LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Sqirl
Included In
People love making fun of Los Angeles. And frankly, why wouldn’t they? This is a city where people drive to the end of their block to mail a letter, juggle three different career paths (two of which aren’t real), and spend entire afternoons in coffee shops brainstorming podcast ideas with someone they met two days ago at a Petco commercial audition. Oh, and we apparently eat really “weird” food too.
There isn’t a place that embodies the absurd elements of LA better than Sqirl, the daytime cafe/bakery in Virgil Village. And while this perpetually-crowded Eastside spot is everything people make fun of LA for, it’s Sqirl that gets the last laugh.
When Sqirl opened in 2012, lines at the cramped Virgil Ave. space formed early and stayed that way until close. Today, the wait is even worse. Standing in line outside for a half hour and listening to people intensely talk about auditions, makeup blogs, and Pete Buttigieg’s husband is simply part of the experience here. Just embrace it, because even during peak weekend hours, the line moves quickly, and you probably needed tips for a new bronzer anyway. Plus, when the food coming out of the kitchen is this good, the wait is worth it.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
At first glance, Sqirl’s menu reads like a lifestyle influencer’s 20 Yummy Things For Your Tummy post. There are grain bowls and granola, avocado toast and tonics. There’s even a vegan buckwheat pancake made from cactus flour. And it all shows up to your sidewalk table looking like it’s been run through a paid app filter. But once you actually start eating, you realize the food isn’t just pretty, it’s pretty damn incredible.
You’ll notice the sorrel pesto rice bowl and ricotta toast with jam being eaten at almost every table - follow their lead. These are both tremendous, stick-to-your-ribs dishes that won’t leave you in a food coma. The avocado toast is so hearty and flavorful you’ll make a mental list of all the other places you’ve ever eaten one just so you can call and ask for your money back. We’d drink the house-made turmeric tonic out of a Camelbak, if they’d let us.
We’ve been coming to Sqirl for years and have yet to find a true weak spot on their menu. So if the lines, clientele, or dishes you love to make fun of are still keeping you from eating here, the joke’s on you.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Pastries
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Ricotta Toast With Jam
Avocado Toast
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Flat Tot (V2)
photo credit: Jakob Layman