Great spot for healthy and tasty food with a casual yet comfortable atmosphere. Huevos rancheros is a favorite.

Food is fabulous. Service is great Located around corner from Nugget Market Very very healthy food read more

Better acai bowls than Nektar, savory options are also excellent. Can get busy with slower service sometimes, also kind of weird that they have this 10% surcharge which is presumably temporary because of costs and then there's tip being separate, but it looks like you already paid extra even though it's mandatory. I guess it avoids raising prices across the board even though that's really what it is. read more

Active Culture is a relatively new addition to the Novato dining scene. While the food was decent & a welcome addition for vegans & vegetarians the service was deplorable. It was quite chilly out & we would have preferred to sit inside. Unfortunately there was really loud music playing & it was difficult to talk over it. So we sat outside in hard little metal chairs that were uncomfortable. Nobody checked on us to see how we were doing the entire time we were there. My food, an egg & bean entree, was cold when it was served. Nobody brought us water until as we were finishing we begged for it. My friend ordered hot tea & asked about the choices. The waitress had no idea. So she was gone for a while to check & write down all the options. A better way would have been to bring a small box with 1 or 2 bags of each option & leave it on the table. When the tea was served the tea bag was in a cup of hot water. No saucer or tray & no place to put the tea bag when it had brewed except on the table. Overall I would never eat there again but might consider it for take-out. read more

I was so impressed with my first time here (at a Yelp event) that I couldn't wait to come back to enjoy the delicious food. The person who took our orders was not very friendly. When our food arrived we asked for utensils and the server kind of motioned and said "behind you". It would have been helpful if we were told in advance we needed to grab our own utensils. Then, when we asked for containers once again the server kind of motioned and said "behind you" again. There was no thank you or anything said to us that indicated an iota of customer service. The Bay Bowl I ordered was very tasty. As I'm a vegetarian I requested the prosciutto be taken off & inquired if I could have extra dates instead. I was told I could only have extra apple pieces. I also ordered the chocolate shake as I recalled how delicious the sample was on previous visit. Unfortunately there are no prices listed at all on the menu and was rather surprised to pay $9 for a milkshake....it was good though. On my first visit I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the owners. They were super friendly and enthused about their business. All the servers that time were fabulous!!! I was certainly let down this visit.i really like their food and my hope is this was a one off. I'd be delighted to visit here again & have a 5 star experience! read more

Good healthy food. young people behind the counter were nice but service was erratic. Be great if they can differentiate the salads, they all seemed somewhat the same...maybe it was me read more

My wife found this place and took me here. It's delicious, wholesome, and hip. Pretty varied menu, crowd- pleaser for sure. We had brunch, so huevos rancheros and nachos The indoor/ outdoor seating possibilities ensure you are cozy. L read more

Active Culture - Nachos! - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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New spot very comfortable next to nugget market and boca pizza in the nice strip mall off Ignacio valley road. This marin trend continues on and on awesome, all natural, vegan, açaí bowls, quinoa brown rice bowls, salads. The salads were very pretty, coming from the industry I wouldn't want to be the mise en place prep cook here lol, wow so many ingredients and the salad is a bit too big. Oh nice knife skills for a fast casual salad place, I've seen salad ingredient cuts looking like a 5th grader used a butter knife but not here, small dices, clean. But yea the salad is too much, no one person should be eating that much salad, seriously took me an hour to finish 90% of it. I was getting bored. Not your mamas nachos, tortilla chips very crispy, didn't care for the blobs of cheddar that solidified into sheets. Maybe it won't be as "healthy" but you need the cheese whiz or nacho cheese AND the cheddar but just the cheddar alone doesn't do it. Vegan pina colada, tasty but I think it was like $10? It was a good break from all the brisket, burgers, sausages, ribs, and chicken we had over the 4th weekend. But this big ass salad could of used some meat to wash it down lol . We'll be back to try an açaí bowl, we love Nekter but we'll give active culture a shot next time. Lower the prices a few bucks and shrink the sizes by a few bites, that would be nice. read more

Active Culture - Vegan!! - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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Healthy fast food and not at all like fast food We need more of this in and around Marin read more

