This new food truck subs pulled oats instead of meat for their mexmelts, chili cheese burritos, and burgers

Eric Ma, the founder of the newest vegan food truck, Dystopian, believes that oats are the future; they’re hearty and bursting with nutrients and fiber. They also happen to be delicious. 

These oats, locally made in Columbus by Meaty Oats, are the star of Dystopian’s fast-casual offerings, and featured in their juicy burgers and enormous chili cheese burritos, and their most popular dish, the MexMelt. You can feel a little less guilty about indulging in fast-food now. But even though these meals are on the healthier side, they’re still loaded with vegan queso, local vegetables, and homemade sauces. Some of the options are even fried in case you have a hankering for crispy, homemade tortilla chips or a deep fried chimichanga.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Eric stumbled upon his gift of making delicious vegan grub alternatives when he made a conscious effort to gravitate towards less processed food. “But, of course, I missed eating food like Taco Bell’s MexiMelt, so I experimented around, just for me. But then I had other people try my creation, and it was a hit for everybody I made them for. Even non-vegans,” he said. Luckily, he decided to share his talent with Columbus, as well.

He first served his pulled oats burger at the Jazz n’ Vegan Ribz Fest, and people were thoroughly shocked that they were eating oat meat. At that time, Eric didn’t have a social media page for Dystopian, so the news was slow at spreading. As of now, Dystopian is still fairly underground. “I don’t think a lot of people know about us yet,” Eric explained. This time around though, Eric is harnessing the power of social media and sharing his culinary creations mainly through Instagram.

As you could imagine, the buzz around Dystopian has led to numerous requests for pop-up appearances and even for a permanent location, but Eric still needs to obtain certain permits to park on the street permanently. Navigating the logistics is just part of the growing pains, but Eric remains grateful for every step of the journey. 

For now, you can join the oat revolution at the Savor Pint at 4440 Indianola Ave. every Wednesday from 6-8, and don’t forget to look out for the Dystopian Food Truck at this year’s Doo Dah parade. 

Eric also let us in on a little secret that you don’t want to miss – he aspires to add more Eastern Asian fare to his menu, and he’ll test out a Korean concept at this year’s Jazz n’ Vegan Ribz Fest on Sunday, July 30th.

Want to read more? Check out our print publication, (614) Magazine. Learn where you can find a free copy of our new June issue here!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY