Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe

    4.5 (13 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Order Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    TURTLE LAKE REFUGE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Classy
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Front of the Cafe
    Dr. Cija E.

    What a beautiful and refreshing experience we had at the Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe today! This is one spot I didn't want to miss while visiting the area we look forward to moving to soon! Great spread today! Love all the staff and locals we spoke to today! We also got to enjoy petting the furry friends there visiting as well! Great experience! Love the mission and purpose! Many Thanks!! ~ Dr. Cija Ebeling, Ph.D.

    Madeline S.

    My girlfriend and I were visiting Durango from San Antonio, TX and were delighted to find this gem of a spot. So often do we find ourselves questioning the source of our food and how it's prepared (especially as it relates to food allergens such as gluten, animal byproducts, refined/processed sugars, unproductive oils, etc.) but here we did not have to. Open Tuesdays and Fridays from 11:11 AM-2:22 PM, we walked around to their back patio (twice!), sat down, and were presented with beautifully pre-determined fresh meals consisting of a beverage, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert for a suggested donation of $15. They have select merchandise available for purchase and treats available onsite and at Durango Natural Foods Co-op. This is a great option for the health-conscious/gluten-free/vegan/raw and I look forward to coming back! Pictured are two of the meals we had. The first consisted of a pineapple wheatgrass ginger juice, a lemon mellow root soup, a salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a veggie pesto, and a coconut fig bar. The second consisted of a wheatgrass juice, a creamy shiitake nettle soup, a fresh salad with a sesame dressing, cabbage tacos, and a banana chia pudding.

    Banana Strawberry Sundae (with house-made banana ice "cream" and granola)

    Lovely gem a short walk from downtown Durango, in a residential neighborhood. All food served is both vegan and raw. The food is fresh, healthy and pleasing -- cleansing even. The location is the back of a residence. On this summer day, tables were set up outside on the patio, in the shade, next to an herb garden. The ambiance was relaxing and peaceful. It's an interesting concept. There's a set menu that changes each day, and all guests are served the entire set menu for the day: a green juice, a salad, a soup, an entree, and a dessert. The "suggested donation" for this complete meal is $15 plus tip. Given the freshness of the food, I think it's worth that. The challenge is to remember that it's only open two days a week for lunch, and you may not be able to know what you'll be getting until you arrive since they don't seem to update their social media with the menus regularly. When I visited, they served a comfrey-wheatgrass lemonade, green salad with lemon vinaigrette (lettuce picked that same morning), a cold parsley-zucchini soup with cashew cream, and a nori roll stuffed with seeds, mircogreens, and topped with an orange sauce (which reminded me of an citrus salsa), and a banana-strawberry sundae. The high points for me were the nori rolls and the sundae. The nori rolls were absolutely delicious, due to the sauce. They were flavorful, well-seasoned and savory. The sundae consisted of house-made vegan banana "ice cream" with fresh granola and whole strawberries -- it was fantastic on a hot day, with a nice crunch from the granola topping. It was a real treat! The soup was interesting and refreshing -- very mild, but just a tad bland. It felt like a palette cleanser between the salad and main course. I'd have also liked a little more tangy bite in the salad dressing, but it was okay, and the just-picked greens were delightful--the barely-there dressing allowed the freshness to shine through.

    Vegan cabbage taco, gazpacho & microgreen salad

    See all

    Photo of D P.
    10
    78
    20

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    A hidden gem. Delicious food that makes the body and mind feel good. I always leave feeling relaxed and content.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    unless you like vinegar and everything tastes the same and little kids wander around and touch everything... well, I'll pass. I tried.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe

    Review Highlights - Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe

    Where to start with this hidden gem.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Vegan 237 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    College Cafe - Pancakes

    College Cafe

    4.4(291 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $

    Did takeout one day and then went to the restaurant the next day…read more The service is great. So warm and friendly. It's a cute spot and not very big. When we ordered takeout, we got the chx fried steak, an omelet, biscuits and gravy and some fresh fruit. All of it was good. When we went into the restaurant, we ordered a BLAT (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato), biscuits and gravy and a scramble. Everyone was happy with their choices! Good portions and tasty food. Check them out!

    Waited 35 minutes as a party of one just to get seated. After finally getting a table, I ordered a…read morewater, which came out literally warm. Then I sat there for another 10 minutes and nobody even came back to take my food order, so I finally got up and left. The service was incredibly inattentive and the staff seemed like they couldn't care less. I initially put my name on the waitlist with one of the employees, and when I came back in later to check where I was on the list, the same person didn't even seem to know who I was or remember putting my name down. There only appeared to be a couple people working, and the entire experience felt disorganized from beginning to end. I was really looking forward to having breakfast here based on the reviews, but after 45+ minutes between waiting and sitting at the table without even getting to place a food order, I'd had enough. Warm water was just the icing on the cake. Extremely disappointing experience. I walked out and will not be back.

    Photos
    College Cafe - Dining area

    Dining area

    College Cafe - Chorizo scramble with Diced Green Chilies, Homefries and tortillas (flour). 8.30.2025

    Chorizo scramble with Diced Green Chilies, Homefries and tortillas (flour). 8.30.2025

    College Cafe - Place

    See all

    Place

    Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe - vegan - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...