Food for Thought Café

Amazing picturesque views of the Valley! Whether you’re coming in or leaving the area make a stop to soak in the view! Portions are big, and food healthy tasting yet very flavorful, try the side-salad with strawberry-habanero vinaigrette with your dish!!! The main room is huge with panoramic windows and comfortable seating! Beautiful outdoor covered seating. All dishes can be made with “Just” eggs and vegan cheese.

We love this place!! Secluded seating outside in an artsy fun area with a koi pond and trails all over...one leads to a magical little gift shop full of fun little trinkets like candles and crystals and the lady is so sweet in there.. this whole place is friendly people and the price is great, food is great, I'm in love with the Arugula dressing and for now the seasonal portobello mushroom burger on pretzel bun, it's amazing!👏

Tasty food in a wonderful environment. Keep in mind that they have a rotating menu, so check their website to see what they’re currently offering. Also, there is no takeout & avoid coming when you’re short on time. I enjoyed David’s winter noodle bowl & the coconut curry is a must try! My husband loves the vegetarian burrito and the Vortex Burger. I appreciate that their prices are more reasonable than other establishments. Love walking around the grounds before eating here.

First time I came here the cashier was incredibly rude and ill informed of allergens on the menus. Second time the chef took my order, explained my options, and made a satisfying and delicious meal. Thank you! Vegan gluten free egg scramble, and vegan gluten free breakfast tacos. Chipotle mayo is very good and the green jalapeño salsa was so amazing 😋

This is the perfect stop for lunch if you’re entering or exiting the west gate of Joshua Tree NP. The menu is all vegetarian with great prices and solid portion sizes. It’s the kind of meal your friend would make for you, and it’s just as good because the waitress felt like an old friend from the moment we walked in! The atmosphere was what you would imagine of a high desert cafe. It felt locked in time to the 1970s with classic furniture and large windows providing 180 degree views of the landscape. We ate lunch and then walked around the grounds where there were some cacti and a sculpture garden.

After reading the reviews of Food for Thought Café, we were excited and hopeful for a great breakfast experience. So, we made it our first stop in the morning, expecting a delightful meal. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we had anticipated. From the moment we placed our order, the staff member’s unfriendly and impatient attitude set a negative tone. We then waited inside for 20-25 minutes, only to receive a breakfast that was deeply disappointing. The eggs were undercooked, the halloumi panini sandwich was ruined by cheap mayonnaise, and the overly extremly salted potatoes made the entire dish inedible ultimately, it ended up in the trash. To make matters worse, there were no coffee alternatives available. We truly wish the glowing reviews had matched our experience, or that the café had lived up to the praise it has received. Sadly, this was not the case, and we left feeling disappointed.

I’ve been coming to Food for Thought Café since they opened, and it’s one of the few places I actually like eating out at. I usually cook for myself and don’t eat out much because the food quality is hit or miss, but this place is different. The veggies are always super fresh, and the food tastes like something I’d make at home. Even the dressings and sauces are all made in-house, and they add so much flavor to every dish! Chef Dave is incredible—constantly coming up with creative new dishes. Jackie and the rest of the staff are super friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just into fresh, quality food, this place is definitely worth it.

This is a little hidden jam that I enjoy frequently. We don’t have a lot of vegetarian options in our Desert. This is a wonderful find. I love their club sandwich with halloumi cheese. I love the hydration salad with our fresh deal, sweet dressing. Always fresh always delicious

love love this place so much! the coffee is delicious, the food is even more amazing and the service is 5 will def. be coming back here in the future. Thank you Jackie for the snacks and the best food and service.

I've been coming to Food for Thought Café since they opened, and it's one of the few places I actually like eating out at. I usually cook for myself and don't eat out much because the food quality is hit or miss, but this place is different. The veggies are always super fresh, and the food tastes like something I'd make at home. Even the dressings and sauces are all made in-house, and they add so much flavor to every dish! Chef Dave is incredible--constantly coming up with creative new dishes. Jackie and the rest of the staff are super friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or just into fresh, quality food, this place is definitely worth it.

Had the pleasure of stumbling upon this place on our trip. The chef was nice enough to make my girlfriend a big salad out of some stuff he had prepped in the back since they didn't have one on the menu (best salad we ever had) and I got their mushroom lentil stew. It was the perfect spot to fuel up before hiking and the patio was incredibly relaxing. Took a walk through the art garden after. This place is rad.

