The Toad in print

Press.

Reviews, city guides, burger debates and neighborhood stories from a decade of scratch-made vegan comfort food in Bed-Stuy.

Brooklyn, New YorkEstablished 2015Independent & vegan

Plant-based burger stacked with fresh vegetables and sauce

Vegan food with kung fu spirit

The New York TimesEaterGothamistTime OutEdible BrooklynBrooklyn Magazine

The story people shared

A neighborhood counter with a citywide reputation.

Toad Style opened on Ralph Avenue in 2015 with a small room, old kung fu posters and a clear point of view: vegan food should be fun, filling and made with care.

Writers found a restaurant where lentils, mushrooms, oats, jackfruit, cashews and vegetables became burgers, sandwiches, loaded sides and weekend brunch—comfort food with a handmade identity instead of a factory-made imitation.

Press archive: Headlines below reflect published coverage of Toad Style. External articles remain the property of their respective publishers.

Selected coverage

Features worth revisiting.

Long-form profiles and reviews that captured the food, the room and the stubbornly independent spirit behind Toad Style.

Hearty vegetable sandwich layered with fresh ingredients

Eater · 2024

This Vegan Restaurant Is in It for the Long Haul

A profile of Toad Style's accessible approach, scratch-made cooking and place in New York's plant-based restaurant culture.

Colorful plant-based comfort food served in a bowl

Gothamist · 2016

Hearty Vegan Food With Kung Fu Flair

A close look at the Ralph Avenue room, the burger, pulled jackfruit and the soundtrack.

Burger and fries arranged on a casual restaurant table

Edible Brooklyn · 2016

Our Favorite Veggie Burgers

Recognition for a messy, deeply satisfying mushroom-and-lentil cheeseburger.

Why writers noticed

Made here, not unwrapped here.

Toad Style stood apart by making the core of its food in-house: patties, sauces, pickles and plant-based cheeses that gave familiar comfort-food forms their own flavor.

The restaurant's old-school movie posters, loud music and neighborhood-counter ease made the space as distinctive as the menu.

Scratch-MadeHouse patties, sauces, pickles and cheese

100% VeganPlant-based from the start

Palm Oil FreeA defining kitchen standard

Bed-Stuy Born93 Ralph Avenue since 2015

Warm and welcoming independent neighborhood restaurant interior

Press index

Coverage through the years.

Restaurant listings, neighborhood guides, opening reports and features on New York's evolving vegan food scene.

Time Out New York

Toad Style Restaurant Listing

The New York Times

The Veggie Burger’s Ascent

Brooklyn Magazine

Bed-Stuy’s Kung Fu-Themed Vegan Restaurant Is Everything You’d Want It to Be

Gothamist

Dig Into Hearty Vegan Food at This Bed-Stuy Joint With Kung Fu Flair

The Infatuation

Justin Warner’s Friday Fives

Eater

This Vegan Restaurant Is in It for the Long Haul

Eater

18 Excellent NYC Restaurants for Vegetarians

Eater

Where to Eat and Drink in Bed-Stuy

Eater

15 Reliable Vegan Restaurants in NYC

Culture Trip

Brooklyn’s Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants

Edible Brooklyn

Our Favorite Veggie Burgers

Village Voice

Vegan Cheeses Are Finally Finding Their Place in New York’s Food Scene

NYC: The Official Guide

The Official Vegan Guide to New York City

Bushwick Daily

Here Are Bushwick’s Best Cheap Eats

New York Magazine

Critics’ Pick Listing

TripSavvy

The Ultimate Vegan Guide to Brooklyn

L’Officiel

The Best Vegan Restaurants in NYC

Vegan Victuals

Winner: 2015 Burger Showdown

The Vegan Perspective

Winner: 2017 Burger Battle

Juicy plant-based burger served in a casual dining setting

“Thoughtful and fresh, yet it feels like something you grew up with.”

Editorial takeaway from years of Brooklyn coverage

Fast facts

Toad Style at a glance.

Background for editors, writers and anyone revisiting the restaurant's story.

01 / PLACE93 Ralph AvenueA compact Bed-Stuy storefront near Putnam Avenue in Brooklyn.

02 / FOUNDINGEstablished 2015Founded by Jillian Camera and Tyler Merfeld.

03 / FOODScratch-Made VeganBurgers, sandwiches, sauces, pickles and cheeses built in-house.

04 / NAMEKung Fu RootsInspired by the toad fighting style in the 1978 film Five Deadly Venoms.

Press & archive inquiries

Tell the Toad story.

For interview requests, archival questions or permission to reproduce brand materials, contact Toad Style through its official channel. Please include your publication, deadline and intended use.