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Serves meat, vegan options available. Casual restaurant utilizing local and organic ingredients whenever possible. Focuses on on creating flavorful dishes for all types of diets and all menu dishes can be made vegan as all food preparation is in house. Gluten free options available. Offers free Wi-fi. Open Tue-Sat 9:00am-8:00pm, Sun 10:00am-2:00pm.
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4100 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 45223
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 08 Feb 2023 by meltrevival
Update business info -
Added by VeggieOption on 18 Jun 2008
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37 Reviews
First Review by VeggieOption
warmstorage
Points +242
vegan options, but lotsa animal flesh too - Edit
So, I took a two hour test around the corner that had me tasting beer at 10am. (Yes, really.) I quickly needed something on my stomach after this, and Melt was close.
Read moreI'm definitely sympathetic to, and really appreciate, Happy Cow being very careful about not including many non-veg*n restaurants.
Melt is a funny in-between: they certainly have a number of vegan substitution options, and claim they can make almost anything vegan, but I would respectfully disagree with the previous reviewer: this place is not "amazingly" vegan friendly.
Of their ten signature baked sandwiches, zero are vegan by default, and only three of them indicate on the menu that vegan substitutions are available. Two of the five wraps indicate vegan options.
They were very friendly, and I'm sure they could substitute on most of the other items, but at the real risk of taking away the flavors the chef intended for the food.
One positive is that both of their cheese substitutes are housemade.
My veggie cheesesteak was reasonably tasty if a little boring, my extra side of the Rubykraut made it more interesting. The Rubykraut is supposedly cabbage and apples; no apples were in sight. It was a small portion in a portion cup for the uptick of $1.50.
My sandwich was sufficiently filling, but certainly not an enormous portion.
The side (brand name) Sun Chips were fine, but it only occured to me after eating a few that I didn't know which flavor of Sun Chips it was, and whether it has dairy.
Frankly, the default side of brand name, out of house chips is pretty weak for an $8.50 sandwich. (Adding one of the house made sides costs an additional $1.50.)
It was slammed when I was there, but I was in just after noon on a beautiful, hot Saturday. Service was friendly. Parking was tough on the street, but easy right around the corner on a side street.
I'm able bodied, but I would second another reviewer's note that handicapped accessibility is tough. The hallway with the bathrooms that goes to the extra seating in the back is also the (very busy) service and food running hallway, and the bathroom access.
Brunch looked interesting, with five out of ten mains indicating a vegan option.
I probably wouldn't go back unless I was in the neighborhood again and hungry. It's just too much dead animal, and not enough expressly vegan options on the menu.
Updated from previous review on Saturday July 18, 2015
Pros: friendly, tasty, some vegan options
Cons: not enough expressly vegan options, fairly expensive for what you get, lots of dead animal flesh
Guest
Sarah P
Points +9100
More vegan than I realized - Edit
The Melt was amazingly vegan-friendly, and staff were knowledgeable, friendly and courteous in their willingness to help and get things right for a couple of traveling vegans. We ate the most amazing seitan melt sandwich, and an incredible vegan ceasar-style salad. The portions were enormous, and we had dinner leftover for later. I would go back any chance I had to try other Melt fare.
Read morePros: So many vegan options, Knowledgeable staff, Full bar
Cons: not a veg restaurant
Guest
TonySeta
Points +21
Wonderful but with a few problems - Edit
I had a wonderful experience. All the vegitarian meals also came as vegan options. The staff and the food out of this world. The prices were a little high for the portions but I have seen much worse. The parking was a little tricky since there are few lots in the area that I found. The biggest issue I have is that I have a friend that handicaped and the place is did not have a ramp. So recomend this place but please ask them to add a ramp :) Peace n Love always
Read moreGuest
Shellkitty
Points +19
Refreshingly Unique Fare - Edit
My husband and I ate at Melt last week for the first time. Not being natives of the area, we found it a bit difficult to get to, but that may have been our GPS's fault. There is a parking lot across the street from Melt, but we just parked on the street. It was a late Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty busy. We took our food to go because we had somewhere to be. There's a big sign at the counter that says "Please let us know if you are vegan", which, as a mostly vegan vegetarian, I really appreciated. The atmosphere is cozy, like your average locally-owned restaurant, and the staff are friendly. This is also a place that you can take your carnivore friends to, as they offer items with meat, too. Even the items that normally come with meat can be made vegetarian with substitutions.
Read moreI ordered the veggie cheesesteak and chose kale slaw as my side. The sandwich was very good; they used seitan in place of the meat and it was an excellent substitute. I had been craving a cheesesteak for a couple of days, and this really hit the spot. The kale slaw was simply amazing! If you like kale, I highly recommend it.
My hubby got the avocado bliss wrap, which he enjoyed. He let me take a bite and I also thought it was very good. He got the herbed roasted potatoes with curry ketchup as a side and that was really good! The addition of curry to the ketchup gave it an interesting flavor and I would have been more than happy to help him finish them off.
We will definitely be returning!
