A Native Happy Hour

Today, I ventured to the Native Foods happy hour in Culver City. From 3-6 pm every Friday, all Native Food locations have a deal where their appetizers and alcohol beverages (only served at some locations) are 1/2 off. I have been to the happy hour many times since it started. I was surprised to learn many people do not know about it and the restaurant is nearly empty between these hours.

Let me first state that I have mixed feelings regarding Native Foods. Living just a few blocks away, I frequented the Westwood location many times, usually multiple times a week. I loved the idea of having a vegan restaurant in walking distance and did not have a car at the time to discover other restaurants. However, now that I have been to so many other vegan restaurants, I find Native Foods just doesn't compare. The food is never consistent and is usually really good or really bad. I understand restaurants have off times and maybe it's because I visit this one so damn often that I've encountered their many off days. Regardless, I had a pretty good experience today during happy hour time. Here's what I ordered:

Chili Cheese Fries: Native Seasoned Fries smothered in our homemade chili. Topped with Native cheese and diced red onions.  5.95  

Normally, this dish costs 6 dollars, with happy hour it was only $3. My favorite part of the dish was the cheese on top. It was creamy and had a great texture to it. However, it didn't taste much like cheese and could have been saltier to better imitate real cheese. Still, it tasted great and I would have liked to see even more of it in the dish, not just as a mere topping. The fries were nice and crisp and well seasoned. I wasn't a huge fan of the chili as it was pretty bland and I like my chili with a kick to it. I probably would not order this again as it was not flavorful enough for me.

The other dish I ordered was: Native Chicken Wings- Our crispy battered Native Chicken wings. Ranch dressing on the side.  6.95

The Native Chicken wings is probably one of my favorite dishes at Native Foods at at happy hour it only costs $3.50! As an omnivore, I loved chicken, so any chance I get to have the fake version, I jump on it. These wings are soft and chewy and the inside is tender, so closely resembling the real thing. I love the batter of the outside although I find myself wishing it was just a little crispier. If you decide to do happy hour, these wings are a must.

The Culver City location has a great energy to it, although the service was slow. There was barely anyone there, yet I waited 30 minutes for my food to come! This seemed odd considering how many people were working there at the time. Still, I think this location is the best, definitely better than Westwood. They also serve alcohol there, which Westwood doesn't and their beers and wines looked very tasty! I can't wait to try their alcohol during my next happy hour there. I mean $2 for a beer or wine is a great deal!