Kitchen
This post is part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance’s 2013 City Guide. Each year AFBA members contribute articles about Austin food and drink to the City Guide as a resource for locals and visitors to Austin.
Austin is a great place to find unique food trucks that serve creative food prepared with fresh (and even local) ingredients. Austin is also a pretty good town for vegetarians and vegans. Many, if not most, food trucks in Austin have vegetarian (and often vegan) options. This list sticks to those food trucks that are primarily vegetarian or vegan, rather than trying to list nearly every food truck in town (for that, check out Austin Food Carts). Food trucks tagged with V and GF have vegan and gluten-free options available. If we missed any trucks or you have anything to say about our list, please comment or email us!
Arlo’s VGF
Vegan Comfort Food – Burgers, Tacos, and More
Usual Location: 1104 East 6th Street (at Cheer Up Charlie’s)
Website: http://arlostruck.com/
Twitter: @arlosaustin
Menu: http://arlostruck.com/menu/
Suggested Dish: Bac’n Cheeze Burger
Arlo’s Food Truck serves up some of the best vegan comfort food in the city, from a food truck or otherwise. Arlo’s makes all of their vegan patties in-house, and they aim to use locally-sourced ingredients as much as possible. A great place to have some yummy vegan food while enjoying a drink or draft kombucha and listening to live music at Cheer Up Charlie’s.
Arlo’s Food Truck at Cheer Up Charlie’s (1104 E 6th Street)
Bananarchy VGF
Revolutionary Frozen Banana Desserts
Usual Location: 603 West Live Oak Street
Website: http://bananarchy.net
Twitter: @bananarchyatx
Menu: http://bananarchy.net/blog/menu-2
Suggested Dish: The Afternoon Delight
Choose a size, dip, and toppings to build your own frozen banana or select one of their specialty frozen banana creations. Either way, you’ll be sure to satisfy the need for a cool snack on a hot Austin day. There’s always frozen bananas in the banana stand!
Capital City Bakery V
Austin’s Best Vegan Sweets
Usual Location: 1901 Rio Grande Street
Website: http://www.capitalcitybakery.com
Twitter: @CAPCITYBAKERY
Menu: http://www.capitalcitybakery.com/menu/
Suggested Dish: Blackout Cupcake
Capital City Bakery is a 100% vegan bakery food truck that has made quite a splash since opening. It has been featured on the Cooking Channel’s Unique Eats and won the Best Vegan Sweets award in the 2012 Austin Chronicle. Get there early because they often sell out of their excellent cupcakes.
Conscious Cravings VGF
Wraps, Salads, and Smoothies
Usual Location: 1901 Rio Grande Street
Website: http://consciouscravingsaustin.com/
Twitter: @Consciouscrvngs
Menu: http://consciouscravingsaustin.com/Menu.html
Suggested Dish: Chimichurri Seitan Wrap
Conscious Cravings prepares satisfying vegetarian wraps, salads, smoothies, and sides using local and organic ingredients as much as possible. Their offerings are generally quite healthful, and they take pride in preparing their tasty sauces in-house. Conscious Cravings is a great place to stop and refuel with a healthy lunch.
Conscious Cravings
CoolHaus VGF
Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches on Chewy Cookies
Usual Location: 1104 E 6th St (but highly mobile with several trucks)
Website: http://eatcoolhaus.com
Twitter: @COOLHAUSATX
Menu: http://eatcoolhaus.com/menu
Suggested Dish: Salted Caramel on Double Chocolate
This fleet of imported food trucks from LA sport an ever-changing menu of ice creams and cookies. Choose a cookie and ice cream flavor to craft your own ice cream sandwich, or just go for a bowl of the cold stuff. Crazy flavors, such as Balsamic Fig & Mascarpone, Spicy Pineapple & Cilantro, and Olive Oil & Rosemary, are joined by crowd favorites like Tahitian Vanilla and Coffee Oreo.
Guac N Roll VGF
Fresh and Unique Guacamole Made to Order
Usual Location: 3rd and Guadalupe
Website: http://www.guacnrollaustin.com
Twitter: @Guac_N_Roll
Menu: http://www.guacnrollaustin.com/#!the_truck/c21kz
Suggested Dish: The Saba O’Riley
This mohawk-sporting food truck specializes in very unique preparations of everyone’s favorite dip – Guacamole. All the guacamoles are made fresh to order and served with warmed tortilla chips and your choice of house-made salsa. Guac N Roll also has a few non-guacamole-based dishes, including the only vegetarian posole (Mexican hominy soup) we’ve seen in Austin.
Guac N Roll (photo courtesy www.guacnrollaustin.com)
Moses Falafel VGF
Traditional Vegan, Gluten-Free Falafel
Usual Location: 610 W. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.
