Tender Greens

I love tender greens :) this location in particular is super busy/​crowded so expect a wait. It’s a little hectic but my food (to-​go) was still good!

Was pleasantly surprised by Tender Greens. Not tree bark food at all. A little on the pricey side but food was fresh and good.

Came for a quick bite to eat, wanted a small cesar salad. Guy at the counter told me that I could add a protein and the price of the salad would stay the same. I asked twice he said yes, twice. Get to the counter and my salad is 13 bucks.
Not at all happy with today, or the price.

I like the salads here and often come here. But thrice in a row when I ordered the tender green salad, there was sand in a fee leaves of the salad that my mouth was full of sand. I had to spit it out. It left a bad taste in my mouth… I wish they wash the salad more carefully!

Small portion of meat. Meat is a bit bland and lacks flavor.
Slooowwww service.
Expensive for what you get.
Not a go-​to place anymore.

KALE JUNKIE
I had first discovered Tender Greens in SF and thought this place is overrated and overpriced for a salad. Then i started to explore hot plates and pastries and dessert and started to like this place.
WELL… In SoCal the stereotype is alive and well… Everybody likes to eat salads, kale, and healthy out here. Especially KALE. I turned into one of those Kale junkies and THIS PLACE is my favorite to eat kale. Kale kale kale!!! My routine order
1) backyard marinated steak — with lots of KALE. The steal is prepared medium rare and it is quite delicious.
2) KALE and salami salad. Roasted garbanzo beans, golden raisins, nuts… So delicious and they aren’t stingy on the salami. The salami brings in that smokey and salty taste to the salad — kind of like how anchovies would.
3) herbed brush albacore — with lots of KALE. The albacore is perfectly seared on the outer layer and pink and raw in the middle. Loves it.
I love their kale here. It’s raw but they have a nice very light and hardly noticeable dressing and then the shaved Parmesan mixed in… I would never thought I’d love this place but I really do even if a salad is like $ 12 bucks.
JABA APPROVED. Until the next review.

Got here around twelve am on a Sunday morning and there was a line. The line moved quick and The cashiers were really attentive. I got my hot plate with mash potatoes which was extremely delicious. I enjoyed every bite of it. I recommend this place and they have hard workers who are motivated and know how to work under pressure. I would give this place a six star if there was. The service was outstanding buss boys were on point. Satisfying our needs by giving us refills and clearing out trays and plates. The two young buss boys were happy and attentive.
The patio is a wonderful place to dine because not only can you see the street view, but it is relaxing. Overall I love this tender greens over any other they are fast and know how to treat a guest good job guys. Would be stopping by again to grab some of your delicious olive oil cake and tempting carrot cake.

I want to mention I loved the Tuna Nicoise salad I’ve ordered 4 times, the star deductions are stated further into tonight’s experience. which follows.
Today was the 4^th and possibly the last time I go to Tender Greens. The first time I came to this location, about 6 months ago I became hooked on the Tuna Nicoise salad, based on reviews at Unilocal.I didn’t want the mashed potatoes the counter person said was in the salad, so I was able to get some fresh avocado as a substitute. The last two times I substituted some cold mushroom salad instead of the potatoes. Well today two people in front order area and the two in back said it didn’t come with potatoes. Even the menu states potatoes, and look what was in my to go salad! Potatoes, maybe I should have said potatos? 4 stars off for each of the employees who don’t know potatoes.

One of my favorite go-to’s in Los Angeles!
Healthy, affordable and delicious!
I recommend the steak hot plate– the mashed potatoes are delish.

