118 Degrees

My daughter in-​law is vegan so we thought we would try this place out. The food was outstanding and so was the service. A little pricey but I feel it was worth it. Heck who knows I might switch to vegan myself. Thumbs up to this place!!!

This place is hard to find! But I’ve been a fan of 118’s Costa Mesa location since ²⁰⁰⁷⁄₂₀₀₈ and was determined to eat at this Laguna Niguel location no matter how many times I circled the parking lot. (twice before I called for help and once more after the call). The trick is to look in between the Cinepolis and the Quiznos.
What’s different about this location is that it’s café style. More casual setting and the food arrives surprisingly quick. I had the Fried Avocado Rolled Tacos which was full of veggie goodness. Super filling in a way that makes your stomach expand without the guilt of junk food. And yes, these «fried» tacos are raw vegan
P. S. The chocolate macaroons are yummy too :)

Do you serve celiacs?”
This little café in Laguna Niguel says nothing specific to the question of Celiac Disease on its website. It looked bloody brilliant — local, freshly-​made, raw, almost no grain really. But I took the trolley down the coast without making a call. When I walked in, I wasn’t sure what I’d get
But 118 Degrees Café did the best thing any restaurant can do for a patron with Celiac. Or, the bloke behind the counter did. Eric immediately assured me he knew what celiac disease was, and went on to explain exactly what that meant to the café’s food preparation process.
Also, «My sister has celiac,» was his response when I told him I had it. «I know exactly what you’re talking about. She eats here all the time.» And, «Only one item on our menu has gluten, and it’s from sprouted kamut. So no flour.» He even knew flour could be a contaminant and stay in the air.
He went on to describe how dangerous it is to have that wheat flour floating around a kitchen if one serves Celiacs; assured me that all stations in the kitchen were labeled and segregated; and each dish is prepared to order.
I felt so happy, I almost didn’t have any words. Except happy. Oy, but to the food — or I should say, and then the food arrived. This was then seriously happy.
118 Degrees specialises in all things vegan — its name stems from the temperature fahrenheit to which a food can be heated without destroying certain enzymes, or its «living» profile — and it truly serves some living food. The menu is plant-​based, locally-​sourced, organic, and wraps and crackers use the minimal as far as grain — buckwheat, sprouted, bases some of their crisps; their wraps are coconut and flax.
But vegan can be bad, done-​to-​death — rather like gluten-​free: if it’s mimicking a «meat”-based diet, as some GF food mimics gluten, it usually goes down like a shack on fire.
Not here.
I ordered the Mole Enchiladas, and my date — my mum — ordered Fried Avocado Tacos, and added the Raw Brownie to the tab as dessert.
The sauce on the enchiladas was texture-​taste-​tandem perfect. It was silken smooth, with the bite of salsa and tang and cream of sour cream, totally sans dairy.
Tacos. Fried avocado, shredded carrot, zucchini, «nut cheese», salsa and spinach on flax and coconut shells, stuffed again with extra avocado.
But the brownie sort of stunned me. I’ve had heaps of gluten-​free brownies, many quite like gluten-​filled versions, some distinct, mostly an expected blend of either fudge or dry chocolate and tongue-​twisting sweet. I’ve had one sugar-​free and gluten-​free brownie from SELECT baking mixes. I’ve had Cloud 9’s extraordinary chocolate square that melts in your mouth.
But this one takes the cake.
And it’s raw. In fact, it’s raw, made of avocado, raw cacao, raw honey, and walnuts. And it not only tastes amazing, again with texture to match, my mum ate it with no reaction — and she hasn’t been able to eat chocolate without gut issues in years.
How can you match a spot that serves such lovely food, gives over-​and-​above quality service, and posts this sort of thing on the walls?
It was an amazing harmony of ingredients — 118 Degrees matches a philosophy of food based on community, integrity of ingredients, and shared dining that made it a pleasure to pay the prices. Mostly, because I was paying for something valuable, and I got all the bang you could get out of a buck when it comes to food.
But having Eric know the whole gamut of celiac needs? That’s beyond priceless. Because sans that understanding, even the best food and ambience can be an anxiety-​gauntlet for someone with Celiac Disease or severe allergies.
I hope 118 Degrees gives Eric a raise. Or a bonus. He deserves it.

