I'm already looking forward to returning to try more menu items. The peanut pepper wrap was vegan without any modifications, and they let me leave out certain veggies on request. It was ginormous, delicious and seemed relatively healthy. Can be made gluten free if ordered as a salad, per the staff.
The staff was very friendly and the outdoor seating was beautiful, with a large lawn, lots of trees, and a distant ocean view. Nice lunch spot with my dog.
Highly recommend!
Pooja Govindappa
The peanut pepper wrap was good, but the burrito was out of this world!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Soup
Staci French
If you want delicious, organic, local, healthy food or juice, this is the place. Good is made with love for all. My faves... Southwest bowl, pintos and quinoa bowl, corn hill, the salad with feta and salmon, kale and bean soup...you can't go wrong here! Jean infuses everything with love too!
Every now and again circumstances lead you to a place you hadn't planned on going, and the result is, well, wonderful! Such is how I came to find Vortex. My wife and I were on bucolic Lopez Island recruiting craftspeople to exhibit their products at our Club's annual Holiday Fair. We were getting hungry, so we consulted Yelp to see what was on offer. Our first choice had too long a wait for a table, and we had a ferry to catch. The only other option was a tiny little place called 'Vortex'. The vegetarian menu and rather 'hippie' vibe initially didn't appeal to me, but we were hungry and in a hurry. I'm so glad I gave them a chance! THE ROSES: Comfy, cozy, homey feel and ambiance. Vortex appears to be in what was once an old farmhouse, and shares the space with a new-agey 'Apothecary' that sells the usual woo-woo lineup of essential oils, crystals, etc. Far from being an 'eat it and beat it' kind of place, Vortex encourages you to sit around, get comfortable, and relax. There's a chess table and pieces ready at one table, and there are ample books to read. The staff is friendly, enthusiastic about their cuisine, and also very efficient. The real draw here is the food. No corners are cut in the name of expediency. Vortex uses fresh local products to the highest degree possible. Everything is made to order, and all the ingredients are prepped by hand. Looking at the way the vegetables in my wrap were cut, it was clear they were cut by hand, and the chef had some truly mad knife skills! We had the gazpacho, which was delightful, and a spicy peanut-pepper wrap that was truly a mind-blower. It featured brown rice and finely diced vegetables, herbs and spices, all tied together with a spicy peanut sauce. I expected it to have either a Thai or African flavor profile, but was surprised and delighted to find it to be neither. The chef/owner of Vortex appears to be a woman who is walking her own unique culinary path, and it's a good path. I prefer hearty cuisine, and despite being a vegetarian (and possibly vegan?) dish, I found it extremely delicious and very satisfying! THE THORNS: Rather limited menu, and they were out of several items. Not a place to go if you're in a hurry. Most orders will take 25 and up to 45 minutes (if they're busy) to get to you. If you're not in a hurry, this isn't really a 'thorn'. As I mentioned before the dining areas (inside and out) are very relaxing. NEITHER ROSE NOR THORN: Lopez Island is one of the least commercial in the San Juan archipelago. As a result, the whole place has a very rural and more than subtle 'hippy' vibe to it. Vortex is no exception. Happily, it's not the pretentious, hyper-politicized 'wokey' brand of faux-hippie ethos you find in the city. It's more of a laid-back 'I'll-be-me-and-you-be-you' kind of vibe that is, once you relax and let your guard down, actually quite appealing. Still, if you swing to the far right, I'd leave the MAGA hat in the car. No need to poke the bear, KnowWhatIMean? THE VERDICT: Vortex is truly a unique little gem that manages to create healthy cuisine that you actually look forward to eating in an environment that promotes a general sense of good feeling. When you see to tiny work area and old household stove the chef/owner uses, it makes her work even more amazing. I'm usually a GOP-leaning, 'steak-and-three-martinis' kind of guy, so to get this kind of review from me is saying something! Very highly recommend; by all means check this place out!
Claire T
The most delicious bowl! They have chop everything so it takes some time. I called in an order and then sat in their lovely yard to eat my bowl. Most delicious meal in quite some time. Yum!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachel Domico
Wonderful food made with love.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fussypuss
Love this place so much ❤️ The staff are lovely, lots of vegan options. The food was absolutely delicious, freshly made with fresh ingredients. We both loved the fresh juice. Indoor and outdoor seating, love the small island vibe. Looking forward to visiting the island again and eating here.
207stacif
Organic, healthy, made with love food & juice for everyone. The Southwest Bowl is one of my favorites. The salmon and feta salad is absolutely delicious. The bean and quinoa bowl is amazing. You simply cannot go wrong here! The juices are so healthy and delicious.....and the chai, cookies and scones are even healthy. You will absolutely not regret stopping here!