Wow oh wow. I never thought vegan, vegetarian food could be so delicious! Came here with my sister and we shared the Wholesome Bowl and Not Your Mama's Nachos. The bowl was fire. The sauce, they call it OG sauce, is to die for! The ingredients tasted very clean and fresh. I loved the salsa on top! The nachos were amazing as well! Glad we shared it because it's a generous portion! Put some Tapatio sauce on it and it's perfect! My sister got the berry smoothie and I got the coconut one. Coconut Smoothie was oh so creamy and even had little bits of coconut, felt like I was in Hawaii for a minute. I loved the Kids Corner. My 1 year old was busy coloring and playing for a good 10 minutes until he wanted to look around the restaurant himself. But I really appreciate the Kids Corner for parents who are trying to eat out and relax a bit without having to worry about their kid(s) acting up. Eating out with a toddler is quite a challenge! I really loved the decorations - there's cute little succulent plants on each table and a super cute wall frame of all different types of plants and succulents! The sisters who run the business were there and they were super sweet upon entry as well as checking on how we liked the food! I loved the vibes here, the music is really chill. I would definitely come back and try the Grassroots Burger and Potato Tacos! read more

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I have originally went to this restaurant and had samples on a Yelp Elite night. I still love their food I had their potato tacos and they were absolutely delicious but I was disappointed in the staff. The waitress that brought our food to our table was a little on the I guess I could say rude side. We asked about getting silverware and she just pointed to where they were and told us to go get it. When she came by the table and asked if there was anything else we needed at the end of our meal we asked about getting a box for the leftover food and she just pointed to where the boxes were. I just found it odd that she didn't bring those items to us. The other thing that I didn't like was that there were no prices so we didn't know what we were paying until after we ordered. I might've ordered something different than the shake that I ordered had I known how much it cost. read more

Active Culture - Potato taco - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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Yummy Vegan Options!!! Food is fresh and delicious. Location is super cute with plenty of seating. Staff are friendly and helpful. I went there to grab a light dinner before heading out to Vallejo. The avocados on my toast were fresh and the toast was perfectly crispy. They are very accommodating. You can change up the shakes any way you like. They have lots of vegan options including burgers and nachos. Will definitely be going back. read more

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Fancy toast- The bread was nothing special, egg was cooked perfectly, lots of avocado mash, spinach was spinach... would've been better with arugula to give it more pepperness. It is good, but what made it better was the salsa! Nice kick which the toast needed. This place has a pretty interesting menu. Good amount of indoor and outdoor seating which is nice. Definitely recommend for lunch/brunch. There's a cute kids table inside with books. read more

Active Culture - Fancy Toast. - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

I really enjoyed my first experience here and look forward to returning to try some of the other breakfast specials salads, veg burgers and acai bowls.Have seen and heard of many others having great food and drink here and in Marin Foodies. The smoothies look really good as well. Love the cleanliness and friendly staff there to help describe their many specialties. read more

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Can't believe it's taken so long to find this wonderful place. We stopped by for lunch over the weekend and had a fantastic experience. We're going to go from first time customers to a regular customers overnight. We can't wait to go back to be honest. We both ordered bowls, the "Wholesome Bowl" & the "Veggie Bowl". All vegan mind you without any issues, just a little cheese removal of which they were more than happy to accommodate. Both bowls were excellent. Generous portion size and wonderfully savory. The Wholesome Bowl in particular was reminiscent of a bowl I use to order from Cafe Gratitude when they were still in our area. I've longed for that type of bowl ever since. This bowl has everything you can want from sensational flavor, to protein to veggies. Loved it! I would also go as far to say that it's actually better than any bowl I every had from Cafe Gratitude. Well done AC! We also ordered a coffee coconut shake, all vegan of course. It was killer! Perfectly made. Nice and thick. Creamy and dreamy. Loved it too. The location was easy to get to from San Rafael and there's plenty of safe parking right out in front of the restaurant. The restaurant itself was really nice and clean with a wonderful variety of menu item options for all dietary needs. Anyone and everyone can and should dine here. I can promise you we'll be back, sooner rather than later. Thanks for having so many vegan option. Active Culture is simply amazing! read more

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Healthy & friendly, an original menu perfect for vegetarians. I wished they had one in Berkeley or Oakland. read more

Healthy new addition to Pacheco Plaza. In the spot next to Nugget that used to be the space museum there's a friendly place with a nice variety of foods including a surprisingly large children's menu. Big portions and typical prices... not cheap but reasonable. Interesting food combos and free cucumber water and selection of hot sauces! read more

