Good food with a very comfortable atmosphere with an open invitation to come back which I am sure we will

I try to be as selective as possible when it comes to five-star reviews. But some places make it tough or easy for me to place that rating when uploading my reviews. This is one of those easy places. I almost stumbled upon the kitchen's entrance but I was kindly guided to the right path with some chuckles. The place inside is simple yet manages to catch your glare and attention to see every detail and every leaf on their plants...that you can buy!. The concept of order is kept simple as well. Pick your plate and sit down anticipating the unique taste that comes from vegetarian dishes. I left a happy customer once I got to taste those tacos you see in my image. Hidden but not for long. Enjoy and support the cause. Provecho! read more

Mustard Seed Cafe - Al Pastor (vegetarian) - Cafes Near Me - El Paso, Texas

This place is run by volunteers and food is very good. Pls give a large donation when you eat there. They help many people in need

Everything about the Mustard Seed Cafe makes me so happy! This cafe - open for lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (12/11/2013) - is an pay as you can afford establishment. IT'S SO COOL THAT WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY CAFE HERE IN ELP! The current location is in a church gymnasium which has been impressively furnished and decorated to feel homey, bright, and welcoming. You can read more about their mission, etc. when you visit or on their website. How this pay as you can afford thing works: There's a suggested donation for each menu item and you're welcome to pay as much as you can afford or leave extra as a donation. You can also volunteer to earn a meal token. I was lucky to attend their soft opening and sample almost everything from their first menu (there will be a creative new meal each week). The ingredients were fresh and the chef explained that all ingredients are local if possible, There were also vegan-friendly options. Some dishes I sampled were a homemade mac 'n cheese, apricot and ricotta pizza (not my taste, but my friend liked this sweet twist on pizza), a fresh salad loaded with veggies (I had figs for the first time, yum!), pumpkin soup, and a spinach dish with bacon (my favorite). I'm sad to say that I missed trying the vegan chili that the "meat-loving" waitor raved about. Apologizes for not having the artistic ability to beautifully describe these dishes like the chef would be able to do! You'll have to check this place out for yourself. The chef goes by Chef Roman and he was very welcoming when he stopped by our table. I highly suggest stopping by for lunch. The Mustard Seed Cafe is a beautiful gift for El Paso, and a wonderful (& healthy) treat to your taste buds!! BITTERSWEET: The menu changes every week so if you love what you ordered.. you have three days (W-F) to enjoy. read more

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Such a cool concept and an appropriately named business! Kudos, Mustard Seed, for not being afraid to do something relatively unheard of in a city that has a pretty cut-throat restaurant community (only because EP has so many new restaurants it's hard to set yourself apart from the pack). Regardless, I'm a huge fan of MSC! A few weeks ago Jason J put together a UYE at Mustard Seed and of course I immediately jumped on board. Driving up, I found myself in a pretty packed church parking lot which is pretty surprising for the lunch hour during the week...I knew immediately the food was worth the drive. Locating the entrance to MSC was effortless which is kind of mind-boggling for me now because I can't remember if there were even signs or I just made an assumption. Either way, you'll wind up in the right place with ease. We were greeted by a sweet lady who let us know where the line starts. The options, oh the options! Mabel S told me about this place a while back and she wasn't wrong...you do want to order everything because you may never have the chance again since the menu rotates every week. I ended up getting the shrimp salad in a pita pocket, kettle cooked BBQ chips, the vegan chili, a delicious cookie and the Strawberry-Basil water. I may also have snagged some of the chicken salad off someone's plate too and surprisingly loved it. I think the mixture of apple-goodness took chicken salad from a one note dish to something magnificent! Loved, loved, loved the homemade kettle chips! We got a batch that was a little soft, but after a few minutes they hardened right up and were also a great snack when I got home. The vegan chili is definitely a dish that should be there every week! Simply tasty with a warmth that was more than just a temperature. The shrimp salad was quite good, but strangely enough I think I prefer the chicken salad (strange for me since I typically am not a fan of chicken). The Strawberry-Basil water was stronger on the Basil side, but infused water is my jam so I'll be trying the week's infused water every time I'm there. I think what has me so infatuated with MSC is the fact that this establishment isn't about the church, it's about the community. Pay as you can, no one is turned away, everyone eats! MSC is making a difference in the community one plate at a time. And if anything I can say this establishment takes "practice what you preach" to a whole other level. read more

