Cena Vegan - Mission

One of the vegan OGs in Los Angeles. Had the Big Vegan Burrito and Big Vegan Torta. They're not kidding about the size. Portions are probably the most generous of any vegan restaurant I've been to. They don't skimp on the meat either. For reference, the burrito is a tad bit bigger than a Chipotle burrito and the torta completely fills the inside of a half-size takeout container. You get to choose from 6 meat options for the filling. I got al pastor. It was decent. It also comes with pineapple chunks, so if you're someone who's repulsed by pineapple on pizza, be warned that this has the same taste. Highly recommend, 10/10. The fact that this restaurant has been standing for almost a decade says a lot.

Didn’t know this was a pick up only spot but it was close to our hotel so we gave it a go. It was PHENOMENAL! We got the burrito & cookie and they gave us a free horchata for still deciding to try it out after finding out it was pick up only. Super sweet employee!!! The burrito was MASSIVE and amazing and I would definitely come back!

Note that it is just an order pickup station for online/phone orders. Seating or manual order taking NOT available. Seriously large portions.

Flavorful vegan Mexican food with fast and friendly service. We ordered while we parked outside and the food came out in less than 10 minutes. We tried the carne asada burrito and the al pastor, mushroom, mole poblano, and pollo asado tacos. Everything was super tasty, though the pollo asado needed some assistance from the lime, crema, and salsas. Overall some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had!

Cena Vegan is my go-to spot when I’m craving Vegan Mexican food. I have tried their tacos, bowls, burritos, nachos, menudo, potato tacos and more - I recommend them all! By the way, it’s only take-out.

It’s not a traditional sit-down restaurant, but you can order in person if you stop by, and by phone for delivery or takeout. The food is delicious, capturing traditional Mexican flavors that bring back childhood memories. This isn’t just good vegan food—it’s amazing Mexican food that just happens to be vegan. When you order catering, they make sure you’re well taken care of, with generous portions that leave everyone asking, “Are you sure this is vegan?” Followed quickly by, “Wow, this is good!”

Just got a long disgusting hair in my food and I took a bite and had half of it in my mouth and the rest still on the taco i threw everything away! I am sooooo mad!!! Food doesn’t even taste fresh like if they reuse stuff from the beginning of the week that they don’t sell and on top of all this it’s pretty pricy at $6 a taco just to get low quality ingredients and a touch of hair! Never eating here again!!!!

Place used to be good when it was a pop up in highland park. Went today with the last time being years ago on york. Tasted not so fresh this time and i didnt get the salsas i asked for. The guy wss quick to run back in before i could ask for my salsas. Pretty expensive now too.

Plant-based/vegan taco spot. It's located out of one of those ghost kitchens (I think that's what they're called). Basically you pull up the menu on a scannable QR code out front and you order. When I went, I was actually greeted by a person because they were bringing out another order so I was able to order from them directly. The vibe is pretty similar to other ghost kitchens if you've ever been to one. After putting my order a few minutes later, the food came out and it's pretty much take out exclusively. I ordered the 100% plant based Taco Trio - "carne asada", barbacoa, "birria de res. Lots of great flavors on freshly made tortillas. Each taco and each bite was super delicious. I'm not vegan, but I could eat these all day. If you are vegan or are trying to cut back a lot on meat (like me) then this is a fantastic spot to get tacos.

I'm bummed leaving this review but it must be done. This is a ghost kitchen so maybe it would be better at their main restaurant if they have one(?) Food- the menudo is very small for $14 but I don't have any issue paying that if it was good. Unfortunately it was overly spicy and had no hominy at all? It's a soup with two ingredients and it was literally missing one of the ingredients... 2/5. The best dish I had was the tamale combo which came with two tamales, beans and rice. The tamales were very big and delicious, I do want to warn you that they put some untraditional (to Mexican tamales) things in there such as carrots, olives & potatoes but it definitely worked. The beans and rice were also well made. 5/5 To pick up your park on the curb and call the number posted on the wall. I'm not sure if I'll be back because I believe that tamales are seasonal and the soup is ok. But if I am, I'll update the review...

