Coachella Is a Foodie’s Dream—Here Are All the Vegan Eats
OK, so PETA has already given you the guide to keeping it chic at Coachella, but what are you going to eat when you’re not screaming your face off to the hottest musical acts? The vegan eats at Coachella listed here should be “must-tries” on anyone’s bucket list:
100 PERCENT VEGAN EATERIES THAT WILL BE AT COACHELLA
Cena Vegan
This Los Angeles–based street food stand is known for its loaded burritos, nachos, tacos, and more, with vegan meats such as Carne Asada, Pollo Asado, Al Pastor, Carnitas, Barbacoa, and Birria.
Craig’s
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a scoop of Craig’s vegan ice cream. Choose from flavors like Melrose Mint Chip and Sunset & Strawberry.
Lettuce Feast
Lettuce Feast is a vegan food truck based in Los Angeles, known for its Instagram-worthy fried “chicken” sandwiches. Find it in Coachella’s VIP section.
MANEATINGPLANT
Another food truck making an appearance is MANEATINGPLANT, which will serve garlic noods, fried mushroom bao, and vegan spam musubi made with OmniPork.
Monty’s Good Burger
Burgers, loaded tater tots, and creamy milkshakes are the staples of Monty’s Good Burger, which has several locations in California.
Outstanding in the Field
This ticketed outdoor dining experience is vegan this year, in celebration of Earth Day. Chefs Ayinde Howell and Makini Howell of Seattle vegan restaurant Plum Bistro will host a four-course vegan dinner for lucky guests on April 22, so be sure to book your tickets soon.
Ramen Hood
Ramen Hood, in the middle of bustling Grand Central Market in downtown L.A., is another completely vegan spot that everyone needs to try. Whether you like spicy ramen or prefer to keep it mellow, absolutely remember to top your bowl off with a vegan egg and maybe a little nori.
Slutty Vegan
Atlanta-based burger chain Slutty Vegan will make an appearance at the festival this year, serving stacked veggie burgers and vegan chicken sandwiches.
Vibe
For healthy fare that’s free of gluten and other common allergens, check out Vibe’s grain bowls, salads, tacos, and more. You’ll also be sure to find some refreshing juices and smoothies at this spot.
Word of Mouth Truck
We’re lucky enough to be familiar with Word of Mouth Truck—from time to time, it parks down the street from our L.A. office. Look no further than this iconic blue truck for great burgers, sandwiches, and wraps. And it’ll be parked at the campsites at Coachella!
NONVEGAN RESTAURANTS THAT OFFER VEGAN OPTIONS
All Dat Dim Sum
All Dat Dim Sum serves flavorful mushroom- and veggie-filled steamed buns. And be sure to grab some of its strawberry or mango lemonade to keep cool in the desert sun.
Backyard Bowls
Backyard Bowls (available at Coachella for those with VIP access) offers numerous healthy bowls filled with fruit—but be sure to order any fruit bowls without honey or bee pollen. If those aren’t your jam, other bowls include hearty ingredients such as grains, oats, quinoa, hempseeds, and sprouts.
Bridgetown Roti
Available during the second weekend of Coachella this year, Bridgetown Roti will be offering a Channa and Sweet Potato Wrap with a coconut chickpea curry, fried cauliflower, spiced turmeric slaw, cilantro, and scallions.
El Chino Grande
San Francisco chef Chris Yang is behind El Chino Grande, a pop-up inspired by Taiwanese street food. The vegan option available at Coachella will be the Hodo Foods Yuba ‘N Rice plate, served with cabbage slaw and pickles.
Post & Beam
Post & Beam’s vegan crab cakes will be available during the first weekend of Coachella, so be sure to stop by early. They’re served with a black-eyed pea hummus, vegan aioli, and spicy kale and peanut slaw.
Ronan
Craving pizza? Try the Tomato, Tomahto pizza from Ronan, which features cherry tomatoes, squash blossoms, garlic, and oregano on a perfectly charred crust.
Salt & Straw
That’s right—you’ll have one more option if you want to indulge in vegan ice cream, because Salt & Straw will be at Coachella as well. We hope it’s bringing a ton of that delicious Roasted Strawberry Coconut!
Sumo Dog
Santa Monica’s Sumo Dog serves Field Roast vegan hot dogs, which are available in five styles, including a Miso Katsu panko-breaded dog with tonkatsu sauce and a Spicy Tofu Chili dog with togarashi cheese sauce and crispy onions.
Sunny Blue
Sunny Blue serves Japanese omusubi, or rice balls wrapped in nori. Some of the vegan options here include Miso Mushroom (enoki and king oyster mushrooms sautéed with homemade miso sauce), Shiso Ume (Japanese pickled plum paste with fresh shiso leaves), and Hijiki (seaweed, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, green peas, and carrots).
Sus Arepas
Arepas are delicious South American maize pockets, and the vegan option at Sus Arepas is filled with avocado, black beans, and plantains.
Sweetfin
If you’re looking for a healthy option, Los Angeles–area poke chain Sweetfin is serving Sweet Potato Ponzu Lime bowls with avocado, carrots, edamame, cucumbers, serrano peppers, and Napa cabbage.
Tacos 1986
This Tijuana-style taco shop has stands across Los Angeles, serving vegan mushroom tacos packed with flavor. They’re topped with guacamole, cilantro, and onion and served on fresh flour tortillas.
Trill Burgers
Coming in from Houston, this eatery will be serving vegan smash burgers with a double patty, melty vegan cheddar, and grilled onions.
Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream
This popular ice cream spot always has tons of vegan options and will offer vegan flavors that are available only for a limited time, too! Some of the greats include Vegan Green Planet, Vegan PB&J Bon Bon, Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam, and the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Note: Typically, restaurants offer a simplified menu at festivals. We can only hope the nonvegan ones bring their vegan options to Coachella!
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Hungry for more vegan eats in Los Angeles? Eat your way through L.A. with PETA’s picks that will keep you coming back to the City of Angels.
