Marla’s Cafe

very small portions. ESPECIALLY for the price, and it was cold by the time it was delivered.

I’ve ordered delivery here on 3 occasions, each time took over 2 hours to receive the food (for a single person, a mile away). There are a few delicious items on the menu (veggie quesadilla and the free cookies are nice) but most portions are small. They have been very apologetic when I’ve called to inquire but it would be nice to inform someone that the food was going to be over an hour late past the promised time. 3^rd time is a charm, finally lit the bulb to never order food from here again.

I can’t believe we didn’t know about this gem of a restaurant. Ambiance was charming, service was excellent, and the food was fresh and delicious. And, we could have a conversation without having to strain to hear each other. Lovely evening and we can’t wait to go back again.

Love love love everything about Marla’s! Best delivery spot in Venice… Great service and even better food! Everything is made from scratch including the cookies!

My friend and I got tuna sandwiches which came with a side of choice. The French fries were delicious. The staff were super friendly too. Would definitely like to come back!

Marla’s is the Miracle on Abbot Kinney Street. The food is fresh and fabulous, can’t overstate that. It was love at first delivery. Salmon Tacos, Chicken Caesar Wrap, Cilantro Spinach Soup, Sandwich specials, The Penne Pasta, The Penne Pasta, The Penne Pasta. Did I mention the Penne Pasta in a garlic tomato sauce? We dined in today, a no frills kitschy place and I asked if I could buy some sauce to take home. Not to be done because they make the sauce fresh with each serving. And that is how good this place is.
Diverse menu with something for everyone and Marla herself is a gem of a person. No beer or wine but pretty sure you can bring your own for a small cork fee. Delivery, take out or dine in we’re hooked. It was our last meal before a 3 week road trip and our first meal upon our return. Love this place! Could be a fun place to host a low-​key party.

A few of us decided to try this place out as we pass it pretty often on the way to work.
I’ll keep it quick, which is the opposite of how this place operates.
It took 30 minutes to get drinks.
It took an hour to get our food (for a party of 5 and we were the only ones at the restaurant.)
The prices are on the very high side ($ 20 for a chicken caesar wrap) but the food was at least of good quality.
The décor was amazing however. It looked like a retired stage magician did the place. Different curtains ranging from sequins to lace adorn the walls as well as random knick knacks. The bathroom also has a cocktail table in it for some reason which amused me.
If you have 2 – 3 hours to kill and don’t care about spending $ 30 on a lunch, then this place is worth checking out, otherwise look elsewhere.

Yummy sums it up!

We went to Marla’s Café for our anniversary. The place is cute and colorful. We were greeted with crunchy homemade tortilla chips and fresh salsa. The chips were so good, we couldn’t stop eating them. We ordered Asian Salad, Grilled Chicken Breast with vegetable medley and rice pilaf. We also ordered Garlic Shrimp Spaghetti with sautéed mushroom on the side. Overall the food was delicious. The salad was excellent and the vegetables were so fresh. Our server, Danny, was super nice.

Love this place !! Grade A food & service. Plus it’s open till 3:00 am on weekends. (changes to «Munch»), equally amazing.

Marla knows what she is doing !!! This is some of the best food EVERRR !!! She says she cooks with love and it shows !! You cannot go wrong with anything !! The carnitas are incredible !! She also cares about your wants and needs ! Gluten –Free friendly !!! Thank You Marla !!!

I couldn’t tell you what Marla’s café actually looks like. My only experience with Marla’s is through delivery. One night months ago I was hungry and looking for something lighter than pizza for a delivery meal, and this was the first restaurant on the list. I ordered 3 tacos and the coconut shrimp appetizer. It was so good, I have since made this my go to delivery place on Unilocal.
Since then I’ve tried everything from from the chicken parm to the caesar wrap. Everything has been wonderful.
Did I mention the tortilla chips and guacamole? So good.
For delivery, it is just about as fresh as you can get. Great find. Thanks Unilocal

It is late I am really hungry I’m heading home from a long day I placed the order for pick up .it was not quite ready. the owner told me not to wait, she would drive it to my home. and they did. great service. Amazing home made (if you are a good cook) taste. Just like mama used to make. Actually better, my mom sucked in the kitchen.

Everyone is right Marla is super nice, don’t go if you are in a rush, and parking sucks. Food is OK and over priced. I had the TBLT (Turkey Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato). It was good and I have to say it is rare that I get to eat this sandwich since I don’t eat pork so that might have made it better than you might think.

