Yes indeed, this has to be the very best vegan Mexican restaurant on the planet! This little gem sits in the middle of an unassuming strip mall. While we were there, there was a constant stream of folks coming in and it wasn't even lunch or dinner time. We each ordered the three taco combo, after all, what better way to taste everything. The 'meat' options I chose were the jackfruit, carnitas and the asada. Tacos were loaded with everything, including incredible flavor. Since we were wanting to sample, and on a roll we also ordered super nachos. Oh my goodness, crunchy chips, refried beans, homemade 'cheese' sauce, pickled jalapeños, crema, asada and I can't remember what else. And to top this amazing meal off, we split a plant based flan, which was creamy and one of the best plant based flans i have ever had. Folks working behind the counter were super sweet and helpful. Check this place out...hope to see you there! read more

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Good food and great sauces I just wish the portions for the 5 variety taco were a little more and the lady manning the sauce station was more friendly read more

My husband and I have been obsessed with the al pastor burritos before there was an el cocinero brick and mortar. We love it so much, it was what we had cater our baby shower. I've brought vegan and non vegan friends burritos from here and every single person has loved it. This has got to be the most consistent place I've ever eaten. Every burrito is 10/10. The al pastor is incredible every time. The staff is always kind and even with food modifications, they have never gotten my order wrong! They have a line always, but manage to get you your food quickly every time. Hands down the most authentic vegan Mexican food I have ever had. Growing up Mexican and going vegan I thought I'd lose out on some flavors but I promise you, there's no flavor compromise here. If I could recommend anything from here, the birria tacos, the al pastor (on anything), the burritos because they are gigantic and delicious, and the nachos. I've eaten nearly everything on this menu at least once and I've never been disappointed. Couldn't recommend more. read more

El Cocinero - Nachos with al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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Surprisingly great food. When the girlfriend makes a suggestion to try a new Vegan spot .. sometimes I wince at the idea of marginal adaptation of traditional food.. this was fabulous.. read more

El Cocinero - Taco .. plant based - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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I've been going to El Cocinero for over two years, and the food is consistently delicious and healthy. I highly recommend trying their nacho plate. For dessert, don't miss the flan. It's one of my all-time favorite vegan spots in LA! Try It! You won't be disappointed. read more

The food was delicious, nice environment and VEGAN! This incredible combination is wonderful for those who can't eat meat! Taste is amazing! Would come back! read more

El Cocinero has been a MUST on my foodie-venture list for quite some time! I've had several friends recommend this spot to me and alas; I've made my way back out to LA and the opportunity to dine-in here arose, so I absolutely jumped on it! The interior is spacious, has ample seating, plenty of natural daylight, and is popular amongst locals. Also, the staff is incredibly kind and open to answer questions. Service was quick and my order was prepped on the spot! I ordered 5 tacos so I could try each of the vegan meats, and HOT DIGGITY, am I glad I did. I loved every single one of the tacos I had! They were each so packed with flavor and meat-ily loaded! While every type of vegan meat was delicious and worthy of ordering again, my favorites were the asada, Al pastor, and the chicken, in that order. To simply put it, El Cocinero has lived up to the hype; delicious food and is a vegan's safe haven! I'll be dreaming about these tacos and can't wait to visit again soon to try more menu items! read more

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Some of the best vegan Mexican food and it's close by home!!! Great refried beans and rice too. Quick and friendly service. Two tacos, rice and refried beans are $7.99, make it three tacos for $11 for the meal. read more

Everything is delicious here. I have ordered pretty much everything on the menu including buying catering trays. And that street corn. OH. MY. GOSH. Plenty of inside seating. Not fancy, but functional. Lots of food options. Go hungry. The portions are big. read more

Sure it's a nice vegan latinx family business, but they always mess up my orders every single time. And the food is cold. Friends who I've brought refuse to give it another try, even family is tired of thinking their service is going to change. Miss when they actually cared about making delicious vegan food in a food truck... read more

