Foodie, Lifestyle

12 Absolute Best Vegan Restaurants in Miami

Picture a juicy burger with gooey cheese, a bowl of spicy picadillo and a dozen guava cupcakes—can you guess what all these delicious treats have in common? Two words: They’re vegan. Yep, South Florida is home to some of the tastiest meat-free, plant-based eateries in the country and we’ve got the pictures to prove it. From upscale to fast casual and everything in between, here are the 12 best vegan restaurants in Miami.

1. Planta

Planta, the Toronto restaurant with outposts in Miami Beach and West Palm Beach, is among South Florida’s most popular plant-based eateries. Led by executive chef David Lee, the restaurant reinvents classic dishes—from sushi to burgers—with fruits and vegetables. Highlights range from cauliflower “tater” tots, ceviche made with coconut instead of fish and creamy bucatini with zucchini spirals. One of the most popular items on the menu? A meat-free burger made with black beans, mashed lentils and beetroot, and topped with a gooey vegan “cheese” made of carrot and potato. Drooling yet?

Various locations; plantarestaurants.com

2. Delicious Raw

If you’re unsure what you’re in the mood for, but you know for certain you want to avoid meat, Delicious Raw should be your go-to. The plant-based menu here is constantly evolving, but mainstays include the vegan pad Thai with crisp veggies and black bean noodles, the “Pure Panino,” with roasted vegetables and vegan pesto, and the savory lentil “meatballs,” blended with portobello mushrooms and simmered in a bold tomato sauce.

Various locations; delraw.com

3. Carrot Express

Carrot Express is more than a juice bar—this restaurant is jam-packed with flavorful, chef-driven dishes served in a casual atmosphere at affordable prices. The best part? This homegrown chain offers a variety of crave-worthy vegan dishes, including their signature red quinoa burger with sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms, a spicy vegan picadillo and the “La Bomba” falafel wrap with roasted eggplant and hummus.

Various locations; eatcarrotexpress.com

4. Plant Miami

This upscale Wynwood eatery is a mecca for beautifully designed plant-based dishes. But that’s not all—the entire menu is also gluten-free. We love the chickpea frittata, kelp truffle noodles and hand roll with forbidden rice, almond cream cheese and smoked carrots. (Psst: Make sure to top off your meal with the seasonal fruit cheesecake or banana-nut pancakes.) Plus, every Sunday morning, the restaurant hosts an organic produce market filled with goodies grown at local Paradise Farms.

105 NE 24th St., Miami; sacredspacemiami.com

5. Pura Vida

Miami Beach favorite Pura Vida has quickly taken over South Florida, with locations in Edgewater, Aventura, West Palm Beach and the Design District. It’s no surprise, though: This tasty eatery is the perfect spot for vegan enthusiasts and their meat-eating counterparts to enjoy a fresh, veggie-forward meal. Snack on flavorful acai bowls, fresh-squeezed juices and a variety of salads, bowls and wraps—many of which are 100 percent vegan while others feature free-range chicken and ahi tuna.

Various locations; puravidamiami.com

6. Vegan Tierra

Looking for a vegan meal delivery service? You’re in luck: Vegan Tierra services the South Florida area with nutrient-dense, delicious and clean meals—all of which are 100 percent vegan and delivered straight to your door. Yeah, it doesn’t get much better than that. Order a one-off lunch or dinner or sign up for a weekly plan. Best-selling items include vegetable fried rice, buffalo cauliflower wraps and Asian soba noodles.

vegantierra.com

7. Planta Queen

If you love Planta, then you’ll really love Planta Queen. The sister restaurant, also based in Toronto with a location right here at home in Coconut Grove, offers drool-worthy renditions of your favorite Asian recipes. From eggplant nigiri and crispy rice with spicy ahi watermelon to udon noodles and spinach and black bean dumplings, it’s impossible to order the wrong thing.

3015 Grand Ave., Coconut Grove; plantarestaurants.com

8. Love Life Café

Looking for the best veggie burger in America? You’ve come to the right place. Love Life Café, which was awarded Seed Food & Wine Festival’s 2016 award, specializes in vegan, plant-based bites—including a superfood burger with homemade guacamole, pickles, “cheese,” marinated kale and cilantro aioli. Other menu items include plant-powered arepas, burritos and tacos, pizza with cashew cream and basil-pesto and a slate of desserts, from apple cobbler to guava rose cheesecake. Love Life Café is also behind Shido, a pop-up vegan sushi concept. Think “smoking karrots roll,” with smoked carrot, avocado, cashew cream and shiitake mushrooms or the fried rice shumai, Japanese-style dumplings filled with sticky rice and mushrooms.

2616 NW 5th Ave., Miami; lovelifecafe.com

9. Manna Life Food

Vegan, gluten-free food made from scratch daily is what Manna Life Food is all about. The all-day menu offers a range of savory and sweet bites like avocado arepas, plant-powered bowls with quinoa, tofu and veggies, and waffles with berries and coconut whipped cream. We’ll take one of each, please.

80 NE 2nd Ave., Miami; mannalifefood.com

10. Bunnie Cakes

Clean eating or not, we still have to satisfy our sweet tooth every now and then. That’s where Bunnie Cakes comes in. This petite, bright-pink shop has been turning out vegan and gluten-free treats since before it was cool. There are dozens of cupcake flavors—like guava, key lime and banana chocolate chip—that could easily go head-to-head with their butter-laden counterparts and still come out on top.

8450 NW 53rd St., Miami; bunniecakes.com

11. Della Bowls

Local favorite della serves flavor-packed, vibrant bowls of goodness. Pick one of the concept’s signature recipes—like the Dalé, layered with brown rice, sofrito, kale, cashew queso, pico de gallo and avocado—or create your own bowl with a range of ingredients (think black coconut rice, marinated kale, lentil meatballs, sea salt chickpeas, sesame broccoli, plantains, avocado and spicy slaw, among other choices).

8455 NW 53rd St., Doral; dellabowls.com

12. Miami Juice

For a quick bite before or after a day on the sand, check out Miami Juice in Sunny Isles Beach. The restaurant, grocer and juice bar is a tasty option for vegans and meat-lovers alike. No matter what you indulge in, rest easy knowing this spot makes almost everything in house and sources local veggies and organic proteins as much as possible. Pro tip: You can’t go wrong with one of our all-time favorite meals—the Miami Juice cheeseburger, a veggie patty grilled and served on pita bread with onion, tomato and melted soy cheese. Mmm. Then before you leave, stock up on a week’s worth of fruits and veggies at the restaurant’s in-house market.

18660 Collins Ave #101, Sunny Isles Beach; miamijuice.com

By Clarissa Buch

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