Website: http://www.moses-falafel-austin.com/
Menu: http://www.moses-falafel-austin.com/menu/
Suggested Dish: Full Pita Falafel with Tahini and Schug
Moses Falafel is an unassuming little food truck that has surprisingly good traditional Israeli falafel prepared by one of the friendliest food truck proprietors in town. The falafel pita comes with cucumber & tomato salad, hummus, lettuce, pickles, tahini and/or schug (spicy sauce!). Moses Falafel also has falafel tacos, eggplant pitas, fries, baklava, and a refreshing mint lemonade.
Moses Falafel
Nomad Dosa VGF
Build-Your-Own Indian Rice-Lentil Crepes
Usual Location: 1603 South Congress Avenue
Website: http://nomaddosa.com
Menu: http://nomaddosa.com/menu.php
Suggested Dish: Mumbai Mash-ala with Cilantro Chutney and Sambar
Don’t know what a dosa is? It’s “a freshly made, rice-lentil batter fermented, savory filling stuffed, crispy sourdough tasting, all your senses engaging wrap/crepe/thin pancake of deliciousness, healthiness and nourishment!” Sound awesome? It is! Head down to Nomad Dosa to get a build-your-own crispy or soft dosa with your choice of filling, toppings, and sides, and wash it down with a delicious mango lassi.
Schmaltz V
A Vegetarian Take on Jewish Deli Classics
Usual Location: 913 E Cesar Chavez Street (behind Farewell Books)
Website: http://www.facebook.com/SchmaltzAustin
Twitter: @schmaltzaustin
Menu: Check their chalkboard
Suggested Dish: “Harvey P” Seitan Pastrami Reuben and House-Made Pickles
Located in the small lot behind Farewell Books (previously Domy Books), Schmaltz makes excellent vegetarian (and often vegan) versions of classic Jewish deli sandwiches. You really can’t go wrong with any of their offerings, but our favorites are the Seitan Pastrami and the Falafel Patty Melt. Don’t forget to get a side of their vegan potato salad or their excellent house-made mixed vegetable pickles.
Schmaltz (photo courtesy Schmaltz on Facebook)
The Holy Cacao
Cake Balls, Hot Chocolate, and Other Desserts
Usual Location: 1311 South First Street
Website: http://www.theholycacao.com
Twitter: @HolyCacao
Menu: http://www.theholycacao.com/?attachment_id=2124
Suggested Dish: Rabbit Cake Ball and Mexican Drinking Chocolate
Sporting an interesting selection of cake balls and three types of real (non-powder-based) hot chocolate, the Holy Cacao is sure to satisfy your chocolate desires.
The Ice Cream Social V
Gourmet Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
Usual Location: 75 Rainey Street
Website: http://www.icecreamsocialbus.com/
Twitter: @icecreambusatx
Suggested Dish: Tres Leches Ice Cream in a Waffle Cone
Typically found amidst the trendy house bars of Rainey Street, The Ice Cream Social food bus is near full-service ice cream shop on wheels. Choose from their gourmet ice cream flavors (like Peanut Butter Mole, Tres Leches, and Roasted Strawberry Cheesecake), add some toppings, and select your conveyance method (sugar cone, waffle cone, ice cream sandwich, or cup). The Ice Cream Social also prepares some very nice popsicles with interesting flavors like sweet tea, Thai iced coffee, and white grape.
The Vegan Nom VGF
Rockin’ Vegan Tacos
Usual Location: 120 North Loop Boulevard
Website: http://www.facebook.com/TheVeganNom
Twitter: @thevegannom
Menu: The Vegan Nom Menu
Suggested Dish: Grilled Avocado Reale Taco and Bean Diablo Taco
One of my favorite taco spots in Austin, which, as an added benefit, is completely vegan! The Vegan Nom whips up excellent vegan breakfast tacos, creative signature tacos, nachos, queso, and more. Everything is made to order and comes with their great hand-made salsas. Definitely worth a stop, especially if you’re in the North Loop area bar-hopping from Drink.Well. to the Workhorse.
The Vegan Yacht VGF
Ahoy, matey
Usual Location: 1110 East 12th Street
Website: http://theveganyacht.com/
Twitter: @theveganyacht
Menu: http://theveganyacht.com/menu
Suggested Dish: Freeto Burrito with Avocado
The Vegan Yacht prepares mostly organic, all-vegan fare for East Austin visitors and guests. The Vegan Yacht makes most of their sauces and other non-vegetable ingredients by hand so they know where it came from. Before visiting, be sure to check their Twitter or Facebook account as hours tend to be somewhat sporadic.
Other Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guide articles about vegetarian food in Austin:
- Central, South, and Westlake from Jessica of ATX Gluten-Free
- Downtown from Nelly of aneelee
- East from Nelly of aneelee
- North from Lauren of Gourmet Veggie Mama
As a bonus tidbit of info, you can find other vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free restaurants around Austin (and in several other cities as well) with Locate Special Diet (and their Android and iPhone apps).
