California Endowment

This place is incredible & has great energy. Who ever designed it did really well! It’s so refreshing to be there knowing that great things happen in this building! Everyone was so friendly & helpful. The area was exciting to visit, considering I hadn’t been to downtown LA in a long while.

On the edge of Chinatown, hides a gorgeous garden. I pray the rain gods will revive it from this state-​wide Dry-​estocene Era.
Those who know the way of the Buddha– or in my case, the tao of mah gurl J.– are enlightened enough to make their way here…
Into this secret oasis, off the gritty streets of the City of Angels…
Behold: The California Endowment.
A light-​filled, beautifully architected structure. When you step inside, it is exactly like wandering around in a modern art museum.
Not only does this place feed my eyes, but my tummy as well.
HELLLO! I’m in love now.
The bustling little cafeteria here serves up outstanding, healthful and tasty vittles. Different menu every day. Vegetarian and meat options. All sorts of beverages. Cal Endow’s kitchen does an excellent job with interesting recipes.
I’ve had acorn squash filled with wild rice and all sorts of grains plus another veggie side. Stews are great. One time, roast pork was over-​cooked ;/​but the vegetable sides. yumm. They jam-​pack the containers with piping hot, house-​made food. You can eat very well, very frugally, and maybe have enough left over for another meal. Yes, peepz, *in L.A.*!
Bring your order outside to one of the (teak?) tables and dine in a lovely tranquil courtyard. Extra star bump for the atmosphere: open air, sunlight, landscaping, greenery… So pretty! You should have seen the soothing fountains before this despicable drought.
Have lunch or breakfast, while meditating, relaxing or getting inspired, romanced, or what-​so-​ever trips your fancy. I just adore this outdoor space.
California Endowment = awesome, unique, zen… one of the most splendiforous places I’ve ever encountered. Are we really in Los Angeles?!?

We attended a brain injury conference here yesterday. We did not know what to expect and really had a great experience. We were able to take one bus there and one bus back. It was just a short walk up Alameda from where we were dropped off. The center was very clean as were the bathrooms. They kept hot and cold beverages out all day. We did not eat the lunch as I was so excited to find out that Phillippe’s was across the street so of course we walked over and experienced a part of California’s Gold and had a beef dip, beer and 45 cent coffee and then returned to enjoy the rest of the conference.

It is an excellent venue. it is CLEAN, it is in Los Angeles and is central to many locations. It’s is easy to find. It is easily accessible. When they hold events, they have private parking lot which is usually an issue with other venues. NO problems getting in or out. Well maintained. Has a beautiful courtyard and a host of good eats.

Great venue to check out a conference and or training. Their café is great. Lots of tasty salads to choose from. They have the usual burgers and sandwiches. The best is that they have a hot menu that usually consists of healthy options like fish, quinoa, chili, or chicken pie. The price is always right here.

Attended a conference here the other day and it was very beautiful. The breakout sessions were in various rooms and they were nice and clean. The food that was offered during the conference was very tasty as well with a nice variety/​assortment of breakfast and lunch.

This is a review for the cafeteria. It’s relatively cheap (I think it’s probably subsidized by the Endowment) healthy food. Tips: 1) arrive before noon to beat the crowds. 2) if you’re in a rush or don’t want to be that awkward person in a group _​still_​waiting for their food avoid the «off the grill» items. These take a long time. 3) they are closed every other Friday.

This is a great location for a meeting. I attended a seminar earlier this week, and was very impressed. The building is very clean and well-​designed, and the staff was all very friendly and helpful. It even has free parking in a lot right next to the building’s entrance, and there is a parking attendant to control the gates — practically unheard of in LA! There is a nice courtyard and a café on-​site, as well. I would not hesitate to recommend this location for any seminars/​training/​etc.

Great place for meetings. Ample parking (i’ve never paid & work for local govt. where I’d submit a receipt if I did pay). Very clean all around, corridors, patios, courtyard, restroom, elevators, etc., Modern look & feel. Very friendly, helpful, efficient & welcoming staff.
This meeting room areana is located just north (?) of the huge US Post Annex, near Philippe’s, Homegirl Deli/​Homegirl Bakery, Olvera Street, China Town, Spring Street BBQ, Union Station… errr…and yeah, the county jail… where else in LA can you find great eats & people watching spots?

Writing a review for their cafeteria actually. I got the tri tipped beef topped with poached pear with bleu cheese and it was absolutely amazing. The sear on the beef was on point, although I wish that it had been medium rare (my personal preference). I also had a turkey chili with garbanzo beans which was cheap at $ 1.75, but did not excite me as much as the main course.
The café was really accessible and parking was readily available. You just have to tell the security guard in front that you are there to go to their café and they will let you through. I would recommend this place to anyone that is working around down town Los Angeles and want to have an elegant meal at a really affordable price. My meal costed $ 7 dollars and I ended up getting too much food than I could finish.

