• vegan at cacao mexicatessen in eagle rock

    16
    March 25th, 2010quarrygirlcacao mexicatessen, LA restaurants

    it’s hard enough to find any vegan-friendly mexican food, not to mention stuff that actually tastes good. so naturally when i heard that the popular cafe, cacao mexicatessen in eagle rock, had an entirely separate vegetarian menu…i was anxious to check it out.

    what i found at cacao was some of the most distinctive and delicious cuisine i’ve had in a while.

    the vegetarian menu at cacao is pretty impressive (try to ignore the fact they use comic sans), but just note that the flour tortillas are not vegan-friendly.

    mole fries: french fries covered in mole sauce (no cheese). $3.50

    when i dined at the mexicatessen with a friend recently, i started off with an order of mole fries—hold the cheese. these were absolutely excellent, and what really made them was the sauce. the fries alone were pretty standard, but the thick, hearty sauce was packed with flavor. perfectly spiced, slightly sweet, and with a hint of chocolate—i loved it.

    tacos de papa: fried potato tacos.

    the tacos de papa usually come on a plate with 3 tacos, rice, and salad….but my friend decided to just order 2 of them a la carte. from the moment she bit into the first one, until we said goodbye later in the evening, she would not stop going on about how awesome these tacos were. i did try a few bites of her meal, and i can say she was absolutely right. the taco shell was warm and tender, as if it was freshly made…and the potato inside was soft and fluffy. like everything at cacao, just be sure to order it with no cheese.

    hongo de portobello taco (no cheese): portobello mushroom, spinach, onion. $2.55

    i ordered an hongo de portobello taco, which came with portobello mushrooms, spinach and onion. like the other tacos, this thing tasted extremely fresh and the flavors were insane. my only complaint was that i didn’t order more.

    hongo de portobello tostado (no cheese): portobello mushroom, spinach, onion. $4.75

    being such a big fan of the hongo de portobello combo, i also ordered it on a tostada to go. this was even better than the taco, because they loaded it up with tons of spinach and even more mushrooms. i would definitely recommend ordering a tostada when you dine at cacao, because it seems to be the best value. this thing was huge, and under $5!

    one thing i forgot to mention is just how damn good the chips and salsa are at cacao. the salsa is pretty hot, just the way i like it, and the chips are crispy and taste homemade. next to the dine in tables, there are various chips and sauces on display, for you to buy and enjoy at home.

    inside, cacao mexicatessen is very small, with only a handful of tables. we were lucky enough to get a seat, but i can see where on busy nights there could be a long wait.

    the decor is cozy and traditional….and over by the soda case there’s some rad mexican wrestling decorations.

    overall, i would highly recommend cacao for interesting and tasty mexican cuisine in los angeles. i know i will be back to try even more stuff off their vegetarian menu as soon as i have the chance.

    cacao mexicatessen
    1576 Colorado Blvd
    Los Angeles, CA 90041
    (323) 478-2791

    Tags: , ,
 

16 responses to “vegan at cacao mexicatessen in eagle rock” RSS icon

  • I am NOT Mr. Meaner. This is an anonymous comment completely unrelated to the aforementioned persona.

    I prefer Indian food myself.

  • I am so glad you blogged about this place. I have been going to Cacao for months, and have never had a bad experience. Depending on who you get, the staff can be pretty knowledgeable about veganism. They have some yummy drinks as well.

  • Sounds delish! I can’t wait to try it! I’m on my 4th day of vegan life and loving it!

  • I love your pictures, nice job.

  • that mole sauce was so freakin good i wish i could put it on everything i eat. seriously like grandma used to make. i didn’t get that hint of chocolate taste…..anyway yum!! this place is the most authentic vegan mex i think i’ve ever had.
    unfortunately, i’m pretty sure they don’t serve indian food.

  • This place looks yum. However I already have a favorite Mexican joint in Eagle Rock, good ol’ Taco Spot. It will be hard to convince myself to try something new. Heheh.

  • Cool, looks good, and this is sort of close to Pasadena.

  • Looking at the menu, I’m embarrassed to admit that I need someone to tell me what all that stuff is. :blush:

    Being vegan before coming to California, I was never exposed to real Mexican food. I know what a burrito is, a taco, and enchiladas. That’s that. And for all I know, that’s Tex Mex.

    It’s truly bizarre being intimately familiar with Indian, Ethiopian, and Japanese cuisine, and not knowing shit about Mexican food. The average person is the opposite.

    Seriously, I look at this menu, and it makes no sense to me. lol

  • Sounds & looks great and I trust your advice so I will check it out but they have some hard competition in Cinnamon in Highland Park.

  • the corn truffle, zucchini and the squash blossoms are my favorite!

    are you sure the mole was vegan?

  • @k: when i went i asked about each dish i ordered. they assured me the mole was vegan, but when i asked about the burrito, they said the flour tortillas were not.

    have you heard differently?

  • I’ve been here once, and had a questionably frustrating experience. I really liked the place… maybe I’ll try it again.

  • to skullowl and stephen: i was just at Cacao last night and it is WAY more delicious (and authentic) than both Taco Spot and Cinnamon (although I like both those places). Also, I have to HIGHLY recommend the Corn Truffle tacos. sooo good. FYI: the rice is made with chicken broth but the beans are vegan.

  • Just an FYI that when I went in the winter they weren’t totally clear on the vegetarian concept – ie rice that was served with veg food had been made with chicken and same with tamales. So ask.

  • eage rock local

    The Mole is NOT vegan … last time I ate there they said they put animal crackers in it, (maybe as a thickener?) and they are not vegan. My visit was after this was originally posted.

  • after being notified that the mole might not be vegan i immediately took my teary eyes down there. just got home.
    ok people. HERE’S THE DEAL:
    they simply don’t understand the word vegan. explain what you mean and ask about ingredients. they kept telling me the mole was vegetarian, which doesn’t mean much to me. anyway they DO use animal crackers (huh?) but they are vegan crackers. i read the ingredients on the bag with my own eyes. then i asked again. what else could they possible use? “any butter, egg, dairy, or meat?” they said “no. none of that. it’s vegetarian.” meaning it’s also vegan. the cashier even brought out the cook from the kitchen.
    i’d say this case is closed. whew!


Leave a reply