dhaba joy

I agree with the other reviewer about the lack of vegetarian/vegan-friendly restaurants in Austin, and I'll add the following: I'm surprised that in such a (relatively) progessive town such as Austin, there are not more vegan options added to every restaurant menu. I read a chef's comment recently that all restaurants should have vegetarian/vegan options on their menus, because oftentimes, when a group goes out to eat, it's the vegetarian/vegan in the group who decides where they'll eat. Anyway, Dhaba Joy has unbelievably good vegan food - so good it's hard to believe it's really vegan! The only problem I have ever had at Dhaba Joy is their parking. When I was in there today to pick up a to-go order, there was only one other customer in the place, but their parking lot was jammed (I was driving instead of bicycling because I had errands to run all over town). I had to "create" a quick parking spot halfway into the alley across from the dumpster, just to run in and get my food. Heck, it's more complicated to use their restroom facilities (you have to be a customer and ask for a key) than it is to park illegally in their lot! If I had been just driving by one day, looking for a place to eat, and taken one look at their overflowing parking lot, I wouldn't have bothered stopping there, and they would have lost a customer. No telling how many potential customers they've lost that way. No one likes their car towed, but Toy Joy / Dhaba Joy have got to start towing. With a 50,000 student, major university a block away, not to mention the population and business density of that area of town, I would think the owners would want to be proactive about keeping their parking lot reserved for their customers. Pros: Awesome food!!! Cons: Parking lot full of non-customers' vehicles; owners not keeping lot reserved for customers more

I consider myself a vegan pastry connoisseur. I'm have a digestive intolerance to dairy, so I know if it's vegan, it's safe. I also have a ridiculous sweet tooth. But not all vegan pastries are created equal! That's why I've grown so dependent on Dhaba Joy. (yes, dependent) It's fresh, organic, vegan, and just plain amazing. My nephew has a pretty severe dairy and egg allergy and I have given him treats from there and he has been perfectly fine. Same with my sister, who is gluten intolerant (lots of allergies in my family!). I gave her a muffin labeled "gluten free, soy free" and she never got sick. Which means, Dhaba Joy knows what they are doing! It is so reassuring for me to be able to eat somewhere and not have to worry about getting sick. And to top it off, the staff is so friendly and helpful- and also very excited about vegan pastries! I recommend this place to everyone who I meet. And every time someone comes to visit, that's one of the first places I take them. My boyfriend is not a vegan, nor does he have any allergies and he is addicted to their smoothies and apple pie. They also offer some pretty amazing soups in the winter and a year-round vegan mac-n-cheese that is delicious. And now they have cold-brewed coffee... I never have to go anywhere else! Pros: EVERYTHING! Try the monkey me smoothie, any pie, the almond butterballs- and the VEGAN SOFT SERVE! Cons: can't they make pastries calorie free too?! more

i really love this place. for all of austin's hippie ranting and raving, there is a surprising shortage of vegan/veggie places to eat. my husband and i have tried the tlt (tofu, lettuce and tomato), the faux chicken salad sandwich, the hummus/veggie sammich and the vegan mac and cheese- they're all great. don't expect the mac n cheese to taste like the dairy version- it's kind of like veggie burgers, they're great if you don't go in expecting that meaty taste. to sum up- this place is great for lunch on a sunday! or lunch any day, for that matter. i've not yet tried the totally yummy-sounding coffee drinks (lavender-infused mocha? are you kidding me!?) but they're next on my list! Pros: great vegan choices, cute ambience Cons: sort of slow service- but that's 'cause it's made to order.... more

The best Vegan Soft Serve! The toppings consist of trail mixes of coconut or banana chips... the best is the chocolate vanilla swirl with vanilla almond macaroons! The smoothies are also awesome! Made with organic juice and frozen banana's... they also have the vegan version of a mocha frappuccino! They are the only people carrying The Roasterie coffee in town, and it's so good! And the best part of all is the fact that the door is open to Toy Joy! So you can get your sensory overload on while getting filled up on lavender infused mocha's! Pros: The ingredients are the best of the best, even the standard milk is organic! Cons: The parking on the weekend... more