Review of Chomp Eatery & Juice Station

I gave Chomp Eatery & Juice Station an overall score of 2.6, or 3 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 2 of 5 price range 4 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 3 of 5 quality of service 2 of 5 quality of food 2 of 5 local mainstay? 2 of 5 Comments: Sometimes good ideas don’t pan out. Chomp seems like one of those places. However, they’re still too young to write them off. Customer service was my first indication that something’s a little immature. Calls were taken while assisting us. And, as a direct result, our order was messed up; made not vegan even though we spent time on exactly what vegan meant. Instead of an apology, his brain was forming an argument after I told him. Seeing my look when I noticed this, he bit his tongue mid-sentence and fixed the order. To his credit, he offered an apology later when he realized the right thing to do. …friendly, but immature. Food was decent; though again signs of immaturity. The dishes are great creations and well thought out, but things were a little off because of a lack of process in the kitchen. For instance, the mushroom soup special had all the right ingredients, was fresh, smelled and looked great, but had way too much salt. These are things that will get worked out over time, but they need a lot of time. They are in a good location, serving an area of Santa Monica that seems a little under-served to a vegan, but the strip mall corner leaves more room for improvement. I don’t mind strip malls for cheap dives, but that’s not Chomp. Chomp Eatery & Juice Station has vegan options, upon request, but not as many as you would expect from a place where you can get a juice cleanse. Give them some time to mature, understand their market, and this will probably change. I hope the best for this place, as they have potential, it’s just well untapped at this point.

Additional Info
Address: 1612 Santa Monica Blvd, 90404
Area: Mid City
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: American
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Review of Satdha

I gave Satdha an overall score of 4.6, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5 price range 3 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 5 of 5 quality of service 4 of 5 quality of food 5 of 5 local mainstay? 3 of 5 Comments: This is what vegans in Santa Monica have been craving for years; good, comfortably vegan Thai food. Satdha doesn’t seem like one of those Buddhist “vegan” places where they purposefully ignore ingredients in their sauces and mixes. Instead they have thrown together some wonderful creations that keep my non-vegan fears at bay. Slightly off the beaten track, and well away from most tourists, Satdha has a stylish and clean little restaurant on Lincoln next to their small parking lot. Their full service eating area is well lit with beautiful white tables and an artistic wooden wall slash bench along the interior. Upon entering, you find yourself slightly transported from a drab part of Lincoln just outside. Service has always been solid and, for lack of a better way to say this, authentic. I don’t know how they put their staff together, but they all seem to have grown up with this food. Now, what to say about the food. I wouldn’t say authentic because they don’t sneak fish sauce and other aquatic offenders in at any opportunity like they do in SE Asia, but I could say that it is pleasing to my epicurean side. The Shallot Tempeh is perfectly prepared with slightly crispy tempeh cooked in a sweet tamarind sauce, covered with crispy shallots, steeped on a plate over broccoli, and then slowly reduced to a few streaks of tamarind sauce that I couldn’t get on my fork. The Catfish Eggplant and other dishes are also very good giving vegans many choices and reasons to keep coming back. Oh, and I love their rice too; both the brown and the sticky. And if you’re entree wasn’t too sweet, a lot of them are on the sweet side, try the coconut sticky rice with mango before the bill great reveal; Satdha tends to be slightly expensive. I find Thai food, and Southeast Asian food in general, very enjoyable and to have many vegan options; that is if they can keep the fish sauce out of it. Satdha found a way to do that and have convinced me that this isn’t one of those vegan in name only places. So much so that I think it may now be easier for vegans to get good Thai food in Santa Monica than in Bangkok.

