Bento + Picnic

Delicious, fresh, healthy food… perfect after climbing!
I tried the protein bento with pork. The portion of meat is very generous, the veggies were all super fresh and well prepared, the orange slice was one of the tastiest oranges ever, and the tomato chutney was to die for. I’m not normally into many sauces but was smokey and went beautifully with the meat and veggies.
The box also came with a sesame rice ball which was tasty.
I tried a honey butter corn muffin as well and it’s to die for. Super moist and sweet enough to serve as a dessert but not overly sweet. I could eat these all day.

Finding this place is nearly impossible.
Bento and Picnic has only a minimalist sign which is invisible not only from the street but even from the parking lot.
979 Springdale is a huge sprawling complex with a machine shop, a juice factory, an art gallery, a massive produce warehouse and several other industrial facilities. No one has heard of the place.
I almost left with no Bento Box.
But I could have gotten a case of fresh squeezed juice from the juice factory, a retorqued cam from the machine shop, and tire treads from being run over by the trucks from the warehouse.
Fortunately, the massive complex also has the Austin Bouldering project, a mountaineering gym. Bento and Picnic is inside the gym. You earn 100 points just for getting to the counter in the first place.
***
Is Bento and Picnic worth the search?
Bento and Picnic offers Bento boxes some vegetarian side dishes and some grain and green bowls.
Most of the things that are not Bento boxes are salad under another name. These things have a lot of kale. They can have a lot of quinoa. They have interesting other ingredients (meat or vegetarian) and a lot of sauces and flavor add ons.
The result is a small, filling good for you lunch with a good protein count, good taste, and enough veggies to make your saintliness quotient for the day.
One of our bowls was missing one ingredient (an egg) and that made that particular bowl less exciting. But if all the regulation ingredients are in your bowl, you have a healthy lunch that would do Whole Foods proud.
A huge amount of the Bento and Picnic experience is being in the Austin Bouldering Project. That is an amazing physical space that has a lot of atmosphere.
***
Austin now has three veggie friendly amazing physical spaces.
Casa de Luz — Eastern mystical pure with great soups and shut-​up-​its-​good-​for-​you everything else. But you eat a plate of their food and your shakras are instantly aligned.
The Whole Foods Mother Ship — Buy Buy Buy Spend Spend Spend But Its Organic and It Tastes Like Fun,
Bento and Picnic — A bowl of kale and yummy stuff in the middle of modern architecture and the coolest gym for lats on the planet.
Keep Austin Weird! Keep Austin Healthy!

The best — I eat 7 of them a week… Not a joke. It’s not expensive and so damn good. I’m a big dude and the amount of food is heavenly. What are you waiting for order it for you, your girlfriend, or have your office order it for everyone and watch the complements flow to you.

Really glad I happened upon Bento + Picnic at the Mueller Farmer’s market. I came late in the day and they only had one bento box left; the edamame. The concept is really great; and I’m always looking for something easy to pack for work lunch that is healthy and filling. Bento+ Picnic was all of those things! Everyone at work was super jealous of my bento and it smelled amazing. I like how all the ingredients are locally sourced and fresh. Planning on checking out some of the other bentos and checking out the food cart. Great to be able to grab something out of my fridge, put it in a lunchbox with an ice pack, and have a tasty, satisfying lunch at my desk if I don’t have the time to go out to eat or home for lunch.

Listen up people!
If you’re looking for a nutritious, fresh, filling AND nutritious on-​the-​go meal, Bento + Picnic is where it’s at!
I first discovered them by accident and it was the best culinary accident to ever happen to me!
I love how each Bento box is different and uses organic, local produce. They are easy to travel with— in fact, I stock up on some for the week. They are also very filling (which is good because I love to eat ALOT).
My go-​tos are the egg bento & mushroom bento boxes. I’m not a vegetarian but that’s just how freaking delicious they are!
My point is, if you haven’t tried them, then you are definitely missing out. Go grab a bento box now and you’ll see why I’m so happy they exist in Austin!

The food at Bento + Picnic is incredibly special. I pick up a box for lunch a few times a week at Practice Yoga near my office. Each lunch is like a curated culinary experience– I feel delighted when I eat them. You really can’t say that the thought of the experience of enjoyment is behind prepared food much these days but it’s so palpable in these boxes. Unpacking and enjoying Le’s food feels like a more intentional and more «mindful» way of eating. Anything that makes one be more present these days has such value, and that I think Bento + Picnic is actually promoting mindful eating and a richer enjoyment of quality food. Also, you should probably get an extra cornbread.

If you’re looking for something healthy, fast and delicious then Bento + Picnic has you covered. This food cart is currently situated in Practice Yoga in East Austin. The ingredients are fresh with many ingredients being locally sourced. Each bento is thoughtfully put together. I cannot get over how gorgeous each and every bento is.
When I stopped in it was hard to decide which beautiful and enticing looking bento to choose. I opted for the tomago bento wrapped with nori. The rolled slightly sweet omelette is made with local organic eggs. The honey butter made with local honey was just a hint of indulgence and worth every calorie. The seasonal salad with candied sunflower seeds and a delicious dressing on the side topped with speared strawberries was so fabulous not one veggie went uneaten.
Some bentos come with meats like the chicken salad bento and others come with a «happy rice“ball. Each bento typically ranges approximately 400 – 500 calories of goodness. You can stop by and pick up a bento to go, order ahead online and they also offer catering services. The bentos are perfect for a quick lunch, great for a picnic or catering for a business lunch.

If you lament that is no way to eat healthy on the run then this is the place for you. Quick and delicious, I ordered the pork bento and was in and out in 2 minutes.
The food tasted delicious and is seasonal and farm fresh. The pork with smoked tomato chutney was moist and beautifully seasoned and the kale salad had multicolored carrots with an amazing dressing. My favorite was the honey butter cornbread which is just slightly sweet enough to enjoy as dessert. Love this place.

Delicious! I was volunteering for Bernie on E 6^th and got their chicken box. I have no idea what all the things were, but it was super yummy! The sauce and seeds worked great and the apples balanced the whole meal.

I just had the most delicious packed lunch I’ve had in a long time. On a special diet for three weeks, I can’t eat soy, gluten, dairy or egg so when I discovered this beautiful meal was safe AND scrumptious it made me want to stock up. The kale salad, kabocha squash with pepitas and beet tahini dressing was a crazy-​wonderful combo, along side some really tasty chicken salad and a yummy rice «roll.» Lovely in presentation and to my tummy. I believe the veggies are from the farmers market, which is always nice to know and I believe the meat also sourced locally. This is like lunch art! I will be getting 5 of these for friends so they can also enjoy.

Delivered to our office today, the entire team was impressed.

Great food, great service, appreciate you guys!

Great food, super friendly! We had them deliver to our office and it was a unanimous success. Highly recommend!

We just had Bento + Picnic cater our lunch at my office, and it it one of the best lunches we have ever had! Perfectly portioned, so healthy, and taste amazing! I love this place and cannot wait to eat it again!

Great for a healthy group lunch option. We had it catered to our office and everyone enjoyed it! The food was fresh and delicious, and I loved the presentation!
I went with the chicken lettuce wraps and really enjoyed it. The side vegetables could’ve used a little seasoning, but I just dipped them in the dressing and — voila — problem solved:)

Bento Picnic is AMAZING!!! Hands down the best lunch in town for an affordable price. This is the freshest food around and the chef uses local vegetables. Each bento considers the balance color while including unique dressings that are accessible to all. I literally cried eating my first bento out of sheer joy and happiness. I will eat these everyday and never get tired of the goodness.