Simply Wholesome Is the South LA Classic Making Healthy Food Taste Like Home

Featured Business of the Week: Simply Wholesome

Los Angeles has no shortage of trendy plant-based restaurants, but Simply Wholesome offers something more difficult to manufacture: history, hospitality and food that feels connected to its neighborhood.

Located at Slauson Avenue and Overhill Drive near View Park-Windsor Hills, this longtime South LA favorite brings Caribbean flavor, soul-food comfort and health-conscious cooking together under one roof. The restaurant describes its menu as being prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients and offering thoughtful choices for different lifestyles, including vegan and vegetarian diners. Simply Wholesome was also recently added to Eater LA’s guide to the city’s best vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

The result is the kind of place where committed vegans, curious omnivores and families with different dietary needs can all find something satisfying.

A Menu That Makes Room for Everyone

Simply Wholesome’s strength is its range. This is not a restaurant where the vegetarian choice feels like an afterthought or the vegan option is limited to a plain salad.

Morning diners can start with a tofu omelet filled with vegetables or pair a breakfast plate with one of the restaurant’s famously colorful smoothies. Later in the day, the menu expands into vegetarian burgers, patties, tacos and enchiladas alongside Caribbean-inspired plates and familiar comfort food.

One of the most appealing choices is the Downhome Sunday Dinner, served with candied yams, greens, rice and peas. Diners seeking a plant-based meal can skip the cornbread and add a protein such as tofu, but it is always wise to confirm ingredients and preparation preferences when ordering.

The menu also includes gluten-free possibilities, making Simply Wholesome especially useful when everyone at the table eats a little differently.

The Smoothies Deserve Their Own Visit

The extensive drink menu has long been part of Simply Wholesome’s identity. Fruit, juices and creamy ingredients come together in combinations that can function as breakfast, a post-workout stop or an afternoon pick-me-up.

Some smoothies traditionally include honey, dairy or non-dairy frozen dessert, so vegan diners should ask for agave and confirm the milk and frozen-dessert choices when ordering. Almond milk may also be substituted for soy milk on applicable drinks, according to the restaurant’s posted drink menu.

That flexibility is part of what makes the restaurant work: the menu invites diners to customize instead of making dietary preferences feel inconvenient.

More Than a Healthy Restaurant

Simply Wholesome is also a health-food store and a longstanding gathering place. Its Googie-style building gives it an instantly recognizable presence on Slauson, while the atmosphere inside feels casual, energetic and community-centered.

In a city where “wellness” can sometimes feel expensive or disconnected from the communities that helped shape it, Simply Wholesome offers a more grounded version. The food is approachable, the flavors are familiar and the restaurant has become part of the cultural fabric of South LA.

It is just as fitting for a quick smoothie run as it is for a relaxed meal with someone who wants jerk-seasoned flavor, soul-food sides or a satisfying meatless plate.

What to Order at Simply Wholesome

If it is your first visit, consider starting with:

• A vegetable-packed tofu omelet for breakfast
• A vegetarian patty or burger for a quick lunch
• Vegetarian tacos or enchiladas when you want something filling
• The Downhome Sunday Dinner with a plant-based protein
• A fresh smoothie customized to fit your dietary preferences

Menu offerings and ingredients may change, so speak with the restaurant directly if you have allergies or follow a strict vegan or gluten-free diet.

Before You Go

Simply Wholesome
4508 W. Slauson Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90043
Phone: (323) 294-2144
Website: simplywholesome.com
Directions: Open in Google Maps

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