"Nice place."   My Rating
7 faunablues	Posted on: Thursday, February 21, 2008
	Review: My boyfriend and I had been going to Scoops across the street for almost a year without noticing this place. We still haven't figured out parking (is the alley next to them their parking?), and we finally went in the other weekend. We got: salsa and chips, tacos platanos, super jack burrito, and the torta. Both chips and salsa are homemade (nice change!), and the tacos platanos were hands-down the best thing I had. Fried plantains, grilled onions, in a corn tortilla with "whipped cream": the best. My boyfriend was less of a fan of the super burrito (has barbecue sauce, sweet potato fries, jackfruit carnitas), but we both liked the aioli sauce that the fries came with (it was more garlicky than the normal mayonnaise-type aioli sauce). The torta was refreshing. Jackfruit "carnitas" are delicate and soft, and I would have never known it was fruit. It was well-flavored and even looked like it could be some form of meat. It came with some of the best tomatillo salsa I've had. The place got pretty crowded after we were served, but the staff seemed to be able to handle it. We also got lemonade (which was bottomless =)), though it wasn't really mixed well (and no straws).   Pros: good "carnitas" * plantains! * BIG servings! Cons: hard to spot * parking? *
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"SUCH A COOOOOOOLLLLLLLL PLACE!!!! DO NOT MISS!"   My Rating
351 gr8vegan	Posted on: Saturday, March 15, 2008
	Review: I finally had the opportunity to enjoy the food here. SPRING ROLLS WERE PHENOM! I had the Jack Fruit BBQ Burrito with Sweet Potatos fries in it!!! haha! It was so GOOD, but next time I go I'm finding someone to split it with me! I must say the staff is so cool, nice, friendly, relaxed! You'll have to pinch yourself to believe you are still in LA. Good food definitely makes people nice & happy. I love the atmosphere. You grab a menu at the front counter and place your order and then have a seat! I was a little confused at the onset on how the flow went because it seems like a waitress type establishment. Parking is in back. There's also a pub feel to the place with beers on tap. To top off your meal walk across the street and check out the vegan selection at Scoops. I think that's pretty much the standard mode of operation Pure Luck -> Scoops = Heaven and vegan gluttony.   Pros: Jackfruit * Spring Rolls * awesome staff Cons: large portions * *
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"Pub grub and beer"   My Rating
106 Sonja and Dirk	Posted on: Wednesday, July 08, 2009
	Review: We crave Pure Luck for the yummy pub grub type food with beer. Tasty! I love anything with jackfruit, but especially the pulled pork sandwich. My boyfriend likes the garbanzo sandwich. The fries (sweet potato and rosemary) are terrific with the sauce. But the fried dill pickles! Oh my! Half order of that with half order of potato pals - fried yumminess with beer. Makes me feel so bad (and good!). Did I mention the beer? ;-p The place has no real sign except "UCK", so I usually tell people it's across from Scoops. Because completing the gluttony at Scoops is a must! Although we are known to do just a Scoops run by itself. My BF is a massive soy ice cream fanatic.   Pros: pulled pork * fried pickles * beer Cons: bldg needs a new sign * *
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"Seriously The Best"   My Rating
2 blakeg	Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2008
	Review: Pure Luck has never let me down with great tasting food. Everything tastes amazing. The service is hit or miss but its not a deal breaker. Oh, and go across the street for some homemade vegan ice cream at Scoops!   Pros: Food * Price * Atmosphere Cons: Service * *
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"This place is awesome!"   My Rating
61 Mimi710	Posted on: Monday, December 03, 2007
	Review: Cheap vegan food, just a step up from fast food and delicious. What LA has been needing for awhile. A vegan restaurant in the cheap range of things. I went here one day for dinner and then went back the next day for lunch. It's across the street from Scoops which is a place that makes its own ice cream daily and always has four vegan flavors. That place is cheap too. Near LACC. I definetly recommend this place! Try the rosemary or sweet pototo french fries. The spring rolls are also good.   Pros: cheap * yummy * across the street from Scoops Cons: ketchup not organic * *
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"LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!"   My Rating
6 Miss Chris	Posted on: Wednesday, December 05, 2007
