It is already difficult to open a restaurant in the best of times. However, co-owners Joana and Seleste successfully opened the vegan cafe, Little Barn Coffee House, right in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This adorable shop is nestled next to a quiet residential neighborhood.
Above: Co-owner Joana
The biscuit they make for the Vegan Sausage Breakfast Sandwich is worth coming back for alone! Buttery, soft, scrumptiousness!
My favorite thing we ordered on this visit was the Vegan Chicken Sandwich with green pesto. The artisanal bread was hardy, but not too heavy. This sandwich has the perfect amount of kale for a nice crunch and vegan cheese to enhance the flavor. It is definitely the best vegan sandwich I’ve ever had!I’m looking forward to going back and trying more of their selection.
They are very friendly and have great customer service.For PRIDE month and throughout the year, support this lady Latinx/2SLGBTQ+ owned business!
In honor of Juneteenth 2024, we decided to highlight an African American owned business in Los Angeles. When I say we were not prepared for such a great find – I mean it!
Wow! That’s what we have to say about the vegan cheeseburger at Vurger Guyz. It is amazing! The soft bun, carmalized onions, melted vegan cheese, pickles, and nicely chard patty all mix so well together. You can add yummy seasoned fries or sweet potato fries on the side. I usually get their lemonade soda pop for a refreshment with the scrumptious meal. Yes – I have already gone back TWICE! They also have a great cream soda option.
Above photo of Vurger Guyz owner – Mr. V
Mr. V, the owner, is super friendly. He has brought the positive small community energy of Brooklyn right to the streets of L.A.
Everyone I’ve seen leaves the truck full and satisfied!
Parking tip for their regular location next to Whole Foods:
For one free hour of parking, park in the parking garage under Whole Foods – get something small at Whole Foods for parking validation and walk to their back balcony. You can see and walk to the Vurger Guyz Food Truck from the back balcony.
Juneteenth Celebration
Vurger Guyz will be at the Leimert Park Juneteenth Celebration (Wednesday, June 19, 2024).
Event Location: 4317 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008.
Festivities are from 11am to 8pm.
Vurger Guyz
ADDRESS:
788 S Grand Ave., Los Angeles (Downtown), CA 90014
I had the chance to visit the diner style vegan restaurant BeeWali’s this weekend!
One side is facing the main road – Eagle Rock Blvd. – and the other side is tucked on a corner just off of the quiet residential street Addison Way.
This family owned restaurant started with a father who loves to cook, worked as an electrician, and decided to become vegan. His wife, Bee, teasingly called him “Wali” when they were dating because it’s the beginning of his unique last name. Bee was working full time as a hotel manager and she eventually chose to become vegan as well. They were surprised at the variety of good food they were enjoying.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they decided to go even further with their new way of eating and start a vegan restaurant: BeeWali’s! A fun mixture of their first and last names. They recruited their teenage son as a server and hired an additional staff member who also has become like family.
While at BeeWali’s I got the Meddi Bowl Falafel (that is the half sized Falafel plate – they have a full sized falafel plate also). They give good portions. The Meddi Bowl Falafel comes with hummus, pita bread, rice topped with veggies, three large falafel balls, and a side of the house sauce. I also want to try their plant-based chicken Kabob Wrap and fries – next time I guess! They have Mediterranean and Indian options!
If you go and can only get one thing, get their pita bread and hummus – yum, yum!
After you eat at BeeWali’s, let us know in the comments what you got!
ADDRESS
4862 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041
PHONE: (323) 289-2660
PARKING
– Free 2-hour parking on their cross street Addison Way
– There is also untimed free parking a little further up the street on Addison Way in the residential area
We visited “Stuff I Eat” – one of our favorite lady-owned vegan restaurants – and found great new items on the menu! The restaurant is co-owned by Chef Babett.
Chef Babett – Source: StuffIEat.com
The portions were always good, but this time they were great! So – Much – Food!
Vegan Enchilada Pie
I know Stuff I Eat normally advertises its Soul Food Plate, but I’m there for the vegan Enchilada Pie – best thing ever! However, we saw the special was Vegan Lasagna … and Vegan Nachos are on the menu now too. Sooooo *drum roll please* we got them all. Yeah, 3 meals for two people was WAY too much food – especially considering the super large portions – we had to take a bunch of it home.
Vegan Lasagna
I’ve always thought the Enchilada Pie was super good, so I was surprised how much I equally liked the Nachos and Lasagna too! *Nom Nom*
To top it off I got the Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake. I didn’t think I could be any more satisfied and I was wrong! This vegan cheesecake is the perfect mix of sweet and tart deliciousness!
