Unfortunately, the end of February was the last week that New York City could spot The Cinnamon Snail truck on the road during regular business hours. It’s one of my favorite food trucks, and most of NYC also agrees this food is amazing. In 2014, The Cinnamon Snail was crowned Best Food Truck in NYC by winning the 10th annual Vendy Cup, thanks to their specialty sandwiches and doughnuts. At one point, I was having their lunch at least once a week in midtown Manhattan, and I always saw a line of hungry New Yorkers! Clearly, there was a  huge demand for this vegan food, so it’s sad the truck is going off the roads.

The good news is that the truck will still be present at certain events and festivals, so find out where they’ll be next through their Facebook page or Twitter account.

Last year, a friend took me to The Cinnamon Snail for the first time and my lunch was forever changed. It sounds dramatic, but the food really is just that freakin’ good. Even meat eaters love it! The Cinnamon Snail is one of those food businesses that comes along and just completely changes your view of vegan food with irresistible, authentic and non-apologetic fare that’s not pretending to be anything else. It’s proud to be plants – organic, even! You can tell the minute you step up to the truck, which is wrapped in redish-pink butterflies.

Image via Cinnamon Snail Facebook

For me, eating food from The Cinnamon Snail was a stepping stone to becoming a full vegan. I was still a vegetarian in early 2013 when I first tried the Maple Mustard Tempeh sandwich, which became my regular order. It came on grilled spelt bread with kale, onion, tomato and garlic aioli. Nothing quite hit the spot for my lunch break like this sandwich, and the more I ate it, the more I thought I could actually do this vegan thing if food like that exists. I loved the maple mustard tempeh sandwich so much that I made it my #1 choice for an article I wrote for One Green Planet titled 10 Must-Try Vegan Dishes in NYC.

Their veggie burgers were also amazing – definitely not your average sandwich! This is their gochujang burger deluxe. Drool on. 

Image via Cinnamon Snail Facebook

Also, the doughnuts were super yummy! I would not be surprised if their next venture was a little brick and mortar doughnut shop because we all loved the pastries so much. This is the strawberry glazed flavor, which is made with fresh, organic strawberries! Heaven.

Here’s another mouth-watering creation – the cherry chocolate cheesecake pretzel party donut!

Image via Cinnamon Snail Facebook

The lines could get pretty long for The Cinnamon Snail, and in the past two years I never saw a nearby food truck with as many customers as them. So, why is the truck is going off the road? Short answer: permit issues. Here’s what the truck’s founder and chef, Adam Sobel, told Grub Street:

“The short story is that there’s a limited number of permits, and you can’t obtain them through the city. There’s a waiting list, and you can’t even get onto the waiting list because everyone who had a permit when the caps got placed can just keep renewing them for, like, $100 a year. So rather than let permits expire, they illegally rent them on the black market, and charge 100 times whatever they paid for it.”

It’s a shame that things have to be so hard for food trucks, a type of business that New Yorkers have come to love and rely on. Thankfully, though, Sobel is not done cooking delicious vegan food. He is exploring brick and mortar options, and considering this is New York City, after all, I bet we’ll see them in some other capacity, as well, like fairs, pop-up shops, special events, etc. Whatever their path will be, I can’t wait to see what is next for them!

Did you ever try the food from The Cinnamon Snail food truck? What did you get? It’s hard to go wrong, no matter what you choose!

Top Image: Cinnamon Snail Facebook

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