Pura Vida Bakery & Bystro

Came here for brunch with a friend while we were here for a conference. We shared a tofu scramble and stack of pancakes with bananas on the side.
There was so much food! And everything was absolutely delicious. I was disappointed that they didn’t have any coffee. That’s the only reason I didn’t give 5 stars. Excellent staff and fantastic service.
The food was super filling and we had to leave behind a few pancakes because we just couldn’t cram down anymore.
If you are vegan and in the area, absolutely go pay them a visit. Don’t be fooled by the exterior of the place. Trust me, your tummy and your conscience will thank you.

Came here for lunch on Thanksgiving eve about an hour before they were to close.
The chef (who we did not know at that time) told us right when we walked in that there was a limited menu and our server would let us know what. We ordered only to have the chef come out and insist that we needed to get the pastry puff. She sold it well so we agreed.
The food was excellent! Beautiful flavors and made well. Here’s what we had:
1. Chili + empanadas
2. Burrito
3. Pastry dish
4. Raspberry lemonade
Because we agreed to order one extra dish we had not planned to but believed her about the goodness of the dish we ended up having to take home so much food and had no room for dessert. Everything tasted great though.
We had plans to visit another place for dessert but chef Mayra was very «hard sell» about having dessert or buying a pie. I would agree with reviewer Molly from Berkeley. She needs to chill and let her food do the talking. One chef visit was good, coming back a second time was overkill. Suggestion: They should have a «chef’s favorites» or «chef’s recommendations» listed so diners know what food to order rather than have the chef come out.
Would recommend this place for the food and service but the chef visits needs to be toned down to make it a more un-​coerced dining experience.

This was one of the best Vegan meals I’ve ever had.
Truly, this is gourmet, fresh, high-​quality fair the kind I never thought I’d find in Las Vegas.
I’m an avid Unilocaler. I read primarily the negative comments to see how perceptions and expectations should be set prior to going anywhere so that I always have the best possible time.
The negative reviews of this place all speak to the delicious food. And it is. Well worth any need to adjust your expectations to have an experience like this.
Chef Mayra is a wonderful passionate experienced practitioner of the culinary arts and you will reap the rewards of that level of quality if you are willing to align yourself with the decorum and respect this level of the art demands.
Keep up the great work Chef!
We’ll be back to LV to experience more of your seasonal deliciousness sometime soon.

The food was awesome, the prices were high, the experience was dramatic and stressful. I walked in with my girlfriend, my mom and my dad right at 9:00 when they opened on Sunday. We were told that since we didn’t make reservations to take a card and make reservations next time.(I tried to call them at 8:30 to make reservations that morning but there was no answer). The chef was pretty stressed that we had no reservations but she reluctantly sat us in the «VIP» area.
There was one other table of people eating when we sat down. A few more tables came in while we were eating but it never got full so I didn’t get the whole reservation thing.
The first thing out of the mouth of our waitress was, «let me tell you what we don’t have». Not the best way to start. After a loooong and confusing explanation of what we could and could not order, we decided on a few things.
The food took a while but when it came out it was awesome. Really fresh and super yummy. The chef came over to talk to us at one point about animals and why we shouldn’t eat them. I’m vegan. I get it. I respect her passion and generally like quirky, eccentric people but my advice would be to take it down a notch and chill.
Everything is going to be alright.

Compassion.
I’m a regular here and I can not believe my review has disappeared or has gotten removed.
I will not a novel about how wonderful my sweetie Chef Mayra is… I’ll just say that she is a wonderful person that does a lot for our community and it committed to serving only the highest quality of compassionate foods. 100% vegan and she offers GF.
Make reservations, looks at my photos, look at all the Unilocal photos, check out her website and FB pages.
Just go here, relax, and eat.
Empanadas…iced coffee… pancakes…wraps…salads…Rooibos tea… those are just some of my favs!
Oh and she makes the best salsa (has beans in it and it’s slightly warm) I have ever had in my whole life!

