LivingWell Bistro

So nice to have found a good vegan spot east of 205 in SE Portland! I’ve had their breakfast burrito a couple times and love it, especially their vegan sour cream.
Their pizza is good, but their Ginger Soy Curl Wrap is a stand out! It’s savory, filling, and robust with smoky soy curls and kale in a ginger sauce. The price is great for what it is.
They also serve Dragonfly Chai which is a brand I love!
Great service too, and I’ve never seen it too busy, so service is fast.

I enjoyed the tacos very much. And I loved that they had cookbooks that you could look at while you ate. Plenty of vegan options and GF! No GF pasta except for their «live» pasta of zucchini. I am not hard core enough yet to get into that.
Secondly, it’s in SE which vegan food is hard to come by this far out.
To find the place you have to go into the front entrance.
Only 4 stars because honestly, it’s a cafeteria, and I like to have some ambience. But the food gets two thumbs up from me.

This place is a step up from the usual hospital cafeteria, no doubt the Seventh Day Adventist influence. I was pleased with the range of choices and the prices weren’t bad. Free wifi is an added bonus.

VERY VEGAN FRIENDLY… We are ‘occasional’ regulars at LivingWell Bistro. The staff are friendly and knowledgable. After taking your order and delivering your food they go back to work and leave you alone.
So many healthy options here. Their little pizzas are my favorite but you need to eat those immediately, they don’t keep well. The coffee is excellent and I think you get a free refill or two.
We park in the structure next to the building (park all the way at the top and take the foot bridge over to the main building) and walk in, it’s worth the effort.
My only complaint is their hours. I find it very difficult to get there when they are open.

This place is a true hidden gem! I’m lucky enough to have just started working in the adjacent building, and if I’m not careful the scale is going to show it! First off: VEGAN SOFT SERVE. I kid you not when I say this is the best vegan soft serve I’ve ever eaten. It’s the first soft serve I’ve had that matches my memory of dairy based ice cream. They only have one flavor and it changes every time they run out. Last week was caramel, today chocolate berry. It’s soy based FYI. Soy and I get along just fine, but for those who don’t…well you’re sure missing out. The food is amazing as well! They have plenty of gluten free and some raw options. I have yet to try anything that didn’t taste delicious and fresh. The price is reasonable ($ 8 for 3 tacos, $ 6 personal pizza, $ 7 bowl, etc). The service is more miss than hit so far. Amazing food is their focus, not customer service, Keep in mind this is pretty much a cafeteria setting, so as long as you don’t go in expecting fine dining, or being waited on with a smile, you will be happy!

A grazing race, how sweet the sound
Of your meal melody
Plant-​based, gains ground
Pro-​paleo, but now vegan trainee
A grazing race, hospitable hero
That nourished a Unilocal Elite
Taco Trio, LivingWell Bistro
Was starved, but now I eat

The place is AMAZING and AFFORDABLE!!! Had an appointment at Kaiser Sunnyside and decided to stop in on the way home. This cafeteria style restaurant is located INSIDE the Adventist Medical Center and it is absolutely worth the trip! I will most certainly return to this wonderful spot, the food exceeds any expectation and it’s not only vegan but it’s also organic, local and sustainable. Keep up the good work!

Vegan hospital food. I know. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But it isn’t, this place is wonderful.
I had lunch here with my girlfriend today and we got the Quinoa bowl and «cheesy» broccoli soup. The quinoa bowl is amazing and a big portion to boot. I’d suggest having it in a to go container because it’s enough for two meals. The broccoli soup was also good, nice and light.
I’ve only been here once but I’ve been eating the left over or to go containers of my girlfriends quinoa bowl and been hooked since. She tells me the soups can be hit or miss though so don’t be afraid to ask for a sample. It was relatively slow on the Friday I went but was told it’s usually bustling with activity most days so take that into consideration as well.

I am quite impressed with this place. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is excellent for being in a hospital, and the prices are fair.
I am a vegan skeptic; I understand the benefits of vegan eating very well, but I love good food and am often unimpressed with vegan attempts at mimicking non-​vegan recipes. I can honestly say LivingWell Bistro passes my test for delicious vegan food!