Mustard Seed Cafe - BBQ Kettle Potato Chips - Cafes Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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This place is just fantastic. Great staff (volunteers), pay what you can, clean, open and inviting. From the little girl who held the door open for us to the volunteers greeting us and explaining the process. (We already knew...hey we're Yelpers) but I asked questions and pimped out Yelp several times. I talked to the chef and he said he would need to check out Yelp because several people said they found thr Mustard Seed through it. MABEL is to blame :) I went when it was a Mediterranean week, and everything was great except for one item and I knew that it was an acquired taste but went for it anyways. Great food, people, prices, mission...what more can you ask for? read more

What a great concept. Everybody eats. No one is sent away hungry. Menu prices are just a suggestion. You pay what you want or can. Can't pay? OK do a little working for your food. Can't work? You still eat.Are you blessed? Then pay forward for someone else. This Is a non profit, volunteer staffed cafe that serves excellent food. My chicken tortilla soup was the best I've ever had. Loaded baked potato was good too and dessert is an "everything" cookie. They have a nice fresh salad bar and infused waters. Vegans will be very happy here. So will carnivores. Menu changes weekly so come often to try everything. Update Nov 23, 2016 Pre Thanksgiving meal day with baked ham, sides and the most incredible white chocolate pumpkin mousse for dessert. What a wonderful meal on a beautiful day. MSC is an awesome non profit. It is a Christian ministry that practices way more than they preach. I would eat lunch here every day if I could. You should too. read more

The food here is delicious and a very nice concept. Everyone eats, the prices are reasonable, the food is healthy, donate more if you can, and if you can't pay you can always volunteer some of your time for a meal. My mother runs a non-profit and she's the one that invited me to visit this place. The visit provided me a wonderful opportunity to meet volunteers in the community. I found them to be incredible, and chatting with them just added to the experience. The process is very simple, you come in, handed a menu, pick what you want, grab a drink and enjoy your food. There are a variety of tables to sit at, and rather than sit at an empty table, my mother and I were invited to someone else's the table. We got to meet some new people and just chat away. I think it is definitely a one of a kind experience that people should try out. Once your done eating you hand your menu cards to the cashier and she charges you. Each time I've gone I'm told pay what you can. I pay whatever price the meal was at and normally an extra $10 or $20 for charity. It was a great experience. Although if you go on pizza day you better get there early, it goes fast. I also recommend that if you are in a hurry and always rush for lunch, this may not be the place for you. read more

Mustard Seed Cafe - Mustard Seeds Cafe - Where the food is healthy and delicious. - Cafes Near Me - El Paso, Texas

I haven't been to this establishment but have heard wonderful things about their mission. What a beautiful display of love for our brothers and sisters read more

What a wonderful thing! Pay what you can, pay more if you're able, or donate your time! Delicious veggie soup and for a good cause! Very cool! read more

A charming place to eat with a slogan: Everyone Eats. This place has much going for it in addition to the food, which includes choices classified as Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Vegan. There's something for everyone! Housed in a large community room (there is a stage at one end) of a Christian Church and filled with mismatched tables and chairs, this airy, carpeted dining room accommodates two-tops to large groups. Helpful, friendly volunteers will explain to first-timers like us: pay what you can, pay the recommended price, pay it forward for someone else, or come in early and volunteer for an hour, then eat free. The menu changes from week to week, and features some vegetables from their onsite garden plot. A recent visit yielded mushroom tacos (with a salsa bar) and greens picked that day. There are always vegan choices (happy me!), in addition to fare for the more omnivorous. Today they offered shredded brisket tacos and turkey albondigas soup. Prices range from $4.75 for a large salad to $3.25 on down per course. Two of us dined for $11.10, but we skipped all the extra calories of brown rice horchata, fruit cup, and split a small salad. Pretty good deal! read more

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I swear I've posted this review before... But I guess not. This place is a local nonprofit, raising money for the starving in Mexico and the community. They have a wonderful payment method: pay what you can. If you can pay full price or more, do so, if you can pay less, that's okay. If you can't pay, volunteer for an hour, and they'll give you a meal. The menu changes each week, but they always have vegetarian options. When they began, the menu was a bit more eclectic. The chef who use to be at Cafe Central decided to make it more accessible. There has never been anything I haven't liked. Must tries: burgers, pizza and hummus. Also, if you get a chance take a peek at the garden. Tis amazing, tis. read more

