Thanks to Yelp, 100% of my experiences match up with their review ratings when I pursue restaurants and services here!! Variable Cafe is way beyond 5 STARS, what can we do to give them the 10 Stars that they deserve? Smiley Faces & Hearts?! Overall: The Food at Variable is Outstanding, Inventive and Satisfying. Portions are perfect and service was exceptionally attentive and welcoming. The restaurant is invitingly clean (See A++ Health rating picture posted here) with warm and fun decor. Our visit was mid-afternoon, so we mostly had the cafe to ourselves which felt so special as this visit was part of a staycation and also a pre-planned destination - great expectations!! Parking was easy. Starter: - Organic Strawberry Acai Forever Smoothie. Tasty, crunchy, cool and delicious. Mains: - St. Louis #2 Po Boy Sandwich, flavorful with Cajun fries - Drunk Cauliflower - that crusty sweet goodness great crunch on the outside with a soft inside- (wow!) And then the wonderful dipping sauce . . . . We will never forget it and plan to come back soon for MORE of it!!! Finito: - Pumpkin Pie, tasty and the perfect slice that I dream of. A great ending to a perfect late lunch in LA. Thank you so much Variable Cafe!! A super highlight of my visit to your area, many thanks to the warm hospitality and divine dining experience. See you again SOON!! read more

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Was meeting up with a friend nearby for lunch and gave her some Vegan Options to choose and she was game for having a Vegan Meal.... This place seemed to have good reviews and was in a small plaza I haven't been to in over 20 years! Nice owner and clean place....Clean and pleasant maybe a tad chilly inside but that was it... We got the Drunken Cauliflower as an appetizer and my lunch was the Damn Good Chili and my friend had the Northern Lights Pasta... Everything tasted great and refreshing nothing overly done like at some Vegan places... My friend enjoyed her pasta and we both loved the Drunken Cauliflower. The Chili was good I am not sure if it was DAMN good...but definitely good and I would come back here again if in the area....wish the parking was easier in the plaza but I did choose an off time which made it slightly easier. read more

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Variable Caffe is one of our favorite local spots! Owners are always so kind and welcoming and food is vegan and delicious. T2, TBanh Mi Sandwich, Vegan Pho and Caesar salad are my favorite, but I love everything on their menu! Also, finally had opportunity to try a new special, Indian Tikka Masala Curry, and every bite was delightful! Will definitely be ordering that one again. Ambient is perfect for causal or special dinners. You will find variety of beverages, but my favorite is strawberry lemonade. Parking is free and available right in front of the business. Parking lot does get full quickly, but street parking is available as well. Owners are wonderful, so if you are in the area, please come and support their business. Note: Artists, they're open to showcasing your art in their vegan-friendly space, consider reaching out! :) read more

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The food is absolutely delicious and the service is super friendly. My favorites are the vegan pho, cauliflower and pumpkin spice beverage. Very healthy, definitely one of my favorite new restaurants. Highly recommend! read more

This cafe has such a chill vibe - lots of light, really friendly service. I'm obsessed with the pho with the marinated soy chicken. The serving is huge and will definitely last you two meals (at least). Their cold brew and matcha is some of the best. read more

they should rename the drunken cauliflower to intoxicating cauliflower, because... gosh if i could eat that drunken cauliflower for the rest of my life, i would -- easily. we also ordered the pho and a cup of chili -- both were wonderful. the msc (marinated soy chicken) was super sweet which we didn't expect, but it added a nice touch. would 100/10 recommend place for any locals, vegan or not. ambience is cute and home-y vibes! the staff were super friendly as well read more

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I rarely give 5 stars but I literally don't have anything bad to say. The hostess was so nice and kept checking in to make sure we were good after we go seated. The food was delicious! I searched this place mainly for my mom who is vegetarian but I really enjoyed it and it was a good amount of food. Place was clean and I loved the art along the walls. I would definitely come back if I'm in the area again. read more

