Garden of Eaten

1506 S. Riverside Road

233-1100

The Garden of Eaten, a log-cabin style, vegetarian restaurant/bakery near Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, is quite visible standing high on the hill overlooking Riverside Road. But owners LeWand and Booker Burton say the number one comment they hear is, "I didn't know you were here!"

That's because it's easy to miss if you don't know where to look. The entrance to the driveway is through the parking lot of Speedy's gas station.

The restaurant began three years ago as Pioneer Bread Company. It featured the same vegetarian-style foods and whole-grain breads they serve now, only in a more "pioneer" atmosphere. The formerly decorated rustic cabin with wagon wheels, saddles and deer skins now has an infusion of moon flowers around the porch, with grapes, greenery and more flowers throughout -- more appropriate for a garden, they say. It's also less offensive to those who are vegetarians, because of their concern for animals.

Many of the menu options are the same as before because the Burtons were employees before they became owners. But they have doubled the offerings, with many of LeWand's favorite dishes, some collected from her grandmother, who was a vegetarian until she died at the age of 103. It's a popular place for lunch, offering a variety of sandwiches alone or with soups and sides. Their grilled portabella mushroom sandwich was recommended by a News-Press reader for a Best Bite. I've had their grilled tofu sandwich with tomato, sprouts and creamy dill dressing. Even though I'm not a vegetarian and never cared for tofu, I thought it was delicious. Daily specials are listed on a small board by the cash register. On the Wednesday, I was there they had white chili, vegetable soup and tomato basil soup. (A woman ordering the chili for carry-out tried to get their recipe, and failed, but said it's really good.) Their pies were cherry, mixed berry, cran/orange, coconut creme and peanut butter. Unprocessed sugar is used in all the baking, LeWand says, because regular sugar is processed through charred bones. They also don't use any hydrogenated fats or trans-fats in their cooking.

It's not a place to come for a caffeine fix, however. Even their coffee is herbal. But you still can leave energized if you order a fresh carrot juice, herbal teas, or one of the several varieties of fruit smoothies. While I was there, several people came in just for the bread. They make herb, sourdough, tropical, banana and several others. LeWand says if you have a kind you want that they don't have, just ask. A visiting professor from the Ukraine asked them to make the dense, black, Russian bread he missed from his homeland. They made it and he loved it. They also cater.

The Garden of Eaten restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and on Tuesday and Thursdays they are open for dinner from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The bakery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.