Top Vegetarian Restaurant in Westlake Village
JOi Caf Coffee by JOi
2855 Agoura Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91361, United States
I have been plant based for 8 years. Ive eaten at hundreds of vegan restaurants. I am also the author of a NYT Bestselling and James Beard award winning cookbook. I first had the pleasure of eating at Joi Cafe before I knew anything about them because I did what every vegan does when they roll into a town theyre unfamiliar with: type the word vegan in Google maps.I believe in grading vegan restaurants solely upon their merits. I do NOT believe in grade inflation because theyre vegan, theyre trying, theyre nice people (other than customer service). Indeed, I find grade inflation to be at least partially responsible for the amount of meh vegan restaurant options and, now, their rapid demise, which ultimately hurts the movement by reinforcing the notion that vegan food = bad food. In sum, the overwhelming majority of vegan restaurants Ive tried in the past 8 years have been... not great.I say all of this to bolster the credibility of my evaluation for Joi Cafe. My first meal consisted of their Caesar Salad and Broccoli Cheddar Soup. I instantly knew that whoever created these dishes understood not just flavor (the soup), but was a master of texture (the salad). I delighted in each caper buried between conveniently sized hunks of purple kale; was soothed at the sight of nori (an ingredient not usually found in Western establishments) sprinkled between the greens; and utterly amazed by the tang from the dressing.Do I like everything on the menu? No. Jois menu is far too diverse to please every taste every time. But I love so much of the menu, I go back at least 5 times a week. Sometimes its the Caesar Salad, today it was the bagel sandwich, and tomorrow, itll almost certainly be the Acai Bowl (the best Ive ever had--the creator was smart enough to understand you cant just put the toppings on top!). I love that there are plenty of options that do NOT have alternative meat--just plain beans, potatoes, greens, and fruit.The dishes on this menu werent thrown together by someone who watched 17 YouTube videos and now thinks they know how to cook (which is what I sometimes think is the case for most vegan restaurants). Whoever designed the food on this menu knew what they were doing, employed skills that obviously took decades to develop.If you found the food tasteless, bland, or subpar, its likely you went on a very very very bad day (which is hard to believe since Ive gone hundreds of times and NEVER experienced this) OR your tastebuds are defective.
Natural Cafe
968 S Westlake Blvd, Westlake Village, CA 91361, United States
I apologize ahead of time for people who love this place like my bestie. I usually dont give such a low score on restaurants but my meal was pretty disgusting. The only thing I liked out of my entire meal was the garlic bread and tomato soup. This place is supposed to be very healthy, which it was but the taste was super bland. Im a foodie and definitely not health conscious. Having said that, just because something is healthy doesnt mean it cant be delicious. There are several vegan/vegetarian places I absolutely think is amazing such as Native Foods. My bestie was raving about the pasta and honestly it was just cooked in oil, no salt and just topped with parmesan cheese. Although it was unpleasant, I am not one to waste food. So I ate every bite of my pasta with the salad dressing because it was ridiculously flavorless. Im sorry but Id rather keep my $10 and eat at panera bread or someplace else.