I ordered food to go and the delivery guy was really kind, the owner also sounded very kind.
The food was very fresh and made with love. I can taste the difference. The next time I am on the west side I will have to go in to the restaurant to check it out. Over all I was happy with the quality of service and food from a delivery point of view.

My wife and I were doing route 66 on our honeymoon and were looking for something near our hotel. I read a few reviews on here and was nearby so we gave it a shot.
I had Matt’s Loaded Wrap bc I was done eating greasy dinner food from the road trip. It was fantastic. it was very evident everything was fresh.
My wife had the Carnitas off of the specials menu. She was equally impressed with the flavors and the freshness.
I don’t think there was a wrong choice on the menu and the service was excellent.

This place is incredibly. So glad I found it.
Eggplant parmesan is awesome. You can bring your own wine. Been there three times since I found out about it a month ago. Steak sandwich is perfect. Such great spaghetti. Very happy to have found this spot!

I don’t understand how this place has four stars. Marla was super sweet but the food was really meh and expensive! 8 bucks for a teeny tiny cup of chicken soup? Not good enough for that price. I also ordered the tuna sandwich which was ok. Don’t think I’ll ever come back.

We bought a Groupon here before (it was for lunch, but we were fortunately granted acceptance to use it for dinner after asking! It was $ 15 for $ 30 worth of purchases). About a half mile off the main strip of Abbot Kinney, Marla’s is divided into 2 parts; the sit down restaurant area and the to-​go area. If you go under the restaurant sign name, you’ll be in the take-​out area (it kind of looks like a little hotel lobby with a counter to order food). The restaurant is outside and around the corner.
When you step inside, it’s reminiscent of a funky Moroccan oasis. I’ve need been to Morocco and I’ve never been to an oasis, but this is what I picture it would be like. I don’t even know if this was indoors, or if this was just a tented space outdoors; that’s how covered from wall to wall the décor was. We did see some fencing and there were heat lamps, so my best guess was that it was outside. The walls are draped with velvety cloth and some other shiny things while the space was decorated with large fake potted plants and umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. There was a variety of sizes of tables, which contributed to the funky atmosphere. With all the sound-​absorbing décor, it leaves the place pretty quiet, which is also nice. Very cool.
We had the pleasure of being served and entertained by Giulio from Italy! Not only did he succeed at making us feel very welcome and attended to, but he did it perfectly and with enthusiasm.
The menu was varied; all different takes on different cuisines, which added to the funkiness of the setting. We were served chips to start with (they reminded me of tostada shells) with salsa; these were good but can get filling. I ordered the salmon wrap with guacamole and a side of salad, which was a spring mix salad with a vinaigrette. This was delicious but pretty pricy ($ 19– $ 17 for the wrap and +$ 2 for guac). We all finished with a soft cookie with the bill.
Overall, solid experience. A little on the pricy end, but unique and worth a try.

Marla is an absolute sweetheart. If you end up here for lunch she’ll personally come out to serve you and chat. For dinner she end up being too busy in the kitchen and you won’t be able to her at all. Its pretty empty around lunch time so you’ll definitely have her individual attention. I’ll have to say that this wasn’t not a fast lunch at all. Marla took her time but all the food was made fresh. Account for at least an hour if you come here to eat.
The only seating available is outdoor only. You get in from the side of the restaurant and not the front where the big awning is. Its absolutely fun and eclectic and totally reflects Marla! There are velvety drapes around the outside. Lots of fake lush plants all around. Random items all through out. Its pretty interesting and fun to sit there for a meal.
The food itself is made all fresh and is pretty good! While we waited for our food to come she came out with some fresh tortillas chips and salsa. Delicious! The chips were made using flour tortillas which I love because it makes for a wonderfully flakey and crispy texture. Basically almost like eating pastry. Marla seasons it all up for a kick of her own. The salsa she gives with it is obviously freshly made. You can definitely tell when tomatoes have been sitting around for a awhile.
I ended up with a pork loin sandwich with a side of mushrooms. Loved it. Only complaint is that the mushrooms were to salty for my taste. They were well flavored and yummy but too much sodium. The sandwich was pretty good and was made really well. The ciabatta bread was perfect! Soft on the inside and today on the outside, yet it was easy to bite into. A lot of ciabatta isn’t easy to bite into and you end up with a messy sandwich. The pork has some good flavor and I liked the garlic aioli.
I wish that their price point was a few dollars lower. Their lowest sandwich price is $ 15. It comes with a side but the sandwich itself isn’t humongous. Normal sized. Abbot Kinney is known for being pricey for lunch and food but $ 15 at least for a meal is a lot. Its to bad cause otherwise I like everything else about Marla’s. I would like to come back more often but my wallet might complain.