This is a tough one.
After reading through all the other reviews more thoroughly *after* my experience, I was glad to see that I’m not crazy and that my experience wasn’t unique.
My boyfriend and I arrived at 1:30pm on a Saturday. My mistake — I thought they were open until 2:00pm as per the Unilocal app, but the Chef vigorously and almost frantically informaed us that they closed at 1:45pm, therefore they only had 5 items available. We mentioned that that was fine since we only had an hour anyway since we were headed to the airport. This invoked another frantic explanation about how she needed TIME to prepare the food and couldn’t be RUSHED. This whole encounter was stressing me out…
I asked if we could get anything to go and she pointed out some vegan cupcakes then mentioned she could get us some chili! Awesome! Chili it is! We ordered two servings of chili to go.
We sat down at an empty table to wait for our chili. There was only one other couple in the restaurant and they appeared to be done with their meal — i.e. no plates or silverware, enjoying coffee. We continued to wait.
After about 10 minutes I stood up to clarify our order with the guy behind the register. We ordered chili to-​go, right? The guy called out to inquire about the status of the chili and the Chef burst out of the kitchen saying, yes, you ordered it to go, right? Right? I’m preparing it to go. Right? That’s what I understood. To go!
The whole experience was just kind of bizarre. And dramatic. And borderline rude.
Not to mention that while we we waiting a group of four came in. They got the same frantic explanation about the limited menu. They chose to sit down. They made the mistake of bringing in outside drinks (iced coffees). Now, while I was waiting I spied the signs about outside drinks not being allowed. I then watched the chef approach the table and just take the drinks from the customers and put them in the garbage. No verbal explanation. No, «Hey, would you like to finish that? We don’t allow outside drinks.» She just took them from the customers and threw them away. REALLY? The customers were kind of playing along with the drama, but you could tell that that action was a direct hit.
Finally the two 16 oz containers of chili come out. Yay! Then he rings me up. $ 10 per serving? I’m sorry, that seems high to me. $ 21.62 for two medium sized containers to go? Whatever, just give me my food.
And now onto the food! The one thing I ordered. It was a pumpkin, squash, black bean chili. It was excellent! The mixture was seasoned really well, the flavors and textures were well combined… it was some of the best vegan chili I’ve ever had!
I really wanted to have a great experience. The cool, divey exterior, the photos of adopted turkeys on the walls, the fact it was a fully-​vegan shop… but I didn’t. And honestly, I don’t think I would go back.
Footnote: as we were leaving and getting ready to pull out of the parking lot, the group of four has decided to leave as well. I don’t blame them.

Honestly, I don’t know how anyone could give this place less than 5 stars. I am a New York City vegan; I’m surrounded by many vegan restaurants here in the Big Apple. I have also traveled across the U.S. sampling vegan cuisine. And honestly, this place just about tops them all. (Note: Karen’s On The Green in Chicago — actually any of Karen’s restaurants in Chicago — is amazing too!)
The food here is magnificent AND ethical. Everything Chef Mayra makes is wonderful, purchased locally, and carefully crafted (she’s a food artist).
My partner & I were only in Las Vegas for two full days together. And on both days we ate here. It’s THAT good. We ordered almost everything on the menu. We had the bean dip w nachos, cupcakes, empanadas, waffles, cinnamon raisin french toast, poblano salad, tofu eggs, and more (I can’t recall the exact name of everything, there was a lot). And ALL of it was delicious.
A word of warning: Chef Mayra’s «Signature Dishes» (there are a few on the menu) are just that, her «signature» dish — she will not make changes to it. But don’t worry, after ordering two of these dishes we understood why, they are great!
Plus, when things slowed down I got a chance to meet and speak with Chef Mayra. She explained to me about how she got started (she was always a chef), gave me some cooking pointers, and encouraged my love of vegan-​ism. I left this place feeling inspired. IMO, Pura Vida is worth checking out. Enjoy!

This vegan restaurant is still located in a less than desirable section of town and the furnishings are second hand store quality, but we were here for the food. Our server again attempted to up sell us on an appetizer, but we learned from past experience that the quantity of food served is too much for us.
My wife ordered the Sexy short stack — organic flour pancakes made with cinnamon & real vanilla. It was billed as having vegan maple syrup whatever that is plus lots of seasonal fruit which turned out to be over ripe bananas. I fared no better with Tha’ Waffle — a big waffle that I upgraded with seasonal fruit (same overripe bananas) and a dollop of whipped cream for $ 1 — heavy and tasteless. Both the server and kitchen were on «don’t worry, be happy» time, so it took awhile for our orders to arrive. Prices are high and this meal proved to be disappointing on several levels.

