yalla is a new vegetarian food truck that has been roaming the streets of los angeles for a few months, and after trying their food yesterday, I AM SMITTEN. they specialize in “falafel fusion,” basically traditional falafel sandwiches with non-traditional ingredients. there’s no meat on the truck, and most of their ingredients are vegan…just be sure to specify when you order, and avoid the dairy sauces and feta cheese.

the ándale (southwestern) made vegan: falafel balls, green cabbage salad, corn, black beans, black olives, onion salad, tomato/cucumber salad, Pickled carrots. dressed w/ tahini sauce. $5

i went with the ándale, a southwestern-style sandwich made with falafel balls, green cabbage salad, black beans, corn, black olives, tomato cucumber salad, onion salad, and pickled carrots. this sandwich normally comes with a creamy chipotle sauce, but the dudes at yalla were happy to swap that out for tahini to make it vegan. this sandwich was nothing short of fantastic! the falafels were of the little fried variety, not the big fluffy kind, and they packed tons of flavor. the toppings were absolutely excellent—as you can see from the picture above, yalla does not skimp on ingredients. my sandwich was absolutely overflowing with fresh vegetables, beans, salads, and rich tahini sauce. i had to eat it with a fork! SO GOOD.

i honestly cannot WAIT to return to yalla and try out even more of their stuff. they have a menu posted on their facebook page that’s even bigger than the one posted outside the truck. i don’t know about you, but i’m dying to eat the “firestarter”—falafel, red cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pepperonchini, onion salad, and pickled carrots.

follow yalla on twitter for their whereabouts, and hit them up for some falafel as soon as you can. i was highly impressed with their food, and i think you will be too. and remember, specify that you want it made VEGAN.

just a heads up that there is a new vegan flavor on the sweet e’s cupcake truck that we told you guys about last week!

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we all know that vegans LOVE cupcakes. i’m not sure why, but it’s definitely a thing. we also know that los angeles LOVES food trucks, so it’s about time these two delicious worlds collided. less than a week ago, sweet e’s bakeshop (follow them on twitter for their schedule!) hit the streets in their brand new cupcake truck, and they have been carrying vegan red velvet cupcakes every single day.

i was fortunate enough to try sweet e’s goods back in may, and i can assure you, these cupcakes are delish! i’m talking moist fluffy cake, melt-in-your-mouth creamy frosting, and perfect presentation! plus, they are bite-sized and super adorable. <3

delicious mini vegan cupcakes by sweet e's!

the photo above is from a special box of QG-decorated cupcakes sweet e’s sent me as a gift. so while i can’t say the cupcakes on the truck will have that rad quarrygirl design, i CAN say that they will taste amazing!

i mean, where else can you get roaming vegan cupcakes on demand in this city?! right?? follow sweet e’s on twitter, and get out to the truck to try some vegan cupcakes ASAP!

sweet e’s twitter
sweet e’s facebook
sweet e’s website

PS: more vegan cupcake flavors should be coming to the truck soon, we will be sure to keep ya posted!

PPS: if you are looking for some specially decorated cupcakes for a party or something, you should contact sweet e’s, because they can do just about anything.

Do you remember the moment in The Wizard Of Oz where the celluloid goes from monochrome to color? Well, I had a similar experience last week when I drove alongside a dusty railroad track to a barren industrial park on the outskirts of downtown Fullerton, Orange County. The monochromatic middle-American dustbowl view turned into vibrant color as I stepped inside our destination: Bootlegger’s Brewery.

Suddenly I was surrounded by brew kettles, mash tuns, piles of kegs and a makeshift “tap room” (which was actually a corner of the brewery itself).

What’s more, as I looked back out toward the parking lot, I could see Seabirds, California’s only entirely vegan food truck, pulling up and getting ready to serve food.

