Shambala Bakery and Bistro

It was okay. Nothing really spectacular. Not all the items in the cases are as fresh as they should be. So, nothing wrong in particular, just not superb.

Really great, yummy gluten-free food. Family friendly. My husband & I both had the fish & chips & it was so delicious! Best I've had, especially since being gluten-free. My 3 year old & I both had smoothies & they were also yummy. We came during the tulip festival nearby, so the lunch rush was pretty hectic. I'd imagine the rest of the year is much more laid back, but I'll have to find out for sure. Grabbed a loaf of their gf herbed sourdough to try at home as well. Will def be back!

Great little spot in historic Mount Vernon. My son is allergic to wheat and peanuts and he had so many options! We've only sampled items brought to Farmer's Markets but their storefront is pretty wonderful. Everything has a vegan option, but our party had a beef-based burger, fish & chips, and tons of fries. The fries are freshly cut and the ambiance is pretty chill.When you enter there is a pastry case you can select from. If you prefer to dine-in, menus are available at the register and you order there. Your order is then brought out to you. I loved the homey vibe and they have wine and beer pours if you choose. As well as espresso and free-refills of soda fountain drinks for purchase.All in all, I'm grateful for this spot. My allergy kid can eat a great meal and get a sweet treat to go. Thank you for gifting is a great experience.

Five star because I just really love this place! I've ordered out (too often) and dined in multiple times. If I had to estimate, I'd say this review is based off of 15-20 "visits". I've tried a good portion of the menu between my own orders and sharing with friends/family. There's not been many things that I wouldn't rate a 4-5 star! Their drinks are delicious but some feel really high priced considering the size and listed ingredients. The only time I've had a complaint about food was once with the elephant ear it was so over cooked and chewy that I literally couldn't even bite a piece off. I ended up having to throw it away, which was extremely disappointing considering the cost and having had 5 star reviews for the same treat several times prior. For the "average" person this place is going to be a little pricier, but I'd say 9/10 it's worth it!

Really cool place! They are not only gluten-free but also free of many common allergens AND extremely vegan friendly. There's a health-conscious theme here with the grain blend they use and also a whole line of adaptogen drinks. But the vibe is not "health food bar", it has a very warm and intimate, and a little quirky, cafe feel. The staff was really welcoming and helpful with all the questions I had. Order at the counter, and they bring the food to you if you're eating in. It wasn't inexcusably slow, but they take their time making the food, so this is not the place to order a meal if you're in a rush. The drinks come out much faster and if you order a baked good they'll grab it for you on the spot.I had a Red Pepper Reuben with Coleslaw, Carrot Cupcake, and Chaga Latte. I went with the vegan option for the reuben - if the vegan cheese option had just been one generic flavour, I would've gone for the "regular" version so that I could get the Swiss for my reuben, but they actually had different flavours of vegan cheese (the worker mentioned cheddar, swiss, and provolone) so you can actually get a suitable replacement for the standard recipe when you veganize here! Anyway, this sandwich was delicious! A little messy to eat because the roasted pepper and sauerkraut made it very juicy, and I think vegan cheese doesn't hold things together as well as real cheese, but the mess was worth it. The gf bun was quite good - not as tender as traditional bread, but the wholesome flavour was very nice. Their coleslaw was very interesting too, it tasted like there might've been tahini in the dressing and I was into it. The cupcake was indistinguishable from a non-gf carrot cake and the coconut frosting was really good. Finally, the latte, which I got with hemp milk, was also very nice. I'm not sure how much of the subtle nutty flavour came from the chaga and how much was just the hemp, but it was a nice change from the usual hot drinks I get. The only thing I have to criticize is why do they not have house mugs for drinks when you dine in? All the food was served on ceramic plates, but my drink came in a to-go cup, which was very disappointing. Otherwise this was a great experience - I doubt I'll have the chance to stop in Mt. Vernon again but I'll have to make a beeline for this place if I do.

THIS IS FEEDBACK FOR YOUR FARMERS' MARKET VENDORSPlease list your prices somewhere. Price is also a consideration for me when I am deciding what to get. It's frustrating to have to ask about each individual item as I am weighing my options between a cookie, scone, cookie sandwich, etc. Can you just print out one price sheet and frame it, or something? Or, place individual stickers on the bagged pastries? Besides that, what I did end up purchasing was delicious and I am excited to visit your physical location in Mt Vernon one of these days.

While the food was very good, I was expecting a more grater variety of veggies in my veggie paninni.So why 2 stars? Not sure if they were understaffed on the holiday, though the kitchen staff seemed full of bodies it took way too long just to order. I waited in line 20 minutes and still was about 3 people behind. But I notice that they are taking orders over the phone quite rapidly while for in person it's going very slow. After the line starts complaing and when we say we will call they try to stop that by saying good will take 40 minutes to come out. +1 hr really? He did they are making is not that delicate to make.Yes pooular, yes good, but service is very lacking for present customers. Call ahead and save the wait

While the food is incredible...the demise of restaurants is the ordering process and general service. We walked in right when two people walked in ahead of us. The employee took their coffee order and asked us to sit at a table and she will come over to take our order. Seems like a food order first would make more sense and then prep coffee. All well and good. Then she went off to prepare the coffee drinks; which she then spent 12 minutes preparing. Meanwhile 5 people walked in the door and a second employee; who was not visible for the first 5 minutes of us sitting down proceeded to help everyone with a quick order for bakery items. Most definitely a broken process--take our food order, enter it for food prep and then help the quick line. Should have been obvious. A second table of two ladies sat down during all this and they kept looking around wondering if someone will ever come take their order. Meanwhile, again, more people have come in and placed a food order at the counter and then sat down. WTF. Why? Two ladies still waiting. And now the second employee is at the bar preparing our coffee drinks (only knew this because she brought our drinks). We were so happy to find this place for vegan food but now questioning waiting 30 minutes for food. We will come back a third time to give this place another chance since there are few, if any, vegan options around. Hope the process for ordering improves. Can't beat the tasty and perfectly prepared food.

This place is a gem for the GF community. Even my bf who isn't gluten free rated their breakfast sandwich (the biscuit one) as a top 10 in his lifetime of sandwiches (and he is obsessed with breakfast sandwiches). I would have attached photos but they didn't make it long enough to be photographed. We also walked out with a selection of bakery items (scones, cookies, cinnamon roll things) that I'm looking forward to trying. The food prices are extremely affordable and I would have also walked out with a couple loafs of bread however the price on those are a bit steep for me.

Food was delicious, especially vegetarian options and fresh baked goods looked delicious. A bit slow on service but if you're able to slow it down, it's worth the wait. Eclectic and artsy decor.