Catch Them If You Can: LA's Best Vegan Food Trucks & Pop-Ups

There’s a food truck for every palate in LA, and many of them have plant-based offerings. Businesses catering to the hungry vegan on-the-go are booming, bringing fast food on wheels to weekly events like Vegan Playground and Vegan Exchange, or in front of companies supporting Meatless Mondays. Follow your favorites on Instagram for the latest locations and specials.

Vegans and omnivores alike queue up at Cena Vegan locations in Lincoln Heights (242 N Ave 25, Los Angeles 90031), Whittier (13002 Philadelphia Street, Whittier, California 90601), and Long Beach (456 Elm Ave K-7, Long Beach, CA 90802) for authentic street food like the famed Nacho Boat and vegan tacos, burritos and tortas. Cena also pops up at Smorgasburg in Downtown LA every Sunday, along with fellow vegan vendors Avocadomama, Champignon Eats, Donut Friend, Happy Ice, ManEatingPlant and Senoreata.

Enjoy the Cena experience at home with their Carne Asada, Pollo Asada, Barbacoa, and Al Pastor vegan meats, available in one-pound bags at Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park.

Follow: @cenavegan

Compton Vegan went from a meal delivery start-up to meal prep/catering favorite and now the branded food truck serves up home-style goodness around town. Offerings include BBQ Jackfruit "Ribz," Mac & "Cheeze" like mom used to make, baked beans, and perfectly-cooked greens, all sopped up by delectable cornbread.

Follow @comptonvegan to see where they're "changing the world, one plate at a time."

Frozen Fruit Co has a brick and mortar on the Westside (729 Montana Ave, Ste 2, Santa Monica 90403), but also takes its vegan ice cream on the road, sharing simple, fresh ingredients with everyone within trucking distance. Look for the beautiful flower- and fruit-covered pink "Truckie" serving up plant-based goodness.

Follow: @frozenfruitco

Mama's International Tamales serves the MacArthur Park neighborhood at a brick and mortar spot open Tuesday through Sunday (2124 W. 7th St, Los Angeles 90057). Mama's is also a pop-up fave, slinging tamales, pupusas, ceviche and more at festivals and ongoing events like Vegan Playground and The Plant Base.

Follow: @mamastamales

Looking for lox and latkes in all the wrong places? Keep an eye out for the blue and white Mort and Betty's logo at all the vegan events and get your bagels loaded with toppings like mushroom pastrami, Bac-Os, plant-based eggs, dill pickles and more. The signature Golden State features all-California ingredients, from the smoked carrot lox to the herbs and the wheat in the bagel. Catch them at the Atwater Village Farmer's Market on Sundays! 

Follow: @mortandbettys

Founded in San Diego as a 1950s-style drive-through, Plant Power Fast Food has expanded across SoCal, including locations in Long Beach (5095 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Long Beach 90804) and Hollywood (776 Vine St, Los Angeles 90038), which hosts Vegan Playground every Monday.

The PPFF food truck pops up frequently in Echo Park, as well as special events like the grand opening of the Beyond the Streets Flagship. Fan faves include the Buffalo 66, "Chicken" Sandwich, and the Big Zac - an uncanny veggie replica of an iconic burger from some other fast food chain.

Follow: @theplantpowertruck

The word is out: Secret Vegan Pizza pops up all over LA, including regular appearances at Boomtown Brewery in the Arts District for Vegan Playground (700 Jackson St, Los Angeles 90012); and Townhouse Venice (52 Windward Ave, Venice 90291).

The menu features Cheese, OG Pepperoni, White Garlic Shiitake, and the ever-controversial Pineapple Bacon. Order by the slice or get a whole pie and share with your dairy-loving friends, who will be none the wiser - they'll be wowed by the flavorful gooey cheese and pizza oven-crisped crust.

Follow: @secretveganpizza, where they post their schedule. 

Ice cream is food and Van Leeuwen knows this category well. Their cashew and coconut-based treats are perfect for LA's "endless summer" - vegan hot fudge, whipped cream, caramel, waffle cones and more. Along with half a dozen brick and mortar LA locations, their pastel-colored truck scoops on Abbot Kinney most weekends.

Follow: @vanleeuwenicecream

You can't miss the hot pink Vegan AF food truck and you won't soon forget the Chill AF Pizza Egg Roll, Hottie Nashville Fries, or the warmth with which founder Chanel Goodson serves her food. Vegan AF pops up in Downtown LA (831 S Hope St, Los Angeles 90017) and wherever else tasteful people gather. Check their Instagram story for daily updates on the truck location. 

Follow: @veganafoodtruck

Four friends started Vurger Guyz as a food truck in 2018, aiming to spread the word about the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Now they sell "vurgers" and tacos from a Downtown location (788 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles 90017), but you can still hire the truck for catering special events.

Who doesn’t need fried Mac & Cheese Bites from the Word of Mouth food truck at Coachella? Named Best Food Truck in the country by VegOut, Word of Mouth offers the hearty Western Cheeseburger (sweet potato & black bean or Beyond patty), mushroom-based Fried Chick’n Sandwich, and good old Grilled Cheese for the big eaters. Lightweights can get the Kale Caesar or Buffalo Cauliflower small plates. Look for red lips on a bright blue truck at Vegan Playground and special events across LA.

In 2020, Word of Mouth partnered with Polo's Pantry to distribute warm meals to LA’s unhoused. A $12 donation meal with a Beyond Burger & fries goes directly to someone in need. Donation meals are available for purchase online or at the truck.

Follow: @wordofmouthtruck