OXNARD, CA
Wow. This is kind of a big deal for me… writing about La Jenelle Natural Cafe, my hometown’s first and only 100% plant-based restaurant.
When I left Oxnard at 21—the year my friends and I were taking Jägerbombs (🤮) and shaking our booties to Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” and 50 Cent’s “Candy Shop”—I don’t believe I’d ever heard the term “vegan.” I definitely wasn’t aware of the revolutionary culture that it represents, the worldwide community of lovers who put animals well beyond convenience and convention.
I didn’t discover veganism during my three years in San Antonio, TX, either. Nope. It wasn’t until I moved to L.A. and my path crossed with a narcissistic and controlling artist in 2010 that the veil over my eyes began to lift. Despite the tears and the trauma, I’ll forever be grateful to him for showing me the reality of humanity’s cruel dominion over other Earthlings.
So ya, it’s been a long road getting to this point. And not just for me. For early converts, watching vegan and plant-based lifestyles move into the mainstream has been a slow progression over decades and decades—only recently gaining serious momentum.
But back to what you came for: the food
In early 2022, all-vegan La Jenelle Natural Cafe staked claimed to a cozy spot at Oxnard’s easy, breezy Silver Strand Beach. Fun Fact: The all-vegan grub hub is named for a ship that wrecked here in 1970, the aftermath of which forms a permanent breakwater off the Oxnard coast.
The casual cafe serves breakfast and lunch—early dinner too if you eat by 5:30p—every day of the week except for Tuesday. I went for the “secret” Wet Burrito. Can’t say what all was in it, but it was as delicious as it looks!!
Breaking up their menu by your level of hungriness…
I’ll die if I don’t eat right now.
- Shoreline Burrito: cashew cheeze sauce, kahuna potatoes, tempeh “bacon,” black beans, tofu scramble, wheat tortilla, pico de gallo, guacamole dip
- El Capitan Pulled “Porc” Sandwich: cilantro mayo, “porc” jackfruit, organic BBQ sauce, grilled onions, gouda cheeze, slaw, pretzel bun
- La Jenelle Burger: homemade black bean patty, secret sauce, tempeh “bacon,” cheeze, pickles, red onion, tomato, lettuce, pretzel bun
I’m willing to share.
- Nard Nachos: cashew cheeze, jackfruit carnitas, corn salsa, cilantro, black beans, guacamole, sour cream
- North Jetty Bagel: grilled gluten-free everything bagel, almond cheeze, tomato, cashew basil pesto, raw nutty parmesan, pickled red onions, micro greens, balsamic reduction
Keep me as light as those seagulls flying by.
- Sleepy Oats: organic oats, goji berries, chia seeds, raw almond mylk, cinnamon, pink salt, raisins, blueberries, pure maple
- Santa Cruz Caesar Salad: organic kale, romaine, crispy garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, raw nutty parmesan, pickled red onions, creamy cashew Caesar dressing
- Anacapa Salad: romaine, baby arugula, roasted beets, feta crumble, pickled red onions, candied pecans, balsamic vinaigrette
I LOVE me a good Caesar salad, and La Jenelle’s creamy, cashew Caesar dressing is phenomenal. For a few extra bucks, the Santa Cruz Caesar Salad can be topped with organic carnitas or avocado.
Please excuse this momentary product plug, but that can of Dr. Daytrip tasted sooooo close to its original namesake—with six grams of prebiotic fiber and about 16 fewer grams of sugar. Fingers crossed I can find it on my next trip to Sprouts. Daytrip prebiotic sodas can be ordered online or, if you’re lucky, found at your local Costco. (Check the link for other retailers.)
You’ll have to swing by La Jenelle Natural Cafe at 2323 Roosevelt Blvd. to see what else they’ve got in store for you.
And if you stay in the neighborhood awhile, a beautiful, grounding experience is guaranteed. 💛
For more deliciously kind vegan eats in Ventura County, check out Hip Vegan and Seed Ranger: The Great Vegan Food Station.
