Casa de Luz East

Vegan macrobiotic-style food, in a super-relaxing atmosphere.Dinner was $31.20 total for two people, and there's no tipping, so this is a pretty good deal. My calculator says that means the pre-tax amount is $14.41 for one person, which compares to $12.53 plus a 15% tip.I note that the vegan restaurants in Austin are really taking the lead in doing away with tips: Casa de Luz (2 locations), Mr. Natural, and Bouldin Creek Café.Desserts are extra. There are no free seconds like the original location has (or maybe had, I haven't been there in a while.)The decor is nice, the setting is serene, the lights are dim, the music is relaxed classical and world music, so it's nice enough, but it can't compare to the ambiance of the original location. For date night, go to the original location for sure.

Amazing community and ambiance. Staff was wonderful, very kind. Loved the lunch and dessert and the sustainability of the restaurants on not using plastic. If you want takeout, bring your own food containers, they are not provided.Can't wait to come back here and check out the rest of the shops and services provided such as meditation, reiki and massages. It's like stepping into a peaceful, quiet and beautiful area far away from any noise of the city. Love it!

A great new location at the southwest corner Poquito and MLK. The parking adjacent to the building on Poquito has a high-grade slope, so be wary of scraping your car against the road. If your vehicle has low clearance it may be advisable to street park instead. Entrance to Casa de Luz East is located on the park next to MLK.It's a pay first, then go pick up your meal type situation. When you enter, there should be a host/hostess at the front. If there are not there, wait for them to come back. Don't be like me wondering around inside wondering about whether it is pay then eat, or eat then pay. Desserts are extra.The interior is bright and airy; seating is at wooden tables on wooden chairs. Bathrooms are located in the hallway behind the front desk, behind a display case. The kitchen itself is open. It's a little unclear what the exact procedure is, but it seems after you pay, you go to pick up a plate of food.Metal utensils (spoons, forks) are located on the side between the dessert fridge and beverage station. Linen napkins are folded and located in a box next to the utensils. Glass cups and ceramic mugs are located in the shelf below the utensils. They have two cold beverages and one hot. Once you finish eating, return your trays at the window. Napkins go in the wooden bin.Beverages: Lemongrass Rooibos, Hibiscus Mint, and Kuchika Tea, all of which are very smooth and refreshing.Food: The food was simple and filling. I enjoyed the soup the most. The plate of veggies was a mixed bag. Beans were seasoned reasonably well and were cooked to a firmer consistency. The beans could be made to taste more scrumptious, perhaps with mixing in a different bean type. The mixed veggies of broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and zucchini were lightly seasoned, but the seasoning was not evenly distributed. I found those to be underwhelming. The rice in the middle was cooked to a lightly chewy consistency. They also had a more fragrant version of rice containing what seemed to be akin to wild rice which I found to have a more appealing floral taste. The green salad was green salad. The red cabbage was very bright and noticeable. The kale, when eaten with the scoop of stuff on top, was enjoyable.We were trying to identify what exactly was in that scoop. It seemed to contain some vinegar and type of seed or nut mixed with some kind of bean paste. It was delicious.Overall: Very clean, refreshing food. Wonderful beverages, comfortable ambiance. They have room for amping up the flavor profile of their veggies by playing with how they season their food.

I love this place for a quick, hearty, affordable vegan meal! For $15 you get an entree, soup, salad, some sides and a drink! They also have vegan desserts for additional purchase. Their drink selection is warm or cold teas, water and some additional drinks in their fridge for purchase. There is tons of seating inside, with small and large tables, good for groups. The staff were kind and helpful. You pay at the front and then the kitchen starts making your plate that you pick up from them. They also have a place for dirty dishes once you are finished. Everyday is a fixed menu, so everyone receives the same plate. You can call ahead to ask what the menu is if you're curious. I also love the complex it is in with great neighboring businesses like a yoga studio, sauna/cold plunge place, juice store and a plant store.