I stopped by at about 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon, not to many people there and it had a very chill vibe. The guy behind the counter was very personable and gave me good recommendations. I got the tostada bowl with an egg on top and it was delicious and I got it to go.

The vortex burger is amazing!! Can't recommend it enough, such a unique flavor and perfect crunch to it. The whole area is so cool as well. Come visit!

Got there at 2 pm, an entire hour before they are set to close. They say they are open until 3pm. However, an employee told us they were closed as they "ran out of food"!' What?! Come on... this is the busy season up here (I live here) plan better. They are just losing out on business that I am sure the retreat center surely needs!!

An amazing experience all around. The service was homey and the staff is so kind and accommodating. The breakfast burrito was yummy and we had a coffee and a pastry too. The atmosphere was so peaceful and an amazing place to work remotely.

Gorgeous place with great food! Everyone that works here is so nice too! Highly recommend!

An interesting experience. I came across this cafe as I've passed by the retreat center every time I went to visit JT. We came here for a quick lunch and I needed a place to do some remote work. The potato chips were amazing as well as the vegan burger. However you can tell the difference of how customers are treated as locals vs visitors. Two different customers were staring me down hard... Very strange as this center is a place for spiritual healing...we should all learn to love and show respect for one another. My bf had tried to order some food several times but every time he was inside, the cashier was not there. The rest of the staff seemed nice and polite. I recommend sitting by the koi pond. I felt very relaxed while I was dealing with some complicated work stuff. Even my dog was at peace!

I have been to the MentalPhysics Center a few times but never had the opportunity to eat here at Food for Thought Café. Well, I am so happy I finally got the chance to try it after seeing that it has a 5-star rating. Since the weather was pleasant we agreed on eating on the patio and overlooking the lovely grounds. We went into the large restaurant to order, Joe was behind the counter and was super friendly, plus gave us suggestions. We decided on three items to share and the thirst-quenching Aqua Fresca. The food was amazingly wonderful. This will be a great place to return to when in the Joshua Tree area. 5-stars for sure.

The menu options were just right. The campfire breakfast was a perfect matchup of goodies. The breakfast burrito was delicious. Jackie was beautiful inside and out and her fresh brew coffee was amazing. Plenty of seating options inside and out, all with great views.

We had a really nice lunch here last week. The food was very tasty, and seating was plentiful with a nice outdoor patio. The loss of a fifth star is due to the lengthy wait for food, and the fairly small portion sizes. We ordered a $16 veggie burger that came with sweet potato wedges, but there were only 4 wedges. It seemed odd to provide such a small side portion, and I honestly would have preferred to receive no side. We noticed that other diners also received 4 wedges, so this seems standard. I would absolutely return here for lunch, though not if I needed a large hearty meal.

Very lovely peaceful atmosphere, very yummy food and low priced, quick and friendly service.

Delicious food. I had the club sandwich with halloumi (options were tofu or halloumi) and they also offer gluten free bread which is wonderful. I added breakfast potatoes to my meal and they were yummy too. I will be here all the time now. I heard their gluten free pancakes are really good, as well as their breakfast burrito. So pleased to support this business. Thank you!

Our work-lunch-gang comes here every Wednesday. The food is fresh, it doesn't make you feel weighed down and it also doesn't leave you feeling hungry. The staff is great and it's a unique setting. It's kind of hard to find the first time...but who cares.

I love this place. It is so beautiful and quiet and the food is very healthy yummy and affordable. Great service since you order at the entrance and pay. On Sundays there is also a market to go walk around.

This used to be an incredible vegan restaurant on the grounds of the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. While living in the area we must have gone there a dozen times. We are vegan in the desert which is very difficult as there are few options. Today after having moved away 2 years now, we were incredibly excited to eat here. We went in and the space seemed dirty and there was no menu posted. A chalkboard showed pancakes and f#cking eggs for $11. We were shown a piece of paper with about 8 choices on it but we were informed that, "We don't have everything on this menu right now." OK so you don't have even 8 menu items and zero vegan choices? Awesome. Then I noticed eggs, meat and cheese had been added to this new menu of theirs. WHY???! Veganism is part of what the entire holistic thing is all about! It's the cornerstone. Why would they add animal cruelty to a menu at a metaphysical retreat??!! It makes no sense whatsoever. When we remarked about the eggs the management attempted to ghost us as to this NEVER having been a vegan restaurant. That's some bullsh#t right there. Outright lying to our faces. We KNOW it was vegan for at least 2 years. We were disgusted by the attitude and complete lack of customer service as well as the animal cruelty. Left immediately and will never return. Very low vibration.

