At Da Guilty Vegan, owner Derek Richardson is judge and jury. And the verdict? Delicious on all charges.
Richardson’s new venture vegan-izes traditional Southern recipes, providing an alternative to Memphis’ often meat-centric plates. Before planning his food truck, Richardson and his father, Willie, debated the best kind of menu. “I’ve been cooking my whole life, and my father came up with the idea that we should start a food truck,” says Richardson. “At first he wanted to do something like wings, but I said, ‘That’s not going to work.’”
Having eaten vegan for the past four years, Richardson wanted to share some of his creations with his hometown. “Born and raised in Memphis,” he says. “Lived my whole life here, went to Central High School, even ran for city council twice. I love it here, and wanted my food truck to be in Memphis.”
Along with adding to the local flavor, Richardson is keeping Da Guilty Vegan a family affair; he and his father will be business partners, each bringing different skills to the truck. “He’s much more business-minded than I am,” laughs Richardson, “so all that will flow through him. He’ll be contacting suppliers, helping put the right people in the right places for the truck. I’ll be handling the menu, and coming up with recipes.”
When the food truck gets rolling, Da Guilty Vegan aims to make that supposed “guilt” a positive part of the dining experience. “Our recipes taste just like the real thing,” explains Richardson. “Someone will be eating our ‘chicken’ sandwich, and might feel guilty that they’re eating chicken. But guess what? They’re not. Everything on our menu is plant-based.
“You know, when I think of vegan, sometimes I think of salads, just kind of pure boredom. There’s much more to it than that, and we want to show that through our cooking. Everyone who’s tried our food pre-opening has been impressed with what we’re doing.”
But if diners have no interest in feeling “guilty,” there are other options. Richardson has split his menu up into two categories, “innocent” and “guilty.” The innocent half includes lighter fare, like a club salad or buffalo tempeh salad, and several varieties of wraps.
But it’s the guilty side where Richardson truly shines, whipping up plant-based alternatives to Southern classics. You’ve got the expected Impossible Burger, while the Jail Bird, a Southern fried crispy chickn sandwich, is set to be the truck’s specialty. Meanwhile, the Memphis BBQ Chickn and Nashville Hot Chickn (with creamy coleslaw ranch dressing and pickles) sandwiches allow for direct comparisons with our rival city’s preferred palate.
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Da Guilty Vegan
Jail Bird Chickn Sandwich
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Quesadilla
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Chili
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Breakfast Bowl
Be on the lookout for seasonal specialties that mix things up. The Nashville Hot Brat was the first additional item to be added, but Richardson is very excited about his latest creation. “We’re cooking up something that’s very similar to the McRib Sandwich,” he says. “Growing up as a kid, I loved that sandwich, so we came up with a recipe to produce our own take on it.” Expect more comfort food specials in the future, too, like tacos, sloppy joes, or “other little things you might miss after going vegan.”
Complementing Richardson’s guilty or innocent approach is Da Guilty Vegan’s clever logo, a take on Lady Justice. This approach sees the blindfold over just one of her eyes, and the scale she holds weighs a salad and a burger. “Our Lady Justice can see whether you’re guilty or innocent,’ says Richardson. “On the balance, we can see the salad weighs more than the burger, because once again, we’re all plant-based. And when people come up to the truck, we’ll ask them, ‘How do you plead?’ And then they can order from our guilty or innocent menu.”
Richardson opened Da Guilty Vegan in late January. Diners should find the truck moving about the Cordova, Collierville, and Germantown areas. Memphians eager for a sneak peek of the food can scan a QR code on the truck’s Facebook and Instagram pages for more information.
Social Media: @DaGuiltyVegan / daguiltyvegan.com
