Part of a collection of organic plant-based restaurants originating from Northern California; this branch est. 2015. Menu comprises raw food as well cooked vegan food. Everything is vegan except for occasional bee products - check. Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-10:00pm.
Categories: Vegan-friendly, American, Raw, Juice bar, Take-out, Fusion
21 Reviews
First Review by areleous
Contributions +13
high end atmosphere - Edit
This place is all vegan, anyone know why it's listed as vegetarian?
Some of the dishes are amazing and some are so-so.
Contributions +152
Great concept; Clean eats - Edit
I'd heard of the Cafe Gratitude in LA, and was excited to check one out in San Diego. The restaurant is beautiful in a simple, clean way. I was so excited to check out the menu, and quickly realized everything has nuts! There is nut-based cheeses, spreads, sauces, and dressings on everything that interested me. I finally had to just pick something and start make adjustments (the friendly staff were helpful with this)
If you haven't been, you order in affirmations. You don't say "I want the Committed BBQ Portabello Sandwich," you just say "I am Committed." The irony of it, is that I was not committed - I had to have them hold the spicy coleslaw and roasted garnet yams. My BBQ portobello and avocado on ciabatta was going to look a bit lonely, so the waitress offered to add a small salad. Finding a nut free dressing took us a minute, but I landed on Fig Balsamic.
I also ordered the Coconut Cream Pie to go, and while it was just beautiful, it tasted heavier than I imagined. I envisioned a fluffy whipped coconut (similar to my homemade coconut whipped cream) and instead it reminded me of the canned coconut cream before I beat in in the blender for whipped cream. It was also a bit pricier. While the entrees were on par with other places ($16 for sandwiches) the slice was $10 for 1/12th of the pie.
I will likely return for another sandwich, but I'll skip dessert.
Pros: fresh ingredients, accommodating staff (allergies)
Cons: nuts in vast majority of menu items, overpriced dessert
Contributions +13
This place is bomb - Edit
Really creative, lots of healthy options that are delicious. 100% plant based and organic. I think the only thing they use is bee pollen. Each section of the menu I could stare into like a California sunset. I wanted to order everything. Parking is a little difficult on a busy night. I really hope I get the chance to dine here again.
Contributions +34
raw vegan fare - Edit
I was at local raw vegan detox retreat and - lol - and 10 of us traveled here for a rawsome treat! It is a place I would bring non vegan and non raw vegan friends to try this type of food for the first time. Very very yumny!
Contributions +64
So Grateful - Edit
We enjoyed our dinner so much, that we returned for breakfast today (less than 12 hours later).
The wording of the menu is a creative as the food prepared. For dinner last night, we had "Glorious", "Hopeful" and "Elated". The wrap had a bacon like substance (something that I don't really care for, but my friend found delicious and interesting. He said meat lovers would never know. Elated was an enchilada dish complete with a special house made hot sauce. I threatened to lick the plate. Soooo good.
This morning I had a chickpea quiche served in an iron skillet, called "Content". He had a french toast dish called "Thrilled". We both left looking for real estate in the area.
Happy to hear there is more than one location!
Pros: Helpful and happy servers: Victoria and Molly., So many choices, Good Vibes is an understatement!
Cons: Upholstery could use a good cleaning.
Contributions +55
Come Hungry! - Edit
Weather you leave after eating a meal or drinking a smoothie you will feel satisfied after! Very tasty food
Contributions +354
Ohhh myyy god!!!!!! - Edit
Cafe gratitude is one of the best and sensational experiences you can get as a vegan in the USA. Enjoy!
Contributions +130
good intentions - Edit
Cafe Gratitude is cute and bright, good vibes, friendly staff, and definitely "instagram-worthy" as they claimed. We went for breakfast, and while the quiche and bbq tempeh scramble were good, they weren't amazing. I had high hopes but wasn't blown away. The place was semi-busy, but not packed, but it took forever to bring out our food. I'd probably try this place again since they're all vegan and have a pretty extensive menu. But it seems like they put most of their focus on their "wellness shots" and other juices/smoothies.
Pros: positive vibes, big space
Cons: slow service, pricey
Contributions +49
Best food!! - Edit
I have been to the Cafe Gratitude in Venice as well and this one had a more professional atmosphere. As always the food was amazing! A bit expensive, but worth the price!
Pros: amazing food, beautiful location, good service
Cons: costly
Contributions +188
ok not great - Edit
I had high hopes. Really cute decor and ambience and creative menu. But when we ate the food, the taste wasn't there. Semi-cooked vegetables made up the meal. We ordered barbecue tempeh which basically was just ratatouille and then a burrito which ended up being a very salad like meal in a wrap. I like vegetables but not like this. Pass
Pros: great ambience
Cons: bad food
Contributions +64
delicious-five star meal - Edit
from drinks to appetizers to our meal and of course dessert(don't miss dessert) the food, service and atmosphere was spot on. Kim our waitress/server was attentive and helpful. Till I come to town again.
Pros: Delicious
Cons: none
Contributions +51
Great food and vibe - Edit
Good vibe, taste, and ingredients. This is not a place you go if you're in a rush in my opinion. You sit, you feel grateful and enjoy.
