Located near the intersection of Preston and Northwest Highway, Bliss Raw Cafe offers Dallasites a full vegan menu. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared and features an inviting pallete of vibrant colors and flavors. (Spencer J Eggers/ The Daily Campus)

Bliss Raw Cafe and Elixir Bar received a lot of attention after opening in 2009 as the first entirely raw and vegan restaurant in Dallas.

Since then, Bliss continues to be a haven for vegan die-hards and a curious fascination for those just looking for a healthy meal.

The cafe’s menu boasts an array of entirely vegan dishes, each one prepared raw, which means nothing gets cooked above 115 degrees.

Choices include a wide range of cuisines from Italian “Rawsagna” and Mexican “Rawkos” all the way to vegan California rolls, made with asparagus and mushrooms instead of crab.

When first opening the door to Bliss, a light earthy scent combines with citrus walls and hanging greenery.

The experience resembled sitting down to lunch in the middle of a garden.

Though the Friday lunch crowd barely remained by the time I arrived, service was pretty slow.

The only waiter on the clock seemed to be having a rough go at managing things by himself, but his cordial demeanor and genuine friendliness almost made up for the inattentiveness.

At a neighboring table, a mother and daughter pair were just finishing a plate of coconut kale enchiladas, which they highly recommended.

After much debate I decided instead to go with the veggie sandwich along with a “blissfully green elixir.”

The $10 sandwich turned out to be something of a disappointment.

Described as a wide array of vegetables on tomato basil bread with a creamy scallion cheese spread, the sandwich was not at all what I imagined.

The bread, due to perfect adherence with their raw and vegan dogma, closer resembled a tortilla.

Only a small dollop of cheese spread flavored the vegetables, which were in such abundance that the sandwich was nearly impossible to hold.

The blissfully green elixir far exceeded my expectations.

A step beyond their traditional chocolate bliss elixir, the blissfully green gets a dose of an “alkalizing beauty blend” called RevitaPhi and a dose of Spirulina supplement.

Yet somehow, the drink still managed to taste exactly like a chocolate shake.

Willing my taste buds to step up their game, I tried again and again to detect even a hint of one of those unpronounceable ingredients, but came up short every time.

Nothing but cold, creamy smoothness and a deliciously pure chocolate flavor.

Convinced that I simply misordered with the veggie sandwich, I returned to Bliss the following evening. This time I took the advice of the other restaurant patrons.

For round two, I ordered the coconut kale enchiladas and the dessert of the day, a Bliss brownie.

Despite the relatively steep $14 entree, the enchiladas were served in a rather small portion. Only three miniaturized rolls comprised the entire entree.

However, for the most part the dish tasted pretty decent. Marinated kale tossed with “nacho cheese” filled three tiny coconut tortillas that lent a distinctly sweet aftertaste.

The pico de gallo and salsa verde that topped the enchiladas lacked any spice which, despite the general flavor being acceptable, prevented the dish from tapping into its Mexican influences.

I concluded my meal with another chocolate concoction, the Bliss brownie, also raw and made mostly of walnuts.

The waiter set before me an impressive plate.

The rich dark brownie, dripping with a thick ganache and sprinkled with fresh berries and walnuts, looked like a dream.

Unfortunately the flavor and consistency came up short.

Perhaps my limited exposure to raw food hindered my experience, but I couldn’t get past the gluey texture or the chalky flavor.

If you’re in search of a light meal to shake loose some toxins, Bliss can certainly satisfy.

Just don’t be misled by the names of the dishes — the items resemble their namesakes only in presentation.

Additionally, for such meager portions, the prices are pretty steep.

But if you adhere to the raw or vegan lifestyle, you know not many restaurants cater to raw veganism. Bliss can be counted on to meet your needs. Beyond that, Bliss plans to expand their elixir menu with a juice bar that is sure to impress.