I had a really amazing experience from the logistical planning to the actual event. Sue Ko, our logistics coordinator from the endowment, was absolutely helpful, accommodating, and very quick to support. I was able to get my questions answered promptly, and I was able to ship my materials in advance. When we arrived, our shipped boxes were in our room, and our PowerPoint was pre loaded and already up on the screen! I definitely would recommend holding your trainings or events here at the endowment. A great facility and great facilities team.

I always jump for joy when work sends me to a training and I find out it’s at the Cal Endow! Free secured parking and plenty of it. So easy to get to it’s on alameda and Ord. Just down the street from philippes. Great lunch spot. The cal endow also has a great on campus café! Thumbs up!

I’ve been here for several trainings. It’s very clean, has a great café, & an awesome mommy room. Highly recommend!

My first time here for a work meeting. The landscaping is so beautiful! I feel like I am at a resort. The gentleman at the parking gate and entrance security guard were so friendly and helpful to me and others. I hope to have more meetings here.

Nice facility. They have lots of conference rooms. They also have a café inside that accepts cards. Food is not too good. Selection = bleh. They also have a outdoor seating area which has a nice water feature.
Driving up I was very scared due to the numerous homeless tents set up a couple yards away. I parked by the postal service which was $ 6 to park. You can find street parking but be careful.

Oh man, after reading reviews now I’m really bummed I didn’t try out the café…
I was here a few days ago for a conference. It was probably around 250 – 300 people attending so pretty small. The parking is free and super easy in big lots. The place was clean and their furniture new and modern, albeit in almost all boring beige. Their catered continental breakfast was some serious meh, do not try their muffins. I had a chocolate one and almost regretted it which is saying something. I spent about 8 hours in the Yosemite room which is a large hall but it was SO warm towards the end it was gross.
The lunch was lovely, they set up chairs and tables outside by the pretty garden. The food was decent although they clearly repurposed many ingredients repeatedly. I kept running into artichoke hearts and asparagus. The afternoon snack was kind of meh, I was recently at the Hilton in Glendale for another retreat but their service was so much better I was a bit disappointed.
Overall, I think it’s a decent meeting place though it’s probably too small for a larger event. It is pretty, close to downtown, and I do like the Cal endowment’s work and mission.

This is such a hidden gem! Who knew that there was such a nice café located inside this structure. The café serves very healthy and organic meals for very affordable prices.
On the day I went i ordered the citrus cod with sides of corn and veggies for less than 6 bucks! I added on a wild rice soup for a dollar, what a deal.
They have lovely outdoor seating and indoor seating which can get pretty full during lunchtime.
For gent out there, this place is packed with pretty ladies who come here for the healthy food, don’t say that I didn’t tip ya

The Endowment’s Café has to be the best café in Downtown L.A. From a quality of food stand point, the Endowment has a rotating menu of delicious, healthy, and affordable food. Notable favorites of mine include the banh mi sandwiches and the fish tacos. Their weekly grill specials are also really good and usually include a side. They also post their weekly menu online now:
Their chili is also usually a solid option — $ 1.50 gets you a small cup (which is more than enough for one portion). Add a side of salad (quinoa and thai cucumber salad are my personal favorites) and the whole meal comes out to just $ 3. Plus, their courtyard area has nice fountains and lots of shade for a relaxing lunchtime setting. Overall, a great café to have lunch in Downtown L.A.

(Oh yeah! This is my first try of Unilocal’s new app straight from my iPhone. How cool!)
The place was easy to locate with the help of Unilocal’s direction. I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the establishment and bathrooms were frequently checked by the environmental services staff. I think this is the most important thing other than the all day supply of fresh coffee, good breakfast and healthy lunch served.
The people who worked here were polite and we also happened to visit their café. I looked at the prices and reviews on Unilocal were accurate… really cheap and decent! They only serve lunch, btw.
The wall decors and interior of the lobby were very simple but elegantly looking.
:)

*Review for the Endowment’s café*
Sooo DELICIOUS, HEALTHY AND AFFORDABLE!
One of my favorite places to eat in DTLA. The food in the café can suit any palette, and they have vegan and gluten free options as well. The Endowment promotes healthy eating, so there are a lot of vegetables used to create healthy and delicious entrees and sides. They also serve healthy cooked meats and have a wide array of healthy salads, fruits and soups. I’m impressed with their creativity, their execution and most of all, their subsidized prices! You can get an entrée and two sides for about $ 5-​$ 6. Although, if you do want your burgers and fries, you can order that too. ;)
The menu changes daily and the café closes every other Fridays. You have to sign in at the front desk in the Endowment before you can access the café.
The patio area is really nice too, with a lovely fountain placed right in the middle. There is limited seating adjacent to the café though.
Really great healthy lunch option!