118 Degrees

I came to this spot on a Sunday afternoon because the spot next door was packed. The place was empty, which was slightly suspicious but the menu looked interested so I came in with a huge big buff guy on a date ;). There were several tables that were not cleaned — settings were not placed. some tables were, some were not. It was just sloppy and left a bad impression.
We ordered the green juice and it came served in a wine glass with a straw. Which was interesting.
It made us feel really classy :)…but lol it also left the impression of disorganization. We didn’t eat food… the food could be great we don’t know. the juice was good. but the disorganization was a big turn off so we decided to leave. There were too many clues to a poor management and company culture. Great businesses are built on excellent habits and small clues give away a poor process. especially in the restaurant business, details matter — details are everything! Me and my big buff man friend went somewhere else. The tables and chairs are of questionable taste too. I hope they get it together this was just my impression.

Having the chocolate supreme smoothie with espresso and loving every sip! Also having the fried avocado mini taco (small plates) and OMG, delicious!!!
I have eaten dinner here before which was over the top good and as always this meal doesn’t disappoint! Still as good, even better! Give this place a try!
The Kale salad. Caesar, Garden dippers, lemon pesto pasta, chipotle wrap… All should be tried plus much more.
Great place for health and environmentally conscious people!

Natlie was fantastic she gave us free stuffed michrooms to sample. I think I am going to come here 2 or 3 times a month. I want this place to keep thriving. If I was wealthy I would eat here everyday. I am vegan but not 100% but I love this place. It reminds me of my fav spot up North The Green Boheme. I had the gazpacho and the dessert sampler for my little one. So yum. This place is generous with servings on the entrée I got. This place me not please a beginner vegetarian or even vegan it may take some getting used to. Then you will really know what falling in love with food really is. We had a wonderful experince on a Wed night, not so busy.
Vid

Terrible experience. I would never go back to 118.
I came in during my lunch break to get a smoothie and there was only one staff member present. He told me he would be right with me and I waited while he took the orders of the other patrons in the restaurant. He dashed behind the counter to take my order and I ask him what the 7.2 shake is and he replies, «I’m not really sure. It has a scoop of our 7.2 powder.» I asked him what the 7.2 powder is and he says, «I don’t know and I don’t even know if we have any right now anyway.» Just ridiculous.
I order a regular green smoothie and after he runs my card he tells me it’ll be ready in 10 minutes or so. Ten minutes?! For a smoothie? He snaps at me says he’s the only person working and he’s doing his best. That’s not really my problem that they are under staffed. I get my smoothie 10 minutes later after several other irritated patrons come in and nobody greets them. Several others are lined up to pick up their orders that appear to be sitting on the counter for awhile, not bagged and wilting.
My smoothie is warm and gritty and the to-​go cup has a lid that doesn’t fit so it pops open when you grab it at the base. The straws are cut in half (to save money?) manually and too short for the cup. What a waste of time and money.

Beautiful, exquisitely delicious, enzymatically alive food! So grateful to have an establishment like this for an occasional treat. We need them to open one here in San Clemente so we can dine more often! Some of our favorite menu items so far have been the portobello sliders, raw lasagna and the lunch bento has always been tasty.
Unfortunately they’ve been closed during normal business hours a total of 4 times that we’ve attempted to dine, so be sure and call ahead if you’ll be coming from a significant distance away.

I purchased a Groupon for $ 14 good for 2 visits of $ 12.
The lady who took my order was very sweet and helpful. She was a little forgetful/​spacey however.
The set up is an order/​pay over the counter and they bring the food to you.
On my first visit I tried the Fried Avocado Mini-​tostado (since it received glowing reviews). I was not impressed; it was just okay. The avocado is creamy and fresh and the buckwheat crumb coating was crunchy but overall it lacked flavor and the spinach was a little soggy.
I also tried the fresh squeezed Apple Ginger Lemon juice which was refreshing and tasted more like ginger than anything else. It gave me a boost of energy. :-D
I have yet to return for my second visit (and my Groupon has now expired) since I wasn’t too impressed the first time.

