Muse on 8th

So this area is really difficult for parking, but I happen to leave my car in the apartment structure across the street after running an errand that allowed me to leave my car there for three hours. But I thought, if I lived here, I would be at this café at least once a week. I would’ve given it four stars, except that the bathroom smells really bad, and it just kind of felt musty in general. It’s not terrible, but I would prefer Starbucks simply because it’s air-​conditioned and cleaner with better customer service. The chai was pretty good and I found a chaise lounge chair that I really liked.

I happened into this quaint lil café which is down the block from I LOVE LULU — a cool natural hair salon, anyway nice service and most importantly yummy coffee!, artisan bread (I passed on the calories) and had a good breakfast veggie scramble — lots of veggie meat substitutes to choose from — they lost a star because I had to duck under the leaky air conditioner over the door — but that was a minor adventure worth the great experience I otherwise has here. The gentleman at the counter was super nice and my
Breakfast was good.

It’s a nice place but not to study. The music is way too loud which makes the the people dining talk louder. Using my headphones doesn’t work either. However the food is good.

I was just about ready to order on seamless since the food was right up my veggie alley until it required for me to tip! Tipping is first an option not a right. Second I usually pay cash so my boss doesn’t ask me about any extra stuff whenever I travel since I usually tip I guess «too well» from what he yelled at me last time about. But I do at least require the service to happen first to judge what the person deserves. I will never go here or even try to order from her just from being require to tip in a minimum wage state that pays ALL people the same instead of waiters wages. Maybe this place needs to learn something from the restaurants in NYC that are getting rid of the tip and pretty much all other countries too, that don’t get the idea of paying someone extra for a job they are already getting paid to do. I get it if they go above and beyond. So thank you Muse on 8^th for making my choice a lot easier!

Veggie chili was delish and mild spicy (but I can take heat). My friend had a grilled cheese panini, sun-​dried tomatoes and avocado on pumpernickel. We were both super happy.

Cute little café with organic coffee and enough food to pick from. I had their oatmeal once and it was great. Been on a few coffee dates here, and it’s a nice environment for getting to know someone. Usually mostly people studying or doing other things on laptops. There isn’t a ton of seating, but I have yet to walk in there when there wasn’t a table free. There’s a laid-​backness to Muse on 8^th that makes it feel like you aren’t in Los Angeles. They do open mics and display artwork on the walls. Definitely seems like they want to create a community. A welcoming one. I’ll definitely be back. And hopefully one day I won’t be able to find a table free when I go. Places like this deserve more business!

I went to Muse for Tattle Tales-​Story telling and loved it! It’s always great to find a spot that celebrates raw artistic expression, so I will definitely return.
My next visit will be for the Acoustic Soul series (every 3^rd Friday).
The Café is nice and quaint. They have vegan pastries and a nice selection of tea (I had the Chamomile Lemon to relax).
Be sure to turn cellphones off and be mindful of noise levels when people are performing.
Hint: If the person at the mic gets quiet and stares at you, it’s because you need to Be Quiet… a couple of ladies couldn’t seem to figure this much out.
I learned awkwardly that one should not order at the counter once someone reaches the mic… but they just kept going up and I was literally stuck at the counter for several minutes, because once I was finally able to order my tea, I still had to wait for the person performing to finish before I sat down… but as one person finished, another rushed up! LoL. Live and Learn.
⁰⁴⁄₁₀₀. Unilocal Challenge.(2016)

Sunday brunch before LACMA here at Muse on 8^th was a wise decision. Organic breakfast burritos/​scrambles and paninis with a variety of veggie meats. Had a burrito with mushrooms, red onions, green peppers that was superb. Definitely a great spot to go to before or after exploring LACMA

I’m on a Daniel fast (vegan) and wanted a quick bite. Muse was my first, and probably last, vegan /​vegetarian adventure. Came in yesterday and while ordering, a baby roach ran across the menu I as looking at as I stood at the register counter. I still ordered the food thinking ‘hell all restaurants probably have a bug or two,’ but when I got home I couldn’t bring myself to eat it…

VEGANS… you want to eat here, trust me, even though they have a lacto ovo menu, most of their dressings and mock meats are vegan, and you can substitute Daiya, avacado, or hummus for cheese on many of the sandwiches. Their chili is vegan (delicious with the whole wheat roll, just request non-​dairy butter) and they have a build your own salad option. I think their vegan version of a Reuben is superb. I have yet to try their breakfast (pancakes, or tofu scramble) but I have zero complaints thus far. Quaint cozy café atmosphere with a variety of coffee and tea. Yum!

