I e seen this place a ton of times but had no idea this little oasis of delightful goodness was serving the best tasting, creative and beautiful vegan food I've ever had. Pro Tip: You do not have to be a vegan to live their food. Anyone will love their plant based menu with so many options. Everything looked so good it was hard to decide what to choose - but I decided to go with the TBS soup and the Banh Mi with sweet potato fries. The server was a sweetheart, very warm and welcoming. I had Rose Earl Grey iced tea to start. It had tiny rosebuds floating on top and remnants of actual tea in the glass. Simple perfection. It was ever so slightly sweet and great refreshment on a warm sunny winter day in LA. My TBS (tomato lentil) soup came out really fast. Piping hot and served with little pieces of pesto toast for dipping. One spoonful and I was in love. I'm a huge tomato soup fan and was admittedly skeptical about trying it with lentils. One slurp and I was wondering where this bowl of savory goodness had been all my life! I finished just a bit and decide to take the rest home for lunch the next day. It's so thick and wonderful I'm already imagining it over pasta! Last but not least - the Banh Mi. It was plated perfectly. The French roll was very fresh - like baked today fresh! It was piled high with savory and juicy saucy veggie "chicken", greens, shredded carrots, radish, chopped fresh jalapeño and - a surprise!!! The server took pride in sharing that they use house made Kimchi in place of the pickled vegetables. It had a little kick but wasn't overwhelmingly spicy. The flavors and textures were a literal party on my palate. While I was enjoying my food - I noticed the sever step outside and ask a homeless man if he was hungry. A few minutes later she took him a container of food, napkins and utensils. I was so blown away by that simple act of kindness - something you don't see often these days. Not sure if she is the owner or not, but either way - it really made me feel good. I thanked her for being kind and generous and to someone who clearly had less. This told me a lot about this place. I was so stuffed, but I wanted to try the carrot cake - so I took it to go. Their pumpkin pie seemed popular because two diners a few tables away enjoyed it so much they ordered another slice! I was so happy with my experience. Did I tell you how extremely clean and cute the interior is? I left happy and full and immediately told my sister about it - I'll be back with her very soon! Thanks, Variable Cafe, for the love and care you put into your delicious food & for making me feel so welcome. read more

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Not my favorite place for vegan food And truthfully Ive had better I was looking for a healthy lunch option and found them on grubhub Ordered their cauliflower and bah mi cauliflower was good, a little soggy but I liked their dipping sauce but for the serving size and price don't think it was worth it the bah mi was just sad bread was soggy, and the lettuce was wilting flavor wasn't great would not order again read more

Amazing vegan restaurant! Great food and service. I loved the seoul bowl. Full of flavor and the spices were just right. The restaurant was spacious and there was parking out front, which is a rarity. read more

The burger here is top tier! So flavorful and I recommend their truffle fries with it. Also had the shrimp poboy which is good (could use a little more condiments to make it less dry but still very good). The blue latte SLAPS too read more

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Absolutely incredible. Everything from the food to the little touches of wood serving trays, coconut water straight from the coconut. Decor. Wonderful owners. What a nice vibe and so fairly priced. read more

I'd been interested in checking Variable Café out after being recommended, so I got a late lunch in town. I ordered the N Seoul Bowl and my partner got the Sunset Strip burger with regular fries. Everything at Variable is plant-based, so our dishes with "chicken" and "beef" (respectively) were vegetarian/vegan-friendly. Even though I'm not vegan/vegetarian, I'm all for eating less meat! The portions were MASSIVE: I ended up taking half of it to-go. My Seoul Bowl was very flavorful, with a combo of sweet, savory, and spicy that was like a party in my mouth! The veggies were solid, and the cauliflower rice (which I opted to pay an extra $4) was a lighter alternative to the quinoa. The kimchi is actually house-made, which is very impressive, and it offered a pungent punch to the whole dish (although I would've loved for it to have been a bit spicier, but that's just me being picky). However, I will say that I had a bit of an issue with the "chicken," as I found it way too sweet for my liking. Although I know that there's a sweetness element to Korean marinated meat/KBBQ, I found the execution of that at Variable Café to be a bit too overdone, and I would've liked for it to have been dialed down to allow that savory taste to come through a bit more. The Sunset Strip burger was delicious: the "meat" was tender and well-seasoned, like an actual strip steak! The regular fries were a winner, too: lightly-crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and perfectly-salt and peppered-- just how fries should be! Overall, Variable Café offers Korean-inspired flavors in some of its dishes, and I would say that it's more Korean fusion than actual Korean. It's also a tad salty, but for its delicious, hand-crafted menu of different plates (and even hemp-based drinks), it's worth a go if you're in the area! read more

