The Witches Brew

311 Hempstead Turnpike, West Hempstead, NY 11552

The Witches Brew, located in Hempstead- Long Island, is one of the local gems for vegans and carnies alike. With an entire vegetarian menu, almost all meals can be made vegan- like their delicious quesadilla. They are known for their incredible tea and espresso drink menu but their food over the years have gained their well deserved spotlight. For the first time, I took a chance on their Asian selection (usually I don't trust non-Asian restaurants with a curry or pad Thai) but I was beyond pleasantly surprised. We started with their quesadilla and spring rolls as an appetizer and just when I thought dinner couldn’t get better, my coconut curry arrived and I was blown away. P.S- vegan side note about curry. While I love Thai food, it is extremely hard to find a curry WITHOUT FISH SAUCE. You can ask a million question about dairy, and broth, and meat but asking about fish sauce definitely falls under the radar and can go completely undetected, even for a seasoned vegan. Always remember to ask about fish sauce!

Their curry was creamy, hearty, spicy, and most definitely fresh, garnished with bean sprouts and kale. Dessert consisted of their black widow espresso drink (that I get every single time I go but can’t bring myself to get anything else) and their warm cinnabon. While their food is incredible, half the experience is the wonderful atmosphere consisting of dim lighting and bomb thrift store finds everywhere. The name Witches Brew clearly lends itself to the ambiance.

Warning: So we went back two weeks later and got there too late for the dinner menu. They have a vegan menu that lists dessert and also has bagels, a pretzel, etc.. Jay and I were starving so we ordered the bagel with cheese on it and a pretzel with cheese (clearly didn't think our carb loading through) anddddd it was pretty damn bad. Really lacked love. We couldn't even get through both of them.

My advice: if you get there later than the dinner menu- stick to dessert and a yummy beverage. It's just the servers putting together what is in the back of the menu I assume and unfortunately it was a big waste of money :/