I love this local vegetarian café. The owner is vegan, so make sure you mention that you are, too, when ordering. There are a lot of options here and I like to keep it on the light side of café food, but you can get some excellent comfort food here, too. I recommend the select-​your-​own-​salad with ranch dressing, the blackbean avocado wrap (it’s a salad in a wrap!), kombucha and raw tonics on ice. You can hook up to the internet and spend all day working in quietude or hang out in the evening where there is local entertainment every night but Wednesday. Love knowing the people who feed me. There’s always a smile and usually great vintage soundtrack playing quietly in the background, too. Don’t forget the vegan, gluten-​free desert options!

Mixed feelings about this place…

This place was super cute, and super delicious! Definitely try the breakfast panini with pumpernickel! Great coffee as well :)

I really like working here, the tables are small but I go during the middle of the day on weekdays and so I haven’t had a problem if I need more space. They also have outlets so that is nice. The vibe is chill and the food is pretty good. I’m a vegetarian and they have a lot of options so I like having lunch here too. I will definitely be back.

2 stars for the decent wi-​fi and electrical outlets.
I came here some time ago for breakfast and while I appreciated their vegan/​vegetarian options, their food doesn’t taste good??? Even their Americanos tasted off. Am I missing something? Maybe it’s because I’ve only had the opportunity to have their breakfast items but it wasn’t anything memorable.
Also, more than the food, I was really put off by the woman who works there in the mornings. I’m assuming she’s the owner or manager of some kind, but she gave me such an attitude the entire time I was there. Once when I asked about the menu, once when I actually ordered my food/​drink, and another time when I asked something about the wi-​fi. What is she so mad about??? All in all, there are a million other cafes just like this or better in LA, especially in the area they’re located. If they want to lose customers by being rude, it’s a disservice to themselves. I haven’t had the urge to go back.
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***EDIT (5÷29÷15)
Jennifer R., who turns out to be the owner of Muse on 8^th, personally messaged me with a thorough explanation and a really heartfelt apology about my experience here. Everybody has bad days, and it just seems that I caught her then. It happens to everyone. She seemed genuinely sorry, and I think it’s great that she acknowledges and cares about her customers’ experiences and even tries to come up with ways to make it up to them, which is unfortunately rare to see these days in most businesses. Other business owners should take note on how Jennifer R. treats her customers. I will try this place again and hope to put up a much better review.

Cute little café with ample tables, fun ambience and yummy food. As a vegetarian, I definitely appreciate the veggie options and friendly staff. It’s a bit hot and more airflow could keep this place a bit cooler but I really like the vibe of this place. Not pretentious but just easy and sweet. I like that the kitchen area is viewable, makes me more comfortable about my food.

MUSE on 8^th and La Brea, you are everything I have ever loved about a café. You have incredible vegan food. You are quiet. You are homey, artsy and not ultra-​deluxe. You have seating options everywhere. You are the chip cracked off the bohemian mug, never one to have your roots down too long. Hollywood got too exhausting. Silver Lake was never your jam. So you ended up in the Miracle Mile. Is that where I am?
Your vegan breakfast panini is incredibly yummy. For $ 9.60 ($ 8.75 + $.50 vegan surcharge + tax), you get an incredible dark pumpernickel breaded gooey sandwich, which looks anything but vegan. But it is vegan, everything looks and tastes like cheese, but they are only layers off tofueretta, tofu mufu, tofu squash and probably daiya. It is incredibly crunchy and tastes like grilled cheese with a tofu scramble inside of it. Would you rather have a salad than a small mug of fruit? No I want my small mug of fruit. Melons piled on top of blueberries. Add a strawberry in there too.
Oh Muse on 8^th, you are too far from me now. I wish you were back on Santa Monica Blvd. and Hudson. But the times have changed since the days of Muse on negative 8^th Street.