Variable Cafe - N Seoul Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Variable Cafe is what Vegan flavorful dreams are made of, capturing tastebuds at its best & I'm not Vegan! I'm in love! Tried this restaurant for the first time over the weekend, on Sunday night to be exact. I ordered to go! Drunk Cauliflower: Shockingly delicious, had me at first bite, absolutely took me by surprise with the explosion of flavor! The sauce on the cauliflower is everything! I didn't even want to finish eating, because it was so good! I ended up saving some for later just to experience the flavor for the first time again!! Chili: I honestly felt like the this dish was nourishing my soul! it is so hard-hitting delicious & hearty, full of flavor in every bite! It tastes like heart and soul was put into this dish! Thank goodness I had plenty of leftovers! Yum!!! Ginger Lemonade: Tasty & refreshing! Customer Service: Friendly & kind energy, as well as helpful when trying to decide on what to order! Vibe/Decor: Loved the gorgeous monstera plant, cute writing pen with a pink flower on top & cute colorful mini plants on each table! Overall: Super happy to have finally tried Variable Cafe! I love it & looking forward to exploring more flavorful dishes on the menu! This place is definitely a winner & a now an absolute favorite of mine! read more

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My husband and I were looking for a vegan restaurant in Marina Del Rey. I am dairy-free and gluten-free. We are so thankful we found Variable Cafe. We ordered Sunset Strip Burger, Little Venice Bowl and a side of broccoli. The food was so fresh, delicious and pleasantly presented. We had such a good experience and ordered two more dishes to-go. The restaurant was clean and has a relaxing and comfortable ambiance. They also have an outdoor seating area. The best part (besides the food) was the wonderful customer service. The owner was welcoming, professional and friendly. She was also very careful when taking our order because of our dietary restrictions. We will definitely come support them the next time we visit LA. Keep up the excellent work and best wishes! read more

Variable Cafe - Sunset Strip Burger, Little Venice Bowl and a side of broccoli. - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Honestly, can't believe I'm just getting around to leaving a review for this charming little place! Variable café is a staple in my household. They have great service, small spot, but beautifully decorated, delicious, creative, vegan dishes that I never get tired of. They have a good price point. And, of course you can taste the love in each of their dishes. I love this place! read more

Amazing quality of food, great service. Tofu bowl has great flavors, nice presentation and perfect portion size! Loved it read more

Variable Cafe - Tofu plate! Little Venice Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Love everything about this place. The the people that work here, the food, the drinks!!! Such a vibe!!! My favorite drink to get is the Blue latte just as is read more

Variable Cafe - Blue Latte - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Lovely ambience, nice service, and pretty good food! I've had a lot of tasty items on their menu. I wanted to give a SPECIAL SHOUTOUT to Maya at the front. So kind, sweet, attentive, patient, and caring. I hope the managers can recognize her in someway! She created such a lovely environment for my friend and I. read more

Great food, fair prices, excellent service. The tomato soup is the best I've ever tasted!!

Everything about this place is PERFECTION. The owner, Plern, is an absolute genius! Plern has so much talent and puts all her heart into this place. You really feel like you're being cared for here. And the food is phenomenal! read more

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to be honest i was having a terrible morning until i stumbled upon variable cafe - the food and the owner (her name is plern) made my day. i saw that this place opened at 11am so i got there right when it opened and i saw plern setting up. i was just there to order pickup but i decided to order a carrot cake to eat while i waited - i've been vegan for 3 years and this is the best vegan carrot cake i've ever tried!! plern told me it took her and her fiancé 12 tries to perfect the recipe. plern and i got to chatting and she was the absolute sweetest. i was excited to try the drunk cauliflower and northern lights pasta because i saw so many good reviews and they did not disappoint!!! i'm so happy i found this place, i can't wait to be back. this was one of those places u go to once and u wanna try their entire menu. i'll accomplish this one day xD read more

