about two months ago a veggie grill location opened up in west hollywood (dangerously close to my house), and since then i just can’t get enough of it! for those of you who have never been there…it’s kind of like an upscale fast food place with relatively low prices, that serves an all vegan menu of burgers and sandwiches. unlike your typical fast food place though, the portions at veggie grill are massive and appetizing, and the atmosphere is clean and relaxing.

the v-burger: marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle ranch. comes with a side/ $8.95

veggie grill is the kind of place you’d want to take an omnivore who thinks vegan food is bland and boring. the menu is filled with meat facsimiles ranging from burgers and beef sandwiches to wings and chicken wraps. one of my favorite things to order is the v-burger (pictured above). it comes with a moist and succulent gardein patty (which is probably my favorite product gardein makes, yet it isn’t available in stores!), topped with fresh vegetables and chipotle ranch. it’s hearty and filling, yet not huge and disgusting. i feel satisfied and just right after eating it, not all sick and bloated. if you are a burger kind of person, be sure to try this one because i think it’s one of the best vegan burgers in town.

steamin' kale: tender kale with a ginger-miso dressing and roasted sesame seeds.

the v-burger comes with a side of slaw or chili, but for an extra charge you can upgrade to a side of sweet potato fries or kale (pictured above). while the sweet potato fries are great and come with a really tasty dipping sauce, i can never resist the leafy allure of the kale. veggie grill steams it so that it’s soft and wilty but with a slight crunch. the best thing about it though, is that it’s covered in a tangy miso dressing with sesame seeds that is so delicious i could drink it straight. oh, and over by the soda machine, veggie grill has an unmarked bottle of hot sauce. that also goes well on the kale, and that i could also drink straight.

bean me up chili: red and white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green and red onion. $2.95

another item i seem to order every time i’m at veggie grill is the bean me up chili. this vegan chili doesn’t have any faux meat in it, it’s just two types of beans in a slightly spicy sauce, topped with vegan sour cream and onion and served with crispy bread. you can get a small serving that’s pretty filling for just under 3 bucks! score!

all-american stack: grilled veggie steak, thousand island dressing, pickles, lettuce, tomato, topped with crispy onion rings. comes with a side. $8.95

the all-american stack is the sandwich i hear people raving about the most from veggie grill, so this may be the one you’d want to recommend to a meat-eater. it comes with grilled strips of steak and fresh vegetables on a bun, all topped off with thick and crispy onion rings. this thing is pretty decadent and very filling, so eat it when you are super hungry.

chipotle bbq: shredded veggie-steak, marinated in tangy bbq sauce, with chopotle ranch, caramelized onion, lettuce tomato. served protein-style on kale. $8.50

for the carb-watchers out there (you crazy freaks), veggie grill will serve your burger or sandwich on kale rather than a bun at no extra charge. i don’t why you would ever want to do this, but my omnivorous co-worker ordered the meal above and absolutely loved it.

so if you haven’t been to veggie grill weho yet, i don’t know what the heck you are waiting for! they are conveniently located at sunset and crescent heights and they even validate parking. i love this restaurant for hearty, simple, vegan comfort food…and it’s a great place to bring people who think eating food w/o animals in it means deprivation.

veggie grill
8000 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 822-7575
7days 11am-11pm

PS: rumor is, veggie grill is gonna start carrying VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE soon too!!!!!!! omg can’t wait.

of course, i had to try both and these things did not disappoint.

flourish burger: our house-made southwest style veggie burger. slightly spicy, completely delicious! lettuce, tomato and a creamy "cheesy" sauce on a multi-grain bun. $9.75

first up, the flourish burger. it’s my belief that any restaurant worth its salt should offer a vegan burger. thankfully, now cafe flourish does… and it’s a damn good one. it’s thick and hearty, with a zesty homemade patty that’s packed with vegetables and covered in rich creamy vegan cheese. it’s pretty spicy and really flavorful, and with a side salad of your choice, it’s a good deal for under ten bucks.

