RAW

I’d been familiar with raw food cuisine, and had eaten at over a dozen raw restaurants, for about 15 years when I finally dined at RAW, seeing it by chance when I first visited LA. I wanted to love it, but really just left feeling like everyone involved was on some sort of time-​slowing, reality-​negating drug that I thankfully was not.
First off, the pair of near-​bare breasts that served me… ahem…the waitress who was obviously trying to procure tips via her in-​your-​face cleavage was nice but completely absent-​minded. While there were only two other tables filled, for some reason my two-​item order took half an aeon to reach my table.
First, after my imaginary children managed to get born and reach puberty, my guac and crackers appetizer arrived. Apparently someone thought that the buckwheat crackers should be crumpled up and mixed in with the guacamole as though I were two years old, and that this unsuccessfully eccentric mush should be eaten with – a fork? I looked at the tiny mound with a confused expression and the waitress immediately apologized for it being served that way and brought me extra crackers, which was nice (and strange), but eating cracker-​crumble guac with more crackers made for a bit of dry-​cracker-​texture overload.
After several more imagined generations lived and died, my pizza entrée finally reached my now-​starving carcass. And while the postage-​stamp sized portion of food was certainly tasty, it definitely wasn’t even a quarter of meal or worth the healthy chunk of change I had to pay for it. (My suggestion: eat a full meal before coming, literally.)
I then had to use the restroom (I had been there for several decades at this point, after all), and went inside to ask Juliano where the restroom was. He winced at me regretfully and replied, «We can’t let *customers* use it.» Oh, of course, they might do something disgusting in there, like urinate, those filthy vermin! Perhaps no one from planet earth informed his highness that restaurants have restrooms and that banning your clientele from the most rudimentary of human conveniences makes you all appear to be high on narcissistic crack.
I most likely won’t be back, but I will say, that postage stamp was tasty.

I would never eat here again.
The service is simply awful. The food is alright but not in anyway worth the price.
Then I saw this posted by my waitress.

This place is unique, as the owner is. Don’t knock him for being himself. If he wasn’t himself we wouldn’t have his amazing creations. With genius comes eccentricity.
I eat at all the vegan and raw places around town but when I’m in Weho, this is my pick. The food is colorful, original and tasty off the charts. It makes my taste buds and cells very happy. Yeah, it’s expensive but do you know what rents are in this town? They are insane. It’s not easy being a small business owner. If you want quantity, go to Tender Greens.

I love this place. Every time I visit LA I eat here as much as possible. And the maca mint chocolate chip smoothie is the most delicious smoothie on the planet.
Also the lovely Bulgarian waitress was helpful and very nice.
Thank you!

I’ve been coming here for years (back when it was in Santa Monica) and I’m officially declaring an ultimatum after witnessing how terrible the employees are treated here. I’ve heard from many friends horror stories of what it was like working for juliano — but I honored their experiences as THEIR experiences, not my own. As far as I was concerned, I enjoyed his food for what it was — despite the high prices. And yes, I’m a hardcore «raw» foodie — I don’t mind spending my energy on places like this.
But with this new generation of (planet) RAW and its astronomical prices, I will attest that it has seen better days. Far better. Yes — Juliano is a pioneer and a brilliant chef! Scratch that — he’s a brilliant businessman. His ethics are non-​existent and he’s notorious for several things which I hardly cared for because I give everyone the benefit of a doubt.
There have been many red flags since day 1 of reopening (and prior) for me, but the work enslavement here is the straw that broke the camel’s back. If you’re new to this place and have experienced terrible service, it’s because the owner has ZERO integrity. BELIEVE the majority of the reviews here — the service is bad for a reason.

