Laughing Planet Cafe
Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian, Mexican [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Southeast Portland, Belmont3320 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR 97214 (503) 235-6472
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
26 Reviews for Laughing Planet Cafe
Had lunch here at the suggestion of our affiliated website managers (they are both vegan) with my road-trip colleague.
I ordered the Southwest Green Chile burrito, my colleague ordered the Grilled Veggie burrito. I'm not vegetarian, but wasn't in the mood to order chicken in the burrito, so I got the Green Chile burrito w/o any customization. It was delish! Fresh tasting and good quality ingredients!
4 shakas!
Place is largely vegetarian, I'm not one, so I had to dig up the meat. Found it and the burrito was ok. Too much rice and you got to buy the chips. Eh.
Place is cute and hip.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Cuban Bowl with Tempeh: Five stars.
Most other offerings: Three or four stars.
Friendly hippie service: Four stars.
Then there's the painting of a heavy-lidded goldfish smoking a big ol' doobie, underwater no less, which prompted the following conversation with my three-year-old:
Kid: "The fish is coloring."
Me: "What?"
Kid: "It has a crayon in its mouth."
Me: "Yes. That's how goldfish need to hold crayons."
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (5)
I don't eat fast food, but this I'll do. Decent meal, decently quick and a good selection...and I don't feel like a heifer after I eat there (though I'm sure it's possible :-) )
Laughing P. is kinda a good fast food place. Not really awesome, but pretty good. The burritos and smoothies are the stars of the menu. My personal experience with the bowls was bottom-of-the-bag frozen vegetables and forgettable sauce...but then again I hear other people rave about them. I suppose it's a gamble.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Hippie wraps... NOT BURRITOS!!!!
Focus is on a large quantity of filling vegetarian (some vegan, but you can add chicken to anything) wraps with inventive fusion style sauces, etc. All include beans/rice (2 things I normally exclude from my burritos), which make up a decent portion of the mass of the large food-tubes. They also sell smoothies. It's colorful, and the staff is a tad full of themselves.
This is the kind of place my wife likes (she doesn't like dirty, authentic, hole-in-the-wall Mexican joints). She prefers the beans+rice heavy "burritos" with things like broccoli, sweet corn, cabbage, etc. Fresh, maybe organic, healthy... wraps.
I can get down with this stuff on occasion, as it's pretty filling and its cheap for what you get. They do make a decent red salsa, and if you mix it with the habanero salsa (which is nowhere near as hot as they warn), it's got a good kick.
I think I would be writing a more hyped review of this place if I didn't have a little sour spot for wraps. I just don't dig 'em all that much. But frankly, if you are into that kind of thing, you get a crap-load of food for a pretty reasonable price. If this place were downtown it would be SLAMMED at lunchtime.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
the comical lettering of their sign drew us in. the menu sounds really good, a bit of everything (appetizers, salads, burritos, various bowls, desserts, and more). locally brewed beer in bottles and on tap, as well as many juices and smoothies. the service was friendly: when i asked about the beers on tap (it was my first time in oregon), the lady gave me a sample of the two i was deciding between to help me choose. i ordered the plantains which were very disappointing -- soggy pieces of banana with a side of spicy bbq sauce that did not go well together. i finally got up the nerve to ask for something different, and the lady gladly gave me chips and guacamole. better, but still nothing special.
the best part about the laughing planet, i thought, was the outdoor seating on a nice portland day and the beverages.
I thought the staff was really friendly, and the space itself was big, airy, and really clean. We got take out though, and everyone hated their dish. I ordered the Soilent Green bowl, which was a mix of barley, quinoa, tempeh, and veggies. I ordered it because the sauce was a "vegan cilantro pesto" which was amazing- except they seasoned their tempeh with what tasted like bar-b-que sauce?! So the whole thing ended up being extremely hard to eat.
I wish I had read yelp before going, because it sounds like the burrito would have been the best way to go.