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Wow I can't believe I haven't tried this place until now. Soo good! And it's vegan! We finished a barre class nearby and walked over. They open at 11, so we patiently waited outside for 15 minutes. The worker saw us and waived us in even though the sign still said closed. Haha We ordered the sunset smoothie, drunk cauliflower to share and the northern light pasta. Everything was delicious! The drunk cauliflower had the perfect crisp and flavoring, kind of like an orange chicken flavor. The northern light pasta was so flavorful and creamy! I was shocked they were able to replicate that creamy cheese sauce. Lastly the smoothie had some strawberries on top with Rice Krispies, which gave it a nice texture. I could have done with no added sugar though. A bit too sweet for me. Overall, we will definitely be back! read more

I've been to this place 3 times now and have not been disappointed at all! Vegan healthy food, without all the unnecessary added sugar, oil, or salt like some other spots. Their vegan pho was so flavorful and rich that I was shocked it was vegan. Plenty of toppings as well. Vegan po'boy?! Honestly my favorite. I like Variable Cafes po'boy better than Gegen in LA. Their vegan bahn mi, flavors on point again! Comes with fries too, which I substituted for sweet potato fries. My fiance always gets the Seoul bowl, comes with Korean pork, spinach, carrots, kitchen, and rice. But he loves healthier options and always substitutes it for cauliflower rice instead. He LOVES this dish, it's all the protein you need, flavor you'd want, without the unnecessary calories and oil. I've had their iced tea and the charcoal latte, and both were exceedingly yummy. Espresso shots available as well. Seating is ample here. Great indoor ambiance. Friendly and fast service. The only down side is probably the parking here. The plaza it's in has a parking lot that's small and is often crowded. Don't let the parking stop you though. This wonderful restaurant makes healthy, flavorful, Vegan food, definitely give this place a try. read more

Variable Cafe - Vegan pho! - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I have dined in and had take-out from here numerous times, and it's about time I give Variable Cafe a nice review! The word that comes to mind is generous. There is a generosity of spirit and thoughtful attention to detail that I've experienced every time I walk through the door. It's just casual and friendly and clean. The menu has so many things I still want to try, and I won't even bother recommending anything because I haven't had a miss here. Everything I order is delicious, fresh, and the portions are very generous. That word again. It feels like someone is back there in the kitchen making something they would want to eat, and it really does come across in the flavor and presentation. I give this place five stars for the friendly staff, the consistently great food and the generous vibe they give out. It's easy to look past this place because it's in a little mini-mall, but please give them a shot. You won't be disappointed. read more

Been 2 times. We did take out. Amazing food. We've had the chili & beans, curry, & plant-based hamburger. Good portions. Reasonable prices for the west side. Host was pleasant. Small decorative space. Could use more vegan desserts. read more

The service is top notch! They're beyond kind!! And the food is seriously so great! I love the curry. It comes with fresh naan and wow... yummy!! I'd love to go back and try their desserts one day. As for ambience, it's a simple spot. We go on a random weeknight to get out of the house! read more

This place is really amazing. It's a small detail but their pho comes in the right size bowl so you can actually mix it. Also it uses vegan meat that is good and savory. read more

This vegan spot is wonderful! The food was delicious and fresh and sure to surprise any meat eater; as someone who loves shrimp the West Coast Shrimp was awesome! It appears only one employee does everything so service may seem slow or inattentive but the hospitality was warm and welcoming. Will definitely be back to try the banh mi and other dishes! read more

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The drunken cauliflower and coconut shrimp are very good. The tomato soup is also a full meal. They've got a great take on vegan food and would highly recommend read more

Fantastic!!! I am writing this review after a 3rd visit, which means between my partner, friends, and I, we have tried most of the menu. Every single dish is phenomenal!!! My personal favorite is called the Little Venice Bowl which is two skewers of BBQ tofu with vegetables, salad, and brown rice. A HUGE portion for only $18 (I'm a big dude and I can only finish the whole plate if I skip lunch) also the Caesar's Hubris salad: crispy soy chicken with homemade croutons is BOMB! Brussels sprouts app: full of complex and nuanced flavors like lemon and apple, and the place is bright and clean. If I had to give ONE drawback: service *can* be a little slow but it's very tiny, only about 8 little tables total, so there's usually only one person running the floor. The food is definitely worth the wait though, and you can't beat the price. read more

