Chef Sara’s Raw Vegan Academy & Cafe

Delicious, Real food. Chef Sara walks the walk and delivers perfection in everything on the menu. Quality and value, the restaurant is a peaceful sanctuary, clean and beautiful. Staff is friendly and helpful. Her desserts are the perfect ending to a wonderful food experience!

Not open in August Disappointed… Stopped by and it was closed. However, the venue looks very intriguing and we will definitely return to try it out

Chef Sara’s was an incredible experience, and hands down the most delicious raw, whole food restaurant I’ve ever been to.
Sara comes to your table herself as you’ve been seated, and walks through the days dishes that are available in exquisite detail. Right away you can tell the passion in which she prepares and serves this food, her descriptions alone were like an appetizer.
I opted for the carrot ginger soup and raviolis. The soup was an amazing starter, garnished with sprouted pumpkin seeds, which added just the right touch of salty and nutty to a very cooling soup. The raviolis came in a beautiful presentation, and had a small kale salad that accompanied it. The salad was a perfect pairing wIth the nuttier, and nastier raviolis. I ate them in alternating bus and enjoyed every last crumb.
At this point most might call it a night, but I’m a dessert guy through and through, and I couldn’t leave wIthout trying the much lauded coffee cake. It was served slightly chilled in the middle, and every bite was better than the previous. The only bad part of the entire meal was each time I looked down and my dish was empty!
I’m alreadY planning my next trip to Chef Sara’s with MUCH anticipation, as there’s SO much more to try!

First, Sara’s is hidden behind another building, next door to Janey’s Coffee House. While the street number is visible, you’ll need to drive to the back and left of the parking area.
This is what raw, vegan food should taste like. Full of flavor. Good balance of texture. Nothing boring or bland going on here. I had the Almond Hummus Falafel Wrap. The crêpe that it was wrapped with was slightly sweet, which nicely balanced the cumin scented salad interior. I didn’t feel the Nori necessarily added anything. I had a couple of small rounds of falafel, but honestly didn’t mind that this was not in the forefront of flavor. The sweet potato mash on the side was like dessert in a dish. But I had to try a donut hole. I really appreciated that it was a small single hole, providing just enough satisfaction without being too much. I went with another who lives for dessert, so I got to sample the coffee pie. It was rated A+. How the heck do you do that with chicory and dandelion? Delish, but that would have been too much at the end of the meal if it were me.
My only possible reservation is the pricing. I remind myself that we got very fresh, good for the body meals, but do expect to pay for it. Coin toss between this and True Foods? I’ll be here, no contest.

This was the first and last time I will dine at this restaurant. The prices were ridiculously expensive and Chef Sara preached about how bad my diet is during my entire meal. As though her cuisine is the only healthy one on the planet. I asked the great Chef Sara about her courses, and she pointed at my stomach, and said «you need to take them so you lose that.» I was stunned that she would intentionally offend a patron. And this was said in the presence of three other diners! If you want to eat at a restaurant where you’re insulted, get an outrageously priced bill, and still leave hungry… this is the place to go.

Very good and expertly prepared… also be prepared to spend more for lunch for two then you planed!

Found Chef Sara’s Raw Vegan Academy Café on Google Earth while checking route to visit Cave Creek, and I was happy that I did! The menu, freshness of foods, preparation, presentation, and taste are exceptional. The menu has a wealth of information about the health benefits and best choices for a plant-​based diet. The foods are prepared without grains, which intrigued and amazed me. I cannot wait to dine there again — to try more menu items and enjoy the quality and taste. This restaurant is high on my list of favorites in the Phoenix area.

I randomly ended up in Cave Creek one day and being vegan, I was very excited to stumble upon this place. I’m happy to check out any vegan restaurant! Yes. the food is good. But for the amount you get, it’s really over priced. Over prices and pretentious. It’s also not too fun being handed a binder for a menu but being told you can only order from the back cover of 5 or 6 options. The meal sizes are appetizer size at best. I left feeling so hungry and unsatisfied after spending $ 15 for the «pizza». I had to laugh at the Life’s Paradox essay all over the walls — they’re all misquoted as being said by the Dalai Lama. The person who compared this place to a bad episode of Portlandia is dead on!

Flavors are amazing and a great opportunity to learn more about food. Chef Sara was very accommodating and interesting. While the pace is a bit slow it is worth the wait. We will be back. Dont expect low prices and super fast service since chef sara creates everything herself from scratch for you.