The food is good but not worth the high prices their charging. The staff were all nice and attentive. But this is a raw none process food place and they took really long to get to us everything from the appetizer to the drinks and everything in between took about 15 to 20 minutes to come out! 45 minutes for the main course and mind you we were the only ones there so it really made me wonder what we’re they doing because the food isn’t cooked so why did it take so long?

The owner/​chef contacted me and she is willing to guide anyone through her menu.
I still think the logic behind raw diets is deeply flawed, but at least the owner is polite and welcoming.

So I haven’t been here for awhile. Now I remember why I hadn’t come back. Their customer service is not only slow, it sucks. I waited at the counter for about 7 minutes while the cashier, or whatever she is, talked on the phone. Mind you, there is no one else in the restaurant and it is about 11:10am. Finally she is off. I asked if there was a take-​home/​take-​out menu available? She said, «yeah, there’s one on the website». (More later on this) All I wanted was a freaking juice. I asked what she recommended and I got the shoulder shrug. Then Jenny Ross comes out of her cave and I get a mad-​dog look. So, the reason I stopped there is because I was on my way to a facial appointment and this place was on the way. I remembered seeing juices on the menu which is why I stopped. Juice was mediocre by the way and small for the price.
So I get home and search the website for the menu and the web site has the worst design ever. Please try looking for it and then tell me how long it takes you to find the restaurant menu.
Too bad. I really wanted to like this place. It is hard to find raw vegan food. The food is ok, but not spectacular. I am just so longing for more raw vegan restaurants in the OC. So I am back to square one… fixing the raw food for myself. The problem is I don’t feel like «cooking» every day. What to do now? Any recommendations?
I am never coming back here again. Jenny Ross? Whatever…
UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: So I was contacted by the owner Jenny Ross, via Unilocal Personal Messages, who emphatically denies being at the restaurant during that hour. The fact remains, someone (the same person evidently) was there during that time, as I had seen her before That being said, I do give her the benefit of the doubt. But my experience at 118 Degrees still stands!
RBV

A great place to switch things up… in a healthy, creative way! It’s definitely unique to see the many different dishes they can come up with since everything is plant-​based and prepared under 118 degrees.
My favorite is the shareable Curry Rolls, though they’re more like wraps. It’s a refreshing snack or light meal that makes my taste buds happy. Also try the zucchini noodles with pesto sauce! This is surprisingly very filling, so share this if you can. The salads are pretty good too, and a full size is decently big.
Tip: dress light! It feels kinda warm in here since it doesn’t feel like they have the A/​C on, just very small air circulation. Also, cross your fingers for parking because the plaza lot is a nightmare sometimes. It really comes down to luck! Or pay a couple bucks for valet if you can’t find a spot.

