Casa de Luz

Hippie heaven, with a communal dining room and a macrobiotic, vegan menu. Pay up front and bus your own tray at the end. more

Although not a true vegan by any stretch, I love the idea of healthy eating...especially when visiting Austin. I had read all the glowing reviews of CDL and decided to ck it out. Not a TOTAL disappointment but.... almost. Already knowing the ""pay first"" drill, that was not a shock. Not being able to find a place to sit, kinda was. Since it was 103 outside, the idea was not too appealing. But I plunked down the way overpriced $14/pp Sunday Bufett total and decided to stay positive...or try. I felt like I was paying admission to a museum...as there is little or no service expectation here so don't think you will be catered to. First, the only seemingly available drinking vessels were coffee mugs...seems they were out of glasses.....oh and apparenly one cant get ice here.? Odd. Nothing like lukewarm tea in a glass. I guess im just not an extreme vegan or health nut. Dont even think of looking for sugar. :) The food was decent and consisted of salad, greens, and rice, soup. I wanted to get a glass of water later...oops...no glasses ....again. Seeing the cooks nibbling on what they were cooking didn't help either. I know people love this place (cult following I guessss) but I can't say that I'll return. Just not for me. At $14 a head for some warm tea, greens, pinto beans and to sit in the heat....I think I got burned out :( The best part of the whole place was the walk out thru the nice gardens. I should have just brought a sack lunch and sat out there :(( more

Casa de Luz is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and the food is almost always perfect. Well balanced, filling and healthy meals. I always leave there feeling very full but never weighed down. The great thing about Casa de Luz is that the food actually tastes like what it is, a concept that a lot of people can't seem to wrap their heads around. The rice tastes like rice, the greens taste like greens, and so on. In a culture that's as removed from our food as ours is, macrobiotic cooking is a refreshing treat once in a while. I don't know that I could ever eat strictly macro, but I have to say I crave it occasionally and Casa does it better than anywhere I've ever been. more

Going to Casa's weekend brunch is one of my favorite things to do. It feels good to eat food that is healthful, environmentally conscious, and delicious all at the same time. This buffet-style self-serve restaurant is on the pricier side ($12-15/person) but what you're getting is worth the extra cash. This ain't McDonalds, people. :) Re-fill your plate as many times as you like, even bring your own to-go boxes and get food for the whole day. Amazing. Pros: Healthy food with a good vibe more

overpriced yuppie cuisine. it feels like you are joining some kind of cult when you walk in. the place gives a vibe like everyone there is a heavens gate member still waiting for the hale-bopp comet. the food is extremely pricey and totally not worth it... 20 dollars for some brown rice and steamed veggies?! really!? does that come with a side of deep fried gold? its great if you're a soccer mom that needs a story to impress her pilates group... but i think ill pass. Pros: healthy Cons: bland, cult like atmosphere, yuppie haven, overpriced, small portions more

Great place for a vegan to go. Yummy food and good recipes. Peaceful setting. No frills. A bit pricey but it's all ""real"" food, no preservatives. Pros: Great recipes Cons: On the expensive side more

A big surprise for me, this restaurant offered an incredible romantic atmosphere with some of the best food in Austin, and it's all Vegan! For a meat eater like me, that was a big surprise. This restaurant is only for those who like great food and don't want to pay fortune for it...which is most everyone! more