1. Local
About.com
Los Angeles

Discuss in my forum

Review of Real Food Daily (RFD) Organic Vegan Restaurant in Los Angeles

About.com Rating 3 Star Rating
Be the first to write a review

By , About.com Guide

Real Food Daily RFD vegetarian vegan organic restaurant in Los Angeles LA

The Bottom Line

Started as a home food delivery service, Real Food Daily (RFD) opened its doors as a (Santa Monica) restaurant in June of 1993. RFD is an old vegan standby; always packed and popular, with plenty of options for those with dietary constraints. It certainly has some competition as new and inventive veggie spots are sprouting up like wheat grass. But with all those die-hard RFD fanatics, they're probably not too concerned. The restaurant's founder Ann Gentry has also been credited with raising the profile and caliber of vegan cooking through the use of organic ingredients, creativity and a California gourmet style.

Pros

  • Impressive wide-ranging creative menu
  • In-house bakery with delicious goods

Cons

  • Service tends to suffer due to how busy the place is on most nights
  • People allergic to nuts should beware as RFD often uses cashews as a replacement ingredient

Description

  • There are different entree specials every night of the week.
  • Party platters and catering services are available as well as in-house dining.
  • Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at both locations
.
  • Selections are vegan, organic and kosher
.
  • Valet parking is available.

Guide Review - Review of Real Food Daily (RFD) Organic Vegan Restaurant in Los Angeles

RFD is one of the most popular organic vegetarian (vegan) restaurants in Los Angeles. It offers some nice vegan takes on regular classics such as its 'Not-chos' ( tortilla chips with melted cashew cheese, black beans and pico de gallo) and the 'Total Reuben' (tempeh, tofu cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing on sourdough rye).

If you’re wheat gluten intolerant, try the 'El Bandito Rojo' made up of corn enchiladas, tempeh, salsa roja, guacamole, pico de gallo and tofu sour cream. Also on the wheat-free tip, one of RFD's starters, the lentil-walnut pate with wheat-free sesame rice crackers, carrots and celery, is a meal in itself (at least for me). It's packed with protein and extremely tasty.

Though creative choices are one of the signatures of Real Food Daily, personally, I adore the tried and true. For some reason, their grilled veggie wrap (with squash, onions, sun-dried tomato pesto, lettuce and tomato on a spinach tortilla) recalls the ‘good ol’ days’ of So.Cal veggie restaurants, and always brings a smile to my face.

RFD's two most traditional, basic plates happen to also be the best deals on the menu: the 'Real Food Meal' ($12.95) and 'Real Food Bargain' ($16.95). I would recommend both of them, especially with the house tahini dressing (again back to So.Cal veggie restaurant tradition). The latter however, also comes with a cup of miso or the soup of the day, a slice of corn grain bread, and a spread. I wasn't as keen on their RFD burger which felt heavy with its tempeh veggie patty and overkill 'rustic roll.'

Though they don’t have quite the selection of agave- or fruit juice-sweetened treats that say Mani’s does (they tend to use thicker syrups like maple), they’re worth it. I like their chocolate pudding. The chocolate brownie is a delicious second-runner up--though the rich flavor is stronger than the texture--which is on the crumbly side.

Find Real Food Daily restaurant on this map of West Hollywood

Real Food Daily--RFD
414 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

310-289-9910
Hours: Mon.-Sun., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

RFD in Santa Monica:
514 Santa Monica Blvd.

 Santa Monica, CA 90401
310-451-7544


Hours: 
Mon.-Sun., 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.




©2013 About.com. All rights reserved.