Stopped in while cruising from LA to San Clemente looking for vegan dessert. They really only had the brownie available. The menu lists cookies and cobbler of which neither was available. I would have liked a chance to try the cobbler.
The brownie was expensive, and very rich, and actually upset my stomach a bit. I think the avocado icing didn’t agree with me?
We also tried two of the expensive raw cacao truffles which were disappointing.
I applaud the effort, but Missing two of the three items from the menu is not very good restaurant management.

I’m hesitant to write a review just yet because I want to go back and try some different items on the menu. I eat mostly vegan and have wanted to give this place a try for a while.
The customer service was friendly and helpful. There isn’t too much seating inside, but we sat outside — plus it was a beautiful day.
I ordered the Surfer Sandwich. It was different. Not in a bad way, just different. The most interesting taste was the bread part of it. I also had a sample of the Lemon Pesto Pasta and it was yummy. My sister ordered the Avocado Rolled Tacos and she thought they were ok. I tried them and they were good.
For a drink I had the electrolyte Lemonade (coconut water, lemon juice and agave). I loved it.
So… I will go back and update my review then.

If you’re looking for a place that makes fresh gluten and dairy free food, you should try 118 Degrees. The employees are always super nice here! Its a tiny place, not many tables and they serve the food in plastic containers so its not good for dining in. I like the Baja burrito. Its a little pricey but I don’t know of any healthy restaurants that aren’t.

118 Degrees is a very tiny restaurant in between the fancy movie theatre and Peet’s coffee. I had their fried tacos and as other reviewers stated, they are a very loose translation of an actual taco and fall apart easily. However, they taste pretty good if you garnish it with the spread which is given to you. I also had their lemonade made out of coconut water and it was actually really good and had a bit of a «kick» to it. The total for both was $ 16 so eating healthy ain’t cheap.

The food was better than I expected and I would try to restaurant again, but I am not 100% sold.
The restaurant is more just a counter and some super tiny tables, so it is not that comfortable for a meal. Also, it is not super easy to find, because it is tucked in right next to the movie theater and the front is obstructed by some plants, so it isn’t easy to see when driving by.
I stopped in for lunch and while all the people who worked there were very very nice, they also seemed very very disorganized. Some menu items were not available/​ready, they were out of supplies, etc.
We tried the avocado tacos and the living lasagna. The living lasagna was good with a subtle taste, but a knife was really needed to eat it and they were out of knives. The tacos were also good, majority of the taco is filled full of spinach with two slices of avocados, the sauces were really tasting, but the tacos did not stay together well, so you ended up eating it all more like a salad.
We also had the opportunity to taste test some of their smoothies. They were all wonderful! But both of the green smoothies were stand out amazing!
Can’t wait to go back to try breakfast there. Wish I could give .5 to this rating, but just wasn’t ready to go a full 4 stars!

A friend and I made our way over this last week since we were in the area. It seemed like the perfect ending to a budget killer and have to preface, if you’re footing the bill for 2, the tab is $ 35. A tip (on mobile) enforces that it is $ 35 for an appetizer and two main dishes. I HAD to grab dessert afterward and that was an additional $ 9, which was a major splurge for just some sliced bananas with agave.
$ 35 for 3 dishes is a bit extensive, though I am sure they figured in their working hours as well. In any case, it was a major splurge to eat here and treat my friend especially in regards to the category of what we ate… vegan and raw. I can’t complain too much about it. After all, it was very edible, very filling, and very satisfying. And I did eat out.
The service was exemplar however the cost per quality was ridiculous. Both chefs came out to discuss food allergy matters with us and give us samples of alternatives. The food came out quickly, less than 15 minutes. We went next door to peruse the environment and missed the welcome time. I had a less than stellar experience when I had visited their first location in Costa Mesa some time ago, but I am glad that there were no problems this time around.

Food is great — service is not.
I walked up to the Laguna Niguel location at 10:59 — they open at 11. As I walk up, two people are sitting in front smoking. I go to open the door and as I am opening it, the guy mocking says ‘actually miss, we aren’t open yet’ in a really jerky tone. I looked at my watch and said — oh so you open at 11? He laughed and said yes. Not «give me a second and ill be right with you» — he waits until he watches me go in and then is a jerk. So I left. Won’t be going back — can’t stand that I’m trying to eat healthy and Kaitin or Kaegen (who is also the manager) treats you like your an idiot. Not cool. And if you are working for a raw food place should you and your co-​worker be smoking right in front?