Had to use my second groupon so drove up here with my gf from San Diego before it expired.
AMBIANCE:
Small parking lot, but we were fortunate to find a spot.
My gf and I really liked the interior of the restaurant.
Urban, retro, hippie design with awesome wall décor (i.e. paintings, artwork)
MENU:
I got the Bento Box, because I liked the concept of trying a sample of appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. Soup was ok. It was simple in flavor, but I couldn’t distinguish all the ingredients. It was tomato-​based and seemed to need a touch of saltiness to bring out the flavors in my opinion. The salad was a nice accompaniment and fresh. I enjoyed the tortilla-​like crunchy strips added on top. The dressing was light. Not too bad.
The entrée was an interesting taco wrap and the sauce was very flavorful. I’m thinking it was a nut-​based sauce. It had fried avocado which was a winner. I mean who doesn’t love avocado or fried foods? The added crunch and savoriness of the avocado was delish ! Highly enjoyed it. Surprisingly filling too !
The dessert was a tiny ball of a mixture of coconut, perhaps dates for sweetness, and cacao (chocolatey flavor). It was quite dense and overly grainy. Using a fork was a fail. Texture could be improved.
The Green juice was refreshing, but for $ 6 I expected a bigger glass. But I did like the presentation of it in a cute ‘stay harmless’ labeled mason jar.
My gf enjoyed her Dos Tacos Plate. Portobello mushroom soft taco in house made wrap, verde crispy taco served on napa cabbage leaf, rojo salsa, and cilantro corn salad. She seriously wanted to buy the sauce used on the taco. She kept raving about it. Too bad they don’t sell the sauces. That would make good business. Hint.hint. It was quite messy to eat holding in all the goodies. She ended up using a fork halfway through it.
It was her first raw vegan foodie adventure and she was surprisingly full from the food.
She also found the Yogi juice delish. It had a strong watermelon flavor and quite refreshing! Weird it didn’t have watermelon as one of the ingredients though. doh !
SERVICE:
The food is still good, but the service is seriously lacking. Sorry but I would have to agree with the majority of the reviews regarding customer service. It really is a hit or miss. I can say that they are understaffed and the wait is completely uncalled for.
Fortunately for us, we were patient, but the two tables by us had unfortunate circumstances. We overheard that they were out of ingredients to make dishes. One being kelp noodles. I could tell they were displeased. We even wanted to have a Bloody Mary, but they were out of beets so we had to choose something else.
Seems like only one person was running the restaurant. Poor girl was taking orders, answering phone calls, preparing dishes, serving, and taking care of the bill. There was another older lady, but she looked like she was only behind the counter working the back. I think there may have been a chef in the back assisting, but it wasn’t helping much. It was super s l o w www. We even got our drink towards the end of our meal. Really? Poor girl was apologetic though. She seemed flustered and not really mentally there. She forgot to give me the groupon discount and made an incorrect charge on our bill. She was quick to fix it, but I could tell she wasn’t paying attention.
I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be if it was a packed house. There were only about 7 of us there. Face palm.
I suggest hiring more people and making sure you’re fully stocked with ingredients. I think this has been brought up on other reviews. Only time will tell.
I’m still a fan of raw foods, but major improvements need to be made if you want repeat customers. Best of luck and hope your business does continue to succeed.

If I could give zero stars I would. Went at 3:30p on a Thursday. One person working there. ONE. We were seated and orders were taken. She came back with waters and left. 10 minutes later she returns to tell us that the chef isn’t there until 4, and thusly, our food would not be able to made until then.
THIS would’ve been nice to know when we arrived. Or perhaps a CLOSED sign would’ve been a better choice? Last time visiting 118°, and last time recommending it to others.

Unless you are already a vegan or on a raw food diet I highly recommend going to another restaurant.
When I walked in with my friend we just kind of stood there because it isn’t really clear if you seat yourself or you should wait. Out comes the rude server who was one of the least inviting people I have ever seen working in customer service. He seemed bothered by us being there and was just generally uninviting and awkward.
After being seated our server decided to double down on the smug awkwardness. I love trying new and different types of food. Typically if the staff is aware that they are selling you a unique type of cuisine they will offer suggestions and explain how things work at their restaurant. Our server went over the 118 degrees concept and then promptly started shooting down most of the things I was asking about on the menu because they seemed to be out of about 50% of the ingredients.
I ordered the tortilla soup and some taco plate. They both sucked. the tortilla soup is lukewarm (one of those things a server might want to mention to first timers) and generally unappealing to me. Especially since it’s made in a blender and has a foamy consistency that I really wasn’t into. As for my «tacos» lets rename that entrée plants on a plate that in no way shape or form resemble a taco. The «tacos» were way more edible for me than the tortilla soup but that’s not saying much.
So after struggling through this meal that magic moment came where the bill arrived. I see that most other reviewers found out about 118 Degrees through Groupon. I did not. My total order was 2 waters (filtered tap water not bottled) Tortilla Soup «Taco» plate and a zucchini plate. So a soup and two entrees for $ 51… That was the final slap in the face after this disappointing dining experience. The fact that I could have gone somewhere that had a nicer atmosphere, actual customer service, way better food and spent less money.

