Cafe Elite

Was so happy to find a place that serves vegetarian phở!!! It was so yummy! The broth was perfectly spiced!!!
The vegan desserts werent very good. Definitely going back here!

Sea kelp noodles were different and crunchy which I wasn’t expecting. The sauce was good and gluten free. They have a gluten free list you can request.
I know sea kelp noodles are good for you but I don’t know if I’d order them again… probably not but I DO like Café Elite and wish it was closer to me.
I also had the summer role and it was good and fresh.

Decided to try this place when I was able to eat lunch by myself. I’ve never eaten at a dedicated vegetarian/​vegan restaurant, so I figured I was in for a trip. (It might be worth noting that I’m a vegetarian recently transplanted here from a somewhat small town.)
The place is small and clean. Was greeted and given a table quickly. The prices are good and the selection is pretty expansive, in that there are a lot of different types of food (ranging from raw pizza to spring rolls to vegan panini). The iced tea was delicious, but once I drained the glass, I wasn’t given a refill. Also, and I hate to say this, but the service wasn’t that great once I ordered. Never got a refill (as I just mentioned), was never asked how my food was or if I wanted anything else, had to go up to the counter to get my check. I would like to think that it’s because there was one woman working the dining room (who I think was the owner), but she helped other tables around me and so I feel like I need to knock the rating down a star.
I ordered the raw pizza which was great. It came with a side salad (HUGE) that had sunflower seeds, raisins, cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, mixed spring greens, and an outta-​this-​world cashew cream dressing.
Regardless of the service, I’ll most likely go back.

We go here a few times a month. My family and I aren’t vegan but we like to eat vegan/​vegetarian meals every so often. You can’t go wrong with the raw pizza, grilled american panini, and the grilled kabobs meal. We always get a bowl of phở in addition to our meals. It taste so refreshing and perfect for a cold day!
As far as service, the owner is great, very helpful, and always has a smile on her face. The rest of the wait staff could be friendlier.
Definitively check this place out even if you aren’t a vegan/​vegetarian! You will be pleasantly surprised.

I am surprised by how good the food was. I ordered the Spring roll and the phở noodles. The Spring roll had fresh vegetables and rice noodles in it. It was so good especially the sauce totally compliments the roll. The sauce, I really hope that it is «really» vegan because it tasted just like the regular sauce. It tasted soooooo good.
I didn’t try the egg roll because I could not have egg, dairy product or deep fried.
Anyway, the phở was amazingly good. The soup was very close to and even better than some phở soup base in some good Vietnamese restaurant. The only thing that I think they could have done better is to use bean sprouts instead of lettuce to put in the soup. The «meat» was alright but the soup and the noodle were so good that I don’t even care what the «meat» taste to me. I love this place, it is clean and neat. The service was great. The staff was attentive and welcoming.
I will definitely go back to Café Elite for my healthy vegan food!

To be honest I was a bit skeptical coming here (after having been scarred by two other vegetarian restaurants… which prob had nothing to do with restaurant… I’m just a big meat fan), but a friend convinced me to try it.
I have to say I came out with a smile, everything was delicious and just very well done all around. I’m not a vegan nor am I vegetarian but I still enjoyed the entrees. Ordered the chick’n Quesadillas that came with guacamole and chips and a cup of their chili; nothing tasted too out of the ordinary… even the «chicken» tasted pretty good.
The portabello mushroom wrap was also very tasty as well as the phở.
The only thing that may disappoint some is the portions… for me, it was just enough but not a whole lot. definitely not somewhere to go after you ran a marathon or if you’re really hungry. I would say ideal for a light eater or if you want a light lunch/​snack.
All-​in-​all vegan but still delicious. Meat-​lover approved.

Yes, I’m vegan and I’m giving one star to a vegan restaurant.
I was stoked to try this place out. I went with my mom and my husband. We were all rather disappointed in it. The setting was okay. The services was just okay. They were super nice but nothing that really stood out.
What I was disappointed in was the food. The portions were SUPER small for the money being paid. Unlike most myths about veganism, I really don’t get hungry after eating. This place was an exception. The food wasn’t even that great. The soup that I had and my mom had (we had different soups) were severely lacking flavor. I mean, it’s vegan food, it’s hard to lack flavor!
The food, the price, the service, all in all, was not worth the drive out there. We will not be going back.

Come eat here, it’s always quiet when we go and I don’t want them to close. Try the panini, it’s awesome.

Disclaimer: I love to eat meat!
Well, it’s lent time. I’m not Catholic, but supposedly you can’t eat meat on certain days. For this reason, my boyfriend dragged me out to Café Elite. I gotta be honest with you. I didn’t want to try it. But he did and the thing about relationship is sacrificing. Haha… totally irrelevant. Anyways, I’m definitely a fan of the kabobs! I order the entrée kabob and was blown away by the portion. It comes with a side salad, CE (Café Elite) fried rice and 3 colorful skewers of veggies, tofu and vegan meat. Delicious flavors. I was impressed. Honestly, the menu seems boring. But it’s a mom and pop kind of deal… and you can’t expect much so don’t!
Make the kabob a highlight!!!

