![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
“Family!”
A chef shouts from behind the wooden counter, signaling that a new dish is ready to be served. Waiters rush to receive the order, navigating around wooden tables and scattered greenery. At Café Gratitude in Kansas City, the staff consider each other family to foster inclusivity. This 100% organic, vegan restaurant offers a homey dining experience and encourages customers to appreciate themselves and their community.
The cafe pairs its unique food with a distinctive atmosphere by emphasizing the “Gratitude” aspect of its name. Right as you sit down, your eyes land on cards stacked in the table’s center that pose introspective questions or offer advice. After ordering, the server asks the cafe’s question of the day. Ours was, “When do you feel the most alive?”
Starting off with drinks, we ordered “I am elevated,” named after the restaurant’s focus on positive affirmations. The drink’s rosewater and sparkling lemonade blended well together and functioned as a terrific palette cleanser.
For the appetizers, we tried “I am zesty,” buffalo cauliflower with vegan ranch, and “I am present,” bruschetta with cashew cheese. The buffalo cauliflower’s marinade, which tasted sharper than regular buffalo sauce, offered a sour, zesty flavor when paired with ranch. The bruschetta’s fresh tomatoes soaked in a balsamic vinaigrette packed a tangy punch but dominated the cashew cheese, which had little taste to begin with. Although we completely scraped off the cheese, both appetizers exceeded our expectations, and we recommend them to people who enjoy stronger flavors.
Despite the flavorful appetizers, the slow service dampened our dining experience. The size of our party was big, but it did not exceed the restaurant’s full capacity. If you visit the cafe on a packed day, as we did, you should expect long wait times, especially for your entrees.
After a forty-minute wait, our main entrees finally arrived. We ordered “I am flourishing,” a mushroom taco with coconut bacon and brown rice, and “I am terrific,” the cafe’s vegan take on traditional pad thai.
The taco featured a variety of contrasting flavors: the mushrooms’ bitter notes, the coconut bacon’s sweetness and the fig balsamic’s acidity. All three flavors clashed with each other, ruining the potential of the dish’s balanced umami flavor.
If you expect a classic bowl of warm, spiced noodles when ordering the pad thai, you are in for a surprise. The cafe’s pad thai is served cold and consists of raw kelp noodles, teriyaki almonds and vegetables tossed in a Thai almond sauce. Despite the unconventional ingredients, the flavors blend together into a refreshing dish similar to an Asian salad. However, for customers looking for a comforting plate of noodles, we would not recommend ordering the pad thai.
Frequent visitor Anne Vicky recommends the dish for its unconventional flavor.
“It’s cold and super flavorful and not what you would expect,” Vicky said. “If you’re expecting pad thai from a Thai place, that is not what you’re getting.”
Café Gratitude manager of six months and vegan Kaya Santillo discovered the restaurant because of its healthy vegan foods. She highlighted Cafe Gratitude’s incorporation of wellness into the dining experience.
“I think the gratitude part of it and being 100% organic has a huge impact,” Kaya said. “A lot of places serve more of the junk food vegan, but we sell healthy dishes. The dishes’ names as well, like ‘I am decadent,’ are super fun. Even our kitchen communicates with affirmations.”
Overall, if you are looking for a meal with conventional flavors, we would not recommend Café Gratitude. The cafe offers several hit-or-miss vegan options that often fail to imitate the traditional tastes of the dishes. However, vegan or vegetarian customers looking for a healthy meal or refreshing drink would enjoy the variety of menu items offered by the cafe.
Café Gratitude is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and is closed on Wednesday.
333 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108
Our rating: 3.5/5