Don’t plan on using two groupons at once which makes no sense especially when it’s two separate orders for two different people. The server with the headband sucks, he’s all over the place and slures his words. Hope the foods better than the service; about to find out, although I’m kind of scared to eat it now after his attitude malfunction.
By the way they are «out of everything I ordered» that’s comforting…

This place get the «Most Awkward Server of the Year Award!» and an honorable mention for «Slowest Service.» Upon entering no one seems to know exactly what to do, myself included. Don’t expect to be greeted and/​or escorted just because you walked in the door. I usually have to initiate the process by identifying why I am there («Hi, I’d like to eat lunch») and suggesting the next steps («…Should I show myself to a table?»). Don’t expect quicker service just because you are the only customer. But hey, if I ate only raw vegetables and sprouted buckwheat all day I would probably be a little slow and confused too.
Warning: they do not seem to be entertained by comments like «Better get it while it’s lukewarm!» or by playfully asking them if they could please heat the soup to 120 degrees instead of 118.
I was especially disappointed that this time they charged me $ 7 for the cup of tortilla soup I ordered that said $ 6 on the menu. I pointed this out to the waiter who simply said «No, its $ 7.» When I suggested they charge me $ 6 and change the menu to indicate the correct price the waiter said the computer would not let him give me two discounts (I was using a Groupon).
…So why do I continue to eat here? I ask myself that question every time I have been sitting down long enough that it would feel rude to leave but after I have also waited long enough to be thoroughly annoyed. Most of the dishes I’ve had ARE very tasty and attractive. It feels good to eat a plate of veggies wrapped in coconut paper and pretend it’s actually a burrito. But even the most creative and artistic mix of rawness can get tiring… after eating their food exclusively as part of a week long cleanse I couldn’t even walk in the place for a year. Their food all smells the same, and after about four days that started to get to me.
You can’t go wrong with a Bento Box for lunch, as long as you are patient, have a large budget, enjoy shredded carrots, are comfortable around socially awkward people. The soups are nothing short of delicious and are usually warm enough to be satisfying. The desserts are surprisingly dessert-​like and rich. Unfortunately when it comes to restaurants other things must be considered, and when you fail in categories like service, wait-​time, price you get 3 stars. I’d love to love this place, but the price and service makes it hard. I’m not sure that the veggies are even organic, but honestly after spending so much time and money here I’m a little afraid to ask. …Let’s just assume they are: D

Had the most wonderful lunch here today! Went with a friend (first time eating here for both of us.) I have eaten at other raw food restaurants so I was excited to compare.
Absolutely EVERYTHING was delicious – amazing textures, herbs, spices and combinations of flavor.
We wanted to sample a bunch of different things so we split the olive pizzetas, curry wrap, bento box, cucumber salad, broccoli pesto ravioli. LOVED IT ALL.
We didn’t order any of the smoothies or juice drinks because we wanted to have room for the food ;)
I can’t wait to go back – highly recommended!!!

Every time I eat here, I get really conscious of how I prepare my food and what I put in my body.
I’ve had their coconut ceviche, tapas plate, cheese plate, carrot cake, Apple cobbler, and chocolate ganache so far. I found everything to be good except their carrot cake. The waiter mentioned it’s made only a few times of the year, and I can see why. It’s just like carrot mush. But besides that, I have found everything else to be delicious. You know it’s «healthier» food but flavors have always been spectacular.
Service here is excellent, the workers here really know their menu well and are always very friendly. No complaints at all.

I really really really wanted to love this place… But was very disappointed in the food. I had ordered a cappuccino and it was pretty good, tasted very nutty. But the Baja burrito I got was not just smaller in size than I had hoped, considering «burritos» are pretty large, but lacked any great flavors. I usually eat raw and vegan food that I make at home, and was hoping to find a place where I can go to enjoy some good raw/​vegan foods when I’m not in the mood to «cook». I remembered reading the description of the Baja burrito and it was suppose to have red bell peppers, spinach, and a bunch of other great sounding ingredients. But instead, mine was filled with a few chunks of avocado, lots of carrots and even more pineapples! Pineapples? It tasted more like a fruit crêpe than a veggie filled burrito… Smh so so disappointing.
Sooooo, that was going to be my review, but before posting it I decided to give 118 degree a call and maybe resolve the problem. My family also owns a restaurant and I know how harsh and unfair some Unilocalers can be, so I wanted to let 118 redeem themselves. Luckily I did because it turned out that they had mistakenly made me a breakfast burrito. And then the really nice guy on the phone offered to make me the Baja burrito that I had initially ordered. Since I was still around the area I agreed to the offer and stopped by for my food. And this time around, the burrito was very yummy! Filled with all the veggies that I was expecting and it had more bold flavors. I will definitely go back to try other items, but not the breakfast burrito haha

