The Alley

I had the Maple Bacon Burger. The aduzi bean burger was very mushy, but in an unexpectantly good way. Unlike the chewy sensation of a meat burger, this vegan burger had a unique mushiness to it. This was complemented by some delicious pickles. Although they were the dishes namesake, the maple bacon bits were overwhelmed by all the other elements, but when I removed the from the burger and tried them separately it was great. The whole burger was really flavoursome, especially the pickles. The sweet potato fries were really impressive. Perfectly fried, good amount of salt and skin on too. You can tell The Alley uses fresh oil. They were a bit on the pricey side, but it was an appropriate single serving size. All in all, The Alley is a great place for a tasty lunch for vegans and non-vegans alike.

The burger was okay, but the schnitzel was a bit too crunchy. The soft serve was on the physical menu but not served during winter due to “too much wastage”. The spoon I got was compostable, but I’m curious as to whether it just goes out in the trash with all the other disposable packaging. I asked for a glass of water and was given a plastic cup. And the piece of sticky date I got for $7 smelled delicious but was still cold on the inside when they heated it up for me, it tasted a bit strange and didn’t even come with any garnish. It would have been 10x better with even a dollop of coconut cream. The staff (including the owner) were yelling to each other from the back of the kitchen to the till. That and the fake plants definitely put a dampener on an otherwise cute venue :( Keen to try and support any vegan venue but hoping this one can manage to iron out its’ kinks.

Vegan eatery serving burgers, chips and assorted other items. I ordered the maple bacon burger which was quite enjoyable although pickles remind me of cheeseburgers so I was very aware that I wasn't eating meat. My friends ordered the Hawaiian burger and both really liked it. They also sweet potato chips which were baked not fried which I was delighted with. They also have a selection of sweet chilled desserts. I tried the chocolate mousse (again vegan and also refined sugar free). It was really nice (but I should have kept the second half for later. The Alley had a great vibe, we enjoyed our food and all agreed we'd go again.

This place suits herbivores. We came here for a work lunch as the birthday girl is vegetarian. The carnivorous amongst us had to fight their instincts though. So great to see fast food that is healthy and wholesome. Quick service and my Mexican taco bowl was tasty while my colleagues enjoyed their burgers, soup and salads. The trouble with eating leaves for lunch though is that we were hungry by 3.30/4pm. Time to go hunt for some healthy snacks.

This is a fabulous addition to the growing list of quality vegan establishments in Melbourne. With a varied breakfast menu, plus a main menu which includes burgers, pasta, salads and smoothies there is lots of variety. I had a Mac 'n' cheese plus potato wedges, both of which were very tasty and fresh. Definately plan to return soon to try out the burgers.

UPDATE: Second visit not impressive at all! Mac & cheese was 'meh' at best and $12 for the 'large' which is a tiny portion for the price. Got my wedges/fries order wrong and I paid almost $24 for a few sweet potato fries, completely underwhelming small serve of M&C and a coffee. That's extortionate and I'm being polite. The music was loud pop and it was not a pleasant eating experience at all. Not going back. Wouldn't recommend. There is some serious sorcery going on with those potato wedges with 'parmesan' & crunchy kale! I'll go back for a vat full of those any day! Overall experience was good. My Mi-So Hungry burger was nice, but not a very social food with too much runny sauce going on to make it comfortable or pleasant to eat. The drip factor was high which makes for a bit of a soggy mess when your burger comes sideways in paper & you don't go at it immediately. The tastes were ok. The coffee is good & the service was pleasant. My lunch mate had the maple burger & a beer & liked it. As far as ambience goes, we should have sat inside which is nicely appointed, albeit noisy when the counter queue grows. The outdoor tables were just a little bit too 'well worn' & scruffy looking to justify a $13 burger for what is really a takeaway cafe. BUT - I will go back for those wedges & give the Mac & Cheese a try one of these days. Massive props for being an all vegan eatery 👍🏻

Food is super tasty but overpriced. Avoid coming here on my lunch breaks solely because of the price. Ordered the kelp salad ($12.95). It came out with one of the ingredients missing that is listed in the menu. When queried I was told it's not an ingredient but they were happy to add it?! After adding it, was told again that it's not an ingredient. Um... look at the board above your head!! Awkward! Think I will go back to my $6 salad sandwiches.