The best places to eat in Miami for vegans and vegetarians

We love finding hidden gems, and this one  is definitely that. For more than 30 years, Beehive Natural Foods has been delivering healthy food, natural products, and supplements to their customers.

Now they have a (mostly) vegetarian restaurant as well, offering organic smoothies and juices, soups, sandwiches, and even vegetarian empanadas. Try the seitan with turmeric, olives, potatoes and peas – you’ll never miss the meat!

Manna is a Downtown love fest of wellness and nutrition.  The menu is based on superfoods and engineered to add energy and sustenance to busy Miami lifestyles.  The build out is much more sophisticated than your typical vegan café, while the picture book menu helps newbies educate themselves. Soups, bowls (both sweet and savory), smoothies, and Noritos (seaweed chips, basically) are perfect lunch options. But it’s the superfood arepas that really stand out.

When Della Heiman moved to Miami and launched the now famous Wynwood Yard, she also had a newfound dedication to plant-based foods and how unhealthy eating relates to chronic illness. Thus, she saved a corner of the Yard for della test kitchen, a fast-casual stop for healthy, quick, craveable bowls filled with plant-based proteins, grains and veggies. The Mediterranean Bowl with brown rice, chickpeas, sweet potato, kale, raw roots, hummus and orange sauce is the kind of dish you can eat every day and never tire of.  

Before there was Plant, there was one “underground” vegan restaurant for a nice meal out, and it was Full Bloom.  Located on the water in the back of a Belle Isle building in South Beach, this elegant eatery has something of a cult following thanks to its gorgeous view and delightful food. Dishes like cashew ricotta and spinach ravioli and eggplant steak Milanese are winners, while the “raw bar” – which transforms uncooked vegetables into soups and rice – is a unique twist. Definitely Uber over, there’s virtually no parking.

Choices began as one small site, and has grown to three go-to locations, serving flavorful plant-based and organic food.  Perfect for breakfast or lunch, these cozy spots also offer numerous gluten-free options on a menu that actually leaves you satisfied. The raw oatmeal is one you’ll come back for, while the Mental Lentil (wrap or bowl) hits every savory note. The only “animalistic” item is the cold-press coffee, which shows no weakness.

This casual Coral Gables eatery mixes an all-vegan menu with a neighborhood atmosphere. The owner is usually on-site, cooking up the meals and chatting with customers. The creative dishes are not just flavorful, but are beautiful plates as well.  The mushroom stuffed with creamy cashew nut cheese and garnished with pesto and sundried tomatoes, is a filling and satisfying dish, and the vegan patty is a popular favorite.

Miami Springs’ Prana is reminiscent of the food co-ops of college student unions. The home-cooked daily menu is served buffet style and is only $10. The dishes are vegetarian with Latin roots (possibly the only place in Miami with such a philosophy), and are always full of flavor. The spot also offers cooking  and yoga classes (but is NOT the same as Prana Yoga studio in Coral Gables).

The aforementioned Plant, from legendary vegan chef Matthew Kenney, is pretty much the only trendy, fine-dining vegan establishment you’ll find in town.  Located inside the larger Sacred Space, an epicenter of wellness offering private events and programming, Plant has changed the local vegan scene by providing a stylish, go-to hotspot with no animal products whatsoever. The menu is seasonal, but items like the flora artisanal cheeses and the coconut “ceviche” tacos with sunflower chorizo, avocado, and pico de gallo may sway even the most die-hard meat lovers.

We almost hesitate to share the wonderfulness that is Miami Squeeze for fear of it becoming overrun.  This juice/smoothie/lunch bar doesn’t look like much from the front, but the high-end cars parked in the teeny spots give an indication to the secret garden that lies out back.  The menu is mostly vegetarian, and includes filling salads, fresh smoothies, and the best falafel in town.  The bottles of signature sauces are all so good, it’s difficult to choose one (we end up mixing them).  

Lululemon + lunch + busy South Beachers who don’t eat meat = Carrot Express. With about a dozen variations on a variety of staples like kale caesar, Greek, and green goddess salads and stuffed potatoes, you can mix it up even if you’re an “I order the same thing every time” type of person. 

DIRT has made a serious dent in the South Beach food market, offering “clean, farm fresh” food of a mostly plant-based variety with a global vibe.  The menu was conceived by local, beloved chef Nicole Votano (she recently left), and even though it includes meat, dishes like the Middle-Eastern inspired Winter Adashah Bowl with chickpeas, lentils. Adashah (a tofu alternative), sautéed kale, and homemade harissa-spiked spicy tomato sauce forces vegans to forgive the meat options.

Smart Bites has meat on the menu, but their vegetarian and vegan offerings are on point – and they make it really easy to alter their dishes that do include meat. Another perk: It’s really clearly labeled when something contains dairy or other things not so friendly to vegans. Their bowl combos are all delicious (the Cuban Bowl especially) and they keep things interesting with new specials every week.

Out in Sweetwarer is this “all vegan, latin-influenced comida” founded by a “Dominican family who will treat you like one of their own.” It’s a hole in the wall, but a hole in the wall that serves deliciousness like wraps (the Avocado Mambo is a fave on Yelp), eggplant lasagna, freshly squeezed juice, and amazing smoothie combinations. They post their daily specials on their Facebook page and they always sound mouthwatering.

Splurge brings vegan goodness to Miami Gardens with wraps, salads, soups, juices, and unexpected main dishes like vegan hamburgers. Regulars rave about the lentil soup and the Latina wrap and just generally rejoice at having a spot like this in an area where healthy eats can be hard to find. They’ve got a full breakfast menu as well.

Bobby’s Meals has a small number of offerings that change on the daily, but they’re all pretty excellent. Each daily menu includes a couple vegan options, plus one or two fish options for the pescatarians, plus the typical cakes and juices. Don’t let the location in an Opa-locka warehouse facility deter you: the flavors are great, the ingredients fresh, and the portions generous.

This North Miami Beach spot is known for its vegetarian and vegan versions of meat-heavy comfort food favorites like short ribs, meatball subs, BBQ sandwiches, and Philly cheese steak sandwiches using meat substitutes like tofu and Seitan. They also have a good rotating selection of vegan desserts. It’s super worth the struggle to find it in the strip mall it’s located in.

If you’re healthy and you know it, stop clapping and head over to The Last Carrot for fresh juices, vegan and veggie fare, and a few treats for you meat eaters. The pita sandwiches are filling and fresh and their green vegan salad dressing is so good that you’ll forget you’re being good to your body. All that hippie goodness is also super reasonably priced, but you need to bring cash to pay.

This adorable hole-in-the-wall looks more like a house than a restaurant with its wide, white front porch and quaint interior. You can order an array of healthy foods at the counter, from green smoothies to probs the best acai bowls in the city. While you wait for your order, walk towards the back and explore the mini-market full of fragrances, incense, and totes. They also have lattes and coffees if you need a pick me up, but seating is limited, so you’re lucky if you can find a spot to sit and hang.