Mary’s Secret Garden

Oh how we will miss you Mary… We have all been blessed by you for so many years. Thank you for opening our eyes to your amazing vegan creations… I will never forget them (especially your homemade ice cream!) ~ In bocca al lupo!

Amazing food and so happy to experience your closing day with one of your Delish and delightful Burgers, thank you for being the Change on what’s on our plate, love and compassion.

Sadly I just found Mary’s Secret Garden and they are closing the doors in 3 days. I ordered the house speciality Pad Thai… Yummmmy… It’s a bit pricey but tasty!

Overall Impression:
I have not been to a place like this in awhile… I mean I am literally raving about. It’s just a must try place. I wanted to savor every bite because your sad it’s almost done. What is so upsetting is that I just discovered this beautiful establishment and the owner is retiring October 3^rd.
Ambiance/​Service
Mary puts some TLC in every dish and you can clearly taste it. The ambiance of the place is just zen, you feel relaxed and at ease. Granted it is near the beach, but everything from the placement of the seats to the ceilings with inspirational words like «Gratitude» just took me to another place… Our server was a sweet heart too. Let me just give you a example. I told her from the beginning that me and my little cousin along with my self would be splitting everything. She did her best… so when our Secret Burger came out, it was sliced in 3 pieces for us to share. I know to some of you may not think it is a big deal, but I always say it’s the little things that matter. The service was top notch.
Food:
I tried four different dishes and my taste buds were just raving. The pad thai which everyones talks about here is worth talking about (it’s the most different pad thai I have ever had, and I am a thai food lover). It was filled just the right amount of ginger/​peanut sauce, cabbage, tofu lemon and a hint of spice… The tostada with cashew cheese with red cabbage was just oozing with flavor (so simple, yet brillant)…and then there was the mint shake with just the right amount of nutty flavor (pistachio), mint, sweetness. Everything was cooked to the the right proportion.
I loved every single minute of it and I didn’t even care that I got a flat tire in a 100 degree weather today. It was worth it as I got to experience this gem before it sadly is closed.

I tried the garden burger and pistachio mint smoothie. The burger was so savory and all the topping were fresh. My food was packed perfectly to go so it was not soggy when I ate it. The smoothie was so ridiculously fresh and robust. My bf is not vegan and said the burger was the sh*** and liked the smoothie.
We got a lot of veg spots in the Bay and this one is better than a handful of them.

Small business, very quant, very friendly. I really enjoyed the breezy dining room and the place settings gave it a very elegant feeling. I had the burrito and it was delicious. My company had the veggie burger and said it was «to die for.» The server was extremely helpful and friendly and the food was presented on the plate like a piece of art… fabulous! Dessert was a masterpiece… looked delicious and didn’t disappoint.

My husband was on a Vegetarian diet at the time he took me here on a date night. I was pleasantly surprised how awesome Vegetarian cuisine can be.
I’ve been to a few Vegetarian restaurants in my day, but this is by far the best.

So delicious! Coming from a non-​Vegan!
Prices are a tad high but after experiencing the customer service and the food (don’t forget about presentation!) I think it was worth it. Waitress was pleasant and attentive but never annoying.
I had the Burger Mary Style (add avocado and bakin w/​special sauce)
It was tender, juicy, and the vegetables on it were deliciously fresh and crisp.
That cheeze though! That’s what would keep me coming back if I was a Vegan!
It had a nice, melty texture and a rich, buttery, cheesy taste. I would certainly eat that burger again. Right now. lol And don’t let me forget the Roma Tomato Soup! Wow! Best tomato soup I’ve had in quite some time. Perfect texture and balance
My girlfriend (Who is Vegan) had the Pad Thai which was also phenomenal. I believe it was a coconut curry sauce? Whatever it was, was perfect. Did I mention the presentation? :)
She also had a homemade Ginger Ale which, holy crap. If you think you like Ginger Ale but have never tried the homemade stuff, try it here. Unbelievably refreshing with perfect hints of lime and mint.
We had the chocolate raspberry bon bon (giant cupcake w/​filling) for dessert. Again, the presentation was near impeccable and the flavors were exceptional, Vegan or not.
Overall, we had tasty drinks and delicious food accompanied by fast and friendly service.
Will be back soon and gotta try one of those smoothies!
The one and only negative that I can find is that the choices are limited, but being a Vegan restaurant is tough. I have been to some with quite a few more choices but what Mary’s Secret Garden DOES make, they make right, which can’t be said for some of the others.

