I’m Sara. I’m not a vegan. And, to be honest, I’m not sure the burger, shake, cheese, or sauce I had at HoneyBee Burger was either.

That’s definitely an exaggeration, so don’t be upset. But, for all of you non-vegans out there, let this be a door opener - a message of assurance. You CAN dine as a vegan despite not being one, and you CAN enjoy it.

You name it, I’ve dabbled in it - veganism included. So, when Kim, queen of BOV and the only person on this planet I’ll gladly share a birthday with, asked me to tap in and cover some vegan restaurants in LA for her, I was totes game. We thought there was some fun to be had in a non-vegan checking out some of vegan’s best, and we weren’t wrong (cue me trying to order Satan tacos).

I met Kim when I was studying abroad in Belgium. We went to a few farmers markets together, I made a few batches of vegan curry - all was grand. But, alas, I was a bit non-committal and indecisive, and eventually, ate cheese again. I’m a Gemini, after all.

Though not 100% solid in making and sticking to informed decisions, I’m loyal to a fault, and when Kim said she needed someone to go check out HoneyBee Burger in Los Feliz, one of the most charming eastside neighborhoods of LA, I gave my word and never looked back.

The Saturday I visited the restaurant was National Bee Day, naturally. Everyone was ~*buzzing*~ about and the Postmates orders were over indexing. Nonetheless, the service was amazing and I was taken care of right away.

Because I had NO idea what most things were and, as we know, I sometimes struggle with decisions, the servers helped me out and recommended I try the most popular entree, side, and dessert. So, The HoneyBee, Sweet Potato FROTS, and the Choco Bee it was!

Fast forward to me getting my food, which was served all packed up in a cute lil’ box - I literally inhaled everything. If I didn’t know where I was (sometimes I don’t) I would have had no idea that what I was eating wasn’t meat, or cheese, or cream. It was literally like I was drinking a YooHoo chocolate milk (remember those?) while eating a burger covered in Craft Singles and dipping my fries in a side ranch. I love that vision for me, and I love it for you too.

To all of my non-vegan, non-food critics, but also, veteran vegans and culinary connoisseurs (inclusivity, heeeey) - let’s take this journey together, because this will be the first of many vegan adventures I go on, and I’m going to need your support. My palate will only expand and my pronunciation of protein substitutes will only improve; the only place for me to go is up!