Just had the Chick’n Pesto sandwich today. The bread looked nice and crispy, so I took a bite and it’s was as if a can of Crisco had been thrust into my mouth… like the whole can lol. The sundried tomatoes felt more like a 99-​cents version of what should have been grilled sundried tomatoes. The gardein patty was warm at best and the pesto was ok.
The one good thing was the decent internet connection and Daiya vegan cheese! –I more than likely will not be going back, not even for the semi-​free wifi and electricity, which FYI, they request a $ 5-​minimum purchase to use. Plus the whole place is cooled by a dust-​mite-​infested– looking box fan in the corner above the food prep area.
–Honestly Veggie Anywhere… but here lol

What an oasis on a hot day! The cold brew coffee was great, the Chickn Veggie wrap was delicious (I got it with ranch dressing instead and wow it was creamy and garlicy), and the customer service was exceptional.
Ample seating, clean restroom, and free wifi: the perfect café trifecta.

I LOVE the vegan chili with hearty pumpernickel bagel and the fact that they also feature local painters, photographers, musicians, writer-​storytellers and comics. Seismic Sundays induce seismic belly laughs with stellar stand up and the weekly Saturday night writers salon hosted by Alex Stein is a great, weekly storytelling event worth checking out.
By day a great writer’s hideaway and almost nightly host to charming art events. Total gem.

YUMMY!!! sooo soo yummy for my tummy… After finishing an appointment nearby, my mother and i stopped by on a whim because she wanted to get out of the sun and we were sooo hungry. If it weren’t for my mom i wouldn’t have stopped lol! but im really glad i did… we had a very pleasant lunch
She ate a delicious pesto sammy and i ate the chicken salad samich on pumpernickel. chips were soo good too!!!
Highly recommended. very trendy/​hipster-​ish.

Free wifi, fantastic service, great music for jazz/​swing and golden oldies lovers. Nothing fancy on the inside, just casual and cute. Great chai latte. Kombucha for sale and reasonable prices

The moment you walk through the door the atmosphere feels dirty and grungy. I hesitated on ordering food here because it screamed not good and boy was I right! The veggie chili was hard to take down. Something tells me the rest of the food here is not good either. It’s too bad my first impression was so not good because I like the fact they have vegan and vegitarian food options.
I’m not sure though if I would give this place a second chance just because I was so turned off by the atmosphere. And the service was on the same page of the food– not so good. This place might be better for grabbing a coffee or if you need a place to surf the internet for a short period of time.
My only compliment was the great music. It was music from local bands. I definitely have to give them props for that;)

Just moved to the area, and this is the local café I’ve been looking for. I’m neither vegan nor vegetarian, but this place is unpretentious and comfortable. It feels as though it’s for the locals, not anyone looking for any type of scene.
The coffee is good, the food is good, the atmosphere is good. What more can you ask for?

A cute little place that is in DIRE need of a deep clean! The cold brew coffee is delicious but my meal felt thrown together. My pancakes and veggie sausage came out semi-​burned and the whole breakfast was very lackluster. If I wasn’t in a time crunch I definitely would have sent them back. The service was fine and the music was great, but the meal definitely wasn’t worth $ 15. Disappointed in my experience as other Unilocalers seemed to enjoy way more!

I stopped by to kill time between appointments. The café itself is spacious, has a lengthy menu aaand they’re setting up for open mic night as I type this.
That being said the noise level just got cranked up a notch.
So if you venture out here to get any kind of studying done… avoid open mic night :)
I ordered the mediterranean wrap and chili. The wrap was good, made w homemade garlic hummus :9 chili was a bit… there was something weird, but it might be because im not used to vegan ‘meat.’ I mean i still ate the entire thing. Portions are nice – i couldnt finish half my wrap/​miniburrito. That plus a bag of chips came out to around $ 14 not including tip.
There’s seating for like 30 – 40 butts but it was pretty empty… i like :) i left before open mic night started but ppl seemed to trickle in for that as i was leaving.
Only cons: parkings a pain (no new news), internet is slow (there were only two other folks plugged in)

A friend and I came here to grab some lunch before exploring LACMA. We loved this little café!
Firstly, of course I love it because it is vegetarian. It isn’t the weird hempy vegetarian type of restaurant either. We both had a falafel sandwich which came with a nice salad. It was about 10 bucks each.
We enjoyed the nice, open and quiet atmosphere as well. It seems like a very basic café – one I would love to sit and read in or study in. Not too fancy or busy. They seemed to have a lot of drinks and coffee which we will have to come back and try! I liked the music they were playing as well.
Parking is street parking.