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Food is a lil pricy but well worth the fresh organic charge you after consumption. Love this place! read more

Active Culture - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

One of my favorite places in Novato! All of the food I have tried is delicious and super fresh. Mostly vegetarian/vegan and gluten free which I appreciate. From the nourishing bowls to the açaí bowls, you can't go wrong. Highly recommend the huevos rancheros and the shakes. Great customer services. (I think his name is) Miguel is always so friendly! But really all the staff is. There is limited seating inside but I love the outdoor seating-especially on a warm day! If you're looking for a healthy, high quality and nourishing meal this is your spot. They also have some healthy alternatives to indulgent treats as well as serve hard kombucha, craft beers, mimosas and coffee. read more

A very nice new vegetarian, vegan restaurant serving a a variety of bowls, salads, tacos, burritos, homemade lentil burgers, soups, bagels, smoothies and shakes. We've been there twice already! I had the potato tacos our first visit which was two large flour tortillas filled with roasted potatoes, slaw, avocado and falafel sauce served with tortilla chips and salsa. The tacos were fresh, good tasting and filling. Our second visit I ordered the bowl of vegan chili. The chili came with a side of tortilla chips so I also ordered some guacamole to eat with my chips. The bowl of made from scratch chili was really big and was hearty and very flavorful. This establishment is a great addition to the area. Head there to get some fresh, good vegetarian, vegan fare. We'll keep going back! read more

Active Culture - Potato tacos - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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This is definitely one of Novato's go to spots! I rarely see the patio empty and I've been dying to go here and join the fun! This is my second time and the "Get Boozy" sign is what really pulled me in. Buy one get one boozy brunch drinks on the weekend? Sold. My strawberry mimosa was nice and fresh (not too much strawberry = just my style, if you catch my drift). The plates are filling and the price matches the love, tastes and healthy options you receive! This is a seat yourself and bus your dishes situation - so if you aren't into casual... then still try it out! I can't wait to try something new next visit! read more

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If you want to eat a "home-made" Huevos rancheros plate, then try the ones at Active Culture. Just wow!

Healthy and always fresh. Consistent. Wish they had these everywhere instead of fast food. Amazingly good and also healthy. Fair priced too

Scrumptious yet nutritious food. It's hard to find something fast on the road that you can order had of time for pickup. This place is convenient yet healthy. I love this new find. read more

Food was delicious and service was quick. I went at a time when is wasnt busy. Super kind staff and the area around was also quiet and peaceful. read more

Active Culture - Inside - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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The potato tacos and the protein açaí bowl were so yummy. I liked the ambiance with the wall of windows, natural light, and foliage. The staff was nice and welcoming. I really enjoyed my experience here and I would love to return when I am in town again. read more

This is the best place I have ever been to I had the açai bowl also known as the velvet bowl And the nachos it was so delicious and healthy everything there is so healthy and so delicious I definitely recommend going here read more

Active Culture - This is the velvet bowl it's delicious it's açai with granola blueberries bananas strawberries and honey SO GOOD - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

I've been to Active Culture three times now and while I really, really wanted to like it, I just don't. While I do appreciate the nutritious ingredients, I've not found many items to be very tasty and all of it is super overpriced. 5/5 -- Simple Salad -- This salad is legitimately delicious and it's quite sizable. I'm not sure what the green powdered seasoning is, but I'd put that and the dressing on just about any veggies and be happy. 3/5 -- Protein Acai Bowl -- Decently tasty, but the toppings were mounded on top of the acai such that every spoonful made a bunch of them fall out on the table. Would have worked much better in a wider bowl that allowed us to enjoy the meal, vs. it making a big mess and us losing a lot of what was intended to be in the dish. 2/5 -- Wholesome Bowl -- Beans and rice with a few veggies for $14.99? This is at best $2 worth of ingredients and honestly just not tasty. 2/5 -- Breakfast Tacos -- Again, a real miss. I got these for my husband (added prosciutto at the recommendation of the staff) and he barely ate any of it. The tortillas were soggy and filling portion was reminiscent of a motel free breakfast (eggs + cheese + salsa). They serve the tacos with chips and salsa, which might make sense as a brunch-type offering, but definitely not for breakfast. I may be back for the Simple Salad in a pinch, but the number of misses is significant enough that I won't bother trying anything else on the menu in the future. read more