VEGAN-​SCHMEGAN — It’s delicious!
I had breakfast at this little joint two Fridays in a row. Suzy H. is a fan, so I know it’s got to be good. For my first visit, I was wowed by the vegan marble waffle, which was covered with strawberries, bananas, chocolate chips, and chocolate sauce – this is vegan? Sign me up! The dish came with a side of tofu scramble, but just too much food for me to eat alone. I ate half the waffle and two bites of the scramble. Along with breakfast burritos made with veggies, vegan cheese, tofu, etc., the menu for breakfast is also loaded with a lot of sweet stuff, which was surprising to me. Among other things, there is French Toast, short stacks of pancakes, waffles, and dark choco waffles, many of the dishes served with fresh fruit. This is a tiny place and it feels like being in Chef Mayra’s kitchen, really. She’s the half Lebanese/​half Cuban/​vegan cheerleader/​owner/​chef and this is her little kingdom. And, it is a small space – if you want to dine here with a party of five or more, you should call to reserve a table. Chef Mayra is a warm, friendly soul who greeted us and also served us our meals and chatted for a bit.
My second visit, I went with the Sexy Short Stack, pancakes made with organic flour, cinnamon, vanilla and banana with vegan maple syrup to drizzle over it. This serving was more realistic for one person to finish and I almost did-​hah!
Give this place a try for some healthy food made with love served by a chef who champions the vegan cause, but also just wants you to have a wonderful culinary experience every time.

Items ordered:
Trader Joes Organic Coffee
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
French Toast with Cocoa drizzle, syrup, bananas
Chocolate Waffle with Bananas, Chocolate Chips, Syrup
Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding in Cider Sauce
I am neither vegan nor vegetarian and the concept of tofu made into meat-​like-​product generally disgusts me, but with that said I do harbor a soft spot for high quality baked goods and breakfasts — vegan, veg, or otherwise — and perhaps as a result of limited ingredients and a need to innovate or perhaps simply because they use a lot of sugar, great produce, and top notch chocolate and maple syrup my experience over the course of much time and many cities has shown me that restaurants eschewing meats (and sometimes even butter and eggs) tend to produce some really excellent sweets; a fact that led me to Pura Vida for breakfast on Christmas Eve 2012.
Small, well off the strip, and homey/​shabby in a pleasant way that is entirely anti-​Vegas Chef Mayra’s Pura Vida Bakery and Bystro is billed as «Las Vegas’ First & Only 100% Cruelty Free Restaurant!» and with only one server plus Mayra herself running the small space it is certainly not a place to go for a quick bite as wait times for one of the twenty or so seats can top an hour and each dish can take up to an hour to emerge from the kitchen but those with patience (or time to spare) will certainly be rewarded with what I personally consider the best Vegan food I’ve ever tasted — and perhaps the best breakfast in Las Vegas outside of Bouchon.
Setting aside the anti-​meat propaganda (an interesting way to spend your wait time) and focusing solely on the food and service every aspect of my nearly ninety minutes at Pura Vida was excellent — an appetizer of dense banana bread that was easily 50% banana coming first followed by three dishes emerging from the kitchen as they were prepared; the French Toast a bit less custardy than I generally prefer but light and not overly sweet while the chocolate waffle took an entirely different route by arriving entirely over the top; a crispy chocolate disc topped with dark chocolate, perfect bananas, and resting in a pool of maple syrup — a must order, but perhaps something best shared as it ranks amongst the most decadent breakfast dishes I’ve ever tasted.
Truly impressive and not only worth the reservation (or wait time) but also the hassle of getting there from The Strip Pura Vida is a restaurant that stands up for what it believes in and does those things very well. While Veganism may not be a lifestyle for everyone I’m confident to say that Mayra could satisfy any palate if given the chance while the small staff does everything they can for each guest, even going so far as to plate my bread pudding because she noticed I was taking pictures before boxing it up to go, the dense cinnamon bread soaked through with spicy cider and skin-​on apple compote proving a perfect dessert after Lotus of Siam that afternoon.

