Sometimes the best surprises are found off the beaten path. That’s the case with one of the latest restaurant discoveries to find their way to the Grow in Wellness list of approved restaurants, Outpost Kitchen.

This Aussie-inspired restaurant is a gem of a find. Their original location is on Monrovia Avenue in Costa Mesa (a second location is underway on Bristol Street, also in Costa Mesa).

This restaurant might be small, but it delivers in a big way. Outpost Kitchen is passionate about food and where it comes from. They work with local farms, butchers, bakers and coffee roasters to ensure that everything they serve upholds their passion for living well and providing the best quality meals, without sacrificing taste.

They serve mostly organic, local grown produce that rotates with the seasons. Their eggs come from pastured chickens and their meats come from Electric City Butcher, who provide high quality meats from sustainable farmers and humanely raised animals. Their small space provides an open kitchen for transparency, which also makes it fun to peer into while you eat to watch them make delicious meals from scratch.

And when I say delicious, I mean delicious. Deciding what to eat could possibly be the most challenging decision of your day. For breakfast, the Aussie Style Scramble hits the spot with a combination of crisp prosciutto, spinach and roasted tomato served with toasted flatbread topped with avocado. Speaking of avocados, the Avocado on Toast is also fantastic and comes with harissa and peppadew pesto and house ricotta alongside a herb salad with grapefruit reduction. Their breakfast smoothies are a perfect side to any of their menu items.

If lunch is more your thing, then there are just as many mouth-watering options to choose from. Creative combinations like the Eagle & Pig sandwich (balsamic pulled pork, pear relish, charred scallion aioli, watercress and Humboldt Fog), the STH Straddie Taco or Lamb “Gyro”. Vegetarian options include Spaghetti Squash with Meatless Balls, and Carrot Fennel Soup. For you pescatarians, try the Outpost Salmon with its Thai flavors.

Outpost kitchen also has gluten-free treats. In fact, they have no in-house flour. All their muffins are gluten free and the few gluten containing pastries they do offer, come from a trusted outside baker. Need some organic coffee to go with your cashew-kiwi muffin? They have that, too. They use only olive oil and expeller pressed grapeseed oil in their kitchen and when it comes to sweetening, there are no refined sugars, only raw. They have no freezers, so you know freshness is a priority.

They don’t take reservations, so plan your visit around down times, or plan to wait. It will be worth it, I promise.

(Review originally posted on Thrive & Dine)