Real Food Daily

(310) 451-7544

514 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401 34.0173 -118.4939

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Neighborhoods: Downtown, West LA

REALFOOD.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 6.20.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Vegetarian, Health Food

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Real Food Daily

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – This gourmet organic vegetarian haven is always packed with both New-Age, wheat-grass fiends and regular folk who strive to treat their bodies like temples at least one day a week. – – The Food – Where else can a vegetarian eat a Reuben sandwich? Okay, so it's soy, not corned beef, but the marinade adds a tangy zip that complements the pungent sauerkraut perfectly. Much of the menu features "simulated" meat dishes, with soy and whole grains replacing animal products, and nearly all are surprisingly flavorful due to the use of fresh, high-quality…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Finally something healthy to order in, as long as you're within the Santa Monica city limits. Delivery hours are weekdays, 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-9pm.
Look Good:
This is L.A.'s only all-organic, all-vegan restaurant, so order without fear.
Know Before You Go:
Even if seitan and tempeh aren't in your lexicon, have no fear--the menu explains the less-familiar ingredients.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Love the atmosphere, love the food”
  2. “The food is amazing and flavorful Vegan food with a cozy and cute atmosphere!”
  3. “liked the atmosphere the service was good also.”
dessert
50.0% positive
  1. “Their cookies are also great, as is their coconut cream pie.”
  2. “Their chocolate cake is unbelievable, and many non-vegans are shocked to learn that it is made entirely without milk, butter, or any other dairy.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “The service is pretty good and you can actually drink the water, they must have some great filtration system.”
food quality
92.67999649047852% positive
  1. “Food was excellent, service was good, however the food was a little more than I expected to pay.”
  2. “love organic vegan food but come on!”
  3. “The food is fresh and so delicious, particularly considering it's vegetarian.”
  4. “The food is unique and tasty I even recommend it to non-vegetarians.”
  5. “Me and a friend went here and the food was great!”
  6. “everything is cooked like regular food (unlike raw vegan places) and trust me when i say pretty much everything on the menu is REALLY REALLY surprisingly GOOD!”
  7. “There are some good items on the menu: a very basic mashed potatoes with a rich gravy and seitan burrito.”
  8. “Love the atmosphere, love the food”
  9. “That said, the food at RFD is delicious.”
  10. “When we are just pooped-out and tired after a long day's work, and we just don't have the energy to cook at home, we will drive over to RFD on Santa Monica Blvd - the food is hot and nutritious, satisfying and delicious - the wait staff is very friendly”
  11. “am not a vegetarian, but I love all types of food and they have some very delicious foods at RFD.”
  12. “Good organic food”
  13. “There are salads and stir fries, and they create real nice old-world meals with squashes and pumpkins - great comfort food.”
  14. “My non- vegetarian friend was surprised she had such a great meal.”
  15. “am a junk food vegan myself ( I love my fries).”
  16. “the "burger with the works" is the best.”
  17. “BTW - I am not a veggie and would say that the dishes are so good that RFD will win over most meat-eaters.”
  18. “Rude service, Over priced food”
  19. “The Total Reuben is especially good, as are the basics which let you put together your own meal.”
  20. “The food is very good and you get good size portions.”
  21. “If you're looking for a healthy, organic meal full of vegetables, this is the place to go.”
  22. “But the food is good and you feel healthy after eating it.”
  23. “love taking my daughter she has a good time and loves the food, by the way I think that they are expanding their space so it will be bigger.”
  24. “The food is consistently excellent, no matter what I order.”
  25. “As a Vegan, I am grateful to find such a wonderful place that serves dishes with no milk, meat, cheese or eggs so I can actually eat out!”
  26. “The service is great - but the food can take a little while -- hmmm maybe because it is FRESH and not microwaved.”
  27. “Overall, the food is excellent, but a little on the plain side at times.”
  28. “thought I'd let her taste the delicious food and then shock her!”
  29. “Really good food- Staff could be friendlier”
  30. “She had the Taco the Town and was thrilled with the flavorful dish.”
  31. “If you want rich, flavorful food, this may not be the place for you.”
  32. “Real Food Daily is a wonderful place for vegans and vegetarians to eat, but the price of the meal can easily creep up on you if you are not careful.”
  33. “The food is healthier than mcdonalds, and many other places, but you better stay away because this place will bring you bad energy, and destroy your expectation of such an "organic" "vegan" restaurant.”
  34. “Wonderful food but overpriced”
  35. “My friend's seitan had a great tasting gravy with the wheat meat slices and mashed potatoes.”
  36. “The food's good though, I think it's pretty average food”
  37. “The salad with the soba and the Caesar wrap are my favorite dishes.”
  38. “The food is probably the best vegan food I've had in LA, and is clearly of high quality.”
  39. “am a vegan and this place has the best mock "meats" I have ever had.”
  40. “The food is amazing and flavorful Vegan food with a cozy and cute atmosphere!”
  41. “The stir fry was tasty as well and the spring rolls were a little on the sloppy side.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Recommendation: anything that's BEEN on the menu is good.”
  2. “When we are just pooped-out and tired after a long day's work, and we just don't have the energy to cook at home, we will drive over to RFD on Santa Monica Blvd - the food is hot and nutritious, satisfying and delicious - the wait staff is very friendly”
  3. “There are some good items on the menu: a very basic mashed potatoes with a rich gravy and seitan burrito.”
  4. “To my surprise, Real Food Daily had an extensive menu and every item that was brought to our table was excellent.”
  5. “everything is cooked like regular food (unlike raw vegan places) and trust me when i say pretty much everything on the menu is REALLY REALLY surprisingly GOOD!”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is my absolute, favorite restaurant.”
  2. “have to say it's hard to find a really good place to eat.”
service
69.0500020980835% positive
  1. “love sitting at the counter because you always meet interesting people there and have a nice chat.”
  2. “The servers are very helpful for first time diners.”
  3. “Service a bit slow but still ok, the staff is always very friendly.”
  4. “guess that I may be biased as I know almost all of the servers by name but I think the service is great.”
  5. “The majority (excluding the cooks, & ONE of the hostesses) of the employees there MAKE FUN, of cusomters to the point where they actually make them wait, TO bother CUSTOMERS THEY DON'T LIKE, for e.g. a customer who might have been agitated because of hold”
  6. “Food was excellent, service was good, however the food was a little more than I expected to pay.”
  7. “liked the atmosphere the service was good also.”
  8. “The staff is always VERY friendly and attentive to me when I go there - with friends or alone.”
  9. “The service is pretty good and you can actually drink the water, they must have some great filtration system.”
  10. “Rude service, Over priced food”
  11. “poor service”
  12. “When we are just pooped-out and tired after a long day's work, and we just don't have the energy to cook at home, we will drive over to RFD on Santa Monica Blvd - the food is hot and nutritious, satisfying and delicious - the wait staff is very friendly”
  13. “The service is weird, they run around a lot and it's hard to get their attention, and everything is so pricy.”
  14. “The service is great - but the food can take a little while -- hmmm maybe because it is FRESH and not microwaved.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “Real Food Daily is a wonderful place for vegans and vegetarians to eat, but the price of the meal can easily creep up on you if you are not careful.”
  2. “Wonderful food but overpriced”
  3. “The food is very good and you get good size portions.”
wait time
55.56000232696533% positive
  1. “When we are just pooped-out and tired after a long day's work, and we just don't have the energy to cook at home, we will drive over to RFD on Santa Monica Blvd - the food is hot and nutritious, satisfying and delicious - the wait staff is very friendly”
  2. “Service a bit slow but still ok, the staff is always very friendly.”
  3. “The majority (excluding the cooks, & ONE of the hostesses) of the employees there MAKE FUN, of cusomters to the point where they actually make them wait, TO bother CUSTOMERS THEY DON'T LIKE, for e.g. a customer who might have been agitated because of hold”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/12/11

