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veggie grill now open in santa monica!
21December 20th, 2010LA restaurants, veggie grillthe moment we’ve been waiting for is finally here! as of today, the latest veggie grill location is now open in santa monica. this place is EXACTLY what the west side needs.
as you probably know, veggie grill has already got a number of locations scattered around socal (the closest to me being the one in west hollywood), and they serve up healthy and delicious alternatives to fast food. their menu packs everything from soups and salads to nachos and burgers…even kids meals and desserts! we were invited over the weekend to check out the new restaurant during a special complimentary “sneak peek” lunch, and i’m happy to report that the food was fantastic and the space was beautiful.
we started with a plate of “chill out wings,” which were to die for…
chill out wings: bite sized chillin’ chickin’ served with dipping sauces.
there are tons of great appetizers to choose from at veggie grill, and i almost always go with the uptown nachos. their tasty blend of chili, vg-cheese, salsa, soy cream, avocado and jalapenos make them some of the best nachos in LA. however, this time we wanted to try something new, so we went with the wings. man, i am so glad we did! these little battered nuggets of chickin’ goodness really hit the spot. crispy on the outside, and moist and chewy in the center. plus they were served with 2 dipping sauces, 1 creamy and 1 marinara style, i couldn’t decide which one was my favorite.
bean me up chili: red & white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green & red onion.
since the weather was so dreary outside, we also split an order of the bean me up chili, one of my favorite items at veggie grill. chili may not sound like the most exciting item on the menu, but this stuff is just so warm and comforting. a hearty blend of red and white beans topped with chopped onions and a dollop of soy cream…perfect for a rainy day. it’s also served with these deliciously-seasoned toasted bread triangles that are seriously addictive.
the v-burger: marinated and grilled veggie-steak burger, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch. with steamin' kale: tender kale with a ginger-miso dressing and toasted sesame seeds.
lastly, we split another favorite standby of ours, the v-burger. this thing rocks. we usually get it el dorado style, but that can be a bit messy if you intend on sharing. the veggie-steak patty is absolutely wonderful, so thick and juicy with a meaty texture. this is totally the kind of thing i’d serve to my omnivore friends if i wanted to impress them. we also got it with a side of steamin’ kale, because veggie grill’s combo of leafy greens and ginger-miso dressing is not to be missed.
carrot cake and chocolate cookies
just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, one of the smiley veggie grill workers brought a plate of carrot cake and cookies to our table. this carrot cake had even my husband, who usually forgoes dessert, licking the plate. the cream cheese-style frosting is so rich and flavorful, and the cake is ridiculously moist. the cookies are excellent too, warm and soft with huge chunks of chocolate chips. food coma material.
inside, the santa monica veggie grill was just like the other locations: clean and spacious with bright colors and lots of comfortable seating. the staff is absolutely lovely as well; everyone is beyond helpful and you feel like the genuinely mean it when they say, “have a nice day.” it’s hard to believe they converted this place from what used to be an old SIZZLER. crazy, right? this is what fast food SHOULD look like.
other perks at the santa monica location include a huge patio with heat lamps that’s warm enough for dining, even in the rain….as well as a convenient parking lot behind the building with free parking!
seriously folks, get yourself over to veggie grill in santa monica as soon as you can.
the veggie grill
Tags: burger, chili, santa monica, wings
2025 wilshire blvd.
santa monica, ca 90403
310-321-7858
11am – 10pm
20 responses to “veggie grill now open in santa monica!” 
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I live near this area and I was CLUELESS about the location. Thanks for posting, now I can hit it up!
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i had a good time at the pre-opening too! though i don’t recommend their salads, aside from the all hail kale – sandwiches, fries, soups, etc. are the way to go here.
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I must say, I am fairly jealous of all the options you have where you live. 🙂
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Hell yes! That place serves the “junk food” of my dreams!!! And it’s all plant based! Which means you can seriously pig out and not feel like crap afterward. They need to bring one out to the LBC too.
I concur with the idea that all fast food should be like VG. If I had it my way I’d burn down every McDonald’s and Burger King and erect a Veggie Grill in its place. The food is epic. I am loathe to admit I am down with corporate takeover food, but these guys are pretty much the only corporation I am rooting for. Go VG!
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Gregalor December 20th, 2010 at 17:02
The Chop Chop salad is pretty good, three types of “meat” in it. I wouldn’t have it as a meal, but it makes a good side.
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they’ve got the look down, i feel bad for golden mean cafe, but at the same time i hope this makes RFD less crowded!
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Greg C. December 20th, 2010 at 18:29
I really like the thai salad….nice dressing that isn’t over the top, crunchy wonton strips and mandarin oranges…give it a try!
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Debbie December 20th, 2010 at 20:46
Funny enough, my husband and I JUST tried the Veggie Grill for the first time today at the El Segundo location and we can’t wait to go back! I had the tomato basil soup and fiesta salad and hubby had the Chipotle BBQ. His sandwich was quite messy – fell apart on the first bite – but he LOVED it! He also said the chili was delicious. My salad was excellent – the dressing was light and delicious, and the papaya was a nice sweet touch! We look forward to trying the sweet potato fried, mac and cheese and the veggie burgers along with the other yummy salads.
BONUS- everyone who we encountered there was super nice-from the person who took our order, to the person who brought our food, to the person who cleaned our table. I look forward to giving them more business! Enjoy!
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Christal December 20th, 2010 at 21:20
the chop chop salad is really good! and that carrot cake is amazing! veggie grill is my favorite restaurant 🙂
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I hope they keep expanding and come to Glendale. There is not one single vegetarian restaurant here. I wish I could send out a Veggie Grill SOS.
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Gregalor December 21st, 2010 at 09:37
I keep pressing for Burbank. Which they’ve mentioned is one of the top location requests. There really aren’t any veg restaurants in Burbank, surprisingly.
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Greg C. December 21st, 2010 at 09:57
Burbank has a few options…there’s Z Pizza (Daiya and veggie crumbles), Chipotle (Gardein ‘chicken’), and Tomo Sushi (a nice vegan sushi menu), and PF Chang’s. Having a 100% vegan place like VG there would be awesome, though!
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Gregalor December 21st, 2010 at 10:59
Yeah, I need to check that out sometime. Problem is, I’d feel guilty stopping there on the way home from work and ruining my appetite for dinner. Try explaining THAT to a spouse!
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Sat Daya December 25th, 2010 at 14:22
Good news. Santa Monica and the rest of the Westside have a dearth of good vegan food.
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in2insight October 23rd, 2011 at 15:34
I wish I had two stomachs to fit all the food I’d like to eat on a weekend food trip to LA.
I don’t however, but did manage to try, and fall in love, with the carrot cake. Next trip South we will make sure to have a proper meal at Veggie Grill.
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[…] is a blog post for all you high rollin’ herbivores out there. we all know we can have our casual fast food, our greasy pub grub, and even epic tasting menus occasionally at exclusively vegan restaurants. […]
erin December 20th, 2010 at 08:15