Although not a true vegan by any stretch, I love the idea of healthy eating...especially when visiting Austin. I had read all the glowing reviews of CDL and decided to ck it out. Not a TOTAL disappointment but.... almost. Already knowing the "pay first" drill, that was not a shock. Not being able to find a place to sit, kinda was. Since it was 103 outside, the idea was not too appealing. But I plunked down the way overpriced $14/pp Sunday Bufett total and decided to stay positive...or try. There is little or no service expectation here so don't think you will be catered to. First, the only drinking vessels were coffee mugs...seems they were out of glasses.....oh and apparenly one cant get ice here.? Odd. Nothing like lukewarm tea in a glass. I guess im just not an extreme vegan or health nut. Dont even think of looking for sugar. :) The food was decent and consisted of salad, greens, and rice, soup. I wanted to get a glass of water later...oops...no glasses ....again. I know people love this place, but I can't say that I'll return. Just not for me. At $14 a head for some warm tea, greens, pinto beans and to sit in the heat....I think I got burned out :(

I'd give this place one star if I could, but Happy Cow doesn't allow it.

The approach to the cafeteria is pretty, but that's really the only good thing about Casa de Luz.

Food is unimaginative macrobiotic slop. Flavors are dull and the textures are awful. If you go in aware of macrobiotic food's arbitrary restrictions and aversion to seasoning, you might think it's okay, but if you've ever been to a halfway decent vegan restaurant and are expecting something worthy of the inexplicable accolades this cultish cafeteria somehow collects, you're going to be very disappointed.

I think the place coasts mostly on hippie nostalgia; I'm pretty sure eating here in the early 2000s turned me off veganism enough to delay my own choice to go animal-product-free by several years. The contrast between the barely passable food and the conviction of its defenders made me think bland piles of beans and greens were as good as vegan food gets. It's not even filling. More than once I've encountered disappointed post-meal Casa de Luz customers at the downtown Whole Foods looking for something to fill up the corners. Casa de Luz allows seconds, but why do that to yourself?

Non-vegans: please don't judge veganism by this place. It's a time capsule of the worst '90s stereotypes about vegan food. Vegan cuisine has come a long way since mushy beans and soggy kale were mainstays.

This place was once a great Austin vegan venue. When I entered the restaurant to order, the woman at the front cashier kiosk said she was volunteering for her son who was the owner and was too tired to work.

The whole kitchen was more like a cantina style
restaurant with workers dishing up the food in a sweat shop style kitchen and none of the food was good.

It was completely different from the former Casa de Luz and other patrons had the same concerns. I could not finish the plate - it was like slop- sweet potatoes, rice and a really awful tofu dish.

It was very different from the buffet style Casa De Liuz which always had very excellent vegan fare. Really sad that this treasure was bought out. Definitely avoid.