Enjoy® Pure Food + Drink: Nourishing Kansas City

Staci Cross opened the doors to Mission Farms’ tranquil-chic healthy restaurant over three years ago. It was the product of a vision she had while frequently traveling across the country for her previous job in advertising. “As a vegan, I noticed how hard it was to find healthy food for people who are on the go,” she said. “I was traveling to about 40 cities a year and realized people are not eating well. There are so many fast food options but it’s really hard to find organic food, and if it’s convenient, there’s usually a compromise.” Staci knew her purpose was to open a restaurant that offers healthy, vibrant, delicious food.

Let’s be clear: Enjoy Pure Food + Drink isn’t your typical juice bar. While the restaurant does offer a variety of colorful cold-pressed juices and whole-meal smoothies, Staci was very intentional to ensure customers could also have a healthy meal that gave them energy for all they needed to accomplish that day. “When I was always on the go, running to the airport, I needed a meal. As a vegan, I didn’t want a simple side of green beans or a cup of hummus; I wanted a meal that was delicious!” The menu translates with options such as superfood bowls, sandwiches, salads and much more. “I didn’t want Enjoy to just be a vegan restaurant, I wanted anyone to be able to eat here and feel great,” Staci said. 

Customers can rest assured the food is as delicious as it is healthy, thanks to Kansas City’s first James Beard-award winner, Chef Michael Smith. “I just knew he would give it that culinary profile and make all of our ingredients taste great,” Staci said. All of Enjoy’s ingredients are astringently scoured to be clean and non-processed. The menu is made up of an abundance of mostly organic vegetables and fruit, sustainably caught fish, organic protein and all organic cold pressed juices. Each dish is prepared purposefully with an emphasis on being nutrient-dense and delicious.

Enjoy Pure Food + Drink serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, so clean options are available to customers all day. I started my tasting experience with the Take on the World bowl, a mixture of quinoa, avocado, kale, broccoli, shredded beets, almonds, hemp seeds and a ginger-miso dressing that’s out of this world. With so many healthy ingredients, you’d expect the bowl to be a bit bland, but the zesty dressing highlights each flavor and amps up the heartier elements. Take on the World is a fantastic option for lunch; equal parts filling and fun.

The Great Catch bowl consists of a bed of sautéed kale, sweet onion, celery, roasted sweet potatoes and wild-caught salmon grilled to perfection, all tossed in a tangy citrus-ginger vinaigrette. My favorite bowl, Countryside, features chicken, peas, carrots, cauliflower rice and diced tomatoes dressed in a delectable cilantro pesto. Every bowl on the menu is gluten free and many allow for vegan and paleo options.

I finished my tasting with the iconic cold bowl, Gorgeous. It fully lives up its name, vibrantly pink thanks to sweet dragonfruit. Pineapple, banana, dates, coconut milk and hemp seeds sit atop the bowl with granola and coconut flakes for added texture. The cold bowls are the best, easiest and healthiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth at any time of the day. 

Enjoy Pure Food + Drink has a private dining area to nourish groups of all sizes, but my favorite part of the venue is the Pura Cocktail bar. Just as the name guarantees, all of the drinks served are prepared clean. No artificial dyes, colors or syrups are used, strictly fresh-squeezed juice and fruit. Even the wines are sustainably farmed and certified green, which makes them low sulfite, so say goodbye to those awful wine-induced headaches!

Every item on the menu packs a powerful punch of antioxidants and impactful substances that our bodies crave. As we reflected on cancer awareness, Staci explained Enjoy’s influence on survivors and people fighting cancer. “We have a lot of customers that are currently diagnosed who are seeking the antioxidants and fiber in clean food,” she said. “Everything we serve has to pass the clean test.”  

Staci truly believes her mission was to bring the benefits of deliciously healthy food to the area. “We have the best clientele in Kansas City,” she said. “People are so appreciative of what we’re doing and that’s what I love about serving this area. I can’t tell you how many times I hear ‘thank you’ every day.” Unlike other trendy health food joints, you can expect to leave Enjoy Pure Food + Drink with a full stomach, satisfied taste buds and a refreshed outlook on treating yourself to good food. Nourish your mind, body and spirit one meal at a time. ■

Visit Enjoy Pure Food + Drink at 10573 Mission Road in Leawood, Kansas. Call 913-544-1515 or enjoypurefood.com for more information.

Cravings writer Meg Dieter is a Kansas City transplant from Cleveland, Ohio. She’s a wife, dog mom, foodie and social media coordinator. Meg spends her weekends at Arrowhead Stadium, River Market and local animal shelters. Her life motto: count the memories, not the calories.