Very Austin Macrobiotic Restaurant Casa De Luz Expands Into East Austin

One of Austin’s remaining hippie headquarters — Zilker neighborhood vegan restaurant and community center Casa de Luz — is expanding into East Austin. The new Casa de Luz Este will be found in the Chestnut neighborhood at 1915 East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, opening on Friday, June 28.

Casa de Luz Este will function similarly to its older sibling Casa de Luz — a favorite dining destination among Austin City Limits Music Festival performers. This means daily set macrobiotic vegan menus centered on organic, fresh, simple foods made without any processed oils, served in a communal dining room. The new restaurant will also offer grab-and-go dishes, takeout services, and take-and-bake meals.

Casa de Luz’s expansion is a partnership between Casa co-founder Eduardo “Wayo” Longoria and the second location’s host site, apartment building Casa Este. The address is owned by property management company State Street Properties’ Blake Thompson and Robert McKee. The two have been Casa de Luz diners for over 15 years, per the press release.

Richard Casteel

State Street is also involved with Tarrytown wine bar and pizza spot Flo’s Wine Bar and Bottle Shop and Allday Pizza, Zed’s Ice Cream, and the former Hyde Park post office complex that is now home to several tenants including French restaurant Bureau de Poste within boutique market Tiny Grocery and bookstore/cafe First Light Books.

Casa de Luz Este will have volunteer programs for its kitchen. It also plans on partnering with local urban farms.

Casa de Luz co-founders Longoria and the late Maryann Rose started their macrobiotic space as East West Center in South Austin in 1983. After the building burned down in 1989, they renamed the center to Casa de Luz and relocated onto Toomey in 1991 within an idyllic home-style space. The nonprofit kitchen also offers community events such as yoga and dance classes.

There were a couple of years during which Casa de Luz was in the midst of back-and-forths with the city over parking spaces (the city said it needed it; the center said it was impossible to built those out) and out-of-date building code compliances from around 2011 to 2013.

Casa de Luz Este’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, serving lunch and dinner. It’ll add breakfast services later this summer. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

Richard Casteel