Serves meat, vegan options available. Casual American fare restaurant. Order at the counter, and food is brought to your table. The menu is vegetarian friendly with salads, veggie burgers, wraps, black bean and rice burrito, various main entrees. Vegans can ask for soy cheese and vegan mayonaise substitute. Also offers fresh pressed juices, smoothies, organic coffee and tea. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-8:00pm.
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566 E Main St (at downtown), Ventura, California, USA, 93001
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 04 Aug 2023 by Kim_Kowhugger
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20 Reviews
First Review by Chandra
Nancy Levy
Points +47
So sad that they’ve closed😞 - Edit
We drive down to Ventura usually once a month to see our grandkids and their parents. I go to Nature’s Grill 2 to 3 times a week when we’re down here because I’m vegetarian and they have food I enjoy. We’ve enjoyed this restaurant for the past 4 years.
Read moreIt is with a sad heart that I see and have read that they have closed for good. 🥲
Guest
yungveg17
Points +856
Healthy with vegan options - Edit
Not the most exciting place, but Nature's Grill does cater to vegetarians and vegans by having alternative proteins and other substitutes (like vegenaise). I got the Good Karma Burger which has a nice, filling tempeh patty. Fries would be nice you get chips and salsa. If you know Natural Cafe in SB/Goleta, it's essentially the same kind of restaurant (same owner back in the day, I think). Nice local beers on tap as well.
Read moreI'd recommend overall, it's just some dishes may be a bit bland (like a plate of rice and veg and that's it lol).
Guest
JaneODriscoll
Points +74
Wow - Edit
Amazing! We found this restaurant on Happy Cow, we were in search of fresh veg and we found it! A huge selection of vegan meals, the staff happily swapped out cheese for vegan cheese. We ordered salads, chilli, burritos, stir fry and a yogi house special (tofu). Every meal was fresh, homemade, delicious and plentiful. Also this restaurant had an excellent selection of juices, smoothies & fresh teas. Everything was delicious - a lovely respite from the usual junk food fare. Good value for money - we will definitely return if visiting again!
Read moreGuest
Veganism_Heals!
Points +108
Blah - Edit
Worst tacos I've ever had in my life. How do you screw up tacos? Not sure whats up with this place but never going back.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2022-08-05
Guest
Drmantistobaggon
Points +154
Eh - Edit
Boring & bland. Not meant for vegans
Read moreGuest
magdalenarte
Points +47
Liked it, but did we love it? - Edit
My husband did not like his burrito. It had tomato sauce poured over the top!? It had steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots — he said it was like a soup, with rice and beans. Never douse burritos in tomato sauce. Please, if you want to make a good vegetarian or vegan burrito add jackfruit in chipotle, maybe some red cabbage for crunch. Any I loved my vegan seitan burger, it was so tasty. And my husband did like his beer.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-07-23
Pros: Good beer, Fresh juices, Nice location
Cons: Too expensive for type of food, Not authentic burrito , Tiny plastic silverware
Guest
vegan_mouse
Points +1179
Good! - Edit
What I like about Nature's Grill is that it has a little bit of everything, vegan-wise. They have easily veganizeable tamales, veggies burgers, soup, stir frys, smoothies, coffee, vegan cookies... I usually get the veggie stir fry with tofu, which is pretty flavorful. On the other hand, I once had a burrito here and it was tasteless. Thankfully they have a good number of condiments you can add! It always tastes fresh and yummy!
Read morePros: Large portions
Cons: Not organic
Guest
piffelina
Points +3514
Just okay - Edit
I've been on a number of occasions, and I'll keep coming back although I always find it slightly bland.
Read moreGuest
Next2last
Points +146
Excellent Vegan Choices - Edit
From their menu many of the items can be modified for Vegans, liked I had there Portobello Sandwich, non vegan pesto exchanged with hummus & veganese plus Jack cheese with soy cheese. Very Berry drink with ginger was excellent. Definitely much better then the restaurant in the Crown plaza were we stayed and less then a Miller walking.
Read morePros: Vegan Modifications to most menu items.
Cons: Wish for better outside seating.
Guest
JewelChamber94
Points +61
they have vegan soup :) - Edit
Their dressings are clearly marked, only 1 was vegan but it's all good :] I got the shroom sandwich. Subbed vegan mayo and took out the sauce that wasn't vegan. The spicy black bean soup was good! This place is yummy and super duper healthy.
Read morePros: vegan options, the cashier knew what changes needed to be made to
Cons: meat, of course
Guest
Chia
Points +3635
Simple American California fare - Edit
I had read about this place on happycow, and here's my Nature's Grill review.
Read moreWas here on a Friday during lunchtime, in February 2012, and the restaurant was quite busy. Seems like a popular place with the locals. The menu is very vegetarian and vegan friendly. Some of the vegetarian items can be made vegan by requesting substitutes (soy cheese, vegan mayonaise).
My husband and I share a soup & 1/2 sandwich combo and ask for vegan mayonaise on the bread, which they offered at no extra charge. We also got the tempeh tacos. Both plates were served with a side of blue tortilla chips and salsa.
Overall, the food was good enough, not fancy, but tasted healthy and clean - simple American California fare.
