Santé La Brea

Santé! Life! à votre santé in French means "to life or to your health!"  The creators of Santé La Brea most assuredly had our health in mind when they crafted their wonderful happy hour menu.

Santé La Brea has much to brag about, starting with the generous portion sizes and delightfully eclectic selection on their happy hour. We were enraptured by the Top Notchos! A basic nacho appetizer but with fiesta corn chips topped with black beans & black bean sauce, melted cheddar-jack cheese, fresh cilantro, scallions, and pico de gallo.

Now the real genius to their menu is that anyone can sub real cheese for vegan cheese as well as add chicken, turkey, salmon, ahi, tofu, tempuh, and chick-un on almost every dish on the menu making this restaurant Mecca for husbands like Dr. Drinks who still enjoy meat while wife, the Veggie Vixen, is a true pescatarian!  Vegan foodies should flock to this establishment for happy hour and for dinner. 

Another dish we thoroughly enjoyed, and just to be clear we devoured everything we ate, was the Baked Samosa at $7 regularly, but on happy hour it was only $5. It comes with two samosa's (cut into four pieces), and is made with grilled whole wheat chapatti stuffed with potatoes, red peppers, peas & cheddar-jack cheese. Topped with their vegan curry cream sauce and big enough to fill us full and feel especially healthy.

The drinks are standard happy hour fare with a decent wine and beer selection. Be sure to ask what organic beer doesn't appear on the menu.  Dr. Drinks enjoyed a wonderful wheat beer infused with Acai Berry.  The cocktails aren't much to write home about, but at least they have the option.  Similar to our review of The Studio Cafe in Studio City, Santé La Brea doesn't have a full liquor license, so they make their "cocktails" with Soju which lacks the punch of a good strong Bombay Martini.  Real cocktail aficionados will want to start their happy hour crawl at Luna Park down La Brea where Wilshire crosses for a few cocktails then migrate north to Santé La Brea for some of the best happy hour food this happy hour crew has had the pleasure to enjoy.

Here's to your life!  May it include a stop into Santé La Brea.