Take a little more transit and eat a little less meat — two things you can do to reduce your environmental impact. In this installment of Meatless Mondays with Metro we sample the vegan hotdogs at Earle’s on Crenshaw.

Vegan hotdog with some fixings and fries. Always gotta have fries.

Earle’s used to be Earlez Grille, one of South L.A.’s most prominent restaurants, before they had to close due to Crenshaw/LAX Line construction. It took a little time, but they were able to reopen in a new location about halfway between the current Expo/Crenshaw Station and the future Crenshaw/LAX Line Martin Luther King Jr. Station. While their new menu has been pared down a little, they’re still serving the items they are best known for: hotdogs, burgers and chili. And best of all, Earle’s has vegan and/or veggie options for all three.

In an interview with LA Weekly, owner Cary Earle explains why:

Earle said this was prompted by the high rates of high blood pressure and diabetes in the African-American community, along with changing eating habits. He is also quick to credit the vegan options to good advice he received from Lydia Taylor, a friend who ran the Vegetarian Affair out of the Baldwin Hills Mall parking lot, and Purcell Keeling of Simply Wholesome, a longtime South L.A. favorite for healthy fare. But, Earle says, “There will never be a substitute for a good old American beef dog. We are to this day trying to balance the vegans with the meat eaters under the same roof.”

I agree that there’s really no true substitute for a ‘good old American beef dog’ — if that’s a flavor you really enjoy. But, as I’ve said before, I’m not in the business of peddling a 100 percent meat-free diet. I just like having a meat-free option. And I will also say the vegan hotdog at Earle’s is pretty darn good, so I don’t think you’d be disappointed if you tried it.

BTW: while this series is called Meatless Mondays with Metro, Earle’s usually offers special deals on their vegan and veggie options on Wednesdays, so plan your meals accordingly. 🙂

To get to Earle’s, take Metro Bus 210 or DASH Crenshaw to Crenshaw/39th. If you don’t mind a little exercise, you could take the Expo Line to Expo/Crenshaw Station and walk south on Crenshaw for about 15 minutes.

Have other recommendations for vegan/veggie restaurants? Let me know in the comments!