Homegirl Café — Restaurant in Los Angeles

SECOND VISIT A week ago a friend and I met up for breakfast and I am upgrading to five stars because of server Latisha!

FIRST VISIT I arrived around 1:00 PM on a weekday, so there still was a good lunch crowd but plenty of empty tables. I found it odd to hear a greeter asking patrons "are you here to eat" and I was asked the same thing. What else does one do at a restaurant? Did I miss something, like maybe they have a secret "drop-the-soap-in-the shower" room? (Sorry, I couldn't help myself.)

Anyhow, I did wait for a few minutes to be greeted and seated. It seemed like there was some type of musical chairs going on because two women were at the table where I was being seated and the greeter ushered them to another table (maybe they were waiting for a booth to open and they want single patrons at the two-person tables only). The man who seated me was pleasant and polite, but it was odd he was seating me and re-seating them at the same time.

I was already familiar with the menu (having studied it online beforehand), so I was disappointed to find they were sold out of the mango beverage but enjoyed the green beverage (Angela's Potion, $4). I ordered the veggie grilled cheese ($11) and the waiter forgot what dressing I wanted for my salad, so he brought two kinds on the side which was cool. I used the avocado dressing for the salad the lemon dressing as a "dipping sauce" for my sandwich. I don't know if they only have one type of bread, but presumed as much since he didn't ask "what type of bread do you want?"

I did ask if the jalapeño pesto "is spicy," which I am now learning is a dumb question to ask of anyone as our tastes can vary greatly. Next time I will order it on the side because it does have some bite. It had more bite than I would have wanted, but it did not ruin the sandwich.

Unfortunately, the sandwich was soggy, which I wasn't too thrilled about, but to be expected when using fresh veggies on a sandwich. By the time I got to the second half, it was too wet and messy to pick up, so I asked for a knife and everything was fine. The server said he eats their sandwiches wearing gloves, which I got a kick out of. As it was I had several napkins as a bib so as not to soil my anti-Trump "resist" T-shirt. Even with gloves, this sandwich would just make a mess of one's clothes, so be forewarned.

Despite the sogginess, I can honestly say this is the best-tasting and most creative grilled cheese sandwich I have ever had, and it was huge! The accompanying salad was not huge, but a decent size and it wasn't any Mickey Mouse salad, but one with nutritional and tasty European greens and some other stuff, I think maybe shredded jicama, but don't quote me.

The dessert was rather disappointing. I believe what I had was the mango upside-down cake; however, the bill says "Brunch Mango." When I ordered, the server insisted I have ice cream with it and since he had five teardrop tattoos under his eye, who was I to argue with him? (Just kidding, he was very clean-cut actually.)

The cake was odd because one portion of it was kinda dry and not too sweet (which is my preference [the not too sweet part]) and then another portion of the same piece was very sugary. Every portion of the small piece was different. I am not a baker so have no clue how that would happen, whether it is just the nature of upside-down cake (like the ingredients didn't mix well or what). When the server inquired about it, I told him what I thought and he said something like "You're supposed to mash it all up with the ice cream" and I was thinking "Now you tell me." Since I was hedging on the ice cream, he only brought a small scoop, so maybe next time I will get it as intended and mash it all up. I have a feeling the recipe for this cake must have come out of "Orange is the New Black" or "Prison Break," and that is not a compliment, especially at a price of $7.

Hopefully, on my next visit, they will have a different dessert OR the current one will be made different OR I will have a server demonstrate how it is to be...

The first sentence from a Huffington Post about Homegirl Cafe says it best: "Sometimes the most remarkable meals come from the most unexpected places."

I learned about Homegirl Cafe from a client who suggested the spot for breakfast. He told me about Father Gregory Boyle and how he started Homeboy Industries in an effort to support high-risk youth, former gang members, and formerly incarcerated people. Chef Pati, who used to volunteer at Father Boyle's parish, founded Homegirl Cafe in 2004.

Sold immediately by their mission and community focus, I agreed to try Homegirl Cafe. The interior is bright and colorful. For drinks, I opted for their house coffee ($2), which is a blend of cinnamon and dried orange peels. It was wonderful and the perfect start to the morning. Food-wise, I yo-yoed between the revueltos and the M'jas con Papas but ultimately settled on the revueltos ($9). The revueltos dish is an egg or tofu scramble with spinach, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms, salsa, served with beans, Homegirl potatoes, or house salad. You can also choose either tortillas or toast. I got the potatoes and tortillas.

The food is excellent. My revueltos was delicious, filling, and homey. Exactly the kind of food I like. It's almost a substantial amount of food for one person, and neither my client nor I were able to finish in one sitting.

Service was fantastic. Everyone here is very friendly and attentive. I highly recommend checking out Homegirl Cafe if...

My primary destination in LA yesterday was the Homegirl Cafe. It did not disappoint. The food was great. The generosity of the portion and the taste were wonderful. We enjoyed the chilaqiles both with red and green sauces. Isaac waited on us and then at other times other team members topped up our coffee or got boxes for our to go food ( because there was lots to go). Other cafes should make you feel welcome like H.G.C. The atmosphere there is not accidental. The team members have strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that translate into a great vibe overall. If the food and atmosphere is not enough of a magnet for you go for the art. There's a vibrant exhibition hanging throughout at the moment. But after breakfast we were not done, we needed to stock up on baked goods to go. With our boxes to go and the front counter goodies we had the fuel for the day. By the way if you're worried about parking, don't be.... the men who were coordinating the early morning deliveries opened the gate so we could park at the back of the restaurant. Please do dine-in or order out. You'll get great food, value for $ and on top of all that you are supporting the mission of the...