As of Summer 2022, there appears to have been a significant shift in the Ignacio demographic, likely resulting from pandemic-based relocations. There is a lot of the SF/Central Marin vibe happening, which brings with it more affluence (if you can believe it) and demand for more "hip" and "healthy" places (there are probably more "h" words to describe it but we won't do that here). Active Culture, which already answers to similar vibes in upscale locations in San Clemente, Bend and Long Beach, has more than answered the call of attracting both the new and existing populace, as the newest addition to Pacheco Plaza. Largely a vegetarian restaurant, the counter service-driven Active Culture serves really good food, consistently, with friendly servers and both indoor (well air conditioned) and outdoor seating. Open only a few months as of this writing, Active Culture is a hit - you may consider ordering online and picking up food during busy hours around lunchtime. Food production in the back is efficient, and despite the challenges of keeping enough (trained) staff on hand given the current state of hospitality, folks seem to know what they're doing, and management is incredibly focused and hard-working. Although we've only scratched the surface of the well-stocked menu, the Hummus Quinoa Salad is an absolute winner, bursting with freshness and the nutty/savory flavors of the ingredients. It's large, and we've caught ourselves saying "this is my last bite" before plunging down for an additional forkful. The Grassroots Burger and the BBQ Burger are built around the same amazingly cohesive, nutty, beautiful lentil patty, and surrounded by ingredients that both highlight the deep flavors of the individual ingredients while paying homage to the patty. As a meat-loving burger guy who will only occasionally dabble in plant-based versions (many of which have too much junk to eat anywhere close to regularly), AC's lentil patty simply stands alone. The Avocado Toast is likewise a huge winner, again highlighting the hero (avocado) but giving the other ingredients enough of a co-starring role to once again lift it above other takes (although it's hard to beat Creekside Bakery in Novato here - another excellent place worthy of your appetite). We're not done yet. The veggie chili featured a lot of heat (spice) the first couple of times I tried it, and I struggled to savor this as much as other items. By the third time I ordered the chili, things seems a bit more connected and now it's one of my go-tos. There's heat but it's manageable - deep flavors abound, just like the other items. They have wine, beer, frozen yogurt (I get chocolate with chocolate chips), smoothies, bagels (including one with prosciutto - one of the few items that isn't vegetarian), and other lunch/dinner items. The place is immaculate and the restroom very clean, reflecting the professional and focused effort of a team that clearly knows what it's doing. Five stars all the way. We love AC and will keep coming back! Check it out. read more

Easily my favorite place to eat in Novato. The Bay Bowl is so good, I regularly ask when the nutrition information will be available because I have a hard time believing a healthy bowl can be so good. Bay Bowl is my #1 go-to for lunch or dinner. Sometimes, I mix it up with the Evolution Bowl. A solid choice when I want something slightly lighter. Today was Local's day, half price. Things got wild and I ordered a Bay Bowl, Evolution bowl with kale instead of brown rice, and a honey lavender shake. Hungry girl gotta eat, and I am a real big eater. Last night I had steak and Ben and Jerry's for dinner, tonight I was completely satisfied with a meat-free kale Evolution bowl and a vegan honey lavender shake. Would not have thought that could possibly be enough food, but it was perfect. Saved my Bay Bowl for tomorrow. This is easily the least interesting review I've ever written. But Active Culture is consistently good, once your find your go-to menu item. I highly recommend the bowls! read more

Stopped in the other day for a protein bowl and velvet bowl. PERFECTION! They were both so delicious. We were also offered a New Years immunity shot which was so great, as everyone is running around sick lately. I'd LOVE to see the immunity shots on the menu along with the option for JUST EGG on any of the breakfast bagels. It would be a nice alterative for us vegans out here! read more

