Four girlfriends ago, during the height of the Pandemic, I visited the Oklahoma Food Truck Championship in Chickasha, where I was reminded that fried meat in all its forms is always on the menu and, yes, it was primarily good.
Really good.
That being said, out of all the food trucks I sampled, the one that left a lasting impression was the all-veggie BeetBox. Their inventive, out-of-the-box approach to vegan cuisine wasn’t just impressive—it was downright magical. So beet-ly magical.
Fast forward to last week, I heard that BeetBox had traded its wheels for a permanent location at 7101 Northwest Expressway, #300, in Oklahoma City.
With a craving for vegan food—and, more importantly, to stick with our February theme of highlighting the best Black-owned eateries in town—I couldn’t wait to experience their plant-based brilliance in a whole new setting.
According to their well-timed wall art, this stationary BeetBox has apparently taken off in the world of vegetarian restaurants when a college-age kid and his friends made fully comforting, highly delicious, non-pretentious foodstuff that will make you rethink how you feel about vegetarian eats.
That’s all I need!
Stationed in the old Brixton shopping center, with pop-art visuals on the walls alongside their publicity clippings, BeetBox dutifully provides a hip-hop aesthetic for vegan comfort food, proving that non-meat varieties can compete—and even topple—the old mainstream.
After ordering our food and browsing the clippings, I started my meal with the freshly made Blood Orange Lemonade ($3.99) and a heaping helping of the Hot Honey Fries ($7.50).
While the Blood Orange Lemonade was tart—almost puckeringly so—it was also immensely refreshing, served in a medium-sized bottle that felt just right. But the meal truly took off with the proprietary Hot Honey Fries. Second only to the near-canonical Bobo’s Chicken fries, the interplay between the sweet honey and fiery spice created an electrifying flavor sensation—one that had me practically spitting flames.
For my main dish, I went with the on-point Bang Bang Tacos ($14.00), and from the first long, drawn-out bite, I was hooked. Nestled in two crispy flour tortillas, panko-crusted “shrimp” (crafted from tender hearts of palm) mingled with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and their signature “bang bang” drizzle, all garnished with fresh lime and sliced jalapeño.
I never expected to say this, but BeetBox might just be my new go-to non-Mexican taco spot. The panko-crusted “shrimp” is meatier and meaner than a resolute bout of Taco Bell sweepings, and with the fresh pop of pico de gallo, these tacos pack both heft and flavor.
But my fiancée had her sights set on something spicier, and her wish was promptly granted with the Spicy Buffalo Chickless Sandwich ($14.00). Served on a toasted brioche bun, it featured their signature meatless “Unbeetable” chicken patty, smothered in buffalo sauce and topped with pickles, tomatoes, and onion—a plant-based powerhouse with serious bite.
With a side of the sweetest Sweet Potato Tots ($6.50), this sandwich was on fire! From the resolute brioche bun to the savory meatless chicken, this sandwich will make you think twice about what you’re eating. Scarfing the hearty sandwich and tots, you will forget all the meat because they do a good job of not replicating it but instead enriching it to make it better.
And, really, that’s what we should want in our food, right?
The BeetBox gives you an alternative that you never knew was available, either because of its wild inaccessibility or, as I have learned through the years, sheer mediocrity.
The choice is yours, but mine will always be Beetbox.
Cómpralo ya!
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Follow Louis Fowler on Instagram at @louisfowler78.