It’s not often that I drive out of my way for a restaurant. It’s not very often I have time to wait over an hour to eat lunch either. It’s the food at Pura Vida that prompted me to return… pure and simple. If the food wasn’t worthy, there is no way I would have visited for a second time.
My first thought was like «holy disorganization!» The wait was horrendous, service was all over the place, and my smoothie came after I was done eating… It seemed as though the owner was trying to be a waitress, host, chef, and manager all at the same time. The saving grace: the freakin’ grilled cheese was Out-​Of-​This-​World. They don’t even use REAL CHEESE! They use some shit called «DAIYA» which is VEGAN for DELICIOUS… haha.
So, about a year later I see a groupon for Pura Vida… I was debating in my head, like «Yeah the wait is long, but the food is really good.» Let me try it again…
With groupon in hand, I ventured to Pura Vida on a Monday afternoon. I was told the wait would be at least an hour. So we left. I tried the next week… same thing, except they said «Make a reservation.» So we left and made a same day reservation a couple of weeks later.
Pros:
–The food is fantastic. Everything I’ve tasted was seasoned/​spiced very well, not to mention fresh and super unique in its own little vegan ways. Let me remind you, I’m a serious chicken-​eating carnivore, and I was contemplating veganism while chowing down on a «chz» and roasted poblano quesadiila.
Cons
–We waited for an hour for the food to come out. Although, they do warn everyone coming in that the wait will be long, I think they should offer chips or something to munch on so people don’t get hangry.
–They have like 3 menus with no rhyme or reason… When the waitress dropped them off, she proceeded to point out a bunch of food/​drinks that were not available. I’m no expert, but I believe they should have one organized menu. I shouldn’t feel like I’m studying to read a menu.
–My $ 3 lime/​mint water was not worth $ 3.
–No friendly departing words when we left. After a customer just waited an hour to eat at your establishment, and didn’t complain and left a tip… say «Thanks, come again.»
Will I be back? Not anytime soon. I hope these guys figure out how to run smoothly, because they do offer delicious, vegan/​vegetarian food. Plus it’s a small local establishment in the up and coming downtown area and I’d love to see it succeed.

Love love LOVE this place!
The majority of my diet is vegan. Well…“whole food plant based.” There is not any vegan places closer to me, but this one is about 15 minutes away. And I’m so thrilled I finally tried this place!
Vegan is very hard to do… and a lot of people veer from it because some people don’t know how to cook vegan or make it taste great. Chef Mayra is an amazing cook and has such an awesome variety on her menu. Everything is made to order and fresh for that day.
I went here with a friend on Saturday morning for brunch. We had —
Pura Vida Empanadas — filled with vegan meat, cheese and veggies. I don’t even know what the cream sauce was on top… but it was delicious. All very good flavoring with Pico de Galo on the side.
Course 3 brunch sampler– fruit empanadas, tofu scramble, chili potatoes, soy sausages & pancakes with bananas.
The Chili potatoes are amazing. She uses yams in a lot of her cooking too, which I love.
The wheat pancakes are awesome too.
I also had the infused water — Apple Orange kiss of Mango water. Loved it and so refreshing!
The staff is awesome and friendly… as well as the people in the restaurant. It’s just one of those «good vibe» type of places.
Everything was SO good. I cannot wait to go back for more breakfast and lunch items. The Northwest side is DYING for a place like this. I would be eating out all of the time… so maybe it’s a good thing there isn’t one too close to me.