This place is not good. The food isn't great. It was once really good and fresh. It's now mediocre and honestly just bad. I've ordered so many acai bowls, burritos, smoothies, bagels, bowls from this place and every time it's just meh. The acai bowls have had over ripe and just bad blueberries on it - not fresh at all. I've gotten bowls and bagels with avocado and they're underripe and just gross. The smoothies I've gotten haven't been well blended and have chunks of fruit in them. I don't understand why it's hard to have some quality control. The food has been an issue so many times that I'm now writing this review. For the price you would think there's some care to the quality of the ingredients. Doesn't seem to be the case. The customer service is also just bad. Rude staff. I ordered something and went to go get cash out of the ATM nearby. When I came back half my order was ready but not the other half. They gave my smoothie to someone else while I was not there, who then returned with it. The cashier then tried to just hand the drink to me. The person had their hands on the drink and the lid, I don't know if they were sick or if they had some of the smoothies or anything. I told the cashier I'm not going to be drinking that and I asked for a new one, and they gave me attitude, then they told me I needed to be more compassionate. I told them I don't need the attitude, I just want the smoothie remade. That's it. They should have offered to remake it from the beginning, not just tried to hand it to me. Overall awful on all fronts. read more

Incredible delicious, healthy and satisfying food. Bought the coconut shake two times because it was so good. Friendly and accommodating staff, great ambiance with outdoor seating read more

This is my favorite new restaurant in years. Everything they do is utterly delicious and so fresh. The menu is full of healthy and scrumptious options. We go every weekend and drive down from Santa Rosa just to eat here. Ambiance is great, food is so good, just adore this place. I have tried and loved: Açaí bowls Breakfast tacos Wholesome bowl Veggie bowl Huevos rancheros Avocado toast Pina colada shake Vegan cupcakes The dishes are large and very filling, worth the price point. The first time we came we over ordered expecting plates to be smaller. The sauces are all home made fresh and truly delicious. read more

I decided to go plant based for a while and was craving a place to dine that offered just that and to my surprise active culture appeared. The ingredients always taste fresh. The ambience is kid friendly and that was helpful as well because I have a wild toddler. The dessert options are also guilt free. I love this place hope they stick around! read more

Active Culture - Vegan nachos - Vegetarian Near Me - Novato, California

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Active Culture has become a great weekly lunch spot! The GF, Vegan and Vegetation options are wonderful and they make both ordering in house or to-go a snap. This has quickly become my go-to for lunch in the office, its so filling I can make due with one serving for 2 meals! As for ambiance, do yourself a favor and take advantage of the Bottomless Mimosa's during Sunday Brunch on the patio in Novato! read more

Pricey but pretty good. Fresh, simple, healthy food. A bowl to with a tea and tip about 25.00. I cannot remember if it's organic. If it is, then I could see why so expensive. I guess everything is expensive now. Basically beans, sprouts, quinoa,tomatoes, onions, cucumber and dressing totaling about two cups. A piece of toasted gluten free bread would have been a nice touch. Options for warm drinks would be good too. read more

I buy a salad and had the dressing on the side, I get through half of the salad and the salad dressing wasn't enough, I go back inside and ask if I could get a little bit more since what I got was half full, guy at the counter says it's $2 for 3oz or a smaller one for $1.5, I wouldn't mind paying if I got a full container to begin with, the sauce I got in my original order was half of the container they gave me, the salad with tip was at $19 and they want me to pay extra for the salad dressing? I've been going here frequently for the last 3 weeks, food is good but nickle and dime your customer for salad dressing... dont know about that. read more

A friend told me to try this place and said that the salads are great. Well, I'm not a fan of salads and won't eat one unless I don't have a choice. I decided to order a few things to try with my vegan friend. I ordered the Simple Salad, Lentil Goodness Bowl, Veggie Bowl, and the Kombucha Mojito. I decided that my friend and I would share the salad just so I could taste it and we each would have a bowl for the next day. The salad was absolutely fantastic! It was the best salad I have ever eaten! The fresh veggies are cut in small pieces so you can get some of everything in one bite. The salad dressing was also amazing. The Kombucha Mojitos were also perfect; tasty and not too bubbly. The next day, the ingredients in the bowls were still fresh and the OG sauce was mysterious yet flavorful. I am really glad I decided to come here and try several dishes; I will be back to try more things in the near future! read more

A friend recommended Active Culture and I've been here a few times now for both breakfast and lunch. So great to be able to go out to eat and feel happy/virtuous/on a good health track about my dining choices! Will definitely be back. One complaint is they have no coffee for breakfast but there is a coffee shop next store. Food is great and service has been pleasant each time I've been here. read more