UPDATE 12/18: sorry it took so long, but we finally have some winners for the caption contest!!!!
the winners are alex with “(looks down at weight watchers info sheet ) ‘phew it’s only 2 pts’”
and lisa with “Think twice before you make fun of men who eat salad.”
that’s all. and i’d like to extend a huge congrats to alex because he also won our first captions contest…which now means he is undefeated.<end of update!>

man, i really love tender greens in los angeles. the casual eatery specializes in big hearty salads, and has a pretty good selection of beer on tap. they use seasonal, locally grown vegetables and mostly organic ingredients…and just about everything i’ve eaten there has been delicious.

grilled veggies, crunchy lettuces, roasted tomato vinaigrette (no cheese). $10.50

i think just two of the salads are vegan by default (the happy vegan and the salad in the raw), but several of them can be made vegan by substituting vegetables for meat or omitting ingredients. above we have the grilled veggies salad, which can be veganized by leaving off the cheese. this thing comes loaded up with perfectly cooked vegetables and crunchy greens in a tomato vinaigrette. my salad came packed with halved brussels sprouts, delicate broccolini, squash, cauliflower, and zucchini. the vegetables at tender greens are always changing, so be sure to let them know if you have any aversions.

happy vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.5

i know i’ve blogged about this next dish before, but you really can’t visit tender greens and not try the happy vegan. this little plate is full of pure vegan goodness including tabbouleh, green hummus, pasta, farro wheat and succulent greens. this thing is worth ordering for the green hummus alone….i don’t know what goes into it but the yum factor is uncharted. to be honest, this dish isn’t really a salad at all—it’s more like a feast of delicious vegan tapas.

on top of the great food, there is much more to love about tender greens. first off, you order at the counter. the food comes out super fast and there’s no fuckery with waiting for the check, etc. second, the atmosphere is way relaxing. they’ve got comfy booths, tables by the window, outdoor seating, you name it. thirdly, BEER ON TAP. if you are reading this post from a city like san francisco or portland, that may not seem like a big deal….but in LA it is so bleeding hard to find a place where you can drink beer and eat vegan food. and tender greens has a damn good selection, too. our meals above were enjoyed with two frosty pints of lagunitas pilsner. i really can’t ask for much more than that in a restaurant.

tender greens
8759 santa monica blvd.
west hollywood, ca 90069
(they also have locations in culver city and san diego)

oh, and before i forget, it’s time for the second quarrygirl caption contest! the first one was a lot of fun, and the winning captions were awesome. so come up with a caption for the picture below (we spotted this dude wolfing down a salad and some bread at tender greens), and we will post the best ones on the site!

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if you like healthy food, relaxing lunches, and damn good tap beer, you need to hit up tender greens. the casual eatery has two locations, one in culver city and a brand new one in west hollywood. i checked out the weho outlet with friend and fellow blogger jennshaggy, and was blown away by the taste and quality of the food, the friendliness of the service, and the overall atmosphere of the place.

happy vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.5

after browsing the menu online, i wasn’t expecting much from tender greens. they seemed to have mostly salads and nothing really jumped out at me. however, the minute i walked into the restaurant and was greeted by the smell of freshly baked bread and could see all the fresh vegetables being chopped and prepared behind the counter, i knew i was in for a treat. i could tell this was no ordinary salad place, and that our food was likely to be exceptional.

i ordered the happy vegan pictured above, which was a mix of several small dishes accompanied by soft leafy greens and crunchy bread. of the several mounds of delicious food on my plate, my favorite was the green hummus (pictured below), which tasted like a mix of hummus and edamame…absolutely amazing. of course i washed everything down with a pint of delicious draught beer. i don’t even remember what kind of beer i ordered, but it was something fancy. you don’t see crap like bud light and mgd on tap at tender greens, but rather selections like chimay and fine ciders.

while tender greens only has two salads that come vegan by default, most of their other creations can be veganized as well. jennshaggy ordered the chinese chicken salad, but with vegetables instead of chicken and tomato rather than sesame dressing. the roasted vegetables included squash, baby carrots, cauliflower, and asparagus….all of which were cooked to perfection. i tried a bite and jenn’s salad was even better than my happy vegan plate! i am definitely gonna take a risk and order off the menu next time like she did.

chinese chicken salad with no chicken, add roasted vegetables. spicy greens, golden pea sprouts, carrot, crispy wonton, cilantro, green onions, roasted peanuts, tomato dressing. $10.5

in addition to great food and fancy tap beer, tender greens has a super comfy and laid back atmosphere. you order at the counter and pay for your food then take your tray to one of the many sun-soaked booths or tables underneath the large windows. on a weekend i could spend hours at this place, sinking beers and eating hummus.

so overall, tender greens gets an a+. the food is fresh and tastes good, and everything is unbelievably light and healthy. i think i would do myself a favor by eating here more often.

tender greens
8759 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-1919

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