Café Gratitude

This was from a dining experience in 2011. Awesome food, the coconut-​almond milkshake was all one could ask for in a milkshake! Pretty much satisfying on its own, but I also had to try the sunburger. It was heavenly. Best veggie burger around hands down. All the freshness and positive energy is really amazing!!!

OMG! What a great concept! Amazing affirmations & Über healthy food.
The staff and even customers are so friendly and happy. The pace was slow and relaxed, which was fine for us. The warehouse space seemed a bit roomy for concept, but it was lovely to sit by the sunny windows and enjoy the high-​energy food. The food was great:
* I AM WHOLE — Brown rice & quinoa bowls were very tasty. Great combinations of flavors
* I AM ELATED — Enchilada was flavorful and spicy (which I liked, but could be a bit much for others)
* I AM GRACE — Coconut smoothie was delicious (could have made a meal of that!)
* I AM RELISHING — Bag of crackers (3x varieties) we took on the road that were very flavorful and tasty.
We all felt VERY satiated and energized after our meal.
You HAVE to check out this place!

This place is very zen and all about lifting up spirits and people. However, we were looking for a couple quick espresso shots to get us on our way. This is NOT the place for that, lol. They do a lot of juice and whatnot, which I had and was… interesting. Tasty but interesting.
However if you ask for espresso, they give you a cold-​pressed shot that is steamed and add hot water. Sooo not espresso! They also only have almond or hazelnut milk (fresh) and agave nectar or honey for cream/​sweetener. JSYK.
Nice service people who are not in a rush, so don’t be if you wander into this place.

This was one of my first restaurant experiences post going gluten-​free. Eating food so fresh from this earth is healing and inspiring. All of the employees are kind, thoughtful, and patient. It just feels good to be here, and the food is amazing. My favorites are the live tamale, tacos overfilled with guacamole, and all of the salads. Yes, it is pricy, which can keep me from coming as much as I’d like. This is a must try for everyone. Vegan or not, you can appreciate the abundance and health of this food.

I really had no idea what to expect walking in the door at Café Gratitude. There is a sign on the door that says those with seed and nut allergies should not eat there.
We ordered at the counter and the girl manning the station was real helpful. She gave good descriptions of the shakes and plates and said whether it was popular or not.
I ended up with the I Am Complete plate and shared a I Am Grace shake. The IAC plate was a Mediterranean inspired dish. It had a salad with a guacamole type dressing. There was some balls like felafel and one ball that was an olive tapenade I think.
My buddy got an I Am Fortified bowl with quinoa and rice. While he liked the dish he did not get filled up though he had ridden his bike 40 miles that day.
When the waiter or waitress bring your food they always say You Are (the name of your dish) e.g. Complete. Pretty funny to me though I am easily amused.
While I am not vegan or a raw food aficionado, this place has piqued my interest in the movement. The food was very good though the atmosphere was OK. The food is a bit pricey. We ended up splitting the I Am Luscious shake for dessert which had hazelnut and cacao amongst other ingredients — a good dessert and way cheaper than a small cake piece for $ 7.50.
So, for my plate and two ½ shakes I spent $ 22.25 plus tax which seems a bit steep. A chocolate bar in this place (normal size like 4 oz) was over $ 10!
I Am Done now.
I would go back but could not make a steady diet of this place due to the expense.

I love Café Gratitude’s commitment to organics and using all non gmo food. You know every time you eat here you are eating 100% organic food, there are few places you can say that about. For that I am giving them extra stars. We ate here a couple of times in Healdsburg and had delicious meals and the staff was very friendly. Such healthy clean food and the smoothies are amazing too.

This place inspired me to expand my vegan horizons and get more expirimental in my own kitchen. I ordered the tacos. Amazing. I don’t even know what all went into it but the corn tortillas are homemade and they definitely put enough food into them. The thing about eating vegan/​raw, is that you put so much good stuff into your body that even if it doesn’t seem like that much food, it will fill you up because the calories aren’t empty. My boyfriend got the Mediterranean plate from the raw menu and it had quite the assortment of goodies. I didn’t try any of his but we both enjoyed our meals.
From the looks of this place it seems like the menu might change often, so get in here and try everything while you can! The only thing I could complain about is the names on the menu, it caused me to have to read each one individually instead of being able to just read the titles and go from there. When it came time to ordering I just said «I’d like the tacos» because remembering to say «I AM _​_​_​_​_​_​ING» just didn’t sit well in my brain.
This place also has a nice assortment of vegan pantry items, cookbooks, and desserts… even raw vegan ice cream! If it wasn’t like 10 bucks a pint I would have bought some. :) Also I don’t live anywhere near Healdsburg. :(

The zucchini mac & cheese is ridiculous. Go there. Eat it. Get more.
Everything is vegan, most is raw/​live. You feel amazing having even stepped through the door. The folks behind the counter are super friendly and in tune with healthy food.
Go there. Eat.

