California Chicken Cafe

California Chicken Cafe
2401 Wilshire Blvd (6 other locations)
Santa Monica, CA 90403
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Type: Cafe
Category: Lunch, Dinner, To-go
Company: Date, Friends, Visitors, Family, Co-Workers, Solo
Cost: Under $10/meal unless you eat more than the average bear (or enjoy a lot of side dressings, like moi)

Quick-Rec: Follow CCC on Facebook for occasional free sides, or promotions. The salad dressings are made from the stuff that google searches for restaurant recipes thrive on - so, order extra - I promise you will use it (even if you end up drinking it).

OTC Tip: Order ahead to avoid lines. Always double-check your bag with your phone order-  they get busy during peek meal hours!

Review:
Here's the thing. When I have several conversations in one week that go one of two ways: "Yes, I LOVE the CCC and the salad dressing must be laced with CRACK" or "California Chicken Cafe? Nope, I haven't heard of it..." I feel absolutely obligated to spread the word because - yep, you guessed it - I go there so often, they know my name.

Which is fine by me - and truly, they should (and will) know yours.

Ok, so the California Chicken Cafe Menu. Per the name, the only meat here is chicken - roasted, on the bone (white and/or dark meat), cut up in salad, wraps, or mixed with pasta and dressing.

The CCC offers meals where you can pick your pieces of roasted-on-an-indoor-spit (try the crispy skin at least once - oh god it's good) with options for a side (or more) of fruit, salad, soup, savory potatoes, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, or slaw.

You can also go by way of a wrap, an entree salad, or even a full meal made up of entirely all sides...basically, the combinations and permutations are endless. And you can customize it - feel like adding green onions or omitting the sprouts? No worries, the CCC will cater to your stomach's every whim.

Below is a list of my FAVORITE things at the CCC: 

Lunch @ Work!

1. California Chicken Salad - I get mine sans pasta and with green onion. I get several dressings on the side, because I'm hooked.

2. Combo or Primavera Wrap - I get extra dressing on the side. I know, clearly the food is just a vehicle to get the dressing in to my mouth.

3. Broccoli Soup - It's creamy and healthy (but there isn't any cream, haha).

4. Chicken or Broccoli Pasta Salad - Eat as-is OR tucked in a piece of delicious pita.

5. Mashed Potatoes and Gravy - Soft, pillowy, and just how mashed potatoes should be. I always add butter (because food is just a vehicle to get butter on my lips, as some of you might know).

6. Roasted Chicken, any piece (well, I would order JUST the skin, if I could, but...somehow I think the health inspectors would find me and cage me if I tried).

7. Chinese Cabbage Salad - Great when topped with the Ranch dressing and wrapped in pita.
 
8. Balsamic Dressing, Ranch Dressing, Chinese Dressing - I know, you say "Dressing?" But to be quite frank, it's whatever is in these dressings that cements the CCC as a frequent contributor to my list of weekly staples. It's been debated, but I'm pretty sure every one of them is laced with negligible amounts of something tantalizingly addictive.

The beloved CCC Salad (w. extra dressings)

Now, no matter WHO you are: a local, a native, a transplant, a visitor, an athlete, a child, a foodie, or a even picky-eater - you now know that the CCC is a place where you can get full, eat well, and not break the bank.

Make it a habit (it's not like you'll really have a choice once you've been, so you might as well own it!) and I'll see you there.