A vegetarian café open to the public. Serves a weekly-rotating breakfast & lunch menu (no set menu) with the majority being vegan (or can be made vegan). The menu is posted on their Instagram account weekly. Has a serene atmosphere. Open Mon 7:00am-3:00pm, Thu-Sun 7:00am-3:00pm. Closed Tue, Wed.
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59700 Twentynine Palms Hwy (at /Inside Joshua Tree Retreat Center), Joshua Tree, California, USA, 92252
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 13 Jun 2023 by AlyceHerrera
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Added by veggiebear11 on 30 Oct 2021
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10 Reviews
First Review by veggiebear11
heathera75
Points +302
Vegetarian and not organic - Edit
They make this place seem organic and health conscious by the name and being in. mental physics place with dome structures and conscious thinking community talk. I live in Sedona which IS a conscious place as are some places out here but I cannot say I had a great experience here at all.
Read moreI asked the lady working “so I know you all have vegan options, are you also organic?”
She replied “yes” and I said “everything?” She said “yes” and I replied “ok that’s good cause I am sensitive” and I went about ordering the Vortex burger and made comment about the pecans
She hesitated for a minute and asked me to repeat and I said “Oh I am sensitive” and she said “hold on” and went to the back and came back and said “ok we cannot guarentee organic”
Now I am looking confused and also spot the Tropicana OJ and synthetic drink next to it, and ask “ok what about the fruit?” She said we are out of it… the lady becomes offended as I scrutinize menu so i pulled a “can I just talk to manager?” thing and I did and he was nice and very honest and said “NOTHING is organic. Sorry she misinformed you. We get everything delivered from SYSCO! … however if you get those breakfast potatoes I can leave out the canola oil or all oils if youd like.”
I did that and got the Just Egg also.
It was mediocre.
The male cook/ manager was at least honest… and he was nice. However, I am still unhappy that until I scrutinized was told EVERYTHING was organic. Then the lady working said "oh we cant guarantee" then the lady was frustrated with ME for asking about the food items and why I asked for manager… then turns out NOTHING is organic!? Quite a different statement than the claim previous to that.
I am not saying don't eat here over a meat serving place. I simply say it’s ironic it went from everything is organic to NOTHING which is likely the truth despite having tables with logos stamped “farm fresh produce” and drawn pic of a tomato on it.
Oh Coco-cola and Tropicana is also "food for thought"?!?!
This just makes me sad and I definitely wont go back.
That being said… the grounds are peaceful and nice waterfall and despite them having people work their who are either naive or misinformed what they serve, I am still glad at least a place that doesn't serve meat.
So def mixed review but NOT for me!
Updated from previous review on 2024-12-10
Pros: Doesn't serve meat, Nice grounds
Cons: Mixed info from staff, Food is from Sysco, Misleading title Food for Thought
Guest
hannahsf
Points +364
Good food and nice setting! - Edit
The menu changes weekly so there are only a few options at any given time. We had the burger and sandwich of the week with the beans and rice side and home fries side. Make sure to specify vegan- they accidentally gave us dairy cheese on top of the the beans and rice at first. Everything was good but on the greasy side. Beautiful outdoor seating area.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-10-20
Pros: Lots of outdoor seating
Guest
Ruddegur
Points +1447
Really neat place - Edit
I can only imagine this sprawling cafe heaving with people but it was blessedly quiet when I visited.
Read moreI got the vortex burger and the soup.
Delish!
Staff was welcoming and helpful as well.
The atmosphere and view are to notch
Great prices!!!
Pros: Delicious food, Atmosphere, Staff
Guest
dlachica
Points +3056
Unique environment - Edit
Sadly the property, designed by Lloyd Wright in 1956, had been neglected, and appears to be in the very early stages of restoration. The food and service are great and worth a visit for the entire experience.
Read moreThe Vortex burger is a creative use of fresh and pure plant based foods, with a hint of sweet and slightly nutty texture. With the addition of the chipotle vegan mayo gives it a slight smoky flavor. Pinto beans were simply flavored(ask with vegan cheese).
Veggie chili is vegan with vegan cheese. Seasoned well. Thick. Served with cornbread muffin(need to confirm it’s vegan). We mixed in the vegan rice with the chili.
A leisure experience. The Food comes out of the kitchen slow.
Updated from previous review on 2024-02-01
Pros: Free spirit experience , All vegetarian/vegan, Set and rotating menu
Guest
JennaRiker
Points +54
Lovely! - Edit
This is such a unique place and we absolutely loved our food eaten on the outdoor patio seated by a fountain. Everything is vegetarian or vegan and they can accommodate gluten free. So enjoyed the vegan burger which I believe was called the Vortex and was housemade served with a vegan chipotle aioli and arugula. I also had a vegan cactus soup which I believe was a special. Looking forward to returning!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-15
Pros: Delicious!, Healthy!, Beautiful outdoor patio with fountain.
Cons: Wish they were open more days of the week
Guest
suef
Points +96
Great Vegan food - Edit
This is an interesting place. The retreat was designed by Loyd Wright, Frank Loyd Wrights son. The menu changes. Open Wednesday-Sunday. Always happy with their vegan food.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-12-31
Pros: Vegan food always available , Location
Cons: Not able to call. No phone, Small staff sometimes slow
Guest
veggiebear11
Points +51
Great new addition to Joshua Tree - the 2nd all veggie spot! - Edit
Amazing and delicious café inside the JT Retreat Center. Open to the public, w/ friendly staff, and an eclectic menu. We have been twice - the first time was a coconut curry for lunch, and today we had a full American breakfast w/ Just Egg, hashbrowns, and veg bacon! Also, they have local coffee from JT. Highly recommend, show this place some love!
Read moreUPDATE: For some unknown reason, they don't mention any of their vegan breakfast options on their menu. You have to ask to modify breakfast to get JustEgg, and vegan cheese. Just found out they also have a tofu scramble. None are listed, so just ask.
Updated from previous review on 2021-11-01
Pros: Lots of vegan options, Food comes out fast
Guest
J.e.n
Points +176
Wonderful place! - Edit
Beautiful little cafe in a retreat space in the desert. There is a deck and gardens to sit in if you want to eat outside, which we did and it was lovely. We had just egg scrambles with hash browns and toast. They have vegan smart balance butter. The food was just pretty good but really loved the vibe overall. 100% worth a stop for a sit down meal.
Read moreGuest
alienvegan
Points +4972
Cool place - Edit
This is a cool place to go for a vegan/ vegetarian meal!
Read moreThe Mexican bowl (with no cheese) was delicious.
It’s spacious and relaxing inside, with a few of the sculpture garden and Joshua trees. Service is very friendly. I think it could improve by adding more vegan breakfast options.
Guest
leafekat
Points +271
Yes! - Edit
There is a rotating menu always with a vegetarian and can be made vegan option. We had a salad and veg burger. I have also stopped here for tea. We are so. Glad there is another option and that the retreat center made the kitchen open to the public. Convenient to JT and YV- easy off the 62 especially westbound. Double check the hours. Also, check out their schedule of classes for meditation, yoga, and special events.
Read morePros: Hot tea and coffee, Vegan yum!, House made potato chips
Cons: Limited hours
Guest
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