I have mixed feelings about Café Gratitude. A lot of the food options are really good, some are just too weird… not a fan of pretending raw food isn’t raw.
Two small gripes: I know mixed greens are touchy, but for a raw place, I don’t want to be finding slimy brown bits in my salad. I also find the enforced affirmations and positivity ANNOYING. Can I just order without being told to get all new age-​y? Apparently not.
It’s nice to have healthy options, and I’ll no doubt be eating there again… not the best if you’re working on a tight budget though.

I felt sorry for this restaurant when I left. 15 people is far too many for them to serve at once, and we found that out. Half the food came out about 20 minutes after the first half, which is no good for hungry wine-​tasters.
Nevertheless, the food was delicious and proved to the non-​believers that vegan food can be delicious.
I expected a little more from the wines considering the location, but I could have just been spoiled earlier in the day.
3 strong stars.

Like going to lunch at your best friend’s house. Your über-​relaxed vegan friend, of course. Café G is not just about the food, it’s about the good vibe, the feeling at you are genuinely welcomed, and best of all… that you are not judged as evil for being a carnivore (which I suspect most of us are, when we’re not at Café G)
The menu is pretty simple: soups, salads, grain bowls, juices/​smoothies, and even beer and wine (c’mon, lets not deprive ourselves of all life’s pleasures.) But its the strings they pull to make these dishes divine without the advantages of (let’s admit) yummy animal products, that make it impressive and inspiring to partake in.
I love the I AM GRATEFUL bowl with quinoa, curry sauce and the freshest veggies and herbs you’ve ever tasted. This food makes you want to slow down, savor, and feel the full effect of real food, fresh and untainted. The smaller size bowl is plenty for one person and even large enough for leftovers. The desserts are where the real magic happens. I mean seriously, how do you make cheesecake with without cheese? Well they do, somehow. The almond-​joy-​like mound of coconut wrapped in raw dark chocolate is like… wow. Somehow even the desserts make you feel «healthy».
I love this location in downtown Healdsburg. Great spot to sit outside and people/​dog watch on a sunny day. I think it must be a requirement for all their servers to have this glowy, smiley, chilled out, we-​are-​all-​one energy about them, which makes for a very pleasant dining experience.

I was curious to try this after walking past here several times. I’m not a vegan, but I do love raw and lightly cooked vegetables and lighter food generally.
The food was very good — I certainly did not miss meat but the portion size was such that, half way through, I got bored although I wasn’t really full — I find that, when I eat vegetarian, I seem to need more variety on the plate than when I eat traditional food.
The atmosphere is very amusing. There’s Zen music playing in the background and you can sort of believe that the staff are into it. The customers, however, are far too well-​heeled to regard it as anything more than a fad to amuse their friends with. Definitely not a place to sit in a corner with a laptop, although it would otherwise be ideal for such a visit.

Something about this place keeps me coming back time after time. I am not a vegan yet, but if I could cook like this place I would be. The food is so delicious. The place is fun and comfortable. I feel like I can sit there all day if I want. It is very pricey I will admit… but worth the splurge. I always feel satisfied, never bloated and always happy when I leave. What more can a person ask for? Nuttin.
Matter of fact I am going very soon for lunch with a dear friend. MMM thank you.
Update: 10÷1÷10
Went to lunch this week with my veggie foodie goddess friend. Was not pleased at all with the food. For one thing, the appetizer plate has shrunk and was lacking some of the usual additions (no kale salad) and it was scrony. Then we shared the «lasagna» which tasted nothing like its name. Tasted like not so tastey stacked vegies with a smattering of unflavored nut butter sauces. It was actually kind of gross and I felt really ripped off. Makes me sad. This was quickly becoming one of my favorite places to go and feel healthy while enjoying a wonderful meal.
Then the worst happened… 1 hour after eating I had terrible cramps that lasted quite a while. What a crock and now I so sad.
Well, needless to say I am rethinking becoming a vegan. Where would I eat if this is not the nirvana I was promised.
Ok, nuff blathering. Rethinking the world today. No not so abundant or grateful for Café Gratitude.

I went with a friend for the first time last Sunday afternoon. We were not sure what to expect, but we were pretty open to trying anything. We are both vegetarians, but enjoy raw & vegan style foods.
I ordered the «I Am Sensational» Pesto Pizza built on a buckwheat cracker, my friend orderd the «I Am Graceful» Indian Biryani Bowl with rice & quinoa, and we asked for two additional plates so we could share both. Loved them both, very generious portions. The server was pleasant and checked in on us a few times.
We ended up with leftovers (enough for both of us to take a small box home) and the bill (with tea) came to under $ 25. I would recommend giving it a try. Check out the menu online before you go, so you know what to expect.

