Lemonade Studio City

Last week I had the opportunity to check out Lemonade, an eatery known for its seasonal southern California comfort food. Lemonade’s newest location opened last month in Studio City. I had gotten a taste of Lemonade in Westlake Village over the Christmas holiday break & really fell in love with their fresh, healthy cuisine! So when I found out that we were getting a location in my own “back yard” I was thrilled!

Lemonade Studio City is located on a popular stretch of Ventura Blvd. When I visited it last Wednesday, there was a steady crowd of people going through the lines – moms with young kids, business folks on their lunch break and women in yoga pants (such as myself) who looked like they had just finished with their Pilates workout across the street at the local studio. 🙂

Lemonade is a Los Angeles-based fast-casual cafeteria-style eatery. When you first walk in, grab your tray & follow the buffet line.

There are a TON of options – salads, soups, sandwiches, braised meats, mac ‘n cheese, even vegetarian chili!

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with all of the choices; however, the folks behind the counter are very friendly & knowledgeable about the food. I found them to be helpful when I had questions about the ingredients in some of the salads.

Here’s a sampling of their proteins:

They offer several lemonade flavors, even sugar-free options. I chose the cucumber mint, which tasted very refreshing!

Lemonade Studio City has both indoor & outdoor seating.

The decor inside is very light & bright with whimsical touches like this ceiling art.

Since it was a warm, sunny day (typical SoCal winter weather), I opted to sit outside.

(clockwise from upper right: red quinoa with arugula, Fuji apple, sunflower & pistachio; butternut squash with brussel sprouts, grapes & almonds; Israeli couscous with wild mushrooms, parmesan & lemon truffle; chipotle brown rice pasta with smoked gouda & cherry tomato; curry chicken with green apples)

For my protein, I chose a red miso beef short rib:

My meal was delicious, but the stand-outs for me were the chicken curry, miso beef short rib & the red quinoa. I loved the nutty flavor & crunchy texture of the quinoa. The short rib was very flavorful & I’m a big fan of curried chicken.

A friend of mine once said that a meal isn’t complete without a sweet treat. At Lemonade, there are many options:

Lemonade is known for their huge macaroons, so naturally I got a lemon flavored one!

There are several Lemonade locations throughout the Los Angeles area, a location at Fashion Island in Orange County, as well as one in Ventura County. I’m so happy that there is one in the San Fernando Valley. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely check it out!

Lemonade Studio City is located at 12401 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604. The food menu & lemonade options rotate on a daily basis. Visit their website for more details. As far as parking options, you can valet your car for a flat fee of $3 or do street parking (if you can find an available space). Tip: If you plan on doing a bit of shopping (as there are tons of cute boutiques in the area), I found an inexpensive public parking lot close to Ventura Blvd. & Laurelgrove Ave. My car was parked for a little over an hour & I paid only 90 cents. What a bargain!

Tell me: Have you been to Lemonade? What did you try?

Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary meal to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.