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 A Votre Sante

I gave A Votre Sante an overall score of 4.5, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5 price range 2 of 5 family friendly? 4 of 5 % menu vegan 4 of 5 quality of service 3 of 5 quality of food 5 of 5 local mainstay? 5 of 5 Comments: Tucked away next to a little candy shop and gas station on San Vicente in Brentwood, A Votre Sante has been dishing up great vegan creations as long as anybody in the area. Though the entire menu isn’t vegan, there’s enough to kick in my rarely seen, “what to have,” paralysis. Their old mainstay dishes tend to be Southwestern or Asian fusion, like Dragontail which mixes black beans and vegies with ginger and hijiki. Since the last expansion, they’ve added a wood oven where they bake pizzas, but be careful because the soy cheese isn’t vegan. One sad thing about finding awesome hole in the wall, hidden restaurants is that others will soon find them. Then inevitably they raise prices, fund expansions, and raise prices again. A Votre Sante was no exception; though the last wall knockdown really opened up the place. The interior has always had a nice upscale cafe vibe with revolving photography and paintings, comfortable but packed in tables, good lighting, and a tiny little outdoor seating strip. Overall, A Votre Sante has many vegan options with some time tested masterpieces. It’s a little hidden and on the outskirts, but well worth the find.

Additional InfoAddress: 13016 San Vicente Blvd, 90049
Area: Outskirts - Brentwood
Reviewed Meal: Lunch, Dinner
Ethnicity: American
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Review of Z Garden

I gave Z Garden an overall score of 4.3, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5 price range 4 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 4 of 5 quality of service 5 of 5 quality of food 4 of 5 local mainstay? 2 of 5 Comments: Once in a while, an oasis of good food pops up in a place you don’t expect. If the food is right and the owner is a business-minded mover and shaker, deal maker, then it has a chance of sticking around. Z Garden seems like one of those places. They did the best they could with a sleepy and aging shopping center, and it’s much improved over the last tenants. The interior is trendy and clean, though, for the decorations and furniture, they have consistently chose expensive looking over quality and function. They also opened up the outside with a few tables between the building and the sidewalk. Service has always been great and they understand and work with vegans. When I asked if the falafels are vegan, they responded, “yes, we don’t use egg,” putting my “don’t understand vegan” fears to rest. It has a family feel and the people they hire, whether they are family or not, are always friendly and helpful. Now, as for the food, it is very tasty and they seem to use good ingredients. Most vegan selections like hummus and baba ghannouj are olive oil heavy, so it appeals more to my sense of taste than to my sense of health. For entrees, they have a vegetarian kebab and a vegetarian plate that are both filling and delicious. There’s plenty on the menu and you can’t really go wrong. Z Garden is a fresh new place that I hope has a future in Santa Monica. They have great food and good service. The only real drawback is that they use disposable plates and utensils. But, go support them, order vegan, and slip in a comment to ditch the disposable. Then go tell your vegan friends and let’s see if we can get them to stick around. Update: Z Garden has opened a 2nd restaurant in Santa Monica that has a better location, interior, and vibe.  Best of all, the ditched the disposable plates and utensils.

Additional Info
Address: 2350 Pico Blvd, 90405
Area: Pico
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: Mediterranean
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Review of Urth Caffe

