I don't always eat vegetarian, but when I do, I do it at Heart & Soy. Imagine that in Jonathan Goldsmith's accent and voice from the Dos Equis commercials.
Much better than the restaurant duo that previously occupied this location, Heart & Soy (and their maternal sister, Roots), make a great addition to the Highlands area. Especially, if you happen to be a vegetarian or vegan.
Order turnaround isn't as fast as your typical takeout Asian dive, but that is for a good reason...they use fresh, natural ingredients that are prepared perfectly every time. And, they make their tofu and soy milk in-house...so you know it's good. No really...it's good.
I've made my way through about half of the menu over the past year, and my favorite is always the vegetarian egg rolls and Singapore noodles. Put a little Sriracha on sauce, and I am a happy, happy camper.
But, don't take my word for it...stop in and check it out yourself. Unless you're one of those "if it ain't got meat, I ain't eatin' it" type of people...then you should stick to Logan's or Teas Roadhouse.
I love Heart and Soy! Delicious vegetarian food, excellent service, comfortable environment, and reasonable prices. Â I travel to Louisville 2 or 3 trimes a year to visit family, and I am so happy and grateful that I found this restaurant. Healthy and mindful eating. What a concept! Â Hands down my favorite place to eat. Thank you CoCo Tran!
Review Source:Overall, I'm a fan of Heart and Soy. I love the fact that they offer a healthy alternative to fast food when you're in need of a quick lunch or dinner. I also really like the fact that they make their own tofu in house.
I'm not a vegetarian and don't usually feel completely satisfied after eating at a vegetarian restaurant. While all of their entrees are under $10, some are bit overpriced for what they offer.
If you're looking to get the most bang out of your buck I recommend ordering: the Hue or Pho soups. For $6 you get enough food for two meals at least. I also highly recommend the Vietnamese Sandwich for $5. Served on a hoagie bun, it is pack full of tofu and vegetables and is quite delicious. I also really enjoy the spring rolls for $3.
The Meal:
My friend got a large pho flat noodle soup and I got the BBQ tofu and rice and it was amazing! I've never had tofu before and it was delicious!
How much?:
The prices are reasonable. My friends large soup could feed three people and was $6 and my BBQ tofu and rice was small and pricey at $8 but delicious and I would still say reasonable for the atmosphere and tastiness.
What Else?:
The business also sells in-house-made soy milk and other soy products in their case by the register. Also, some yummy looking desserts and they deliver to the local Highlands area!
My Overall Reaction:
I'm confused about the 'Roots' in this place! (Pardon the pun)
I will say, it being my first time in, I was confused by Roots close proximity (upon entry there are two doors) and if you go to order you look over and see roots right there ( you can see a bar and seating). If you use the bathroom it's also like your almost about to walk into another restaurant. I'm still a little confused by the idea of ordering from both, since both have their names on the menu and you can order dishes from both. What's confusing is the clerk mentioned if you order from Roots it would be considered carry out only unless I wanted to sit in roots (and I assume pay a tip to the waiter). There should be some clarification and the menu should be separated a bit more to make it clear. I'm in no way a genius, but neither am I unaware of how to work a menu and this was a little unclear. Overall food was fantastic and atmosphere was beautiful! Ladies check out the bathroom!
Open until 11p on Saturdays for a late night tofu run!
i stayed in louisville for a week, and ate here 4 times. i was bummed they didn't deliver far as i was staying, so i drove. and yes it was worth it.
i don't even remember what i tried because whenever i ordered it was multiple dishes. I was pregnant at the time and was very food conscious. the dishes were full of flavor and very clean. :)
although people say that the bubble tea was awesome. i think i just had a smoothie, i remember it being not that awesome. and expensive.
food = good though :)
Not bad, but also not exceptional. Counter service was OK, food was inexpensive and acceptably flavorful (get the steamed bun for sure). The only real negative was the Korean cellophane noodle dish didn't have any really bold flavors like fish sauce or kimchi, it was just had a sort of vague and one dimensional spiciness. Also, tables in the dining room apparently have some kind of flaw in the finish and are really stick. Like I had to peel my receipt off of it kind of sticky.
Review Source:I love this place! Â The atmosphere is low key and casual and they make the best bubble tea in Louisville! The tapioca is so tender! You can get it either blended or over ice though I've only ever had blended (it's like a smoothie). Â Additionally, the bubble tea comes in several flavors. My favorite is either coconut or kiwi, but I haven't tried them all yet. Â The chocolate is good too like a shake with bubbles at the bottom!
