Cafe La Vida

They have changed their name to Lomita Café. I don’t know if it’s still the same menu/​ownership though. Will probably go there next week to check it out. I hope nothing changed besides their name. *crosses fingers*

Twice I have been here trying to get inside Le Patisserie Chantilly. Both times Patisserie Chantilly was Closed!
So, La Vida. Let’s just say I find this to be an asian-​mex fusion of In n Out. I have to say that I am a fan of the CHEESEBURGER with a STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE!!! The price was great, too.
They have a variety of sandwiches, but I have only tried the burger. I would totally come back here fore the burger with the strawberry banana shake if that bakery would open! Might be nice to get a coffee after and go on over to Chantilly for dessert. I wouldn’t know because I have never tried chantilly.

This place is very good. Especially loved the chili here. My wife really enjoyed the teriyaki burger.

The fries here are so good! Seriously try this place just for the fries and it will be worth it.
That’s not to say that the rest of the food here isn’t good, its all at least a half step above other char broilers. Their burgers are aways fresh and awesome with lots of options, like getting a pastrami burger (more like a pastrami sandwich with a burger patty added in).
On top of the typical café food they have, teriyaki bowls, burritos and even Gelato! And its actually pretty damn good gelato too!
The owners are really nice and treat everyone like a regular (or everyone happens to be one, its hard to tell). Like Adam J. said the only downside is that it isn’t open late.

This place is AMAZING and well worth the price. For the price of a McDonald’s combo you get a massive burger and TOO MANY FRIES TO EAT.
The fries were perfect! They’re the kind of fries you’d expect from a fast-​food diner, except they cook them right, every single time.
Teriyaki bowls were also amazing. All of their produce tastes so fresh. Breakfast burritos were awesome. Sandwiches were awesome. They have soda, an espresso bar, smoothies, gelato, organic loose-​leaf tea, and a whole cooler of juice.
The people that run this place are so nice. They’re open to customizing any order, and they sometimes give you free stuff. The guy also makes the bombest fried jalapeños.
Bottom line, this place has a wide range of great food for cheap. The ONLY thing wrong with Café la Vida is that it’s not open 24 hours.

No go on the teriyaki plate. And if you get it spicy, it is spicy, no joke. They cook in mini yellow jalepenos w/​the seeds swimming in the teriyaki sauce. I really wanted to like the place since I love family owned restaurants. Maybe I’ll come back to try a burger.

IMPORTANT EDIT:
The owner whose excellent service was lauded in this review has since sold Café La Vida and moved away. SAD PANDA, folks. We have yet to see if the new owner, and the new «Lomita Café» or whatever, is anywhere near as good as Café La Vida was.
(and now on to the original review)
While the menu lacks exotic appeal, everything on it is made to exceed the expectations of your dollar. For two bucks, I can get a massive plate of fresh, hot, perfect French fries; for three, I can get a deceptively filling cup of decent gelato. And for five, I can get a delicious burger to order, complete with fries and a soda — almost too much food, but such good food you want to see the bottom of your plate.
The atmosphere is simple, clean, friendly, familiar. The walls are covered in framed pieces of Lomita history, like old newspaper clippings and photocopied pictures of Lomita’s bygone eras. Light fixtures are cute and bright without being tacky or overbearing; high ceilings take a little of the coziness out of the place in exchange for a sleek, modern feel.
Décor aside, the service is unparalleled by businesses of this kind. The owner is a super-​sweet Asian man who takes pride and joy in remembering his regulars, their names and their special requests. I’ve only been there a handful of times, but he already greets me with perfect pronunciation of my uncommon Spanish-​origin name and remembers the Lawry’s Seasoned Salt on my fries (don’t judge me). Once in a while he treats us with kitchen extras, like grilling up jalapenos for my friend to top his burger, or slicing up wedges of watermelon on the house on hot, slow days.
I want to spread the word of Café La Vida and its perfect fries and very reasonable prices. The place is so quiet that I worry for its survival. So go, experience the awesomeness, tell your friends, and give them your repeat business.