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Crawfords Social
974 S Westlake Blvd, Westlake Village, CA 91361, United States
So far just ok. Since this restaurant has only been open a week Im going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they will get it together.I went with a friend hoping to sit at the bar, have a drink, and try the food. We were greeted by the owner who gave us a tour and helped us get a seat at the outdoor bar. That was the best part of the experience and it was all downhill from there...We sat at the bar and it was nearly 20 minutes before anyone took our drink order and that was only because we hailed down a bar back. Drinks are very, very small pours. I think my Chardonnay was barely 4 oz.We ordered 2 appetizers... Truffle fries for $15 that were way over-salted and the bottom of the basket with the majority of the fries little tiny pieces. We ordered another veggie cracker thing for $18 which we had to ask for 3 times and took over an hour to get. That was also just so-so. The portions are tiny so dont go there hungry.Service was poor at best, the servers seemed confused and frustrated. We had 3 different food orders brought to us that we didnt order and the stuff we ordered took over an hour.I get the idea of a soft opening, but if you are going to do that you need to have your pricing reflect that. Dont serve mediocre bar food and hide behind a soft opening.I think this has the potential to be a nice place to go but for the ambience only. There are too many amazing restaurants around Westlake that have WAY better food.The bottom line, you only get one chance to make a first impression. The food and the service need miles of improvement before this place can compete with the other restaurants in the area. (In my opinion)
Mythpoint
3825 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Suite: E, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
From my very first bite of Mythpoints Triple Cheesesteak, I knew I had stumbled into a great restaurant! I discovered the restaurant while headed to Jersey Mike's with a coworker. I was regrettably going to order Jersey Mike's cheesesteak as that is my favorite type of sandwich even though the one from Jersey Mike's always leaves me disappointed. As I was entering the door, I looked over to my right and saw Mythpoint's sign toting their cheesesteak offering. I immediately left my coworker in Jersey Mike's and headed over. I normally can't stand food and often skip eating lunch at work as the restaurants in the area that I have tried always left me disappointed at best and feeling terrible at worst. Mythpoint's triple cheesesteak with added jalapenos however has quickly become my go-to meal; even more so after I have discovered the free beer after 5PM you can get with your meal. The meat is juicy, flavorful, and loaded with cheese; all stuffed into perfectly toasted bread. Each bite leaves a trail of melted cheese that leads from your mouth back to the sandwich.The fries are another standout item. Each fry has a crispy golden texture and are not overly salted, making them absolutely irresistible. Potatoes are one of the few food items that I am usually always ok with so when my family goes out for fast food, such as McDonald's, I usually only order their fries as everything else on the menu makes me feel terrible after eating it. Now that I have had Mythpoint's fries however, I doubt I will ever be willing to go to fast food again as you can't compare the quality of Mythpoint's fries to the ones you get from fast food.I find myself coming here almost daily now, drawn in by the amazing food and the welcoming atmosphere. For those who appreciate a great meal, Mythpoint is amazing. I wouldn't say that I make a ton of money and I am extremely hard to satisfy when it comes to meals, so I used to rarely eat out besides the occasional fast food when we don't feel like cooking; however, make sure to scan the shop for signs offering their discounts. Everywhere you look there are ways to save money and they are a fantastic way to enjoy the great food here without stretching your wallet! The average amount I am spending here is $20 per full meal and drink for reference on how much I am spending. When I am on average spending $15 on a meal elsewhere that makes me feel awful there is no doubt in my mind that I would spend the extra $5 to eat here.Recently I have started to branch out of my usual cheesesteak and tried their lamb skepasti, shown in one of my pictures (The other is of my dads garlic cheesesteak order). The triple cheesesteak is still my favorite dish but that is most likely because I love cheesesteaks. The quality and flavor of the skepasti was spot on and if you are not a fan of cheesesteaks, I am sure you will be able to find a dish that will satisfy you! I am going to continue trying the rest of their menu so can enjoy everything that Mythpoint has to offer!
Hummus Lali
Suit B, 30760 Russell Ranch Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
Make a visit to Hummus Lali. We have been searching for a local place that has excellent hummus, pita and chicken and Lalis has all that and more. We have eaten at many places from Beverly Hills, to the valley, to Washington and weve yet to find a place as good as this. My dad and I had the chicken plate and we both loved it. The chicken is well spiced without being spicy, (that comes from my dad, who thinks ketchup is a touch too spicy) the pita is fluffy to the point of being cloud-like and the hummus is silky smooth with just a touch of olive oil to add flavor. The plates are piled high with a cucumber and tomato salad, purple cabbage salad, white cabbage salad, Israeli pickles, (a personal favorite) well-spiced chicken breast, hummus and a pita. I definitely recommend their spicy sauce on the side, if youre into a little bit of heat. The portions are well worth the cost and their plates are very calorie-conscious for those of you worried about your diet. Honestly, their plates could be split between two people, making it very budget-conscious, so keep that in mind. The staff are very friendly and helpful, the place is spotless clean and the food is fantastic, also Kosher. So the only thing else I could say is that Hummus Lalis will be making it into our regular rotation of places to eat weekly.
Ox Bone Ramen
30869 E Thousand Oaks Blvd, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
On Valentines Day, which also marked our 24th anniversary, we decided to order takeout, and it turned out to be an incredible choice! My husband is a true carnivore, while Im a vegetarian, and we were both amazed by the experience. The restaurant had thoughtfully packaged the broth separately, and I thoroughly enjoyed my order of fire vegetable. It was simply fantastic, and we couldnt have asked for a better meal to celebrate our special day.
Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California
2 Dole Dr, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
Well, well, well. This place is FANCY. Yes, I realize it's a Four Seasons and that by default, they're going to be fancy but honestly the rooms made me feel like I was in a princess' bedroom (those cabinets!!). But first...Let me preface by saying that I don't have Four Seasons kind of money. I am not a part of that income bracket and I most likely never will be. I only got to stay there because my organization was hosting an event there. So I'm not a frequenter of five-star hotels or things like that and my bar is set pretty low in comparison so keep that in mind. ‘Cause to me, everything seemed so great!First off, the staff and service is beyond great. Oh my gosh, the people that work here are so nice and have such an attention to detail. It's really next level. I would say they are constantly looking to go out of their way to make you feel at home but they're not. I don't think they want you to feel at home. They want you to feel like you're a first-class lady that lives a first-class life every day because that's just the norm for you. And for some of the visitors to the hotel, that is their norm. But for others, like me, that's not. And not once did I ever feel like I didn't get as good of service just because I wasn't like most of the people staying there. I appreciated that. A lot of the time I was like “wow!” and “oh my gosh look at the reading lights above the bed!” I very clearly was not someone used to this level of service but they didn't take short cuts ever.The beds. Oh Lordy are those beds comfortable! I would buy them for myself if I could ever afford to. And the comforters were dangerous. They were too comfy and it's a genuine miracle I ever made it out of my room. If you use their app, you can set your room preferences in advance which is (I'm going to say it again) great. Also, something I appreciate was that I set my thermostat to the level I like (higher than most people) and they didn't turn it back down when they came to flip the room. In my experience, most hotels will change it back to whatever their standard is which makes it too cold for me when I come back in. But not once did the Four Seasons change it back which means I was always perfectly comfortable in my room. I really appreciated that detail.Overall I really liked the decor. It's an unusual fusion of Asian-inspired design and feminine Victorian-esque design. It's interesting but it works surprisingly well.Location wise, it's not a great place to be if you want to be out and about doing stuff. There's some really yummy restaurants nearby (breakfast at CiCi's is to die for) and a Target but not much else. But that's not what this location is really for anyway. It's really designed as a retreat-like health and wellness experience so, for that purpose, it's exactly where it needs to be (surrounded by beautiful mountains). If you do need to go somewhere while you're there, they do have a house car that will take you to and from any location within a 3-mile radius. But do keep in mind that if you need to get to and from LAX to your hotel quickly, this is NOT the place to stay. It took us an hour and a half to get from LAX to this hotel thanks to LA traffic.As a staff member of an organization holding an event there, I can say it was some of the best service we've ever had. We host five medium-sized events every year and I've had to deal with all sorts of varying hotel service quality. At this hotel though, everything they do they seem to do smoothly. They were always very responsive to our requests and quick to follow up. They treated our staff respectfully and pretty much gave us whatever we needed.Now I didn't try the main reason why people visit: the spa. I didn't try it because I couldn't afford it. So I can't give any feedback on it. Though, two of my coworkers went and said they had a fantastic experience.Overall, if you ever get the opportunity to stay here, take it. Even if it's just for a night. It's a lovely space with top-notch service and really friendly people. I highly recommend.
