The Echo Park Veggie Dog Lady

It's a rare commodity for street vendors in Los Angeles, especially among the ubiquitous bacon dogs carts. In a city where vegetarian and vegan joints are beginning to become neighborhood staples, eating veggie on the streets is still no easy task. But thanks to one woman in Echo Park, it's getting a little easier.

After listening to her customers ask for veggie dogs time after time, Maria, a North Hollywood resident, decided she should give it a shot. And at $4 a dog, it's not hard to make her money back. She hangs out near The Echo and Echoplex Wednesdays through Saturdays, but there's no set schedule. Generally, you'll find her from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. cooking the usual bacon dogs, but a nice professional sign displayed let's everyone know she's doing it for the herbivores too.

There's nothing special, per se, about these dogs. They're actually just Jumbo Smart Dogs, cooked separately from the red meat, bought at the local grocery store. But for a vegetarian, it just feels good to eat along side carnivore friends at 1 a.m. on Sunset Blvd. Maybe what Maria is doing will catch on. Everyone deserves to eat a little street food every once in awhile.

Looking for more Veggie Street Food?
-- Try Elotes or Esquites at some taco trucks/carts
-- The Green Truck: The Taco Truck's Evil Twin

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist