Vegan
Organic
Take-out
Mexican
Fusion
Organic Mexican food restaurant by the owners of Cafe Gratitude. Most of the produce used is grown on the owners' own local farm. Food is made-in-house in its open kitchen - including the salsas, tamales, and corn tortillas. Concise seasonal menus. Open Mon-Thu 11:00am-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm, Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
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8905 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, California, USA, 90291
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Last update on 14 Apr 2025 by villain
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170 Reviews
First Review by kenvegan
tina x
Points +63
Really Bland Food, Noisy, Underwhelming Service - Edit
Okay, here's how it goes. My friends and I went here on a weeknight. Their staff person on the phone reassured us we did not need to reserve a table. Wrong! It was totally crowded! And quite noisy.
Read moreIt stuns me that they do this great of business. I'm convinced it's because of the lengthy drink menu. It's also in a trendy area of WeHo. One thing that's positive - it's large, and lovely in ambiance.
The drinks are good, and most of the food is average to fairly good. None of the dishes were exceptional. The kale was the most flavorful thing. The food (large portions) is interesting in texture, but absent of any herbs or garlic -- you get the picture -- super bland. I've tasted more flavorful guac and black beans at casual non-vegan restaurants. Yes, their homemade masa is good, but it seems really plain. It works on their tamal plate, but that's about it.
I feel like a gourmet chef after eating at this place, but maybe it's just me and my friends -- we savor a thing called "flavor".
One more thing that turned us off. Our server accidentally carted away a plate before we were finished. Although he quickly apologized, here's the way he could have dealt with it -- get the manger's approval to offer a free drink or dessert. The way he addressed this mishap did not make us feel like he valued customers, or welcomed us to return.
We will take a second thought before returning to this restaurant. It has a wonderful concept, it's just disappointing the food does not live up to the hype.
Pros: Lovely place, nice ambiance, portions are large, tasty cocktails
Cons: Super bland food, really noisy, over-hyped, waitstaff could be better
Guest
Rich Revell
Points +119
Disappointing Experience Twice - Edit
I had great hope for this new restaurant, but have been disappointed on both visits since it opened. The physical space is beautifully laid out and decorated. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. Yes, it's vegan, but No, it's "no cafe gratitude". The food is so-so, the prices are in the stratosphere, and the service has been consistently poor. With so many other choices for good vegan food with good service, I'll spend my money elsewhere,
Read morePros: Beautiful physical space, Great location
Cons: So-So Food, Poor service, High prices
Guest
ronitw
Points +873
Great Vegan Mexican Food - Edit
Finally made it, and even found street parking! Luckily the wait was half of what the hostess predicted on a busy Friday evening. We shared totopos, pozole, sopes and flan. Each one had a tequila that the waiter helped us select. Everything was very good. The service was great too! We will definitely be back.
Read morePros: Great food, Great service
Guest
Hungwy
Points +265
trash - Edit
Nice decor. No substitutions. No flexibility. No nice. And I got indigestion on top of that. Good place to be seen. Avoid the food. Be sure to read the disclaimer on the menu taking no responsibility for making you ill.
Read morePros: decor
Cons: attitude. food.
Guest
ilikeveganfood
Points +20
Best Mexican Food - Edit
I recommend everything, especially tacos with sweet potatoes inside and coconut ice cream.
Read moreGuest
Dharma~Ram
Points +30
Comida Vegana Mex - Edit
A fresh take on fresh Mexican cuisine with a vegan twist.
Read moreSo glad to see the success of this menu take off with much spice and flare. I really enjoyed the creativity and complimentary flavors that please and balance the palate. Don't just take my word on it, you really have to go experience the menu for yourself. Enjoy!
Pros: Fresh, Tasty, Creative
Cons: Parking
Guest
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
vegan Mexican - Edit
For the opening weekend, we went with another couple for an early dinner on Sunday. The location itself is nice and spacious with a bar, indoor sitting and outdoor patio which has a fireplace. The patio might even be bigger than the interior. We were seated inside and shared most of the food with our friends. While the food was excellent, the service was slow and inattentive although the place was not that busy, but I don't know how much of that was due to it being the opening weekend. Also, considering they are not a cheap place, we were surprised when they asked that we keep our utensils after the appetizer courses even though they were very dirty and we had nowhere to put them except on the bare table.
Read moreFor starters, we got the guacamole, gorditas, quesadillas and roasted brussel sprouts. They were all delicious, but the sprouts really stood out. For entrees, two people got the sopas, another the enchiladas and I got the chilaquiles. We all enjoyed our meals which were flavorful and nicely presented. For desserts, we ordered the apple cobbler, flan, cheesecake and pumpkin cake. All wonderful with favorites determined by individual preferences.
Overall, we highly enjoyed the food and wanted to try as much as possible. We do look forward to returning, but hope the service will have improved.
Pros: all vegan Mexican, flavorful and tasty, nice atmosphere
Cons: slow inattentive service
Guest
kenvegan
Points +13513
Tasty Vegan Mexican Food - Edit
I met a couple of friends for an early lunch at the new Los Angeles location of this famous San Francisco-based vegan Mexican restaurant.
Read moreThe restaurant is quite spacious, and the high ceilings give you a feeling of openness. The outdoor seating is large with heaters for that chilly evening, and the outdoor fireplace is a classy touch.
We were one of the first groups seated at the restaurant. We ordered Topas Con Chile as an appetizer, which consisted of corn chips with a chile sauce and a cashew cream topping. This dish came out cold, and when we mentioned that the dish was cold, they took the dish back and brought back a warmer version.
For an entree, I had the Chiliquiles which was recommended by the waitress. Had I know that the Chiliquiles would be almost identical to the Topas Con Chile appetizer, I would have chosen a different entree, but at least both corn chip-based dishes were tasty. This dish also came out cold, which we were told was due to the cashew cream having to be refrigerated. I imagine they could bring the dish up to room temperature before serving it with a heater.
The Tamale and and Sopas Con Pina that the others' ordered looked much more exciting than the dish I chose. For dessert, we ordered the Pumpkin Cake and the Mocha Cheesecake. These desserts were excellent, and I felt they were the best part of my meal.
The was my first time I had eaten at Gracias Madre. I had very high expectations based upon what friends had told me about the San Francisco location. I cannot say that my experience here lived up to my expectations, but perhaps that was because it was just the second day the restaurant was open. I think there is better Mexican food out there, but we are lucky to have a classy vegan Mexican restaurant in LA. Overall, I enjoyed my meal.
Pros: Desserts, Atmosphere
Cons: Food could use some improvement
Guest
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