It’s a little know fact that USC is stranded in a food desert. We have very little access to restaurants with fresh food, and coming to LA, that is not what I signed up for. Sure, we have Postmates and Uber Eats, but eventually even that gets repetitive and expensive. Fortunately, my new favorite restaurant is only 15 minutes from campus. Venture to get off of Figueroa/ the USC bubble.
Tribal Cafe is the answer to these prayers. Despite Tribal only being 15 minutes from campus, it feels like another world as soon as you pull up. Decked out in antique tiki decor and hand painted murals, Tribal makes you forget about LA’s characteristic streets of uninspiring and nondescript buildings. That is exactly what Tribal strives to be: inspiring. It is the perfect place to be creative, and the amazing food is just the fuel you need to blaze through studying.
Tribal literally has the largest menu that I have ever seen, but this doesn’t mean they are lacking at quality. All the food is extremely fresh, beautifully presented and best yet, healthy. There are options for everyone, from sandwiches to salads to acai bowls to coffee. Even better, the food is cheap. Like cheaper than Chipotle cheap. Quinoa bowls and fresh pressed juices for less than $7 each? That’s pretty much unheard of in Los Angeles, and the quality is still top notch. My recommendation? The Thai Quinoa Buddha Bowl and Nopal Green Cocktail juice. While you’re there, try to catch a conversation with Josh the owner. He is incredibly sweet and knowledgeable about health (so you can learn exactly why you are drinking juice made from cactus and why it is so delicious.) The next dishes I’m ready to try? The Greens, Grains & Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl, dark chocolate açaí bowl and the Vietnamese Banh Mi Rice Bowl.
I can’t believe that Tribal Cafe has not entered my life until the end of the semester, but guess where you will find me studying for finals? Definitely not EVK.
P.S. Fuel your brain for finals and get 10% off when you show your USC student ID.