Welcome! Let's get this started.
or
Finish logging in.
Vegan
American
Take-out
Asian
Vietnamese
Au Lac Cafe became a branch of Loving Hut international vegan restaurant chain. Each location is individually operated. Offers a menu of vegan burgers, faux meat stir frys, Asian style noodles and rice dishes. Order at the counter, and food is brought to your table. Has parking lot. Reported closed May 2023.
43 Reviews
First Review by condekedar
VeganVentures
Points +92
Bang for your buck - Edit
Loving hut is where I first fell in love with Seitan or as they call it, "vegetable protein". This specific location specializes in mainly Asian style food, however they do have a few other options such as veggie sandwiches and pizza if you order an hour in advance.
Read moreThe food is very tasty, nice sized portions and really great prices. The self serve water area could use some improvement, it often looks unsanitary and located next to a dirty garbage can.
The first two visits were great as far as customer service goes, unfortunately my last couple of visits were abrupt and short. Perhaps it was because the cook was taking both the orders and preparing the food, unlike my initial visits, however it did give off an unwelcoming vibe.
Also keep in mind this location does not have AC. When it is over 100 degrees outside in the valley, make sure you order take out!
Still great food and plenty of options to choose from.
Pros: Great Food, Large Portions, Affordable
Cons: Cleanliness , Customer Service
Guest
Jadekta
Points +11
really great food!! - Edit
the first time I went was a couple months ago, and it left a really great impression on me. I loved the food! I will definitely be going back soon.
Read moreGuest
Flower333
Points +26
This place is my sanctuary - Edit
I love this place, I've tried about 6 things on the menu it's hard to try more because I love their philly! Every meat eater I get to try their philly, goes back for more! It's the best! That sandwich has never failed to impress the most Stuborn person in proving we have great food! Lol. The staff is very friendly and supper helpful if you are indecisive. Very chill environment and clean. :) I'll keep coming back! Their choc cake is very good too!
Read moreThis is my exsperience! :)
Pros: Great food, Philly, Nice staff
Guest
notsammi
Points +24
bitter thai tea and trader joes Ice cream - Edit
all previous times I've gone to loving hut the food was fantastic! huge portions, relatively fast service, and they're always so nice.
Read morehowever, this time, I wasn't so satisfied. I ordered a thai tea and a cheesecake- but they were out of cheesecake so I opted for ice cream. it took a while for them to come out. the thai tea was a little bitter and watery so that was disappointing, usually thai tea is made to be really creamy and sweet. when the ice cream came out, I was immediately disappointed. Just by looking at it I knew that the ice cream was the Trader Joe's Soy Creamy brand ice cream in cherry chocolate chip. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but not worth what I paid. I was kind of shocked that they'd blatantly serve that ice cream, and only later did I realize that he didn't tell me what kind of ice cream they had- what if I was allergic to cherry? anyways. that was just an off experience, I think. I'm still gonna go back, the entree food is always good.
Guest
jennamichelle1
Points +337
Great Passion, Lack of Cleanliness - Edit
I was excited to visit, my mom has taken classes on vegan cooking from the owner, who she says is very nice. We unfortunately had a negative experience, which I'll get to in a minute.
Read moreThe menu was typical vegan loving hut menu, they had chow mein, fried rice, and soy meat remakes for traditional chinese food. They were cooking with a lot of oil, so this may not be the best choice for vegans who eat low oil. They had a few desserts like flan, cheesecake, and ice cream. When we were there, they were out of the cheesecake, ice cream, and five other menu options. They also had a locked fridge where they sold soy meats. For atmosphere, they had a giant chess board and a checkers set. You can tell the owner is passionate about veganism from his brightly colored car in the back, the the pro vegan signage around the restaurant.
When I asked for the restroom key the owner shrugged towards me and said it was, "right there". I looked around, couldn't find it. Looked all of the the front of the counter, the areas around it, and on the walls. I asked again and he turned around and shouted that it was "right in front of my face". He was kind of acting way too busy, since we were the only people there except for one other couple. =/ I had to ask him again,, and he turned around in a huff and pointed towards the key without saying anything. It was actually behind the corner of a wall, so that really wasn't in front of my face, but whatever. I'm a polite person who doesn't enjoy being yelled at, so I thanked him and went to the restroom.
The restroom was so gross that I couldn't use it. So gross, that I feel queasy thinking about it. They had just opened after having been closed on Sunday, so my guess is that it had been left that way since Saturday. I was so disgusted, that we left without eating. To be fair, the owner was nice and gave us our money back, which we didn't expect him to do. He offered to clean the restrooms, but with the way the restroom looked, it would have taken a long time and the idea of him making our food after cleaning that area was not appetizing. So yeah, maybe he was having an off week. Owning a business is tough. I feel for him, but I won't be going there ever again, as it makes me ill to think of it. =/
Pros: Unfriendly Staff, Dirty Restaurant, Out of most food items
Cons: passionate about veganism
Guest
vivahate68
Points +24
first Timer - Edit
Good experience. The portions were enough for two people or to save for another meal. All vegan menu. Only 18 items offered. All made to order. Didn't have to wait too long for our food. Maybe 5 mins.
Read moreThe wait staff is easy on the eyes as well!
Pros: location in Tower District, inexpensive
Guest
NIBsmf
Points +1446
Loved the food! - Edit
Food: 9. I had one of the "paradise" dishes, which was curried fried rice with veggies and tofu. It was extremely tasty, and I felt like they gave me at least 2 meals worth of it! I also had flan, which was also very tasty. My boyfriend's spaghetti marinara that I tasted was only okay, though. Oh, and I loved the thai iced tea I had.
