Unique. Truly. An experience: serene, friendly, delicious, and mind-opening. Considering how rarely I'm in Durango, I really can hardly wait to go back. read more

Feels like a hidden garden in someone's back yard. Lovely shade. Real food! Very limited days and hours so be sure to check. read more

Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Durango, Colorado

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Outstanding healthy and delicious vegan and gluten free lunch Tuesday and Friday only. Set menu - The day I was there they had a buckwheat crust melt in your mouth pizza, beautiful salad, yummy carrot soup, and outstanding apricot dessert. I also got kombucha, mallow cashew ice cream, ginger snaps, wild greens powder, and macaroons. Lovely indoor and outdoor garden seating. read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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Where to start with this hidden gem. First, it's wonderful to find a place that serves whole-food plant based/ vegan food. You don't always find good quality vegan food as some restaurants will claim. When you arrive you find a place to sit and you will be served whatever the chef creates that day. Very cool idea as you will be getting what's in season and some unique dishes. My partner who has just recently become plant based (& doesn't have a big veggie pallet yet) loved the food so much that when we got home tried to recreate one of the soups. I wish this place was in the Dallas area as I would be a regular! Look forward to visiting Durango and coming back to eat here. read more

This was simply one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. I am so grateful they happened to be open when I was in town. The food was incredibly nourishing and the atmosphere was full of character, kindness and compassion. read more

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. read more

Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe - Banana Strawberry Sundae (with house-made banana ice "cream" and granola) - Vegan Near Me - Durango, Colorado

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

My mother and I had the most beautiful lunch at Turtle Lake. Everything had so much intention into it. Our meal started with an Apple mint wheatgrass juice served the most adorable staff of volunteers which included kids. I absolutely love the fact that they are getting kids excited about food and healthy living. We then had a plate with gazpacho, cabbage taco and salad. I am still day dreaming about all the simple yet complex flavors. I cannot wait to go back! read more

Turtle Lake Refuge Cafe - Vegan cabbage taco, gazpacho & microgreen salad - Vegan Near Me - Durango, Colorado

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

This is an amazing, tucked away place that offers amazing food, great service, friendly staff, and total transparency. The food is all raw, and is super fresh, some of it harvested right there, and is super inexpensive. This place is a must. read more

This place was super sweet, it was not what I expected. They pick the food for you and course it out, everything is raw which I did not know. It was all delicious, because everything is raw the soup was room temperature and took a little getting used to but besides that it was super yummy. Afterwards you pay by donation $10 to $15 is the suggested amount. I left $15, my server was amazing, and I will definitely be coming back. read more