Ok so I drove from Richardson to try out this place because my friend wanted to try something new. I drove in and the place was totally empty! The waitress sat me down and as I was skimming through the menu I noticed the dishes were similar with each other. Hence BBQ Chik-​n wrap or BBQ chik-​n sandwich. Whats the difference they’re pretty much cousins. Anyways we got the Combo CE style rice which comes with spring rolls and salad. ($ 6.95) Let me just say the lady told me the rice is made w/​special sauce! (ah intriguing right?)
Our meal came out and I tried the salad w/​house dressing (olive oil and vinaigrette) decent.
Spring roll that came with some weird sauce, ughh! The spring roll tasted like it had ramyun seasoning and the sauce… tomato? I’ve had way better ones.
Combo CE style rice is like the most easiest thing you can make! It’s something my friend who doesn’t really cook would make (I won’t name names). I can just tell you there was nothin special about that rice. You can me it at home. Stir-​fry butter, peas, and corn. Add rice and stir-​fry more then add some soy sauce and voila you got yourself the CE style rice! I cook sometimes and this was just too funny.
Overall I am not going to drive almost half an hr just to eat here. Everyone is raving about vegan this vegan that but I don’t get it. Go to a Korean restaurant and you got yourself a vegan meal. :)
BTW whats with closing @ 8pm? Is that a vegan thing too?

I wanted to try this place after seeing it on Unilocal,despite mixed reviews /​/​I was hoping for the positive rather than the negative. Sadly, it’s the latter.
We went at 7:30 and found it empty (we were the only customers) They do close at 8, so I suppose it’s understandable. My friend and I ordered the same dish, fried rice CE style with spring rolls and spring salad. It’s something my friend who doesn’t really cook would make (I won’t name names). the fried rice was forgettable, the spring rolls were just fried, but had a strange taste, and the salad was just ok. which was pretty small.
The waitress was nice enough and the restaurant was clean, but it comes down to the food people. I am getting disappointed with these recent Unilocal. (except Urban Eatz!!) :)
Oh well, at least I got another Unilocal under my belt. :P

Whoever knew vegan food could be so yummy! I recommend the Phở (as does everyone else) and save room for a slice of chocolate vegan cake! Very good stuff.
Don’t waste your money on their salad, it’s very mediocre.
The staff could be friendlier too.

I was in Plano on business & was glad this place was right around the corner from the Hampton where I was staying. I ordered the summer rolls and the Lo Mein. I wished that the summer rolls had been refrigerated, the outer wrapper was kinda sticky when I peeled off the saran wrap. Other than that, the summer rolls were very tasty.
The Lo Mein was nicely prepared and had lots of vegetables mixed in. The tofu was well seasoned and the portion size was good for the money.
If I’m in the area again — I’ll be sure to stop in for lunch or dinner. You can’t go wrong with food that is this good for you!

This all vegan gem was a wonderful discovery and only blocks from my home. The menu was well balanced and I look forward to diving in to more. I ordered the American Panini which came with what I could best describe as a tepid veggie soup.

The interesting, but rather odd thing that I can say about Café Elite, is the two flat screen TV’s streaming messages from The Supreme Master Ching Hai. This was also accompanied by an Alice in Wonderland style tribute to Chinese New Year.
Overall though, you really ought to give this place a try. I plan on going a couple more times to see if they can turn the temperature on the soup.

This was a hard place to find! It’s behind Baker Bros and near Luna de Noche on the West side of Preston Road just North of G Bush Tollway. See my pics for area shots.
Phó is a staple food for me. When it’s cold or I’m feeling down I want the Vietnamese equivalent to chicken noodle soup. Finding another place that makes vegan Phó is a treat. Unfortunately, while the Phó is very good at Café Elite, it’s too sweet for me. Perhaps more ginger or star anise than I like? However, YOU may really prefer the sweeter phó, so give it a try. I’ll be back to try the numerous other dishes (now that I know how to find the place!). But my favorite vegan phó will remain Phó 2828!
The phó is served in small, medium, and large bowls. I believe the prices were $ 2.95, $ 5.95, and I’m not sure about the large! The medium was smaller than the regular size served at most places, but it was large enough for me. However, I’m a small woman and I am on a diet, so you may want to augment with spring rolls or get the large.
The restaurant is small but cozy and very clean. The restroom is clean and well kept. The waitress was friendly and the menu was informative.
I really like this place!

