From BBQ to soul food, the Bay Area’s bounty of vegan and vegan-friendly food trucks has exploded in recent years.
With innovative, savory dishes in just about every street food cuisine category imaginable, there’s little room to miss meat—and that’s coming from a group of dedicated omnivores.
Here are our top picks for San Francisco’s best vegan food trucks serving up flavor-loaded, creative options that even non-vegans will have a hard time turning down.
Señor Sisig Vegano
Yes, it’s THAT Señor Sisig food truck and restaurant team we all know and love for introducing us to Filipino street food. They can barely dish up their tasty burritos and tacos loaded with marinated, grilled pork (called sisig in the Philippines where their chef has family roots) fast enough. This wildly popular team decided to replicate the textures, flavors and experience of their meat-based burritos, tacos, fries, nachos and salads using only vegan-friendly ingredients. Señor Sisig launched a 100% vegan food truck that serves veganized versions of chicken, pork, tocino (bacon), longaniza chorizo and dairy products. If you viewed the traditional Señor Sisig’s menu next to the Vegano one, you’d hardly be able to tell them apart!
Where to get it: Find Señor Sisig Vegano regularly parked on weekends at City Station SF in the Mission (701 Valencia Street, San Francisco). Their restaurant at 1628 Webster Street in Oakland also offers the all-vegan menu alongside the traditional one.
The Sarap Shop
The Sarap Shop also specializes in Filipino food with menu faves such as sisig rice bowls, pita sandwiches, salads and carbonara pasta. They’ve created a vegan menu that mimics their traditional meat-based one, from which you can order rice bowls, pita sandwiches, salads, curry and their flagship Halo Halo Milktea. Unique favorites include their Impossible Curry Lumpia (egg rolls made with Impossible Foods “meat”) and Very Vegan Sisig Rice Bowl made with stir-fried tofu.
Where to get it: Srap operates a food truck that regularly parks at Parklab Gardens in Mission Bay (1379 4th Street, San Francisco) and a permanent stand at Chase Stadium. You can also buy their vegan, gluten-free sauces online and order delivery meals via Door Dash and UberEats.
Curry Up Now
If you’re in the mood for vegan Indian street food, look no further than Curry Up Now. This fast-casual chain started as a food truck in 2009 and has since expanded into multiple brick-and-mortar outlets (and even a chain of bars called Mortar and Pestle). Their truck menu offers vegan options such as Hella Burrito, Hella Vegan Bowl, Sexy Loaded Fries, Kathi Rolls and a Deconstructed Samosa, which resembles a pile of loaded nachos using mini samosas smothered in garbanzo masala, pico kachumber, chutneys and crispy sev noodles.
Where to get it: Curry Up Now’s truck park regularly at San Ramon City Center and Spark Social SF. Their brick-and-mortar stores offer a larger vegan menu for dine-in, pick up (the San Francisco location is at 659 Valencia Street) and delivery.
Nucha Empanadas
Nucha Empanadas whips up traditional and unconventional Argentinian empanadas using local organic ingredients, with vegetarian and vegan options. Earth Balance Vegan Butter replaces regular butter in their vegan pastry dough. With rich vegan fillings like corn & peppers, spinach, facon-bacon, roasted eggplant, spicy tofu-based Italian sausage, kale & butternut squash, you won’t be bored. For dessert, order their Apple Hand Pie with sweet apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. If you have non-vegan company, they’ll enjoy sampling empanadas packed with smoked pork, chorizo, pepperoni, ham, ground beef or chicken.
Where to get it: Nucha Empanadas operates trucks parked daily at District Six (formerly SoMa StrEat Food Park) and Spark Social SF and offers delivery via popular delivery apps.
Rasa Rasa
Rasa means taste in many Asian languages, so rasa rasa essentially means super tasty—and super tasty food is what you’ll find at this southeast Asian food truck. They make a vegan version of their Beef Rendang (spiced beef stew simmered in coconut milk) using mushrooms instead of meat. Other vegan dishes include Gado Gado (steamed and fresh veggies paired with fried tofu and tempeh), a vegan Nasi Goreng (Indonesian fried rice), plus some tofu and tempeh-based small plates.
Where to get it: Rasa Rasa is parked daily at Parklab Gardens, and you can order delivery via apps such as UberEats.
