| Costa Mesa |
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118 Degrees 
 based on 18 member reviews
2981 Bristol St Ste B5, Costa Mesa California
92626
714-754-0718
Type: Vegan, Organic, All Raw, Juice bar, Beer/Wine, Take-out
Info: Raw food restaurant. Offering live food cuisine such as coconut cerviche, lemon pesto pasta, living lasagna, enchiladas, organic coffee and tea, superfood smoothies, and more. Accepts credit cards. Open 9am-10pm Mon-Sat, 10am-9pm Sunday, Sunday brunch 10-3. Price: Moderate.
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| "Interesting, a little slow, pricey"
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My Rating |
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 16 |
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Posted on: Saturday, July 24, 2010 |
Review: I have dined at 118 Degrees many times. I find 118 Degrees appropriately raw vegan and creative. Their execution, presentation and creativity is interesting. Their service is adequate as the preparation of each dish is labor intense and prepared upon your individual order.
Like most vegan raw restaurants, they use too much oils, nut cheeses and salt. When I used to dine at 118 Degrees, I only ordered a salad of raw vegetables with lemon and avocado as a dressing.
I recommend this restaurant for raw vegans. Anyone else will not understand the philosophy, passion and intensity that is involved with each preparation.
It is difficult to judge 118 Degrees with Planet Raw or Cafe Gratitude or Alive or Cru. Each restaurant has the their own personality and cuisine style. It is kind of like judging your best friends personalities, appearances and life.
118 Degrees is a passionate little restaurant that lives and breathes the owner's lifestyle.
My advise to vegans, vegetarians and carnivores is to understand the menu and appreciate and respect the philosophy of the raw vegan lifestyle and not to judge 118 Degrees against PF Changs. If you are not a raw foodist, you are treading in unknown waters so treat 118 Degrees as you would if you were visiting a foreign country; with an open mind and a unique experience.
Also, remember when you are eating vegan, you are not just saving your own life but you are saving the life's of an animal and the environment. That is the philosophy of being vegan........
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Great Menu, Friendly Staff"
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My Rating |
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 6 |
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Posted on: Thursday, November 26, 2009 |
Review: We've been here four times and have had quite a number of the items on the menu. Almost everything has been really great. The best bet is to get several items from the "Small Plates" menu section to share, or get the Bento box for lunch. This allows you to get several dishes and enjoy the varied flavors. 118 Degrees is one of our favorite restaurants in Orange County.
Pros: Great Food * *
Cons: Slightly Pricey * * |
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| "Yummy!"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Saturday, September 26, 2009 |
Review: Eaten here a few times and had great experiences every time. The service was extremely friendly, the atmosphere was very clean and fresh and the food was delicious. The food was a bit pricey, but most raw places are (and let's face it, the whole Irvine general area is always a little more pricey). Will definitely eat here again though! Love that as a mostly raw vegan I have such great options when I actually feel like eating out!
Pros: friendly service * good atmoshpere * delicious food
Cons: price * bit too much oil used * location |
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| "A little bland for my taste"
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Monday, September 14, 2009 |
Review: I am just glad to have a place to go out to eat at! This was not my favorite. I found the food to be a little bland and the menu did not agree with my style of eating. Sprouted grain bread, Corn, Rice are not my favorites.
Pros: Hey It's Raw Food! * Clean * Great staff
Cons: Less than vibrant flavors * Less than excellent choice of ingredient * |
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| "Welcome to the World of 118 Degrees!"
