Lemonade, another bright and colorful addition to Toluca Lake’s Riverside Drive, has already garnered quite a lot of interest since its recent opening. The cafeteria-style restaurant seems to serve just about every kind of food known to man, from meat to meatless to vegan preparations, along with every grain and vegetable under the sun.
At first, one enters and is greeted by a row of about 20 salads in varying textures and colors. The menu options can seem daunting because there’s so much from which to choose. Luckily, there’s a roving manager who’s ready to explain how the service works and how the food is organized.
Lemonade serves up hearty portions, so sharing family-style is one way to taste a little more of the new restaurant’s variety. Even on these recent hot days in L.A., there are plenty of nutritious, cold salads on the menu, including current favorite Green Apple Curry Chicken and Soba Noodles with kimchi marinated vegetables, peanuts and sesame.
The Avocado Salmon Louie, is made of the perfect half avocado stuffed with a tinned salmon salad and topped with a cucumber and slice of grapefruit – absolutely delicious. For a tender meat option, the braised Red Miso Beef Short Ribs is a good choice.
The roasted Brussels sprouts looked fantastic along with the selection of chilis and mac and cheese. The sandwich section also offers an attractive variety of cold and hot sandwiches that should keep customers returning for new tastes. The Herb Grilled Chicken sandwich was very tasty and light and accompanied by a mixed greens salad.
After the bombardment of salads, grains, meats and sides, diners then slide their tray past the dessert case. Chocolate and coconut and strawberry lemonade cakes, cookies and brownies and gluten-free sweets and a macaroons rainbow of color and flavor all populate the massive display. Lemonade almost dares its customers to pass by without picking something up for later.
Of course, the ubiquitous lemonade, in six flavors, including the popular Ginger Peach Lemonade, is the popular drink for diners.
Airy and bright, Lemonade is a fun addition to the restaurant options in Burbank and Toluca Lake. There are a decent amount of indoor tables and a large outdoor shaded eating area, too. Bathrooms are clean and tables are wiped off promptly between diners.
Staff are friendly and helpful. For cafeteria-style casual, Lemonade uses basic white paper plates and cups as a contrasting palette for its colorful and creative dishes. Perfect for take out or a quick bite, this new restaurant chain looks poised to grow, with 12 locations just in Los Angeles County alone.
Restaurant Info: Lemonade is located at 4400 W. Riverside Drive, Burbank 91505. 818-841-3900. Lemonade is open Monday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 9:05 p.m.
Lemonade receives: On The Marquee
myBurbank Ratings:
Tops In Town (Outstanding)
On The Marquee (Really Good)
Could Use A Rewrite (Average or Slightly Below)
Don’t Quit Your Day Job (Roadkill)
