One of the places we like to eat at a lot is the Natural Cafe, and as I get asked a lot what I eat when I go out I thought I’d do a little post about one of my favorite places to dine. I first went to Natural Cafe about 8 years ago when we went up to Santa Barbara for a whale watching day. Since then they have expanded and we now have a choice of Four local-(ish) Natural Cafe locations to choose from: Simi Valley, Moorpark, Westlake and Newbury Park. Depending on where we are either could be our location of choice.
The great thing about Natural Cafe is they offer great healthy food, at a reasonable price. Obviously being vegetarian I cannot say much about the meat dishes but our friend Chris wholeheartedly recommends the fish tacos. Us? We have a WIDE variety of food to choose from:
- Soups (only the VEGAN soup – the dairy soup actually is made with chicken broth!) – with a chunk of their awesome 9 grain bread!
- Starters: nachos, chili, quesadillas, chiquitos, gaucamoke & chips, & hummus w/pita.
- Sandwiches: Portabella Mushroom ; Felafel Pita; Grilled eggplant; grilled veggie sandwich; grilled cheese
- Burgers & Dogs: Natural Burger; Karma Burger; Zen Burger; Dalai dog; zog dog;
- Pizza & Pasta
- Vegetarian Entrees: Veggie Grill; Mr Natural; Veggie stuffed spud; natural platter; natural tamale; yogi special; stir fry; buddha burrito; black bean enchiladas; quesadilla; tempeh tacos; veggie tacos;
- Sides!
We actually went to Natural Cafe Sunday night and I thought I’d snap a quick pic of my dinner:
Veggie lasagne – Spinach pasta covered with ricotta cheese, fresh vegetables and marinara sauce. Served with a salad garnish and garlic bread. $8.99
As I am not eating bread right now (G.I issues) I had a hungry husband who opted to not let it go to waste 😉 My dressing of choice was tofu-dill. Usually I’d go for ranch but was feeling like something new and it was quite nice too! Very aromatic, with lots of flavor. The lasagna was delicious too! Lots of tomato sauce, with just enough cheese that it wasn’t too rich yet you felt like you’ve indulged a little. I love the salads there so that was great too.
Other favorites I’d recommend:
- Yogi Special: sauteed tofu in ginger soy sauce, served with brown rice and salad.
- Black bean echilladas: Corn tortillas stuffed with black beans, rice and cheese, topped with mild enchilada sauce, sour cream, gaucamole and salad.
- Tempeh Tacos: Ground soy tempeh in a zesty red sauce on corn tortillas with cheese, topped with shredded lettuce and sprouts. Served with chips & salsa.
- Natural Salad: Red lead, green leaf and romain lettuce served with carrots, red onions, jicama, red cabbage, tomatoes and sprouts. For a light lunch I’ll get a 1/2 salad bowl with a side order of sauted tofu.
The restaurant is always clean, and staff are great. When I worked at the Moorpark gym they’d know me and Julie by name. Great friendly staff! Gets busy though, and I’d avoid peak times or risk not getting a seat, or having them run out of silverware! They offer a variety of drinks and have a water jug if you are going “au-natural” which we usually do.
Definitely worth trying!