What tempted me to drag my babygirl onto The Deuce, then proceed to walk, nearly a mile to the «wrong side of the tracks» to eat brunch at Pura Vida? The fact it’s the closest all Vegan restaurant to The Strip, is all it took to get me excited. I’m thankful my girl is a trooper because it was totally worth the walk.
Once we arrived starving & tired, the waitress informed us they may not be able to take our order, despite it being more than an hour before closing time. She was nice about it and once she realized we walked all the way there, she offered us water, a comfortable table outside, and told us she would try to fit us in. Ultimately it was up to the chef, who we later learned has a specific system for making each dish individually as it’s ordered, so she knows how long each will take.
We were eating with our eyes, so we ordered the huge combo plate to share, and a tuxedo waffle. There seemed to be confusion between the two waitresses and the chef, as to what she could make for us. She said if she picked our meal, that she could get our meal finished on time. If we picked, she probably couldn’t. My sweetie was adamant that there be waffles & a scramble since that was mostly what we wanted and it appeared throughout the menu.
The waitress returned with a complimentary glass of the most delicious hibiscus concoction I’ve ever had. Sweet, yet not too sweet, with a hint of hibiscus and something else I was unable to distinguish. She also dropped off a bowl of chips and a curious looking chili that she referred to as black bean salsa. Either I was in a fit of ravenous hunger, or that black bean chili dip, was the best chili I’ve ever shoveled into my mouth. It was definitely the best part of the meal and pretty much a meal unto itself. At this point we weren’t sure if they were just giving us a snack to tide us over, or was this the beginning of our chef-​chosen meal?
She ended up making us a semi-​combo plate that was half the size of what we originally ordered. Probably a good thing because any more food would’ve been way too much. The potatoes & tofu scramble were quite good. The only thing I wasn’t feeling was the Tofurkey tasting «sausage». Especially since everything else here appears to be made from scratch. I also slathered what was left of the black bean salsa over everything on the combo plate. It was that good!
Neither of us are fans of chocolate pancakes or waffles, so when the waitress dropped off a large plate of chocolate covered waffles, we shot each other the «WTF look». One bite later, and I was a total convert. I ended up scarfing down the majority of the plate, it was so good without being overly sweet. Hell, I think I may have inadvertently eaten a fruit fly that mistakenly flew into my zone… «Bad Vegan»!
The Empanadas are a must try with their flaky crust, generous amount of spiced filling, topped with a tasty cheezy sauce. It was even good when we ate the rest of it later at the airport. Even the pico de gallo was better than most restaurants around. You can tell lots of L O V E goes into preparing this food.
My only one real complaint other than general lack of organization, was the bill. I assumed the chili dip was comped since we didn’t order it. It was an extra $ 10 but we didn’t feel like arguing, and it was pretty damned good anyways. I guess we helped offset the rush of Groupon-​ers that filled up the small diner.
The tiny shack of a location might scare off anyone that has watched their fair share of horror movies. It appears bad things could happen on this side of town. However if you stick it out and try their food, you’ll be amazed by the taste & presentation befitting anything you’ll find on Las Vegas Blvd. The food is FIVE stars all the way! This was the culinary highlight of our visit. Just be sure you’re not pressed for time or specific about what you want to order, and you’ll be satisfied.

Dropped it down to 3 based on service. Came here at 1:20 on a Sunday and right as I stepped in they looked at the time and said OK for today, the menu is limited by «chef’s choice» –so I traveled all the way here for only 5 items on the chefs choice?
I was told the menu was limited because they were about to close. 40 minutes before closing? The sign on the door says last call is at 1:45. So right away I was annoyed.
The waitress further explains to me that I should have made a reservation. I told her it said no where that I needed to make a reservation to come to ensure that I am served a full menu.
She then explains to us after ordering that the chef has 8 orders before ours and its going to take awhile.
I asked about the gluten free menu, was told that «it takes longer to make, so if you really do have the allergy, we’ll make it» I’m not sure how Chef Mayra would feel about how the waitress was relaying these messages, but I just felt extremely annoyed.
I just felt that my visit here was unwelcoming. I felt like I was rushed, had to order quickly because they closed at 2. Shouldn’t they be prepared for Sunday brunches?
The food on the other hand was delicious, I’m not at all vegan, and the food was amazing. Chef Mayra came out and talked to us and she was very enthusiastic, my bf and I really enjoyed chatting with her. She also advised us to make reservations or call in an order ahead of time on the weekends, which is a tip I’d like to relay to you all :)