Pros: awesomeness
Cons: slightly pricy but worth , parking
Contributions +77
Grateful for Cafe Gratitude - Edit
This is my second Café Gratitude I've been to; the first one was up north in Berkeley. And this one was just as fabulous with a friendly staff, charming interior and amazing selection of delicious food. I always have such a hard time deciding what to order at all-vegan places but I chose something I wouldn't make at home; the "Awesome" Sandwich, which is a breaded eggplant panini with the optional pesto sauce and fresh greens. A refreshing lemonade seltzer with basil leaf was the perfect thirst quencher after a long walk along the boardwalk on a hot sunny SoCal day. The food is not cheap but I feel it's worth it. The only moderate disappointment was the chocolate cookie I ordered to eat later as a snack. It was pretty dry and not too flavorful. I've made better vegan cookies at home so I know they can be better.
Pros: so many delicious vegan options, very friendly helpful staff, clean cheerful atmosphere
Cons: dessert was diappointing, expensive
Contributions +37
I am "nourished!" - Edit
prices are a bit steep, but the meal was fabulous. and I am somewhat of a food snob :) "nourished" is a savory French toast with syrup and coconut bacon and soy chorizo on a pile of lovely sauteed kale - delicious. I might go twice in a 4 day trip!
Pros: generous portions, delicious food
Cons: Expensive
Contributions +14
Will not be returning - Edit
I'm not sure why you're not allowed to give one star, I would if I could. I gave this place a second shot, even after I was overcharged the first time, with an order that was completely different than the one I ordered. went back to try breakfast anyway, just to be fair. second time around, customer service was still bad, order was wrong again to some extent, and I literally got sick. getting sick from vegan food is hard to do, for me anyway. I was excited about this place, and ended up being really disappointed. the macaroons were good, so maybe the other deserts are as well. this is the only vegan place I can say with certainty, that I will not eat at again.
Pros: it's vegan
Cons: expensive, poor customer service, wrong order, bla
Contributions +108
Plenty to be Grateful for - Edit
I am thrilled to have this high end restaurant in our city. A long time coming. I consider it reasonably priced considering the creative, complex dishes and fresh, organic ingredients. I had the Southern plate (I am Resolved) and it was amazing. Blackened tempeh, gingered yams, hush puppy and slaw. Each component was uniquely seasoned and perfect. Be sure to get the bbq sauce on the side. I have eaten here 4 times now and continue to be delighted and impressed. My partner had the Gracious. A melange of radicchio, quinoa, chick peas and kale in a savory sauce. We finished it off with the remarkably creamy pumpkin pie (seasonal). Hard to believe that it was raw.
Con: noisy inside, street noise outside.
Contributions +144
decent - Edit
I had the BLT wrap. The wrap was good, but not great. The slaw it came with was bad/bland. I also had the key lime pie. Better than good, and a decent portion. Restaurant a bit "yuppie"? Also, most deserts are soy-based.
Pros: Decent food, Friendly
Cons: heavy soy-base
Contributions +316
Excellent. - Edit
Basically, you get what you pay for. The prices reflect the wholesome organic food made with love in a chic setting. I had the macro bowl ("I am Whole) with cultured brown rice, aduki beans, seaweed, house-made kim chee, greens, almonds and sunflower sprouts. Not overly sauced. I could easily live on this food - similar to at home. I also had a warm gluten free cobbler with coco-cashew ice cream (not usually at home!). Server was very kind. Although not veg himself. That will be a real switcher when all the wait service is also veg at these places in the U.S. It's coming!
Contributions +77
Must eat! - Edit
I first went to Cafe Gratitude in LA and really enjoyed the food. The menu was very diverse, staff was friendly and the food amazing. Me and my boyfriend went there for our last dinner together during my trip to the US in May.
Needless to say, I was very pleased to find that Cafe Gratitude opened a restaurant in San Diego. The restaurant itself looks even better than the one in LA, in my opinion, it's very spacious yet cosy at the same time. The menu had changed just a little bit since last time in LA, so we had some of the same dishes. We had ceviche as an appetizer, which was really good. My boyfriend especially liked the hot sauce. I had the Whole as an entree, because I'm a sucker for tasty and nutritious meals served in bowls. We also had a dessert, just because, but the dessert menu (served separately) was endless and it was hard to choose! I went for the ice cream, which the waiter explained was raw vegan and home made. Wow!
Cafe Gratitude is slowly but surely becoming my favorite restaurant for a real dining experience, unfortunately we don't have a restaurant like this in the good old Netherlands (even more reason to come back though!). The only "negative" thing I can think of is that it's a bit expensive, that is, if you have a three course dinner. The price of an entree alone is reasonable and either way, it's definitely worth it!
Pros: big menu with lots of options , tasty, original and nutritious food, cosy atmosphere
Cons: a little bit expensive, if you have three courses
Contributions +121
expensive but worth it! - Edit
This cafe has everything a whole-food-plant-based person could ever want: Delicious organic farm fresh food served in an open and welcoming environment. Want to detox and distress? Eat here!
Pros: downtown, clean, delicious
Cons: noisy, no parking
Contributions +35
Pretty good food, but a little bit expensive. We had a squash dish, a quinoa salad and a smoothie. I like the way you orde, I will let you experience that for yourself. I was under the assumption that it was vegan but the Happy Cow has them as vegetaria - Edit
they have a really nice way of ordering food, which I will let you experience for yourself.
Pros: lots of vegan options
Cons: Expensive
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