Cafe Gratitude

I’m starting to wonder if this location is cursed. Back when I lived in the sunset about 5 years ago I used to frequent a little café in the same location that had the most amazing breakfast sandwiches (and served them all day, which is invaluable to someone who is definitely NOT a morning person). I had such great memories of stopping there after class and munching on delicious little pear and gorgonzola toasts in the adorable back garden patio.
Years later I suddenly got a craving and went on a mission to find the place, but I couldn’t remember the name. After wandering and area and finally realizing it had closed and been replaced by Café Gratitude, I decided I might as well give it a try and drown my sorrows in a veggie/​quinoa bowl. The verdict? YUM. Super healthy food that tastes great and makes you feel good? Yes please. Seriously, how often do you leave a restaurant feeling full in a healthy, satisfied & nourished way, and not in an ok-​now-​I-​need-​to-​go-​lay-​down-​and-​not-​eat-​for-​a-​week way?
Yes, the prices are high, but remember, you’re paying for really fresh organic ingredients, and organic produce tends to be expensive. This ain’t no burger king. Of course I wish the prices were lower but I’m willing to pay the price to put good stuff in my body (no that’s what said jokes please).
And yes, the menu never fails to make me and my 10-​yr-​old sense of humor giggle. Not to mention that I’m not sure how grammatically correct much of it is (can a personal really be «abundant»?). But hey, a little positivity and having fun with ordering food never hurt anyone. And where else can you say to the waiter «I Am Super Hot» and not sound like a conceited A-​hole?
Anyway, I guess I’ll have to try the one in the misson. But hmm I wonder what’s at this location now?

My fiancé, 2 yr old son and I went to this place for the first time and been wanting to eat here for awhile. We were seated in the front and I thought «welp, simple and ok but i like the idea of the banquette seating». So I had to use the restroom and was directed towards the back of the restaurant. Once I entered the back room i thought «OH MY FRENCH TOAST!» The set up was sooo nice. It was earthy and organic and cute and comfortable. They had candles set up and i think low lighting. But it was nice! So if any1 likes organic and vegan and maybe someone who wants to try the food this is an ideal place. Especially for a date =)
Food? Ok rite… my fiancé ordered the «I AM GRACEFUL» and was delish. I ordered «I AM A WINNER» (w/​Quinoa) for my picky son who didnt care much for it during dinner but we both liked it the next day 4 leftovers. I thought is was delish too.
I ordered the «I AM PRECIOUS» caffeine free tea w/​almond milk and loved it! I also ordered the «I AM CHEERFUL» sunburger and was a bit DISAPPOINTED, i must say. The burger was very hard and dry as I found the sunflower bun to b the same. I think if they re-​worked the recipe to make the burger more manageable to chew and moister i think it would b much more tantalizing. On a brighter note, I can’t wait to come in to dine here again and try other things on the menu =)

My first (and probably last) raw food experience went something like this–
Charlie: where are we going?
Patricia: Café Gratitude
Charlie: okay, what kinda food is it?
Patricia: local, organic… vegan… raw.
Charlie: what?
Patricia: local, organic, vegan, raw.
Charlie: [unable to comprehend, but recognize that my hearing is fine]
Charlie: um, does it taste good?
Patricia: of course!
Charlie: uh, okay, I trust you… you are a foodie.
So off we go… and I was pleasantly surprised by the strawberry lasse, which tasted more like a fruit shake, and quite enjoyed the spicy stuffed avocado, and the «cream» of mushroom soup. All very hearty and surprisingly delicious… but… somehow lacking. I had a lot of food, but I felt incredibly unfulfilled. It kinda feels like that really bad sex you finally got to have with that boy you’ve been dating for 6 months… it’s more than you expected, but definitely missing something.
I gave it a four star, ’cause they did manage to make raw vegan food rather tasty (although it’s all relative). But I’m just too much of a carnivore to stray from my omnivore ways. Plus the place is just a little too new-​age-​fluffy-​flower-​power-​find– your-​inner-​light for me… especially on an empty stomach. Seriously people… how about giving us the self enlightenment question of the day AFTER we’re fed?
Worth a try… glad I went there… once. And now I can call it a day (or a year… or a lifetime).