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What a hidden gem! This restaurant exceeded my expectations. I found this restaurant by searching for vegan Pho (one of my favorite dishes). I looked up the reviews and I saw that pho was pretty good here. I took a chance and ordered Postmates the first time. That experience was ok but I knew I really wanted to visit the restaurant to get the full experience. Getting Pho delivered and eating at home is just not the same as eating it at the restaurant in the gigantic bowl with chopsticks and the large spoon with all the fixings (lime, basil, sriracha, etc). I ordered the My son's Pho (one of their best sellers) with extra limes, vegan carrot cake and sparkling water. The My Son's Pho was full of veggies (bok choy, mushrooms, sprouts, rice noodles, vegan meat, edamame). The broth was so delicious! I think I drank more broth than I ate the other goodies in the bowl. The extra lime squeeze gives the broth a flavorful taste. The vegan carrot cake was by far the best vegan dessert I've tasted in a while. The icing had like a zesty orange taste but nothing overbearing. It's a taste that is addictive lol! The texture and layers of taste made this cake phenomenal. The service was excellent as well. The staff at the restaurant greeted me with a smile when I walked in. I already knew what I wanted to order so I didn't need any recommendations. The restaurant was clean and had little touches of decor that I thought was so cute. I give this place a 10/10 highly recommend. If you're in the mood for Pho and in the Marina del Rey area this is your place if you're vegan or not. read more

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They have the best vegan Caesar salad I've ever had. And they're dressings are just delicious.

Ok new favorite restaurant omgggg. One, service is amazing and so kind. Haha came in two days in a row and she recognized me and handed me fruit for free!! All savory food was amazing. There's a parking lot. Drunken cauliflower is my korean fried chicken replacement, and so happy for the pho!! Ive missed pho and wasnt even sure who would have a good vegetarian option, but variable cafe satisfies this fs: the "beef" has such a unique flavor. Pumpkin spice latte was fire too- the whole coziness inside plus the drink gave me major Gilmore girls vibe. Carrot cake was a little dry for my liking- but the lemony frosting was yum. read more

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Fantastic ambiance, creative menu, attentive service, phenomenal food. I had two appetizers as my meal, in lieu of getting an entrée: "Kurt Brussel" roasted brussel sprouts with a lemon pepper sauce & coconut (plant-based) shrimp with orange glaze. It was more than enough food. Pairing just one appetizer with a side of rice (either brown or jasmine) or quinoa or noodles would have been plenty. This is my first time to come here and it's zoomed to the top echelon of my favorite vegan restaurants (up there with Au Lac in downtown LA). I highly recommend you try this place and predict you'll love it, too! read more

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This is a gem of a vegan restaurant! Great food and service. We started with the brussel sprouts. It came in a piping hot cast-iron pan with a sweet lime sauce to pour over. It was absolutely delicious. I got the burger & ordered the truffle fries with it. It had a barbecue sauce with grilled onions. Personally I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce, but the burger itself was good and the truffle fries were bomb. My guy got the pasta and that was utterly delicious. I didn't get photos, but there's local artwork on the walls. The server checked in on us often and was friendly. Highly recommend this cute cafe! read more

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I tried their new Indian entree which was pretty fine. I would say it was a flavorful dish but lacked depth. I've heard great things about Variable so I think I would have to come again and try something popular and better! read more

Vegan and gluten free options, say no more. We got the Caesar's Hubris, my sons pho, and the guac. If we had bigger stomachs we would order a round 2. We absolutely loved the food and would come back! read more

Variable Cafe - Blue Latte - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Delicious food and the staff is very kind. It's easy to overlook because it's in a strip mall, but it's a gem. The vibe is chill and easy going. Great place to catch up with friends or grab dinner. Love this place. read more

I ordered for pickup. First of all, the parking lot was spacious enough on a Sunday evening. The inside looked so cute, I wish I would've eaten there. My friends and I wanted to try a lot of items and we sure did. Our two appetizers: Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts were both delicious and I enjoyed the dips they came with. A great way to get a veggie serving in your meal. We ordered three entrees. The banh me and the sunset strip burger had a great flavor. I felt their flavors were unique. Not a "typical veggie burger" flavor. It must have been the sauce and grilled onions inside. Banh me was also very delicious. However the Seoul Bowl was the least favorite item out of the five items we ordered. The flavor didn't wow me. I wouldn't get the Seoul bowl again. Overall, I'd come here again. And I'd love to dine in next time. read more

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Great Banh Mi and vegan curry lunch specials. Cute, clean little restaurant with plenty of parking in a nice area in Marina Del Rey.

I LOVE LOOOVE Variable Cafe!!! I come here very often, bring friends who aren't even vegan and everybody is just in love with the food! Wish I took more photos, but as soon as the food arrives I just forget about everything! Obsessed with the Sunset Strip Burger which is the best vegan burger you can ever find! Love their tomato soup and it has lentils in it! Drunk cauliflower and west coast shrimp are my favorite dishes to start with or have on the side. Service is amazing, both Joel and the owner Plern always welcome you with a big smile, very kind and friendly. I cannot thank enough for this vegan gem! read more

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I ordered for pick up. The food is the best Vegan dishes I've eaten. DELICIOUS!!! I had the Drunk Cauliflower and West Coast Shrimp.