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My Rating |
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 1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, June 28, 2009 |
Review: Hello Folks, Chef Jenny from 118 here to say thank you for taking the time to read and post reviews. Our mission at 118 is to empower and educate the community of Orange County, and it's visitors, about the amazing benifts of living foods by serving up delicious living foods in an artful manner and in an inviting atmosphere. All of our food is made fresh daily, from scratch, using the best in local organic produce. We use only a dehydrator to prepare your foods at temperatures under 118 degrees(that's right-we have no stoves, no microwaves, and no ovens in the place!) to maintain the enzymes and vital nutrients in every bite! Some of our most popular items include the mole enchiladas, topaz pizza, stuffed mushrooms, marinated shitake tapas salad, and macadamia coconut curry wraps. Our seasonal menu features tapas style salads and small bites for sharing, an ecclectic collection of entrees and salads, and of course decadent desserts, such as the Chocolate Fudge Brownie (100% guilt-free). We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week, and on Sunday we offer a special brunch from 10-3 featuring 5 full courses, paired with an organic mimosa, coffee and tea for only $22.00. We hope you'll join us for a bite from our seasonal menu, a sip from our organic wine cellar, and of course some moments of relaxation! May you enjoy vibrant health-
Peace and Blessings
Chef Jenny
jenny@shop118degrees.com
Jenny's class schedule and book "The Art of Raw Living Food" are available online at www.shop118degrees.com
Pros: Fresh * Creative * Healthy
Cons: * * |
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• I find it inappropriate for the owner of a restaurant to comment on happycow and give her restaurant a #5 rating. Happycow is a legitimate source for customers to review a restaurant and help users establish a choice. Happycow is not a place for owners of a restaurant to advertise and attempt to boost their ratings. I find the integrity of this site compromised by 118 Degrees self-promotion. I hope the owner has the integrity to remove her post and allow genuine customers to review in the manner this site was intended.. response by novackofo
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| "SOME stuff is great"
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My Rating |
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8 |
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Posted on: Friday, June 19, 2009 |
Review: I would order carefully and with knowledge here. The enchaladas (sp?) were awesome with awesome sauce! The items I had that were not freshly made (especially the appetizers) tasted reheated :<
The pizza swam in sauce. If that's your thing...
I would just ask lots of questions. Luckily, the staff is friendly and knowledgable and did not mind. I will go back!
Pros: location * staff * expensive
Cons: must * know * menu |
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| "Good but not great"
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My Rating |
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53 |
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Posted on: Thursday, January 22, 2009 |
Review: I'm always grateful for raw, organic, vegan restaurants, so that in itself makes this restaurant worth the trip.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Seen Better"
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My Rating |
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8 |
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Posted on: Sunday, January 18, 2009 |
Review: I'm glad raw places are catching on- I've been raw a few years and recently have had the opportunity to eat at a number of raw cafes and restaurants around the country. This is one of my least favorite.
Let me start by listing its positives. The raw drink menu is pretty good, and the desserts are quite good- I suggest the apple pie.
Everything else is a negative. It's too pricey for what you get. EVERY entree I tried- and I tried, the New Mexico Nachos, Spinach Mushroom Crepes, Basil Pasta, Pizza.. probably another dish or two I'm forgetting, but they were ALL terrible. Everything tastes the same- they use flax/coconut crackers or wraps for everything, which might be okay if it had flavor, but it has none. The basil pasta was basically zucchini strips doused in oil... the tiny spot of nut cheese they give you with it is good, but the pasta made me feel sick it was so oily. Same with the pizza- basically a crust with greens doused in oil, again little flavor... so, so gross. The nachos were soggy and also flavorless. Ugh, everything here tastes so bland and boring and often made me sick. There are much better places in the area to get raw food, I do not suggest this place. Try Au Lac.
Pros: Good drink menu * Good desserts *
Cons: Bland, tasteless food * Overpriced * Same ingredients in every dish |
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• Au Lac in Fountain Valley is Amazing!. response by Hugo
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| "as fake and unoriginal as the OC"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 |
Review: The space is not comfortable and welcoming, havig a posh set up. The food tastes overwhelming, and made my body feel sick from having too much flavor. The whole experience is not genuine. If you want good raw food and a humble chef, go to Au Lac in Fountain Valley. 118 capitalizes on the raw food revolution.
