Where to get the most authentic Mexican, vegan food in Southern California

Culture and food go hand-in-hand. Food is such an emotional thing because we often associate nostalgic memories with it. Especially in the Mexican culture, food means a lot. As a Mexican vegan, it was hard to stray away from tradition. I was met with a lot of criticism from my family members, because they didn’t think vegan food can still be “authentically Mexican.”

When Carmen Santillan developed the recipes for the popular food business, Cena Vegan, she used recipes passed down from her grandmother and mother, combatting the myth that Mexican food can’t be vegan and authentic at the same time. “I learned her dishes, I learned the stories behind some of her food,” Santillan said.

Santillan is from Mexico, and came to the U.S. as a child. Her recipies are as authentic as it gets. “What makes it traditional is that it is traditional,” she said. “These recipes and the way of preparing food and mixing spices and some you toast, some you fry, some you boil, all of those things are part of how Mexican food is made and has been made for many many years. Not just in my family, but in Mexico. I’ve always stayed true to that.”

Santillan says that many of the recipies passed from her grandmother were plant-based. That’s how they ate because they heavily relied on the crops they grew. Mexican food traditionally has a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit. “A lot of the Mexican restaurants here in this country are not really good versions of what true Mexican food is,” Santillan says. “The flavors are very clean, the sauces are very simple, but they come together and produce this incredible flavor, where here, I don’t think people understand that and they compensate by doing other things to the food. It’s loaded with fat, it’s loaded with cheese, it’s meat-heavy, it’s really greasy, and that’s not Mexican food.”

Her most important message about Cena Vegan’s food is, “It’s got to be good food. The fact that it’s vegan, well that’s a bonus.”

With that, I leave you with the five best, and most authentic Mexican vegan spots in Southern California.

1. Cena Vegan

This place. I almost have no words. This is definitely the most authentic tasting vegan Mexican food in LA. After months of following them on Instagram, I finally tried their food a couple years back and it was a special moment. I got tacos, nachos, and a burrito and shared it with my mom. We were both in awe how this tasted like what we grew up eating, but even better. As mentioned above, they really get the spices and flavors right.

2. Todo Verde

This is Carmen Santillan’s pick for other great vegan Mexican food in LA. Todo Verde is great because it’s classic foods you grew up eating, but with a healthy, innovative, and flavorful twist. They do not have a restaurant, but they do catering, have cookbooks, and they set up shop at food events. Some of the foods they serve up are ceviche made out of hearts of palm, mushroom tinga, jackfruit fajitas, and oyster mushrooms in mole.

3. Sugar Taco

This is another place that brings me back. Their plant-based meats are made in-house and they taste like the real deal. Their quesadillas are the only vegan quesadillas I will eat because their in-house vegan cheese is so amazing, it actual tastes like real cheese (this is coming from a vegan cheese hater). They also have churros, conchas, and horchata to satisfy your sweet tooth.

4. Doomie’s NextMex

This place is not even close to healthy, but in the best way. If you want some good, fatty, carb-y Mexican food, this is your spot. It takes the parts many people love about Mexican food — cheese, carbs, and spice — and kicks it up a notch. They have nacho fries, chimichangas, flautas, and relleno and so many other comfort foods. What makes this food indulgent are all the sauces they put.

5. Vegan by Victorias

This list would not be complete without a vegan panaderia. I even expanded this list from best restaurants in LA, to Southern California just so I can get this place in. This place is in Santa Ana, but if you live in LA, please make the trip. It is worth the drive. There aren’t many places to get vegan pan dulce in general, which was a staple in my household growing up. We had it at birthday parties, Christmas, Easter — literally everything. And it would always get eaten quicker than whatever cake was there too. I hadn’t found this place until two years into my vegan journey, and when I had my first bite of pan dulce after two years, I felt like I had gotten back a missing piece of me. It sounds dramatic, but food is a really emotional thing. I bought four conchas for myself and ate them over two days. You could serve your whole family pan dulce from here, and they would not know it is vegan. I promise.