Healthy cuisine but very-​priced and too commercialized.
FOOD: I got the Healthy Vegan, which came with hummus, quinoa, and a pieces of typical salad leaves. Everything tasted okay, but I don’t understand why I just paid $ 13 for a salad that I could have made (or attempted to make) at home. I think this is an issue with a lot of restaurants in LA, that people (including me sometimes) are so concerned about the branding of the food and forget about the the actual quality of food. Sigh…
PRICE: Yup paid $ 13 for a plate of salad. Only happens in LA.
SERVICE: Cafeteria-​style. You order up front and grab a tray with your food and find your own seat.
SETTING: There are tables indoors and outdoors. Not recommend sitting outdoor in the section close to the street because you will just be eating and inhaling dust from the road.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: Not impressed and not coming back.

High quality cuisine in a chic, modern café setting, from a company with serious local sourcing/​sustainability chops. The service is also extraordinarily good — I’ve visited the Culver City and Santa Monica locations and every staff member I encountered at both were genuinely welcoming, prompt, and attentive.
She Said: When my sister introduced me to Tender Greens, I thought it was a salad place. It is so much more. The food is hearty and delicious, prepared with such art that it feels much more upscale than your typical casual lunch haunt. Even a simple side of mashed potatoes was dream-​worthy. I devoured the savory mushroom, caramelized onion and parmesan tart and vibrantly flavorful roasted roma tomato soup. I look forward to trying more of the salads from the well-​curated menu, although I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more vegetarian protein options make the list.
He Said: The quality of the food is well above the fast-​casual range. The backyard marinated steak over simple salad is quite honestly the best steak salad I’ve ever had and the pumpkin bread pudding with brown butter sauce was fantastic. An incredible menu, from start to finish.
Food 5, Service 5, Ambiance 4

Tender Greens, what happened to you?! It had been quite a few years since I had been to this spot. I just went the other day to grab something quick to eat. I ordered what I always ordered in the past — steak sandwich. It was terrible! The bread was off, the steak was such poor quality. I was trying so hard to chew it but it was really tough and also didn’t have much flavor.
Sadly, what used to be one of my fave spots is a place I don’t see myself returning to.

This is undoubtedly what I imagined during my East Coast childhood as a completely «LA» restaurant; vegetables in the name, outdoor seating, and a long line of young people waiting for food.
However, my assumptions were proven wrong immediately. Can you come to Tender Greens and load up on piles of vegetables? Yes. Will you possibly be in line behind someone that needs to ask about how things were sourced and from where? Yes. But you can also walk in and get a hearty portion of grilled meat and potatoes along with a decadent dessert. For this reason, I’ve come around to Tender Greens.
The Mashed Potatoes are to die for, and I recommend the Salt and Pepper Chicken or Grilled Steak for proteins. The desserts always seem to be rotating and in limited quality, but there’s usually multiple choices.
They also have great cane sugar Sodas, and a variety of Teas.
It can be extremely crowded at dinner, and finding a table for a group can be a challenge. The food is worth it, though!

I love this area in Culver City!!! Met up with a friend for dinner here. The line was of course out the door, but it gave us more time to chat and catch up. It got a bit chaotic at the register when they were putting the waters and plates on the trays. Those giant trays are always in the way. I had the Chipotle Chicken Plate once again but this time with some potatoes and a glass of water. We sat outside. It was such a beautiful night out, just PERFECT.
Street parking is very limited. The parking garage behind their building allows for 2 – 3 hours of free parking, I’m almost sure it’s 3. The garage was even more packed as I was getting back to my car.

Tender Greens is a healthy option for a meal. Unfortunately, I feel like it lacks flavor and it is severely overpriced. This is my second time dining at a Tender Greens and it will most likely be my last visit. It’s not that I hate this place, but the portions are pretty small, the salad tastes like the dressing is watered down and a lot of the food lacks flavor.
The service at Tender Greens from my two visits have been very positive. Most of the staff is friendly and attentive. They constantly stop by to see if you want them to remove any plates or if you need a refill on your beverage.
/​/​FOOD /​/​
Steak plate, mashed potatoes, Caesar salad: I ordered the steak medium rare, but it came out medium well which was unfortunate. The steak portion is pretty small, but you can’t really expect a lot of meat for the price. The mashed potatoes were basic and bland. The Caesar salad was pretty horrible. The dressing tasted watered down and lacked flavor.
Overall, I was disappointed once again and will not be coming back any time soon. I would rather go eat elsewhere for the price and the flavor of the food.

