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Mostly Fast Food

3 Posted on 09 / 09 / 2012

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

My lunch experience here had fell short of expectations. The quality of food seemed average and not particularly healthy to me. My partner ordered a breakfast special which consisted of blueberry pancakes, tofu scramble, and a soysausage pattie - pancake was yummy but scramble and soysausage were both very salty. I ordered the green curry... and it was much too spicy, too salty, and kinda painful to eat. Guess I'll order something else next time.

In any case, I am still happy that Truly provides vegetarians a choice, and that's a plus.

Pros: all vegetarian, friendly service
Cons: conventional ingredients, mostly fast food

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Grand!

5 Posted on 06 / 20 / 2012

Delicious eats.

Pros: Great value
Cons: Parking

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Great food!

4 Posted on 03 / 19 / 2012

I went here for lunch with my meat-eating boyfriend and I can say we both truly enjoyed the meal.

The menu is very extensive and it took me a while to choose what I wanted to order.

I ordered the Birdie Burger (withut veganiase) which was similar to a chicken sandwich. It was very juicy and delicious. The only bad thing was that the sandwich came with no sides and I ordered fries as a side and it was a rather small portion for an additional 2 dollars.

My boyfriend ordered the chicken nuggets and he was pleasantly surprised because they tasted similar to McDonald's chicken nuggets (which are something he loves) rather than fake meat.

Overall, very yummy food!

Pros: big menu, delicious food
Cons: prices don't always fit the dish, parking is hard to find

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Not Truly Vegan

4 Posted on 03 / 01 / 2012

The restaurant should change its name to "Truly Vegetarian" because it is not all vegan. I was staying at the hostel across the street, so the location was very convenient. I ordered the "Sincerely Seitan" meal and an apple/pineapple smoothie. The food was good, but I did not appreciate listening to TV while I ate. The owners were watching a Thai version of "American Idol" and it was distracting. You have to walk through the kitchen to access the bathroom.

Pros: tasty, good location
Cons: not truly vegan, TV noise

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typical thai vegan, but a good place for hollywood

4 Posted on 01 / 25 / 2012

I eat here before seeing concerts in Hollywood pretty often. Despite being a small place they have a decent menu and excel at scramble tofu. I can usually get a parking meter outside, but parking is not w/o trouble.

Cons: parking

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Really? Truly?

2 Posted on 08 / 07 / 2011

My husband and I went to Truly based on its good reviews here and the mention of an extensive menu.

Our experience: The staff seemed disinterested and disorganized. After we'd been there a bit, someone came by our table to ask if we'd like drinks. Then, after waiting for quite a while (no drinks had come and no one had stopped by to take our food order), a second person came to our table and asked if we'd like to order drinks. We told him we'd already ordered them. A woman -- the only other person in the restaurant sitting at a table -- nodded her head in confirmation when he looked her way. (Possibly the owner? The manager? All I know is she sat at a table staring above our heads at a TV monitor the whole time we were there. Our smiles in her direction were not acknowledged.) I think it bears repeating that we were the only customers in the restaurant during this time.

The menu/food: While the menu did provide many selections, the food we ultimately chose ranks as some of the worst we've had in a restaurant. My husband had a mediocre pepper steak sandwich (made with a gross, slightly sweet meat analog), but it was my order, a BLT, that was the worst. To start, both sandwiches were served open-face on a plate -- we assume because it made it look like there was more food? (It was a pretty paltry amount of food; you can see an example in one of the pictures on HappyCow.) The real winner, though, was the fact that my BLT was made with BACO BITS. Yep, there was a mound of Baco Bits on one side and greens and tomato on the other. When I attempted to close and then eat the sandwich, Baco Bits just went spilling all over the plate and my lap.

When I was a teenager and poor, I made Baco Bit BLTs. I can honestly say I never expected to get one in a veg restaurant. All my husband and I could say to each other was, "Really? Truly?" ... such a disappointment.

We were not visited again by wait staff once the food was served. We ultimately just had to go up to the register to inquire about paying.

I Truly don't understand how this place has gotten as many good ratings as it has. If you do go, I guess just don't order the pepper steak sandwich or BLT or expect good service? Buyer beware.

