Mendocino Farms — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Mendocino Farms is one of my favorite places to eat. Let me tell you why:

The experience: I've been coming here consistently for about 2 years and the experience has been spot on each time. You are welcomed with a warm and friendly smile. The music is there but not too loud. Lighting is great. You are offered water, and they bring your food to you if you are dining in.

The food: the food brings me in and prices keep me coming back. The food is always prepared neatly with care and precision. My sandwich always looks "commercial-ready", never sloppy. Quality is top-tier; the food is always fresh, juicy and well-seasoned. The prices are reasonable.

Customer service: 80% of my orders are to-go. I've never, ever had an issue with my orders, EVER. That is unheard of at most restaurants, especially for take-out. I ask for extra sauce... they give it. I ask for no pickles... pickles are not there. Great attention to detail and it shows.

Awesome attitude: unlike other establishments, their employees are actually happy to take your order and even help you make a decision if it's your first time. They have a smile on their faces and aim to make their customers happy.

Clean restaurant: the place is pretty close to immaculate with respect to cleanliness. The restaurant itself is neat and clean. The bathrooms are cleaner than 99% of other public bathrooms.

Bonus: you might get lucky and get a lovely sample of their delicious food from Manny. I mean, who doesn't like samples?!

Overall, this place is a gem! I'll be a fan of Mendocino Farms forever! Keep up...

The food is really pretty good. The menu comes across as weird to first-timers (for instance, what the heck is a Cheffy Sandwich? And what is "A Heat Study Sandwich"?) They've got a couple outstanding recipes, namely the Indian couscous salad and hot potato salad. My workplace has used them for catering a couple times and while it was "good", it wasn't exactly spectacular like it probably should be. The biggest way that they are falling down right now - and I realize they are new in town, the store hasn't been open very long - is the attention they totally give to take-out orders and the lack of attention they give to dine-in orders. The place is run by a bunch of college kids who mean well but they just end up dropping the ball. The eating area is okay, but it's not a really enjoyable place to eat. There are no booths, it's just tables with hard chairs and benches, including one big bench in the center of the room. It's not uncommon to find a GenZ'er in there, solo dining or just sipping a beverage, while having a conversation on their phone. Incidentally, their beverage selection is pretty darned weird. They have no Coke machine, it's all just herbal/organic juice and it's not really good. Anyhow, I can't say I dislike the place but as I say, they have some work to do. Oh, and be prepared to pay them all the money you have in your wallet. I treated 2 friends for dinner there not long ago and I won't be doing that again. Including tax it was $70.00 for the three of us and we didn't eat all...

Despite the food being good. This Mendocino Farms is one of the slowest I've ever seen in my day. On multiple occasions I have waited over 45 mins at the store waiting for my phone order I had ordered at least 20 mins prior to getting to the store. They have no ability to handle the lunch rush. Their lunch hour much more resembles the roman empire coliseum in its heyday then a restaurant. You'll find more angry door dashers here waiting for their orders food then I think anywhere in the world.

During lunch, They sometimes won't even fire your order unless you get someone's attention to let them know you are there. Now, getting someone's attention is the hard part when they have 8 people behind the counter running around like chickens with their head cut off.

It seems that the more assertive and rude you are to the staff, the better and faster they treat you while the normal patient customers are banished to waiting 3 and a half hours to get their food. I could knit a sweater in the time I've waited for my sandwich. I believe the last time I was there I read the bible front to back, back to front and upside down before I got my food. I could've gotten a masters degree in the time I've waited. One time, I died, went to heaven, was reincarnated, lived my life, died again, came back as a different person and THEN I got my order.

They are stunningly slow. Stunnnniinnngggllyyy. It is painful to go there. No regard for human life.

Anyway, the food is still fire but it really takes the...