Don't be fooled by the rating... this place is hard to find and it's literally a cafeteria at a retreat spot. It's totally fun down and the food is not good. It's also pricy for what you get. The curry bowls came with rice the was scooped from the bottom of the rice cooker. The quesadilla was burnt all the way on one side and they tried hiding it by keeping the unburnt side up. The taco bowls were super small. We were in a rush to go to Joshua tree or else we'd have given the curry bowls and burnt quesadilla back to remake.

When I arrived at the cafe today, the chef was out front. He suggested eggs with fresh veggies and a sweet potato covered in pecans. Earlier in the morning, I'd been to another cafe where I waited at the counter for service until they stopped serving breakfast. If I hadn't left, Id probably still be waiting. When I drove past Food for Thought, I knew I wanted to go there and the meal tasted of love and freshness. The more times I go there, the more I feel I am home.

Wonderful! Such pleasant staff & good value and delicious healthy meals in a beautiful setting! Love it there!

Really nice place, close to Joshua Tree downtown but way less crowded. Surrounded by Joshua Tree retreat center. Service was really good, I asked for vegan options and they can make any of the dishes vegan. The food was great, I had a vegan breakfast burrito which was also served with baked potatoes and side of beans. All of it was delicious.

The person who took my order was shockingly rude to the point to where I regret even finishing my order, we should have just left. It was the person with blonde and brown dreads. It was as if they were taking every chance to be condescending and rude while taking our order possible. We asked a question such as "what comes with the tofu scramble" and they blankly stared and repeated "tofu...." multiple times as if we weren't wondering what is in the entire plate. At one point when we asked about a vegan option and they said "you can read" and pointed to the menu. Why tell customers they can ask questions if each time you point to the menu and give us an angry stare? Every interaction was rude and it's sad that someone would try to take every opportunity to make someone else's mood bad in such a beautiful place. To have the audacity to turn the screen to ask for a tip after. If you're in Joshua Tree for a good, peaceful time, DONT come here.

This is the best breakfast place when you are in the Joshua Tree area. They have many seats and patio seats, too. The atmosphere is very relaxed and cozy. The staff was very friendly and the food was awesome. I highly recommend this place and I would come back!

Closed for renovation. They are reopening on September 1st 2022. It's a lovely spacious cafe with indoor & outdoor seating. Great vegetarian options and super friendly staff.

Let me start by saying food was good tasting and carefully prepared but there are a few reasons I only gave 4 stars. A baked sweet potato cost me 15 dollars. Prices for specials are not posted. No one directs you to what to do. No waitress you have to go to counter and order. Very nice man was taking orders, taking payment and helping drink customers. Slow going. However, they are new and seemed to be trying.

Cafeteria style dining with home feels and amazing views! Staff us friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend for dining experience. Cafe seating area included. Great for group gathering and retreats!

Excellent café for breakfast and lunch in an incredible setting within the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Fresh ingredients and plenty of vegan and vegetarian entrées. Perfect place to relax and even use the Internet while having a leisurely snack or meal. Very friendly staff and a great place to run into interesting people from around the world. Love it every time I'm there!

Food for thought Cafe at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center is awesome! The food is always fresh and delicious, they have the best coffee in town, the staff is friendly and so attentive. The cafe views are spectacular inside and out. From Inside you can see the outside through the walls of glass. Outside you will be treated to the sound of the triangular shaped koi pond. Stroll through the outdoor art garden and walk the labyrinth. It's a great place to meet with friends or treat yourself to a quiet solo visit. You won't be disappointed. There are many classes to take as well. Qigong, yoga, sound baths.

Great food, lovely surroundings and great atmosphere. I love this place to hang out in the morning.

We went for their Mother's Day buffet. The choices were delicious and the service was excellent. We will now add them to our list of favorite spots in the Joshua Tree area.

Delicious vegetarian breakfast and lunch options! And then there's the views while you're eating inside our outdoors in a fabulous historic Lloyd Wright building! This is a local gem.

Went here on a whim and we were so pleasantly surprised! Delicious veggie-friendly food that makes you feel good. And the prices are excellent too!