I had reservations about sitting and dining here. Everything about the place. The frou-​frouness, the raw vegan-​ness, not to mention the price. But after seeing this place on Check Please Bay Area, I knew I had to see what the hype was about. I thought baby steps was the way to approach it, so I walked in for a smoothie to go.
The waitress/​cashier seemed nice. I ordered the «I AM GRACE» smoothie just for kicks. The waitress asked, «What’s your name?» I said, «I am Grace.» and she said, «Yeah. I have that. What’s your name?» I said, «I am Grace.» LOL I thought this was hilarious, and so did she once she caught on.
I sat down. I got lost in its frou-​frouness. Inspirational posters that say things like, «Are you truly ready to embrace how beautiful you are?» The saying over the door frame to the back that said, «No time like the present.» It looked like there was a nice sunroom to dine in in the back.
When my smoothie was done, I saw this little tiny cup that would probably be equivalent to a Starbucks tall with a shotglass of extra smoothie next to it. I instantly thought, «Sweet Jesus, I paid 7 bucks for this??? That’s like two Jamba Juices…» I gulped the shotglass. My yummy tastebuds were going nuts! Nothing like a frothy young coconut milk, almond butter, the grain of dates, with a hint of vanilla to hit the spot. Just then my euphoria was interrupted by the waitress/​cashier asking me, «So what are you grateful for?» So many things ran into my head. «Uh…this smoothie for one. The nice weather for two. And a good laugh with you for three.»
And I smiled.

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Food Review No. 316
This is the first question the wait person asks before taking your order.
Be prepared.
A rustic throwback to the 1960s, taking me back, it seems before when we were dragging our knuckles.
Definitely, not for everyone. A Vegan Paradise. I had their Spring Roll (which isn’t what you’d expect, but delectable). Price is for the raw fresh off the field taste, I guess. The only hot item I had was a bowl of hot water– gratis. You walk away feeling «clean».

How have I not been here yet? The answer is I do not know.
I have heard many great things about this place. I walk by often but have never made it in… that was until yesterday.
A friend and I met here for dinner. We walked in and were greeted right away. We sat towards the front of the café, not to close to the window though as we were warned it can get hot during the late afternoon. Our server also let us know of the many specials they had going on and how the food was prepared. That was awesome!
I ended up ordering the I am festive (i.e. taco salad) and my friend got the caesar salad. Both dishes were great! The i am festive had such a great flavor to it. It came with these flax seed chips that gave it a nice crunch.
This place can be a little pricey but all in all it was well worth it! The service and the food are great! I cant wait to come back!

Café gratitude is probably the healthiest restaurant in san francisco.
That doesn’t mean the dishes are anywhere close to fat free. Most of them are made with lots of almonds, cashews and avocado.
And if you are in the mood for something like that, this is a great place to come. Its all vegan, and for being all vegan it tastes amazing. The 9^th st location has a cool outdoor back patio which is really nice.
Get the mint carob chip shake. Pesto pizza. Enchiladas

My roommate and I did a raw detox so coming here was a natural choice when dining out. Love the décor and the garden in the back is totally relaxing.
It’s difficult to take this place too seriously, what with the affirmation games in the middle of the table and the free tarot card readings and the spacey servers, but it is a lot of fun if you have the right attitude.
My dining mates and I had the pesto pizza (unique but delicious and filling) and the mint chocolate shakes (A-​MAZ-​ING).
Sure it’s on the expensive side, but try making the same thing on your own at home for less money and in less time, and you’ll probably be hard-​pressed.

I was really excited to go here… I am all about positive affirmations and good healthy food!
However, when we sat down, explaining that there would be 5 of us, we were seated and then promptly ignored for 15 minutes until our friends got there, and then we were ignored for another 5. We didn’t get water until this time, and were not asked if we wanted to have so much as a drink, much less ordtaer appetizers while we waited.
I will admit, it is creative and tasty raw food… however, it is VERY OVER-​PRICED! I mean…$ 7 for a small smoothie? It is REALLY small, as well. Tasty and organic, OK, but tasty and organic you can find in other places…
I got the «pizza» which was tasty, but certainly not worth $ 13 for the tiny portion. It is basically a nice raw tomato sauce on top of flax chips. it is good, don’t get me wrong… it is just not worth that much money!
So, between the stoned waiters, who I literally had to follow around the restaurant to get their attention… and the prices, I will say it is better to buy their recipe book and make the shit at home…
Not to mention the irony of having a dis-​interested server bring you your «you are beautiful» while not even looking at you…