Pros: Large Menu, Comparatively Cheap
Cons: Terrible Food, Mediocre Service, No Parking

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Not as good as other places in the area

2 Posted on 07 / 20 / 2011

We tried a few vegan restaurants as we passed through LA, they were all great, except this one. Do not order the peppered steak. I was disgusted before I could finish half of it, My wife ordered the chicken, it wasn't too bad. If this place was by itself in a smaller town, I'd try it more often, but it's surrounded by many other better options so we only went here once (and it was right by our motel).

Pros: Fast delivery
Cons: First meal I couldn't finish in a while

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TERRIBLE

2 Posted on 04 / 11 / 2011

Awful food, uninterested staff, not sure if true but have heard many rumours that they dont tell you the meats have whey in them.

Didnt enjoy the food even though the selection looked impressive. Waitress was unhelpful and uninterested and pulled an face when we didnt feel the need to leave a tip. A tip for what exactly???

Dont waste your money.

Pros: nothing
Cons: staff, food

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The Truly got the memo on how to cook vegan food!

5 Posted on 08 / 13 / 2010

Some of the best breakfast food I've ever had! I had the #17, which is a soy chicken & pancake combo (like chicken & waffles), but I got blueberry pancakes instead of regular pancakes. Then I added a B1(hashbrowns, soy bacon, & tofu scramble). OH.MY.GOODNESS!! Seasoned to perfection & beyond! This place has mastered the art of tasty vegan food. My only regret is that I waited until our last day in L.A. to try them.

Pros: large portions, VERY tasty, affordable
Cons: Parking

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a lovely place

5 Posted on 07 / 26 / 2010

one of the coziest neighborhood cafes i've visited to date.
their soups and sandwiches are excellent. their simple menus will rarely leave you disappointed with your choice.

Pros: good value
Cons: parking

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A mixed bag: some hits & some room for improvement

3 Posted on 07 / 22 / 2010

Truly's location just off the Hollywood Freeway (170) makes it a convenient stop for a vegan meal if you happen to be the neighborhood, though we didn't find anything to merit making a special trip from other parts of town.

We quite enjoyed the "chicken burger" combo special but found the Pad Thai mediocre. The Thai tea was delicious (though a bit sweet).

The staff are very nice, but service can be erratic, especially if they get distracted by the TV.

Prices are quite reasonable compared to similar restaurants in the LA area (meals for $7-12).

It seems the place could benefit from the use of more eco-friendly (and vegan!) cleaning products and generally could be a bit tidier, but if you're looking for reasonably good value in a friendly hole-in-the-wall joint in the area, Truly fits the bill.

Parking in the area can be a challenge, so note that they have some parking spaces at a nearby gas station.

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Good vegan

4 Posted on 07 / 21 / 2010

Upon my first glance at their menu, I pegged Truly as yet another clone of the vegan Thai joints that LA is peppered with. However, they actually have the most original menu out of all of them, and although Thai seems to be their "base" cuisine they really bust the mold. They even have sushi, although I haven't yet tried it. Next time. So far, everything I've had here was good.

Pros: Good food, Good value, Fast service

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YUM!!!

5 Posted on 03 / 05 / 2010

When we first walked in, I wasn't sure what to expect. The food was great. I highly recommend checking it out!

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Loely Food

5 Posted on 11 / 19 / 2009

The foods are great and pure! You don't need to be vegan to eat at Truly.
Highly recommended.

Pros: healthy cuisine, friendly staff

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One of our LA favourites

4 Posted on 02 / 08 / 2009

The food here may not be the healthiest, but it's really good. I love their Birdie Burger, with a side of coleslaw. But other reviewers are right - don't go for the coffee!

Pros: friendly staff, tasty food, central location
Cons: decor

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Couldn't believe when we got our food!!!

5 Posted on 11 / 09 / 2008

This place truly rules!! Decent servings of healthy thai vegan food for so cheap with very friendly people who manage this place. And the food is so awesome!!! I took 20 of my animal eating friends and they were quite impressed.. I am a vegetarian myself and pride myself to have mapped out most vegan joints in LA, and this one definately sits on the top of that list.

Pros: cheap, great food, mom and pop owned
Cons: small place

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One of my FAVE spots!

5 Posted on 11 / 06 / 2008

Yeah, this is kind of a whole in the wall place but don't let that fool you! My husband & I eat here a few times a month despite the 20-30+ minutes getting there in LA traffic.

The food is wonderful, I've never ordered something I didn't like. I'm floored by the option of having breakfast anytime of the day...when was the last time I was able to do that at a restaurant?? The pancakes are awesome- I wish they would let me in on their sercret. ;) I usually order breakfast or a sandwich or a noodle/rice dish. Hubby likes the lentil loaf as it's very filling and comes w/a hearty helping of fresh veggies & seasoned potatos. Definately try the soymilk shakes- YUM!!