How could you not give this place 5 stars?! It's a wonderful place and as you walk in, you can feel the positive energy all around you. I came with my group of English students and we were immediately greeted by a very nice lady who is from Columbia and who volunteers there. She explained the philosophy of the mustard seed cafe to us and showed us even the garden. The garden is very nice. Various volunteers were introduced to us and explained what they plant where, and we even saw the first butterfly. The greens that are planted in the garden will later on be on you plate and everything is organic. They don't use pesticides but combine plants together so the combination (eg garlic withy lettuce) keeps away the bugs. Back inside we looked at the menu and my students chose all kinda of dishes. I just had the banana cookie and homemade pink lemonade and it was very yummi. My students' food was fresh, healthy and tasty and almost every dish (except the BBQ or cookie) is vegan. I really like how open the mustard seed cafe is, and how colorful! There are children's paintings on the walls and it's a combination of seating areas with different chairs and tables. I assume everything came from donations, and this is also their concept of how you pay. Their philosophy is: "Everyone eats." And so if someone doesn't have enough money, they can work before the cafe opens at 11am, so let's say they help out in the garden for 1-2h and then they can enjoy their meal "with dignity", as the nice Colombian lady explained to us. They suggest the prices to you but if you don't have enough on you, you can choose to pay less - or if you want to support them pay a little more. I really liked the mustard seed cafe and it's a great place also for children. You saw all kinda of people coming in - business men as well as elderly and young people/ students. A great place that promotes the humanitarian & organic lifestyle read more

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It's a noble concept, and a unique way to give back to the community, which earns it some stars. I've only been here once, and because it's all volunteers and the menu changes weekly, you may have a different experience each visit. First off, a good portion of our short lunch hour was consumed by a nice volunteer that greeted us at the door and wanted to give us the grand tour. She was a sweet women, but we went out of way to have lunch here and didn't have a lot of time to chat (only an hour for lunch with travel time). Everything is "al a carte" and prices are $2 - $4 per item, and I felt the portions were very small. My meal was around $8 (I left $10, it's charity), for a single (small) bone-in chicken thigh in mole sauce, a very small portion of calabacitas (like 4 or 5 thin slices), another very small side (can't remember what it was- maybe a green salad), and a glass of ice tea. Everyone in my party had about the same thing, and we all left hungry, except one who went back for a second round and dropped a $20. As for the food, it was just okay. Based on my experience, it's a great way to make a contribution to a good cause and get something in return, but it's not the best place have a meal if your hungry. read more

Amazing place with very big hearted people. We loved volunteering here and look forward to coming again. I love what they are doing for the community. read more

Mustard Seed Cafe - The garden we volunteered to take care of. - Cafes Near Me - El Paso, Texas

When I walked into the cafe, my spirits were immediately lifted. Everyone who works here is so friendly, welcoming, and inspiring. The food was fresh and healthy, and we got to meet the chef. Amazing community effort and we all left so happy we visited. read more

Mustard Seed Cafe - Turkey burger with cheese and tatziki sauce, side salad, "everything" cookie - Cafes Near Me - El Paso, Texas

This place is such a surprise. A truly hidden gem where fresh local ingredients shine in creative and delicious food. When hearing about the concept of a Pay as you can cafe, I envisioned a bleak soup kitchen style line where grumpy servers slopped mystery mash on your tray. Nothing could be further from the truth. This really is a place for EVERYONE to come and enjoy amazing food. The ambiance is warm and friendly, and they even have free wi fi. El Paso is lucky to have it. read more

Stopped here for lunch based off of the location and Yelp star rating. We were pleasantly surprised to see that this place is so much more than just a cafe. Super friendly staff/volunteers! And the food (pulled pork sandwhich and tortilla soup) was also delicious! Great place to stop for a bite to eat and you can also give back to the community while your at it. :) read more

This place is amazing!! For one...the food is spectacular. Secondly, what this place is doing to improve and promote humanity speaks for itself when you go there to meet the people. All I have to say is go and see. I'll be back every time in visit El Paso read more

This place was outstanding! The food was super healthy but did not taste like it. Blew my mind although I was skeptical at first.

The concept is refreshing. Menu changes every week. You pay what you can and/or you can volunteer. Definitely different. Not your average restaurant. read more

great!!!!!! super cool concept, cute restaurant and nice people

So impressed with this place! !! Fresh ingredients, artisan and gourmet recipes. ... The caliber of food here is impressive and the mission behind the restaurant is inspiring! read more

Love this place... definitely a wonderful surprise. The food is gourmet all the way. Melt in your mouth type of food. Chef Roman Wilcox truly is doing amazing work - they have their own gardens and use everything they grow. It is amazingly healthy and good for you. El Paso needed a place like this. When I eat there, not only am I loving my meal... but I feel like I am somehow paying it forward. Definitely check it out! YUM! read more