Now, many of us have been to plush beer bars with comfortable seating and a vast array of beer on tap. Some of us have also been to tap houses: usually less comfortable and with a much smaller choice, but the beer is fresh from the brewery which means it’s as good as you can get. The experience at Bootlegger’s is a little different as you’re actually sitting right inside a working brewery, and the beers are served to you directly from the kegs that have been filled and aged by the brewing team.

While we waited for Seabirds to set up, we enjoyed a few pints of the outstanding “Old World Hefe”, a traditionally brewed unfiltered ale that was extremely drinkable (some might say, TOO drinkable!). We also enjoyed the “Palomino Pale Ale” which was served via a contraption called a “Hopinator”, a sort-of glass tank containing fresh hops under a little pressure. The beer flows over the hops right before it gets served and they impart a fresh, floral flavor that is to die for. In fact, Bootlegger’s chose Citra hops, a relatively recent American hop strain that’s finding its way into more and more beer varieties.

At Bootlegger’s, your beer is served from glass preserve jars rather than glasses, and you sit (if you’re lucky enough to get a seat) on plastic lawn chairs either inside the brewhouse or outside in the parking lot. Urban chic it isn’t, but if you care about being in a place with friendly people, great beer and awesome food you will find few places better in Orange County, or anywhere else. Talking of food, we managed to tear ourselves away from drinking to step outside and grab a bite from Seabirds truck, which was open for business just outside the brewhouse.

Organic Veggie Burrito Bowl: Grilled organic veggies from Tanaka Farm, organic beans, organic brown rice, guacamole, and red or green salsa. $7

I regularly run into food trucks at various events, and it’s surprising how many of them are quite vegan friendly. As Seabirds is entirely plant-based, though, everything on the menu is up for grabs, and we wasted no time in availing ourselves of a few dishes. First up was a Veggie Burrito in a bowl (kindly made in advance for us with no bell peppers) which was a deceptively tasty collection of chopped vegetables, beans, rice and a tangy salsa/guacamole combination. It was truly remarkable, so fresh and healthy tasting yet full of flavor. I’d certainly have that again, and I bet the burrito is even better.

Seabirds Burger: Our homemade nut & seed patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and seabird sauce. $5

Next up we were drawn to the Seabird burger, as they proudly proclaim the patty is “home made”. I’m a sucker for home made burger patties as so many places use off-the shelf burgers (at worst Boca, at best Gardein). Not Seabirds! Their burger was perfectly prepared with just the right amount of ingredients – a nut/seed patty with crunchy onion, tomato and fresh lettuce on top of a tangy sauce (also home made) in a wholewheat bun. There’s something about fresh farm-produced organic ingredients that are carefully prepared – they taste SO DAMN GOOD! You can pig out without feeling bloated, and that’s exactly what happened here.

Hummus and Pita

Feeling the need to be bloated, though, we also ordered a side of hummus and pita bread and were delighted with its freshness and taste. I sometimes forget how awesome something so simple can be, and Seabirds really delivered a super-creamy hummus that wasn’t too oily. Oh yum.

We planned to eat some more food, but were just too full. Next time we’re going to go all-out for some of the more exotic dishes like the Beer Battered Avocado Taco, Jerk Jackfruit Taco and the “Bella” – grilled portabella mushroom and pesto sandwich. Oh and for those with a sweet tooth, Seabirds also offers dessert – delicious vegan cupcakes by Luscious Organics.

Not only is the food stunningly good, but the crew at Seabirds are so pleasant, polite and nice that I felt like picking each one up and hugging them. I tend to do that when I’m drunk, though, so don’t read too much into it.

I really wish Seabirds would put some extra miles on that spiffy truck and go a few miles further up I5 to LA for some of our events closer to home. The good news, though, is that even if Seabirds can’t come home with you a growler full of fresh Bootlegger’s brew can. 🙂

As we headed away from Bootleggers, along the dusty railroad line to our car, I took one last look back toward the brewery and food truck and was again reminded of The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and the gang look down at The Emerald City in the distance – a tempting vista of wonder ahead. As we headed away back to LA things turned into black and white again, but I’m sure that was the pints of Palomino finally taking control of my consciousness.

