Earlier this year I introduced you to the outstanding Homegirl Cafe, the restaurant downtown that’s run by reformed L.A. gang members. At that time they were only open for breakfast and lunch, but they’ve recently expanded their hours and their menu, and now we get to enjoy their unique take on authentic Mexican & Latin American food for dinner! Care to join me?

While Homegirl is not exclusively a vegetarian restaurant, they are very vegan friendly and have created specialty items for their menu which are clearly marked as vegan… and they’re wonderful.

The few times I’ve been there they’ve always brought over an appetizer as soon as seating me. Last time it was freshly made tortilla chips & salsa, on my recent dinner visit it was these scrumptious spicy roasted chickpeas with lime. Crunchy and warm, they totally do the trick of getting your appetite rip, roaring & ready to go.

They’ve got a number of different options from which you can pick and choose to make your meal, such as your choice between enchiladas or chiles rellenos which can be made with grilled tofu and any of their amazing salsas… vegans can get these without cheese & sour cream. You won’t be missing out, their salsas are incredible and their tofu is great… you won’t miss the gobs of dairy and you’ll be able to taste the complexities of their handmade sauces.

Check out this plate of gorgeousness: Rosa’s Vegan mole: “Hearty sauce made of dried chilies, nuts & spices. Choice of chicken or tofu. Includes sauteed zucchini with corn”.

Let me tell you, these folks really know how to make some delicious mole (psssst… it’s pronounced “moh-lay”). The flavor was really deep and rich, seemed like I could detect some very dark chocolate or maybe even coffee? I can’t say for sure, but it was earthy, richly spiced and overall, exquisite.

Paired with the relatively simple tofu and vegetables this dish came pretty gosh darn close to perfect. You could put this mole sauce on anything and it would suddenly taste like the greatest thing you’ve ever eaten. I cannot recommend it enough… I was practically licking my plate clean when all the big stuff had been gobbled up.

Along with my meal I tried their Cantaloupe Seeds Horchata which I was told is both vegan and made with oats. It had a very unique taste to it, very different from the traditional rice-based horchata that I’m used to, but it was delicious and I loved it all the same. I was slurping up seeds and strawberries from the bottom of my glass in no time and asking for a refill. Not sure how the cantaloupe seeds play into it, those are clearly pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on top, so I don’t know if the cantaloupe seeds are part of the actual liquid or if maybe they were just out that day and substituted with pepitas instead. Either way, YUM!

Homegirl Cafe really is a great restaurant to support where when you spend your money there you know you’ll not only be getting an excellent meal unlike anywhere else, but you’re also supporting a very worthy cause. And now you can do so for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

My only complaint about Homegirl Cafe is that their breakfast ends too early, at 11am… I’m never awake and ready to eat at those obscene hours. I’d love it if they kept breakfast going a little bit longer because their vegan morning options like scrambled tofu with nopales (cactus), tofu chorizo and chilaquiles all sound amazing.

HomeGirl Cafe
130 W. Bruno St. (at Alameda St.)
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 526-1254 ext. 301
(Days/Hours are all over the place, check the website to make sure they’re open when you wanna eat)

The real slogan for Homegirl Cafe is actually “Jobs not Jail!” but I like my “Sandwiches not Jail!” version even better. Homegirl Cafe is located downtown just across the street from and underneath the picturesque Chinatown Metro stop. It’s the sort of special gem of a restaurant that can only exist in Los Angeles. The cafe and it’s accompanying bakery are part of the Homeboy Industries, an organization that’s helping former L.A. gang members and at-risk youth learn job skills and get real work experience. The entire staff of Homegirl is made up of young ladies who have walked away from gangbanging and are in here learning to cook and run a succesful restaurant instead.

From their website: “In only a few years, Homeboy Industries has had an important impact on the Los Angeles gang problem, with young people from over half of the region’s 1,100 known gangs seeking a way out through Homeboy. Thousands of young people have walked through the doors of Homeboy Industries looking for a second chance, and finding community. Gang affiliations are left outside as these young people work together, side by side, learning the mutual respect that comes from shared tasks and challenges.”

As if that wasn’t already cool enough, they are accomplishing some of these goals by having opened this great cafe and bakery… so not only do you get to eat an excellent meal, but you’re also truly helping people with each bite you take.

So yeah, let’s get to the food. The menu has a distinct Latin flare (the restaurant is run under the guidance & training of Ciudad and Border Grill restaurants) with a large variety of specialty breakfast items, sandwiches, salads and tacos. Homegirl Cafe is not a vegetarian restaurant but there are plenty of exciting options for both vegetarians and vegans alike.

They even have a sandwich that straight-up has ‘vegan’ in it’s name, and that’s what I got. ‘Tati’s Vegan Sandwich’ comes with jalapeno pesto, cucumbers, zucchini, apple, jicama, lettuce, onions & tomatoes. For those on the lookout for bell peppers (you know who you are!) you can clearly see they’re in there as well but were not listed on the menu… I love ‘em, but if you don’t be sure to ask if they can be left off… as I did with the onions. You can also add tofu, which I did, or even chicken if you like to eat gross things.

Yummmm… this was one great sandwich. All the flavors were so fresh and distinct. The tart apple, crunchy sweet jicama & peppers, earthy cucumbers & zucchini, and then the subtle and delicious pesto bringing it all together in a green ribbon of goodness. I say subtle because it’s not the sort of spiciness that makes your mouth burn immediately, making you grasp for a drink. The heat comes on slowly, kinda creeps up on you with a hot little surprise. Loved it. Oh, and the bread is fresh from their bakery… which is right there en-suite.

I didn’t try anything from their bakery as I don’t think anything was vegan, but it all sure looked tasty as I gazed at it longingly from the other side of the display case. I should also tell you about the chips & salsa shown up at the top, which were also notably fantastic. The chips were fresh and hot and only a little bit oily (in a good way), I could tell they’d come directly out of the fryer, lightly salted and brought straight to my table. The salsa is their very own Morita sauce, which is thick and silky and spicy and most likely, my new addiction.

I’m very much looking forward to going back. This breakfast dish sounds off the hook: Nopales Breakfast: Choice of scrambled eggs or tofu with nopales (cactus), tomatoes, onions and cilantro, topped with morita sauce. Served with black beans and warm tortillas. Or how about their homemade Tofu Chorizo? Even the appetizers sound amazing: Roasted Pineapple Guacamole with Chips, Roasted Garbanzo Beans with lime and chile, Maria’s Salad: Jicama, cucumber, pineapple & orange with Serrano and lime dressing. Excuse me for salivating on you as I write this.

Homegirl Cafe is awesome in pretty much whatever way you homeslice it. Regardless of what you do or don’t eat, you’ll find many satisfying and healthy options to choose from there. Your tummy will be happy and you’ll feel great knowing that just by eating a meal there, you’ve directly helped the very same people who made and served you your food. Eat well… and tip well too!

Update: I forgot to tell you about the yummy green beverage pictured up top, Angela’s Green Potion Lemonade with spinach & mint. It’s perfect. They also serve other natural fruit drinks, blended daily.

HomeGirl Cafe
Homeboy Industries