Additional Info
Address: 2218 Lincoln Blvd, 90405
Area: Ocean Park
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: Thai
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Review of Loteria Grill

I gave Loteria Grill an overall score of 3.7, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 2 of 5 price range 3 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 4 of 5 quality of service 4 of 5 quality of food 3 of 5 local mainstay? 3 of 5 Comments: While looking for happy hour one day, we decided to check out Loteria Grill’s menu. To my surprise, they had a separate vegan menu. I was happy. On 3rd Street Promenade, with an open front restaurant and nice decor, Loteria Grill is in a good location and very inviting. The hostess and wait staff also pulled us in and made us feel welcome and well taken care of, …happy. We settled in quickly. The happy hour menu has $4 beers and $7 margaritas along with a small list of appetizers. Unfortunately the happy hour appetizers only have guac, salsa, and chips for vegans. The vegan menu itself had a couple more appetizers, but not at happy hour prices. Outside of happy hour, vegans have the choice of tacos and bean smothered enchiladas. Not too exciting, but tasty and good with beer. There are better places in Santa Monica to get Mexican food, but Loteria Grill has a better location and happy hour. But above all is that beautiful vegan menu that tells me that they understand! …no lard, butter, chicken stock, and other sneaky offenders. So grab a vegan Negra Modelo, watch the tourists stroll by as the sun sets, and don’t worry, be happy.

Additional Info
Address: 1251 3rd St Promenade, 90401
Area: Mid City
Reviewed Meal: Dinner
Ethnicity: Mexican
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Review of Huckleberry

I gave Huckleberry an overall score of 2.3, or 2 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 1 of 5 price range 2 of 5 family friendly? 2 of 5 % menu vegan 3 of 5 quality of service 1 of 5 quality of food 3 of 5 local mainstay? 2 of 5 Comments: Upon entering Huckleberry, you are confronted by the non-relenting noise that drenches the tiny building. Then, as you make your way over to the counter to order, you are confronted by the waiter darting that way, patron darting this way, waiter darting this way now, and the long pause to let others pass the small passageways that connect the counter to the front door. After ordering, the punishingly long wait, and the expedition over to the sliver on the communal table to wait for your food, you realize that you may be sitting in the most chaotic place in Santa Monica. And, other than the punishing wait, that is the good part. On the bad side of things, the wait staff seems preoccupied with doing their job. …only their job, nothing more. They drop off your food then cower back into the abstract abyss beyond the chaotic event horizon. And don’t dare attempt something like ask for a glass of water while waiting for a table because those beyond the event horizon are not stable. Continuing the bad, you can get a vegan breakfast, but be ready for a painful exchange at the counter when, amongst the omnipresent chaos, it becomes amazingly clear that substituting is frowned upon. Oatmeal was decent but more of a desert than a breakfast. Come to think about it, it was more of an appetizer since I finished breakfast once I got home. There does appear to be a vegan item on the lunch menu, but the response to my related question was skewed and eventually lost in the event horizon. Huckleberry has decent coffee, communal tables, pleasant cafe chaos, and a few sustainable items on the menu. However, amid the long wait for a table, I failed to comprehend the gravitational pull of this place given this short list of positives. Maybe I’m just the wrong type of feeder to understand.

Additional Info
Address: 1014 Wilshire Blvd, 90401
Area: Mid City
Reviewed Meal: Breakfast
Ethnicity: American
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Review of Hummus Bar Express

I gave Hummus Bar Express an overall score of 4.6, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 5 of 5 price range 5 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 5 of 5 quality of service 3 of 5 quality of food 5 of 5 local mainstay? 3 of 5 Comments: First Z-Garden and now this; Mediterranean is taking off in Santa Monica, and I love it. Hummus is the ultimate vegan food. And as far as hummus goes, Hummus Bar Express has the right mix. As the name suggests, this place was built on their hummus and for good reason; it’s a great mix, perfectly accented with either tahini or mushrooms, and delicious. However, the hummus may possibly be eclipsed by their laffa bread which is chewy nectar. They have a lot of vegan options, but I honestly can’t get past ordering the hummus to try them. They are in a good spot on The Promenade with a cozy front veranda to people watch as you enjoy your fat tire. Inside, they have high and low tables preceding the counter where you order, take a number, and give them a few chips. And seemingly for the families and larger groups, they have tables in the back under a couple large skylights. Service at the counter has never been the best, but they make up for it at the tables; keeping water flowing and plates cleared. ...and if needed, the laffa filled. Whether you’re vegan or not, if you like hummus, it’s hard to beat Hummus Bar Express. They have awesome food and drinks, a great location, and leave you with a good price tag. It’s the perfect mix.

Additional Info
Address: 1333 3rd St Promenade, 90401
Area: Mid City
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: Mediterranean
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