I love this place. When you’re on rotation sometimes you just get lazy to make good nutritious food for yourself. If you’re lucky, you are at a hospital and there is a cafeteria that has a salad bar. Or if you’re really lucky, you are at Adventist and they have Living Well Bistro! In the mornings they have oatmeal with a variety of toppings. My favorite is the one with strawberries, blueberries and banana. It comes with coconut flakes but usually I would ask them to sub almond butter for it for some extra staying power.
They have some really tasty smoothies too. My favorite is the almond banana smoothie. However, they add a date for extra sweetness and it is too sweet in my opinion. However, they are so kind to let me sub the date for spinach. Instant green smoothie. Score!
For lunch I usually get the quinoa bowl. I don’t know how many of these I’ve had, but I’m still not tired of eating them yet. They are wholesome and will fill you up. There is a variety of flavors and textures. Plus, it just tastes really good. If you want some extra protein, you can add tempeh sausage or bbq tofu. They have chef specials everyday and those are usually pretty good, too. However, I always find myself going back to the quinoa bowl. What can I say, I guess I’m boring.
If you are at the hospital, I definitely recommend this place over their cafeteria. They also have vegan soft serve in fun flavors! But actually, if you are in the area and looking for a healthy meal, I would recommend coming here, as well!

Is it weird that I now look forward to appointments at Adventist because the cafeteria food is so good? Well, I do. Seriously some of the best vegan food ever at very reasonable prices. Every time I dine here I try to force myself to try something new because I can eat *anything* on the menu which is pretty exciting for me! I’m not a huge fan of anything resembling meat or fake meat but I am assured that the soy curls are delicious If you like that sort of texture. Each of the ($ 3) tacos is a small meal or large snack by itself. Three for $ 8? Huge meal, delicious and very filling. The black beans are not at all mushy and not overly salted (*cough*chipotle*cough), the pine nut sour cream style sauce amazing, and the sunflower pâté is a total home run: savory and delectable. I found the sesame ginger wrap to be a little heavy on the greens texture wise but the flavor was fantastic. The bowls are vegan dining at its $ 5 finest. Huge servings of whole grains, beans, veggies, and tasty sauces.
Plus vegan soft serve!
And there are grab and go cases stocked with the sorts of upscale vegan salads, snacks and juices that New Seasons and Whole Foods stock, for equal or lower prices. Fancy coffees and smoothies, a bakery case full of cookies, brownies, cupcakes, fancy chocolates… and did I mention vegan soft serve?

This ain’t your grandma’s hospital food. I was shocked when searching for a good lunch option in this area that the highest reviewed and best looking restaurant was Adventist Medical’s Living Well Bistro. It turned out to be the real deal.
Prices are more than reasonable for semi-​cafeteria-​style vegan food. Service was a little slow, which is the only thing preventing me from giving a coveted 5-​star review. Certainly this place is worth checking out if you’re at the hospital, but might even be worth going out of your way for if you’re in the 205 corridor.

Adventists know vegetarianism, and based on the meals I’ve had here, vegan food as well. The Bistro is in the very attractive Pavilion of Adventist Medical Center. Good prices.

Hospital food has a reputation for being awful. It’s all gummy, microwave crap served with a side of tapioca pudding or jello. That never made sense to me as good, healthy food is imperative for improving overall health especially at a time of illness. Living Well Bistro, situated inside the Adventist Medical Center in SE Portland, is a breath of fresh air, not just for a hospital but for Portland overall. The open space café features simple vegan fare with grab-​and-​go options as well as fresh-​prepared delights. The menu highlights salads with homemade dressings, soups, wraps, tacos, bowls and pizza with a handful of raw options. Everything is incredibly affordable with prices ranging from $ 3-​$ 6 on average. When the quality and freshness of the ingredients are taken into account, it adds up to be a phenomenal deal.
Though the location is out of the way, especially since you have to go into the hospital to dine there, the inconvenience is more than worth it for the ample choices that don’t disappoint. I would expect to pay A LOT more for the same food at any other place in Portland. They also offer a large selection of healthy beverages and snacks as well as desserts from Dovetail Bakery, Petunia’s Bakery and chocolate truffles from Missionary Chocolates. Because Living Well Bistro is located inside a hospital, they are not permitted to accept tips, which makes it feel like less of a restaurant and more like an awesome vegan convenience store stocked with fresh-​made food, snacks and desserts. I’m not joking when I say I’m debating going there to stock up on a few grab-​and-​go salads and treats to sustain myself for the week. You can’t beat a salad with fresh greens, beans, pico de gallo, corn salsa and a basil lemon vinaigrette for $ 5 or a bowl of live pasta with zucchini noodles, vegetables, pine nuts and homemade dressing for $ 6.
Living Well Bistro is the kind of place I would absolutely love to see turn into a franchise. If you could walk into any hospital, university, stadium or mall and find a large selection of fresh, healthy fare, I would be thrilled. For now, I’m hauling my butt to SE Portland to eat at a hospital because there really isn’t anything else like it in Portland especially at those prices. Please tell all your friends, this place could use a boost in business.
Note: Living Well Bistro’s hours are established to follow Adventist tradition, which means they close before sunset on Fridays and are closed on Saturdays. Check their website for hours and daylight savings adjustments.