Kind of pricey for the quality we got, but tons of parking and tons of seating.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Try the "Bubba", it's a burrito (AKA wrap) and sooo yummers!! Also the "Solvent Green" bowl is delish. Oh, and the fresh beet & apple juice is really good too. But, limit yourself to going here only like once a month or else it becomes none-impressive and somewhat irratating. The wait for the food takes FOREVER (even when I'm the only customer - which boggles my mind b/c it's not exactly complicated recipes they're working with). Also, the counter people are a little too cool for school in my book. I always feel frowned upon when there (maybe cause I'm not a hippy and don't have any tatoos). Still, I like to take my son there in the summer time. It's nice to eat outside and to let him play with the dino action figuars (okay, it's me who likes to play with the dino action figuars).
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
I'll deal with the snooty workers because their vegan burritos are so good. The best fake burritos I've had anywhere.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (2)
If you are really hungry and low on cash, then hit up the laughing planet cafe. I usually get their burrito of the week. Try their bowls, my favourite is the Cuban bowl. I also love their brown rice policy. If you want something vegan just ask for it. And if you want meat, they have chicken available. Also, don't forget to get a slice of their vegan pie. Its always blue or mix berry. I like the blueberry pie the best.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
Feh. I don't know why this location isn't as good as the Mississippi locale, but it just isn't. I know it's a chain and the menus are the same, but the other location has better food. I tried the BBQ chicken quesedilla, my usual dish, with mole instead. Yuck, stick with BBQ sauce. It was way too sugary and drippy. My sister and husband each had the cuban bowls, one with chicken, one without, and neither finished them. We got an order of chips; the salsas are behind me on the counter. Fair enough. Not cool that there are no bowls, just itty bitty little paper containers (very similar to, if not identical to, the little paper cups used by nurses to dispense pills to patients in hospitals). I asked for a bowl for salsa and eventually got one. Seriously, if I have chips to dip, I'd like to dip them in a bowl, not a thimble, of salsa. The restaurant is ok, lots of old chairs and ambiance and all that nonsense. The Belmont location is closer to us but we'll go to Mississippi instead. I agree the servers are "too cool." I stood there at the counter for awhile, waiting to ask for a bowl, but nobody bothered to help me or make eye contact, including the server who walked right by me. You are now asked to recycle your tin foil burrito (aka wrap) wrapper. People, if you want to save a tree, get rid of those stupid paper salsa containers and get me a reusable BOWL.
It was my first time visiting the Belmont neighborhood; it's a cool place.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
i dig hippie food. i used to live with a hippie, true story.
i recommend the Che Guevara 'burrito. SMOOTHIES !!! CHINA COLA !!! VEGAN COOKIES !!!
i like all the kaiju toys and the bus your own table concept.
Laughing Planet is just kind of staple, like 'oh HUNGRY! lets goto Laughing Planet' its not really special and its totally a family place.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (3)
Cool (1)
I'm sorry, I know I'm not Mexican and can lay no true claim to cultural indignation...but, this place simply blows. Why not go all the way and put broccoli and beets in your burritos, you damn Hippies?
Okay, neo-hippies, since I'm sure even some of the old-school Hippies would prefer an authentic burrito over something that puts capital letters in the term Ugly Gringo. Or just drop acid and not bother eating at all. The salsas are good, though, and you have to give them props for selling Reed's ginger beer and using wholesome ingredients. But, hell, neo-Hippie cultural culinary abominations aside, you need the salsa because the food is so bland. I bet al pastor is to these people what garlic is to vampires.
Go figure the friend who would put tofu in spaghetti sauce would be the one who recommended this place to me.
People thought this was:
Useful (5)
Funny (3)
Bearing in mind the divide between the burrito autentico and the hippy burrito, Laughing Planet is Portland best and most coveted hippy burrito. You can pack your tortilla with seitan, tofu, yams, and plenty of unconventional burrito fillings or give their specialities a try. So if it's not an authentic mexican burrito that you crave, but instead you love the trappings of the americanized version, go to Laughing Planet. Complete your meal with one of their many smoothies or vegan desserts. They have locations in North, Belmont and most recently, the Woodstock neighborhood and their decore is distinctively bright and hip hippy too--I'll never forget the pop-art painting of a fish smoking a joint on the wall. Seriously, though, I love having Laughing Planet just a few blocks away.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Let me start of by saying that my burrito was delicious.