ATTENTION!!! THE PIZZA IS NOT REALLY A PIZZA!!!
That being said… I’m pretty pissed off about the $ 10 I spent yesterday. I’m not vegan/​vegetarian or any of that. I LOVE meat. BUT, I came here with an open mind. My roomie loves organic nonsense and all that, and I’m trying to eat healthy so I tried it out.
I order the «pizza.» To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting much because I knew this place is all healthified. But, I was at least expecting something that LOOKED like a pizza! Maybe some dough perhaps? I know there has to be some fancy shmancy way to make vegan pizza crust, right?
Well, what I got was a salad with some tomatoes on it and a gross wheat crisp thing on the side. FOR 10 FREAKING DOLLARS! At 1^st I thought «oh how nice, my pizza comes with a salad.» I caught on quickly and realized it was what I ordered. My roomie got a 8 oz milkshake thing for $ 7. Really? $ 7 for a milkshake? I’m glad I didn’t order one.
I think it’s wonderful they promote healthiness and organic stuff, but I left hungry meaning I was gonna go home and eat more just so I could go on with my day. So it turned out to be a bad situation, and i’m lucky I fought against my urges and didn’t hit up cybelles across the street for some real pizza! I will never get my $ 10 back, and I’m definitely not grateful for the time I spent here.

It’s nice that there are some dining options out here for vegans like myself. Not! Are you kidding me! I am not a vegan. However, I was unceremoniously dragged here my some friends who are on the health food kick. I’ve heard some great things about Café Gratitude, so I wasn’t too resistant to try it out, even though I disdain veganism, veganology, veganity. Whatever they call it.
The concept here is that everything is fresh and raw. Word has it that there is no stove or oven here, and that the only heat generating appliance is a rice cooker. Once again, I disdain the raw food movement. I think Miranda on Sex and the City said it best when she claimed that raw food tasted like ‘lawn in a bowl.’ Man invented fire for a reason, I would say.
However, I do like to try new things, and the menu here does sound interesting. I am yet to find a vegan or vegetarian restaurant that doesn’t serve insipid food trying to be meat. I ordered a smoothie that cost a whopping nine dollars. It was made with almond milk, which are pressed almonds, and some other treats, including cacao chips, chocolate, for the uninitiated. It was very tasty and satisfying. I barely had room for my faux lasagna afterward, which I had to box to take home.
My lasagna was made with zucchini substituting the noodles, pesto, tomatoes, and some fake cheese. Strangely, it did taste somewhat iike a lasagna, which impressed me. I don’t know if I would eat this over a real lasagna, but I do applaud their efforts. I thought it tasted better on the second day, which is pretty nice.
While vegan food isn’t my first choice, I like what they are trying to do here. Everything is fresh and the staff is very friendly and ready to answer questions about the food. I think the vegetables are grown in their own garden. It was also very filling. The smoothies are yummy but for nine dollars they better be. Heck, I could drink liquor for that price. Personally, I am not a health food nut, and I prefer traditional food, but for those of you who are, it’s definitely worth a visit. Next time I will try the key lime pie.

