Greenhouse Café owner Andy Urban admits the restaurant's name might be misleading for some people. "Because it's ‘greenhouse' they expect almost a vegetarian-type place, but it's not," he said. "It's good, all-around American food." And then he quipped, "There are plenty of calories in our dishes." He added, "All our food is made fresh to order and our dressings are fresh-made here every day."

While you can go low-cal or no-meat at Greenhouse Café (there are diet salad dressings and vegetarian sandwiches), a quick look at the menu will show the emphasis is on variety and flavor. And, here, "American" takes on a whole new meaning. For this writer (who admits to previously suffering from "greenhouse" confusion), it might be more accurately described as "delicious things Americans have learned to like." Breakfasts include eggs, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes - and burritos. Signature sandwiches range from tri-tip to ciabatta. There is a wide selection of salads, soups and combos, and the pasta choices are impressive - really impressive.

There is also an atmosphere of good-old Americana at Greenhouse that you sense the moment you walk in. The staff members treat you like an old friend and are genuinely concerned that you enjoy your experience. Of course, for many Greenhouse customers, the staff members are old friends. For example, Aimee Tyree, the daytime lead, has been there 13 years, and Andy Urban has been there since 1995 - first as manager and, later, as owner.

Urban said that, in 1995, he was working at JPL when the restaurant's owner, who was dating his sister, asked him to be manager. Since Urban had no previous restaurant experience, this might seem odd, but Urban dropped in and took care of business. "I got to spend one week learning to cook, one week as a cashier and one week as a server," Urban said.

In 2006 Urban became the restaurant's owner. "People thought I already was the owner because I was here all the time," he said.

At that time Urban and partners Patricia Sandoval and Lorraine Roth became the co-owners of three Greenhouse Cafés. The other two restaurants are in Lancaster and Palmdale, and though Urban lives in the Antelope Valley, the Saugus Greenhouse Café is his operation.

"It's mainly because of the customers down here. I'm willing to commute from the Antelope Valley," he said. "The customers order at the counter and you get to know them right away."

In that last, the Greenhouse Café is a bit different. It is a full-service restaurant in every other way, but you come in, order your food at the counter and then it is served to you at your table. And, oh, what a treat that food is.
The menu, itself, induces salivation. Consider, for example, the Chicken Focaccia sandwich, with grilled chicken breast, fire-roasted sweet red bell peppers, provolone and aioli mayo on grilled focaccia bread ($7.99). Then there is the Cajun Chicken Salad - Cajun chicken served over tossed Romaine, with Parmesan cheese, croutons and sweet poppy-seed dressing ($7.99). Or how about the Lobster Ravioli, sautéed in a creamy blush sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese and served with garlic toast ($12.99)? These are just a few of the items I intend to try in the future, but, on the day I met Andy Urban, I was fortunate enough to sample three others.

California Omelet ($8.25): This was breakfast heaven to me - loaded with goodies and loaded with flavor. The menu describes it as a three-egg omelet with bacon, tomato, black olives and cheddar cheese, topped with avocado and sour cream. It was that and more. The richness and body provided by the olives, tender bacon and cheese was ultimately satisfying and the sweet tang added by the avocado and sour cream the perfect accent. It comes served with O'Brien-style home fries and your choice of garlic toast (with grated Parmesan cheese) or French bread. I had the toast - delicious - and the potatoes were amazing. With onions, green pepper and seasoned salt, they could have been a meal on their own.

Mandarin Chicken Salad ($8.49): This is chopped Romaine tossed with crisp rice noodles, toasted almonds, sesame seeds and the café's own Mandarin dressing - topped with sautéed, boneless, skinless chicken and Mandarin oranges. Now I like "Chinese" chicken salads, but, honestly, the Mandarin oranges are usually left behind on the plate. However, this salad was a light delight. Most importantly, the oranges knew their place and didn't overpower the other flavors. "Hey Andy, where does one find Mandarin oranges-light?"

This salad just felt like it was doing my body good and, at the same time, appeasing my taste buds. The noodles and almonds added a delightful crunch, the chicken was light and tender and the dressing sweet and tangy - but, as with the oranges, not overpowering.

Beef Gorgonzola Pasta ($8.79): This is marinated beef strips in a light white wine sauce, over a bed of penne pasta, topped with chopped fresh tomatoes and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. This was rich and fully satisfying, with an agreeable tang. I asked Urban what the beef was marinated in and he said it was soy sauce, lemon juice, wine, salt and pepper. As with the two other menu items, I kept re-sampling this one - and almost getting more hungry with every bite.

I will return to Greenhouse Café regularly now. And that California omelet is still calling to me.