Some of the best vegan fare we’ve had, and we’ve had it all, everywhere!
Also one of the least expensive high quality eateries I’ve EVER been to!
I recommend the vegan lifestyle to my clients, and this place makes it easy for anyone to eat healthy at a great price.
Thank you for being there, and I hope you expand locations soon!!!

Not as weird as it sounds to eat at a bistro inside a hospital. Very reasonably priced, especially for food made with good ingredients. I love their Quinoa Bowl with tofu. Definitely worth a little ride on the MAX to get some quality vegan food at a good price.

I’m still thinking about the carrot soup from last week. The food was excellent — even to a non-​vegan without food restrictions. It makes me want to eat more food, in general.
super friendly staff.

I’ve been here a few times.
I’ve got to say not bad at all for completely vegan food. It looks clean and well kept. The staff is nice enough.
Haven’t tried the pizzas yet but the wraps are all pretty decent. The soups are usually good too.

I went out of my way to go to a HOSPITAL for LUNCH today! How weird is that? Perhaps not so weird when you consider that the LivingWell Bistro is a hybrid of a cheap, quick hospital cafeteria and Blossoming Lotus, the vegan restaurant on NE Broadway & 15^th. And when you consider I could nab a coveted «first review,» yeeeehaaaawwww!!! Anyway, raw and vegan food for $ 5, $ 6, $ 8? Worth checking out!
Their menu is on the small side, weighed heavily to wraps, pizzas & Mexicanesque dishes. The offerings are listed on the wall with no description whatsover – pick up one of the folding menus by the cash register to better grok what is on offer.
We shared the combo of 3 tacos – $ 8 or $ 3 for one – one a raw taco consisting of sunflower seed pâté on a romaine leaf, one of soy curls on a very fine corn tortilla, and one of black beans on a corn tortilla. They were all garnished the same: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, salsa, pine nut sour cream drizzle. The two traditional ones also had vegan Daiya «cheese» which was not bad for vegan cheese. These were all pretty tasty in a mild sort of way – really nice sunflower pâté & really nice corn tortillas.
We also split the raw zucchini «pasta» which amounted to an undressed salad of spinach, spiral-​cut zucchini, cherry tomatoes, olives & pine nuts – $ 6. Kinda boring, not too filling, but certainly fresh & healthy. I think some dressing or actual tomato sauce would perk this dish up immensely.
Altho it is still posted on the wall, the appealing Lemon Tempeh Wrap – $ 6.00 – has been eliminated in favor of different tempeh wrap. We were disappointed.
Also, the menu mentions chocolate & vanilla cashew mousse, but they were offering strawberry & mango. We got a mango mousse – $ 5 – which was quite enjoyable, altho I think they could have achieved a smoother texture with the magic of the vitamix.
Order at the counter, no tip jar to be seen. Nice friendly service – we asked about soup of the day & received 2 generous samples. It was cauliflower coconut curry & plenty tasty!
There’s also a wide variety of packaged snacky items & bottled drinks, some of which I’d never seen before – aloe, aloe & more aloe! – and a little cookware boutique, encouraging us to cook at home. They had some brand-​new-​to-​me gadgets, which is saying something. Kitchen gadgets are my favorite!
Yes, I’ll go back… especially if I’m at the hospital, but even if I’m just in the neighborhood & seeking the light, healthy and nourishing.