I wanted to love it; as a vegan, especially one visiting from out of town, I aim to find and support vegan restaurants. This sounded charming, a shared kitchen near a large park? Sounds legit... The good: The handmade tortillas are delicious. The horchata was tasty and refreshing. The bad: the "meat" options were bland. Tried one of each (carne, pollo, pastor), but they all tasted pretty much the same. The texture and mouthfeel was like chopped up field roast. The service was slow, a few people standing around outside for 10-20 mins each.

I didn't get to try the tacos last time, so I tried them and I have to say I wasn't very impressed 3/5 for the tacos, but I did like the horchata! It's only a to-go place so there was no real ambiance but the service was friendly as always.

The quality has tanked ever since they transitioned to a ghost kitchen. I've been upwards of a dozen times. It's hit or miss, which is a shame because they were SO, SO solid. Besides the dip in food quality, Cena used to be a vibrant hub for vegans. It's since lost its soul.

How I have not reviewed one of my favorite spots in SoCal is beyond me... Cena Vegan makes my second favorite Mexican food in Los Angeles (runner up to El Cocinero in Van Nuys). I've had the pleasure of enjoying them at Vegan Exchange, various pop ups and most recently at a Sunday Funday via Smorgasburg with the squad #PartyOfSix (+One) The burritos are something to not just admire, but enjoy. The Big Vegan Burrito is loaded with beans, guac, rice, pico de gallo (so fresh), salsa, cashew based chipotle crema and your choice of their Barbacoa, Carnitas, Birria (these three all gluten free) or Pollo Asado, Carne Asada or Al Pastor. And the the options like the portions do not disappoint! I couldn't even completely finish my order of Big Vegan Nachos... Which after devouring the first few bites I remember my first time enjoying these - definitely better for sharing. At Cena Vegan you can enjoy Tacos, Bowls, Nachos, Burritos, Sides, Drinks (Agua Frescas, Soda, Water), one of the best cookies ever and Platos. Orders are typically fast even when busy, but roughly diez minutos. Fresh hot flavorful street style Mexican eats that happens to be 1000% plant-based. If at Smorgasburg, you'll usually catch them on the far back row of vendors from the entrance - often next to Man Eating Plant Food Bus. Additionally they do catering and have a permanent location via Lincoln Heights that's open all 7 days of the week. Catch them at LA Kitchen - Whittier Brewing and the Hollywood Farmer's market as well. They're everywhere and anywhere the can be serving up great service, casual cool authentic energy and of course amazing food.

Tried them at Smorgasburg and it was a good fix for my nacho crazing that i woke up with. They only offer seitan or soy proteins which is a little disappointing due to there being other actual plant alternatives like mushrooms, jackfruit, walnut crumble, etc - i think those would be good additions. The nachos were well constructed, good flavor and very filling halfway through. I definitely recommend, it was even a lot without the pinto beans.

Really good food you can tell they put their in what they make l would eat here anytime Linda

Great Vegetarian find! The Mexican food is delicious with great flavors! Always choose Cena Vegan when in the LA area my family loves it!!

Service was great! Food was amazing. So I ended up ordering the Big Vegan Burrito Barbacoa(GF) and I also got the Big Vegan Torta with Al Pastor which was recommended by several people on Yelp! The torta de al pastor is a must and I am grateful for Yelps existence because I would have not ordered it. Both burrito and torta are a pretty good size and the portion of the FAKE meat was perfect. The salsa's have great flavor, especially the red. Any Vegans looking for Mexican food, this is your place! Or anyone who is just looking for Vegan food.

This is actually a ghost kitchen. So, while they do make some delicious food, don't expect to have a place to hang out at when you pick up your meal. There's just a security door. You text a number and wait outside. All that being said, they're very nice and portions are generous. Didn't notice any tables outside. Probably a better choice for delivery, unless you live close. As for dishes, I've tried the tacos, which were great (are those homemade tortillas?), and the burrito bowl will definitely fill you up. Honestly, I ordered a little of different "meats," and I didn't really know what I was eating half of the time. But they were all tasty. Definitely, give this place a try.

