Lunch at Collard Green Cafe

I previously posted about my interest in a new eatery soon to open in Inglewood. Collard Green Cafe, It's All In The Name in May 2005. The Grand Opening was in July. I vowed I would go here as I was so intrigued by the name.

Collard Green Cafe is located in Inglewood in a little strip mall across the street from Smart and Final. They describe that "all food items are natural, no preservatives or pesticides. Each recipe means a journey into the incredible richness of savors and scents. Shape and color arise through the combination of Grandma's influences and ?????". (I wonder what the ????s mean???)

All dinners and lunches are served with your choice of greens (collard, turnip, mustard, spinach or combination) plus your choice of either chicken wings (baked or broiled), turkey wing or sliced beef. Also included is a choice of two side orders chosen from a list including collard green black eyed pea soup, candy yams, macaroni and cheese, red beans and rice. Both lunch and dinners are served with a corn muffin. (hot water cornbread is also available for an additional charge.)

Lunch plates are $6.99 and dinner plates are $11.99(add $1.00 for combination greens). Sanwiches are also available at $8.50 each. Choices include tuna salad, turkey salad or chicken salad served with chips or the soup of the day.

I had lunch there on a sunny Sunday afternoon. There was a large motocycle group who also stopped by before me so the place was packed. There are only three eat-in tables seating 6 total patrons. I'm sure this crowd is not the norm so seating is probably adequate. I was greeted by a very kind man who gladly explained the menu and choices to me. I ordered the lunch plate to go with chicken wings, collard greens, candy yams, macaroni and cheese with a corn muffin. The lunch plate portions were quite large. (The dinner plate could probably serve two.) Everything was quite tasty, really good. The macaroni and cheese reminded me of my own recipe. The meal was indeed prepared with healthy soul food in mind. There was no or minimal fat in the greens, the chicken was baked compared to most soul food restaurants where it would most often be fried. The seasonings were very good, not too much salt.

Absent from the menu is anything pork and there were no dessert choices. The missing dessert may be temporary until clientele picks up. I can't imagine no sweet potato pie or seven up cake for long.

Collard Green Cafe
1580 Centinela Ave.
Inglewood, CA 90302
310-674-1545