As the world progresses, more and more people are making the transition to living a healthier life by being vegan or vegetarian. A vegan is a person that does not consume or use any animal products in their daily life. A vegetarian does not eat any meat, but they still consume animal products such as eggs, regular milk and/or butter. I went to three different restaurants in South Florida that are vegan based, spoiler alert: they are all slightly overpriced.
Green Bar & Kitchen
Address: 1075 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Website: https://greenbarkitchen.com/
Price range: Out of 4, $$
Review: Green Bar & Kitchen is an all-vegan restaurant located in Fort Lauderdale. Its menu varies from bowls, salads, burgers, smoothies and so much more. One of the downsides that I have noticed with vegan/vegetarian restaurants in the U.S. is the pricing. I spent around $20 for a burger, a side of fries, and a kombucha drink. However, the quality of the food is beyond words. The food is super tasty and full of color and flavor. Something else I noticed about this restaurant is that they also sold groceries such as coconut milk, soy milk, vegan cheese and a lot of other options. For me, this is a plus because sometimes you may not find those replacements in your local grocery stores but if you have the chance to go to this restaurant you will be able to find them.
WHAT I GOT: Coconut burger, sweet potato fries (NON GMO), and the kombucha of the day
Holi Vegan Kitchen
Address: 3099 Northeast 163rd Street, North Miami Beach, FL 33160
Website: holivegankitchen.com
Price range: Out of 4, $$
Review: As I read the menu, I noticed the juices were slightly overpriced at eight dollars, but I decided to still try one. It was very good, but also very small for its price. I also got a salad that was colorful and tasted amazing. A great tip for making your own salads is to make sure you have several colors on your plate or bowl, this ensures that you’ll get several vitamins and the nutrition that your body needs. In the end, I spent around $20 for a salad and a juice which is something that I normally wouldn’t do.
WHAT I GOT: Multivitamin salad, live juice No 1 (carrot, ginger, and lemon)
Green Gables Cafe
Address: 327 Alhambra Cir, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Website: greengablescafe.com
Price range: Out of 4 $$
Review: Green Gables Cafe is located just twelve minutes away from the University of Miami. When I went to the restaurant, I ordered a burger. It took a long time to come out, and ended up being just average. If I’m spending fifteen dollars on a burger, I expect it to be perfect. The cafe has a lot of different options as well such as salads, bowls, sandwiches and juices. Just like Green Bar & Kitchen, as I walked in, I noticed that this cafe also had a groceries section, but it was a lot bigger than the one at Green Bar. They had, amongst other things, protein powders, coconut and soy milk, different types of vegan cheese and several brands of kombucha.
WHAT I GOT: Green gables burger
In general, vegan restaurants are overpriced. I would say if you would like to go vegan or vegetarian, try to cook most of your own meals. It will be the cheaper option. However, if you’re willing to splurge, check these restaurants out, especially my favorite, Green Bar & Kitchen.
Naomy Lelis is a freshman from Luanda, Angola. She’s double majoring in Journalism and Media Management. She loves to travel, a good vegetarian meal, and is obsessed with Marvel films.
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