This is review is about the service. I left several messages when I arrived for my order. I got no response for 15 minutes. I ended up calling and they finally answered and brought the food out with no apology. I hate the idea of my food getting cold when I'm there ready for pick up and gotta make a drive home. Next time just call the number instead of texting otherwise you might end up waiting 15 minutes for your order that's ready for pick up. The food is always good tho just disappointed with the service. A bit of an update... just finished my carne asada fries and I found a hard piece something that looks like wood, I added a photo. It hurt when I bit into it. Overall very disappointed with my order today.

The asada fries were delicious! The portion sizes are very generous. The tacos were okay and the consume could have been a little more flavorful in my opinion but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The fries were definitely my favorite. The service was nice, they brought the food to my car and provided enough utensils, limes, and salsa. This is not a dine in restaurant! You order your food online through your phone and pick it up.

Service is good. I've been here a few times as I work in the neighborhood. The food was cold when I received it. I had to put it in the microwave soon as I got home. Unfortunately. I also noticed some uncooked rice in my vegan burrito. I paid 20$ and was pretty disappointed today.

Always very good service. Over the holidays we ordered some food since our hosts are not vegan. We parked for pickup, everything was well packaged when we received our order. Food was good, however we tried the red tamales for the first time and they were not edible. Something with the texture and flavor. We are use to Dee Vegan Tamales and these just didn't hit the spot. The toppings were lacking salt but that is easy to fix up to your liking at home. I do love coming here when I'm in town, highly recommend. Red Tamales 0/10 Champurrado 10/10 Posole 10/10 Al Pastor 10/10 Guacamole 9/10 Beans /Rice 10/10 Cashew Crema 7/10 Salsa 9/10 Pico 9/10 Birria 10/10

Love this place. Super authentic vegan Mexican food. The nacho boat was my favorite until they added carne asada fries. So good. You have to try everything on the menu to determine your favorite! But everything is good. The tamales are good too. If you haven't tried it make sure you do! They have a ghost kitchen and they are at smorgasbord Sundays in the art district!

Food was good and drive from my office wasn't bad. What is bad is ordering online and given a pick up time and for that time to be changed 2 other times and then the location being in between 2 other businesses making the location not ideal to find. Food was good for the struggle and you get what you pay for as it's not cheap. Just be prepared for be looking like your a tourist trying to find the location.

I have been a fan of Cena Vegan since their days in Highland Park. They were literally the best but they may have sacrificed quality of food and service in the name of expansion. The last time I had Cena from their N. mission rd location (August 2024) the salsas they provided were rancid and the guacamole was foamy. The carne asada lacked flavor and the jackfruit carnitas were dry. Over the last year their food has been hit or miss, I hope they start putting quality back into their food. I have been a Cena loyalist for such a long time, hoping they are receptive to feedback!

I'd never been before & realized it was pick up only. One of the employees was bringing out food & I asked a question. She had my order out in minutes, it was so quick!! The burrito was the size of my forearm & so good. I love their salsas & their agua fresca was perfect. I bought two of their cookies & enjoyed those too. The customer service was amazing & the food was delicious!!

The food was way too good I couldn't wait to take a picture! Not even trying to over hype but literally the best burrito I've ever had in ma life !! lol I have never had a Mole burrito at that! If I can give yall 100 stars I would but most definitely a 5 STAR

Got a carnitas burritos and it has been the best vegan burrito I have ever tasted! Ordering was really easy and so was pick up. I live a while's away from this place but will gladly drive again.

I went to the Lincoln Heights location and was a bit confused. I had to walk around to the back of the building and then another worker had to help me get to where I needed to go in order to place an order. I met a nice lady who placed my order - I can't recall her name - but she was so AWESOME and helpful with placing my order. When I placed my order I was a bit bummed to find out that they didn't have any cheese... like Nachos to me always call for cheese... so I was expecting some vegan cheese [insert sad face] What I Got: + Nacho Boat + Bean & rice burrito + Agua de Jamaica - Ran around $29 including tip! - Rating: 4.5/5 Everything was delicious I just reeeeally wish my nachos had vegan cheese on it - I missed the cheesiness that my nachos needed - BUT chipotle sauce was provided instead. I would like to try other things on the menu and so I think I'll try them out again! AND I do recommend!

