My sister became a vegetarian about a year-and-a-half ago, and as my Mom busied herself finding meatless alternatives to some of her staple meals, I thought it was time to help out and take my sister to the third stop of my food truck tour around Los Angeles. 

While I searched for food trucks that included vegetarian options, I realized I was going about my search all wrong. Why go for vegetarian options, when you could have a vegetarian menu? Yep, ladies and gentlemen, you guessed it, this month’s column is all about LA’s pride and joy: veganism.

I took my sister to the Vegan Exchange LA, a weekly vegan market that houses different vendors every Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The first truck at the market that caught my eye was painted bright blue and had little mouth drawings all over it. It was called Word of Mouth Truck. There was no line, which I was suspicious of, but the smell of spicy buffalo cauliflower drew me in. I quickly found myself ordering half of the menu at what I now know was named one of the “14 Must-Try Vegan Food Trucks in Los Angeles.” 

We ordered the mac and cheese bites, buffalo cauliflower, Word Burger on Beyond Meat patty and the Fried Chick’n Sandwich.

Before I got to try my heavily anticipated food, we took a quick detour at a vegan boba shop, Magik Milk Boba. I ordered a jasmine milk tea with boba, and of course, oat milk. Immediately blown away by the refreshing hints of jasmine paired with the strong sweetness of the boba, I had to hold myself back from ordering another one. And, before all you boba lovers ask, there was a perfect ratio of boba to tea; definitely some of the best boba I have ever tasted.

After our delicious boba stop, my sister and I made our way back to the Word of Mouth truck just as our order was served. We grabbed the piping hot cardboard containers, which each housed little pieces of vegan heaven, and headed back to my car. 

We started off strong with the buffalo cauliflower.  The cauliflower was perfectly cooked and the sauce was spicy with the perfect hint of that classic buffalo sauce tanginess. The best part about buffalo cauliflower, as opposed to buffalo wings, is that you can enjoy every single bite just a little more knowing that you will not run into a dreaded chicken bone. And let me tell you, this buffalo cauliflower knocked every buffalo chicken wing I have had out of the park. 

Next, we pulled out the big guns and dove right into the piping hot mac and cheese balls. They were perfectly crispy on the outside, with creamy and cheesy yumminess on the inside. 

I’m not sure what exactly the food truck put in these little balls of bliss that made them vegan because they tasted like they had animal products oozing out of them. But I wasn’t questioning anything. They say vegan, I say, “Yes, please.”.

I then took a big bite of the Word Burger, the messiest item on the menu. Complete with American-style cheese, arugula, tomato, onion, a pretzel bun and a hefty helping of house word sauce, the Word Burger is a sight to behold. Don’t be fooled by the Beyond Meat, it is in fact plant-based but manages to maintain the same lingering taste like a regular beef patty. 

Now, the last item we tried was a little disappointing, but delicious nonetheless. The Fried Chick’n Sandwich obviously contained no chicken, and you could tell. Now, if you’re aiming for a falafel sandwich, then order the Fried Chick’n Sandwich. But if you’re looking for a chicken sandwich, I suggest you don’t become a vegan because I don’t think the vegan community has perfected the crispy chicken replica just yet (emphasis on the yet).

Now, for a total of about $51, I would say the food is expensive but definitely not overpriced. The Word of Mouth truck is a mouthwatering alternative to some of your favorite American food staples. If you’re trying to find somewhere that will make you ask yourself, “Is this even vegan?”, then Word of Mouth is the place to go.