinner menu is comprised of about 5 different things. A few varieties of sandwiches, 2 varieties of egg pie, and a couple appetizers. My boyfriend chose the Reuben and I chose to request a specialty pizza. I asked for a white pizza for a variety of cheeses. The chef said he’d be happy to oblige and would make we a white pizza with fresh herbs, olive oil, and a few cheeses. I started to feel hopeful. It was false hope.
The pizza was seriously smaller than a Lean Cuisine pizza. Probably too small for even a child to make a meal out of. And oh was it flavored poorly. All I could taste is whatever mystery herb was completely SLATHERED all over the «crust» (which was more of a pita than a crust). The herb overpowered the «array» of cheeses which were maybe mozzarella and brie, though I can’t be sure as I couldn’t taste them. After taking a few bites of the pizza and deciding it wasn’t for me, I thought «Well, at least I ordered this side salad.» Wrong again. The side salad was romaine lettuce and croutons. That’s it. Oh, and the romaine was wilted and browning. I’m all about supporting local farmers, but can we keep our produce fresh, please?
My boyfriend’s reuben was lukewarm. I thought the flavor was good, but definitely not worth the $ 15 price tag. My boyfriend said it was far too bland for a reuben (which is probably why I liked it… I’m not actually a reuben fan). It was served with a side of potato chips. Disappointing.
Then we were offered dessert. We were excited, knowing how good the baked goods are supposed to be at both Lucky’s and Vine and Bean. A second server showed us the dessert tray which had about 5 different options. He said that in addition to the items on the tray, there was also a peanut butter topped brownie up for grabs. Being a PB fanatic, how could I resist? When he set it down on the table a few minutes later, I knew we should have skipped dessert and headed home. The brownie was completely dried out and hard as a brick. The «peanut butter» topping tasted like sugar, not PB. My boyfriend valiantly attempted to finish it, but it was seriously so dried out the fork couldn’t cut through it.
Our bill was just shy of $ 50, which is insane for a sandwich, a child-​sized pizza, a side salad, and drinks.
Another thing to note– I heard a different server speaking to the only other customers in the restaurant and heard him say that there’s no «real» chef in V&B during the week… the chef only comes in for brunch on the weekends. A little while later I heard him talking about the night’s specials and how they microwave the components separately (tonight it was meat loaf and mashed potatoes). This make me think that the real chef prepares the meals for the week when he/​she comes in on the weekends, and then they reheat them all week. I’m just assuming here, though, so don’t take my word on it.
I will definitely not be paying V&B another visit. I’m disappointed because I wanted so much to support a local gem.

The food is excellent. The atmosphere is charming.
But the portions are very small, especially for the price. I often leave brunch still hungry, which is very strange for a brunch out on the town.
Definitely try it. It may be worth the penny for you.

Same menu as Lucky’s Café — same gripes. It’s a great setting in a restored, old Victorian house with fabulous outdoor seating on their patio out back. It’s great to have another East-​side option and I will probably continue to come here for coffee or to read/​study, but I would recommend against ordering food.
This time I tried the sausage and biscuits — good for the first 5 bites, and the cheddar biscuits were actually really good, but the layer of egg was too much. My friends had the avocado and bacon salad, which came with no avocado or bacon, and the mac and cheese, which was fine. I had a scone on a previous visit — too moist with a muffin-​like texture, although it looked really good in the pastry display. I think that’s the thing, everything LOOKS good, but tastes pretty average. Love the ambiance, love the sustainable/​organic/​local philosophy, but do not love the food. Worth a visit for yourself, though. Everyone else seems to love it.

My accomplice and I started the day by going to the North Union Farmers Market on Shaker Square, followed by brunch at Vine & Bean, which is right around the corner. I’ve never been to Heather Haviland’s Lucky’s Café in Tremont (edit: I’ve been to Lucky’s since this review), but from what I understand, a lot of the same menu favorites are offered at both places. Now that Heather opened a place on the Eastside, I had no more excuses…
The Vine and Bean is located in in a century home. In each room, you’ll find separate seating consisting of hodge-​podge furniture. You can even sit on the front porch or in the backyard. The décor is very charming, comfortable and cute. It reminds me of a life size dollhouse. The kitchen is in the basement of the house and waitresses and cooks run up and down the stairs to fill orders.
For brunch, I ordered the Breakfast Burrito and a Coffee. My accomplice, the Biscuits and Gravy. We shared a side of the Pecan Crusted Bacon, which was absolutely to die for! Our server was friendly and the prices seem fair.
I’ve been recommending this place to everyone. I can’t wait to go back.

Eclectic, Organic, and Artistic describe this venue with posh, rich colours and textures.
I’ve only had their coffee and soup, but both were served graciously and promptly, tasting great to boot.
I can’t write a very detailed review, as I’ve not eaten terribly much here! Still, a nice gem!

After reading great reviews, I decided to spend Mother’s Day with my mother and grandmother at Vine and Bean. And, wow! Was it incredible! My mom had a really flavorful macaroni and cheese, grandma had the best looking waffles I’ve ever seen, and I had a really delicious roasted vegetable ratatouille. Our meals were excellent. The service was a bit slow, but the atmosphere is so nice that it’s ok to just hang out for awhile. I appreciate businesses that use locally sourced products and are vegetarian friendly. (there are plenty of non-​vegetarian options on the menu — I just happen to be part of a family of vegetarians)
I’d love to go back when the brunch menu isn’t in effect so I can try a sandwich or another entrée. It was so good that I can’t wait until I have another opportunity to go there! It’s definitely worth the drive, east siders. Check this place out!

Had brunch there three times now on lazy Sunday mornings, and I love it. Pecan bacon? I’m sold. Perfect place to meet some friends and enjoy a relaxing brunch with great food and really great service. Everyone is so nice and the atmosphere is very comfortable. Great addition to Larchmere!

Vine & Bean, owned by Heather Haviland of Lucky’s, is a terrific addition to the Larchmere neighborhood. The coffee is excellent. The food is fairly good too, local /​organic /​natural, as expected. I look forward to having meetings here with my coworkers and friends!