	Review: I checked vegan restaurants on Yelp before going to LA for a couple days. LA is my home town and even though I lived there as a vegetarian, now I'm vegan, and I wanted to check out some new places. We walked into Pure Luck on a Saturday afternoon when no one else was there. A red-haired gal was talking on the phone and looked up to ask us if we'd ever been there before. When we told her no, she got excited and invited us to have a seat while she explained she was on the phone with the cops. Apparently, some guy kept parking his car in their spot. I think Patty took care of it though because, damnit, she's from Detroit and she wasn't gonna take his crap. So, anyway, we're sittin' there looking at the menu which said they were open at 6 for dinner. We wondered if that's why no one was there and if they were just being nice letting us come in and eat anyway. It turned out they'd only been doing lunch for a week and we'd gotten some old menus. Having super-cute, super-friendly Patty all to ourselves while we figured out the menu and the beers was great. I asked what she'd eat if it was her one and only time to try Pure Luck's offerings. Without hesitation she said the Pulled Pork sandwich. I'd read about it on Yelp, so I was prepared. I ordered it and then watched in shocked disbelief as my boyfriend orderd the same thing (he knows better, but I gave in). She also recommended the potato pals, which we agreed we should have because how can you not order something called a potato pal? We were disappointed that we wouldn't get to try the fried pickles, so she said she'd bring us some. She also told us what beers to get and she was right. Apparently, their beer is from a small local brewer in Pasadena. The potato pals were first out and they were as delightful as their name suggests. Next was a plate of fried pickles with BBQ sauce. What a taste treat! We loved them. And then the pulled pork came. What a beautiful sandwich. The pork is made from jackfruit. In 18 years of eating fake meat, I'd never heard of jackfruit. It was genius. We loved it all, but we loved Patty the most. She told us about Scoops across the street for fresh vegan ice cream. She also bought our beers and our pickles. We LOVE her! Outside, we met a couple who turned out to be Diana and Eric from Happy Cow. They told us about Flore which we tried for dinner that night. They also told us what not to bother with and they asked us to write some reviews when we got home. We love Happy Cow!   Pros: Very Unique vegan food * Patty! & Good Beer * Cheap Cons: None * Scoops across street is a plus *
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"Wonderful little place!"   My Rating
93 condekedar	Posted on: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
	Review: What a great little joint. We had to wait 25 minutes for a table (make reservations beforehand), but the food and service here were excellent. The kitchen is open until 11 p.m., which was nice considering the vast, time-consuming drives one has to make to get anywhere in LA. The food took a little bit too long to arrive, but we passed the time with great cocktails and unusual, organic microbrews. I was impressed with my rustic-roll "torta" that had "carnitas" made of spiced jackfruit (what a clever idea! I wish more Mexican joints would offer jackfruit or TVP as substitutes for meat). The "fish" tacos and carnitas tacos were also light, fresh and flavorful, and served in an authentic Mexican way: no cheese; no excessive salsas; no filler ingredients like avocado or beans. Just lettuce, tomatoes and carnitas/soy fish. My friend enjoyed his wrap, too. The interior decor is decidedly independent and refreshing when most restaurants look similar these days. This is a good place to take a date. My only complaints: there were no desserts (they're trying to add some to the menu); seating is highly limited; and the location is a bit shady, though there is parking available (including a small lot in the back) and lots of young people walking around, so it must be fairly safe.   Pros: Excellent food * Service * Open late Cons: Location? * No desserts * Long wait for food and table
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"Horray for the Jackfruit!"   My Rating
14 alyssa	Posted on: Sunday, September 28, 2008
	Review: I had been wanting to try this place for over a month now, just for the jackfruit, truth be told. My BF and I finally made it over there last night and we came hungry. We found parking on the next street over and got one of the last tables for two available. Our waitress was very friendly and helped my BF choose the perfect micro brew to go with our rosemary fries appetiser (big enough for a meal really). I ordered the bottomless oolong iced tea ($2.00!) and waited mere moments before our fries came out hot and tasty with their amazing aioli sauce. I have no idea what the sauce was made with, except just the right amount of garlic, but we didn't care. We ate every last fry. Next came my jackfruit tacos with a side of caesar salad and his pesto gnocchi with a side of spinach salad. I was so excited about the jackfruit that I tasted a piece of it first, by itself. Wow! Very meaty and spiced just right! I loved the tamatillo sauce and the corn tortillas were the perfect thickness to hold in all the the jackfruity goodness. I liked that they wraped each taco with 2 