Eat with your eyes !!!
Third times a charm ! Everytime we attempted to go here it was closed. This time we finally got to check it out !!! Yay !!!
Setting:
Small restaurant and can be tricky to find. Right next to Cinepolis theatre, but I feel they need a bigger sign. You can easily pass by it.
Tables available inside or out, but it seems more of an order to-​go shop if you want a quick bite of something nutritious.
Cute décor ! Neat to know their tables are made of refurbished wine casts. They also sell raw snacks/​desserts/​recipe books if you are interested in ‘raw’ foods.
Customer service:
You order up front and there was no line so we had the fastest service. haha.
Quick service and staff seemed to enjoy working there.
Food:
I want to try EVERYTHING !!!
I opted for the Green Juice ($ 5) — Apple,​spinach, kale, celery & cucumber and Thai Spring Rolls ($ 9) — House-​made wrap rolled w/​julienned cucumber, chili spice green papaya, avocado, enoki mushrooms & avocado lime dipping sauce — Talk about eating with your eyes !!! Clean, nutritious, and flavorful at it’s finest !!! You can’t help but feel good eating this ! I think the dipping sauce and the wrap can use some heat or extra bite to it ! Feels like it needed a bit more seasoning but these are decent portions. I was satisfied and the fresh juice hit the spot.
Bf got Yogi Juice ($ 5) — Fresh squeezed orange juice, berry juice, bee pollen & a splash of lemon juice and Fried Avocado Rolled Tacos ($ 11) — House made wrap layered w/​tahini cheese & filled w/​fried avocado, cucumber, baby mixed greens & tomatillo salsa — Yogi juice was okay. Tasted like plain orange juice to me. The avocado tacos were wonderful though !! I love avocados and this was a creative way of presenting the textures and flavors of it ! The salsa had a nice kick to it, which I picked at. Next time, I’ll be getting this !
Verdict: 4 STARS !!!
Everything is made to order !!! Unfortunately, in this day and age, eating healthy can get costly when going out due to the quality of food and labor involved. I could probably make this at home, but if you don’t have time it’s nice to have a place like this that can meet your dietary needs and lifestyle. I do want to invest in a good dehydrator one of these days.
Kudos to those who live a raw vegan lifestyle !!

I was just introduced to 118 Raw Living Café on Golden Lantern in Ocean Ranch Plaza. The service is outstanding. My roommate told me about it and I am definitely going back. I don’t recall their names but the young man and young woman there were very friendly. I appreciate the service We received. I initially thought he was the manager because he truly cares about the customer and answered questions when it was closing time. I wish I knew about it before but the good thing is I know about it now and will definitely return and tell people about it.
Feels good to receive such great service. I will definitely go back to this small friendly little place and healthy menu. We were even given a small sample that was delicious. Now I want more. Thank you both for your service we received Wednesday night.
Definite Thumbs Up.

I put my Titan pizza to the test by jostling it around in a warm car for 3 hours on the way to Palm Springs. When I stubbed my toe in the parking lot and looked for solace, the Titan Pizza was waiting for me, and it was amazing. A true piece of food and raw vegan art, this super yummy and super healthy pizza helped balance me out from my trip.
The banana caramel crepes were delicious and the mint chocolate super food smoothie kept me going for hours. To Go food does not get any better that this for taste and health!

Disclaimer: I am not vegan, nor do I think that a raw food vegan lifestyle has all the benefits that proponents claim. However, I really am impressed with the amount of flavor and creativity that 118 degrees puts into their food. If you are already a vegan, vegetarian, or curious about this style of food, you will enjoy your meal. If you are teenage carnivore like my brother, you will not.
The diggs
118 degrees refers to the the temperature at which cooking is said to destroy the natural enzymes of food. As a result, they do not use traditional ovens, microwaves, and stoves.118 degrees is located inside of a strip mall next to a theatre. Their signage could be better, because the plants block the location making it difficult to find, if you don’t know where exactly it is. The restaurant is pretty small, with only four 2 seating tables that are squished together. The tables themselves are made with refurbished wine casts which is really cool.
The food.
Overall the food is tasty and the food plays with the restrictions of cooking under 118 degrees and not using any animal products. For example, all their bread is not baked but rather a pressed buckwheat cracker type bread that works well with sandwiches. Main dishes run from about $ 10 — 15 each, which are light and flavorful.
Highlights
1. Living Lasagna: Pasta noodles are replaced with zucchini and yellow squash. The nut cheese has a nice creamy texture that combines and balances well with the sweet basil marinara.
2. Fried rolled avocado tacos: mmm. if you like avocados, this is your dish. The Tahini cheese is a great tangy contrast to savory flavor of the avocado.
3. Try all their juices. they are great.