I ordered food from this restaurant to celebrate Thanksgiving at home with friends who were very excited to try vegan Mexican food. Unfortunately, everything was a complete failure. The food was excessively salty, to the point of being inedible. The tamales were dry, and the overall flavor was really bad. It was truly disappointing, especially because I trusted this place for such a special occasion. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant, at least not for an important celebration. The quality didn't justify the price or the expectations we had. I hope they improve because this experience was far from acceptable. I'm giving 2 starts because the delivery was made on time.

Always order food from here and are never disappointed. Portions are good and food is amazing! Nothing hits better than this food after a long day of work. I always get the torta with pollo and my partner gets the burrito with birria. So tasty!! Whenever our friends who aren't vegan are visiting they ask if we can get Cena - they love it too!

When it comes to vegan Mexican food, Cena Vegan is the best. I've been enjoying Cena's food since they started a pop up in Highland Park in 2016/2017. I'm now a regular at their pick up location in Lincoln Heights. Cena consistently makes the most flavorful tacos, burritos, and posole - everything is fresh, flavorful, and authentic. Vegans and non-vegans alike: Cena is a must try! For first timers: Everything is 100% vegan and so flavorful. I highly recommend the taco trio for your first visit! The Carne Asada and Pollo Asada tacos are my favorite. The tortillas are always made fresh and taste/ smell fantastic. I also highly recommend their posole (100%), ceviche, and horchata. All delicious. The Cena staff is always super friendly and kind. I'm grateful to have such a delicious vegan Mexican restaurant in my area! Thank you, Cena.

The nacho boat is epic. I think the portions have shrunk a little over the years, but the veggie meats are still amazing and delicious. The handmade tortillas are the some of the best I've tried, vegan or not.

I had to try this spot since I heard so much good stuff about it Food it's good and service it's decent the ambiance I would say it's great since I had them at Smorgasburg And you might ask yourself and why this person gives them just 3 stars Let me explain food has flavor, but I think is just something I can cook at home, it doesn't have a Woow factor but it's good as a business and see them thriving I would recommend and you can be the judge

This place is not only a great plant based friendly option, but it is also affordable and tasty! Yummy! I would recommend this place even to those who are non-vegan :)

Ordered the protein plate, side of guacamole with chips, and an agua fresca via Uber eats. Everything arrived pretty quickly, was well packaged, and was shockingly warm. Sadly my experience was ruined by the guacamole. I dipped a chip into the side order of guacamole and tasted a pretty horrendous fizzy bite. The guacamole was fermented and tasted rotten. I was pretty disappointed and decided to move on to the protein plate. I opened the container and realized there was a big dollop or two of guacamole smeared all over the top of the plate. Normally I would have been excited but knew it was going to be the same rotten experience. I decided to try it hoping that perhaps this guacamole came from a different batch but sadly it didn't. The guacamole sitting on this plate was also fermented horribly tasting. After a long day of work the last thing I wanted to do was struggle to return this plate of food to the establishment. I decided to remove the guacamole and try to eat what was left of the plate. (Still a lot of food, as they give you huge portions). Sadly the food was just okay. Another topping in the plate was the pico de gallo. The tomatoes in the pico were mushy and not fresh. It lacked seasoning and perhaps a little lemon or lime. It's disappointing because I spent $40 on this meal and ended up throwing most of it away. I know cena vegan can do better. I've tasted their food at different pop ups on different occasions and it's always been good. Please take time to taste the guacamole, salsas, and toppings before you start serving them on plates. Please do better, still rooting for your business!