If you go for more than bubble tea I recommend the Pad Thai or the Pho soup. Â The soup itself is a meal containing not just vegetables and broth but noodles and tofu/veggie meats as well. Â The food is so good I have trouble trying new things!
The hands down, no contest, without a doubt, best GD bubble tea I have ever had.
My time in Louisville was sadly, extremely limited, but I made sure to use my time wisely and hit up as many places as possible... and put an action item on hitting this place up twice.
I'd say on average, I probably think about Heart & Soy at least once a week. The house-made tofu, the wonder bars (eat em fresh before they lose their stick-togetherness), the loose leaf tea leaves, and most of all the honey peach bubble tea.
Best beverage ever.
Epic, actually. Epic and unforgettable.
I've passed this place many times on Bardstown Road and have been curious to see what it was. Little did I realize it was both a quick stop shop and a nicer restaurant all tied together... all vegetarian.
As a quick walk-in, this was neat shop, with fresh soy products for sale. I ordered the Pho and the Vietnamese Sandwich. By far the Vietnamese Sandwich was the best and most economical. It's an excellent sandwich that punches a lot of flavor - good bread roll, pickled veggies, and tofu. The Pho was disappointing - lacked flavor.
My experiences at Heart & Soy have been mixed. Some menu items are really tasty, some so-so.
As far as the Vietnamese fare goes, Louisville has better. I had some vegan pho here that featured weak broth and over-done noodles. The portion size was generous, which I suppose is a good thing.
The bbq tofu rice was definitely a worthwhile staff recommendation on my first visit. The menu doesn't really describe what you're getting, so staff input can be key for first-timers and those who want to try something new.
I've always had good customer service, but was here recently with a friend who said the girl at the counter hadn't been so helpful (or even nice) the day before. When asked about various menu items, the girl looked at my friend blankly before deigning to respond that the questions were all in reference to items with which she was unfamiliar. And this is multiple menu items, so clearly this girl needs to do some homework and ask other staff what's up with the food.
Regular teas and soy milk are nice, bubble tea is not very good here.
I'll keep coming, because the price makes it seem worthwhile when I hit on a menu item that's really good-- like most things involving their homemade tofu. If you come for nothing else, come for handcrafted soy goodness.
My husband and I are out of towners that were told about this place & decided to check it out--we were NOT disappointed. Â We stopped in during the early afternoon with my friend and her toddler. Â She had spring rolls, my husband had a Vietnamese sandwich, I had vegan egg rolls and the barbeque tofu with rice, and the toddler had a yummy carrot cake muffin. Â We all left very happy with the taste, quality, and price of the food. Â OK, the toddler didn't care how much that muffin cost, he just loved it. Â The bathrooms were cool enough that we all mentioned them on the way out of the place, and the staff did seem pretty helpful about what was OK for each of our dietary requirements. Â Definitely going to be a planned stop on our next time through Louisville.
Review Source:This restaurant makes me laugh in the face of busy people who say they cannot eat healthy food because they don't have time.
Conveniently located on Bardstown road, this place is super accessible for Highlands residents who are on the move and on a budget. I spend less than $10 for a nourishing yet refreshing lunch and the only time constraint involved is traffic. A to-go order takes about 5-10 minutes max from my experience. Unfortunately they no longer do delivery. I can't wait to try the more upscale sister restaurant Roots when I have more time to sit down and enjoy everything. I might just end up ordering dishes from the Roots menu to-go, which is also an option!
Yum! Â Although Third Avenue Cafe was much closer, I'm glad they were closed tonight for whatever reason. Â Maybe it was fate that had me drive the extra 5-10 minutes to H&S- I'm so glad I did.
The menu options were excellent, so much so I had some difficulty deciding what to order. Â The staff was pretty helpful in that regard. Â The quang (yellow noodles) were perfectly cooked as were the veggies. Â The vinegary sauce and lime that came with it were a really nice punch of extra flavor.
I also had a banana pudding that was tasty, if a little sweet, and a thai iced tea that was right on the money.
I'll be back. Â Oh yes, I'll be back.
UPDATED:
At least early on in H&S's life span, Heart & Soy seemed to take its cousin Zen Garden's relaxed atmosphere and amplify it. Whereas Z.G.'s detached but professional service works well, early visits to H&S were indifferent and staff didn't seem to know a lot about their offerings.