I've NEVER been a fan of vegan food. i remember when it was only grain bowl, lentils and tofu. This has to be the best Vegan food i've ever had in my life. Me and some friends wanted to try and drove from LB and Inglewood to try it out. We were not disappointed whatsoever. The pastor is so sweet, tender and has that full mouth feel. No clumpiness or grittyness that other substitutes taste like. All of this food was for just three of us because we couldn't wait to eat this all week lol. Please come and try for yourself. read more

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Ok if you're vegan and you haven't been to Cocinero, what are you doing??? One of my top 3 vegan Mexican spots, hands down. Get anything. Literally. Get anything and it will be fire. I always get tacos--asada, pastor, and chicharron are my go to. My partner always gets a bowl with asada, chicharron, and cheese sauce. Service is great; the young men working here are so nice! Chill spot, give it a go, vegan or not! read more

El Cocinero - Tacos!! - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

Love this spot. Best vegan I've ever had. Still working my way through the menu, but everything has been great so far.

Food was excellent. The service was great! We tried 4 different tacos, the street corn, the loaded fries, as well as the beans and rice. The vegan Al Pastor was my favorite, and the carne asada was a close second. The loaded fries were The workers were personable. The restaurant is not fancy but you could tell the owners take pride in their store. It was an overall great experience. We will be back! read more

Came back and tried the mulita with asada. It was so good! Would recommend and order it again. read more

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Everything I eat here is sooooo good. Love their tacos and torta (given) but I just had some tamales and they were incredibly delicious. Ive tried their sopes too! read more

Hands down some of the best vegan Mexican food out there. I found them on IG a long time ago and wanted to try them the next time we were in the Valley. The service is very thorough and they are very nice. We've ordered to go both times, once in person and the other using their online option. This place hits the spot every time. Their food is so flavorful and so fresh that we always over order (and share, sometimes). I always forget to take photos, so all I have are the two posted with this review. Here is what we enjoy from El Cocinero: - Asada Tacos - Chicharron Tacos - this mess is C R I S P Y!!! -Asada or Chickn Burrito -Quesadilla - sweet and simple, you can't go wrong -Asada Torta -Horchata - because, duh. -Flan -Always a side of rice and beans and their spiciest salsa The place is set up like your traditional taqueria which I appreciate. Nice artwork on the wall, nothing fancy and nothing over the top. I love this place! I wish it nothing but the best and cannot WAIT to visit again! read more

El Cocinero - Asada - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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I use to come here all the time the food is so good. My order was always a Torta de asada but I came out here recently and they changed the Torta it use to be with bolillo and cabbage and pinto beans but now they use telera bread no cabbage no beans.. now it's like any other Torta you can get at any other Mexican restaurant. That also made them stood out!! Which is sad because their Tortas were perfectly fine the way they were. Why fix something that isn't broken? Still coming back out here tho just bummed about the Torta.. read more

El Cocinero - Torta - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

The food here is amazing! I prefer the al pastor burrito and my girlfriend prefers the jackfruit carnitas burrito. My girlfriend's partner got the super nachos with carnitas. Everything we've had here has so much flavor. I eat meat but I don't feel like I'm missing anything when eating here. The flan is also delicious. But I wouldnt get the horchata again...it's very chalky and just OK on flavor. read more

El Cocinero - Al pastor burrito, jackfruit carnitas burrito, and super nachos - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

Amazing food! The nacho dish is incredibly good. And I'm not a vegan. The tacos made me want to go back for more. And please don't leave without having some flan. It's epic. L. Alzate read more

Went here for the first time last night. One of the best vegan restaurants in all of LA. Life changing, I think about this place all the time. Don't bother spending your money anywhere else. Amen. read more

Best Mexican Vegan Restaurant, flavor on point , great service, good portions , fast service

