Loose Leaf

The two guys that run the place are incredibly rude. Salads are ok. Business has closed.

I remember when this place was quite good. Now it has fallen off big time.
The salad portions are quite small considering it’s a salad and you be satiated for a long time. The dressings are really good and ingredients relatively fresh.
Where this place lacks is its service. The previous owners were a Korean brother and sister who ran the place very well and were attentive, especially the brother.
Since then, about 2 years ago these two guys have ran it into the ground. They look as if they don’t even want to be there and have attitude to boot. You just feel uncomfortable to even be asking anything.
Too bad. The food isn’t bad but the service doesn’t make you want to come back.

The service is pretty horrendous, the guys that work behind the counter don’t seem to give a crap, but the salad is good for the price point. You can’t beat $ 5 daily salad so I guess you get what you pay for. And the cookies are amazing.
As of October 1^st, it looks like they’ve closed down and are either 1) undergoing a remodel or 2) went out of business. Hopefully the next owner will hold onto the same $ 5 daily specials.

Given the number of quality salad spots downtown, I wouldn’t be surprised if Loose Leaf is out of business within the next few months. Of the 20+ times I’ve eaten here, they’ve been out of one or more basic ingredients 50% of the time. The management is noticeably blasé about customer service, often sitting/​standing around watching orders pile up while one hourly employee does his best to assist customers. The reason this place is so cheap is because you get what you pay for – mediocre food and little-​to-​no customer service. From now on, I think I’ll walk the extra block to Tender Greens, Mendocino Farms, or one of the many other quality salad spots in the area.

I like the $ 5 deals but the lack of customer service almost makes it not worth it. It maybe a good idea to hire someone a little more welcoming. Other than that wait wasn’t long, salad was good & it’s convenient and healthy lunch.

Had the sandwich and salad special only 8 dollars American. dont laugh. the guys running it look chill lets all go and try it. If your near the downtown library its real close.

At first with ordering the salad online, they had a confusion and didn’t make until i got there. No big deal… but the taste of the salad was terrible and for the price there was barely any of the toppings. Each of the toppings there was probably 3 or 4 thrown into the salad. Do not recommend this place to anyone. There are plenty of good salad places in the area and this is the worst one in the surrounding area. If you are looking for good salad try cabbage patch or simply salad nearby. Shortest line during lunch in the area which was a red flag to begin witb for this place.

I so regret trying this place. I ordered a steak and avocado salad which should equate goodness, but I found the steak to be small, cubed pieces and hard — in either the overcooked or low quality sense (maybe both?). I went with someone from work and the original lunch spot was intended to be Tender Greens nearby. The line was crazy long there and there was no line at Loose Leaf. Yes, we felt concerned but were also hungry so thought we’d give it a go. As we placed our orders, we noticed a line forming behind us, so we felt a bit better. Oh no. Who cares about a line or not? The food was not worth it. I barely ate it. They included this tortilla type thing like the kind that Mendocino Farms includes when you order their salads. This tasted like a bad version of the one Mendocino Farms gives you. I did like the avocado so I ate that and some corn that was also in the salad. I ended up tossing it without finishing it. What a waste. Definitely not returning.

Salads are great but customer service is painfully slow! One guy working the line who is slow and doesn’t seem to care about the 7 hungry people waiting in line! Cashier/​manager? Just stands there waiting for each salad to slowly be made and rings them up.
Took off 2 stars because because I’m hungry and salads shouldn’t take this long to make. I’ll go to Salata next time. Not as good but the line of 15 people moves so much faster!

Thanking my lucky stars for Unilocal,because I got the «nail polish» salad dressing. I would have spit it out, but since I’d been «warned» by a fellow Unilocaler, I forged ahead. Went on a Friday — thought I was getting a $ 5 salad — very confusing what’s actually on their $ 5 Friday «special» — my salad ($ 7) was not worth $ 7, but was very, very good, in spite of the funky-​tasting dressing. I would recommend this place — check out what dressing you get — maybe ask for a sample. Don’t know if the salads are worth $ 7, but mine was very good. I love that since they don’t have to cook the food, there’s no sales tax, which typically adds close to a dollar. So a $ 7 salad is $ 7 out the door — love that !

Nice fresh delicious salads. They are generous with avocado. They also allowed me to sub in a topping since I didn’t want cheese.

One of my favorite places to eat lunch when I worked in DTLA. I used to get the cobb salad almost every day, sometimes a Greek salad. I really liked the fact that they make their own salad dressings and offer healthier– less cream based, dressings. Eating here can definitely add up at $ 9 per meal but it is worth every bite. This place beats Tossed in price, taste, and freshness.
Sometimes I wish I still worked in DT just so I could stop by Loose Leaf.

I came here only because I saw their $ 5 Friday sign in the front. I ordered the Chicken Caesar with balsamic dressing. The salad was okay, really nothing special. Everything tasted pretty fresh and had a good mix of ingredients. One thing I didn’t like was that I could taste the oil used to make the croutons. I skipped over it because I felt that it kind of cancels out the whole reason why I would eat a salad (to eat healthy).
I would come here again for their $ 5 salads. But I don’t think I will be coming here on the other weekdays when I have to pay regular price, the salads are just too small.