I got fooled by Unilocal reviews!
My boyfriend, his mom, and I had not only the WORST experience at this restaurant, but also the most UNCOMFORTABLE experience!
We decided to dine here for breakfast when we saw the great reviews and noticed that the location was walking distance away from the outlet. We took a taxi from our hotel and arrived to the restaurant at 9:20 AM on Saturday. The restaurant looked closed. My boyfriend tried the door and it was locked. I decided to be resourceful and call the restaurant to see if they were open. (I wish I never made this call! We should’ve left and eaten elsewhere!) They answered and said they were open and had forgotten to unlock the doors.
The restaurant looked dirty (typical whole-​in-​the-​wall type of place). We were seated and menus were distributed. When we rummaged through 3 different menus, we were horrified at how haphazardly the items were placed and completely confused on how to even order. To make matters worst, the server tried to explain the menu to us — even more OVERWHELMING and EXHAUSTING! Items that had fruits and avocados listed will now only come with bananas since avocados and other fruits were «not in season» for the restaurant. Some items would take over 45 minutes and other items you can’t even order unless you made a reservation ahead of time.
Crap, we’re stuck here. The taxi driver already left. So we decided to order a WOW, french toast with a side of WOW, and Tha’ Waffle. However, we asked for the WOW to be made without potatoes (my boyfriend’s mom is severely allergic). The server was completely confused on how to place the order. Apparently, the cook can’t make that dish without the potatoes. So she suggested to order the items that come on that plate as a la carte. Fine, we ordered as a la carte. We were tired of looking at that puzzling menu.
15 minutes later the «Chef» decides to come talk to us about how the WOW plate would be prepared. (Wait, she didn’t even start on the food yet?) She said she wouldn’t be replacing the potatoes for something else since the potatoes are the bed of the plate and everything else goes on top, but rather she would be removing the potatoes and adding extra bit of this and that. So she was trying to UP-​SELL us because my boyfriend’s mom is allergic to potatoes? My boyfriend had to clarify to her that we are not going to pay extra. We don’t care if she adds more of whatever she wants or doesn’t add anything at all, just take out the potatoes! She continued talking and moving her hands and flailing her arms trying to describe us the plate. She kept emphasizing how she WOULD NOT REPLACE the potatoes but would be REMOVING them and adding other stuff. What in the world? Does this person know what the word «replace» means?
We say fine and she finally goes back to the kitchen. A table near us receives their food in a timely manner (15 minutes after ordering). We’ve been waiting 30 minutes now. The server says «THEIR FOOD CAME OUT FIRST BECAUSE THEY ORDERED YESTERDAY.» What in the world??? After 45 minutes of this grueling wait, my boyfriend’s mom’s food comes out. The chef comes out, too! (Not again, stay in the kitchen please!) My boyfriend’s mom is displeased and when the chef asks how her dish is, she says «So-​so» (my boyfriend’s mom’s English is very limited, I’m surprised she didn’t spit out what was in her mouth back on to the plate). Then the chef says, «All I want is a smile from her!» The audacity of this lady!
There was a yellow flower placed on top of her plate of food. She took the flower off the plate and placed it on the table. When my waffle came out a few minutes later, the chef came out again! Then she takes the flower off the table and places it on top of my waffle and says, «You get a flower too!» Is this place that cheap that they have to reuse garnishing???
Overall, our experience was horrifying! I’ve never had vegan food before and if this is the best that a vegan restaurant can offer, then I can never be a vegan.
If you still want to dine there, here are some tips:
1. Order your food the day before you plan on actually eating it
2. Be ready to wait for at least 45 minutes for your food if you didn’t order yesterday
3. Don’t get an explanation of the menu
4. Stay away from talking to the chef
The bill was $ 49 before tip — we ordered only three plates and no drinks. A little pricey for disgusting food and even worse service.

The Almond Banana smoothie was what I came for to jump start my morning, but I discovered that Pura Vida’s fruits are seasonal because they choose to concoct their smoothies with the freshest ingredients.
The friendly and helpful lady at the counter must have seen the disappointment in my face after she told me the news. In fact, the chef and who I’m assuming is also the owner, came out from the back kitchen and offered to cook something wonderful for me. She asked me what I was in the mood for. Seeing how it was my first time there, and I hadn’t studied anything else on the menu other than the smoothies, I told her that I trusted her judgment but would prefer something without lactose and low-​carb. Also, I needed something to keep me satiated well until lunch time. Her answer: A Side of Wow.
The Wow is vegan sausage, tomato and zucchini slices, mini quesadillas, cheese potatoes, and tofu scrambles. Except for the quesadilla part, all the rest can be served in a wrap or made as a sandwich, but the Side of Wow just comes as is. Let me tell you, everything about my order was really WOW for being meat-​free and dairy free. The scrambled tofu really did remind me of eating scrambled eggs, and the vegan sausage is a decent alternative to the oh-​so-​tasty meaty kind. The lactose-​free cheese quesadillas were delicious, and the cheese didn’t have that obvious fake-​cheese flavor trait that some cheese substitutes have. And one of the best parts of my order was that it did keep me full well up until dinner time.
In addition to my breakfast, I also ordered tangerine and apple juice to go. If I could have that every morning I would, because it’s reFRESHing and perks you up after one sip.
Pura Vida receives 5-​Stars all the way from this quasi-​Vegetarian.

