Valerie Echo Park — Restaurant in Los Angeles

I write for a music and coffee blog called Crooners In Coffeeshops, in which I interview local musicians at local coffeeshops. My writeup reflects the positive experience that I encountered at Valerie Echo Park on our interview date.

It was the year 2004 when self-trained chocolatier Valerie Gordon (along with partner Stan Weightman Jr.) founded the elusive Valerie Confections. Since then, the brand has received much deserved recognition with Gordon striving to grow her list of artisanal recipes and goals to collaborate with a wide variety of modern innovators and organizations such as Planned Parenthood, No Kid Hungry, and many more. Echo Park is the home of the Valerie neighborhood cafe, and boy oh boy is there plenty of mouthwatering edible and drinkable options to go around.

Apart from a rotation of all-day fresh baked pastries, Valerie cafe offers a unique blend of delectable delights for a reasonable price. From breakfast croques and egg scrambles to lunchtime soups and sandwiches to daily house specials (like the bacon cheddar quiche that I was blessed with on the day we were there), there’s no doubt that you’ll find something to make everyone’s belly happy and full. For their beverage choices, you have everything from your classic espressos to an assortment of teas from the green, black and pu-er family to a variety caffeine-free drinks, so choosing the perfect drink to pair with your choice of food is just as important for your visit. I love myself a Liverpool Latte, and luckily they were featured on the menu. Make sure to get there early to snag a seat so you can enjoy the full...

I felt like I was slapped in the face. Very unaccommodating.

I ordered the burrata tartine from the menu and was told that they could not make it because they had no tomatoes. (This is not the first time I have been told that for that item.) If this is a menu item, couldn’t someone have thought to go buy tomatoes for the day? I asked can I substitute items and was told “no”. When I asked for suggestions for another sandwich, I was told that there is not anything like it. So finally after looking on the menu, I found something that I like (and reasonably similar). The item came with a salad, but there was another that I liked better, so I asked to substitute that salad and I would pay extra. I was told no can do. I told them that I have done this before. The answer was still no. So I had to pay more money for a half salad in addition to the salad that came with the meal.

Then I noticed the specials board had a hibiscus lemonade. I was told that they don’t have any. Really? Why not erase it? So disappointing.

I have been to Valerie’s before and generally like the food, but this was poor treatment for a returning customer. Don’t think I will be...

I LOVE valerie and order lunch from here on my day off often, but am writing this review for a specific anecdote that occurred today.

I ordered some food for pickup to be ready at 12pm, left my place at 11:40 because it usually takes 20 mins. I walked fast, I guess, and showed up at 11:55 without realizing it. When I said I was there for pickup, they told me it would be a few minutes because they had to throw the hand pie in. They apologized and one employee in particular offered me a free coffee or any other drink on the house. It was at this time that I checked my clock and realized I had arrived early and immediately tell them thank you but I do not need a free coffee because I'm the dummy who showed up early!!

When the food was ready at 12, the employee had prepared me an iced coffee anyways. So unnecessarily kind and really made my day.

I personally recommend the breakfast banh mi sandwich and the vegetarian quiche!!! Hand pies are amazing too.

Thank you to the sweet employee who made...