Go here, it's incredible. Everything was flavorful, i didn't want my meal to end. Service was great, vibes are really calm. I will be taking all my friends and family here. (Even nonvegans) read more

Lovely, ambient vegan cafe in MDR but also delicious even if you are not vegan. Great, fast service, affordable prices and huge portions. I love the variety on the menu spanning items of all cuisines from American to Asian, with the commonality of great flavor regardless of flavor! The Venice bowl (soft teriyaki tofu skewers packed with flavor on a bed of brown rice and fresh veggies) and banh mi (so flavorful and filling) are my top picks! The pho is really great as well, the soup base is so savory and comparable to non vegan pho however the fake meat meatball texture was not very good. Must try on the west side! read more

Variable Cafe - Little Venice Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I come here for the mdr smoothie because ughhhhh it is probably the best smoothie ive had. Now i cant recall all the smoothies i have had but everytime i go and take a sip of the smoothie it's like the first time I had it where i open my eyes big and go mmmm that's really good lol. To this day that reaction hasn't changed so until it does i claim thee smoothie bussiiinn read more

I tried the drunk cauliflower, the tomato basil soup, and Caesar salad. The cauliflower was great, with a sweet sauce on top of a nice breading that reminded me of Korean fried chicken. The tomato soup had a nice, savory flavor and came with a generous amount of toast for dipping. The Caesar salad was good as well (it can be surprisingly hard to find a vegan Caesar salad, but this dressing tasted spot-on to me), and I got it with soy chicken which had a nice, crispy crust (although the "meat" itself was a little bit on the soft side for my taste). I also had a smoothie which I really enjoyed, although I would probably order that without granola next time (I just don't like granola on smoothies). Overall, this is a great vegan place with a nice variety of options. read more

The food here is so good, I drive all the way from Hollywood for it! Absolutely obsessed with the Northern Lights pasta, but have also loved everything I've gotten here!! read more

Some of the best vegan food I've ever had in LA. The tea was perfect, the veggies fresh, and the imitation fried chicken pasta dish is SO AMAZING that I make the drive from echo park for it. The owners and servers recognize you when you come back. It's perfect for a cute date with a vegan! read more

Food is so savory and delicious, portions are fair, and the service is friendly and welcoming.

Cosy and cute little place! Food is tasty and healthy! Friendly and fast service! Highly recommend!

We loved this place! Curry and Pho were both incredible! Service was speedy, ambiance nice. read more

Variable Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Omg the food is so delicious! The cauliflower wings were soooooo good and the burger ughhhh so yummy!!!!!!! The inside of the restaurant was very nice. Minimal, bright, and clean. The server was nice read more

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oh my gosh, this food is to die for. I had it for the first time last night and it was amazing. I would definitely recommend coming here, especially for the cauliflower. read more

Absolutely LOVE this place. Everything we have tried has been so delicious. The drunken cauliflower, the Tikka Masala, West Coast shrimp, Northern Lights pasta...can't wait to try more. read more

Variable Cafe is excellent. I have been several times and they do not disappoint. Food and smoothies are superb. Ambiance is pleasant if a bit simple. Service has always been friendly. read more

Variable Cafe - MDR smoothie, veggie burger, sautéed veggie sides (half eaten) - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The BEST TASTING vegan food EVER! Everything was so flavorful and simply yummy Our server was friendly and attentive. What an awesome spot. read more

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Food is spectacluar. Service is amazing. I wish they were in my Scottsdale neighborhood but wew'll have to wait until we are back in CA to come by again to enjoy their fabulous food. read more

I ordered the Kurt Brussel & a cup of the Damn Good Chili for pickup. The service was timely, and the interior looked beautiful. The prices were reasonable and it was convenient to order. The Brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious. I practically inhaled them! & the apples were a surprisingly nice touch. The chili could've used more spice, in my opinion, but that's not everyone's thing, and it was still incredibly solid. Perfect as we come into the cooler weather of LA winter. read more