In-N-Out Burger
30780 Russell Ranch Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
Last Tuesday, I went to In-N-Out Burger. Although I do not live nearby, I drive down to get supplies once a week and take advantage of doing all my errands in one day. I was late for lunch, and driving home for 30 minutes while starving was not an option. Due to allergies and other restrictions, I follow a specific diet with a focus on clean eating. I have to be careful with it, so I usually avoid fast food places. While looking for a place that used to serve turkey burgers at the shops, I realized that it was no longer open. As a result, I decided to go to In-N-Out Burger, but I was hesitant because I tried to avoid crowded places.When I got in, Emma greeted me with a big smile. I asked for specific things to switch on my burger, and she replied, Absolutely, we can do that. I ordered a lettuce-wrapped burger, and I removed some things. She was very flexible and did not question me; I was thrilled. Wow, shes so lovely, I thought.I went to get a glass of water, and while searching for it, a young man who worked there approached me and asked if everything was OK. I asked for the water, and he kindly pointed it out. After that, I resumed working on my research paper using my phone while having lunch. Suddenly, I heard a voice asking if I was having a good day. To my surprise, it was the same kid who had helped me earlier. He had a charming smile. I observed him going around, cleaning tables, and doing various tasks, but he kept smiling. I found it fascinating, especially since my research is about whether Smartphones and social media are responsible for the emotional crisis among young Americans.This kid is nice and courteous, I thought. His name is Jordan. As I left, I couldnt help but smile, thinking, These kids should be studied. I had an excellent experience, and Im sharing this because Im studying and learning about peoples behaviors, especially among teenagers.While walking in the parking lot, I had a moment of amazement. I thought, I cant imagine finding another teen as kind and polite as the first two I encountered. But then, to my surprise, I came across a teenager taking orders in the drive-thru section. As I entered my car, he turned around and politely said, I hope you had a good time with us, miss, and hope you have a good rest of your day.I said, Oh no, Im not leaving without taking a picture. I went outside and asked, Are you OK in the sun? He replied, Absolutely, I have my umbrella. I followed and saw him standing under an umbrella, cheerfully and happily smiling at people. I thought, Wow. Though I dont know his name, I will add a picture of him to this review.There is growing concern about the impact of social media on younger generations and how smartphones have transformed teenagers interactions with their parents and friends, often prioritizing virtual connections over personal ones.Small interactions with strangers are essential as they help us feel less isolated. According to science, these interactions not only improve our social skills but also enhance our emotional well-being and happiness. Therefore, its essential to recognize the significance of these little moments in our lives.Keep up the great work, kids. I will be coming back again.
Made In Italy Bistro
3825 E Thousand Oaks Blvd unit F, Westlake Village, CA 91362, United States
We went to eat at the restaurant for our annual Thanksgiving lunch at work. At first we were a bit worried if we were going to find seating since we were a larger group. We conveniently found a large family table which was perfect for us! They have a good selection of vegetarian options as well. The pasta is all made in the restaurant which I can now taste the difference when it comes to packed at home pasta. Heading back to works, 6/6 of us plan on going back for seconds! The desserts were delicious! The cheesecake is different than the American Cheesecakes, which was a delight. It was especially sweet that Antonio made his way around the tables. The restaurant has a Family dining feel which is something I love; just like at my work : )
Gelsons Westlake Village
2734 Townsgate Rd, Westlake Village, CA 91361, United States
This is my favorite market and I make an effort to drive from Malibu. What I love about this market is how clean it is and how much effort they put in during the worst part of the pandemic to keep everything neatly and how well they follow the protocols. The products are great and they have everything so theres no need to drive to another market. I give it two stars because of the way I was treated by the cashiers. The first time around three months ago. I was in line and there was a blonde lady in front of me. when she was next the cashier great her and asked her if she had a reward phone number, she did so the cashier typed for her. When it was my turn I pushed my car (full of Pellegrino for a big party) the cashier asked me “ how many are you taking?” I told her that I took everything from the shelf but I wasn't sure how many cases in total. Then she started pushing the glass cases and counting in a hurry pushing it around, I guess she was too tired so I decided to carry it out for her. By the time she was done I inserted my credit card and I asked her if I could type my rewards number to what she answered: “well now it's too late maybe next time.” From the beginning she didn't even say hello, she did not ask for the rewards number and lastly, she was not happy but ANGRY to count the cases so to avoid miscounting the cases I had to do the lifting for her. I didn't say anything I was just disappointed. I don't know her name I just know that she's Latino.Tonight I went to get my groceries for the weekend. A Caucasian man was in front of me and Brian the cashier said hello to him, then he asked for his reward number and typed it for him. For some reason, I thought oh my gosh he is going to be rude to me because I saw the way he looked at me and, that's exactly what happened. He started scanning my items in a hurry. I said HELLO, he answered without even looking at me, he's didn't asked for my rewards number I just type it for him. He handed me my receipt and I said THANK YOU!What's wrong with this picture? I'm not blonde enough for this market? Is this a problem? Don't I deserve to be treated with the same respect as the rest?The managers though are great. Every time I needed something they will go above and beyond to help me. However, the management has to educate their staff! I don't come here for just one sandwich. Every time I come here and spend a lot of money. My money has the same value as your other costumes regardless of the color of my skin.I am very disappointed and sad.