Nothing Secret about this restaurant, it’s one of the best in Ventura. I drive from Culver City to eat here. Small restaurant with tasty and healthy choices.
The soups are amazing, the smoothies Devine and choice of an dishes excellent.

Love this place! The food is great an the staff is excellent. Furthermore, the kitchen was spotless the day I walked through it.

Neither of us are vegan, but a local suggested Mary’s so we gave it a shot, even mostly out of curiosity.
It is amazing! We had a burrito and a burger and both were very impressive.
I strongly suggest this place for anyone with any range of diet. Delicious and a very pleasant atmosphere.

I order a glass of red wine and the super burrito! I enjoyed every bite! The hot sauce was a great kicker too!

Mary’s garden is a secret no more! She tosses a mean salad. I went garbanzo on her bean, and I recommend it before the main course every time.
Can’t wait to hit Mary’s secret garden again soon!

Food tastes good but let’s face it, it isn’t very healthy vegan food. Super processed, not really whole foods. Fake burgers and loads of carbs and fatty fake cheese. That is good stuff for vegetarian transition Phase but not healthy for the long haul. The great research out there on vegan diets also implicated low saturated fat and sodium. There are a lot of mystery chemicals in processed fake meats– titanium dioxide nano particles, guar gum, carrageenan and they’re just starting to see the negative health effects of these.
But it did taste good and the service was friendly, hence 3 stars.

How amazing to have this Organic Vegan café right here in downtown Ventura!!!
I had the Cilantro Chycken sandwich. I posted a photo. So yummy I forgot to take a photo BEFORE I ate the other half!
Service was prompt and friendly. Such a cute place.
I know some have said the menu is a little pricey but you pay for what you get. This is fresh, this is organic, and this is vegan food at its BEST. Try it you’ll like it!

Wahoo toute une découverte de la culture californienne du restaurant végétarien.
Un petit restaurant qui né paie pas de mine, mais qui m’a vraiment aider a me plonger dans la culture végétarienne. J’ai découvert une chipotle cheezy tortillas, qui était superb et pleine de gout. mais aussi un burger, un burrito, et une pizza végétarienne ou rien né manqué pas meme un peu de fromage ou de viande, pour le non végétarien que je suis.
Pour y avoir manger a plusieurs reprise je n’ai pas été déçu. Et il y a des petites chose qui varie a chaque fois.
Pour ce qui est des boissons, ca n’est pas en reste. Les smoothies sont super et créatif, j’en ai gouté un au persimon qui était trop bon.
En bref un restaurant qui fait plaisir a découvrir, et qui aide un peu plus a moins manger de viande sans manqué de rien.

I loved the energy of this small magical place. The food was delicious and the staff clearly has a lot of passion behind everything they represent and it shines through in the food, service and vibes in the restaurant. The art on the walls speaks of beautiful messages of optimism, kindness and love. I was surprised to find out that they had been there for 8 years and I never knew it. This is truly a hidden gem promoting delicious quality and responsibly locally grown ingredients with a beautiful warm feel. Truly spreading the vegan message in a yummy and friendly way!
I had the secret burger which was flavorful and filling, the hummus plate with veggies which was deliciously beautiful and the pecan pie a la mode which needs a little help on the flavor profile but was still very good! This is a must try place and I can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!

