Real Food Daily - West Hollywood
$$ - average
Eclectic (Fusion)
Organic Vegetarian Restaurant
This is a great organic vegan restaurant. Good food, nice atmosphere, friendly service. Check out their website to see what's on the menu.
Added by Joe Vegan on Apr 5 03 (updated Jun 23 05)
Reviews
I had to knock off a few points for poor service. I've only been here once, so maybe it was a fluke, but my waiter was the absolute worst I've ever had. We had snagged a primo parking spot outside, and we could have freed it up more than an hour earlier if this guy hadn't ignored us for huge stretches of time. It took me 45 minutes to catch his attention to order dessert -- something I normally would have skipped due to poor service, but the whole reason I visited in the first place was because of a dessert recommendation.
Basically, it was the first time in my life I have ever contemplated either (1) perpetrating a dine and dash or (2) completely stiffing the waiter on a tip. That says a lot, as I believe both acts to be pure evil. I did end up leaving a tip, and I meant for it to be measly, but in my nervousness I think I might have miscalculated. I will always live with a mild regret for that possibility!
The food was very good, but if I'm ever back in LA there are just too many places I'd rather go that have equally good food but far superior service.
Service is hit-or-miss. I've had bad, forgetful service (like forgetting I'm sitting outside), and I've had attentive service. Get to know your server options is all I can recommend. As for the food, RFD has one of the better vegan club sandwiches in town, and I will often drop in just for the nacho appetizer, though I tried the added "meat" option and was not impressed. Better to just order it as is. Taco-o-the-Town is pretty great, too, and some of the salads, like the Farm Chop are quite refreshing.
Prices are high-ish, but not outrageous, considering the location, decor, and the creative organic selection, though the menu could use updating. Over-priced so-so specials don't really inspire me, and I'm getting tired of ordering the same handful of items off the menu.
Now when I want to spend some money on vegan food, I start thinking about what traffic's going to be like on the 101 to Encino for Madeleine Bistro instead. If it's rush hour, RFD wins, but that's got to be some kind of hollow victory.
Food is kind of pricey and parking is a bitch as with anywhere in LA, but the food is great. I have turned many people on to this place - too bad they don't have any in Orange County! (please expand south!!)
I love the "TV Dinner." To be able to eat mashed potatoes and gravy in a restaurant again is a dream! Oh yeah and their Caesar salad is awesome. Yummmmm!!
Real Food Daily is my favorite restaurant! I just love the wonderful menu there. They have so many good vegan options it's hard to make a choice. My favorite? The salisbury seitan! And for desert they have great soy cheese cakes with raspberry sauce. It doesn't get any better than this for vegetarian fare!
This place was fabulous. It is virtually impossible for my husband & I to go out to a restaurant to eat because he is on a macrobiotic healing diet and when we came to the L.A. area and were taken here by friends - well, we were delivered! Excellent food, extremely tasty, great selection, totally healthful and just an all out cool place with patio dining included. Parking may have been a slight problem, but who cared - what with valet parking available. And the staff - extremely polite, friendly, and helpful. We came to eat both nights that we were in the area and the 2nd night met a wonderful server named Jenna who really made our evening special. So, if you're macrobiotic, vegan, vegetarian, or just someone who wants to eat healthy and enjoys delicious food - try it - you'll love it! We sure did. (Thank you Universe - for opening this place up to us...)
I thought the atmosphere was great (some super models were dining there as well) and the menu was well thought out. A little pricey, but competitive with other restaurants in the area. Overall, a great experience and great food. Parking was easy to find on the street.
Last Fall went there (the Santa Monica restaurant branch of RFD) and haven't gone back because my husband and I think we might have gotten sick from a burrito. We had eaten there several times before. The staff does not appear to be a happy one which can be transmitted to the experience and the food.
It has a great menu but it is so small it just can't do justice to macrobiotics. We lived in Austin Texas for about a year (we are not southeners or texans originally) and had access to Casa de Luz which is the ultimate in macrobiotic and / or vegan dining. We are definitely spoiled by that experience and maybe this also shades our experience there. I am glad that there is a macrobiotic restaurant in the area for others, but I wish RFD would visit Casa de Luz and see what more they could do.
nice place. good food, though a little pricy. staff/service is... just okay. parking isn't a big issue.
Joe Vegan recommends: Go frequently; take a date (or two).
This is definitely one of the nicest vegetarian restaurants I've been to. Food, service and atmosphere were all great. A perfect place to go for a nice date or to take your friends who've been letting you crash at their pad during your visit to Los Angeles. (Thanks John and Julian!!)
This is, hands down, my favorite vegan restaurant in L.A. I just moved to Portland and one of the only things I miss is RFD! Having tried many other vegan restaurants (particularly in the Portland area, where there are more of them) I really have learned to appreciate the fact that everything you eat at RFD is made fresh on the premises - the fake meats, the fake cheeses, everything. It makes a HUGE difference in the flavor of the food. I may stuff myself silly when I eat at RFD, but I never feel sick afterwards, which is not something I can say for most other vegan restaurants that serve similar types of food. What I miss most are the mashed potatoes and (crack) gravy, the different Mexican style dishes (with the amazing cashew cheese) and the Sunday brunch which is ridiculous. (I don't even understand how they can make an OMELET that actually has the look and texture of a real omelet but without the eggs!)