Tender Greens — Restaurant in Culver City

I generally dislike salad for dinner. I don't find any joy in approximating the diet of sheep and other pastoral animals. This places me in the minority in my neighborhood, but the vegan/vegetarian/curious contingent and I can find common ground at Tender Greens.

First of all, Tender Greens contains meat. Lots of meat. It's clear when you walk in that we're cooking up both the animals and the field grass they enjoyed in life. The meat is well prepared and mixed with a great variety of spices and marinades. They don't give you a ton of salad/meat combos, which is good - the Tender Greens people know better than you what tastes good. You live in Culver City and are a corporate type, not a chef. I've had 3 different items on the menu; all are great. (I can't recall them exactly. The main chicken salad, the main asian salad, and a wildcard that I only remember as damn tasty). Trust them.

Tender Greens closes the deal with a few good choices of beer. Belgians, a local amber, that kind of thing. They don't have 10 beers. They have 3. Again, they know better than you or I what will taste good with the food. Don't question it. Eat your meat salad and get back to your tender offers. Leave the tender...

This tenders greens in particular serves pretty sub par food compared to the one in Marina del Rey. I suppose its the lunch time rush of Culver City, which makes it a 20-25 minute wait for salad and protein, or maybe its the tiny portions of protein given. I usually order online to spare myself the catastrophe of waiting in their long line, customer service is pretty terrible on the online orders. Place the order, and receive absolutely no confirmation that the order is ready for pickup, when you do call in to check if the order is ready for pickup - you are put on hold for a good 10 minutes. Not a great system guys.

I usually order the steak or albacore tuna on a hot plate. Today's albacore tuna ended up being disgusting, laced with fatty gunk and thick sliced. I needed the salty mashed potatoes to drown out the taste of the not so fresh tuna ACK! I've also ordered the steak plate which often times comes with steak was laced with ungodly amounts of bad fat (the non tasty annoying kind). I'm not sure what it is about this location that serves sub par food, as the Marina del Rey Tender Greens is awesome about serving a fair portion of...

Fresh produce, perfectly cooked meats, delicious bread (be sure to order an extra slice or two!), refreshing drink choices...including artisanal beers and wine, decent pricing, and great tunes added to the laid back California vibe and wonderful ambiance in the outdoor seating area at the Culver City location. My Chinese chicken salad - big enough to stretch for 2 meals (but so tasty that I ate the whole thing in a single sitting) - was just $13. The restaurant was clean inside and out with a visible assembly area and partially visible kitchen. Unlike many chain restaurants, the perfectly weighted silverware was polished and looked sanitary enough to eat with! Even the ladies restroom was clean and well appointed. No parking validation for the garage conveniently located across the street but the first hour is free and we ended up only paying $2 for an almost 3 hour visit on a Saturday late afternoon. I definitely recommend a stop there if you're in the area; otherwise, rest assured that takeout will...