Pensacola vegan restaurants: How vegan-friendly is Pensacola? Friendlier than you’d think.
Being vegan or vegetarian gets a little easier every day as more and more meat substitutions come to market.
Some iterations are so convincing that it might be hard to believe it’s not actually meat.
That begs the question: How vegan-friendly are Pensacola eateries? Very.
Here’s our list of vegan restaurants and vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants.
End of the Line Cafe
610 E. Wright St.
If you're vegan or simply enjoy vegan foods, you probably already know about End of the Line. The from-scratch restaurant has served the Pensacola community for 20 years, and is probably the most well-known vegan restaurant in the area. For anyone new to vegan foods, this is a great place to start as you can find many restaurant staples that will have you convinced you're eating real meat.
On the menu: Hummus and warm pita, B.L.T., the Reuben, the Cuban and more.
Almost Vegan Soul Cafe
532 W. Garden St.
Almost Vegan Soul Cafe is a restaurant that touts itself as being beginner friendly. Its mission is to be a "bridge" between meat eaters and people transitioning to a plant-based diet by offering a mostly vegan menu with a few meat options sprinkled throughout.
On the menu: Southern fried cauliflower, dirty rice, baby green lima beans and more.
Restaurant Iron
22 N. Palafox St.
Restaurant Iron isn't a vegan restaurant, but does offer vegan plates and will accommodate some requests for substitutions. The restaurant's theme is "Southern flare with a contemporary twist." All of the food is locally-sourced and hand-made.
On the menu: Crispy marinated tofu and vegetable plate, local heirloom tomato salad and more.
Khon’s on Palafox
34 S. Palafox St.
Khon's is an authentic Southeastern Asian cuisine and sushi bar that offers craft beers and sake cocktails, too. Many Asian dishes tend to be vegan by nature, but Khon's offers a full vegan menu to eliminate the guessing.
On the menu: Hot chili tofu, veggie dumplings, Cambodian tofu and rice and more.
Café Single Fin
380 N. Ninth Ave.
Cafe Single Fin, located inside the Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop, opened in 2014 after the crew decided to do more than sell hot pockets and popsicles to skaters. It's a full-blown restaurant that serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus coffee and tea.
On the menu: Vegan costa wrap, black bean tacos, islander tacos, Bocas quesadilla and more.
Ever'man Cooperative Grocery & Cafe
315 W. Garden St. and 1000 E. Nine Mile Road
Is it cheating to list a grocery store? Not when its café is as good as this. Ever'man is a cooperative grocery store that focuses on local sources, natural and organic foods that's been around since 1973. The store is committed to its ideals and even provides educational opportunities to learn about health, nutrition and environmental issues through classes and events.
On the menu: Both Ever'man locations have a weekly rotating menu in the café, but offer a main course, vegan and vegetarian menu to cover just about everyone. Check the website for the daily menu.
The Leisure Club
1151 Office Woods Dr., Suite A
The Leisure Club is a coffee and tea, breakfast, brunch and lunch café that has options for the vegan, the carnivore and even those with a gluten intolerance.
On the menu: Vegan biscuits and gravy, vegan waffle, vegan crab cake and more.
Busy Bee Mercantile
3002 N. Ninth Ave.
The Busy Bee Mercantile is a small group of vendors and distributors that has come together to bring the "finest" food products to the Pensacola community. The general store also has a whole foods-centered café that has based its accessible and affordable menu around plants. Soups of the day can be had for just $3 and hot lunch is available Tuesday through Saturday.
On the menu: Asian Chic-N nachos, Southern soul platter, Nashville hot sandwich and more.
Taste of India
810 E. Gregory St.
Looking for something different? Taste of India is a great place to start. The New Taste of India offers a varied menu of authentic Northern Indian cuisine, focusing on high-quality ingredients, wholesome curries and house-toasted spices and mixes.
On the menu: Bhindi masala (okra cooked with an Indian spice blend), dal fry (yellow lentils tempered with spices), aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes cooked with coriander and ginger), baigan bhartha (pureed roasted eggplant simmered with onion and tomatoes) and more.
Bonelli’s
1217 N. Ninth Ave.
Bonelli's is Pensacola's little secret when it comes to Italian food. The family restaurant focuses on pasta and will even accommodate people with gluten intolerances by cooking gluten-free pasta. The restaurant doesn't specialize in vegan foods, but has plenty of options.