However, I think there's a bit of a confusion between the wrap/burrito terms. Laughing Planet certainly isnt "autentico" and some of their ingredients/tortillas would merit them being Americanized wraps vs. Mexican burritos, but I think that's a technicality. Who really cares what you call it if it tastes good?
It being my first time there, I was indeed mildly overwhelmed by the menu and didn't even realize I could customize my order to come with black instead of pinto beans. I think the best thing about this place is the decor; the walls are splashed with a grip of R. Crumb art.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Laughing Planet is one of those distinctive Portland locales. A huge menu with tons of veggie and vegan options, bright colors, and cheap prices. I wish I liked the food a little more, but I can't get too excited about these uber-Americanized rice+bean+veggie burritos. It's cheap and quick though, and it's a decent place to grab a bite on your Belmont stroll.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
only eaten here once, I was hessiant to try a burrito place, being from Austin and all, but this place was surprisingly good. Excellent ,very fresh, spinach burrito. yum!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
I really love this place. Its not super authentic or anything, but it has great burrito-like burritos. My favorite is the Che Guevera- blackbeans, rice, pico, sweet potatoes, plantain, pico, and i add some sour cream. They also had excellent vegan blueberry pie the other night.
I like that you can add chicken OR seitan to basically anything you want, and they have both dairy and non dairy sour cream. Its super cheap and hits the spot.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
this is my neighborhood location and i'm here most oft, though the other locations are equally rad. what can i say, so many choices for the vegetarian. the burrito of the day is usually a safe bet, as is the che and any salad with the goddess dressing. the bier garten out back is a perfect in the summertime.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Healthy and tasty burrito can't be beat
I was really surprised to find such a healthy AND tasty selection of burritos here. Hailed as a great spot for veggie burritos, I decided to give one a go even though I'm a chicken lover. I loved their green chile burrito, which was chalk full of chiles, jack cheese, brown rice and whole black beans. But the best part, though, was the salsa! It was one of the best that I've tasted, and I ended up asking for more. I love when you can go out to eat, fill full, yet leave feeling like you've actually done something good for your body.
Tip: Try the vegan cappuccino chocolate cookie...yummy!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
One thing this has going for it: it's great for vegetarians and vegans. My veggie friends are always hauling me in there when they can't find anything else to eat. It's a burrito and rice bowl joint with a good selection, but I can't shake my disdain for American burritos. It's a flour tortilla packed with rice, what's interesting about that? But it's cheap, and right on Belmont.
- HUGE VEGAN food menu (they have meat stuff too)
- Colorful Atmosphere, smiley faces everywhere on the wall
- Outside sitting for those hot Portland nites
- friendly staff
FOOD:
- LONG wait because everything looks yummy so if you are not a regular, you ended up standing in front of the gigantic menu, deciding what to order
- you can add any grilled veggie you could think of into your burrito, they have brown rice and Spanish rice, they have whole wheat tortilla, they have black beans and pinto beans
- SMOOTHIES and FRESH VEGGIE Juice
- Organic BEER
- VEGAN COOKIES
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
The only burrito I can vouch for is the Elmer Fudd mashed potato burrito with chicken. It's so damn good that it's the only thing I ever order there.
Funky atmosphere, good backyard patio, and great selection of burrito concoctions -- both organic and unique!
Hit up this place if you want a good, wholesome bean and cheese burrito. Whole beans, good cheese, friendly staff, great company!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Montezuma's Revenge
His revenge on me is creating delicious Mex food…
Hot and New
- Portland Classical Chinese…
42 reviews
Neighborhood: Old Town
- Oregon Museum of Science and…
30 reviews
Neighborhood: Central Eastside
- Hama Sushi
9 reviews
Neighborhood: Hollywood
- Delta Cafe
48 reviews
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
- Voodoo Doughnut
215 reviews
Neighborhood: Old Town