this is a new place near my house, and ive seen it open for a few months now. I decided to go in and see whats up, not bad, not bad at all. Mostly fast food ish kind of place, but better than your Panda/​taco bell/​subway etc. They have lots to choose from, kind of a good place to grab a bite if you are on the run and need some good food fast. I ordered a breakfast burrito and it was $ 6, but it was good, and BIG. i could not even finish it. And what i liked about it was it was not all greasy tasting and filled with all rice, it had lots of meat and cheese in it. They also have breakfast foods, pancakes, eggs, etc. Lunch stuff is sandwiches, burritos, teriyiki chicken bowls etc. Most of the stuff ive had here has been good and lots of food for the money. I will go back again for a few things on the menu that looked good.
One other thing, the people working there are nice and will make stuff for you even if its not on the menu. i wanted a burrito that was not on the menu and they put it together for me. Nice job !

I found a jewel, right across the parking lot from Patisserie Chantilly, in Lomita. In fact, I had intended to go to Chantilly for dessert, but I was too full!
It was one of those tranquil summer evenings when I needed a Lomita fix. I love the historic town of Lomita, sleepy on weekends at sunset, a place where it sometimes appears that time stood still. There’s a minimum of McMansions & there are many family-​owned restaurants like Café La Vida.
The one previous Unilocal review encouraged me to try a burger, and it was a very good thing. See photos. The burger/​fries/​drink special, for 6 bucks, is a great value. If you like lotsa meat get the double burger, but for me the abundance of lettuce, tomato & onion on a skinny cheeseburger was perfection. I prefer veggies to meat any day. There was pickle & TI dressing on my burger, too, as part of the standard condiments.
It came with fries, which I rarely eat, but tonight I went for broke. They were fresh & hot, like the boyfriend of my dreams.
Even the iced tea was good, icy cold like the boyfriend of my nightmares, haha.
And I was served a complimentary slice of honeydew melon for dessert, I assume it was because this diner has been open only 3 months.
Café La Vida is attractive and spotlessly clean (see photo), and the service is as excellent as it gets… friendly & attentive & genuinely caring. Most impressive.
I ate on the front patio facing Lomita Blvd., at one of the two umbrella tables, with a view of the Palos Verdes hills in the distance, lovely.
Café La Vida is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, from 7am to 8pm, every day except Sunday.
They serve tea, coffee, espresso, latte, ice-​blended drinks, smoothies & gelato. A whole case full of sorbet & gelato is on display next to the register.
Breakfast sandwiches range from $ 3 to the $ 7 steak & egg. Omelettes are in the $ 6 range. I am definitely going for breakfast next week. There are pancakes, French toast & burritos, too.
Several choices of teriyaki bowls are available at Café La Vida. In fact, according to their sign, the specialties seem to be burgers & teriyaki.
They also have sandwiches: pastrami dip, steak, grilled chicken, ham, tuna, turkey, BLT, melts, and more.
And burritos, tacos, quesadillas. And I bet they’re good.
And: salads & home made soup.
There is a coffee menu and a hot tea menu. Many delicious-​sounding organic teas are listed. No wonder my iced tea was so good… teas are one of their specialties.
You can fax ahead your order at 310−539−3407. Park for free in the restaurant’s nice big lot.
Café La Vida has thought of everything. And they know how to treat a customer. And they won me over on my first visit.
Well done.

The place was really clean and well-​lit; I like that in a restaurant. I went there twice, first time for breakfast (try their steak & eggs — the steak will fill your soul no joke), and a second time for dinner, where I enjoyed a well crafted bacon hamburger. They have a variety of food on their menu, from Asian-​style teriyaki bowls to classic American food. For dessert, they have a pretty nice selection of Italian gelato, which is unusual (but welcoming) to find in a diner.
The food was good, the owner was REALLY nice (very courteous), the place was clean, and the meal was cheap; what more could you ask for?