Another completely satisfying visit at Stuff I Eat – let us know your favorite meals there below and/or at our YouTube page: https://youtube.com/shorts/DtYvRI14c5A?feature=share
ADDRESS:
Stuff I Eat, 114 N. Market St., Inglewood, CA 90301-1710
It is almost Independence Day! That is, until there is finally an Independence Day for the indigenous nations of Abya Yala (aka: America).
Enjoy exploring these businesses owned by African Abya Yalans (aka: Americans)!
Thank you for choosing to get stuff via VEGANavigate. Some of the companies we advertise have partnered with us. This means they give us a commission if you purchase an item/items from them due to our website. Thanks again for your support!
Here are some vegan LGBTQ+ owned companies to support immediately!
Thank you for choosing to get stuff via VEGANavigate. Some of the companies we advertise have partnered with us. This means they give us a commission if you purchase an item/items from them due to our website. Thanks again for your support!
This LGBTQ+ team is helping save the planet! They collect good quality ugly tomatoes that are normally thrown away by large food factories to make delicious vegan sauces and spreads!
This is a pop-up eatery that provides a safe space for trans-identifying people of color. Formerly located solely in Oakland, CA, they have closed their store to travel the nation with their unique combination of Asian and Latinx comfort foods. Let’s hope you get a chance to try ’em out!
(Happy International Womens Month / International Womens Day! Read to end for highlighted lady-owned business.)
There have been quite a few articles and commentary on the tension that has emerged between some vegans and indigenous people. There are those who identify as vegan, who have been attempting to shame indigenous communities for their use of animals. It would be important to first state that most vegans are not likely to agree with this approach. Even so, it has become a trending topic of dispute.
So let us weigh in on the conversation. Although we are obviously advocating a vegan lifestyle with this website, the first thought that came to mind was – “Why is anyone attempting to further dictate the actions of indigenous people in Abya Yala (aka: America) on their own land?”
We believe the focus of non-indigenous people who are vegan should remain firmly on the largest perpetrators of deaths of other beings. This would mean actively working on reducing the suffering of beings in slaughter houses, promoting vegan meals to the main stream, and advertising more eco-friendly and morally sound material use – like cactus leather instead of the skin of beings.
Marginalized communities should not be the target of vegan activism before large corporations are fully addressed and mainstream habits completely changed. This misplaced attention reminds me of some environmental activists who briefly attempted to shame impoverished people in African countries for burning tires for warmth instead of fully focusing on the far greater pollution of western countries.
Yes, at some point…far in the future…non-indigenous vegans may choose to respectfully offer vegan meal ideas and vegan material ideas to indigenous communities. However, it will probably be more effective when these ideas are introduced by the vegan indigenous people that already exist. Yes, there are indigenous vegans. There are also many indigenous communities that eat a primarily vegan diet already.
Due to this conversation, for International Womens Month, we would like to highlight the indigenous founder, Tina Archuleta, of the vegan restaurant – Itality – in New Mexico. She is using native vegetables, fruits and grains to make wonderful vegan indigenous food. She hopes to improve the health of the community and re-connect with de-colonized traditional meals.
Quote from the About page of The Gray Zebra website: “…come join ourherd and let’s get grazy!”
Outside of the Gray Zebra we noticed its cool exterior and funky design. It is also quite literally on the (northwest) corner of Sunset Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.
As we entered we were greeted warmly by the chef – Chef Ali! She was very inviting and asked us to make ourselves at home. I made a guess that her accent is from Australia. When she arrived to take our orders (very quickly after we sat) I asked and she’s actually from South Africa! Too cool!
There is limited seating, so I would suggest calling in advance – we did and it worked out perfectly. They were able to tell us a family was just leaving so they would have tables ready when we got there. (Inside there are three tables, plus a long high table with stools and a couple tables outside.)
There is a lot of yummy stuff on the menu:
I wanted nachos, but I’m usually not a fan of chorizo – they were topped with vegan chorizo. The chef offered to prepare them without the chorizo, but said she thought I may like the way they do it. I took the gamble and she was right! Oh my goodness the chorizo was perfectly seasoned – not too firm and not too soft. I was a happy “grayzer”!
Our table shared the Crispy “Chicken” sandwich (actually listed on the menu under “Burgers”) and I think it may be the best vegan crispy chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. I knew immediately that next time I want one all for myself *grin* – and I think I would ask for a little extra vegan cheese on it.
