11 spots for delicious vegetarian and vegan food in Volusia County from the beaches to DeLand
Volusia County's restaurant scene is home to an abundance of delicious and creative vegetarian and vegan offerings.
We've put together a guide to some of the best spots in Daytona Beach, DeLand, New Smyrna Beach and Ormond Beach, plus a locally-owned meal delivery service.
Dig in!
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On Daytona's Beach Street, try Kale Café or Dancing Avocado Kitchen
Downtown Daytona Beach has a couple locally owned gems for vegetarian and vegan eaters.
Kale Café specializes in a fusion of Caribbean and soul food, with the most popular items including homemade veggie burgers, smoothies and juices, mac and cheese, and (of course) the kale salad. Their menu is 100% vegan.
"We offer a healthy option for our community,” Kale Café co-owner Camille Holder-Brown told The News-Journal last year. "We let people know they don’t have to sacrifice flavor. People are always so surprised that our food tastes good. They think it’s going to taste like grass clippings."
Kale Café Juice Bar & Vegan Cuisine
116 N. Beach St., Daytona Beach
Open Tuesday through Sunday (lunch and dinner)
386-872-5097
There's also Dancing Avocado Kitchen, an eclectic restaurant where owner Mario Stemberger says "herbivores and carnivores eat together in harmony."
Their most popular vegan dish is the BLT, which includes eggplant or jicama, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, homemade vegan mayonnaise and locally made bread.
There are a few outdoor tables on the vibrant, leafy patio and the inside is decked out with a unique blend of colorful signs and decorations.
Dancing Avocado Kitchen
110 S. Beach St., Daytona Beach
Open Monday through Saturday (breakfast and lunch)
386-947-2002
For vegetarian meal delivery, try out Eternal Roots
Eternal Roots offers vegan meal delivery throughout the area, changing up the menu weekly.
Enjoy breakfasts for $7 each with recent choices ranging from fruit-laden overnight oats to a garden tofu scramble. Entrees like the Texas BBQ Meatloaf Melt, Caribbean Salad and Thai Pumpkin Curry cost $12 each.
Every meal is customizable for those with dietary restrictions.
Eternal Roots posts its weekly menu on Facebook and takes orders by text message, dropping them off at customers' doors. Delivery costs $5 in Volusia County and $10 for Flagler, Lake and Orange counties.
Eternal Roots Vegan Meal Prep
Delivery only
386-666-9626
In New Smyrna Beach, pick Café Verde, Yellow Dog Eats or Cafe del Soul
Flagler Avenue has been home to family-owned Café Verde for nearly a decade.
The restaurant has a generous salad selection and vegetarian or vegan options in every category.
The chips and salsa sampler is widely recommended. Other favorites include vegan tacos, vegan poke, gyros and yuca fries. Finish things off with a delightful espresso flan.
There's an excellent selection of Florida beers any day of the week and yummy pineapple mimosas at Sunday brunch.
Café Verde
301b Flagler Ave., New Smyrna Beach
Open Tuesday through Sunday (lunch and dinner)
386-957-3958
Across the bridge is vegetarian-friendly Yellow Dog Eats. For a spot known for its barbecue, the eatery offers a surprisingly delicious vegetarian selection.
The Canal Street restaurant offers vegetarian nachos, tacos with Jamaican-style jerk cauliflower or Costa Rican-style sweet potatoes, and delicious veggie wraps alongside its meat options.
It's the second location of the eatery opened by Chef Fish Morgan two decades ago in Orange County.
There's plentiful outdoor seating and, if the name didn't make it clear, dogs are welcome.
Yellow Dog Eats Kitchen & Bar
147 Canal St., New Smyrna Beach
Open daily (lunch and dinner)
386-410-4824
Cafe del Soul recently opened around the corner, serving organic eats in a relaxed setting.
The menu includes rice and quinoa dishes, quesadillas, wraps and salads. Nearly everything is vegetarian and many items can be prepared vegan or gluten-free.
Cafe del Soul
105 Magnolia St., New Smyrna Beach
Open Tuesday though Saturday (lunch and dinner)
386-957-3597
In Ormond Beach, Wild Rabbit has the sweets
Beachside Ormond Beach is home to Wild Rabbit, a comfy spot offering seasonal dishes with locally sourced organic vegetables.
Though the menu varies, selections include acai bowls, wraps, breakfast staples and made-from-scratch pastries and baked goods. Most sandwiches include vegan options featuring tempeh, tofu and Impossible meat.
To drink, there's espresso, a great tea selection, and raw juices and smoothies. Wild Rabbit does a full brunch every Sunday with its signature pumpkin waffles.
Wild Rabbit Bistro
48 E. Granada Blvd., Ormond Beach
Open daily (breakfast and lunch)
386-256-7998
Three yummy vegetarian restaurants in DeLand
The Garden offers fresh, colorful food in a welcoming atmosphere in North DeLand.
The menu boasts a wide assortment of bowls, salads and sandwiches, plus muesli and parfaits. Cool down with a fresh pressed orange juice or warm up with espresso drinks.
Favorites include the broccoli coconut curry soup and avocado toast.
The Garden in DeLand
589 E. International Speedway Blvd., DeLand
Open Monday through Saturday (breakfast and lunch)
386-227-7156
Downtown, you can't go wrong at De La Vega. The Latin fusion eatery crafts richly flavored vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Try the jackfruit quesadillas with vegan cheese or the vegan plantain enmoladas and top things off with homemade sangria or a margarita.
Online, De La Vega describe Chef Nora's menu as "modern Mexican food that is as artistic as it is flavorful."
De La Vega Restaurant: Wine, Tapas & Sangria
128 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand
Open Thursday through Sunday (lunch and dinner)
386-734-4444
In Artisan Alley, treat yourself to a meal at BakeChop, which describes itself as "a scratch kitchen with a whole-lotta-love."
It's all prepared in an open kitchen and served in a hip atmosphere that pays homage to the city of DeLand.
They've got a vegetarian Philly cheesesteak, burgers with superfood bean patties, and a vegan "TLT" — barbecue tempeh, lettuce and tomato.
They mix up their salads and side dishes depending on what ingredients are freshest, but the swamp salad and fried plantains are delicious options on the permanent menu.
BakeChop
110 S. Artisan Alley, DeLand
Open Tuesday through Friday (lunch and dinner)
386-873-6524
By the ocean in Daytona Beach? Stop by Evolve
This Seabreeze eatery recreates comfort foods in a 100% plant-based and vegan kitchen.
They make an artful variety of vegetarian burgers and "chikun" sandwiches served on pretzel buns.
The "pulled porc" is BBQ jackfruit and can be piled onto vegan mac and cheese. Finish things off with vegan doughnuts.
Evolve Modern Vegan Kitchen
318 Seabreeze Blvd., Daytona Beach
Open daily (dinner, lunch on weekends)
386-366-8415
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Vegan, vegetarian restaurants in Daytona, New Smyrna, DeLand, Ormond