Given that there aren't many vegan, plant-based options in the valley (and especially for Mexican food), this place stands out. In terms of ambiance, it's not the best vibe; it has a hole-in-the-wall feel but service was good. In terms of food, it was just okay. The tacos were a bit dry and subpar and the burrito - although better - could have used some lettuce, cheese, etc. to balance out the warmer/hotter flavors. The added cabbage was a nice, but more of a crunch was needed. The price was high though: $20 for one taco and burrito. Areas for improvement are taste; having more sauces and clearly written displays in the store of what they offer and what you can add, and mix and match, etc. things can be clearer. There is potential but at the moment it's uniqueness is that it's all vegan. 3.5/5 read more

I cannot live without this place! The meats are unlike most vegan meats available, the service is FAST (I never have to place order ahead of time) and half a burrito fills me up because they are fully stocked. read more

I've been wanting to try this spot since my friend suggested it a few weeks back, but we planned to go on a Monday, and they're closed on Mondays, *face palm*. Well my boyfriend and I tried this spot out after our hike today, and the verdict is in! This place is great! Offering vegan-only options, El Cocinero does a great job of preserving the flavors and textures you might expect from traditional non-vegan tacos. It's a walk-up, order, and take-out place only, so there's no seating inside. We ordered a variety to try, and our favorites were the jackfruit carnitas, birria-style tacos with consomé, and the chicharrón tacos. We both ordered agua fresca - I had the horchata, which did not survive long enough to be pictured because i enjoyed it too much, and my boyfriend got the watermelon-based agua fresca, which he enjoyed as well. I'll definitely be back for these guilt-free, but super tasty tacos! read more

El Cocinero - El Cocinero. - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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This place is beyond amazing in every capacity. I finally got to try this place and I am so so happy that I did. I was a little overwhelmed at first because everything sounded so good. The staff was so incredibly kind and let me try each protein options so that I knew exactly what I liked the best. I opted for a burrito and my friend got the tacos. I cannot wait to come back again. HIGHLY recommend and the portions are HUGE read more

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Food is AMAZING!!! I am not even vegan. I lean vegetarian, but choose this place because it is so yummy!

My boyfriend took me to get Mexican vegan food at El Cocinero and it was SO GOOD. The service was great, very friendly staff who know what they're doing. The restaurant was very clean and does have an authentic Mexican vibe. I got the pozole and tried the chicken tacos & the chicharrón tacos. To drink we ordered horchata. Everything was absolutely DELICIOUS. This may become my new favorite spot to eat! I brought some pozole home and even my mom liked it who regularly is pretty traditional about the way she cooks. 10/10 RECOMMEND read more

BEST VEGETARIAN TACOS EVER!! Look no more. I live snout 40 min from here but I refuse to go to any other taco spot. They have limited business hours, so they tend to be busy, but very well worth it ! I have also catered a few times from them. Their prices are the best! I wish they had AC but it's fine, they have great vibes here ! read more

One of our favorite go-to for vegan fast food. Delicious faux meat burritos! Always friendly service.

I finally tried El Cocinero after following them on IG for so long and the delicious linner my friends (non-vegan) and I had did not disappoint! The three of us ordered a pastor quesadilla, asada nachos and chicken fries and all three were a hit. We ordered for pickup and found parking easily in the strip mall lot (parking is free). I recommend getting your UberEats pickup order in early, since the slots fill up quickly and per the staff, they do not start preparing the order until the start of the pickup window (for freshness, I assume). The restaurant was busy with customers on a Saturday afternoon, which was great to see. Staff was super friendly too! I can't wait to be back to try the sopes and the quesabirria tacos. read more

Updated review because I don't know what going on at this place. I used to eat here once a week, it was my favorite restaurant, but my last three experiences have been very disappointing. Got the super nachos, had way less toppings on it, barely had any jackfruit, and they didn't layer it like they usually do it. It was just a pile of over cooked chips with very little toppings on it. Not worth 18 dollars. And my burritos have been a mess. Things thrown in there in a weird order and just getting big bites of all one thing. I'm wondering if there is new staff because I'm not the only one who has said this. Also over salty and seasoned the Al pastor and jackfruit recently was so salty we couldn't take more than a few bites I honestly don't think it's the owners fault because I've called to talk to him about it, I think it might be a new workers, Whatever it is, I'm disappointed and not gonna be going back for a while. read more