tortillas, just in case. It's such a bummer when tacos break open halfway through your meal. The caesar salad was very good as well, although I could have done without the red onion slices on top. My BF said that it was the best vegan caesar dressing he'd ever had, very "cheesy" tasting. His gnocchi was tender and the pesto was creamy and had the perfect pesto flavor -- not to much of any one ingredient -- very important. He liked his spinach salad, but thought that it could have used more balsamic dressing. We both decided that we loved the college atmosphere of the place and it sparked some lively conversation about our college days. I'm also happy to report that Pure Luck was clean and we personally witnessed several tables being wiped during our visit. And the ladies room was acceptable and well-stocked. :) We'll be back for more soon. Jackfruit burritos with sweet potato fries...mmm...   Pros: tasty * friendly * cheap Cons: parking * *
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"Amazing what you can do with a jackfruit"   My Rating
22 Colinski	Posted on: Wednesday, July 21, 2010
	Review: I love love love the jackfruit "pulled pork" and "carnitas"! Might not be a high protein meat substitute but it's delicious. Also, sweet potato fries! The chickpea salad, akin to a chicken or tuna salad, is also magnificent. Also, gets extra points for being across from an ice cream shop with vegan ice cream (Scoops)!   Pros: Delicious food * Somewhere you can take omnivores * Cons: A little cramped * May get ignored by uber hip wait staff *
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"Awesome."   My Rating
10 brittany	Posted on: Friday, November 14, 2008
	Review: Pure Luck is great. The BBQ sandwich is incredible, and the fried pickles!!! Oh man, the fried pickles... so delicious. And the sweet potato fries with that funky bbq-ish sauce they serve with it... man! How is some food so good? Then you can finish off your meal across the street at Scoops with some vegan ice cream.   Pros: affordable * fried pickles and sweet potato fries!!! * Cons: parking sucks * *
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"Neat little place"   My Rating
27 westcornersville	Posted on: Tuesday, October 09, 2007
	Review: This used to be a Korean restaurant--but now it's a vegan restaurant with the emphasis on Mexican dishes. The jackfruit carnitas tacos are really good (and green jackfruit has kind of a meaty consistency). The portion sizes could be a little larger though. Nice ambiance with a friendly staff.   Pros: good food * friendly staff * good atmosphere Cons: portions a bit small * *
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"Yummy Tacos"   My Rating
339 Chia	Posted on: Sunday, October 28, 2007
	Review: A friend and I found this place on HappyCow and came here for lunch in October 2007. From the outside, the building looks a bit strange and uneasy because of the metal bars on all the windows. But that's due to the neighborhood circumstance... Inside was another story - small and quaint with easy going vibes from a friendly staff staff. Most of the customers were hipsters maybe in their 20s-30s. The menu was interesting with a couple dozen choices all together. Jackfruit is used as the "meat" in the tacos and a pulled "pork" sandwich. We tried the tacos with the jackfruit carnitas, the spring rolls, and sweet potato fries. Tacos were yummy, and the jackfruit was tasty and easy to chew (unlike TVP that most veggie restaurants use as imitation meat). The sweet potato fries were also tasty but very filling. The spring rolls had nice flavor but the lavash wrap gave it a slightly bitter taste (I wonder if they could use a different wrapper). And the house lemonade was excellent. All in all, we were satified with the food and service. Looking forward to returning for a BBQ sandwich with jackfruit.   Pros: good vibes * good food * good prices Cons: loud music * *
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"Very Nice Vegan Place with a twist"   My Rating
1 jaigurudev	Posted on: Saturday, January 19, 2008
	Review: The unusual twist at Pure Luck is the use of star fruit to simulate carnitas in their mostly mexican inspired all vegan menu. With too much soy in the vegan diet, it was a nice change. I had the spring rolls which were pretty good, and the torta which I really liked. Definitely worth checking out, I will return for sure. An added bonus is the home made gelato place across the street which has vegan (sorbet and regular gelatto) flavors. Note: They were having some phone problems when we went there, so we thought they might be out of business. If you are experiencing this too, dont worry they are there.   Pros: * * Cons: * *
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"Pure Luck"   My Rating
19 Vegyogini	Posted on: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
	Review: Pure Luck pairs really interesting flavors and uses jackfruit as a meat substitute. While the quality can be a tiny bit inconsistent, the food is always good. From plantain tacos to burrito-style spring rolls to jackfruit burritos, everything I've eaten at Pure Luck has been great.   Pros: * * Cons: * *