Chef Sara’s is my idea of the GOLD STANDARD OF QUALITY in The Valley of the Sun. It’s that good; as good as gold. And I’m not saying that after a single trip, but after innumerable trips. (Also, I would never consider reviewing a restaurant after a single trip and imagine that my review ought to even hold the weight of a feather in terms of credibility.) In fact, I’d go as far to say that Chef Sara’s is a crowning achievement of culinary excellence in The Valley; using only the finest, freshest organic ingredients, and nothing that has been deranged (i.e. destroyed by cooking it into oblivion). Chef Sara then takes the finest raw materials Nature can provide and she creates truly unique, imaginative, and innovative meals (see pics) like nothing else in the entire Valley!
In fact, the food at Chef Sara’s is so energizing, so nourishing, so delightful, that I eagerly make the 50-​mile trip, each way, from Ahwatukee with my eyes full of wild anticipation all the way there; and then there’s a bright, satisfied light coming from those from same eyes all the way back — as a warm glow envelopes every inch of my soul.
The food at Chef Sara’s is the elixir of life, and she does it up right. Every bite, an explosion of joy, an exclamation point of taste, as lustrous as silk rolling across my tongue. Each flavor is a moment to savor. My favorite is the RAWgasmic sandwich, a genuine foodgasm if there ever was one; as each glorious morsel that parades over my taste buds feels as if the bands are playing, the flags are waving, and the fireworks are flying! Though, in my mind, everything at Chef Sara’s is first-​rate, as if you’re eating off a silver platter and drinking from a golden chalice.
In fact, I’d say that Chef Sara’s is actually everything the more popular and venerated (Un)True Food Kitchen only portends to be. That’s because the food at Chef Sara’s is actually REAL, authentic, unadulterated, TRUE food. And while I’m thinking about it, I’d venture to say that «real,» in anything, tastes better, looks better, feels better, and is more alluring, captivating, and appealing — to the all of the senses. If you think about it, people are naturally more attracted to anything that is authentic; more attracted to the simple; more attracted to the healthy; more attracted to the happy!
We generally don’t like the fake (unless it’s fake fur/​leather). We don’t like fake in people (and all the lies/​illusions/​distortions/​excuses/​rationalization­s/​being emotionally frozen in childhood/​etc.), and we certainly don’t like the consequences of the fake. Even fake food has to made palatable so its makers can brag about it being «real» and «authentic.» It’s not. Putting a disguise on something that’s inherently phony cannot suddenly make that something «real.» My fellow Unilocalers, you can’t fly like an eagle with the wings of a wren. There’s nothing like being REAL. Nothing.
And no one does REAL better than Chef Sara. She doesn’t need to brag about her food. (Only the fake needs a trumpet to brag about its alleged virtue and quality.) The food at Chef Sara’s speaks for itself. And nothing’s more REAL than when all the sugarcoating has worn off; when the mask has been chucked aside; when all pretense has been dropped; when all the lies have been untangled; when all the illusions have been stripped away; when the true colors are on display and all that’s left is the absolute, unvarnished truth. Chef Sara’s is real food; real flavor; and real healthy. Amen.

This place is hilarious! We went with family. My cousins step mom was trying to make sure to include her boyfriend in holiday fun since he is vegan and she did not realize that there was a difference between raw and vegan food. Understandable mistake. Everyone was totally willing to try something new BUT this place is like a bad episode of Portlandia.
The menu sounded ok. We were told to sit and the chef would come around and tell us what on the menu we were studying was available for the day. We said ok and started reading the extensive menu. We ordered some tea. The lemon one was great but the Hibiscus tea my cousin and I ordered tasted like we were licking the earth. It was disgusting. So we asked if we could just trade it out for the lemon or if she could just take them away. The server seemed nervous and said she would ask the chef. She came back without asking the chef and said that she would fix the problem by putting coconut sugar in it. We tried it and let her know that it was still just not our cup of tea. FINALLY she agreed we could switch teas.
At this point we had been sitting for about 20 minutes waiting for the famous chef to let us know what we were allowed to order off of the menu. Still no sign of her except to ask if the door open was making us cold. We decided to pay for our teas and cut our losses. If you have a craving for raw food, the desire to be in cave creek, and 4 hours to kill this might be the place for you. I will stick with cooked vegan food at Green or Braggs Factory Diner.

What a gem of a find! I’m from LA and came for Thanksgiving to see my family and Chef Sarah has made it possible for me to eat amazing raw food my entire trip. Chef Sarah sits down at the table and carefully explains everything on the menu at this quaint little wood cottage restaurant. I’ve eaten here for 3 days and loved everything. They even have a greenhouse in the back where they grow sprouts and wheatgrass. Thanks so much for helping me have the perfect holiday Chef Sarah!

