Paleo Diner Serves Healthy Caveman Cuisine in NoHo Arts District

At the new Paleo Diner Healthy Kitchen, they take the Stone Age seriously. “Picture the cavemen,” the earth’s ultimate hunters and gatherers, our server quipped. He went on to describe the diet for Paleolithic period “people,” who thrived for millennia and inspired a Paleo diet featuring pure, minimally adulterated ingredients.

Processed foods, refined sugars and dairy are out, and proteins, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds are in for Paleo dieters. At Paleo Diner, Chef Kevin Roberts and business partner Brian Alcorn play a bit with Paleo diet guidelines. We joked with our server, asking, “Did cavemen have tofu?” He said some dishes are “Paleo-inspired” to appeal to more people.

Their menu is mostly mix-and-match. Bowls involve a choice of base, three veggies and sauce/dressing. We opted for a mix of 50/50 split of organic brown rice and garlicky white cannellini beans topped with grilled sushi-grade Santa Monica salmon, turmeric garlic broccoli, baked sweet potato slices, roasted beets and house-made sesame ginger dressing.

Grass-fed Arizona ground beef, Mary’s organic chicken breast and house-made veggie patty are just four more options available for bowls and burgers. Burgers come on breads like New York-style potato bun or San Francisco sourdough. Select toppings like smoked mozzarella, cave-aged Gruyère, Hatch chile relish, hydroponic butter lettuce and house-made dill pickles. Each burger comes with a choice of side: think raspberry-glazed brussels sprouts, heirloom tomato salad and sweet potato fries.

Paleo Diner devotes the remainder of the menu to salads, gluten-free wraps, sandwiches, toast, all-natural Stubborn sodas, teas and and a single dessert: house-baked Paleo brownie with coconut cream.

Kevin and Brian revived this historic restaurant—dining car and all—after the Sweetie Pie’s scandal. The revamped dining car, which operated as Phil’s Diner starting in 1920, was moved to its current location when the Metro Orange Line arrived. Paleo Diner still incorporates the rail car into a design that also includes a patio with green umbrellas.

Kevin, who is perhaps best known for competing on The Next Food Network Star, is also chef-partner in Sedona’s Cafe Paleo Brio and the Tavern+Bowl chain in the San Diego and Phoenix metro areas. Plans are underway for another Paleo restaurant in NoHo at the old Macy’s location.

4230 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, 818-853-7301