Wanna hear crazy stories? TIME FOR A SEXY PARTY. Starting with cons. My FAV place for late-​night deliciousness; WORST service ever, but I keep going back for the food.
I keep wavering between 1 and 5 stars. I want this place to succeed because I love the food… but for the love of God, service is soooooo important!!!
SERVICE…ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Look, I can appreciate hot waitresses dressed scantily clad — but 99% of the time they’re completely AWFUL servers. I’d rather have unattractive waitresses who KNOW what they’re doing (read my previous review for more). If you want to feel like you’re at a stripclub, this is your spot. Butts and boobies galore.
But wouldn’t it be lovely to hire hot MALES too (that would be smart considering this place is in the heart of the LGBT community) for either gender who aren’t into chicks. Or at least hire raw vegans/​vegans/​vegetarians who know ANYTHING about leading a healthy lifestyle — one waitress told me «I love my meat.» Gross.
And it’s sort of obnoxious when waitresses hit on my date in front of me (happened more than once). No, I’m not being an overly sensitive or insecure female. I’m amused by the fact that the waitress handed my guy her phone (her home-screen’s wallpaper = super sexy bikini shot of herself) and asked him to add her on Facebook (as he’s holding my hand).
It’s also frustrating that every time I’ve placed a to-​go order over the phone, stuff is either missing or wrong.
FOOOOODDDDD
I’ve been supporting this place since it was in Santa Monica and I love Juliano (the owner) as a brilliant icon in the raw vegan world… but I do wish they’d go back to being vegan (watch the menu — some dishes have goat cheese or honey).
Awesome dishes that I guarantee you will love (unless perhaps your tastebuds are destroyed from eating processed crap your entire life): Mary Jane, hot chocolate, Van Gogh, Alice in Wonderland, Monarch, Lap Dance (chill — it’s a salad), I Am High, any of the smoothies, any of the juices, any of the soups, most desserts, any of the sushis… well, I’ve pretty much had every vegan item on the menu and loved it all.
BAD REVIEWS OF FOOD
For any reviews where people complain about not feeling full or not feeling well: a lot of people’s bodies are insanely toxic from years of eating meat/​dairy OR processed foods. I am CERTAIN that their reaction is from eating something healthy. I never feel bad after eating here, but I have been an organic raw vegan for around 5 years and I was vegan prior to that.
If you eat and you’re not full, it’s likely because your body is accustomed to the «stuffed» food coma you receive from eating processed foods or meat/​dairy. So please don’t judge Juliano’s food based on that.
ATMOSPHERE
I generally like the dim lighting and electronic music (although sometimes it gets too loud). I enjoy eating outside during the day (that intersection will always keep you entertained).
Parking is easy (Pavilion’s lot).
PRICING
Don’t expect huge portions for these high prices. Raw food is nutrient-​dense, therefore less is needed to fill you — so don’t feel ripped off.
It’s EXPENSIVE. It’s in a crazy expensive location & they’re using all organic food. This is NOT the place for the budget-​minded. You WILL spend A LOT.
That being stated… I will admit that this is the most expensive organic/​vegan-​type place that I’ve ever seen. Brace yourself & know that food is the best investment. People spend way more on alcohol than they do on food yet complain about healthy-​eating.

I don’t mind paying for great quality raw, organic, and locally sourced food. I would just like to say that with such upscale pricing, I would appreciate a linen napkin as opposed to a paper one. (Our lunch bill was $ 63 for two no juices/​beverages/​desserts) Also, the bathrooms are not clearly labeled? There are two doors that appear identical. One leads to kitchen, other bathroom… A bit of a guessing game. A sign would be great. I did love the orchids on each table, and the ambience was modern and upbeat. The food was outstanding. Every single bite was full of flavor without being overpowered by herbs and spices — which softened the blow of the kitchen running out of both of our first choices for entrees.

Loved the food at RAW. Loved the experience.
The creator/​owner/​chef here is (thankfully) serious about his RAW food & it shows. The menu is intricate & extensive in all the best ways… local organic veggies I’ve never heard of, beautiful presentations & so many amazing flavors! Creatively quirky names lead to splendidly flavorful & filling combinations of beautiful raw food. Take your time & let your taste buds run wild.
Wonderful service. Chill outdoor seating. Parking in connected Pavilions lot.
I will definitely be back for more.
Thank you RAW.

Ridiculous prices that actually went up DURING OUR VISIT. I kid you not — my friend paid one price for a dish, and when I ordered a take-​out of the same thing, the price had risen by over $ 7.
What was worse was that they refused to see how ridiculous the situation was and insisted on charging the different price.
Impossible? Not at RAW.

I eat here everyday. It is the most amazing restaurant in the world. Everything is organic and good for you. So inventive!
The pastas are made from kelp noodles and taste better than any pasta dish I’ve ever had.
Pumpkin tortellini!
The sushi!
Salads!
The shakes!
Everything here is beyond amazing.
It is expensive, but worth it.