On the menu: Roman's dirty oil & garlic, Dom's fresh made pesto, Vito's il diavolo sauce (can be made vegan) and more.
Elbow Room
2213 W. Cervantes St.
Elbow Room is another Pensacola hidden gem. Board games, pinball machines, Star Trek memorabilia and even a juke box adorn the space as you walk into the bar. If you’ve never been, do yourself a favor and try it out. The atmosphere alone justifies the trip!
On the menu: Tofu Thai flatbread, vegan Boca burgers, vegan hot dogs and more.
Agapi
555 Scenic Highway
Agapi Bistro + Garden is a combination of Mediterranean and Gulf Coast flavors served in a craftsman-style. Run by Golden Spoon award-winning chefs Gus Silivos and Justin Robinson, you can expect quality food here. The menu features a variety of regular foods, vegetarian, vegan and even gluten-free options.
On the menu: Watermelon poke, wild mushroom and spinach strudel, vegan charcuterie and more.
Taste of Jerusalem
2805 W. Cervantes St.
Taste of Jerusalem calls itself the kitchen of a thousand flavors. It serves up Israeli, Palestinian and other Mediterranean foods like kababs and shawarma. The restaurant is also a full-service hookah bar. Each bowl is individually crafted using authentic Egyptian hookah.
On the menu: Baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant blended with tahini, fresh garlic, parsley and lemon juice), Jerusalem salad, falafel, stuffed grape leaves and more.
The Magnolia
2050 N. 12th Ave.
The Magnolia is a cozy hangout that offers wine, craft brews, light plates and shareable foods. It recently moved to East Hill from its former location on Scenic Highway, and has Revolver Records and Jitterbug Beverage Co. operating inside the same space for coffee, tea and tunes.
On the menu: Vegan cheeseburger, chickadee salad.
Scenic 90 Café
701 Scenic Highway
Scenic 90 Cafe is an old school diner that sports the appropriate retro environment. It’s a pretty no-nonsense affair with plenty of diner foods and vegetarian and vegan options available, too.
On the menu: Vegetarian poboy, vegan meatloaf.
Sammy Barker’s
875 E. Nine Mile Road
Sammy Barker’s is a restaurant and bar that specializes in American street foods. The restaurant has won and been nominated for plenty of local awards for its burgers, fries and hot dogs. For those that don’t eat meat, don’t worry, there are veggie burger and veggie dog options available for all of its burgers.
On the menu: House-made veggie burger, Impossible patties and Field Roast vegan dogs.
I Heart Bento
875 E. Nine Mile Road #10
I Heart Bento is right next door to Sammy Barker’s and specializes rice and bowls. It uses fresh ingredients in all its foods and offers Boba tea, too. The menu is full of poke bowls, ritos, sushi and bento boxes. For vegan and vegetarians, there are tofu options for everything — and even vegan sushi rolls.
On the menu: Golden tofu nuggets, teriyaki tofu, vegan bowl and more.
Le Dough
Mobile food truck
Switching gears from breakfast, lunch and dinner, Le Dough is a mobile bakery that treats the community to hand-made donuts and other fun and delicious pastry creations. All products are made from scratch, feature fresh fruits, fillings and glazes, and they’re all vegan.
On the menu: donuts, donut holes, cookie dough cups, doggy donuts and more.
Mad Munchies
3494 E. Olive Road (Mobile food truck)
Mad Munchies is a local all-vegan food truck serving the Pensacola area. The food truck is very active at a lot of local events and can be tracked down on its frequently-updated social media accounts. The menu has a habit of changing, so be sure to check and see what they’ve got.
On the menu: BBQ nachos, gyro pita, chorizo tacos and nachos and more.
Mellow Mushroom
5175 Bayou Blvd.
Mellow Mushroom is an American pizza chain and franchise based in Atlanta. Pizza can be pretty vegan-friendly by nature, but Mellow Mushroom offers a separate vegan menu as an added bonus.
On the menu: Vegan tempeh hoagie, vegan pretzels, vegan veg out and more.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola vegan restaurants: Where to find vegan-friendly restaurants