Bootlegger’s Brewery
401 S Richman Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
Thur and Fri 4pm – 9pm, Sat 2pm – 9pm

Seabirds Truck
Follow them on Twitter or check their schedule for location.

ok listen up people ’cause i have some BREAKING VEGAN NEWS. starting next week, the much beloved mandoline grill will be switching up their menu. first, their cha gio will be going away. this makes me incredibly sad because those delicious deep-fried rolls are a staple in addition to my mando sando every time i visit… but, they are being replaced by two awesome options! i’ve already told you about the secret tacos that are available on the truck, and well, they’re no longer going to be secret. the second item is brand-spanking new, and it is REALLY FUCKING GOOD: lemongrass tofu NACHOS!

vegan lemongrass tofu nachos

freshly fried tortilla chips, sriracha/vegenaise aioli, yummy lemongrass tofu, green onions, and fresh mint. i’m not a huge fan of mint leaves but these were so damn good, i didn’t even think twice about it. the tortilla chips… wow… i don’t know what made them so good but they were really some of the best i’ve had. i split these babies with some of my friends and everyone thought they were delish. i’m more than happy to switch out the cha gio with these!

so be on the look out for the new menu items on your next trip to mandy grill… and if you haven’t been yet, wtf are you waiting for???

a couple weeks ago the frysmith (or as i call them, ‘frysmiff’) parked their glorious tank of vegetable oil up the street from the building i work in. i love the frysmith, i really do, but the portion size of an order of fries is huge and i can’t handle all of that deep-fried goodness without feeling 1) a little gross and 2) a little guilty. SO i was really excited when they had “potacos” as a special.

potacos at frysmith

what is a potaco? it’s a tacos with fries as the filling. DUH. fucking GENIUS!

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breaking news! here’s a very important update from brittany on our favorite food truck in los angeles…

so mandoline grill is already known for their amazing vegan lemongrass tofu banh mi, their awesome noodle bowls and the absolutely delicious spring rolls… BUT DID YOU KNOW THEY HAVE TACOS? probably not, because it is a top-secret menu item. these tacos share a lot of the same fixins as the banh mi – lemongrass tofu, cucumber, carrots, and cilantro – but then they are topped with a sriracha/vegenaise/garlic aioli. UM, DELICIOUS. and at $2/pop you can eat, like, 10 of them and not feel too bad about it.

lemongrass tofu taco with sriracha garlic aioli. $2 each.

brittany reporting for the qgnetwork.

check out mandoline grill’s website and follow them on twitter for info on their schedule.

PS: qg here. i cannot fucking wait to try these!!!!

it’s gonna be a great weekend for vegans in los angeles and here is the stuff you shouldn’t be missing:

franken's on saturday!

first up on saturday, the frankenstand is taking over hollywood and western with its delicious plant-based sausages. if you haven’t tried this place yet, you GOTTA go. they are our #1 favorite food cart and their gourmet franks are beyond delicious. it’s also a special occasion because franken’s very rarely comes out in the daylight. seriously, GO. take my advice, and order the witch or the franken….you will not be sorry. follow @thefrankenstand on twitter for more info.

the franken: this classic sausage will make you feel alive! with a monster blend of sun dried tomatoes and basil giving it a slightly sweet taste. $5

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in case you haven’t heard, dosa truck is LA’s only vegetarian food truck and their menu is chock full of vegan options.

sita's surprise: sweet potato masala dosa. $6.75

what exactly is a dosa, you ask? the explanation is written on their website: “Take a crispy sourdough crepe made from rice and lentil flour… stuff it with regional and gourmet ingredients and roll it long and thin and you’ve got a DOSA. “

i have been hitting up the truck on a regular basis lately, and while i think it’s a bit on the expensive side, the food is always pleasant.