The Korean Rice Bowl is a vegan take on the Korean dish "Bee Bim Bob". Not that any of the staff at H&S seemed aware of that fact. It's an OK version, too. But the details that come with awareness weren't there for me: the sauce that comes with it is a pale imitation of its hearty Korean cousin.
On one occasion, I paid $20.00 for a carry out steamed bun, BBQ Tofu & Rice, and a Four Berry smoothie (made from concentrate, no added sugar). Once I got it home after a few sips of the $5.50 smoothie (with soy protein boost) all I had left was a cup of ice. I did communicate with staff and even drove back but the result was unsatisfactory. There are better smoothies in town.
Perhaps you'll find things have improved at H&S if you risk it. If I were going to try it, I'd do Roots (the formal dining side of this establishment). Let me know how it goes.
I went into Heart & Soy with a friend today for lunch. I'm really not a big fan of vegetarian restaurants as a rule...most of the time I leave feeling almost as hungry as when I came in, and the protein dishes leave something to be desired.
The first thing I noticed was the clean, simple, Asian / modern decor. The dining area is very attractively painted and has a great energy. You can see the well lit kitchen very clearly, and the atmosphere is terrific. Definitely an acceptable sort of place for a date. or even a business lunch. My friend and I both ordered the Vietnamese sandwich ($5) and we each had Spring Rolls ($4) and Vegan Egg Rolls ($3). The Vietnamese sandwiches were pretty good imitations of Banh Mi - the pickled vegetables had just the right amount of sour and sweetness, the tofu was marinated properly to taste a lot like pork, and the Veganaise and cucumbers wrapped up the flavor nicely. The bread was soft, chewy, and perfect.
The Spring Rolls looked delicious, but I didn't eat any of them. My egg rolls were more reminiscent of the fried "spring rolls" that you can get at a lot of greasy Thai places, but they weren't greasy or gross. The wonton wrapper was delicate and crispy, with texture almost like a fried croissant, and the filling of cabbage and carrots was delectable. The house made sweet and sour sauce tasted fresh and even somewhat complex, with more of an orange flavor than the commercial crap with high fructose corn syrup. It was light and refreshing without being too light.
I managed to get a decent lunch for under $10, but I felt like the portions for the sandwich were a little out of whack. I would gladly welcome a menu option that allows for double protein - in fact, I might suggest that you do that if you get the sandwich. An hour after eating though, I feel like it was just under what I would consider "just enough", and maybe another appetizer or soup would've been just the right amount.
The menu for Heart & Soy is predominantly Asian (which makes sense, since the staff's cooks seem to come from that school of cooking,) which makes the vegan meals here a pretty easy transition from normal Chinese or Vietnamese meals. It looked like Roots, the upscale neighbor of Heart & Soy, had a lot more menu options that weren't rooted in Asian cuisine, which definitely piqued my curiosity, particularly the Forbidden Rice risotto with goat cheese and spinach.
Heart & Soy is the kind of place that my friends and I would have killed to have about ten years ago, but now it seems fairly common. Still, for vegans, there aren't a lot of dedicated options in town, just a lot of restaurants with menu options, and those tend to whittle themselves down fairly quickly. I'm sure that they're rejoicing that a place like this has opened up in the heart of the Highlands. Vegans, vegetarians - you will love this place, but everybody else should probably give it a chance and see what they think.
this is my second time at heart and soy and I'm ecstatic that there's a place like this in louisville now.
pros: very decent pricing, simple and enjoyable atmosphere, quick service and delicious food!
I've had the Hue Spicy Noodle Soup both times and it's fantastic. I could personally use a bit more spiciness, but I'm a spicy food junkie. the balance of flavors is fantastic, definitely squeeze the lime they provide before you start. lots of veggies, tofu and a couple types of meat replacements. brightness from the lime and cliantro, smoky umami from caramelized onions and pork-flavored fake meat. yum.
I've also had the spring rolls with peanut sauce, which were perfect. really. no complaints.
today I also tried the steamed bun. the flavor of the filling and the sauce was excellent, but there was too much bun and not enough filling for my taste. it made it a little heavy. that's just me though, and the flavors were very good.
I tried their house made soy milk as well. it's perfectly creamy and smooth. I tried the unsweetened variety, it's pretty good but definitely not for everyone. if you're used to the soy milk you get in the store, try the sweetened kind.
I'd give it 5 stars but I like to try a place a few more times before I bestow such an honor. definitely give this place a try. I can't wait to try it's more sophisticated sister Roots as well.
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