Nature's Grill has a string of locations up and down California. See their website info.
Guest
TamraMinor
Points +23
Overall, worth it! - Edit
My hubby and I go here all the time. It's true that most of the workers are rude, and their tempeh tacos suck, but most of the items on the menu are great! Yes, the items are not all made for vegans, but all you have to do is order it without cheese, or sour cream or whatever.
Read moreThey give you alot of food for your money, and I think most of it tastes great! I hate it when people judge a restaurant solely on one or even two dishes when there's so much to chose from.
I think it's totally worth it!
Pros: Great Veg choices, alot of food for your buck
Cons: bad customer service, not a formal restaurant
Guest
MZ.ur.it.a
Points +35
It's not the best - Edit
I have been to this restaurant quite a bit of times, I usually have to eat alone though because my family and boyfriend think the food is gross and bland. It's kind of pricey, it cost me $15 for a hot dog , smoothie and a cookie. But servings are pretty big. My favourites are the hot dogs, the smoothies, cookies, soy ice cream. I would recommend it but don't get the tempeh tacos!
Read morePros: Lot's of Vegan Options, friendly staff
Cons: Tacos are Bland, omnivours don't like it
Guest
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
bland - Edit
I stopped by to pick up some food to go and the menu does have a separate vegetarian section, but it is more veggie than vegan. It's an order at the counter place and I ordered the tempeh tacos without cheese plus the beans and rice for an extra buck. I asked about the shakes which said soy ice cream was available, but they were out of it, so no shake for me. :-( After I got back to my hotel room to eat, the soft taco tortillas were pretty soaked through and fell apart. It would have helped if they had double wrapped each one. The tempeh was pretty bland and it seemed the sauce was just added on at the end rather than marinated in it. The rice and beans side just added to the blandness. Overall, it was okay, but I probably wouldn't go back.
Read morePros: quick service
Cons: bland, more veggie than vegan friendly
Guest
ScoobyDoo
Points +79
Fills the gap reasonably cheaply - Edit
This was our second visit here and it does offer a reasonable range of vegan food that is tasty and cheap. However, they don't seem to label items vegan so you end up having to ask and the staff are do go and ask but you feel that you are putting them out a bit as they are not the happiest band of people for some reason. None of their cakes were vegan apart from the cookies but they do offer one soy ice cream. For cheapness and convenience it is a good place to eat but it could be improved with happier staff and a better labelled menu.
Read morePros: Reasonably priced, Centrally located, Nice interior
Cons: Vegan items not labelled, Staff a bit unhappy
Guest
ProgFrog
Points +16
Good stuff - Edit
We were there on March 14, first time. For my better half, bland is good (or if you will, simple) and that is precisely why we tried it out. She loved the food, I thought it was great too. We will drive the 50 miles one way to eat there again. Fun, quirky, friendly, and able to sit with our pooch outside and enjoy the ambient activity.
Read morePros: Healthy menu, Nice people, Reasonable prices
Cons: Not too close to where we live
Guest
GeorgeR
Points +96
It's only okay - Edit
My wife and I ate here recently - she is vegan and gluten-free. That limits her choices anywhere, but they had a few options for her. She had vegan tacos that were incredibly bland. She gave up on them after a few bites, and I tried them and it was like eating really old boiled veggies wrapped in a corn tortilla.
Read moreMy meal wasn't as bad - I had a falafel sandwich - it had way too much sauce on it, so was soggy, but the flavor was fine.
We also ordered a side of chips and guacamole. But, when they brought our order, they didn't bring them. The server seemed annoyed at our asking about them, apparently we weren't charged, so I said that I'd be happy to pay, and she took my money and brought the food. The server's attitude was a disappointment on top of the rather average food.
Pros: several vegetarian items, fairly fast service
Cons: average tasting food
Guest
Tessa
Points +23
Great Salads - Edit
This is one of my favorite places for salads. My top pick is the taco salad which I order without sour cream. Their tahini dressing is amazing. This place also serves chicken and fish, so is a good place to eat out with my carnivore husband and friends.
Read morePros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, good value
Cons: noisy, crowded
Guest
sandee
Points +41
I wish there was one near me. - Edit
I thought this place was great. I wish I had been able to try more of the food items than I was able to. The food tasted very wholesome and the blueberry vegan shake was to die for. This restaurant is not entirely vegetarian let alone vegan, but there are plenty of options for vegans. It is a good size restaurant. You order at the counter, get your table ware, sit down and they bring the food to you or order and take out. Seems to be quite a popular place. The price was reasonable and the employee's helpful and friendly. The one complaint I have is the hummus was not to my liking. Other than that great food.
Read morePros: reasonable, wholesome, friendly
Cons: not all vegetarian/vegan
Guest
Chandra
Points +60
A nice falafel - Edit
This is a good place to grab a veggie burger or falafel. It is reasonably priced. I think that it unfairly is located too close to Mary's Secret Garden for fabulous taste ratings, but it is in the heart of downtown Ventura and is one of those order at the counter places. You can grab a cheap veggie lunch and throw a tip in the jar.
Read morePros: Good Value, Quick
Cons: Can be crowded and noisey
Guest
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