One of us got a mix-berry smoothie without the banana and the “Grazy Cobb” salad and oh my stripes! I gladly accepted the offer to try some and once again, things I normally avoid (in this case tempeh and ranch dressing) were “grazy” good! The dressing was lightly tossed throughout the salad, perfectly covering each leaf and wasn’t a heavy ranch flavor. I started with a little nibble off a piece of tempeh and it was so tender and yummy I popped the whole thing in my mouth, followed by a couple more I had commandeered out of my neighbor’s container and had to keep myself from trying to sneak a few more. It was another one I plan to order in the future!
My cousin (who is not vegan) got a BBQ Beyond Burger with a Green Smoothie and said they were both really good!
Chef Ali was so welcoming we could have just sat and talked with her. I’m so happy we tried The Gray Zebra because now we have a new vegan restaurant to add to our favorites!
VEGANavigate TIPS:
If you’re dining-in, bring change for 2-hour metered parking
You can order food in advance for pick-up
The Gray Zebra also offers Catering!
ADDRESS:
The Gray Zebra, 5101 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027
Yeah, we didn’t know National Lasagna Day existed either, but it was a great excuse to eat vegan lasagna at the all vegan restaurant – SunCafe! Don’t let the name fool you, it is a full-service restaurant located in a business area of Studio City, California. However, its enclosed parking lot in front of the leafy vine-covered entrance makes it feel secluded.
It would be a great place for a romantic dinner. It is also a good location for brunch with a friend or a work lunch with a colleague. There is indoor and outdoor seating. If you choose to sit outdoors it has a bit of the feeling of a shared secret garden restaurant that only you and the other patrons there know about.
The atmosphere is calm and the staff is friendly. One of the bussers politely directed my attention to the QR code on the table that can be scanned to view the menu before the waiter arrives. After I ordered there was a small wait, but not too long to be discouraged and the time could definitely be filled with easy conversation. The presentation of the food was delightful.
I chose to get the lasagna of course. The vegan ricotta in the center was exceptional. A happy surprise was the green pesto on one of the layers in the lasagna. Yum!
I asked for dessert and it came out quickly. I already knew what I wanted – I had seen it online before I arrived. Blueberry cheesecake! It was fresh, it was blueberry-ee and had halves of real blueberries inside. Yes please!
I left satisfied and plan to go back to SunCafe for the nachos, mac n’cheese, and more of the cheesecake – I’ll try a different flavor next time like Strawberry, Mango, Raw Almond Butter, or Key Lime!
VEGANavigate Tips
The head chef/co-owner (Ron Russell) of SunCafe teaches cooking lessons! Yeah boy-ee. With his help, we can now all make these great dishes and desserts.
Freedom! Finally! Then decades of further struggles that continue to this day – giant hurdles African-American people keep having to overcome. Even so, for today, we all celebrate the news of freedom.
Here are a few African-American owned restaurants you can get some grub from every week and on Juneteenth. Lets Eat!
If you call, you may get to talk to Baba directly. The food description on their website is: African Diasporic Cuisine. On June 19, 2022 Baba’s Vegan Cafe is a featured eatery at the Juneteenth Festival (hosted by the L.A. Black History Month Festival). You can grab a bite at the festival between 10am and 6pm. Here is the address for the event: 7000 West Manchester Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90045
After Juneteenth, Baba’s Vegan Cafe offers deliveries via DoorDash & UberEats.
Location: 6619 S. Western Ave, South Los Angeles, CA Call: 323 – VEGAN – 93 (323-834-2693) Order online: https://www.babasvegancafe.com/ Hours: Tuesday – Friday; 2pm – 7pm
Baba’s Vegan Cafe also does catering!
Stuff I Eat
photo source: https://www.stuffieat.com/menu
Stuff I Eat is located on a quiet city street – making for an even more comfortable dining experience. The owner, Chef Babette, is well-known throughout many communities. This is of course due to her plant-based cuisine, but she has also been on television multiple times! You may have seen her on Inside Edition, The Chew, and the t.v. series Insecure, among many other television appearances. Dine-in, take-out or get a delivery! P.S. The Enchilada Pie is so so so good!
Stuff I Eat 114 N. Market St. Inglewood, CA 90301 Phone: 323-671-0115 Hours: Wednesday – Sunday (12:00pm – 6:00pm) Website: https://www.stuffieat.com/
Jackfruit Cafe
The owner of Jackfruit Cafe is Angela Means Kaaya. She did an excellent performance in the popular 1990’s film Friday as the character Felisha. Jackfruit Cafe’s deep fried breaded vegan fish and deep fried breaded vegan shrimp with a side of black beans and rice are the best! The shrimp come with really good vegan aioli sauce and peppers. Yum yum yum!
Support her culinary ventures by ordering delivery online at: https://jackfruitcafe.com/
You can also pick up your food, hot and fresh, at: 358 W. 38th St., Los Angeles, CA 90037
