Highland Park Feasts on Plant Food at Figueroa Produce

A vegan barbecue hosted at Highland Park's Figueroa Produce on Saturday was a feast for foodies, as an array of meatless burgers, tacos, crab-cakes and more were served up to long lines of hungry herbivores and carnivores alike.

HLP based , who have worked up quite a stir across Los Angeles in anticipation of their planned opening of a Vegan drive-thru on York Boulevard, dished out their quickly-becoming-classic vegan jackfruit tacos to a steady stream of customers between noon and 5 p.m.

"It's beeen a great afternoon," said Plant Food co-founder Jeremy Castaneda, adding that their was both a steady stream of support for Plant Food's planned January opening of their drive-thru on York Boulevard, as well as orders for more tacos.

"People seem really excited about the idea," added Genise Castaneda, Jeremy's wife, and the lifelong Highland Park resident who came up with the idea of opening the restaurant. "They especially like that it's going to be a drive thru."

At a nearby tent, Chef Sharone Hakman and a crew of busy cooks prepared order after order of meatless burgers and crab-cakes, many of which were served up with 'Hak's' homemade barbecue sauce.

While not a vegan himself, 'Hak' said the combination of his barbecue sauce and the "match meats" provided by for the event, made for an authentic grilling experience.

"There's not meat in any of this," Sharone said. "But I don't think anyone can tell the difference. I know I can't."