Wow! Cena Vegan! We were getting dinner before heading back home from LA. Our favorite vegan place was closed (shout out to Crystals Soul Cafe!). So we had to figure out something else. We found Cena Vegan on maps, it looked good, and we tried it. We're so glad we did! They were super friendly, gracious, accommodating, and they make amazing food. Definitely some of the best food we've ever had. We didn't know this location was pick-up only, but they let us in to order and answer any questions. They make six kinds of vegan meats! 6 kinds! Excellent flavors and textures. We couldn't make up our mind, so they made us a little sampler of every kind so we could try them all. They were all so good, so it didn't really help us decide, lol. But we decided nonetheless and everything was great! We got the nachos, super burrito, and tacos. Now I wish I could have tried the torta, as well. Good meats and cheese and guacamole! The large burrito was definitely large and hefty. I wish I had a scale. And they gave us free cookies! We will return next time we're in town to try their other dishes and different combinations of meats. Now we have two favorite vegan spots.

Cena catered our wedding, and the food was met with rave reviews. Even our most carnivorous attendees loved it. The service they provided was amazing and Carmen was fantastic to work with in coordinating. We've been ordering from them for years, and we will be customers for life. Thank you Cena!

The girl who gave me food had her gloves on with some food on it. Yet she use the same gloves to make food when she's touching the door handle, keypad, and her phone? This place is a pick up. You can't see the kitchen or go inside. You'd have to wait outside and CALL (don't text) to get your order.

We had Cena Vegan cater our wedding and I highly recommend them! They were easy, friendly, communicative, professional and the food was amazing! Even our non vegan guests were talking about it and going back for seconds (there was plenty of food to go around!). They had options for people with allergies, and they brought everything with them so we didn't need to. A great experience from start to finish! Thank you Cena!

I was so freaking excited to finally be able to try cena vegan. Unfortunately I just realized I have a gluten allergy, so I wasn't able to dabble in everything but I was able to try three portion options and do tacos. Holy Moly Y'all. This place is the real deal. No wonder why its Billie Eillish's fave vegan place. Everything was incredibly flavorful and fresh. I highly recommend

We have tried Cena Vegan on two separate occasions at Vegan Playground in West Adams and have been super happy with their vegan offerings. The al pastor burrito was DELICIOUS. They do not skimp on filling and the frijoles were amazing (just like my momma makes them lol). The al pastor nachos are another DELICIOUS option - with LOTS of guac and tasty, thick totopos. It also helps that the staff is really nice and food comes out fairly quickly (This is at Vegan Playground location). I highly recommend trying this! I am happy that Cena Vegan is creating amazing vegan mexican food, a healthier option that the animals love!

SERVICE - one of the many food stands at smorgasburg on sundays - food comes quickly as long as there's no lunchtime rush (go early for less lines) - friendly staff educated on the different protein options MENU - Mexican food (tacos, burritos, nachos, bowls) with a selection of house made vegan meats - 3 of the meats contain wheat and all of them contain soy - average price range ($12-$14 per entree) - guac is $2 extra but very generous portion added - choice of mild, medium, or hot sauce drizzled on top FOOD - birria nachos (8/10): we opted for the birria since we are not a huge fan of the wheat based faux meats. A very generous portion of chips topped with pinto beans, marinated meat, pico de gallo, crema, guacamole, and salsa. The meat itself was surprisingly good, as it did not have an off putting taste or texture. Be warned: the hot salsa is REALLY spicy. Having it with the avocado helped tone it down. Overall a good plate of nachos. WOULD I COME BACK? Probably to try the other meats.

We had ordered them for delivery while we ate at a brewery. I really like their mushroom tacos a lot. I recommend them highly.

I like Cena Vegan but I really want to love them! The only thing stopping me is the fact that they don't have tofu or jackfruit as options for protein. I'm not a fan of the protein choices they have now. They leave an aftertaste that I just don't like. Please, please consider adding tofu or jackfruit for protein.

don't worry, you're not at the wrong address! cena vena is pick up only, so you need to wait along the street to order and pick up your food! despite the slightly awkward waiting experience, cena vegan has delicious mexican vegan food -- coming from a mexican vegetarian. $14 for an entree is steep for a singular person, but if you want the most bang for your buck, i recommend getting the burrito or burrito bowl. the portions are big enough for leftovers! they also have so many different types of vegan protein! my personal favorite is the al pastor but the barbacoa is also a fan favorite! and trust their spice levels! i'm a big fan of spice and i was satisfied with medium spice, but their very hot is perfect for thrill seekers!