We visit Cave Creek a few times a year, but in our first return as vegetarians, we knew we had to go here to eat and learn more about eating raw, specifically.
The place was packed with locals, so that’s always a good sign, and we selected a variety of items, including the spinach soup, rawgasmic sandwich, and «chip and dip» sampler.
Get beyond the fact that the soup will be lukewarm, because it’s really good and fresh and a nice way to start the meal. The sauces/​purées are bright and the seed «chips» have a good texture and taste. The sandwich was the topper, though – definitely the item to order.
I’m not saying the food is for everyone, in fact, I know a lot of closed-​minded folks that wouldn’t even give it a go, but this ex-​carnivore, candyvore, junk food junkie is really enjoying the discovery of fresh, healthy, raw meals that are made and presented with such care. Truly lovely.
We liked everything so much that we bought the book, which lays out easy sauce and dehydration recipes.

Had the restaurant all to ourselves last night. The food was phenomenal — kohlrabi + rutabaga ravioli, the rawtastic sandwich and the spinach quiche. The crust on everything was unmatched; the flavors really came together well and we were very impressed.
As others have mentioned, it’s pricey (had two slices of pie afterwards — fig and pecan — which added $ 20 to the bill ($ 10/​each), which seemed a bit much), but we had chef Sara’s full attention. The service was great, the attention to detail impeccable, and the food really was divine. I’ll be back.

My wife and I were out shooting a wedding, but had time for a good lunch. I read some of the reviews here and the one and two star reviews made me scratch my head. Raw vegan takes a while and is more expensive. Just the way it is. And it’s totally worth it. A healthier lifestyle takes effort, but we feel better everyday because of it. Chef Sara and her employee/​assistant both welcomed us and talked us through their menu. As we shared stories of why we’d all chosen the vegan way, we knew we were in the right place. We had the quiche with kale salad and the rawgasmic sandwich with sweet potato purée. Holy untouched cow, batman! Both meals were satisfying and fantastic. We will be back and recommend Chef Sara’s restaurant to everyone.

So excited to go there for my BDay lunch. Sign on door says closed July & August!!! Really? No mention of that on Unilocal (says it was open) or on their website!
Understand you need a break but be considerate to future patrons & post it!!! It is a drive for us to go & it would have been nice to know you were closed!

This is the real deal! Finally! A café in No. Scottsdale, (Cave Creek), that really does serve healthy food. You can dine on healthy green drinks and smoothies, eat an absolutely delicious raw vegan meal, and feel completely satisfied and nourished, even if you’re not vegan or raw. We love this place for it’s ambiance, Chef Sara’s energy, and the fresh, organic original tasty dishes.
We’ve eaten the Pizza, Rawgasmic sandwich, quiche, wraps, and chocolate mouse for desert. Everything is so good, you would have no idea it was so healthy!
The menu is extensive, so not all items are served every day. Just go with the flow.
It’s on the pricey side, but remember, raw organic food is a labor of love, and it nourishes your heart and soul. It’s worth every penny! We’ll return over and over! Thank you, Chef Sara, for bringing this gem in the desert to us!

The food is outstanding — exactly what ‘True Foods’ promises to be and is not. Chef Sara is a master with raw ingredients, creating wonderful combinations with subtle and spicy flavors.
We ate the Rawtastic Combo Platter Appetizer with 3 dips and kale salad, and a 5-​seed cracker that needs to be seen and tasted to be believed. Then we had the Rawgasmic Sandwich on home made pumpernickel and the Falafel Wrap inside Nori — excellent! Get ready for a little garlic.
For dessert the Pecan Pie with medjool dates topped off one of the best meals we’ve had out in a while. All of this is in a cute little place up a hard-​to-​see dirt road in Cave Creek. Who knew?
Word of warning: go early. We arrived at 5:30pm on a Saturday night and they were understaffed to handle even a small rush of a crowd that came in around 6:30pm. Chef Sara is a magnificent chef and personality.

Only eaten here once, but chef Sarah has an extensive menu and is very accommodating about making modifications to suit you. Will definitely eat here again.
This place also has quite a bit of outdoor seating and is dog friendly.

Very slow service. Was overcharged for clearly marked items by Chef Sara herself, who then couldn’t (or wouldn’t) print me a receipt after the fact.
Really disappointed. The food was fine but I’d never go back based on the level of service I experienced from the chef/​owner and the way she talks to her employees.