This plant-based sanctuary in the middle of Texas offers communal macrobiotic meals, meditation, and more.
Casa De Luz opened in 1991, before the wave of trendy (and processed) plant-based food. It was, and still is, a destination for the stereotypical Austin hippie to enjoy a healthy meal, buy crystals, and attend a meditation class. You know the slogan “Keep Austin Weird?” That’s exactly what Casa De Luz does—in the best way possible. Casa De Luz is not only a restaurant, it’s a nonprofit community center with workshops, classes, rental space, and a market for local, plant-based foods and products. It is a sanctuary for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of Downtown Austin by joining a relaxing yoga class, enjoying a nourishing dinner, connecting with like-minded individuals, or doing a bit of soul searching. So get your woo-woo on and venture with us through Casa De Luz!
Daily Communal Macrobiotic Meals
One of the main attractions of Casa De Luz is its dining room which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the public daily. The culinary team crafts the meals following a macrobiotic diet—using vegan, gluten-free, and organic ingredients without any refined oil or sugar.
Breakfast is served from 7 to 10:50am daily for $10 per person. The menu includes porridge with granola and raisins, soup, leafy greens, mixed vegetables, presoaked beans, and fresh handmade tortillas. To drink, Casa De Luz offers Kukicha hot tea, a Japanese tea composed of the stems and stalks of the tea shrub Camellia sinensi. Kukicha, which is high in calcium and vitamin C, is known to aid digestion, reduce high blood pressure, and lower cholesterol, among other benefits.
Casa De Luz offers lunch from 11:30am to 3pm and dinner from 5:30 to 8:30pm for $15.60 per adult and $7 per child (kids under three eat free). Both lunch and dinner menus rotate daily, featuring local seasonal produce. For each meal, you can always expect to find soup, salad, a main plate, and optional desserts. The salad features dressing made from whole nuts and seeds rather than processed oils—while the main plate always contains a grain, legume, dark leafy greens topped with a sauce, mixed vegetables, and pickled vegetables.
Each dish and beverage served at Casa De Luz is thoughtfully crafted for maximum nutrition. For example, Casa De Luz soaks their legumes for better digestion and absorption of nutrients. The restaurant always offers fermented and pickled vegetables for the beneficial bacteria they provide for your digestive tract and pH balance. Even their water is fluoride-filtered and vortex-activated for benefits such as detoxification, normal bowel function, and healthier hair, skin, and nails.
Courtesy of Casa De Luz
Vegan Market and Local Businesses
In addition to a restaurant, Casa De Luz hosts a variety of local businesses offering sustainable vegan goods and services. You can find the below shops at the Casa De Luz grounds!
- Alchemy Cafe: Juice bar serving cold-pressed raw juices, wellness shots, lattes, and nut milks.
- Austin Holistic Center: Healing center which offers reiki energy sessions and biomagnetic energy therapy, said to help balance the mind, body, and spirit and aid with inflammation.
- Earthworks Botanicals: Apothecary stocked with small-batch herbal supplements.
- Infinite Artist: Art studio offering programs and workshops.
- Mama Strange Creations: Cruelty-free spa ranging in services from massages and facials to waxing. After your treatment, shop their skincare products, handmade jewelry, and candles.
- Neshama Kava: Kava and tea bar that also stocks organic clothing, jewelry, eco-friendly home goods, art, and beauty products.
- Perfect Headshot: Headshot studio to get a fresh set of photos for your LinkedIn!
- 3rd Eye Lounge: A zen lounge that serves ceremonial cacao, matcha, and yerba mate, and offers zero-gravity massage chairs, infrared sauna treatments, meditation classes, and sound healings.
Courtesy of Casa De Luz
Space Rentals and Community Bulletin Board
Because community is a driving force for Casa De Luz, the establishment offers a variety of spaces to rent that align with health, wellness, and mind, body, and spirit. From one-on-one sessions to yoga classes and seminars, Casa De Luz has a space for every event size and need. Not only that, but you can post your event on Casa De Luz’s Community Bulletin Board! The digital bulletin board is accessible on Casa De Luz’s website. It features a variety of categories for community members to share information about their services or events, inspire others with uplifting quotes, search for a roommate, or post personal info in the Community Gallery Board to build a support network of friends.
So whether you live in the Central Texas area or plan to pass through, add Casa De Luz to the top of your must-visit list!
Visit CasaDeLuz.org for more information.