Disclaimer: I am not a vegetarian or vegan. I love meat and I cannot deny my usual distaste for vegan eateries because of my experience with foods that lack of flavor and have strange textures. Having said that, the meal I had at Pure Vida today was one of the best and freshest lunches I have had in a long, long time!
I read through their menu and website prior to arriving, so I was well aware that everything is prepared fresh and can take 30 – 45 minutes to prepare. No problem for me, because I enjoy long and quiet lunches. When I walked in, Cindy directed me to a table and gave me an abundance of information as well as about 5 different menus that had specials and drinks and other specials and lunch and breakfast and dessert, etc.
I immediately ordered a lime-​mint blended essential oils water ($ 3: NOTE: they no longer offer free refills as of Jan 13, 2013). It is free of sugar and home made and unbelievably refreshing! For food, I settled on the lunch special (a little pricey at $ 14.99, but it came with so much food that I cannot complain at all!) and chose a salad with creamy garlic dressing and the «My Love» burrito. The «salad» was a GIGANTIC plate of fresh veggies including spinach, sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, etc. and the dressing came on the side, which was great.
About 20 minutes later (it wasn’t very crowded), my burrito was served: sun dried tomatoes, cuban black beans, vegan cheese, spinach, roasted garlic potatoes, avocado, chipotle peppers. Let me tell you, it was one of the best burritos I have ever had (AND I LOVE MEAT, AND IT CONTAINED NO MEAT!). There was a little kick to it, but nothing that made my mouth burn or detracted from the wonderful flavors of the fresh veggies and toasted tortilla.
If you aren’t a vegetarian or vegan, who cares? Support this little gem because it supports chemical free, organic, healthy dining options that do NOT skimp in flavor or portion size. Absolutely wonderful. The ambiance is also very relaxing and peaceful. Cindy, my waitress, was extremely helpful and friendly and made me feel like we were old friends. She even gave me a sample of one of their apple cookies and made some recommendations for my next visit (which will likely be tomorrow, lol).
I cannot recommend this place enough. It is my new favorite lunch spot!

What a unique café…
Unless you’ve been here before, you don’t know why. But it’s true. Unique is the best word to describe it. So here’s the rundown:
— 100% vegan (animal-​free)
— 100% cruelty-​free kitchen
— All gluten-​free options are prepared separately in their gluten-​free kitchen area. So awesome!!!
— GMO free, organic, & fair trade whenever available
I know you meat-​lovers & non-​vegans out there are thinking. How can this food be delicious? It is. Trust me. In my quest for better health & attempt to be vegan (ok, I’m probably vegan 95% of the time, I can’t lay off dairy! Err!) I am saddened by the fact that Pura Vida is not in my neighborhood. Far from it, but I still attempt to come whenever I can.
What’s on their menu? Waffles, French toast, pancakes, scrambles. Their newest items this week: PB + Banana + Chocolate + Raspberry Mini Pancakes. Or Cinnamon Walnut French Toast. In the mood for lunch? You can have sandwiches, quesadillas, create-​your-​own wraps, chili, & empanadas. They make daily bakery items, chocolate cakes, muffins, etc. I tried their chili, empanadas, & one of their gluten-​free Latin’tude (posted pics). Yum :)
Pros:
Service — incredible. Their servers are very knowledgeable about the menu & will try to accommodate any dietary requests or allergies. Very friendly & helpful.
Yumminess — I love the efforts they make to provide great tasting food, using organic whenever possible. They prove that you don’t need to eat any animal products to have a fulfilling meal.
Portions — huge! Took home leftovers every time!
Cons:
Location — not the most convenient wholesome neighborhood. I think Cheetah’s is right down the street. I’m glad I’m here during daylight hours.
Timeliness — this isn’t fast food. It’s good wholesome food made to order. They ask customers to give them 40 minutes for take-​out orders, and it seems to be the same when you eat there. That’s why they urge you to call in ahead of time. You could even call a day before (I can imagine most people can’t plan that well like me, but I love that they offer the option) They will reserve a seat for you if you give them notice. They did for me, table for one.
Price — good ingredients comes at a cost. Most complete meals are $ 11 – 18. I’m more than happy to pay for quality, but I understand some people want to spend less on breakfast or lunch. The portions are well worth your money, in my opinion. One dish has always lasted me for two sittings or more. And I don’t know about you, but knowing you’re eating a great healthy meal, feeling good about what you ate is worth the extra dollars.
Consistency — availability changes daily. So do the specials. The gluten-​free chocolate cake you got one day is not there the next time you visit. Bakery items sell out fast. They’ve informed me though that anything can be available if you call. You want vegan pumpkin pie? I called a couple days before Thanksgiving & they made it. Plus, she’ll prepare it to any dietary specifications you want.
Planning my next return to Pura Vida. Soon!

