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Seriously & Excruciatingly Superb/Exciting Food!!

5 Posted on 03 / 17 / 2013

I had brunch here a couple weeks ago and was quite pleasantly surprised when I bit into my Sweet Dumplings appetizer. The taste, texture and presentation were exquisite. Then I bit into the Tex Mex Chimichanga Egg Rolls appetizer and knew I was in vegan heaven. Gourmet vegan food at its best.

Since I am a vegan baker myself and eat enough of my own delectable delights, I did not partake in KindKreme's desserts, but maybe next time.

I will tell you that it is very hard to find. I never saw a sign for Sage, but I did see a KindKreme sign and just passed it by not realizing it was in the same building. When I walked in and asked if this was Sage, the friendly counter people said it was. It is a basic & funky type of atmosphere with an up and downstairs eating area. It is very casual and hip with attentive wait staff.

No matter where you live, if you are a vegan, vegetarian or vegan/vegetarian-curious, you HAVE to go to this place!! I have been a vegan since 1997 and have never tasted such flavorful cuisine.

Bon Appetit!!


Updated from previous review on Sunday March 17, 2013

Pros: Exquisite Food, Reasonable Prices
Cons: No Evident Signage

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Nice

3 Posted on 01 / 14 / 2013

I went first time with new friends, I like it, food excellent. But one staff member was not friendly at all, kind of hurry up I'm busy... one of my friends left him a note, saying he was a bit rude. Also desserts are a bit pricey.

Pros: good food , nice vibe
Cons: one staff a bit rude, a bit noisy

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portions are HUGE

4 Posted on 08 / 08 / 2012

lots of craftmanship going into this menu. the raw crackers and vegan cheese plate is THE BOMB. cheese is why it was a challenge for me to become vegan in the past. my sweetheart ordered soup and the jerk burger. the soup was a "cup"...it was enough for at least 2 people. he didn't even get to the burger..we both had to go boxes and the only complaint...we were too full to taste the raw vegan ice cream

Pros: healthy, good value, large portions
Cons: noisy, crowded

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a favorite in los angeles

5 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2012

i've taken a few non-veg friends to sage, and they have all loved it as much as i did/do. every dish i've had at sage has been outstanding, and i usually eat there multiple times on my visits to los angeles.
plus, it's about a block away from the echo park film center.

Pros: the food, the location, the staff

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Sage Organic Vegan Bistro

5 Posted on 07 / 01 / 2012

Sadly, they wouldn't serve me the fried mac n cheese balls that I went to Sage for. Apparently they don't serve them during brunch, bummer. Instead I tried the TLT sandwich, which is made with tempeh. Let me preface this with, I hate tempeh. So why did I order it? The waiter assured me it was great and that I'd likely like it, he was right. The tempeh didn't taste like typical tempeh, and the sandwich bread was a croissant, yes a croissant...yum! Overall my sandwich was really good, so good that I actually ate tempeh. I recommend the sandwich to tempeh lovers and haters alike.

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One of the best vegan places

5 Posted on 06 / 29 / 2012

In my visit to L.A. I came here twice the food was so good. I had the spinach ravioli and it was to die for. The raw tacos too are especially good. Great food/service/atmosphere. Coming back for sure.

Pros: Variety of meals, Friendly

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organic Vegan

4 Posted on 06 / 27 / 2012

Stopped in for lunch the only thing better than watching the locals come and go was the food. Grilled vegetable sandwich with the horseradish sauce was amazing. A little too much oil used in grilling veggies but that is mostly because we have pretty much stopped using oil in cooking, So now a little goes a long way, but overall that did not detract from the meal. The salad with balsamic vinagarette was also very good. Very nice casual dining with some outside sidewalk tables available.

Pros: excellent food
Cons: need additional wait staff

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great chili!

5 Posted on 06 / 07 / 2012

I keep trying new things on the menu, but nothing beats their chili!

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Good Food

5 Posted on 05 / 15 / 2012

I had read about this place on happycow, and here's my Sage Organic Vegan Bistro review.

Since this vegan restaurant first opened in March 2012 in Echo Park / Los Angeles, my husband and I have eaten here and eaten raw ice cream at Kindkreme, which shares the same space as Sage.

The first lunch at Sage Organic Vegan Bistro was GREAT. The second time was good. All the food was nicely presented and tasted good. Moderate prices.