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of all the food trucks roaming the streets of los angeles, mandoline grill is the best one i’ve tried. their menu is extra vegan-friendly, and their crisp french bread and marinated tofu make for the perfect banh mi.

the truck does lunch stints all over LA, and one of their semi-regular stops is right next to the PETA office in silverlake. when they were there yesterday, they had both a new vegan menu item and some exciting news about about an event at the verdugo TODAY.

royale aka @peta

i stopped by to say hello, and although i didn’t eat anything that mandoline grill was serving up…peta’s very own twitterer and veganista extraordinaire, royale, was happy to give me a report on the food.

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as you probably know, green truck is one of the original LA food trucks. years before all these other mobile vendors arrived on the scene, green truck was tweeting and serving up healthy, organic, and vegan-friendly fare to the los angeles community. the company has a strong focus on the environment, they use produce from local farmers and even power their vehicles with vegetable oil.

although the green truck has been around forever, i never had the chance to try them until yesterday. they are usually based way over on the west side, but on thursday afternoon they decided to do a special stint in silverlake near the peta office on rowena. the green truck typically serves both meat and vegan options—but yesterday, aiming to please, they went all out and created an entirely animal-free menu for the event. of course i had to check it out.

the peta menu was pretty awesome, featuring the truck’s standard vegan mother trucker burger, as well as a variety of wraps, plus soup, salad, and garlic fries. i hit up the truck with two of my friends, who both went for the mother trucker…

the mother trucker: signature vegan burger made in house and topped with heirloom tomato, sprouts or mixed greens, topped with trucker sauce. $7

i had a bite of this burger, and i must say i am a fan. the patty is thick and full of vegetables, and the beet-based sauce they put on it is excellent. next time i am gonna have to get a whole one of these to myself so i can describe it in full detail.

south central farm vegan wrap: sauteed kale, heirloom beets, quinoa, tempeh, heirloom tomato and tahini dressing wrapped in fresh pickled mustard greens. $7

wanting to take advantage of the special vegan menu, i ordered the south central farm wrap, which was made with freshly-picked, local, organic produce from a farm right here in los angeles. it consisted of a colorful variety of beets and tomatoes, fluffy quinoa, soft tempeh, and tahini, all wrapped up in mustard greens. i think it normally includes bell peppers (which i hate), but i made it pretty clear i didn’t want any of those. the wrap was great—light, delicious, and refreshing. my only complaint is it fell apart and got a little messy, but that’s no big deal. i covered this thing in the green truck’s homemade hot sauce, which made it even better!

so don’t be like me and wait years to try the green truck. track it down next time it’s in your area and order the mother trucker. and if you ever hear about them being in silverlake near peta again, BE SURE TO GO! let’s support these guys for going 100% vegan, even if it’s only for one day.

be sure to follow the green truck on twitter and check out their website for more info.

the wait is finally over, and the vegan-friendly vietnamese food truck mandoline grill is ready to hit the streets of los angeles. we were at their launch party today at the verdugo, and although they are still working out some of the kinks, the food was overall bomb!

mandoline grill was supposed to start serving at 3pm today, but sadly they didn’t start taking orders until around 3:40. thankfully, the verdugo is a great bar with plenty of beers on tap and a comfortable atmosphere where you can easily lose yourself. when the truck finally began taking orders, it turned into a bit of a clusterfuck. we waited in line for awhile, placed our orders, and stood waiting about 50 minutes for our food to be ready. oh well, considering it’s mandoline grill’s first day on the job, we were definitely willing to cut them some slack.

i was with a grip of hungry peeps, so we literally ordered everything vegan on the menu. here’s a rundown of our haul (in descending menu order of course…)

vegan cha gio. $4

first up, my dining companions sitting opposite me ordered the cha gio, some fried spring rolls stuffed with fake meat and vegetables. since our last visit, mandoline grill has upped the portion size of the cha gio. this stuff is tasty, huge, fried, and cheap…win/win/win/win.