Everything was going well until I ended up in the ER.
My best friend decided to take me here for a birthday lunch two years ago after hearing raves about it in dance class. We were seated in the lovely garden out back, and drank it all in: the ambiance was heavenly, our server was super sweet, and everything on the menu looked delicious.
Before ordering I triple-​checked with the waiter to make sure that the special of the day was flaxseed-​free, knowing full well that we were in an organic, healthy food restaurant and the likelihood of flax content was high. I explained my extreme allergy to anything containing flaxseed (to the deadly level of peanut allergies in others), and he graciously and thoroughly checked in with the kitchen and ensured me that my meal would be completely free of flax.
So the food arrived and we dug in. 10 minutes later I started to feel that sickly swell in my tummy and throat that only comes with the onset of a major flaxseed attack. Panicking, we called our server over and asked him again if my portion of the meal was free of flax, and he assured us it was. The hostess then came to the table to see what was wrong; I explained my situation, saying that the food must have contained flax because I was now well on the path towards a full-​blown attack, and she stepped back, gave me a cold, hard stare, and basically shrugged me off. No condolences, apologies, or even the slightest glimmer of concern. Even through the haze of a major allergy attack, I was shocked by her lack of graciousness and customer service.
I spent the next half hour fouling up their pristine bathroom with vomit, and after that my friend rushed me to the ER because I was having such a severe reaction that my trachea was closing up on me.
My lonely one star goes out to the beautiful layout of the restaurant patio, the tasty food (which would have been nourishing and wonderful for the typical non-​flax allergy person), and our compassionate server – I believe he did everything in his power to guarantee that I would not have an allergic reaction. Everything else was a negative. The fact that I had a flax attack was upsetting, but forgivable (there could have been cross-​contamination on the kitchen block, for example)…but the fact that they were so uncaring and rude afterwards was unacceptable, and will leave a bad taste in my mouth forever. I also had to shell out $ 150 for my little trip to the Emergency Room at Kaiser – a huge investment for a broke college student.
Grateful I was not.

The first time I went here it was raining and I tripped on the front step and I almost went through the front window. But I did not. And I am grateful.
The owners were there for a book and game signing and I was happy to meet them and I was happy to get my autographed book and game. I am fortunate. I really went out of my way to be there and I managed to get very lucky with parking.
The people at Café Gratitude are some of the nicest people on earth. Really. More people should visit here and enjoy healthy food (close to the source) served by really nice people. Their intentions are good.
My favorite things are their Quinoa with pesto and their chocolate shake. Their pizzas are yummy and each of their salads are satisfying. If you are not used to raw food, go light the first time and make sure it agrees with your system.
It is nice to enjoy an organic beer, now that they have beer and wine, and sit back and play their game. Pay attention and you may learn something about yourself and the company you keep.
Café Gratitude is the salt of the earth … and I am glad they are nearby. While I enjoy the San Francisco location and the one in San Rafael, I simply love the one in Berkeley. (We are heading there in a few minutes).
Not everyone will get what they are doing, and that is ok.
The more people that do get it … the better. Try it and keep an open mind.
I am open.

I’ve always had a love and hate relationship with Café Gratitude, but after last night’s meal — I think our relationship is just over.
Officially.
I appreciate what they’re doing with raw, healthy, and fresh food.
I’ve enjoyed pretty much everything I’ve had at Café Gratitude as well.
But last night I ordered an enchilada with guacamole and black beans, and a slice of coconut pie — and the total came to $ 32.67.
That is absurd.
Especially since the enchilada, coleslaw, and rice barely filled up a small plate.
The service was friendly enough so I tipped pretty well, but I felt ashamed of myself, as I forked over 38 dollars for a small main course and a dessert, and tip.
I am all about paying a little more for quality healthy food, but to price yourself out of the market, and cater basically to those who have George Coztanza size wallets, is insulting.
And far from gracious.

Not for those allergic to nuts!
I’m all about trying something new, and I think that deep down — there’s a hippie inside of me. So I did not object to trying out Café Gratitude.
Not for those allergic to nuts!
We started with Live Nachos, which were actually tasty. My dining companions both ordered the enchilada, while I tried the special of the day — ceviche over a salad. While most items are raw [grains are cooked], they spice it up enough, so your mouth is burning and you can’t really tell that everything’s actually cold. The nachos and the enchilada had a bit of a kick to them. I also tried one of their elixirs — I am Golden. My body parts supposedly «communicate» with each other better now. The desserts looked delicious, but the meal was expensive enough as it was.
Not for those allergic to nuts!
Service wasn’t quite on top of things, which was fine. A friendly reminder here and there during the meal didn’t hurt. Our server was kind enough to answer any questions we had.
Not for those allergic to nuts!
On our way out, we passed by the little gift shop area. As it turns out, those nuts are high in saturated fat. It’s probably not a good idea to frequent the place if one plans to have something other than salads and smoothies.
Not for those allergic to nuts!
Minus a star for having to walk through a cloud of fart on the way out. First impressions are everything, and while I enjoyed the food, I can’t get that smell out of my mind when I think of Café Gratitude. Perhaps it’s the «I am Golden» doing its magic — the nose is communicating to the brain — something smells not so great.
Not for those allergic to nuts!