My second time, to try to like this unique restaurant. I want to like it… I do… BUT (here it comes) I went on a very quiet Monday afternoon, and it took my daughter and I a half an hour to get our food… I just dont get it. What the heck takes so long to assemble a raw food item? WHAT I ask you. I was calm, and enjoyed the time with my daughter, but all along thinking, never again! Then it was over 40 dollars for the two of us for lunch… ouch. My daughter had the pesto pizza, which was tasty, and I had a bowl, I am graceful. It was good I liked it, but not with the long wait and the high price. I dont want to rain on their parade, but please know that the service is slow here… and it aint cheap…
I am frustrated!

Great food… bad attitude.
My business partner and I went to the Healdsburg location two weeks ago for a late lunch. The guy taking our order at the counter was rude, interrupted us and was very arrogant. My grain bowl was amazing and I choose not to be brought down to his level, but to enjoy my food. The kicker was watching this guy come sit down with a girl having tea on the couch behind us and proceed to flirt, laugh and ignore his job. How strange. The employees don’t seem to hold the same values the restaurant touts itself to be. I have been to the other locations without this issue, but will seriously reconsider visiting a business in this economy that acts as if it is an imposition to serve me some «holistic» food. Loose the arrogant employees please… sheesh! The only love they were serving was empty words on the menu.

Thoroughly impressed with the service and food. Shared the coconut curry soup, tamale and sushi grain bowl. Everything was extremely flavorful, yet light. I wasn’t expecting the soup to be cold, but it was so tasty it didn’t bother me for long. I haven’t had a fresh tamale since I’ve been vegan and it was a wonderful experience, the flavors went perfectly with the cilantro slaw, black beans and salsa verde.
The organic beers were great and the free pecan pie sample was a great finish. I wish I lived closer!
They have a wonderful philosophy that comes through in their menu, service, décor and overall, the experience they are creating for their patrons. Café Gratitude is a place where you can have a wonderful, healthy, vegan meal and feel really good about being alive.
(I highly recommend the couch — best «seat» in the house!)

If you only try one thing at Café Gratitude, try the frozen coconut smoothie with dates, almond butter, and vanilla. I think it is called «I am grace».
I agree with the reviewer who complained about prices– $ 24 is unreasonable for a bowl of quinoa with some vegetables and a ginger ale, if you compare to what you could make a similar dish at home for. If you feel this way, order something more exotic, like vegan, raw enchiladas, a vegan, raw burger patty, or vegan pizza with a raw crust. Then you will be able to say– wow, how did they pull this off? This is the kind of dish you would probably not prepare at home, and takes a lot of time, love, and creativity to make.
Matters of price aside, if you have an open minded palate and enjoy different tastes and textures, you will walk away from café Gratitude impressed with the creativity of the food and the environment. You will also feel healthy, great, and full!

HI there,
My visit to Café Gratitude was on a rainy in February. The lemon drop cocktails brightened the room. The community table was a fun place to be with lively conversation from all. My friend found the food uninspiring but I thought it was great. We didn’t know what to expect but I really appreciate organic uncooked food. Vegan lovers will like this location up north.

We didn’t try the food, it looked rather expensive for some of the vegan, non-​cooked items. If they didn’t use any energy to cook it, why is it so expensive? They do have organic foods. I couldn’t get into the names they give their food even ‘tho I might like to dress like a hippie wannabee some days. Those «I am enlivened, I am enlightened, I am bright, I am firey, I am committed» names could not entice me to stop to imbide in their «elixirs». I worried about what they were putting into it. «I am committed» for a one oz. at $ 3. of «ancient Polynesian medicinal superfood» didn’t give me enough information as to what sort of non-​chemical I was putting into my body to warrant the risk.
There are sodas, smoothies, milkshakes ($ 7.25 for 8 oz), appetizers (sampler plate, nachos, spring rolls, guacamole/​chips/​salsa) running $ 9 to $ 16. Soups are $ 6.50 and $ 9; salads ($ 9-​$ 16), pizzas and entrees (enchilada, daily special, sunburger) for $ 16. And… grain bowls (yup, macrobiotic), sushi bowl (no fish) and Indian biryani bowl ($ 10-​$ 15). Breakfast costs $ 9-​$ 10 for granola, Mexican dish or granola/​fruit. They also have desserts — cakes/​pies for $ 8/​slice, nut milk ice cream $ 1.5-$ 3.60 or $ 6.25 for an ice cream sandwich. Energy bars/​nuggets are $ 3.50-$ 5.00. Since everything is named, «I am…» I must say after you eat here, you can say… «I am robbed».
They have 2 cafes in SF, the 9^th Avenue one recently shuttered and moved to Valencia St. Other locations include Berkeley and San Rafael.