Chris R.
Salmon wrap was excellent. Southwestern wrap and coconut shake were good too. Friendly staff. Cookies we tried were a little bit over baked. Dog friendly. Would definitely return.
Srikumar Iyer (Sri)
What a wonderful place to have lunch on the island!!!Friendly staff, and the lady who makes the sandwiches and wraps, with the sweetest smile, served us the heartiest of vegeterian wraps and sandwiches. We were wonderfully surprised in how flavorful and fresh the food was. We used little to no seasoning /condiments because the veggies, hummus, cheese and avocados by themselves were very flavourful, and the herb/spinach tortilla wraps and the freshly baked artisan bread warmed and made perfectly crisp on a cast iron griddle, complimented them perfectly as the outer shell.The fresh juices we ordered were also very tasty. The place was open only wednesday through Saturday, and since we went in on Saturday, we didn't get a chance to visit it again while on the island. Overall we had a great experience, and I would recommend vegetarians and vegans to definitely give this place a try.Vegetarian options: Owners understood dietary restrictions well, and true menu had account options for vegeterians and vegans. They also had lentil curries simmered in coconut milk that would go great with long grain rice.
This place has the best salads on the island. So refreshing, and their hot sauces are bomb!!! My friend bought a bottle of each to take home. The smoothies are pretty awesome too- try the Marionberry one if they have it available! Little bit of a wait, but worth it, and there are plenty of benches to hang out at on the grassy lawn behind the restaurant.
corinal
My favorite is the peanut sauce wrap - it is smothered in sauce! Love the outdoor seating in the field and their covid precautions. Takes cards, but not tap to pay.
Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12
corinal
My favorite is the peanut sauce wrap - it is smothered in sauce! Love the outdoor seating in the field and their covid precautions. Takes cards, but not tap to pay. Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12
Dirt H.
These wraps are awesome! I had the peanut pepper wrap with beef add on and it was filling and delicious. Funky little place, the woman who made my wrap was just a gem of a human. Go to here!
douglasc971
Wonderful fresh wraps and juices, also great soups. Menu perfect for vegans and vegetarians as well as carnivores.
I'm already looking forward to returning to try more menu items. The peanut pepper wrap was vegan without any modifications, and they let me leave out certain veggies on request. It was ginormous, delicious and seemed relatively healthy. Can be made gluten free if ordered as a salad, per the staff. The staff was very friendly and the outdoor seating was beautiful, with a large lawn, lots of trees, and a distant ocean view. Nice lunch spot with my dog. Highly recommend!
The peanut pepper wrap was good, but the burrito was out of this world!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Soup
If you want delicious, organic, local, healthy food or juice, this is the place. Good is made with love for all. My faves... Southwest bowl, pintos and quinoa bowl, corn hill, the salad with feta and salmon, kale and bean soup...you can't go wrong here! Jean infuses everything with love too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soup, Pinto Beans, Smoked Salmon, Strawberry Orange, Corn Hill, Hummus, Salmon Cream Cheese Feta Spread, Avocado, Mixed Greens, Peanut Pepper Sauce, Mixed Raw Vegetables
Every now and again circumstances lead you to a place you hadn't planned on going, and the result is, well, wonderful! Such is how I came to find Vortex. My wife and I were on bucolic Lopez Island recruiting craftspeople to exhibit their products at our Club's annual Holiday Fair. We were getting hungry, so we consulted Yelp to see what was on offer. Our first choice had too long a wait for a table, and we had a ferry to catch. The only other option was a tiny little place called 'Vortex'. The vegetarian menu and rather 'hippie' vibe initially didn't appeal to me, but we were hungry and in a hurry. I'm so glad I gave them a chance! THE ROSES: Comfy, cozy, homey feel and ambiance. Vortex appears to be in what was once an old farmhouse, and shares the space with a new-agey 'Apothecary' that sells the usual woo-woo lineup of essential oils, crystals, etc. Far from being an 'eat it and beat it' kind of place, Vortex encourages you to sit around, get comfortable, and relax. There's a chess table and pieces ready at one table, and there are ample books to read. The staff is friendly, enthusiastic about their cuisine, and also very efficient. The real draw here is the food. No corners are cut in the name of expediency. Vortex uses fresh local products to the highest degree possible. Everything is made to order, and all the ingredients are prepped by hand. Looking at the way the vegetables in my wrap were cut, it was clear they were cut by hand, and the chef had some truly mad knife skills! We had the gazpacho, which was delightful, and a spicy peanut-pepper wrap that was truly a mind-blower. It featured brown rice and finely diced vegetables, herbs