Monty’s Good Burger was absent from this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a devastating loss for vegans looking to get the popular bundle that included a burger, fries, tots and lemonade.
However, when one door closes, another opens, and this year’s food programming features a few new vegan options on the block as well as some staples for the three-day event at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on April 10-12 and 17-19.
Some of the dishes included plant-based twists on sushi, nachos, bao, noodles, deli sandwiches and more.
Here are five vegan alternatives that Coachella is offering fans at the festival.
Cena Vegan- Barbacoa Nacho Boat
Among this year’s familiar vegan food stands is Cena Vegan, a plant-based, family-operated eatery in Lincoln Heights, back for its sixth year at Coachella. The restaurant had made a name for itself with its vegan burritos and nacho boats. This year, they tried out a new “Taco Party” menu with a plant-based spin on some of Taco Bell’s classic menu items, such as the crunchwraps and crunchy tacos served at the festival’s Street Food Alley along with a vegan Mexican street-style dog wrapped in vegan bacon.
Cena Vegan also has a stand at the Indio Central Market, where they serve their staples such as the Big Vegan Burrito and the Nacho Boat. The barbacoa nacho boat was a delicious take on the traditional slow-cooked beef. The imitation meat was a shredded tofu seasoned like the traditional dish with a savory, smoky and sweet blend. The pile of tortilla chips was topped by beans, Pico de Gallo, guacamole, a cashew crema and mild salsa. Although nachos are meant to be shared, you might want to keep this tasty dish for yourself.
Find it away from the festival at 3317 N Mission Road, Unit K-4, Los Angeles.
Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli- The Smokey
When it comes to eating vegan sandwiches, no one quite does it like Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher & Deli. The sandwich shop is based in Highland Park, Los Angeles, and was created by owner Maciel Bañales Luna, who was born and raised in Durango, Mexico. Her upbringing with an environmentally conscious father and a mother who sought out the best vegetarian meals led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, a master’s degree in health sciences and a doctorate in medical sciences. With her educational background, she opened up the shop in 2022, serving plant-based meats and cheeses in sandwiches.
The sandwich stand is also a returning food vendor this year, but this time around, it offered a new charcuterie board. The Coachella special consisted of herb turkey, salami, smoked cheddar, gruyere, grapes, cashews, gherkins, apricot jams and crackers.
Because it was our first time trying Maciel’s, we opted for a sandwich. The Smokey was made with mesquite turkey, bacon, melted gouda, avocado, onion-jalapeno jam and spicy aioli. It was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy, and it tasted so much like the real thing that it warranted a pause to double-check it wasn’t actually meat. The bread was crunchy enough to sustain the avocado mash and jam, and it was a full meal. Maciel’s sandwiches are the future.
Find it away from the festival at 5933 York Blvd., Los Angeles.
Maneatingplant- Fried Shroom Bao
Maneatingplant returned to the festival’s Indio Central Market this year to serve its vegan noodles. The restaurant concept was born in the summer of 2018 as a humble tent popup in Torrance with partners and chefs Candice Tzeng and Phil Kwan at the helm. The pair co-created the concept to share their plant-based perspective on the Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese flavors they grew up with. In 2021, they launched their school bus food truck, Olive, that currently serves communities from Los Angeles to San Diego, and they also have a booth set up every Sunday at Smorgasburg LA.
One of the more affordable and tasty vegan bites was the fried shroom bao, made with beer-battered king oyster shrooms, cashew hoison, pickled serrano, cilantro, scallion and chili crisp, packed inside a steamed bao bun. The bao had all the classic Chinese flavors but was packed with a sweet-and-spicy kick. The stand offers a single serving, but you’ll want more, so go for the double order when you get to the front of the line.
Find it away from the festival on Sundays at 777 S Alameda St., Los Angeles.
GoKoku- Beleaf Salmon Flower Bouquet Hand Roll
Making its Coachella debut this year is GoKoku, based out of North Hollywood since 2016. The restaurant typically serves comfort food, including vegan ramen, rice bowls and handcrafted noodles, but at the festival it is sticking to its classic sushi and fresh hand rolls. Plus drinks like vegan Thai tea and taro milk tea, all 100% vegan and among the most colorful, aesthetically pleasing and picture-perfect foods.
The Beleaf Salmon Flower Bouquet Hand Roll is a must-try vegan dish for those who want to experience fresh seafood flavors. It consists of creamy beleaf salmon, crunchy takuwan, seasoned gobo and lettuce, with lilac-colored rice packed at the bottom of the bouquet, soaking up all the flavors. It’s served with actual decorative flowers, so be sure not to eat those.
Find it away from the festival at 4147 Lankershim Blvd., Studio City.
El Moro Churrería- Churros
Several of the shops serve vegan desserts, and other carts around the festival serve churros, but none do it like El Moro Churrería. The churro shop originated in Mexico City in 1935 and also serves hot chocolate made with organic Tabasco cocoa, alongside vegan churros inspired by Spanish desserts. Although it’s not serving hot chocolate at the festival, those looking for a sweet treat can watch their churros get made in real time at the Terrace North, as people do at their Los Angeles and Costa Mesa locations.
Festivalgoers can order cinnamon-dusted churros with their choice of dips, including chocolate and hazelnut, guava, dark chocolate and condensed milk. The churros are fluffy and longer than most, making them a great shareable dessert for the festival. The guava jam paired with the churro works surprisingly well, combining fruit flavors with the classic street cart pastry.
Find it away from the festival at 2300 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa and 1524 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.
