Mellow Moods Cafe And Juice Bar in Shepherdstown West Virginia!

Isn't that a great name for a restaurant? 'Mellow Moods'.... ahhh I feel contented already. 

We are starting a new series of posts called 'Rock Foodie On The Road!' Over the past couple of years while on our new food journey we have found some wonderful places to enjoy healthy foods. I would like to share those with the local readers of the Queen's Table blog. Living in the Mid Atlantic region of the country we are not in the mecca of organic produce, nor do we have hip juice bars and vegan restaurants in most towns as those who live in California. So when we find the rare restaurant gems that have food options that work for us, we would like to share the good news with you! My talented musician hubby and myself often find ourselves on the road after performing at a venue looking for a safe place to eat. We try to plan our trips from online information, menus, and word of mouth. We take chances, call restaurants, and sometimes ask chefs to prepare me something vegan. Personally I want to give kudos and support to those restaurants that care about the quality of their food, and send more people their way.

I have to warn you in advance of this series that my food photos in restaurants don't always come out so great. Please forgive that I may only have use of a phone camera, lighting may be dark, or I just don't want to annoy the other dining guests by constantly shooting with flash till it looks perfect. Can you imagine that some people are not as crazy about good food as me and do not want to take photos of their meals? Geesh! Then again most times I am so hungry that I forget to even take the photos before we plow into our delicious looking food and thus I mess up the beauty shot! Yikes! There I go again loving what I eat so much! Anyway folks I hope you enjoy the new series The Queen's Table 'Rock Foodie on the Road' posts! Hopefully they will entice you to check out these very worthy eating establishments that deserve some love. First up as promised: Mellow Moods! Cue some cool music.... of course!

We have been to 'Mellow Moods Cafe And Juice Bar' twice during visits to beautiful historic Shepherdstown West Virginia with Ben's sister Brande. She is an awesome nurse who spreads the good word about organic whole foods being a key ingredient to a healthier lifestyle in her workplace! Making big changes to her own wellness, she is an inspiration to others. I love having friends and relatives who become healthy foodies!!! We have such great times eating and enjoying life together!

Shepherdstown is a funky hip college town with delightful shops, nearby hiking, biking, and river activity. It is located at the state lines of Maryland and West Virginia along the Potomac River. On this particular day the weather was absolute perfection! A day to be outside in nature to be sure!

We had fun meandering into some shops before going to Mellow Moods. Many unique artistic items and crafts to be seen and admired. More importantly though we three needed sustenance for our long trail walk along the C&O Canal Path. Onward to Mellow Moods people! Wow! I am envious that Ben's sister has a place so fantastic to eat nearby to her abode! We are always stating we need a juice bar and wheat grass shots where we live! Sigh. Well the first thing we spied upon entering 'Mellow Moods' was the wheat grass growing trays! Yes!!! Thank you. Thank you very much indeed.

We ordered fresh wheat grass shots served with an apple slice, and toasted to our healthy day together! 

Then we each ordered a full out fresh made veggie juice! Two 'Garden Elixirs' (carrot, celery, tomato, cucumber, garlic, basil, & optional hots), and one 'Beet Red' juice (carrot, apple, beet, celery, ginger)! Yum to the tenth power! Great juice! I am so thankful when someone else makes my healing juice!

Looking over the Mellow Moods menu we then chose our greens and veggie lunches. I had a quinoa salad seen below of mixed greens, garden veggies, drizzled with balsamic glaze. Delish dish!

Hubby enjoyed his yummy powerhouse sandwich served on fresh bread with a spinach side salad.

Brande had a smaller version of the quinoa salad, which she joyfully explained was her favorite meal whenever she stopped by Mellow Moods. 

Brande also shared her sweet looking order of a quesadilla with dip, apple slices, and spinach with us. 

Mellow Moods does source their produce from local farms as well as have a strong commitment to the Earth. During both visits everything prepared was very fresh, and served with a smile. The atmosphere in the cafe is indeed mellow, and it seems to be a friendly hangout for locals as well as tourists. 

The decor is funky casual within the narrow indoor rooms. Besides tables there is a sofa, a counter area, as well as a relaxing outdoor patio cafe area in the rear. 

The story of how Mellow Moods came to be is a sweet one. During their barefoot honeymoon in Hawaii, Phillip and Shanna Mastrangelo visualized one day opening a juice and smoothie place with a laid back vibe. They wondered if anyone would ever come to such a cafe. They used every cent they had in the bank to open 'Mellow Moods' in April 2007... well they did have 79 cents leftover and some loans to pay back. 

Success and years of learning followed, as winters can be slow, and summers filled with long lines. They very much appreciate the community that has supported and gathered around Mellow Moods. I feel this poster below created by Sami Sunchild which was hanging inside the cafe, tells the tale about the people behind Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar. Valuable to know who is preparing your food, and even better knowing when it is done with love. A fantastic way to start your day is with good vibes and good food!

Well now, the C&O Canal is calling, and this trio needs a bit of exercise. 

The C&O Canal Towpath that runs along the water is a popular destination for cyclists. (The Chesapeake and Ohio towpath runs for 83 miles.) The access area near Shepherdstown is Lock 38. I fondly remember hiking to the Paw Paw tunnel area of the towpath years ago which was on the way to Hancock. Some areas of this towpath in the Shepherdstown area have massive walls of natural stone cliffs on one side. A soothing visual of lazy flowing water while passing trees, wildflowers, bridges, open fields, or canal locks is lovely. Sounds of birds and animals delight the senses while an occasional canoe or person on a tube floats by.

This hike with friends and loved ones is good for your soul. If you are in the area make sure you take advantage of this natural and man made beauty even if you do it solo. So says the Queen! How fortunate are those who live nearby to this gorgeous serene place! Perfect to get your healthy exercise, quiet the mind, and zen out...

If you are near the Potomac River, C&O Canal, tubing, canoeing, biking, or hiking, and then find yourself near Shepherdstown, stop in 'Mellow Moods' for a healthy snack, drink, or meal. Look for the happy chalkboard greeting outside at 119 West German Street! You will be glad you did my friend!

You will see the Mellow Moods sign in the window, and the beautiful painted metal sign shown at the top of this post, hanging over the sidewalk. Now step up into a world of goodness and relax! Some one else is going to make you a healthy green juice! Oh how I love that part! Rock on Mellow Moods!

Mellow Moods Cafe and Juice Bar serves breakfast sandwiches, hot sandwiches, cold sandwiches, fresh juice, smoothies, fresh pressed soda, coffees, tea, soups, salads, veggie burgers, baked goods, snacks, and they have a small children's menu. So stop in and have yourself a healthy shot of wheat grass and partake in some locally sourced food! We look forward to future visits and wish this cafe all good things! I see on their facebook page that they are opening a second location in Charles Town WV soon!

UPDATE: We were in 'Mellow Moods' recently and were disappointed to find out that they stop making any kind of juice an hour before closing in order to clean the equipment. We missed it by five minutes! After a long drive with a healthy juice in our sights we wished they had posted this notice on the website info so we could have planned our day differently.

I found this little video below about Mellow Moods! Cool. Now you can peek inside.

Feel good about your food on the road of life. Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be Peace!