I gave Urth Caffe an overall score of 4.0, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5, I don't need a menu. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 3 of 5, At least one good entrée quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy toung local mainstay? 3 of 5, Been here since I've been here. Comments: In the beginning, Urth Caffe West Hollywood consumed our every Sunday morning; half the morning taken by commuting over there and back. I was amped when I heard they were coming to my neck of the woods in Santa Monica. We monitored the construction closely during our bicycle drive-bys, salivating for those vegan muffins. Like West Hollywood, Urth Caffe Santa Monica has limited indoor seating and a lot of outdoor and patio seating. You order at the counter with the busy register jockeys and then grab a seat amongst the somewhat forced, voguish milieu. The help staff then quickly shuffles your drinks and food to your table and the dishes from. Though the Santa Monica location is a model home version of the West Hollywood location, it still has a pleasant atmosphere with a great location on Main. The menu is somewhat limited, but has enough vegan lunch options to keep me interested. I enjoy breakfast more than lunch, but that’s only because they have great organic coffee. However, unlike West Hollywood, Santa Monica does not carry the vegan muffins; though I tried hard but unsuccessfully to change this. This leaves me with my only breakfast option of oatmeal with soy milk. Oh, and of course my soy latte, cappuccino, or just coffee, black. Overall, Urth Caffe Santa Monica has good food and great coffee for a somewhat reasonable price, though their location is their biggest asset. They are quick and usually busy, but with the late crowd; eat early and you won’t notice. They open a half hour early for drinks, so go early, grab a coffee and a table, and build your appetite while enjoying the peaceful, misty and cool Santa Monica mornings. Though we are no longer religious about our Urth Caffe Sundays, every so often, we still stop for a relaxing soymilk drowned oatmeal and coffee during our bicycle drive-bys.

Additional Info Address: 2327 Main St, 90407 Area: Ocean Park Reviewed Meal: Breakfast, Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Mrs Winston's Green Grocery

I gave Mrs Winston's Green Grocery an overall score of 3.6, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 1 of 5, Once was enough. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 2 of 5, You're cramping my style. % menu vegan 5 of 5, No worries. quality of service 3 of 5, Didn't notice. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: Mrs Winston’s is a great little salad shop and green grocery, the type that I wish was on every corner. The Water Garden is a blight on Santa Monica. Mix the 2, and you get GW Bush at a Kanye West show. For our first venture to The Water Garden, we entered the central area, made our way along the vacated ponds and streams to Mrs Winston’s, found a nice outdoor table next to the water, and leaned our bikes on each other, next to the table. The landscape was serene but very sterile and manufactured; think poorly funded Disney or a suburbia park that’s struggling to pull off the wealthy community feel. It seems extremely out of place in Santa Monica. Mrs Winston’s has a solid, but not large, salad bar; eclipsed by Whole Foods up the street if you don’t mind the lack of intimacy. Additionally, they have a lot of green grocery merchandise that is packed into this very small space. It’s a fun store with plenty for vegans and greenies, and cheaper than you would expect for a corner grocer. However, they do not have “for here” plates and utensils, which is a big strike in my book. Once we paid for our food and returned to our table and bikes, we realized that Gestapo had locked the bikes together. It turns out that The Water Gardens frowns on anything that takes away from their crappy, sterile look. They “prefer” that bikes get parked underground in the subterranean car parking structure. This was strike 2. I didn’t ask directly, but I would guess that they also prefer no facial hair or unescorted women. Mrs Winston’s is a great little green grocer corner store with a good salad bar. For some strange reason, they chose to put one in The Water Garden. Which brings me to strike 3, there’s another Mrs Winston’s within 2 miles on Ocean Park. If you want to try this place out, ride another few minutes and avoid the juxtaposed suburbia at all costs.

Additional Info Address: 2450 Colorado Ave, 90407 Area: Mid City Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of The Veggie Grill

I gave The Veggie Grill an overall score of 3.9, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, When I'm bored with my other options. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 5 of 5, No worries. quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 3 of 5, TV dinner. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: The Veggie Grill sits between Poquito Mas and No Mas (aka Nomas), and it leaves me wanting something more. They have a cool atmosphere, interesting menu, nice staff, and are completely vegan, but have rather plain tasting food. The community finally dislodged Sizzler who had been wedged in this location for a long time. They then ripped out the crusty booths, divided the building, gave the other side to Poquito Mas, and set up a trendy and comfortable, green themed restaurant with an elevated front porch. All Hail Kale, Bean Me Up Chili, and Bali Bliss grace the large menu next to the cash registers where you order; sounds great right. The menu is short but well thought out and inspired. …though most of the menu is meat-likes, maybe geared toward the crossover, dabbler, or entry level vegan. After a slight jaw dislocation at the cash register, I took my number and found my way to a table on the porch. As soon as I was settled, my food hit the table. But, as soon as it hit my mouth I finally realized what this place was. The food was plain; as if they wanted to create something that they could readily mass produce and be conservative enough to hit the largest market. This place is a vegan fast food restaurant! I never thought I’d see the day. So, I can’t really complain because The Veggie Grill is 100% vegan. And, in fact, I like a lot about this place. It’s a cool, comfortable place to get a quick, worry free, vegan bite. But, for your first visit, think upscale fast food but with a super healthy twist and you won’t be disappointed.