It seems Juliano’s is either rated one or five stars on here. It is surprising and not so as well. I would easily give it five stars, but the addition of goat cheese to the menu is a bummer. I thought Juliano’s food was amazing w/​his signature nut/​seed cheezes, so why add goat cheese to the menu. He makes dairy-​free raw vegan taste divine, so if you go here opt for that. I understand many raw foodists use raw honey as well. While strict vegans don’t use honey I feel this is less of an issue as factory farming as well as the meat and dairy industry.
1. If you want fast food go to Del Taco or Chipotle. Get yourself a vegan burrito w/​beans, rice, salsa, guacamole, and be happy! Don’t expect fast service here.
2. If you are used to being filled up on dead animal carcass like steak, chicken, bacon, and so on… raw foods take some getting used to. You might feel light and not as heavy (this isn’t a bad thing).
3. Juliano gets all his food items from local farmer’s markets getting organic and fresh as possible. For this reason some items might not be available on the menu. Go w/​the flow.
4. Yes, the food can be a bit pricey. If you are making innovative raw cuisine from scratch using organic and local supporting farmer’s markets of course it will be more. Appreciate the dining experience or see number one above (get healthy fast food).
5. I have met Juliano on several occasions. He listens to the beat of his own drum. He eats pretty much all his meals at the restaurant and if you haven’t noticed isn’t that bad on the eyes. He is in great shape. People might say he is a gigolo, but feel he doesn’t hide who he is. I once saw a customer get upset and leave before ordering because Juliano wouldn’t turn down the music. I once asked Juliano for a takeout menu or business card. He frankly said he didn’t use either to save paper and to check the menu online. I respect that.

I was on a detox, and there was a TON of stuff that I couldnt eat. The only option I could get at Raw was the Spring Rolls, even though I kind of cheated my detox a tiny bit (the Mango wrap skin was sweetened with Agave, which I wasnt supposed to consume). I only got that and a bottle of Italian still water, the bill came out to be $ 20. Holy shit. I’m fine with those figures if I were in a fine dining establishment, but for a casual pop in to read a book, that’s took my by surprise. I dont think I’ll be back just because the check was a little traumatic, but food and service was great while it lasted. The owner served me, and she was very helpful and thoughtful about my detox restrictions. So, one star off for the price alone.

I’m no raw foodist, but from time to time I like to detox and eat extremely clean, but for some reason I think it may have backfired literally and figuratively.
Now I don’t know if RAW is to blame for me vomiting profusely and my butt being strapped to the toilet seat in the middle of the night, but my stomach was tore up. But that was pretty much all i ate that day besides some almonds and walnuts. And after reading some other Unilocalers talk about stomach ache and «meth like» reaction, i think it may have been from eating at RAW.
When i walked in, i didnt know if i were to seat myself or not. I stood there for about 30 seconds until i finally decided to grab a menu myself and seat myself. Then the waitress, who i wouldnt have thought was the waitress because she was dressed like she may be going to the club straight after work and seated with two guys and another lady who dressed like her, comes. I know I was at no 5 star restaurant, but a greeting would have been nice. So after she comes to my table, she leaves and sits back down with her friends. So I open the menu hoping to see some lunch prices, because my eyes grew big at the price for the food AND the drinks. I know it can be a hefty price eating healthy, but dang $ 15 for a smoothie.
I came in there knowing I wanted a salad so after looking at the pictures on Unilocal,many said that the Medicinal salad was the best. But geesh, $ 21 for a salad though?! The salad consisted of greens, herbs, veggies, wild seaweed, avocado, buckwheat croûton, heirloom tomato, garlic ranch. So I figured it should be pretty good… and it was! I decided to get a lemon limeade juice to go. That was the cheapest juice on the menu– $ 7.
But boy oh boy, around 12:30am is when my stomach and butt were in battle. Again, I don’t know for sure if it was RAW, but it’s a great chance it was.
So would I go back again? Absolutely, NOT! Service is whatever, the prices are RIDICULOUS, and the food might make me sick again. I’m not doing that again!

