Cafe Gratitude Is Serving Up Breakfast & Brunch So Tasty You Won’t Believe It’s Healthy

Plant-Based Dishes With Serious Flavor and Feel-Good Vibes

Let’s be honest: “healthy” brunch sometimes feels like a euphemism for flavorless. But not at Café Gratitude, where mornings start with intention, indulgence and a whole lot of plant-based flavor. This West Coast favorite, famous for its affirmational dish names and mission-driven mindset, is waking up the local brunch scene with a menu that’s as nourishing as it is delicious.

A plant-based restaurant at its core, Café Gratitude thoughtfully sources organic ingredients and handcrafts vibrant dishes for you to enjoy, with love from their wonderful chef team. Whether you’re vegan, curious, or just trying to eat more mindfully, their new breakfast and brunch options celebrate what’s possible when wellness meets creativity. Think Japanese smoked tofu bowls, coconut cream smoothies, and morning matcha lattes that make you feel alive again.

“For our new breakfast and brunch offerings, I wanted to play with traditional brunch favorites that are comforting and familiar to everyone but also give them a fun and unexpected Café Gratitude twist,” says the chef.

“Like adding Blue Majik spirulina to our chia pudding or using oyster mushrooms with a fried chicken breading to make a delicious ‘Chick’n + Waffles’ combo.”

It’s no surprise that the vibe inside is as good as the food. Sunlight pours in. Plates arrive vibrant and colorful. Conversations flow easily. This is the kind of spot where you leave lighter, fuller and maybe even a little inspired.

Wake up with gratitude and something that tastes like a dream but feels good too.

Café Gratitude Brunch: A Flavor-Forward Wake-Up Call

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

Cafe Gratitude Brunch — Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

The new breakfast and brunch menu at Café Gratitude is rewriting what it means to eat well in LA. Their plant-based dishes are packed with layered textures and unexpected flavor combinations that satisfy even the pickiest of brunch lovers. Try the “I Am Mindful” breakfast bowl, a blend of jasmine rice, cauliflower, kalamata olives, chickpeas and dukkah that’s sure to be a crave-worthy creation. Or the “I Am Exquisite,” coconut calamari that puts squid dishes to shame. Even the humble chick’n sandwich gets an upgrade with “I Am Enthusiastic,” served with tomato, romaine, pickles, buffalo sauce and ranch. Yum!

The chef adds, “On a big picture level, travel is perhaps my greatest source of inspiration. Getting out in the world and diving into new cultural traditions and regional cuisines is invaluable.”

Locally, the seasons lead the way. “Each new season brings a wealth of new colors and flavors to play with, and I love to take advantage of that.”

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

These aren’t your typical spa-day salads or dry granola bowls. Each dish feels intentional and indulgent, like a love letter to your tastebuds and your body. The plating is Instagram gold, but the flavor is the real hook.

Local Insight: The Larchmont location fills up fast on weekends, so arrive early or make it a midweek self-care ritual.

A Mission That’s Baked Into Every Bite

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

At Café Gratitude, the food is only part of the experience. Every element, down to the water served with affirmations, is rooted in the restaurant’s mission to spread love, mindfulness and, yes, gratitude. The team behind the scenes puts intention into everything they do, including sourcing ingredients from local farmers, avoiding processed shortcuts and treating guests with sincere care.

Even the names of the dishes prompt a pause for self-reflection. It might sound woo-woo, but when you’re halfway through the loaded “I Am Caring” nachos with chi-foods chorizo and cashew queso, it all starts to make perfect sense. Café Gratitude isn’t trying to preach; it just proves that conscious eating can feel indulgent.

“Creating an intention to start the day can really set the tone for everything,” the chef shares. “That’s where Café Gratitude shines. Between the dish affirmations and our Question of the Day, guests experience a level of service that can transform a simple meal into something much deeper.”

Craving more feel-good foodie inspo? Don’t miss our guide to plant-based eats in OC or peek inside The Butcher’s Daughter’s brunch scene.

Sip Something Intentional

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

No brunch is complete without a beverage (or three), and Café Gratitude’s drink menu is full of sippable superstars. You’ll find the classics reimagined with wellness in mind. Their iced vanilla latte is a creamy, dreamy hit made with house-made nut milk and organic beans. The Mayan hot chocolate is adaptogenic, earthy and energizing, and naturally sweetened with dates. But the real standouts? The fresh-pressed juice blends and house tonics. Try the anti-inflammatory 100% cold-pressed celery juice or the “I Am Golden” turmeric latte for a soothing start.

Each drink is crafted to fuel your body and brighten your morning. Even the blended-to-order smoothies feel festive.

A Community Built Around Conscious Dining

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

Walk into any Café Gratitude location and you’ll feel it. There’s a warmth that goes beyond the food. Servers engage with genuine interest. Strangers smile at each other. Solo diners don’t feel out of place. It’s a rare thing in a busy city: a restaurant that feels like a soft landing spot for all kinds of people: families with littles, plant-curious foodies, yogis in leggings and creatives on laptops.

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

The space itself adds to the mood. Think natural wood, lush greenery, and handwritten menu boards with thoughtful reminders. It’s no accident this place inspires people to slow down, say thank you, and eat in a way that aligns with how they want to feel. Café Gratitude doesn’t just serve food, it builds community one thoughtful dish at a time.

The Surprise Star: I Am Worthy

While the menu is stacked with standouts, one item in particular has become an unexpected guest favorite. “Hands down, I would say that ‘I Am Worthy,’ our pesto omelet with asparagus and edamame is the winner,” says the chef. “We created an alternative whole food ‘egg’ using mung beans, which gives a protein-rich envelope for a sauté of pesto veggies. Served with smashed breakfast potatoes and sourdough toast, it really hits all the perfect breakfast notes.”

It’s a colorful, comforting and perfectly satisfying dish that makes you forget you’re not eating eggs.

The Takeaway: Gratitude Tastes Good

Credit: Stefanie Parkinson

Café Gratitude has managed to pull off the ultimate brunch balancing act. It’s flavorful yet clean, comforting yet conscious, photogenic yet unpretentious. Every dish tells a story. Every sip has a purpose, and every bite leaves you feeling like you just did something nice for yourself, without giving up flavor or fun.

If you haven’t started your day here yet, now’s the time. Because this is not just brunch, it’s a vibe. It’s a ritual. It’s a reason to wake up a little earlier and treat your body (and your tastebuds) to something truly joyful.

Locale Editors

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