Additional Info Address: 2025 Wilshire Blvd, 90403 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Golden Mean Vegan Cafe

I gave Golden Mean Vegan Café an overall score of 3.9, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, Every once in a while. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 5 of 5, No worries quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 1 of 5, Here today, gone tomorrow. Comments: Vegan cafés often focus on trying to be a traditional, American “café,” but with vegan ingredients. This often misleads them down the road of creating meat-like tastes, using meat-likes, that always remind me of my first, and last, meat-like McRib sandwich. Incidentally, this was, I’m sure, one of the major contributing factors to me becoming vegan. And, it taught me to stay away from engineered food, which nowadays translates directly to meat-like. Like many wannabe successful vegan cafés before them, Golden Mean unfortunately conformed to the same, meat-like café menu. Once I got over my initial disappointment, I really enjoyed my Golden Mean “experience.” The ambiance is relaxing and yogaish, (…can I say that?) The wait staff was very friendly, attentive, and relaxed. And the food was well-presented and delectable, though I can’t comment on the meat-likes. Everything is vegan and organic, so no worries about what goes on behind the scenes; besides the fact that in an extremely cozy place like this, the only “behind the scenes” contains a toilet and sink. …clean toilet, big +. I have eaten here a few times now, and have stuck to the sandwiches and wraps with different side salads. They’re really tasty and somewhat unique, but their sides are the best thing on the menu. And, when ordered alone, are much larger than the dollop that you get with your sandwich. They are displayed in the case next to the register if you want to see them before ordering. Golden Mean Vegan Café is your typical café with meat-like organic, vegan food. The slender restaurant is clean, well laid out, trendily decorated, and simple. They have small, tasty, and unique portions served by a helpful and attentive staff. And last, and possibly least this time, though their vegan food keeps my body well centered, the green in my pocket sure wasn’t. Maybe “Golden” “Mean” doesn’t mean what I thought it did.

Additional Info Address: 1028 Wilshire Blvd, 90401 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Poquito Mas

I gave Poquito Mas an overall score of 3.6, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, When I'm bored with my other options. price range 5 of 5, Pocket change, less than $10. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 3 of 5, At least one good entrée. quality of service 3 of 5, Didn't notice. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: Poquito Mas and the Veggie Grill moved into an old Sizzler; imagine the shock of the meat and potato seniors looking to finally redeem that coupon for angioplasty. They ripped out all the 30-year old booths, put a dividing line wall down the middle, created a front porch with tables, and added their paint by number décor for a bright and inviting, though sterile, ambiance. The west side, Poquito Mas, is basically a slightly upscale Baja Fresh where you can see them assemble your food behind the cash registers. The upscale part comes at the end of the assembly line, a shiny, steaming tortilla press. For vegans, the upscale part of their menu is their Natures Grill line. The Natures Grill burrito for instance has eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, black beans, zucchini, and salsa. Be careful to ask for no dairy though. I always substitute guacamole for sour cream and ixney the cheese. Like Baja Fresh, they advertise natural ingredients, no lard, no cans, and 0 grams of trans fat. This is music to my intestinal tract, (pause), except for the last one which is a pet peeve of mine. Instead of saying “no added trans fat,” they say “0 grams trans fat.” Trans fats should be measured in milligrams not grams, and food suppliers have exploited this to be able to add trans fat and, thanks to the mathematical concept of rounding down, still claim zero. I would guess that Poquito Mas is utilizing this loophole because they are not a clueless mom and pop shop. Regardless, they still make good, filling, and relatively healthy food that is assembled fresh and served quickly. If you are in the area, looking for filling Mexican food, and have had enough of Tacos Por Favor, by all means necessary, skip past El Cholo and head to Poquito Mas for a Natures Grill burrito, hold the cheese, and substitute guacamole for sour cream. Then, sit back on the front porch and see if you can spot any disappointed seniors mumbling something about hippies.