The space is modern and relaxed with small dark wooden tables & black chairs, white walls, clean lines and a couple pieces of wall art.

We've had:

* Soup of the day. A charboiled green beans and garlic soup. It had a nice strong flavor though a bit too peppery.

* Falafel bowl/plate. Perfectly fried and yummy falafel balls over a bed of quinoa and accompanied by a red pepper hummus, vegan tzatziki dressing (yogurt-like), and pistachio nut tabouli. Delicious.

* Heart of palm salad. Fresh tasting palm + marinated/pickeled artichoke heart + red beet "sandwiches" (that's what I call it - it's cashew cheese between 2 wedges of beet). Yummy.

* Jack Daniels BBQ jackfruit burger. The little bits of jackfruit tasted great, had a very pleasant texture. Sandwiched between 2 slices of panini-like bread alongside sauerkraut, dijion mustard, BBQ sauce, fresh arugula. Tasty.

*Chilaquiles. Seasoned Spanish style rice with beans, round tortilla chips, a lime sauce, a bit of salsa and a dollop of vegan sour cream. Pretty good.

Be sure to save room for KindKreme desserts!

Pros: nice presentation, fresh food, good vibes
Cons: ventilation could be better

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The most incredible vegan brownie sundae!

5 Posted on 04 / 26 / 2012

I've only eaten at Sage once, as I don't live in LA, but OMG this place is absolutely incredible! If I remember correctly I had the Soul Bowl, which was a tasty mix of black beans, quinoa, deep fried mac and cheese ball, and the most delicious horseradishy sauce I've ever tasted.. My partner had the Hawaii burger which was also one the the best burgers I've ever tasted. For desert we shared the brownie sundae with salted caramel sauce... drooollll!!!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I dream of heading back to LA one day to eat here again...

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Sadly, not very good

2 Posted on 02 / 29 / 2012

I was extremely excited to try Sage for dinner. I can say that the space was open and inviting and the menu descriptions furthered my interest. However, the food was ultimately clumbsy and underwhelming. I endured either bland or bizarrely seasoned plates. When I ordered the ravioli, the server asked if "I like spicy". I said "great" - later I realize that this was his way of telling me that customers often complain about the odd usage of herbs in the dish (no heat, just awfully designed flavor). Overall, the menu reads better than it actually looks/tastes. I want to make it clear that I adore comfort food (I'm NOT a foodie snob). That said, Sage is pretending to be upscale, while offering sloppy creations best served to the excited palates of newly transformed vegans on college campuses. If the food was great, the prices would have been fine - EXCEPT for the extremely overpriced vegan icecream. I'm sorry to say it, but KindKreme is just not that special. This is not sent with malice. I support all things vegan. Hopefully, Sage either turns into a coffee shop or imports new talent into the kitchen, thus creating a more positive identity.

Pros: Vegan
Cons: Food, Seasoning, Flavor

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Less than fair

2 Posted on 01 / 31 / 2012

I went to this bistro guided by reviews in my app... I was disappointed... the food was average and for expensive... we order different plates... I tried them and they were less than fair... I've been in better restaurants... however, I aplaud that they are offering options for vegans in the area... The places is starting we will have to give them some time to improve the menu...

Pros: Clean place
Cons: Poor flavors, no parking, expensive

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One of the Best Veg Restaurants in Town

5 Posted on 12 / 30 / 2011

Sage is one of those restaurants vegans wish was in every neighborhood -- fresh, homemade food served by hunky waiters in a casual but attractive setting. A group of us finally made it over there this afternoon and were completely satisfied, even the carnivores. I was intrigued by the Tuna Melt and was not disappointed. It was made with shredded jackfruit and and piled high on toasted olive bread with veggies, special sauces and even avocado. I appreciated that they just used veggies to stand in for the tuna instead of processed soy. I even found some sunflower seeds in there. The German potato salad that accompanied it was very tasty as well. It was such a large plate that I ended up taking most of my meal home. Others in the group got the Street Tacos, the Bacon Chili Cheeseburger, the Southwestern Burger, the Pesto Croissant Club Sandwich, and the baby got her Mac n' Cheese on. The spicy pickles on burgers were amazing! I was thankful my husband is not a pickle person so I got to eat his. We were too full to get ice cream but I got a Baby Cakes chocolate chip cookie to go. All in all, a very satisfying and relaxing meal.