(Based on 3.5 stars)
Came by here on Tuesday evening around 5:45 pm with my husband. When we walked in, we waited (along with another couple that walked in right before us and another couple in front of them) to be seated. There was no employees around but everyone just patiently waited. After a few minutes, eventually an employee came out of a room and asked each couple if they made a reservation (there was only one other table of 3, doesn’t seem necessary to make a reservation on a Tuesday evening) and had them pick a table.
After we sat at a small 2 person table, our server brought us our menus. My husband was feeling quite thirsty and so I had to ask for water. It took some time, but eventually we got it. Anyways, after browsing the menu, we ordered:
Olive Pizettas, $ 13 prior to tax– I liked this appetizer except for the house bread the toppings were on top of. It had a mushy like texture and you definitely would not be able to pick up the house bread and eat this (definitely a knife and fork appetizer). I liked the sauce (sun dried tomato marinara) on top of this appetizer.
Trio of Enchiladas, $ 21 prior to tax– My husband ordered this dish and thought it was okay but felt hungry afterwards. Each Enchilada had a different flavor: sweet, spicy and savory. The sweet enchilada had shredded carrots and corn inside a whole wheat tortilla. The spicy enchilada had beans, mushrooms and bell peppers inside a whole wheat tortilla. Unfortunately I do not recall what was inside the savory enchilada. Each enchilada was topped with a different sauce. I liked both the sweet and savory enchilada but didn’t try the spicy one because I don’t do spicy foods.
Butternut Squash Ravioli, $ 18 prior to tax– I ordered this dish and did like it. The butternut squash filling of the ravioli was excellent, but would have preferred some texture to it. Would have been nice if chopped nuts were added to the filling or maybe soy crumbles, etc for some crunch to it. The coconut pasta shells the butternut squash filling was in was rather soggy. The ravioli was topped with the same sun dried tomato marinara used on our appetizer. The ravioli was served on a bed of arugula and squash noodle salad that had a nice light dressing that I really enjoyed.
— — — — — -
(Total= $ 56.16, prior to tip but includes tax)
Service initially was lacking and did improve throughout the meal. Our server did refill our water glasses a few times during our meal and did remove used dishes from our table. But there was still times we were just waiting for more water and such.
Overall, I did like the food here but the prices are a bit high. Service should be better at the prices as well. Not sure I would come back here because of those factors but I do like the food here so maybe…
By the way, there is no free wifi here and there is one unisex restroom. This place is located at The Camp in the front section, near Unami Burger. This restaurant is small and only have a small number of tables here. Also I am not vegetarian or vegan but do enjoy eating this type of food.

Very interesting concept, and surprisingly tasty raw food.
I have heard so much about this place since its conception last year. My Unilocal buddy Aaron L first told me about it since he’s a fellow health nut like me. Finally got to try it and I was impressed! Now, lets be honest here, raw food just taste like shit, no matter how you spin it. So don’t expect to eat «raw» food and expect it to taste like regularly cooked food. Try blending a bunch of raw vegetables, drink that first and set your expectations accordingly.
We had already had an umami burger before coming here. So we only ordered the stuffed mushroom and the eggplant lasagna to round out our dinner. Both dishes were «lukewarm» due to the 118 degree rule, and I was actually surprised how delicious both dishes were. We especially liked the stuffed mushrooms. One thing I didn’t like was how much sauce was smeared on each dish, I think this restaurant tries to cater to regular people who are new to raw diet and try hard to make dishes taste like a normal dish, which is unnecessary.
Our waitress was very nice, the kitchen was efficient, and the ambiance is very modern and hip. Parking is a nightmare at the Camp. I would highly recommend this place if you are a health nut, otherwise go to In N Out and get a burger!