Additional Info Address: 2025 Wilshire Blvd, 90403 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: Mexican Click for more info.

Review of Sunnin Labanese Cafe

I gave Sunnin Lebanese Café an overall score of 4.7, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5, I don't need a menu. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 5 of 5, Sorry Mom, but this place knows how to cook. local mainstay? 5 of 5, Route 66 hangout. Comments: I am generally fond of UCLA mainstays because they are cheap and good eats, and this was one of those places. Everybody on campus knew of this little hole in the wall restaurant with a 3 car parking lot, shared with 2 other places, where cars were always double parked. The restaurant itself looked like an old doughnut shop. A few years ago, they decided to let out their belt and moved across the street to a much larger place. They developed an expanded menu, cheesy interior décor, and a need to bring in more money (prices exploded), but still had the same great food. Additionally, they now have vegan items clearly marked on their new menu, putting to rest the fear we have of the wait staff’s brief, blank stare followed by, “ya I know what vagan means.” Hommos, babaganouj, moujadarah, and tabouleh can all be ordered as appetizers, but in my mind, make the perfect meal. AND, this is pretty much what you have to do since the main courses are pretty much all meat based. One thing of note is that the falafel is not made with egg, hence vegan-friendly. Oh, and skip the desert menu and grab a pureed garlic and olive oil to go. It’s a must if you are a garlic lover; just make sure you don’t eat it all at once. That is unless you want to sit home alone and watch the True Blood series for the next few days. Overall, I still visit this restaurant often because it’s still a good eat, but I don’t see the students as often these days.

Additional Info Address: 1776 Westwood Blvd, LA, CA 90024 Area: Outskirts - West LA Reviewed Meal: Dinner Ethnicity: Lebanese Click for more info.

Review of Interim Café

I gave Interim Café an overall score of 4.5, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 3 of 5, When I'm bored with my other options. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 4 of 5, Hmm, what to have. quality of service 5 of 5, Like family. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy tongue. local mainstay? 4 of 5, Sponsors local teams. Comments: As a grad student at UCLA, I appreciated good eats at reasonable prices. I found a place in LA that was somewhat exotic and fairly cheap for the fare; News Room Café. After moving to Santa Monica, I gave their small local mini-café a try. It paled in comparison to her big sister in LA; it was dark, dirty, cramped, and the staff must have used up all their patience with the disappointed customers before me. Now fast forward to the time of Yelp. I was sifting through reviews trying to find something new, and I did. It was Interim Café, and it was getting some rave reviews. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t know about this place. But unlike the Atkins Diet, there was a perfectly logical explanation; Interim Café is the News Room’s mini-café, renamed. But wait, wait, wait… They also changed a lot of other things. Dark, dirty, and cramped is now bright, clean, and, well, cramped. …but I might call it cozy now. And this new bright and cozy interior must have helped in bringing on a bright, friendly, and happy staff. And it gets better. They know vegan, eat vegan, but I somehow forgot if they are vegan. There are plenty of vegan options on their menu including tasty smoothies, delicious soups, and good, imaginative sandwiches. I hear that they have great breakfasts too, but they open for breakfast too late for me. I’ve only been to Interim Café once now, and look forward to visiting again. This place is in the running for becoming a mainstay for me, but I have a lot more research before I draw that conclusion. It’s gonna be painstakingly hard work and will require a lot of smoothies. Luckily they have a large selection and are reasonably priced!

Additional Info Address: 530 Wilshire Blvd, 90401 Area: Wilshire Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Better Life Cuisine

