The Veggie Grill

This place is heaven on earth! It’s totally casual, but the space is really bright and beautiful. (They even have outdoor seating!) The menu is enormous and 100% vegan! And the food…oh my God, the food… My friends and I shared everything and we were all beside ourselves: We got the sweet potato fries, the Santa Fe chickin’ sanwich, the Island Getaway sandwich (coconut milk-battered tempeh with pineapple), and the Chop Chop Chef salad. Everything was incredible! Even the salad! (Normally I would never waste my time on a salad at a restaurant—-too many other exciting options. But my friends and I were struggling with all the choices when the girl taking our order told us it was a popular choice. And I’m telling you, it was good!) As happily stuffed as we all were, we were not leaving without dessert. We shared the cheesecake, the carrot cake, and the chocolate pudding. (And truth be told, I had a chocolate chip cookie on the way home.) They were all amazing, amazing, amazing. Not one bad bite! The service was great, the restaurant was spotless, the food came out fast, and everything we ate was incredible. I cannot think of one bad thing to say about The Veggie Grill. Except that they need to open one closer to where I live! P.S. I would definitely feel confident bringing my meat-eating friends here.

Visited recently. Terrible. Bland, unappetizing, poorly executed idea. Although the creater of Native Food is behind this dining venture, The Veggie Grill seems to lack the same standards as it’s delicious counter part. Aimed at aging baby boomers who don’t know that vegan and vegetarian dishes can taste wonderful. Skip this and drive to Costa Mesa for Native foods.

Like I’ve said many a time elsewhere, I’m omnivorous - what matters is good food, first and foremost. I think the Veggie Grill folks have nailed a good combination here - tasty cuisine in a Native Foods style, but a little more affordable (handy for the college students, to be sure!) while not skimping on either taste or creativity. Our party had everything from soups to salads to sandwiches and desserts, and from the steamed kale to the sweet potato fries to the carrot cake and more besides, it was a winner. Recommended!