lemongrass tofu banh mi. $6

next up, my husband and i shared a lemongrass tofu banh mi. at 6 bucks, this sandwich cost a dollar more than the mandoline grill banh mi we had last time, but was a full 6 inches longer as well! the sandwich was massive, hearty, fresh, and full of some of the most amazing marinated tofu i’ve ever eaten.

rice vermicelli lemongrass tofu bowl. $6

we also got a lemongrass tofu noodle bowl, which tasted good… but not nearly as good as the banh mi. it came with the same perfect tofu that the sandwich did, but on a bed of thin cold noodles to be eaten w/ chop sticks.

cha gio noodle bowl. $6

lastly, my friend sitting beside me ordered the cha gio noodle bowl which was basically like the tofu noodle bowl, but w/ spring rolls plopped on top rather than tofu. she agreed that it was tasty, but the banh mi was better.

although we waited ages for our food today, i really want to encourage y’all to check out mandoline grill asap. they are a small food truck and almost half the menu is vegan…that alone deserves our support.

today they may have been a bit overwhelmed by the long lines…

and the spotty rain on their launch day.

best of luck, mandoline grill!!!! we can’t wait to eat more of your food.

be sure to follow mandoline grill on twitter and check out their website regularly.

remember way back in the day, when we blogged about amazing vietnamese food from mandoline grill? well the vegan-friendly food truck is finally ready to start roaming the streets, and they are having their launch party this saturday at the verdugo bar from 3-8pm. i highly suggest you stop by and fill up on some lemongrass tofu banh mi sandwiches and noodle bowls, then wash it all down with some quality craft beer.

vegan lemongrass tofu banh mi. $5

and there isn’t just gonna be awesome food and beer at this event—but also live djs and prize giveaways. sounds like a swingin’ shindig to me!

don’t miss this. the food at mandoline grill is excellent. let’s give them a warm welcome to the food truck club.

dosa truck is part of the huge twittering mobile food craze that’s hitting los angeles, but unlike the other businesses, this truck doesn’t serve meat. it specializes in all-vegetarian dosas, which are south indian-inspired crepes stuffed with various different fillings.

although dosa truck does serve cheese in some of their dishes, the menu is super vegan-friendly, with all the stuff to avoid being pretty obvious (paneer, yogurt, etc). i hit up the food truck today at their stint in hollywood, and tried out 2 of their vegan dosas as well as a samosa.

the shiva-shakti (pictured above), is a 1/2 masala and 1/2 sweet potato dosa filled with smashed curried indian potatoes. i also tried the mumbai madness, which is the same thing minus the sweet potatoes. both of these creations were amazing; the filling was fluffy and flavorful and the rice-lentil crepe was soft and crispy around the edges. these things were also stuffed with a tasty blend of tomato and coconut chutney. UPDATE: i asked the dude working the truck if the coconut chutney was vegan, and he said it was. however, a reader commented on this post saying it isn’t vegan. i am awaiting an official response from dosa truck… UPDATE #2: the owner of dosa truck just sent me an email and confirmed the coconut chutney is NOT vegan. the tomato chutney is though, so just ask for no coconut. she apologised profusely for the error. 🙁

i also grabbed a samosa, the perfect little fried pocket of indian goodness. it was a great one too, with soft potatoes and juicy green peas.

every bite of food i had at dosa truck was excellent, so seriously go show this vegetarian business some support! dosas are 6 bucks each, and worth every penny. and remember, no coconut chutney!

you can get their schedule from their website.
and be sure to follow them on twitter for updates.

this is fucking crazy. vegans, you need to drop whatever you are doing and hunt down the frysmith ASAP. the awesome food truck that has already been making delicious vegan chili fries has now added vegan daiya cheddar to their menu. we begged for this in our last post, but i never thought anyone would actually listen!

check out their website for their schedule, and follow them on twitter for updates. GO GET DAIYA VEGAN CHILI CHEESE FRIES NOW…LIKE, TONIGHT! the fries were amazing before, so i can’t even wrap my mind around this shit. i just can’t believe vegans are finally getting to eat greasy truck food like everyone else. wow.