Update: This place has closed.  :(

I gave Better Life Cuisine an overall score of 4.4, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5, I don't need a menu. price range 3 of 5, Let's splurge tonight; less than $35. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 5 of 5, No worries. quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 5 of 5, Sorry Mom, but this place knows how to cook. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: This place was a surprise to me. I ventured in a few years back and it was a yoga studio / wellness center that offered a small selection of clothing and an even smaller selection of quick eats for the yogaites as they ventured out for the rest of their day. However, when I returned recently, I noticed that they ixneyed a lot of the clothing racks in favor of more tables, and greatly expanded the menu. It now includes salads, wraps, fresh juices/smoothies, and some entrees like pizza and lasagna. And the best part about Better Life Cuisine is that all the food is raw/vegan and organic, so you can put down your guard. The first and most apparent thing that struck me about this place was that they were not pretentious. You see, right up the street is Planet Raw which is the only other raw food place in the Mid City area, but Planet Raw is on the other end of the attitude and pretentiousness scale. Aside from the pleasant wait staff, the food was amazing. I haven’t tried a lot of their menu, but so far, everything’s been very tasty. The wraps and salads seem to be their specialty. For the wraps, you have a choice to have them wrapped in collard greens or tortilla. Be prepared if you order the tortilla because it is more like fruit leather than tortilla, so its sweetness may be better with, say, the Curry Wrap than the Tuna Wrap. Overall, this is a solid vegan spot that is both healthy and fun to hang. If you like their food, grab some granola or one of their raved about desserts for a snack later. Update: This place has closed.  :(

Additional Info Address: 717 Broadway Ave, 90401 Area: Mid City Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: American Click for more info.

Review of Tacos Por Favor

I gave Tacos Por Favor and overall score of 4.0, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5, I don't need a menu. price range 5 of 5, Pocket change, less than $10. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 3 of 5, At least one good entrée. quality of service 3 of 5, Didn't notice. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy toung. local mainstay? 4 of 5, Sponsors local teams. Comments: Yes; I finally found a good cheap Mexican restaurant that I can trust. That’s what I exclaimed a year ago when I finally stopped by this hole-in-the-wall, industrial looking building. I probably saw their sign before, but never gave it a second thought because, “it couldn’t have vegan options, could it?” Well, it does, and I have made this place one of my regular weekend stops. Tacos Por Favor is straight out of Rosarito, Mexico. It has a big, open dining area with cement floors that are lazily patched between the slightly different levels, screen doors that slam every time someone comes in or out, a worn and weathered counter, and a second-hand looking, particle board cabinet that holds salsas and, my favorite, hot, pickled carrots and peppers. And if you’re fortunate enough to come on a hot day, you get to experience their air conditioning system; two industrial fans that blow the hot air from the kitchen out the front door, pulling it across the dining area. Did I mention, right out of Rosarito. I haven’t explored the menu much because the veggie tacos, potato tacos, and veggie burritos have kept me content. They use fresh ingredients, no lard, and, as far as I could tell, no special sauces with mysterious ingredients that always make me worry. Overall, as far as Mexican food goes, it’s above average, but not as good as the greasy, disconcerting taco stand food that you might expect from a place like this; think more fresh. However, the prices are similar to those cheap taco stands, which is a rarity in Santa Monica! So, grab a couple tacos, handful of chips and salsa, some pickled carrots and peppers, and then cool your palate with a cold cerveza for a little over 5 bucks. Can’t beat the value; well, unless you are heading to Rosarito.

Additional Info Address: 1406 Olympic Blvd, 90404 Area: Pico Reviewed Meal: Lunch Ethnicity: Mexican Click for more info.

Review of Zabie's

I gave Zabie's and overall score of 3.6, or 4 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 2 of 5, Every once in a while. price range 4 of 5, I only have a $20. family friendly? 3 of 5, No kids menu. % menu vegan 3 of 5, At least one good entrée. quality of service 4 of 5, Attentive and friendly. quality of food 4 of 5, Happy toung. local mainstay? 2 of 5, Fresh paint, but it's a good color. Comments: This place opens early for breakfast, which is a big plus in my book. I ordered the early morning vegan special; oatmeal with raisins, toast and jam, and coffee. They seemed to have a few options for lunch, but I exhausted the menu for breakfast. The food is your typical artesian diner; good quality, though not organic, and well presented. If I lived within walking distance, I could see myself popping in every other weekend or so. But I don’t, so I won’t. …may try lunch sometime though.

Additional Info Address: 3003 Ocean Park Blvd, 90405 Area: Sunset Park Reviewed Meal: Breakfast Ethnicity: American Click for more info.