Veggie Castle II
132-09 Liberty Avenue
(between 132nd Street and 133rd Street)
Richmond Hills, Queens
718-641-8343
Vegiboys Rating (3/4)
With the demise of Brooklyn’s Veggie Castle I, the only remaining outpost for this vegan Caribbean take-out chain requires a visit to Richmond Hill, Queens. Though off the beaten path, the experience is well worth the hike; of NYC’s plethora of Caribbean eateries, Veggie Castle II is perhaps our favorite. The thoroughly Rastafarian staff and atmosphere expresses itself well in the cooking; they have delicious vegetarian versions of the typical dishes, from jerk chicken to breaded fish.
For our recent visit, we chose three of the protein options from the steam trays: buffalo wings, curry “chicken”, and soy fish cakes. The wings had a nice texture and a sweet barbecue flavor. The spicy curry dish also satisfied the taste buds with chunks of seitan bathed in a green curry sauce. The fish cakes had a great taste, but struck us as somewhat dry; they could have used a bit of sauce .
On previous visits, Veggie Castle’s mac ‘n cheese had been particularly outstanding, with the addition of capers giving it an unexpected kick. The dish lacked capers this time around though, leaving it less complex and not quite as enjoyable.
Our other sides included some well-cooked okra with lemongrass flavoring, smoky chickpeas, and spiced potatoes. Our server included some fried plaintains with each of the platters. To drink, we went with Caribbean stand-by Ginseng Up (the lemon/lime is our option of choice).
While the Veggie Castle also has a selection of delicious looking pastries and cakes, our lunch platter portions were too huge for us to attempt a dessert course.
Veggie Castle II has limited seating, with a single indoor table, a couple of counter chairs, and one outdoor table (weather dependent). There unfortunately aren’t many options for comfortable seating in the neighborhood, so eating on-site might require some creativity. At $10 each, with enough food in each platter to make for two meals, the restaurant is an excellent bargain and well worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood.
Restaurant Review: Veggie Castle II
132-09 Liberty Avenue
(between 132nd Street and 133rd Street)
Richmond Hills, Queens
718-641-8343
Vegiboys Rating (3/4)
While the Veggie Castle also has a selection of delicious looking pastries and cakes, our lunch platter portions were too huge for us to attempt a dessert course.
Veggie Castle II has limited seating, with a single indoor table, a couple of counter chairs, and one outdoor table (weather dependent). There unfortunately aren’t many options for comfortable seating in the neighborhood, so eating on-site might require some creativity. At $10 each, with enough food in each platter to make for two meals, the restaurant is an excellent bargain and well worth a visit if you’re in the neighborhood.
Food (3/4)
Atmosphere & Service
(2.5/4)
Value (3/4)