This is one of those places where you can try anything and you won't be disappointed! My personal favorite are the nachos with pastor or the burrito w pastor! Any vegans/vegetarians need to try this! AMAZING AND FULL OF FLAVOR! read more

El Cocinero - Nachos with pastor - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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I've had this a few times now and it has been consistently delicious. The first time I ordered delivery and it was good, but I am fortunate to live close by so I prefer visiting. The service I have experienced has always been great, everyone is very friendly. The place is spotless and there is now some seating available; stools along the wall and a few tables too. Food, is superb. One of the best vegan restaurants I have had. What's better than Mexican food? Vegan Mexican food!!!! Faves: 1. love their carne guisada!!! Hope it stays forever! 2. Quesabirria tacos w/ consomé, of course! 3. Al pastor is soo good! 4. The flan! I just picked up a mulita and it is chefs kiss! Definitely recommend. read more

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Food is A1... one of the best in my opinion for vegan Mexican food. There are others that are good as well. You're in and out with ease they have great service been and will be back again read more

Very clever and creative :) My friends and I went here because we have a vegan friend with us but ended up not going. However, as foodies we ended up going to this place anyway. Their Yelp pictures looks great! And as a meat lover ourselves, we really thought we're going to a carnivore place cause we specifically filter our search to "vegan option"... we did not realized that all of their items are vegan haha. We just realized it when we were there ordering, we said to ourselves "f*** it" let's try it out lol. By the way, the ambiance was great and customer service is pretty good. They still don't have dining options available yet, but the lines went fast and smooth. I ordered their Al's special burrito, which got 3 meats. I added chicharon, al pastor, and cabeza. Their burrito is a usual burrito that have cheese (vegan) an rice, but the unique part is their meats. Damn, I am a meat lover and I cannot tell the difference and still scratching my head "how do they made this masterpiece of meats" lol. I seriously cannot taste the difference of real meat to plant base.. it was amazing. Me and my friends shared their Awesome nachos, which consist of "carne asada meat" yea right, but then again cannot tell the difference! Overall, if you want to be vegan and have vegan friends.. this place rocks! Definitely going here again :) read more

El Cocinero - Al's Special Burrito:) - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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I'm here all the time. The tacos here are delicious, as well as the torta. I usually get 5-7 tacos per visit. They have everything from seitan to mushroom-based. The nachos and flan are also delicious. Ambience is hole-in-the wall type of place. Service is great, can't complain. They give you however many hot sauces you request and the food is delivered very fast. I always recommend this place for guilty pleasure drives. My only recommendation is we need guac! read more

I keep finding myself here. Lol, I don't know the Lord's plan for my life but, He keeps leading me here! So this time around I ordered the Carne Asada Sopes! I've always loved Sopes growing up but it's hard to find vegan ones that offer a delicious protein. These delectable handfuls are built to perfection! And we already know this spot is known for their plant based carne asada, so it's only right! Every bite is full of flavor and it's honestly so filling, you can save the second one for later. Best thing ever invented lol read more

El Cocinero - Carne Asada Sopes - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

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Listen I'm so happy I found this place and I'm gonna become a regular for sure ..the taste is so good .. reasonable in price I could not stop dipping !! Loved it !! And it's vegan WOW read more

El Cocinero - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California

Love their vegan food! Lots of options and so yummy. Fulfills all my cravings for Mexican food. Order in person. They are fast and the place is clean. I appreciate their comparable containers to go and paper bags. Plenty of parking in the lot right in front. The only problem is that they don't take phone orders and you have to do that via ubereats which I won't do on principle because I hate that company that preys on restaurants. I wish the restaurant would at least have a recording at the number saying that they don't take phone orders so I could have stopped trying to call them. read more

El Cocinero - Cabeza torta using grilled eggplant and onions. Really packed and delicious! Huge - Mexican Near Me - Van Nuys CA, California