Pros: very fresh, good prices, nice atmosphere

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A++++

5 Posted on 11 / 09 / 2011

Gourmet vegan cuisine in a relaxed, casual setting. They serve lunch, dinner and do brunch from 9a-4pm Sat & Suns. The menu selection is amazing. It's the kind of place you could keep coming back to b/c you'd never get bored. Sage makes me wish I lived in L.A.!

As for specific menu items, the spinach quesadillas are fantastic. The burrito mole had no mole..it was more of a red pepper sauce. It was good but false advertising if you were expecting a typical thick, dark brownish red mole sauce. For dessert, deep fried black bean and fennel ice cream served with plantains. I ordered it for the plantains but found the icecream to be mind-blowingly awesome. Where else in the universe can you get this dessert? If the 'special' desserts on the menu don't appeal to you, you can order from the ice cream counter up front.

If I'm going to be really picky my only complaint would be that they close down from 4 to 5pm on the weekends. We got there just in time at 3:30pm. They started turning people away at 3:45pm. There was a steady stream of disappointed faces heading out the door. I understand u guys open early on the weekends but if there's any way you can stay open while you're making the transition to the dinner menu that'd be a bonus.

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Delicious!

5 Posted on 09 / 23 / 2011

Wow- what a great little place! The food was excellent, and the prices were reasonable, too. This place offers so many various options, from brunch foods, to burgers, to pastas, to other exotic entrees. They also have a wide selection of dessert and "ice cream". A vegan's dream. The food was very good (loved the succotash!), but some dishes were quite spicy, so ask for things mild if you don't like the spice. The service was friendly, too. Definitely two thumbs up!

Pros: Delicious food, Many options, Dessert
Cons: Parking can be tricky

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Loved it!

5 Posted on 07 / 18 / 2011

So good, I had the raw tacos and my my friend had the breakfast burrito. Both were delicious and fresh. The French Press coffee was great also. Really wanted ice cream but was was too full, next time for sure!

Pros: delicious, friendly staff

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The best!

5 Posted on 07 / 08 / 2011

I am amazed by this place! One of my favorite places for dinner. I love their mac & cheese balls!! Their ice cream is phenomenal!! Great service and quick with the turnaround.

Pros: Delicious food, Great Service , Great desserts!

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An Echo Park vegan place to call our own!

5 Posted on 04 / 05 / 2011

Besides being stoked at the fact that there's now a local Echo Park vegan restaurant...it's also INCREDIBLE food. Highly recommended for a date or if you just want something different than your average vegan spots. The food is gourmet, equivalent to Flore or Elf or Real Food Daily. They have items on the menu I've never had anywhere else..everything tastes fresh! The staff is super friendly and helpful.

They also have a vegan ice cream bar with mostly almond or coconut based milks...not soy!

After you go there..head down the Echo Park Lake for some croquet !

Pros: Gourmet, unique menu items, atmosphere, price

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Yummy brunch

5 Posted on 04 / 02 / 2011

We went today for a late brunch and I wanted everything listed on the menu. It all sounds so good! And the ones we did order tasted so good. I got the smoked macaroni and cheese with biscuit & gravy and walnut sausage. I chose the side of roasted rosemary potatoes. So so tasty. Dirk got the jackfuit chorizo burrito which was fantastic although it was a bit spicy for me. He got the side of fruit which was very fresh. I also had a mimosa while Dirk got an iced dirty Chai. To finish it all off, we got a waffle ice cream sandwich from Kind Kreme. Yes, ice cream between waffles! OMG! I can't wait to go back and try more items from the menu.

The space is open and clean with Kind Kreme in the front corner, so it's easy to check out their stuff although their menu was given to us along with the Sage one. The service was very friendly as it feels like a neighborhood place. Our only issue was that it was sort of loud as the sound carries around the room.

Pros: fabulous brunch options, Kind Kreme inside, friendly service
Cons: a bit loud

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Probably the best vegan food in Los Angeles

5 Posted on 03 / 31 / 2011

I had an amazing meal here a few days ago. Chef Greg is talents beyond words. The french grain bowl took me to that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic takes a bite and crys. My first bite took me to France. It was the slowest I've ever eaten a meal in my life, savoring every bite. The hot chocolate was pretty amazing, too! There is a KindCream Ice Cream parlor inside which makes this place quite a treat.

Pros: French Grain bowl