Good quality vegan food. We ate 4-5 entries and all of them were super good. Food is amazing in taste with high quality ingredients. read more

Variable Cafe - Tomato soup and Green goddess salad - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great service. Big portions. Delicious food always. It's a very clean place and very pleasant restaurant. My go to place read more

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We went to this cafe yesterday after a nice day at the beach. Neither of us had been there but will gladly return. Prices are good and the food was better. I enjoyed the Ginger Lemonade and the Chili. The service was timely and the bathroom was clean, too! read more

Delicious vegan cafe that has a lot of healthy options. There's a free small parking lot but it's a matter of luck as to whether you'll get a spot. There's metered street parking as well. Came here with a friend for dinner on a Tuesday evening and there were a couple of tables occupied, but the ambiance was still overall quite relaxed. The waiter was super friendly and checked in on us frequently. We split our food and got the drunk cauliflower to start. The sauce was delicious and the batter was well done. The pho surprised me by how rich the broth tasted, and the "shrimp" po'boy was quite large. It came with a side of fries which was delicious. We ended the meal with carrot cake, which was one of the best carrot cakes I've had (for both vegan and non-vegan cakes) - the frosting was thick and the cake was moist. Overall, highly recommend this spot for a healthy spot to catch up with a friend - for both vegans and non-vegans. read more

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Delightful ambiance, attentive service, and inventive food. Thanks to Yelp, I found Variable Cafe when I needed to find a spot in Culver City open late afternoon with coffee and food. We had the place to ourselves at that hour and could see that most people were doing take out. The place was clean and comfortable, and I loved the flower arrangements on each table. Parking was easy and the location is accessible across from Costco Culver City. What a great find! The Northern Lights Pasta was delicious. Thank you, Variable Cafe! I will be back to try more of your healthy dishes. read more

Variable Cafe - Latte with oat milk and the Northern Lights Pasta with salad to share! - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

My friend is vegetarian so we came here for lunch! FLAVOR (3.75/5): 1. MY SON'S PHO: The pho was good! I normally don't like eating pho out because my mom can make it better at home, but this vegan pho holds its own! The house-marinated soy chicken is slightly sweet. They also offer sriracha. 2. N SEOUL BOWL: My friend got the seoul bowl - he thought it was ok. I only tried the kimchi and it tasted very very sour. 3. HOUSE CARROT CAKE: I heard a lot of great reviews about the house carrot cake! It was good - nice and dense. I wish I had a glass of milk to go with it. I don't have any other vegan cakes to compare it to, but I will say that non-vegan carrot cake still takes the... cake. SERVICE (5/5): Service was good! AMBIENCE (3.5/5): Good for casual lunch/brunch. The inside is small. PARKING (4.5/5): There's a small private lot. We came for lunch on a weekend and there were a couple free spots still. TAKEAWAYS: Overall, I think Variable cafe has a lot to offer in terms of quality vegan food. Definitely give it a try if you're in the area! read more

Variable Cafe - My Son's Pho - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Cutest place with the BEST food! We ordered so much of it and had trouble stopping ourselves! read more

Variable Cafe - Here's a pic of us and our very full food bellies! Couldn't help ourselves, everything was delicious we had to lick the plate! - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Amazing vegan restaurant, I loved this place and highly recommend anyone looking for plant based options to go there! The service was so great, good ambiance, they have indoor and outdoor seating in a little shopping area read more

Variable Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Loved this place What a great vegan find! Great menu Great service Cozy ambiance Parking very limited as the lot is shared. Street parking (paid) easy. read more

This gem has been open for about two years. I arrived about 11:17 and they were just opening up. (Thank goodness since I had walked from Marina Del Rey to have a bite here.) Having been on a LOW FODMAP diet, it made eating out challenging. This place has a delicious gluten free pasta with vegan chicken and a side salad. The dressing/sauce was just right. Not only was the food great so was the service. This place deserves a bookmark for me to return when I'm back in town. read more

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Healthy, fresh and delicious food. I've also had the Kale Caesar salad and drunk cauliflower and enjoyed both. read more

Variable Cafe - Vegetable curry - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Exactly what I was looking for. Wanted a latte that was quick and from a small business at 5pm on a Friday. Found this place and the it's in a small shopping center with easy parking. There are tons of eats inside and the decor is so cute! Very quaint too. Right when I walked in the gentleman greeted me; took my coffee orders right away. Pumpkin Spice Latte and a Cappuccino. Both so yummy! Definitely want to come back and try the food. L read more