:STORE CLOSED:
I like 118 and I am happy that they’ve opened one near my house. Living in Dana Point, Costa Mesa was a bit of a trek. My favorite dish is the enchiladas. This 118 is a small café with very small two-​seater tables. If you’re with a bunch of people, you’ll need to buy take out. The staff is friendly. My only issue with 118 is that after you’ve been eating there awhile things start to taste the same. I think they need a little more variety in their sauces or something. Nevertheless, I like the place and appreciate having raw, nutritious meals so close to home.

Small place in Laguna Niguel and not very crowded at night. Came here for dinner and had a Burrito and a Pizza. Just to be clear, the burrito is mostly fresh veggies in a gluten free tortilla and the pizza is actually a lot of veggies on a flatbread made of seeds and plants. But they are really good and actually taste like a burrito and a pizza, plus they are raw, vegan, gluten free (except for the flatbread everything on their menu is gluten free) food. Had a bottle of Kombutcha and some tea too. There is a cook on site that prepares the food from scratch, so be patient, it’s going to take a while. Also had a Quinoa and tabuli salad to go, it was too much food for both of us already. Love this place, you need to detox once in a while!

118 Degrees! So happy I finally found this place. Everything I tried was delicious!
Even if you’re not raw, vegan, whatever. drop any preconditioning & give this place a try, it is worth it!
It is right next to movie theatre on backside of coffee shop & sandwich place, in case you can’t find it (like me 1^st time).
It is inspirational to see places & people like this trying to make a positive difference in human health. Thank you.

We stopped by on our way to Thousand Steps. The signage is pretty low key so just park by the luxury cinema next door.
We were greeted with samples at the counter where you order. Great green juice and truffles of cacao and macadamia nut awaited to be devoured.
Ordered the nori wrap and the enchiladas, electrolyte lemonade, plus kale chips and macadamia nut truffles from the grab and go section.
Kale chips were compressed and seasoned so they were square wafers. Great flavor and crunch! Not unwieldly to eat like kale chips au naturel shapes, which can get challenging. Look, it’s South America! You know if you snack on kale chips. These are uniform in shape and quite savory good!
Nori wrap was OK, I don’t like nori as a wrapper because it’s difficult to tear off. Think of sushi with all veggies and some quinoa thrown in.
Enchilada was the winner. Fresh green avocado, carrots, cashew nutty cheese sauce– mmmmm.
Electrolyte lemonade had agave syrup in the bottom. I tasted lime or something that was a mystery. Electrolytes mean sodium components so it must be the cause of the mystery taste.
Macadamia nut truffle came 2 to a pack so it was perfect for sharing with my bodysurfing buddy!
It’s good to see a raw vegan place in OC!

The owner took our main suggestion, Unilocalers! :) She now provides paper trays for the diners who stay on the premises to eat. I feel better that we aren’t wasting those huge plastic boxes every time we visit.
The food has been amazing, fresh, and flavorful since the first visit. Favorite dishes include the fried avocado tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, lemon pesto pasta, buckwheat crisps with quinoa tabbouleh, the avocado tostada (messy, but yummy), and living lasagna.
I am still waiting for coupons or a punch card. ;)

I have only been to this place once but the first time I went the food was amazing! Its so nice to find a place with tons of gluten free and vegan options. I ordered the buckwheat breakfast cereal with bananas, almond milk, and fresh almond butter. The only thing I didn’t like was that they served me my food in a take out box even though I ate there. I don’t know if it was because they misunderstood me or if thats the only way they serve there food considering the small size of the building and at the time they only had two employees working. I definitely need to go back!