Macy’s European Coffeehouse & Bakery

Macy's European Coffeehouse in Flagstaff, Arizona

Although Macy’s is one of the most popular and well known hotspots within the city, both for the coffee and food, I would have to say that I find it to be overrated. After multiple visits during various times of the year, I can attest that is just too cramped and noisy (all the time!) to enjoy the food and drinks. I would never recommend getting a cup of coffee or breakfast here (both are sub par), although the lunch entrees are pretty tasty.

A long line and hard to read chalkboard menu. Notice that there are no seats available.

You would think Macy’s is so popular because they have awesome espresso drinks. This is far from the case as every drink I have tried has tasted completely burnt. Not sure why it is always rated best coffee in town when nearby Late for the Train and Kickstand Cafe both serve more delicious espresso drinks in a more relaxing setting.

The menu is 100% vegetarian with your standard easy-to-make options like sandwiches, salads, and breakfast plates. While the quinoa nachos and veggie sandwich were both pretty good, it is near impossible to enjoy your meal in this crazy setting. In fact, sometimes it is so busy that you have to stand up while you wait for a seat!

Quinoa nachos at Macy's in Flagstaff, Arizona
Veggie sandwich at Macy's in Flagstaff, Arizona

Service feels very rushed and stressful (you order a counter where there is always a full line behind you, forcing you to feel completely rushed as you try to scan the barely legible chalkboard menu). And there really is no ambiance due to the lack of decor – they obviously couldn’t do much with the limited space besides stuff a bunch of tables right on top of each other.

In short, a better vegetarian restaurant would be Picazzo’s or Whyld Ass. Both these restaurants offer more creative vegan/GF options in a better dining area with more attentive service. And for a simple salad or sandwich, Mix or Wildflower Bread are recommended over Macy’s.

Red Curry Vegan Kitchen

Red Curry Vegan Kitchen in Flagstaff

After hearing plenty of positive feedback, we decided to check out Red Curry Vegan Kitchen, also located in the Flagstaff downtown region. As we love trying out new ethnic cuisines, we figured no harm in checking it out. In addition, at the time we were eating dairy-free and this happened to be one of the few places in town offering a 100% dairy-free menu.

I have to say that we were utterly disappointed in both the service and atmosphere. Even if the food was spectacular (it wasn’t), the cramped and dirty dining room and slow/unfriendly service does not justify a visit here. If you are looking for Thai food, there are plenty of better options in town like Patio Thai and Swadee Thai.

I am not sure why anyone would want to sit in an unclean dining room only to receive sub par food and service.

The menu consists of various curry, rice, and noodle dishes. The veggie fried rice was just okay, kinda bland and way overpriced. The Tokyo Rolls (veggies, brown rice, and quinoa wrapped in a Nori Roll) were actually pretty good, although nothing I wouldn’t be able to easily whip up at home, and definitely not worth the drab experience at this restaurant.

The Toyko Rolls at Red Curry are pretty good.
The Tokyo Rolls at Red Curry are pretty good.
The veggie fried rice at Red Curry was just average.
The veggie fried rice at Red Curry was just average.

Honestly, I believe this restaurant is popular solely based on the fact that they offer many vegan and gluten-free options. However, simply offering allergy friendly options does not necessarily make a restaurant a good choice.

Overall, the food at Red Curry is nothing to write home about. Yes, they offer an allergy friendly menu, however, it’s up to you if you wish to sacrifice an enjoyable dining experience in exchange for “healthier” food. If you want good curry dishes, go to Delhi Palace (also very allergy friendly).