After unwinding from a day trip to Oxnard. My girlfriend and I decided to get dinner in the area and Unilocal helped us locate this wonderful little restaurant a bit further north in Ventura.
My first impression as I drove into the neighborhood and up to the restaurant was one of peace. The restaurant sits across the street from a park and right near a residential neighborhood away from the hustle and bustle of a densely populated commercial area. It was in the early evening during mid October and although daylight was waning there was still plenty of soft hued light passing through the trees of the park.
I’m not a vegan and never tried vegan cuisine but that day was a day of exploration and what better way to cap it off than by exploring and trying a totally new type of cuisine.
Parking:
There’s plenty around the restaurant and if you’re going for dinner like I did around 5:30, I believe the 2hr time limit is not enforced after 6pm but always best to check the signs regardless.
Ambiance:
The restaurant is a cozy and quaint place that’s very inviting and clean. Because it’s on the small side, I recommend making reservations unless you plan to eat a very early impromptu dinner around 5pm.
Food:
Even though I’m not a vegan and not familiar with vegan food, everything on the menu was well described and looked so tantalizing. We started off by ordering a Berry Bliss smoothie. It was a tough choice because all of them looked so amazing and the one we selected didn’t disappoint. For the entrees I ordered the Spanish Grande Burrito while my gf had the Deluxe Raw Tostada. Both were extremely tasty and the best way I can describe the food is «clean». I really liked the cilantro jalapeño sauce that came with my dish as well as the bottled chipotle habanero sauce they had available to buy.
Service:
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Just glancing and observing the other waitstaff, it appears that is the norm over there. They seem to genuinely care about the customers and are enthusiastic about the food they are serving.
Final Impression:
My first experience with vegan food was quite memorable. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant and you just get the feeling that you were having dinner at someone’s house. I really wish this place was near where I live in Hollywood. If it was, I would go there and try everything on the menu!

I applaud Mary’s Secret Garden for toughing it out in Ventura and for being around, in general. That said, I don’t think the food here represents a great value and they could make improvements with their preparation.
I got the «cilantro chycken» sandwich ($ 14) with added tempeh bacon ($ 2). For $ 16, I guess I expected more than just a put-​together burger/​sandwich that I could have done at home. Mary’s doesn’t make their own bread, tempeh bacon or «chycken» patty, though they do make their own «cheese» sauce, which was nicely done. The sandwich wasn’t bad, but it didn’t blow me away and I could have gotten something tastier for only $ 10 at Native Foods, which makes many similar sandwiches.
I also got a pistachio-​mint smoothie ($ 7) because it sounded delicious. However, I found it to be way too sweet; it seemed like it was mostly banana and mint, with little pistachio.
The service was fast and friendly. Décor is basic, but comfortable and reminiscent of a beach hut somewhere.
I think Mary’s is a decent place, but the prices are too high for what they offer. If they made everything from scratch and re-​did their smoothie recipe, they’d warrant another star.

We started with their pistachio mint smoothie (7 $) which was really as good as people say! They even split it in two mini cups for you if you decide to share it. Perfect little drinks to start your meal.
We ordered the secret burger (13 $) and we made it Mary’s style (3 $) by having them add «bacon» and extra secret sauce. I couldn’t believe how good a vegan burger on whole wheat buns can really be until I ate it. I’m not even really a burger kind of person so this says a lot.
We also ordered the tofu Pad Thai (18 $) which was more of a noodle stir fry in peanut sauce than an actual pad Thai. Normally pad Thai noodles are thin, clear, flat and has a chewy texture — these noodles are def chow mein stir fry noodles. The dish was good but def more of their version and interpretation of a pad Thai dish. However it came with a side chili paste which was made very well! Spicy and very flavorful.
Lastly, we ordered the jumbo cupcake of the day to go (8 $). It was a mint butter chocolate. This would probably be the only thing on the menu I maybe regret purchasing. One, I was very full already. Two, not the best thing to get when you’re trying to go on a wedding diet. And last, I’m a dessert junkie and I just have to say I’ve had better when it comes to cupcakes. Maybe another flavor next time?
Overall bill was 53+ w. o tip yet! Very expensive so you prob won’t find us here everyday but I get it — everything is fresh and organic (and you taste that too!) so yes, I will be coming back but maybe come enjoy a meal after payday ;)

I am an omnivore, I LOVE MEAT and I LOVE VEGGIES to go with my meat. Mary’s Secret Garden is another place that really surprised me. Their faux meat dishes were incredibly tasty and the texture of the protein was so satisfying. I really didn’t miss the meat or dairy that wasn’t in my meal.
I’ve had their burger and their chicken sandwich, both as lettuce wraps (not because of the carbs thing, but because I’m yeast intolerant) and it was filling and not too messy. Their tofu pad thai is also quite impressive as is the burrito bowl, which I HIGHLY recommend. Their desserts are always insane, rich, and satisfying. They’re famous for the chocolate peanut butter cupcake. They often run out of this so if they have it, get it ala mode. They make a delightful coconut milk vanilla bean ice cream that compliments it nicely.