next up is the cheese louise, cafe flourish’s take on a classic grilled cheese sandwich. this has been a special on flourish’s menu for awhile, but now it looks like it has earned a permanent spot.

cheese louise: our stuffed grilled cheese. incredibly melty and delicious daiya cheese, caramelized onions and guacamole on french white bread grilled to perfection. $9

this thing is stuffed with cheddar and italian daiya (the best vegan cheese ever), as well as caramelized onions and guacamole. i’ve never had guacamole in a grilled cheese sandwich, but wow, brilliant! the two flavors of daiya mixed with sweet onions and creamy avocado was definitely a winning combo. it comes with a side salad, and i got the quinoa which is incredible. i really loved this sandwich, but my only complaint is that $9 is a lot to pay for a grilled cheese. oh well.

so head over to cafe flourish and check out their new menu items ASAP. i love this restaurant more and more every time i go. yum time.

cafe flourish
5406 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 939-3932

this bar serves some of the best vegan food i've ever eaten.

Situated on a quiet street next to a coffee shop in Southeast Portland, Hungry Tiger Too looks at first glance like any other neighborhood bar. However, in addition to the usual bar accoutrements of beer, fries and TVs, Hungry Tiger Too has a HUGE vegan menu, serving an array of awesome animal-free bar food morning, noon and night.

On our recent trip to PDX we grabbed a seat at the bar, ordered a beer and started to scan the vegan section of the menu. As usual in Portland, though, we were torn between so many amazing menu items that we over-ordered, somewhat and ended up spending way more time there than we expected to. Anywhere else, this would have been a problem, but Hungry Tiger Too is just so wonderful that we were delighted to eat and drink the afternoon away within its hallowed walls.

vegan quesadilla with vegetables, soy cheese and pico de gallo. $8

First up was the vegan quesadilla appetizer: a super rendition of the popular Mexican-influenced dish. Liberal helpings of tomatoes, onions, spinach, cilantro and vegan cheese filled up our vegan bellies in no time, so we were forced to have another beer while waiting to order our main dish.

Well, one beer became two, then three after we played some pinball and goofed around in the photo booth. Next up were main courses, the Montecore Burger, and Home Made Biscuits and Gravy.

montecore burger: grilled onion & mushroom with jalapeno on a boca patty and garlic aioli. $8.75

Let’s get this out right now: The burgers on the menu are all based on the ubiquitous vegan Boca Burger, which at first had me thinking “WTF? I can make one of these at home!”. Well, I could (and I tried, see later) but it couldn’t be anywhere near this tasty. The Montecore was a fusion of zesty garlic, spicy jalapeno and an smooth sauteed mushroom/onion topping that was to die for.

Add in some fresh trimmings (tomato, lettuce and onions), and this was one hearty vegan burger. Throw in the included side of incredible vegan potato salad, and for only $8.75 you have one of the most delicious and best value meals I’ve ever eaten.

homemade biscuits and gravy: huge serving of home-style biscuits smothered in thick mushroom & veggie sausage gravy. $4.00

As we were already full after the quesadilla we ordered the Biscuits and Gravy as a kinda side for the burger (at only $4, how big could it possibly be?). Very big is the answer. Very tasty too.

Creamy vegan mushroom and sausage sauce, smothering two crispy and moist biscuits was a winning combination.

After another beer, and another, we were finally able to finish all the food, and stagger out of the bar to our hotel.

Later on in the evening, the reality of our experience hit us: We’d just enjoyed a great afternoon in a real bar with awesome beers and completely filling, decadent cruelty-free food.

I can tell you this: After buying and cooking a bunch of Boca Burgers from Coscto, I’ve never come close to approximating the taste of that awesome burger. If I lived in Portland, I’d probably visit Hungry Tiger Too at least once, or twice a day week.

Awesome bar, awesome staff, awesome beers, awesome food. DUUUH?! Vegans: Go there now.

