There are a lot of things to love about Community Vegan—a food truck on East 11th Street specializing in plant-based comfort foods—but none as much as the fact that the menu has not one but two varieties of fried mushrooms. Order the lemon pepper wangz for a basket full of fried oyster mushrooms in a zesty lemon pepper seasoning, or get the dime bag and take a walk around the neighborhood with a brown paper bag full of crispy bite-sized chunks of lion’s mane. But a food truck can’t survive off mushroom sales alone (at least not of the grocery store variety), and the menu includes a bunch of plant-based takes on classic bar food, like chili cheese fries and loaded totchos. 

Head to Community Vegan before an evening of drinks at Nickel City across the street, or when you forgot to make a reservation for Paperboy two months ago and want some good, hearty food that you can eat on a bright patio looking out over 11th Street. Or just order an entire bucket of fried oyster mushrooms, fries, rolls, and hot peppers and bring it home for an afternoon of grazing on the couch.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary

Lemon Pepper Wangz

These oyster mushrooms are fried to a crisp, golden brown then tossed in lemon pepper seasoning. Meant to be a play on chicken wings, they bear very little resemblance in texture or appearance to their bird-based counterparts, but still, they make for a great meal.

The Dime Bag

Of the fried mushrooms offered, The Dime Bag is a little closer to the variety more commonly found at bars. But instead of creminis, you’re getting lion’s mane, with a bit meatier of a texture. We’d order these again in a heartbeat.

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary

Crab Cake Totchos

Totchos have always kind of existed as the slightly weird cousin of the nacho, that we still really love. Community Vegan’s come loaded with plant-based crab cakes and a bunch of creamy, spicy sauces that make for some excellent bites.

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary

Beer Battered Cauli Chikn Sandwich

Think fried chicken sandwich, but the chicken has been replaced by a giant slab of cauliflower. The flavors were all there, but something about biting into a thick slice of hot cauliflower didn’t quite do it for us.