Ugh love this place! I haven’t had a bad choice on anything I’ve gotten so far. Their salads and sandwiches are amazing! If you are going during lunch time I’d recommend getting there by 11am to beat the long lines. I normally do pick up because I try to avoid how busy it can get. You just call in the order and the just pick it up. Great service and you can watch them make your food while you’re in line.
I’d also recommend parking in the structures because it’s impossible to find street parking. It’s free for the first two hours anyway.

I actually prefer the Irvine location over this one, but I’ve never had a bad experience at either Tender Greens. The food is always fresh and the bussers, very attentive. If my drink is empty or near empty, someone will immediately come by and ask if I want a refill. If a table is dirty, someone will come quickly to clean it.
Parking is free for the first two hrs at nearby structures, there are plentiful food options around, and this place offers the «cowboy cookie.» A cookie to change your life, so please do yourself a favor and go grab one.
My go to dish: chipotle bbq chicken (with extra sauce on the side) with an arugula salad and mashed potatoes.

Finally came around this place! We ordered to many things today. We got the Steak on a sandwich plate with kale salad, the Seared Albacore on a sandwich plate with spinach and hazelnut salad, the Fisherman Stew, Chicken/​Bacon/​Potato Pot pie, and the Focaccia bread.
The Steak sandwich wasn’t good. It seemed cooked very well but not as tender as I thought it would be. The sauces on the sandwich were delicious! Kale salad with parmesan was also tasty.
Now the Seared albacore would probably be the what I would get the next time I come here. Seared to perfection and went great with the sandwich. The ciabatta bread was soft and made it sooo good! Spinach and hazelnut salad was also a tasty salad.
The Focaccia bread was really hard and there were barely any toppings on it like the sample. The Fisherman Stew tasted like minestrone with albacore and veggies. I didn’t really care much for these two items. Lastly the Chicken/​Bacon/​Potato pot pie was just a okay. It’s pretty much what’s in the name and it wasn’t creamy. I would still eat it again.
The place isn’t that bad! A little bit on the expensive side but the it plates seem big. Lots of salad and the sandwiches are small but it does fill you up! It’s a healthier option if youre in the mood for it and I noticed this place gets pretty crowded for dinner! I would definitely go with one of the big plates if you’re come here. Go for the albacore or steak :)

What more is there to say about Tender Greens? It’s cafeteria style but their food comes from mostly organic and/​or sustainable sources. Nothing too fancy but healthy and generous portions that’ll satisfy your tummy regardless of whether you’re a carnivore or herbivore (pescatarian friendly too)!
I generally go for their hot plate, which comes with mashed potatoes, bread, salad of your choice and a choice between steak, tuna or chicken. I always choose the steak or tuna! You can never go wrong with those two. The chipotle BBQ chicken was be a bit bland so I always recommend the first two I mentioned.
If you’re vegan/​vegetarian, go for their Happy Vegan salad. Even as a «seasonal vegan» who enjoys his meat, I still find this plate to be enjoyable!
Wash down all that food with a pot of their Bombay Chai. It’s the perfect combo and pairs well with any dish!

Great quality food here. Everything is always fresh, light, and healthy. I love that you can find all their nutrition information online. While the line gets long, they move it pretty efficiently and the workers have always been professional and nice.
I’m guilty of ordering the same thing here every time: the grilled veggie salad and cup of tomato soup. I’m not even a vegetarian but it’s so good. The array of vegetables is great and they always use what’s in season. The lemon vinaigrette is the perfect pairing and the soup offers a great addition to round out the meal.
I will say that it seems a little pricey for a counter service restaurant, but hopefully that means they are using organic produce.