The staff is always very kind and friendly. We notice a lot of people come here for take-out. If we lived closed I'd be going broke ordering take-out from them several times a week. The prices are reasonable and the ingredients are fresh and healthy.

Pros: Price, Healthy & Fresh, Breakfast Served All Day!

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Best Scrambled Tofu!!!

5 Posted on 03 / 10 / 2008

My favorite place to go for breakfast in all of LA, they have the best scrambled tofu and blueberry pancake dish! Also, for lunch the soy fried chicken sandwhich is very tasty and satisfying. I haven't had anything bad there, but be warned, their "cheesecake" is not cheesecake... it's like a poundcake, which is good, but not what you're expecting when you order the latter. The owners don't seem to be completely fluent in English, but are nevertheless very friendly and eager to please, and the service is fast. I am always so full when I leave too, the portions are quite large for the small price.

Pros: yummy
Cons: cheesecake :)

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I Hope It Was Vegan

3 Posted on 01 / 09 / 2008

We were stranded in Hollywood one weekday night in the pouring rain and wandered into this place. The staff was really nice and it had a family atmosphere. We ordered a chicken nugget on a stick appetizer along with spring rolls and mung bean soup. I got the fried chicken dinner and my boyfriend got a beef dinner. It was all good, but after reading the reviews below, I'm not to quick to pass the praise. I'm apt to believe the whey rumor because I used their restroom and it was packed FULL of tested on animals/animal ingredient cleaners. Not just one, but about 5 cans of Lysol, Clorox, etc. I came back to my table pretty upset. I didn't choose to eat at an all-vegan restaurant to put my money towards animal cruelty. Sorry, but that just isn't vegan. No vegetarian would find that acceptable either.

On the upside, we did order the coconut ice cream for desert which was obviously homemade and was very, very delicious. My boyfriend ordered the fried bananas to go with it. They turned out to be spring rolls filled with banana, which was kinda weird.

With so many other vegan restaurants in the area, I would suggest readers go elsewhere to be on the safeside ingredient-wise and avoid funding Proctor and Gamble death sprays.

Pros: Affordable prices, Good location, Friendly staff
Cons: Not vegan, Not trust-worthy

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Awesome!

5 Posted on 12 / 13 / 2007

If we had a place like this where we live, we would go broke. Super awesome real food. Just go!

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Best Vegan Breakfast I have had.

5 Posted on 09 / 11 / 2007

We went here 2 of the 3 days we were in LA for Breakfast. It was amaziing. I got the blueberry pancakes special and the breakfast protein special both were awesome. They come with tofu scramble, which I nomally don't care for but this was amazing. I added the vegan sausage to my order which didn't dissapoint. I also got the strawberry shake and a slice of lemon cake which were both delicious. Tourists: It's also only a few blocks from Hollywood and Highland which is where the famous chinese theater is located if you are doing the tourist thing while you are in town.

Pros: breakfast, delicious, friendly staff

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Bad Service

2 Posted on 03 / 05 / 2007

Although this seems to be one of the few places in LA to get a good vegan breakfast, the rest of the food is pretty average. And I doubt we'll be going back. We recently had a fairly unpleasant breakfast. All three members of our group ordered coffee. What we got was three cups of INSTANT COFFEE, with no explanation or apology. They charge $2+ for instant coffee?! When our waiter (finally!) came back, we sent it back, and again we got no apology or explanation. Then, one in our group ordered a thai iced tea to replace the "coffee", but was told he'd have to taste a sample of it first, to make sure he wasn't going to send that back too. They were very rude about the whole thing, and couldn't seem to understand that when someone orders coffee in a restaurant, they expect to get COFFEE.

Pros: location, breakfast variety
Cons: bad service, mediocre food

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Good service, great food

5 Posted on 03 / 04 / 2007

I have been here several times and have never been disappointed. Some of the entrees I really liked were the Birdie burger(grilled seitan with a garlic-cilantro dressing), Pad Thai, Lad Na, Chow Mein, soy chicken dinner, and the lentil loaf dinner. The desserts are amazing, too. I also have to mention how good the service is.
I look forward to my next visit.

Pros: delicious food, excellent service, reasonably priced
Cons: small restaurant, no parking lot