Parking: very limited lot but a lot of street parking Food: vegan yummzzzzz- the pho broth was so clean and great for cold days!! Not enough mushrooms though!! The drunken cauliflower is a must! It pairs well with the sauce! Poboy was amazing too! Carrot cake is super moist and delicious! Service: seems like a small staff but our server was super sweet and check up on us to make sure everything was okay Ambiance: super cute with the fresh flowers- good to dine in or take out orders read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. The food is all freshly made home style. The decor is awesome with really fun artwork and decoration. The service and food is amazing here. Everything I've tried is amazing. I love the owners. Such an adorable and excellent restaurant. read more

Food is so goood here, best vegan restaurant I ever had in LA. We ordered burger, pasta, brown rice, all pretty good! Everyone loves the pasta the most bc it's creamy and nicely flavored, the vegan fried meat on top is also tasty even though it's easy to taste the difference in texture. I love my tofu dish, it's deep fried but with rich sauce and salad. Coconut juice is refreshing, I love the little umbrella on top, so cute! Service is good too, ppl are really kind here, give recommendations and so helpful. read more

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Loving the food here. I Took a friend who is a meat and potatoes, what is a salad guy and he loved everything! We had the "shrimp" app and it was divine. The flavors of every dish were on point and the texture of them all were outstanding. The golden turmeric latte is strong fyi... Carrot cake was dense and moist and the frosting was perfect and "cream cheesey" read more

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Wow. Hands down the best meal I had in LA. Went for the drunken cauliflower as an appetizer. So flavorful and didn't feel greasy at all. But, the shrimp po boy was un-friggin-believable. Vegans take note. I couldn't believe this place wasn't crammed wall to wall and cost a ton more. Great prices for incredible food. Yes yes yes. read more

Variable Cafe - Get the drunken cauliflower. - Vegan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I e seen this place a ton of times but had no idea this little oasis of delightful goodness was serving the best tasting, creative and beautiful vegan food I've ever had. Pro Tip: You do not have to be a vegan to live their food. Anyone will love their plant based menu with so many options. Everything looked so good it was hard to decide what to choose - but I decided to go with the TBS soup and the Banh Mi with sweet potato fries. The server was a sweetheart, very warm and welcoming. I had Rose Earl Grey iced tea to start. It had tiny rosebuds floating on top and remnants of actual tea in the glass. Simple perfection. It was ever so slightly sweet and great refreshment on a warm sunny winter day in LA. My TBS (tomato lentil) soup came out really fast. Piping hot and served with little pieces of pesto toast for dipping. One spoonful and I was in love. I'm a huge tomato soup fan and was admittedly skeptical about trying it with lentils. One slurp and I was wondering where this bowl of savory goodness had been all my life! I finished just a bit and decide to take the rest home for lunch the next day. It's so thick and wonderful I'm already imagining it over pasta! Last but not least - the Banh Mi. It was plated perfectly. The French roll was very fresh - like baked today fresh! It was piled high with savory and juicy saucy veggie "chicken", greens, shredded carrots, radish, chopped fresh jalapeño and - a surprise!!! The server took pride in sharing that they use house made Kimchi in place of the pickled vegetables. It had a little kick but wasn't overwhelmingly spicy. The flavors and textures were a literal party on my palate. While I was enjoying my food - I noticed the sever step outside and ask a homeless man if he was hungry. A few minutes later she took him a container of food, napkins and utensils. I was so blown away by that simple act of kindness - something you don't see often these days. Not sure if she is the owner or not, but either way - it really made me feel good. I thanked her for being kind and generous and to someone who clearly had less. This told me a lot about this place. I was so stuffed, but I wanted to try the carrot cake - so I took it to go. Their pumpkin pie seemed popular because two diners a few tables away enjoyed it so much they ordered another slice! I was so happy with my experience. Did I tell you how extremely clean and cute the interior is? I left happy and full and immediately told my sister about it - I'll be back with her very soon! Thanks, Variable Cafe, for the love and care you put into your delicious food & for making me feel so welcome. read more

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Amazing vegan restaurant! Great food and service. I loved the seoul bowl. Full of flavor and the spices were just right. The restaurant was spacious and there was parking out front, which is a rarity. read more

The burger here is top tier! So flavorful and I recommend their truffle fries with it. Also had the shrimp poboy which is good (could use a little more condiments to make it less dry but still very good). The blue latte SLAPS too read more

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Absolutely incredible. Everything from the food to the little touches of wood serving trays, coconut water straight from the coconut. Decor. Wonderful owners. What a nice vibe and so fairly priced. read more