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"Delicious and hearty Vegan fare!"   My Rating
8 Hugo	Posted on: Friday, June 12, 2009
	Review: If you're into grubbing a really tasty cooked Vegan meal you should stop by this place. I tried the pulled pork bar-b-q sandwich that came with sweet potato french fries, their fried pickles, and a fish taco. Everything was delicious! They have their own parking lot in the back. And they are not too far from the 101 freeway. Another nice thing is that they close at midnight. So if you've just got out of a show, movie, or concert somewhere and you're hungry for some delicious Vegan food, you can always drop by Pure Luck. Also, even though I'm not a beer drinker, I was astonished by how many different types of beers they offered on their menu. Unfortunately I live in Ventura ( a good hour's drive away in good traffic ). But if I am in the area, I would definitely go back to try the other options on Pure Luck's menu. I'd also encourage anybody (Vegan, Vegetarian, or anybody else) to try this place out. Pure Luck has my vote!   Pros: Delicious food * Close to 101 freeway * Vegan Cons: Dingy restrooms * *
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"Great Find!"   My Rating
1 Doreen	Posted on: Monday, September 28, 2009
	Review: Just came back from a weekday lunch with my meat-lover boyfriend, and we both loved it. On a Monday, there was no wait, the service was great and our food came quickly. We're both beer lovers and made plans to return to try out all their craft brews - impressive list. (I imagine parking may be more difficult at night.) He had the pulled pork, which I tasted and not only did it taste great, but the bread was outstanding. I had the Fiesta Platter which was a simple array of avocado, rice, beans, chips and pico de gallo. It was all sooo fresh, and good. The rice was especially yummy.   Pros: Cheap * Cute * Vegan Cons: Parking * No diet sodas *
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"Vegan Pub food"   My Rating
27 onlyahuman	Posted on: Monday, May 17, 2010
	Review: Pure Luck has an amazing garbanzo bean sandwich. I was there in October 2009 and had gotten the deep fried pickles (you need vegan junk food every now and then). in January 2010 they had greatly reduced the amount of food that you get but the price was the same. They did at least warn me when I ordered that the serving size was reduced. Nicely located across from a place that has vegan ice cream!   Pros: great food * * Cons: small * expensive *
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"Jackfruit what a concept"   My Rating
6 pgnlvr22b	Posted on: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
	Review: My Mom & Stepdad took me here for my birthday today, a vegan mexican restaurant is a rare find. My Mom & I split the Taco Combo with rice and pinto beans,and the BBQ sandwich. The combo was not worth the price, if not for the hot sauce it would not have tasted like anything. On a brighter note the BBQ Sandwich was incredible, filled with bbq jackfruit, pickles, onions and vegan mayo on a toasted sourdough roll, I could just eat the bread and be happy it was that good. The sweet potato fries that came with it looked burnt and were soggy no clue how that happens, would not get them again. My stepdad had the super burrito wrap, he enjoyed it very much, we tasted it and it was yummy. we also had the fried pickles and the avacado, chips and salsa, both were tasty but very small portions for the price and they bulked the sweet potato fries and fried pickles with a bed of cabbage under them, you thought at first glance that it wasn't the ripoff it turned out to be...the taste stars of the meal were the fried pickles and bbq sandwich. unfortunatly the greatest part of the visit is when it was over and we headed across the street to scoops for some vegan icecream   Pros: Jackfruit * BBQ Sandwich * Across the street from Scoops Cons: Small Portions * expensive * Location
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"cleanliness doesn't rank high for these vegetarian"   My Rating
2 barbaranice	Posted on: Sunday, March 09, 2008
	Review: We drove ten miles based upon these reviews - we are vegetarians and always on the lookout for good vegetarian restaurants but that does not mean that a sticky floor and sticky tables and sticky food staff are acceptable. We want clean with our food so we went across the street to eat instead - City College Cafe, where it was clean, friendly, and palatable, and selected vegetarian items from their regular menu. Pure Luck is fortunate, however, as our attitude toward cleanliness is clearly not shared - the place was packed on a Saturday eve...with sticky people! We are odd-man-out here ... we like a clean, calm environment with our vegetarian food.   Pros: * * Cons: sticky * grating music *
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