Very valuable healthy, and everybody loves it number one spot for pick ups in Boyle Heights. The business is doing very good.

Amazing place, food is spectacular, service is fast and great, I got my food within 10 minutes, but to be fair I was the only customer at the time, place was pretty lively as the establishment had different restaurants

Saw them at the SoCal Vegfest in OC Costa Mesa. The ladies that served us were super nice. They gave us everything we needed. The pricing was decent as well. The food was pretty good.

Large portions and delicious vegan food in every possible way. It is a commercial kitchen though so you have to order for pickup.

First of all this is not a place where you order and sit down. Service is fast. Good amount is large, which is great. Food was decent. I would like to maybe experience something different. I ordered the nachos carnitas style protein. I also ordered the cookie and it was meh. The horchata was delicious tho. I would like to know what kind of salt they use & what kind of plant based foods used for the protein? Anyone can say plant based and use a bunch of processed materials. I deleted the picture I took. To be honest it doesn't look as appealing as it does on their website. Imma give it another shot.

I got here at like 1:30 pm and couldn't find the entrance. I was hungry. Finally I found the entrance, and it turns out you can't dine in. There are tables and chairs on a narrow sidewalk, but it's a tight squeeze, and the sun was very hot. I ordered the watermelon agua fresca, the tostada casera, asada fries, and the big vegan burrito, all with vegan carne asada. The watermelon juice was the best watermelon juice I've ever tasted. It was light and creamy. I drove 30 minutes back home to eat my food, so the tostada wasn't crunchy anymore, and the fries were dry and pasty. Maybe it would've tasted better if I ate it fresh. The prices were very good, and the items were so big. The food cost me about $35, and the drink was $5. $35 for food for one person for three meals is pretty decent! I'd like to go back next time, even if it's only for the watermelon drink. It was that good.

The great and what I recommend I got the vegan torta and horchata. Taste was good. Plant base meat, guacamole, etc were good. The torta was huge so good portion I suppose but it was heavy, messy, and too big to hold. I would rather get half of the portion for half the price. It's hard to enjoy a meal that is falling apart and that cannot be held. Everything fell out and I got tired of trying to keep it together that I ate a torta with a fork. Suggestion - cut the torta in half, mention that it can feed two, or make it smaller for less price.

Generous portion of guacamole on each braised mushroom taco (there were also vegan meat alternatives). Freshly pressed tortillas - we visited their booth at the National Heirloom Exposition at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Wish we could get good vegan Mexican food like this all the time in Ventura! Can't judge typical ambience or service as the setting was at an outdoor pop up booth but they were friendly and had full on kitchen prep going on - fresh ingredients all looked yummy.

This review is long overdue, but I can't forget to review Cena Vegan because their food and service was awesome! I came here on a Sunday afternoon after picking up my mom from downtown LA. I was hungry and quickly looked for a new vegan spot to try because this girl is considered a pescatarian now, but doesn't always eat fish, so I am constantly on the lookout for vegan places. Anyway, I ordered the al pastor torta and it was HUGEEE and delicious! Just WOW. I believe the tostada I got for my mom was also al pastor. It was bigger than we expected and full of flavor. Their sauces are seriously the best. I ordered online and received a confirmation text about my order, but I never received a text when my order was ready. I decided to call after a long wait and I was told my order had been ready for a while, so it was probably cold by then. I honestly didn't care eating it cold because I was starving at that point, but they told me they could remake it fast--and they did! The girl who came out to deliver my order was pretty friendly and apologized for the wait. This place can be easily overlooked (I drove by twice not realizing that was it.) It is not very eye-catching, but it is truly a hidden gem.

Let me preface with I'm not Vegan- like at ALL! My son is and I want to support him so we came together and I have to admit that the food was delicious even though there wasn't any meat- I didn't miss the meat!!!!