I’m not a vegan, but I am a «plant based» eater and am always glad when there are new places that serve up organic eats. This isn’t my first foray into Chef Mayras food as she’s catered a Unilocal party prior which gave me hopes for something spicy, zesty and flavor filled for brunch.
David S. and I came before volunteering at Three Square and shared the large portions. We’ve both wanted to come on a weekday when it wasn’t so busy. I think what we had was very meat eater friendly and hearty. Unless your family eats only meat, it’s good brunch eats for any person.
Sexy Shortstack — we added blueberries (+$ 1) into the pancakes and it came with bananas on it (I guess on weekends it gets fancier with fruit medley and an extra pancake… Don’t get why toned down on weekdays?). Vegan or not, these are some of the yummiest I’ve had. I like very light and fluffy cakes and not enough places serve good syrup that compliments and not overpower into a saccharine coma. I always share sweet breakfast foods since it often is too much sweet, but I can see myself actually ordering this and being able to eat it with maybe a side of sausage.
My Love Burritos were spicy, zesty, and flavor filled like I was hoping for. The two burritos were perfect for sharing and there was all kinds of spiraled veggies garnished but I ate those too… maybe that could be like a «salad» with some dressing on it? I like that the tortilla was grilled… I always get disappointed with sandwich wraps around town that just hand you a cold tortilla. This was filling indeed so it could be for a big man appetite to go at it alone.
Of course, keep in mind this isn’t fast food. Everything is fresh made and did take a
wasn’t completely packed but there was a constant flow of people. probably was 15 minutes for our pancakes then another 10 for our burritos to come. I thought that isn’t unreasonable. The staff was nice and our server was friendly, attentive, service with a smile.
The reason why I haven’t been, even when my BF and I were eating 100% plant based is the times. It really sucks being night people and these breakfast places are closed before we even wake on weekends. 2pm Saturdays seems too limited for a city like ours… and it’s also closed Sundays. It’ll probably be a while before I can come back, but not because I don’t want to.

This food is AMAZING! Flavorful spices, VEGAN, tasty, creative, and attractive presentation. It’s healthy food and it’s delicious.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Chef Mayra’s food. It’s always full of protein and tastes amazing. I love her enthusiasm for her vegan cooking. My friends told me about her new restaurant and I eagerly ran over there for lunch.
It is located in an industrial area, very small place but cute. The staff is friendly and knows the menu well. They were a little slow when I dined there for a late lunch on Saturday ⁹⁄₃ but they were training two other chefs from Le Cordon Bleu and I was not in a hurry so no big deal.
I ordered a mug of this pineapple infused beverage. It was not sweet, very light and refreshing on a hot summer day. I ordered the gluten free Latin-​Tude burrito. It was served more like a quesadilla but it was delicious. It appeared to be made from a large brown rice tortilla, was grilled evenly and stuffed with potatoes, peppers, soy cheese and chili beans. It was a huge serving and I had to take half of it home, but it was just as yummy for breakfast the next day.
If you are in the mood for something flavorful and without meat, you should definitely try this place! You won’t miss the meat, I promise you! I took a peek at the items in her bakery case, they all looked great. I will have to try it next time I am there.