Casa de Luz Village — Restaurant in Austin

We came from Los Angeles to visit my girlfriend's older brother in San Antonio last weekend. She has been a vegetarian for 8 years and most of the places we'd visited in Austin and San Antonio didn't have many options for her besides a side salad or fries. So while walking at Zilker Metropolitan Park we googled vegetarian restaurants and this one had very good reviews and their menu looked fine and she approved. Well I don't know why they have such good reviews if they are extremely rude and not helpful and not welcoming. First of all, we had to park down the street and pay for parking since there wasn't any at the actual location. We walk in and ask how this place works. The tall male at the register said counting the money at his register so we had to dine in and basically not bother him. We already felt like leaving. We asked how it would work if we wanted to take a meal to go and he basically just showed us the menu and said that those are the only items they are serving today and we would have to go and get our own plates and cups and utensils. So we walked over to where this stuff is and asked the ladies making food that we want to take an order to go. They looked confused and asked if we had a to go box and we said no, that the male at the counter didn't give us one. So there we go walking back to the counter to ask the rude man for a to go box and he said it was going to be 2 bucks. So we gave him the 2 bucks and walked back towards the ladies that were serving food. We told them we now had a box and were ready to get our meal to go. Then they looked at us puzzled and asked if the male had given us little containers for the salad and soup. At that point me and my girlfriend were raging mad. If this man knew we had bought a to go box to get food TO GO then why didn't he provide us with the other containers we needed?? My gf was no longer hungry and wanted to leave as soon as possible. So we walked back towards the man, threw his to go box onto his counter and rudely said "thank you for your service." Talk about not feeling welcome and just being provided the worst service ever. Since the beginning when we walked in, he looked at us differently and was very short. Okay maybe we didn't look like the other people dining there or maybe he assumed that since we have brown skin, we aren't worthy of eating at this upscale vegetarian place?? Well f that. Don't go here. Because I know we never will revisit. Thankfully we are back in LA and my gf's favorite vegetarian restaurants are...

Love this place! From the moment you walk in through the bamboo grove with sparking twinkling lights it feels special. You can sit inside or outside. There were a few mosquitoes so we opted to sit indoors. The place has a friendly buzzy vibe and I find myself people watching as much as looking at the place. Inside is a mini food and book store. Very friendly welcome as you enter. You pay up front $12 a plate. Salad soup and main meal. Self service for the soup and salad. The main meal will be delivered to your table. Also there is a serve yourself bar for cool hibiscus or mint drink or twig or roibos tea which you can refill. I've been here twice and it's simple healthy food. Beans, lightly steamed veggies, seaveggies, brown rice, everything with a delicious taste. I often eat more spicy food but I love the natural lightly spiced foods which have been cooked in away to preserve their nutrients. Always too much for me to finish! I feel nourished and satisfied after the meal. There is a sweet bar which is extra. It's an experience and it's easy to just stay and read and relax after a meal. No pressure to vacate your seats. They also offer Yoga and Tai chi classes in the hall and massage. A Gem! I feel so good after eating here, the food is prepared so consciously and with love my cells feel vibrant and alive! The ambiance is really special, not at all pretentious or intimidating, just a friendly, welcoming feel. Thankyou to all the staff for your dedication, love and care in creating this beautiful place! Next time I'll add photos of the food and the inside area...

I have been to Casa De Luz a few times now and was pleased with my prior experiences. However, my last experience was terrible. I have food allergies so when I come to the establishment, I always make sure to check the menu that is usually detailed and accurate. This particular day they said they had lentil soup along with some other things (can't really remember the entire menu that day). When I got my soup, it was clearly not lentil, but some summer squash soup instead (which was delicious). I didn't think that the rest of the menu would have some errors too. I ate everything and after taking one bite of something that was NOT listed, I suffered anaphylaxis shock. I spent the evening in the emergency room (not my idea of date night.) We tried calling and leaving a voicemail, and emailing a week later. It has been 3 weeks now and after several more attempts we've yet to receive anything at all. I'm not expecting a free meal, cause quite frankly I'd rather not eat there ever again. A simple apology and caution needs to be taken on their part. My husband and I drove from an hour and a half away to support them because we know everything that they're going through with the city ordinance from Austin. Casa De Luz, this was a major faux pas on your part. Since you're under some serious scrutiny from the city right now I would highly recommend that you take your patrons...