Pros: Vegan friendly, Gluten-free options, Friendly service
Cons: Location
Guest
lauraXsynthesis
Points +661
My favourite cafe in Cinci - Edit
This is the sort of cafe I generally look for when travelling. It's independently run, popular with locals and has a great bustling ambience - though a bit over-crowded at times. I've tried a few of the sandwiches and all were very tasty. My favourite was probably the Vegan Melt.
Read morePros: Delicious sandwiches
Cons: Portions too big, Not enough vegan cakes, No coffee drinks
Guest
Sorriso.capo
Points +42
First & Last time to visit - Edit
The wait time really needs to be improved at this cafe.
Read moreWe went on a Sunday and waited 10 minutes in line to order food then another 45 minutes for our food to arrive. Unfortunately the food portions was disappointing for the amount of time we waited :/.
Also the way to order your food needs a lot of improving.
For example you have to wait in line to order food then find your own table---if any are available by the time your done waiting in line :(
It was an Interesting experience but we won't return. We found better food and faster ordering + 100% all vegan food at the Loving Cafe.
Pros: Vegan options
Cons: Wait time, Food portions, Price too high
Guest
kveg10
Points +73
More than just 'veg-friendly' - Edit
Even though it's listed as veg-friendly, Melt is an awesome place that mostly caters to vegetarians and vegans.
Read moreGuest
hockenra
Points +24
Melt-tastic - Edit
All Cincinnati Veg*ans must go to Melt! The food is delicious and they have a wide variety of vegetarian, vegan and meat entrees. Almost any sandwich can be made vegan with the options of tofu, tempeh, seitan and vegan cheese that is made in-house. The also have a limited brunch menu on the weekends, with selections changing monthly. Aside from dining in, Melt also has a refridgerator full of sandwiches and various salads made specifically for carry-out. They also have vegetarian and vegan baked goods. In addition to dining inside, during the warmer months they have lovely outside seating.
Read morePros: lots of variety, good price, food tastes great!
Cons: not strictly veg*an
Guest
Sprout
Points +218
I love this place! - Edit
I eat at Melt every time I visit Cincinnati. The food is consistently good, and there are plenty of vegan options. My omni-parents love it, too. I love the penne and "cheese" appetizer for starters, and then typically get a sandwich. Favorites include the Philly cheese steak (vegan-ized) and the Vegan Melt. They offer some delicious sides, too, and sometimes have vegan desserts (they seem to sell out before I get there). I also make it a point to have the Sunday brunch. Nothing beats the Redskin Mess (vegan-ized), but occasionally I mix things up with the vegan biscuits and gravy. I love the funky atmosphere, the staff are always friendly, the food always fresh. I can't say enough good things about this place and highly recommend it. It would get 5 stars (or happy cows, I guess) if it was totally vegan. But I do appreciate the veg options they do have.
Read morePros: great vegan cheese, brunch!, always fresh
Guest
VeggieOption
Points +56
A hip and friendly indie restaurant - Edit
Melt bills itself as an "eclectic deli," serving vegan-friendly gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads using whole, unprocessed ingredients in environmentally-friendly packaging. They source locally when possible and are mindful of re-investing in the local economy and community.
Read moreThe restaurant is appealingly quirky with brightly painted walls of berry and periwinkle, and comfy, mismatched tables and chairs. Dine-in meals are served on funky thrift-store dinnerware, and local artists showcase their work here too, further decorating the cheerful space. When the weather is nice, be sure to check out the zenlike outdoor dining area in back. The main dining area is spacious but oddly there are tables in a narrow hallway near the kitchen that seem out of place. Avoid them if you can.
Nearly everything on the menu is vegetarian or vegan. There are veggie cheesesteaks made with seasoned seitan, vegan melts of savory, baked tofu, BBQ hoagies made with tempeh, and a half-dozen awesome, healthy salads served with multi-grain bread from Over-the-Rhine bakery Shadeau. The restaurant makes all their dressings in-house - there are four vegan and four vegetarian dressings on offer.
They also boast a mean vegan chili that garners rave reviews, and their soup of the day is always vegetarian. It's affordable too - most items are under $10.
I decided to go with their daily special - the Torpedo Burrito (a baked tortilla wrap of scrambled tofu, guacamole and spinach) served with a spicy, homemade pico de gallo. The wrap was healthy enough but I felt it lacked seasoning. The scrambled tofu in the burrito was very bland, but could have been alleviated had they scrambled it with some basil pesto or other seasoning. The addition of pico de gallo helped, but there wasn't enough of it. I also got a side of the roasted rosemary potatoes, which were fantastically tasty if a little cold by the time they reached the table, and the curried catsup was a welcome surprise.
Although I've heard grumblings about Melt's portions being on the small side, personally I haven't found that to be the case. In fact I have yet to leave room for their scrumptious baked goods, which is a real shame since Melt offers a nice variety of housemade vegan dessserts. There are also cupcakes, brownies, bread puddings and key lime bars from local bakery Take the Cake.
Pros: good value, healthy choices, friendly staff
Guest
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