The restaurant itself is pretty small, located right next to Bella Salon on West Sixth Street. I think there were less than 10 tables and about half were two-tops. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The food prep area was open and in the middle of the restaurant so that you could see your dish being prepared. You place your order at the cash register and you then choose your own seat.

Since the chef tries to prepare dishes with locally available produce the menu changes daily. There were three entrée items available for lunch: spaghetti and meatballs (zucchini curls with nut meatballs in marinara), lasagna and cabbage leaf fajitas (peppers and mushrooms in red cabbage leaves). I chose the lasagna ($11) and my friend chose the fajitas ($10). The lasagna was made with thin, long sliced zucchini as “noodles” and was layered along with marinated mushrooms and eggplant (I think), a nutty basil pesto, ricotta cheese and a fresh tomato marinara.

The taste of the lasagna was great for raw vegetables but I must say the portion was fairly small. I love vegetables but I need a lot of them to sustain me as a meal. I am very active and exercise a lot. So, I was disappointed an hour or so later when I was hungry again and wanting something more substantial. At $11 I expected a larger portion.

Overall I liked the concept of the restaurant and my entrée was tasty. While I don’t think I will be adopting the raw food diet as a lifestyle for myself, I think it is an excellent choice if someone is trying to make a healthy dining out choice.

Next healthy restaurant review… Beets.

Borboleta
1221 West Sixth Street
Austin, TX
512.828.7404
Open daily for lunch & dinner (closed Sunday)
www.borboletagourmet.com