Okay so I know it is totally hippy dippy but I really like the food here!
Salad was good!
Almond Coconut Shake (I am grace) was good!
And Onion Bread was delicious!
They also have a nice patio for outdoor dining
I am going to check out the mission location next!

Overpriced menu and pretentious staff.
Last night I thought I would treat myself to some healthy vegetarian food at Café Gratitude for dinner. Instead I’m left in a table with a menu, waiting for a long time for someone to take my order. Several waiters pass by but act as if they didn’t see me wave or were too busy. Some of the staff behind the counter looked at me with frowns as if I should be someplace else.
In the meantime, a nice old white woman comes in and asks me if she could share the table with me, I said sure. A waitress immediately approaches the old lady to take her order while completely ignoring me seating in front of her.
Since no one wanted to take my order I just left.
My impression was that they don’t have many non-​white customers and they like it that way.
I didn’t know that this was a hangout for white people, I know better now.

For a meatatarian, I really like Café Gratitude. The cheesiness of the nouveau hippie food names, and the waiters who repeat back «you are blessed» when you order «I am blessed,» is palatable because the place is just infused with a good-​natured feeling, making it impossible to be jaded and scornful.
The food, considering it’s all live and raw and vegan, is pretty good. They make bread and crusts out of ground-​up grains, «meat» out of the same ground-​up grain mixture, good veggie burgers, and a nice soy chai. As you might imagine, when you use the same base ingredients for every dish, the dishes become nearly indistinguishable from each other. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t tasty.
Since I’m not a vegan or even a vegetarian in real life, I won’t come here every week; but still, it’s nice to know that you can survive (nay, thrive!) on pretty tasty raw, vegan food.

A mandatory requirement to be a Unilocaler is that you’ve eaten at Café Gratitude before you join Unilocal.Well, Matt has not eaten at one of Unilocal’s favorite restaurant until tonight (evidence proved with the magnetic sticker on the main-​entrance). How Matt has become a Unilocaler without eaten at Café Gratitude is beyond a mystifying wonder to everybody.
We had dinner at home, prior to our drive to Sunset’s claim-​to-​fame vegan restaurant. So we’re just here to try their so-​call tasty vegan desserts.
We got here early, to avoid the parking hassle and crowded atmosphere. And yes, it paid off, so we’re seated immediately.
Looking at the menu, majority of the items starts with «I am.» Being optimistic about the conceptual trend of vegan, Matt had the «I am Peachy» smoothie. The $ 7.00 drink contained sliced peaches, soy milk, dates, and vegan vanilla ice cream. Considering the date does exist in the smoothie, the drink was very creamy and unique.
Wife had an interesting, but popular slice of tiramisu. The «I –am-​adoring» $ 6.50 slice, tasted just an ordinary slice of Tiramisu. If we give this cake to anybody, they would never know that CG’s Tiramisu is made from vegan ingredients.
The young puppies split an order of a warm brownie sundae. The $ 7.00 dessert dish had a warm vegan brownie drenched with chocolate syrup and scooped with 2 vanilla bean scoop vegan ice cream.
We enjoyed our sweet treat at this vegan restaurant. Looking at the menu, Matt might come here and try their lunch specials in the very near future. To get the monkey off Matt’s back, he is now a official Unilocaler.

Okay, so… (and this was hard for me at first, too…) you really have to go in with fun people and not get weird about the «I am Cheerful! I am Fabulous! I am Sensational!» affirmations. Because you can have a bad attitude about it, or you can just giggle and enjoy being in a place that seems to be really genuinely kind. No, there’s no «I am Cynical!» on the menu.
As for the food, it looks like not much for 10 – 12 bucks, but I walked away satisfied, and we even took away a to-​go box. Hubby and I each got raw «pizzas,» and they were good and fresh, albeit very similar to each other. The desserts looked delicious, and we’d like to return to try them next time.