Dallas needs more places like Café Elite and less of… well, everything else. It would take all the stress and anxiety away from me when I eat out.
If you weren’t looking for this place, I think you’d miss it. It is kind of discrete and unimposing in its location. Fortunately, I have GPS. I went in to have a late lunch around 3PM, and the place was empty but it wasn’t uninviting. The waitress smiled when I walked in and handed me a menu. I ordered the chik’n wrap and had the spring rolls as an appetizer. It was very very VERY good!!! (Make sure to ask for their daily special!!!) I’ve had Spiral down in Oak Cliff and that place has nothing on this place. Spiral definitely has more options and is far more hipper but, I think, with a little love and continuous support Elite will get there too.
While Spiral has more of an American food flare to it, Café Elite has more of an asian touch that kind of branches out and…‘taps’ other food cultures. Either way, the food is good. It definitely take more creativity to make vegan dishes than regular meat dishes. I mean, anyone can BBQ — who cares!
You could hear and smell the cook preparing your food in the kitchen, which is only separated from the dining area by a curtain. It reminded me of my grandma’s home in the Philippines… The place was clean and bright, though the décor could use some help. But who really cares about all that??! The food is what makes this place so amazing and stand out from all other restaurants in NTX.
I think I’m going to make it my personal business to make sure this place keeps rockin’. Since turning vegetarian 12+ years ago, I’ve missed being able to try everything on the menu and FINALLY, here, I can. And so, for that reason alone, I’m taking everyone I know (ominvore, herbivore, carnivore) to this place.

First of all– a vegan (semi raw and partially organic) restaurant in PLANO??? AWESOMENESS!!!
I’m a California Vegan and dined at Café Elite w/​my TX born meat eating, bbq-​ing, steak loving friend. And we loved it!!!
We shared the Golden Fried Tofu, and Veggie Kabob for apps. I’m not a fried food lover– but it was good. The Kabobs were out of this world yummy!
Then each of us had Phở– in which we both ate every lost drop– this was a toss the spoon and bring the bowl to the mouth situation…
For my entrée I had the Raw Pizza w/​a side salad. They were both really tasty. The pizza was flavor packed– soooooooo gooooood! Slightly overwhelming– but I would prob. order it again.
Then to top it off we split the carrot cake (I’m not usually a big fan of carrot cake — but THIS one was so yummy) and a cheese cake that was covered w/​berries and chocolate. We also split the heart shaped cookie (not great but not horrible)
The service was good and the servers were very kind.
The atmosphere was super casual and welcoming. Regardless of your diet/​lifestyle– I HIGHLY recommend Café Elite.

The service is casual, and by casual I mean forgetful yet kind and well meaning.
Waters went empty more than once and our meals were brought out separately, I am assuming the meals were just brought out when ready instead of timed.
Hubby and I each had the Chik’n Wrap, served with chips and the soup of the day. The Chik’n wrap was awesome and totally satisfying. The soup of the day one our visit was a Corn Chowder — it was amazing. Creamy vet vegan, fresh corn and sweet red peppers made each bite linger with bursting flavor.
Our cousin had the Veggie Burger. She shared a bite with each of us, again — amazing. Fresh, hot throughout and perfectly dressed with various toppings.
The food is delicious, the prices are totally reasonable but the atmosphere and service did not make us want to linger. Café Elite feels like an «eat and run» or «pick up order» establishment… but man I am glad it’s around.

Great find for very good healthy meal. It just opened a few weeks ago it’s a much nicer, higher quality vegetarian/​vegan restaurant for Plano.
Clean, bright, and very cool casual compared to most of them in the Richardson area. The food is the real star, it’s not a buffet the the quality of everything from setting to food was definitely a cut above.
Pannini was very good with Tofurky and some cabbage mixture, as was the caulifower soup, and the spring roll. All extremely fresh and simple but attractive presentation.
I’ll definitively be supporting Café Elite, nice place to take wife, daughters, and maybe some friends from the office over lunch.
PS — I’ve been back twice more (Vegetarian Phở = very good who knew? and Lo Mein = nicely done with crisp vegetables and not drowning in sauce).

Seems like traditional American fair made by a Vietnamese family. I am so excited there is a non-​chain real healthy alternative restaurant near me. It almost feels like CA.
I had their Russian soup which sounded like borscht to me and tasted similar except they had very hearty tomato base soup with cabbage, beans and bell peppers vs beef stock, very savory so far.
I had the portabella mushroom wrap. It had veganaise, portabella and salad and bell pepper. I should have gone with my original hunch and skipped the veganaise, just not into that hearty creamy texture.
Being Vietnamese and seeing a vegan version of phở, I had to get a sample of it. Having phở without beef is sacrilegious. Very incredulous but let’s keep an open mind.
OMG, the fricking phở is phenomenal. I hate phở actually. I have never liked it, even at some of the best restaurants around the world I have had it at. I will definitely be ordering the phở when I get there next time. The beef pieces was replaced with mushroom and tofu pieces. The rice noodles were cooked really well.
My only gripe with this place is the price and portion. The portabella mushroom could have been bigger for $ 7. The meal with sandwich & salad and soup came to be about $ 12. Is that reasonable?