I used to love the place back when Julia and Eric owned it. The ownership recently changed hands and I do not like the new owner. He’s not friendly and wasn’t as welcoming as the old owners were.
That aside, this review would only be about my visit last Friday. I came in here for the THIRD time for their 5-​dollar Fridays (several of their salads are for $ 5 on Fridays and it’s such a good deal). This time I got my usual: Bossa Nova, with tofu instead of chicken. Let me begin by saying that the first two times I ordered the same way with no problem. The third time when the owner was ringing me up, he charged me 6.95. I asked him why the additional 1.95, and he told me it’s because I switched from chicken to tofu. I then asked him wouldn’t tofu normally be cheaper than chicken? How come I am charged extra? And he said it’s bc I am now switching up the ingredients. I then told him I used to order the same way with no extra charge, and he said on a normal day it wouldn’t be extra, but it would be for a Five-​dollar Friday.
First of all, let me just say it’s BULL. Of course on a normal day it wouldn’t be extra charge. On a normal day a salad with tofu is priced differently from a salad with chicken. Price difference is just a given.
Second of all, I had ordered this salad this way twice before the last time where I got charged extra — If you are increasing the price, that’s fine, but do tell the customers beforehand. He is lucky I decided not to hold up the line and just paid the extra instead of telling him to re-​make my salad all over again with chicken. I do not appreciate being charged more without knowing until the moment when I had to pay. At least tell me before starting making the salad so I knew what I got myself into.
It will be a while before I decided to return again, if ever.

I am currently waiting for my order that I placed TWO HOURS ago online. They are 6 blocks from my office, so I am not sure what is taking so long. I have called three times and they keep saying a driver is on the way.
This will be the last time I order from here.

Fresh ingredients and a large selection. The price seems somewhat high for what you get, but it’s a competitive price to what’s in the area.

As the world becomes more and more health conscious more salad places seem to pop up. I don’t know if it’s an L.A. thing, but it’s happening. At my previous place of employment there used to be 5 different salad restaurants. Same idea, minor details set them apart; still everyday there’s a line out the door at each location during lunch time.
Today, I want to focus on Loose Leaf. Loose Leaf is comparable to Subway, in the sense that you walk in and see everything set out. You have the option of choosing one of the pre-​made salads (which can also be turned into a wrap). Additionally there are sandwiches, soups, and paninis. Personally, I like to make life difficult, so I just build my own salad:
Spinach, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocado, walnuts, and strawberries. (YUMMY!) I like to pre-​order and pick it up to go. It comes served in a plastic bowl– and of course, it’s tossed. The salads come with a half pita on the side.
In my experience, the staff was always friendly. The ingredients were always fresh.
Unfortunately, street parking and garage parking are the way to go, since it’s located smack in the middle of downtown Los Angeles

I had a very fat Sunday — fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, noodles, chips, fried stuff, etc all day… so I needed a good, light salad for lunch today. I was looking online for a gooood salad place and found Loose Leaf on Unilocal,and it is super close to my office, so score!
Anyway, I love salads and all, but tbh a build-​your-​own salad bar kinda scares me… I’m so indecisive! But no matter, I had plenty of time before lunch to decide what I want, and I wrote it all down before I went to the place. Thank goodness for online menus! Was deciding between like 3 – 4 of their signature salads before I decided I should just make my own :) Finding out what I want in it beforehand = 2 minutes in line/​paid. Quick and painless!
My salad: romaine, bacon, smoked gouda, pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers, cilantro, corn, and basil herb vinaigrette. Total was $ 7.65 and BOMB! I don’t usually need a protein with my salads (especially if I’m looking for something light/​refreshing), so those pieces of smoked bacon was enough. The smoked gouda made it richer and didn’t feel like I was just eating grass. Everything tasted fresh! Pepperoncinis were perfect for a lil kick. Dressing was pretty amazing, light and refreshing just as I hoped.
Also — portions are pretty large. I couldn’t finish mine and I didn’t even get a protein (other than bacon pieces). I will be coming back! And often :)

Tried loose left for the first time recently and I’m a fan. It’s a standard build your own salad/​wrap place, but they also have a large selection of predetermined/​names salads and wraps and a decent sized sandwich menu. I tired the BBQ Ranch salad and it was really good. A little pricier than I would like, but $ 8.50 for a salad with chicken and avocado in downtown LA really isn’t bad.
Basic build your own salads start at $ 6.50 for your choice of lettuce and 4 veggie toppings. Proteins, cheese and premium toppings are extra. Given the extra charges the predetermined salads such as the BBQ chicken ranch seem like the better value.
I will go back to try more.

I am obsessed with the Skinny Caesar with Chicken! Their low-​fat skinny caesar vinaigrette is seriously delicious. For $ 7.50, you get a large bowl of chopped romaine, roasted chicken breast, shaved parmesan, fresh basil and croutons. (I like to add avocado and tomatoes too.) Perfect on a hot summer day.
I usually don’t eat salads as entrees, but Loose Leaf is definitely my favorite DTLA spot for those rare occasions. It offers the best selection, value, and taste compared to competitors. They have an amazing dressing selection (inc. basil herb vinaigrette, garlic ranch, citrus miso, mimosa vinaigrette) with tasty low-​fat options (like skinny caesar, cucumber mint) and an excellent variety of toppings — premiums, veggies, herbs, cheeses and nuts & fruits. I really like fresh herbs in salads (cilantro, basil) and my veggie faves (beets, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, etc.) are all included in the 4 free toppings (even smoked bacon and sun-​dried tomatoes are on the no-​cost list). Menu «Originals» or «Classic» salads/​wraps are usually a better deal than ordering custom, but the build-​your-​own custom options are reasonably priced. For example: greens, 4 veggie toppings & dressing costs just $ 6.50. It may get pricey if you add a lot of premium meat/​fish/​cheese/​veggies, but a couple won’t break the bank.
Plus, Loose Leaf is the rare DTLA spot open past 2:30. It’s open til 8:00p Mon-​Thurs, til 4:00p on Friday. The best part is ***free delivery — no minimum order*** Awesome!