Nature's Express


San Diego, CA, also in Yuma, AZ

2949 5th Avenue (at Quince) San Diego, CA 92103

Dining room open: 11am—8pm Daily  

Drive-thru open: 11am—10pm Daily

A drive thru and eat in establishment with 100% plant based food – a vegetarian or vegan’s delight!  I came upon this restaurant while in San Diego for a short business trip.  I was walking around outside of my hotel, just north of downtown along beautiful Balboa Park looking for some lunch when I happened upon Nature’s Express.   Outside they have a popular drive thru and an outdoor seating area which takes advantage of San Diego’s great weather.  Inside they have a buffet-style setup where you can get a variety of food to go or to eat there.  You can also order sandwiches and other specialty items made to order.  The Nature’s Express philosophy matches closely with our Sustainable Sustenance philosophy – They are changing the way people eat out and eat in!

the food 

1.    organic ingredients
    

Nature’s Express boasts an organic and plant based menu.  It is clear that much of the food served uses organic ingredients, though there is not a clear notation of exactly what is organic and what isn’t.  Because of their menu’s vegan nature, there is a lot of creativity but also a lot of flavor put into the recipes. 
2.    nutritional value of the menu

Careful thought has been put into the nutritional value of the menu.  Meals are well balanced and high in nutritional value.  There is an effort to source food from local farmers and businesses and they are also a local source for vegan wraps for Whole Foods , but it is the high nutritional content brings the maximum points to this category – they boast a cholesterol free menu!  Because of the creative and flavorful menu items, I didn’t miss the meat one bit.


the location

1.    public transportation
       Nature’s Express in San Diego is located near bus lines and is very bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
2.    density

    The restaurant is in the heart of urban San Diego, close to the park and in the heart of a mixed use community. 

the dining experience

The atmosphere is welcoming, with plenty of natural light indoors and lots of outdoor seating, after all, it is San Diego…  There are a variety of menu choices with an international flair to accommodate many different tastes – there are Indian and Mexican inspired dishes, plenty of fresh ingredients and home-style cooking.  The buffet food did not look or taste stale, like it had been sitting for hours in a warmer, but very fresh.  Though my appetite would not allow it, the desserts looked beautiful, healthy and delicious – cakes, pastries and the like.

building/operations

Nature’s Express provides customers with eco-friendly compostable tableware and recycles used vegetable oil into fuel.  They are making a conscious effort to minimize their carbon footprint through local sourcing of food.  To further these efforts I suggest an analysis of building energy use and restaurant operations.

community impact


There seems to be a good effort by the folks at Nature’s Express to engage the community through education and support of the arts – they feature local artists in the restaurant and on their website and are reaching out to educate the community on the health benefits of a plant-based diet.


affordability

Cost is very affordable, especially for Southern California.  The buffet is served by container size so you can maximize value by stuffing the container.  $6.50 for a small container, around $10.00 for a large.  Menu items are also very reasonably priced, especially when the quality of ingredients is considered.

I give Nature’s Express a Green rating – great job – and great food!