and spices, all tied together with a spicy peanut sauce. I expected it to have either a Thai or African flavor profile, but was surprised and delighted to find it to be neither. The chef/owner of Vortex appears to be a woman who is walking her own unique culinary path, and it's a good path. I prefer hearty cuisine, and despite being a vegetarian (and possibly vegan?) dish, I found it extremely delicious and very satisfying! THE THORNS: Rather limited menu, and they were out of several items. Not a place to go if you're in a hurry. Most orders will take 25 and up to 45 minutes (if they're busy) to get to you. If you're not in a hurry, this isn't really a 'thorn'. As I mentioned before the dining areas (inside and out) are very relaxing. NEITHER ROSE NOR THORN: Lopez Island is one of the least commercial in the San Juan archipelago. As a result, the whole place has a very rural and more than subtle 'hippy' vibe to it. Vortex is no exception. Happily, it's not the pretentious, hyper-politicized 'wokey' brand of faux-hippie ethos you find in the city. It's more of a laid-back 'I'll-be-me-and-you-be-you' kind of vibe that is, once you relax and let your guard down, actually quite appealing. Still, if you swing to the far right, I'd leave the MAGA hat in the car. No need to poke the bear, KnowWhatIMean? THE VERDICT: Vortex is truly a unique little gem that manages to create healthy cuisine that you actually look forward to eating in an environment that promotes a general sense of good feeling. When you see to tiny work area and old household stove the chef/owner uses, it makes her work even more amazing. I'm usually a GOP-leaning, 'steak-and-three-martinis' kind of guy, so to get this kind of review from me is saying something! Very highly recommend; by all means check this place out!
The most delicious bowl! They have chop everything so it takes some time. I called in an order and then sat in their lovely yard to eat my bowl. Most delicious meal in quite some time. Yum!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wonderful food made with love.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place so much ❤️ The staff are lovely, lots of vegan options. The food was absolutely delicious, freshly made with fresh ingredients. We both loved the fresh juice. Indoor and outdoor seating, love the small island vibe. Looking forward to visiting the island again and eating here.
Organic, healthy, made with love food & juice for everyone. The Southwest Bowl is one of my favorites. The salmon and feta salad is absolutely delicious. The bean and quinoa bowl is amazing. You simply cannot go wrong here! The juices are so healthy and delicious.....and the chai, cookies and scones are even healthy. You will absolutely not regret stopping here!
Salmon wrap was excellent. Southwestern wrap and coconut shake were good too. Friendly staff. Cookies we tried were a little bit over baked. Dog friendly. Would definitely return.
What a wonderful place to have lunch on the island!!!Friendly staff, and the lady who makes the sandwiches and wraps, with the sweetest smile, served us the heartiest of vegeterian wraps and sandwiches. We were wonderfully surprised in how flavorful and fresh the food was. We used little to no seasoning /condiments because the veggies, hummus, cheese and avocados by themselves were very flavourful, and the herb/spinach tortilla wraps and the freshly baked artisan bread warmed and made perfectly crisp on a cast iron griddle, complimented them perfectly as the outer shell.The fresh juices we ordered were also very tasty. The place was open only wednesday through Saturday, and since we went in on Saturday, we didn't get a chance to visit it again while on the island. Overall we had a great experience, and I would recommend vegetarians and vegans to definitely give this place a try.Vegetarian options: Owners understood dietary restrictions well, and true menu had account options for vegeterians and vegans. They also had lentil curries simmered in coconut milk that would go great with long grain rice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soup
Restaurantji Recommends
This place has the best salads on the island. So refreshing, and their hot sauces are bomb!!! My friend bought a bottle of each to take home. The smoothies are pretty awesome too- try the Marionberry one if they have it available! Little bit of a wait, but worth it, and there are plenty of benches to hang out at on the grassy lawn behind the restaurant.
My favorite is the peanut sauce wrap - it is smothered in sauce! Love the outdoor seating in the field and their covid precautions. Takes cards, but not tap to pay. Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12
My favorite is the peanut sauce wrap - it is smothered in sauce! Love the outdoor seating in the field and their covid precautions. Takes cards, but not tap to pay. Updated from previous review on 2022-08-12
These wraps are awesome! I had the peanut pepper wrap with beef add on and it was filling and delicious. Funky little place, the woman who made my wrap was just a gem of a human. Go to here!
Wonderful fresh wraps and juices, also great soups. Menu perfect for vegans and vegetarians as well as carnivores.