The Veggie Grill
www.veggiegrill.com

University Center
4213 Campus Dr.
Irvine, Ca 92612
949-509-0003
Hours: 11am-10pm

Plaza El Segundo
720 Allied Way
El Segundo, CA 90245
310-535-0025
Hours: 11am-10pm

Serves: Lunch and dinner
Price: $3.95 - $8.95
Service: Excellent, very friendly
Cleanliness: Excellent, even the bathrooms
Seating: Indoor and outdoor
Crowd: hip students/teachers and local executives
Notes: Starts to crowd up around noon
Dine-in or take out
View their menu

I have been obsessed with the Chinese Chickin’ Salad from The Veggie Grill located here in Irvine, CA, right off UCI’s campus. I have been eating it 2-3 times per week for the last three weeks. It’s sad; the employees know me by name.

The Veggie Grill is a little happy vegan restaurant serving up some of the best animal-free food, next to Native Foods, of course in south Orange County. One of the co-founders of the The Veggie Grill opened Native Foods; and if you are familiar with both restaurants you can see a few similarities.

The atmosphere is bright and open, the worker bees are shiny, happy people, and the food is delivered to you equally as colorful, with bright reds, oranges and greens much like the interior decor.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I respect the food. Even if you stick up your nose at vegetarian cuisine you should give this place a try. The “chicken” they use tastes better than the real thing. I’m googling as we speak to find the vendor. All I know is it comes from Canada. I asked the cashier and she was very secretive, like I was going to steal their recipes and open a storefront right next door. I’ll let you know if I can find this mysterious “chicken”.

If you are in the neighborhood and want to check this place out my recommendations are the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ Sandwich with either a side salad or Sweetheart Fries (sweet potato fries) — their “ranch” dip is deliciouso, the Chinese Chickin’ Salad with papaya/ginger vinaigrette, or their Chop-Chop Chef Salad. My least favorite menu item is the Take a Spin-ach Salad — the onions are too thick and the mushrooms are oddly marinated and don’t quite work with this salad.

Oh, and you can’t go wrong with their desserts. You will swear you are eating sinfully, but it’s all vegan.

If that doesn’t tempt you The Veggie Grill was voted Best New Restaurant in OC in 2007.

Chow for now!

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