Malibu’s owner Darren Preston has kept the Bay Area fed on cheesy plant-based burgers since the original food truck debuted in 2019. Preston’s criss-crossed Northern California experimenting with all kinds of fare: plantain-stuffed sandwiches, loaded tots drowned in Hella Hella sauce, and, lately, his first non-vegan items, too. Situated next door to the brand new Nomadic Bookshop, Malibu serves a menu as titanic and scintillating as ever.
A painting of Godzilla eating a burger sits on the wall next to a draping United States flag, photos of adorable dogs and sunglasses-wearing couples by the register. The interior of Malibu’s is, otherwise, somewhat spartan. The finest R&B, including Ginuywine’s very own Hamnet bard contribution “Pony,” serenades diners.
Order your lunch in advance via Toast and eat at the restaurant. That said, if you take it with you, make sure to visit Nomadic on the way back to the car — crack a real, non-digital book.