My first time with RAW was just an ‘okay’ experience. The service was terrific and helpful from the minute I looked at the menu and the restaurant itself was clean and nice. However, I didn’t feel that the price was completely justified for what I was plated. RAW is just like it’s title sounds — raw/​vegan/​vegetarian meals with a mostly Asian fusion type of twist. They have a variety of smoothies, juices, teas and other types of drinks to go along with this as well as a number of appetizers and entrees like rolls, soups and other items.
Note that the menu is pretty extensive (like Cheesecake Factory size) so you’re going to want to take some time to familiarize yourself with it. I ordered the blood juice which was a mix of beet/​apple/​ginger/​lime and was pretty delicious and was around $ 6. (Most of the drinks are +$ 10 as a heads-​up). Food-​wise I ordered the a type of roll which was packed with avocado and vegetarian protein. It had a great presentation with all the food fit in tightly into the roll. It was a bit pricey (+$ 15) as were most of the food items and was a bit small compared to what I was expecting. The taste wasn’t too bad — really fresh but didn’t have much else to the dish.
All-​in-​all, its not a bad place to stop by — just be prepared to spend a bit more to get more substantial food and drinks.

I am the biggest carnivore in the universe so the idea of Raw/​Vegan/​Vegetarian food fills me with disgust/​skepticism and (if forced to dine at a restaurant proclaiming any of these «buzz words») dread.
This was NOT the case with Raw. From the moment I tasted my first bite of food I was enamoured by the incredible flavours present in the food paired with the organic, raw and pure HEALTH of everything on the menu!
Although the service can be quite slow at times, all of the wait staff are extremely friendly and knowledgeable, totally able to give a recommendation on what to try if you are stuck– the menu is HUGE so if you’re a first timer or not familiar with Vegan/​Raw cooking you may need some help.
I highly recommend the Alice in Wonderland Pasta, the Mermaid Wrap and another amazing Mexican style wrap that I can’t remember the name of! The choc-​coconut drink is also incredible.
Well worth the wait and a restaurant you will fall in love with.

RAW scratched my itch for healthy food options while visiting the WEHO area.
Being from out of town, I’m use to vegetarian meaning someone cooked vegetables until they are an unrecognizable mush, so to have such wonderful creations/​options that could satisfy this omnivore was greatly appreciated.
Atmosphere:
–Open. Great for enjoying the weather and people watching.
–Patio dining available.
–A great place to enjoy a cup of coffee.
Service:
–Friendly and helpful. We had a late lunch when the restaurant wasn’t very busy or full.
Food:
The menu was very creative. Prices were good but the food was even better. I got the Haiku sushi which was perfectly balanced in texture and flavor. Between my dish and the cappuccino, I was comfortably full. Otherwise no room for dessert, even though they looked really tempting.
The owner seemed to really take pride in his restaurant as he fussed with the table presentation and flowers. I’ve never seen a restauranteur so involved. It was really refreshing.
This is definitely a place that I’ll put into rotation of reruns.