Pros: people eating greens? * *
Cons: blad or too much * prices * BUSINESS vision |
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| "Waitress from H*LL"
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My Rating |
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4 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 08, 2008 |
Review: We dined there last night for the first time, and could not figure out why the blond waitress was so mean to us; we are pleasant people. She would ignore us when we asked for water, but take care of other people that were drinking wine. Later, we finally got her attention when she was 2 feet away at the table next to us, and asked for a to-go box for our leftover entree and a dessert menu - she never brought us those; she just kept taking care of the wine drinkers. We went to the counter and asked for those after waiting 20 minutes; the counter person e-ven-tual-ly brought those and cleared the table. The manager, who was pleasant, eventually brought our dessert, which was a delicious Hazelnut Torte; the main course was so-so. We told him she was rude to us and he said he'd take care of that, and said "Let me bring you some menus to take with you. You should join us for brunch sometime." NOT
Pros: Dessert * vegan *
Cons: Poor Service * Waitress from H*LL * |
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| "rawnopoly"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Friday, July 11, 2008 |
Review: Pretty good food, lovely staff, and a hip/trendy (if thats your thing) kind of atmosphere but I'm sad to admit that its unfortunate that every time I eat here I feel like I'm submitting to some kind of raw foods monopoly. Although theres great ingredients I feel like if the prices could be lowered their income would increase because more vegans would come wandering in and actually feel able to purchase something for less than an arm and a leg (so they can experiment with being raw)... I'm not complaining about the way things are, Id like it if they kept it that way, I would just love to see some more affordable, and more fun items sort of added to the menu. Being a raw college student I'm aware of the increased cost of my food but I feel like this restaurant extends the value a little beyond what its worth. Give it a try though, I've eaten almost every dish on the menu and my favorite was the pesto pasta and the chocolate banana desert! mmm
Pros: some good dishes * nice staff * raw
Cons: price * too pop-y atmosphere * no "fun" items |
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| "Hoping for more"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, May 11, 2008 |
Review: Drove an hour from where we were staying. After reading other reviews we were very excited. The food was either bland or over powering nothing that made us say WOW. Guess we are spoiled up here in Oregon with Blossoming Lotus. Although we had a better raw food experience at Real Food Daily which is NOT a RF restaurant but has offerings.
We told the waitress who then told the owner, who was present the whole time we were there, that we came from Portland, drove an hour from where we were staying to try this restaurant. There was one 2 top and a single diner. And the owner could not seem to come over and thank us for our efforts in trying her place. Yet, we spent $120 here.
I could have understood if she was terribly busy. But as we were eating desert she was just sitting and chatting with one of her staff. I guess we should have been thankful that she started a restaurant for all us little people.
There are far better places, much less pretentious. Cilantro Live, Leaf Cuisine and even the raw offerings at Real Food Daily. Not worth the drive or the extra money.
Especially for someone who is not appreciative of their customers.
Pros: It's raw * It's vegan *
Cons: Over-priced * un-friendly * lacking |
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• huh?
Real Food Daily raw food?????
. response by Peacefulveganraw
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| "Raw Foodists Can't Miss - Anyone Else Will Love It"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 |
Review: This is a masterpiece of a raw food restaurant. I have been to 118 Degrees over 6 times and have been thrilled with the selection each time. I have also been there with non-raw people and they enjoyed it also. Some of the highlights include: raw/vegan creamers for coffee and tea, unique and interesting salad dressings, a full array of smoothies and drinks, incredible selection of soups entrees and salads. You absolutely have to try the Sunday Brunch which for $22 a person includes beverage, and at least 3 (if not 4) courses of raw vegan awesomeness. The desserts are all unreal and you will find yourself coming back for more. This is on the top of our favorites list.