Hungry Tiger Too
207 SE 12th Ave Portland, OR 97214
(503) 238.4321

On face value, The Mash Tun in the Alberta Arts district of Portland, OR, is a fairly typical brewpub. It has a couple of niceties, including a patio to enjoy the few days of summer that the Pacific Northwest has to offer, as well as a roomy atmosphere with comfortable tables, and ample bar seating. Throw in free wi-fi, a dart board, a full-size pool table, multiple TVs for watching sports, some home-brewed beers as well as a few guest taps and I’ll be there. As indeed I was one summer’s day this year.

While I must admit that going to bars with a bunch of friends to watch the game isn’t my thing, I can see how awesome The Mash Tun would be do just that. With an ample selection of beers on tap (many of them vegan), and a menu with its own vegan section things start to get interesting!

On our sunny Sunday afternoon, we settled into bar seats in front of the TV, ordered some great beer and started to eat our way through the vegan section of the menu, starting with the Vegan Tempeh Things — tempeh “wings” in spicy sauce with dip and salad. Perfectly hot, perfectly crunchy and with a cool dip, these were gone in about 20 seconds. And I’m not joking.

tempeh things: ain't no wing, but a tempeh thing! deep-fried tempeh, served buffalo or bbq style with housemade vegenaise. $6.75

Next up, we ordered the Baked Red Lentil Puree, an interesting combination of seasoned lentils with green onions and pita wedges for scooping. In texture this was kinda like eating hummus and pita, but with a much more tangy flavor. This dish is a perfect companion to the “wings”, providing some cool respite from the fiery sauce.

baked red lentil puree: puree of red lentils with grilled green onions, roasted garlic and tomato, served with pita wedges. $6.50

For our main dish we deliberated between the two vegan burgers on offer — both home made and very appetizing in description. In the end we went for the Mash Tun Veggie Burger, a complex set of textures and flavors perfectly seasoned on a tasty bun with very fresh salad.

mash tun veggie burger: a housemade patty of chopped almonds, oats and veggies, served on a kaiser bun with vegenaise. $8.25

By the end of our afternoon, we were full of vegan food, great beer and had watched most of a game on the TV before we had to leave and head back to the airport for our return flight to LA. The Mash Tun is a great place to go with omni friends, as you can enjoy everything a real bar has to offer, while pigging out on some very tasty vegan facsimiles of bar food.

Pop open your laptop to jump on the free wi-fi, shoot some pool, throw some darts and watch the game (not at the same time, of course). The Mash Tun provides just about everything you’d want in a typical PDX low-key environment. It might not be the best vegan food on the planet, and the home-brewed beer probably needs some work on the taste front, but you won’t be disappointed at all.

We’ll definitely be back to The Mash Tun next time we’re fortunate enough to visit the PDX!

The Mash Tun Brewpub
2204 NE Alberta St
Ste 101
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 548-4491

big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

i think a lot of people would agree with me when i say that m cafe’s big macro is the best vegan burger in los angeles. it’s big, it’s hearty, it has a homemade patty made of rice and vegetables, and it’s covered in melted cheese and creamy sauce. the big macro comes with a side salad of your choice (i suggest the spicy kale) and usually sells for $11.45. well until november 9th, m cafe is offering a special deal on their popular burger, and selling it for just $9.95! the best vegan burger in LA and a hefty side salad for under ten bucks?! yes please!

M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

in addition to the discounted burger, m cafe is also offering their most popular salad for $9.95 until november 9th. the m chopped is massive and comes filled with fresh vegetables, tender leaves, tempeh bacon, and herb-baked tofu. damn, it’s so good.

so, that’s all. i suggest you get over to m cafe and take advantage of these discounts. and if you haven’t tried the big macro yet, you know nothing about vegan burgers. nothing!

m cafe de chaya
7119 Melrose Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90046
323.525.0310

Most LA vegans would put the esteemed Silverlake restaurant Flore in their top five vegan dining options in the city. An innovative menu, all-organic ingredients and incredible attention to detail in both the preparation and presentation of the food really sets it apart from places like Cafe Flourish (fast dining, limited menu). If only parking was easier in Silverlake, we’d probably visit Flore a whole lot more than we do.