If you already know about Casa de Luz, Here is the bottom line:Casa de Luz East is identical to Casa de Luz Original but somewhat less charming.Since the original Casa de Luz is a magical place in a one of a kind location -Any Casa de Luz 2, 3, 4 or 28 will not be able to fully capture the beauty and spiritual peace of the mother shrine.But Casa de Luz East does not do badly at being "Temple Number Two".* * *For people unfamiliar with the Casa de Luz concept:Take an inexpensive macrobiotic inspired restaurant and turn it into a spiritual center.Put it in a courtyard with doors and stairways to meditation centers, health supply centers and other organic spiritual businesses. Have classrooms for instruction and activities.Artwork, beautiful gardens and peaceful outdoor spaces for reflection and spiritual practice abound.The very entry into the courtyard is peaceful and magical with nooks and crannies as you pass leading to wonderful spaces.At the heart of it all is a vegetarian restaurant.No menu. What they are serving today is what you get.A vegan soup. (Once wonderful, now not quite so wonderful)A scoop of grain.Pickled vegetables (a macrobiotic staple for good digestion).Some vegan entree.Salad.Cooked greens.Spring water or herbal teas to drink.Vegan desserts if you insist for extra.Generally vegan desserts to be avoided.Goma and tamari on the table for condiments.A good strategy for Casa de Luz food is to put goma on everything and to leave the tamari alone.The vegetarian eating was frankly mediocre, always has been mediocre and always will be mediocre.But the magic of the room transformed your humble fare into a destination experience.And the food is unquestionably good for you.My wife goes there to heal and to stay healthy ... and it is like exposing a plant to sunshine or to the purest rain.I am generally fairly happy when I leave a Casa de Luz because I have been well fed.The body is somehow in balance even if I did not get the greatest taste sensations that Austin restaurants have to offer.* * *When stayed the same and what changed when Casa de Luz opened its East Side satellite?The concept remained the same.The building has a courtyard, there are all sorts of supporting endeavors around the restaurant ... and there is clearly space for increasing the density of healthy spiritual partner enterprises.The building was an East Side apartment building and some of the original residents still live there.There is no greater graphic representation of gentrification imaginable than the slow removal of original residents from the Casa de Luz East apartment building.I am hoping this is being handled humanely and with respect for good outcomes for the original residents. But I have no information positive or negative that speaks to this question.The Casa de Luz people are good people so I am cautiously optimistic on this point.The courtyard and building are not as magical as that at the original Casa de Luz ... but this could change over time.Casa de Luz East is a work in progress and it may evolve in just wonderful ways as time passes.The food is exactly the same as at Casa de Luz Original. No better. No worse. Just as healthy.* * *Overall, Casa de Luz East is a good place.Let us hope that over time all of the original residents are treated fairly and well.Let us hope that the space fills up with the sort of magical enterprises that made the Original Casa de Luz the legendary institution that it is.There is a lot of potential here.And for healing your body with food, Casa de Luz II is where it needs to be right now.The world is becoming better one pickled vegetable at a time.

Food is quite tasty and they are so nice here. I love the music and general vibe. Very similar to the original!

I can't say enough how lucky we are to have Casa de Luz. While, I love the original location like no other, the ease of parking and traffic means I'll be coming to this new east side location a lot more often. I was pleasantly surprised at how much it retains the melancholic, peaceful vibes of the original location and I'm so grateful that as we've lost a lot of plant based restaurants to covid, we have a new star to make up for some of it. The Food: I think $15.60 for this portion size was very reasonable and it seems like a bigger amount than I'm used to even for dinner at the Barton Springs location. Of course, I'd love to see the menu online, but if they removed that to save money and keep their ability to be profitable at both locations, that's a small price to pay. My one qualm, is I kind of wanted to know what I was actually eating when I was being served. They had a cold, green soup that I can't really figure it if it was mixed with avocado or what and I like to know what I'm eating. But again, if it costs too much and they want to be able to change the menu if something goes out of stock during that day, I can get over not knowing. Thanks for all you've done over the years.

I love the original and am so happy there is now a location closer to me. Food is always delicious and so nutritious, sweets are tasty, vibes are chill.

Food is healthy, filling, and hearty - same as the original location. The entrance also is beautiful, with a winding path lined with greenery. The actual indoor location though doesn't yet have the magic of the original location, which has overhead lights and a cozy, warm atmosphere. It is new, so they are likely getting settled - but hoping for more of the ambiance that makes the original location so special. They are also still setting up partnerships to offer more yoga/educational offerings - so looking forward to it developing.

Amazing food- so colorful and tasty and nourishing. All organic and gluten free - whole unprocessed foods and the best deal in town. Desserts are equally amazing and the food is served to you right when you walk in. You can't get quicker better service and food anywhere else.