Healthy food

by andy66 at Citysearch

It is a great place to go for a healthy meal that is also tasty. You need to be into health food to like it, though.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/27/10

Delicious Vegan Selection

by rmendoza10 at Citysearch

Love this place!!! Food always tastes great, very friendly staff:)

3 Star Rating: Average

04/13/10

Wonderful food but overpriced

by miss_delicious at Citysearch

I really love this place. I eat here almost every day. I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered. However, work pays for my lunches and in no way would I eat here every day if I had to pay out of my own pocket.

I've lived in different cities and tired the vegan restaurants and there is equal quality out there for half the price... Where they only charge $7 for a basics meal with four options as opposed to the $14 that RFD charges. I mean, are brown rice, kale, beans and tempe really that expensive? Methinks not.

That said, the food at RFD is delicious. The Total Reuben is especially good, as are the basics which let you put together your own meal. So until I start making my own greens and grains and carrying them with me, there is no place I'd rather be.

  • Pros: Excellent, delicious variety of healthy vegan cuisine
  • Cons: Expensive; metered parking only
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/10/10

LOVE THIS PLACE

by lindalemonjello at Citysearch

I love this place and come here often. The food is consistently excellent, no matter what I order. It is not an inexpensive place, but I consider it to be absolutely worth it considering how top-notch everything always is, as well as the often more elaborate preparation of the dishes than I would ever do at home. The specials always show lots of imagination.

The staff is always VERY friendly and attentive to me when I go there - with friends or alone. BTW - I am not a veggie and would say that the dishes are so good that RFD will win over most meat-eaters.

I want to go out of my way to say that I have never had any of the negative experiences that people have written about in some of the other reviews - despite having gone there on several occasions and sampled much of their menu. Excellent all around. Probably at the very top of my list for places I enjoy eating in LA. If you like eating in a healthful way - then definitely do not miss the opportunity to try this place out. You are in for a treat.

  • Pros: everything
  • Cons: a little struggle to find parking
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/10/09

Even Omnivores will LOVE it!!

Contributor at Citysearch

I recently brought my small town, omnivorous Aunt to Real Food Daily. She was visiting me here in Santa Monica and was easily entertained by all the hustle and bustle. I was hesitant to even mention the fact that RFD is began. I thought I'd let her taste the delicious food and then shock her! It was great! She had the Taco the Town and was thrilled with the flavorful dish. I had the TV Dinner and did'n't miss the animal at all! I love this place and will continue to takemy out of towners here too! What better way to introduce them to the Westside lifestyle!?

The Details on Real Food Daily

Place Categories:

  • delicious organic vegan food
  • great service
  • love small place
  • liked atmosphere
  • always very friendly wait staff
  • favorite dishes
  • hate vegan
  • recommend nachos
  • great gravy
  • favorite restaurant
  • love real food daily
  • bad energy
  • surprisingly good really
  • nice chat
  • good size portions
  • great filtration system
  • great stirfry
  • nice smell
  • recommend supreme burrito
  • great mocha latte
  • highly recommended nachos appetizer
  • order cheese
  • tasty stir fry
  • great meal
  • full organic meal
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