Vegan Mob
Vegan Mob, an insanely popular vegan soul food and BBQ walk-up eatery in Oakland, has expanded into San Francisco as a food truck (and into San Jose as a restaurant). Its founder, Toriano Gordon, switched to a vegan diet for health reasons a few years ago and desperately missed eating one of his favorite cuisines—barbecue. He created flavor-bomb, plant-based versions he initially sold out of his trunk, which morphed into the Oakland walkup, followed by the food truck and San Jose location.
Vegan skeptics will set aside their aversion as soon as they see some of the comfort food dishes Vegan Mob cooks up. Think Cajun shrimp gumbo, shrimp po’boys, Philly cheesesteaks, barbequitos (tortillas stuffed with brisket, cheese, French fries, guac and sour cream), Smackaroni, fully loaded smoked brisket nachos, combo plates with sides such as Mobba’q Spaghetti, candied yams, collard greens, baked beans, slaw and potato salad. Vegan Mob also makes some Asian-inspired dishes like Asian Mafia Burrito stuffed with garlic noodles, shrimp and lumpia. Choose from vegan proteins: spicy fried chicken, Impossible Meat, shrimp, brisket, links and rib tips.
Where to get it: Find the truck at the same spot as Señor Sisig Vegano (the owner Evan Kidera is a friend) at 701 Valencia Street every day except Monday. Order takeout or delivery from any of the three locations. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for updated hours and specials.
ANZU to You
Restaurant ANZU at Hotel Nikko has been offering contemporary Japanese and creative California cuisine for years, and about five years ago, it launched ANZU to You, a gourmet food truck. The food truck menu doesn’t list specific vegan items, but they will happily prepare vegan and gluten-free on request. During special vegan events such as Very Vegan Sundays at District Six, ANZU to You rolls up with vegan dishes such as vegan musubi, tofu katsu curry, Impossible don, vegan soba and watermelon poke.
Where to get it: The bright green truck shows up at places like Gasser Gardens (176 2nd St, San Francisco), Spark Social SF and multiple apartment buildings around the city. Check their Instagram feed for updated schedules.
Al Pastor Papi
Another wildly popular Latin food truck institution known for their al pastor (ridiculously delicious marinated, rotisserie grilled pork), Al Pastor Papi makes vegan burritos, tacos and bowls with either nopales (cactus) and al pastor jackfruit.
Where to get it: Recently, Al Pastor has been showing up at 701 Valencia Street to join forces with Vegan Mob and Señor Sisig Vegano with an all-vegan menu. Check their Twitter or Instagram feed for the vegan-only days, or find the truck regularly at Spark Social SF, Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, breweries and pop-up events around town.
The Vegan Hood Chefs
This women/BIPOC-owned truck launched in 2017 to increase access to nutrition education and healthy foods in communities of color. The Vegan Hood Chefs have earned some serious kudos for their community outreach, but they are also culinary masters. Their specialty is vegan soul food—and they’ve cooked up a spectacular menu. Delve into their small plates such as Nubian Salad (loaded with blackeyed peas, peppers, onions, tomatoes and rice wine dressing), Cajun Crab Cakes (made with chickpeas and heart of palm) or Cajun “Sucka-free Tash” (made with corn, okra, blackeyed peas, quinoa, fire-roasted tomatoes, celery, coconut milk and kale). Larger plates include Jamaican Curry Chicken using fried jackfruit, Jambalaya with vegan sausage, vegan gumbo and a Buffalo Chicken Bacon Sandwich using fried marinated jackfruit. They’ve also done some brunch popups.
Where to get it: Currently, The Vegan Hood Chefs aren’t rolling their truck regularly but are doing pop ups at locations such as Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, plus drop off and full-service catering events. Keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for when they may be out and about.
Bliss Pops
Many food trucks offer up a dessert or two, but Bliss Pops is desserts all the way (but you won’t find ice cream or ho-hum frozen yogurt here). Tech giants like Facebook, Google, Twitter, Apple and other all-mighty entities like Stanford University and the Golden State Warriors have all booked Bliss Pops for events. While most of their flavors like Cognac Maple Bacon aren’t vegan, their luscious vegan flavors include fresh strawberry, banana peach pecan, sriracha mango, matcha green tea, pineapple, spiced peach sweet tea, azuki red bean and sea salt caramel coffee. Using a bath that instantly freezes the all-natural blends, these “popfessionals” create smooth, ice-free popsicles. Most of the fruit ingredients are organic (and most flavors are gluten-free).
Where to get it: You can order Bliss Pops online, via DoorDash or track down their pushcart at various locations. Follow their Facebook or Instagram feeds for schedules.