Read morePrice: 8. Reasonable prices.
Atmosphere: 7. It was so-so. I feel like it could have been made nicer inside, but I loved the paintings of cute animals and vegan messages on the outside of the building. It was also super hot inside, as the front door was kept open despite it being very hot outside.
Staff: 7. While the staff were very friendly, they made me feel rushed. The place closes at 8pm, and we had gotten there around 7:35. We were told we could sit on the porch for as long as we want but that they had to close ASAP for one of the staff members to catch a bus. They ended up closing around 7:50, which I thought was bad business.
Pros: Yummy food!, Reasonable prices, Friendly staff
Cons: Sort of off the beaten path, it seemed
Guest
Bio-Beetle
Points +45
Loved it - Edit
I was craving some vegan food after my trip to Sequoia & Kings Canyon on my drive to San Jose and was thrilled to find a Loving Hut in Fresno. I had not eaten at this chain before so I was eager to try it. Food was great. I had the Guru and the portion was generous, and I also had the shrimp tempura appetizer. I don't generally like the vegan shrimp but served as a tempura it was great. Looking forward to trying the location in San Jose. It was also easy to find since Van Ness is off the 180.
Read morePros: great food, generous portions, Pricing and service
Cons: More Bok Choy than I needed, but good
Guest
Veganchik
Points +33
Good vegan food! - Edit
Really enjoyed the food here and it was made fast. Good size portions, had a hard time finishing my food but there was enough for a meal later. Good prices too! Definitely love to come here every time I'm in Fresno.
Read morePros: Good prices, Large portions, Fast service
Guest
Chia
Points +3631
Veg place to support - Edit
I had read about this place on happycow and decided to eat here on my San Francisco trip several weeks ago. Here's my Loving Hut Fresno review.
Read moreIt's located on a street that's both residential and commercial. Kinda mellow with some traffic. It's a good size space with both indoor and outdoor seating. You walk in and you see can the kitchen. Basically, it's the owner, Truong, and one staff. The prices are inexpensive with each menu item (there are 18) at $6.95, and the portions are huge.
My husband and I shared a pho noodle soup, a lemon grass veg protein stir fry served with rice and veggies, and a pan fried rice noodle. We were so stuffed and couldn't finish the food, didn't expect such huge portions. I felt bad wasting food, because we couldn't take the leftover home since we were traveling onto San Francisco.
Our waitress, a young woman with blonde hair, was very sweet and helpful. She told us that she's been vegan for 7 years.
The food taste is fair, pretty standard fare, filling but not fancy. I like the pho noodle soup broth with the fresh basil taste. The lemongrass flavored veg protein pieces were tasty but salty. The pan fried noodle was tasty, too, but also a bit too salty and saucy for me.
This is one of very few places in Fresno that offers all vegetarian & vegan food, so please support it if you are in this part of California.
Pros: all vegan, low prices, friendly waitress
Cons: needs better ventilation
Guest
mchennault
Points +21
Garlic Chicken - Edit
So my husband and I went there for lunch to eat and study.He got the Vegi delite and I got the Garlic Chicken. Food was SOOOOO GOOD! Staff was nice and the soda was a lot of money so I got free water!!! My husband eats meat and he really like the vegi delite. Two Thumbs UP!!
Read morePros: Friendly Staff, Great Food
Cons: Soda was a lot
Guest
AvocadoLover
Points +64
A great place to eat and hang out - Edit
I visited Au Lac for the first time a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed the yummy vegan food. As opposed to some of the other reviews, I found the prices quite reasonable and the portions were large (I didn't finish my meal). I also thought the staff were super nice. I could see myself hanging out here, enjoying the good food and reading a book. I will definitely be coming back often!
Read morePros: Great Food, Good Prices, Cool atmosphere
Guest
silystarrfish
Points +27
Great Food, Great Price - Edit
I LOVE Au Lac. I have been living in the Fresno area for almost 24 years, and only just discovered it a month ago. I don't know what I did before I knew about this place!
Read moreThe food was fantastic. I got the eggplant dish and my friend got the lemongrass "chicken". Both were fantastic, and try as I might, I could NOT finish what was on my plate. I was thrilled to have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.
The staff was very friendly, the food was great, and I left completely satisfied. If you are ever in the Fresno area, visit Au Lac.
Pros: Fantastic Food, Great Value, Great Staff
Cons: none
Guest
vegan munster
Points +24
my favorite! - Edit
almost everything i tried on the menu is good. i highly recommend the fish and the lemongrass chicken.
Read morePros: good food, good prices
Guest
srh.crawford
Points +23
Great food, location, and prices. - Edit
Near the heart of the tower district sits an amazing vegetarian restaurant. The menu is varied from hamburgers and chow mein to pho and changes constantly. The food is delicious and the prices are great (5.95 to 6.95 a plate). All the menu items are vegan or can be made vegan. I've had the teriyaki burger, chow mein, happy burger, and special tofu. All were scrumptious.
Read morePros: Great location, Great food, Great prices
Cons: Weird hours, Some food can be salty
Guest
condekedar
Points +10296
Great food, friendly service - Edit
This is a great restaurant with the best soy chicken I've ever tasted (lemongrass chicken). The food is fresh, healthy and nicely-seasoned with a tasty side salad, too. The service is amazingly friendly and they also have superb vegan cakes. Really low prices, too, considering the value of the food. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: Taste, Value, Service
Cons: Doesn't take credit cards
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 19160 times.