Well, rising from the ashes of The Vegan Spot (my favorite ever LA vegan restaurant) just half a mile or so away from Flore is Flore Cafe. While owned by the same people as Flore, the Cafe is not entirely vegan (having eggs and milk products on the menu), but it serves many similar menu items as its sister restaurant a few blocks south – all organic, all very well thought out and all absolutely wonderfully prepared.

On a recent visit to Flore Cafe, we decided to order the Avocado and Seitan Salad and Tempeh Tu-no Melt – boy, we were not disappointed.

Avocado & Seitan Salad: Bed of mixed greens with sliced avocado, sprouts, grilled seitan, tomato and red onion. Served with choice of vinaigrette or tahini dressing. $9.95

The salad was crispy and fresh, perfectly prepared and the seitan was some of the best I’ve ever had (I don’t know how Flore make their seitan, but I wish I could make it the way they do!). In addition to the amazing seitan, all the ingredients in the salad were top notch. At first, nearly $10 seemed like a lot to pay for a salad…but when this bowl arrived overflowing with wheat meat and fresh produce, $10 seemed like a bargain. The tahini dressing was deliciously creamy as well, I couldn’t fault anything about this dish.

Tempeh Tu-no Melt: Tempeh salad, daikon sprouts and cashew cheese layered on organic seeded six grain bread grilled to warm, soulful perfection. Served with a mixed green salad. $8.95

The Tempeh Tu-no Melt was also truly outstanding – a well filled toasted sandwich with a sizable side of equally crispy salad. The melt was stuffed with a creamy and chunky tempeh salad mixture, with just the right amount of crunch. It tasted amazing all mixed up with Flore’s flavorful cashew cheese and the slightly sour daikon sprouts. Like the seitan salad, this melt was enormous. Each half was packed with a ton of tempeh; we ended up taking half of it home for a later meal.

Flore Cafe has a great menu, with tons of options, considering how small the place is. Whether you are in the mood for a full on breakfast, a hearty burger, a toasted sandwich or a burrito…Flore Cafe is your place. Here are just a few of the other things we’ve eaten there. If you are a reader of this blog, you’ve probably seen these pix before:

Smokey Seitan & Portobello Burger: served with red onion, lettuce, tomato, vegenaise and a side salad. $9.95

Flore Cafe offers 4 types of veggie burgers. I highly recommend the seitan and portobello burger—a large patty made of wheat meat and mushrooms all topped off with loads of vegetables.

Tofu Scramble: Tofu, tomato, basil, mushroom, red onion & spinach. $6.95

The tofu scramble at Flore Cafe is one of the best breakfast dishes in Los Angeles, and just about the only vegan one I can think for under $7. It comes with mounds of chunky tofu mixed with spinach and mushrooms, as well as a generous helping of tomato and avocado. Goes great with hot sauce.

Breakfast Burrito: Tofu scramble, cashew cheese, potatoes, avocado and pico de gallo ina whole wheat tortilla. Served with a side of fruit. $6.95

The breakfast burrito is also a good deal at $6.95—lots of perfectly cooked tofu, potatoes and avocado rolled up tight in an oversized tortilla.

I know we have given them flack before on this blog for serving eggs and dairy, but I’d strongly recommend visiting Flore Cafe both in the near future and on a regular basis. Like so many tiny businesses these days the economy isn’t on its side so all the help we can give Flore Cafe to remain on our list as a superb restaurant with a bunch of vegan options will, I’m sure, be much appreciated.

Let’s not lose the entire menu from Flore Cafe due to closure or reassignment of the lease to an omnivorous establishment. We’ve already seen Vegan Spot go away, as well as Flore Cafe cease offering LA’s best ever vegan breakfast deal: the “all you can eat” sunday breakfast brunch. Go pay Flore Cafe a visit… today!

Flore Cafe
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso…not to be confused with Flore at Sunset Junction)
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 667-0116

open daily 10am-5pm