Pros: Awesome Menu * Friendly Staff * Incredible Desserts
Cons: * * |
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| "Nice Space - Good Selections of Raw Food"
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My Rating |
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339 |
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Posted on: Thursday, October 04, 2007 |
Review: Was here in October 07. It's in the same plaza as Native Foods restaurant, called The Camp, a trendy hangout and a magnet for young people with disposable income.
While the space is not very big, the restaurant is nicely decorated, sophisticated and colorful. It's sit-down with table service.
The menu featured a good, diverse range of offerings, and the prices are reasonable for organic food that can sometimes be labor-intensive to make (maybe except for a few main dishes that were pricier).
A good place to try when in the area.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Best Raw Vegan cuisine we've found!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, September 30, 2007 |
Review: Costa Mesa is blessed to have 118 Degrees located at The Camp, right next to South Coast Plaza. Since we discovered this restaurant several weeks ago we have returned multiple times for lunch, dinner, and Sunday Brunch. Unusual for raw cuisine portion sizes are satisfying and ample. Presentation is beautiful - this truly is an upscale, botique type restaurant yet service is relaxed, friendly, and good. Sunday Brunch, the one time we went, was phenomenal - 5 delicious, beautiful, delectible courses. We will be back for sure! Chef Jenny, highly present and accessable, also offers a home delivery 14 day cleansing program and a 10 meal a week delivery program for those of us who need help with food prep. I am going to try both and will write a review afterwards.
Pros: friendly * excellent food * beautiful presentation
Cons: none so far * * |
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• You would only feel that way if you have not been to 118 Degrees to eat. My review was the honest opinion of a customer who was and is delighted by the food, service, and atmosphere of this restaurant. If you go a few times yourself you will see just how present and available Chef Jenny is, and if you go once you will want to go back. Don't judge a restaurant or a review until you have tried the restaurant. We have eaten at Jenny's dozens of times and have always had a stellar experience. Her Sunday brunch continues to be an unbelievable value for any raw foodist.. response by jeanieMFT
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| "Yay!"
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Saturday, September 01, 2007 |
Review: the times are a'changing, people! i'm actually starting to enjoy living in the oc now that we have so many great vegan restaurants!
i've been eating about 85% raw lately, making the bulk of my food at home so it's great to be able to go out for a nice meal not having to worry about a thing. it's all organic, raw and vegan!
i've been here 3 times now. Service has been wonderful. They do get busy on friday nights(good for them!) but that does make it take longer to get served. they have excellent specialty cocktails...i had the Pomegranate Sake, yum! they also have a great organic wine list.
So far, everything I've tried (Thai Infusion, Mushroom Crepes, Sampler Platter, Drunken Berries, Enchiladas, chef's daily salad) has been so delicious. I took a non-vegan friend and she fell in love with raw cuisine right in front of me.
I'm so happy!
Pros: Delicious! Inventive! * Nice Presentation! * Friendly Service, Great Arty Atmosphere
Cons: Cafe is too small! * * |
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| "Every Dish is a Work of Art!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, July 27, 2007 |
Review: Chef Jenny creates a masterpiece of fresh flavors with each dish. I have dined at 118 Degrees five times and cannot wait to go back again. My favorite menu items are: wraps, thai spring rolls appetizer, pesto lemon salad, living lasagne. I did not love the coconut ceviche, but would recommend any other dish on the menu. The service has improved since opening now that the kinks are worked out. What was most impressive was the extensiveness of the menu, which has variations on the dishes for lunch and dinner.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Hopeful"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 |
Review: Live/work in area and tested it last week. New restaurant in town. Ordered 2 salad items, beet/greens salad and tortilla salad-not sure of the exact names-and they were okay. Decided that it was pricey and I liked Native Foods vegan restaurant better in same center. May try again and order something different because I hate to write it off. Take out was placed in huge brown paper bag, which I declined. Wife's tortilla salad was pretty dry. Both salads came with what looks like bagged lettuce from the store with very little else and seemed overpriced at about $9-10 each.
Pros: location * design * healthy
Cons: * * |
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