RAW is an interesting experience. While I do have a bit of reservations about this place, I can’t deny that I had a good experience.
Back in the day, I frequented the Santa Monica location when I worked blocks away. I was actually raw vegan at the time so it was super convenient. Though I’m no longer raw (just a regular vegan now), I was curious to visit RAW when I found out they moved to WeHo. I was also motivated by a deal I found on Amazon Local.
With meateater BF in tow, we walked in through the back door to the blasting sound of n-​bomb filled rap music. I admit, I’ll listen to that in the privacy of my car but I found it strange that a place of business would be playing that. Employee attire was definitely, shall we say, free-​spirited. One waitress had on a short skirt and revealing tank top and I was worried that the guy at the next table was going into creeper mode on her.
In the same amount of speed that my expectations fell short, expectations were exceeded! Service was friendly, attentive, and helpful. Food came out fast and they were very much concerned that everything tasted okay and that we were happy with our orders. Using my Amazon Local voucher was easy peasy and they didn’t treat us badly for using it. There was even a minor miscommunication between servers so the voucher wasn’t reflected on the bill initially but the gal had no problem immediately fixing it.
Lastly, the food was AMAZING! Since I had a voucher, why not treat myself to one of the more pricier items on the menu? I ordered the Chile Relleno. My goodness, it’s delicious! The meateater BF was even impressed by it! The menu describes it best: mushroom «meat» w/​guacamole & cheese cradled by Anaheim Chilli wrapped in collard green, drowned in heirloom tomato marinara & sour cream. I practically licked the plate of all that goodness!
The meateater BF wasn’t super hungry so he just ordered a Chocolate Shake. It is a $ 10 Chocolate Shake. TEN DOLLARS!!! Crazy, right!?! Is it even possible to create a shake so delicious that it’s worth ten dollars??? Um… yes. This shake is ridiculously good! It’s thick… practically like ice cream. I don’t know what’s in it exactly. Cacao, cinnamon, maybe almond milk, maybe maca. It was topped with coconut, goji berries, and nuts. They even gave us two straws. His and hers, pink and blue :)
Eating here made me happy! It reminded me that raw food makes me happy! The menu contained a lot of my old favorites (Pumpkin Tortellini, Jalapeño Poppers, Tom Kha Gai…) and I was glad to see new items as well. Even though this place is not entirely vegan anymore, they clearly state which items are non-​vegan (due to goat cheese and whatnot). But that doesn’t bother me. Also, this was the meateater BF’s first experience with raw food and he said that he would eat it again.
As for the aforementioned reservations I had, either you like it or you don’t. Perhaps this is the kind of place that doesn’t care whether you do or don’t and make no apologies about it. We were two of three customers dining in on a monday afternoon and somehow they stay in business. Perhaps there’s a niche of extremely free-​sprited people that RAW caters to that keeps this place sustained. For now, I’m not gonna question it. I can’t deny that I had good service and great food. While my budget won’t allow for regular visits, I can handle it once in a while. If I’m in the mood to treat myself to something healthy and delicious, it’s likely that I’ll be back.

If you are looking for a healthy meal, look no further! Whenever I think raw food, I think flavorless, uninspired and boring, but that is not the case here.
I had the Atlantis salad, which consisted of a mix of different seaweeds with ginger. I also got the lexi slider sandwich which is pumpkin tortellini, sundried heirloom tomato, avocado, onion on flax with balsamic drizzle and both were incredible. I cannot wait to come back and try more of their dishes. The best part about my meal was that it was really satisfying without weighing me down. I felt energized for the rest of the day.
Their white chocolate raspberry dessert is divine. Don’t skip dessert!
Service was a little spotty and prices are surprisingly high but I am sure that has to do with their cost of ingredients. Overall, I was really impressed. Plus there is great outdoor seating and free parking.

Wow. I can’t believe I have to give a crummy rating. I was SO excited, being a Raw Chef, to come down here and try something established and creative.
Ordered:
Dinosaur — Kale — Salad
Nachos
Pumpkin tortellini
Chocolate cheesecake
Lemonade
What they didn’t have:
Beer or Chocolate mousse.
What they forgot:
Our No-​tea teas
Service…was terrible. Friendly enough, but totally mixed up… with one person working in the kitchen, and some other fellow there on 2 macs kind of piping up here and there but no idea who he was.
Food was fast, and tasted good… it’s great that there is 100% organic food here — as it’s advertised. Quality was great, portions were really small so the price didn’t honestly make sense once it was all served. The tortellini was ridiculously tiny and looked like dinosaur boogers… or oversized fingernail clippings — but tasty.
Ambiance was alright, wicker chairs with wooden/​glass tables. Darker inside, but fine. Music was pretty good.
I wouldn’t be headed back there because I couldn’t justify paying so much for a smaller amount of food (I think there was price gauging) and we ended up having to take our forgotten teas to go — as they were made and just left on the counter to get cold.
To top it off… the bottom of my to go cup popped and I had sticky honey/​tea all over my pants while touring down Rodeo Drive. UN-​awesome.

The restaurant claims to serve vegan food, but hardly anything on the menu is truly vegan. All deserts and smoothies contain honey. The red sauce on all salads, burgers and pizzas tasted extremely sweet and the waitress had no clue whether there is honey in there or agave. She did not take me serious at all telling me that the honey is raw and organic and there is nothing wrong with this honey. The waitress told me that’s up to me to eat the dish or leave it if I’m so picky with my food. But come on, I just want to know what I get served.
If you are a vegan and not a beegan or cheesegan or whatever it is not a safe place to go. There are much better places in L.A. which knows whats in their food such as M.A.K.E., Sage Organic, Café Gratitude, SunCafe, Raw Star Café, Au Lac …