Traveling With Dietary Restrictions Isn’t Easy And Finding A Yummy Vegan Meal Can Be Especially Difficult!
So, where should you stop while exploring all the great things to do in Jacksonville? Here are the hot spots you need to know about.
All Vegan: No Need To Scrutinize The Ingredients
There are several all-plant-based places to find vegan food in Jacksonville, so if you want to freely peruse the menu and don’t have any other dietary requirements, you should hit up these spots.
Murray Hillbilly
This restaurant started as a food truck in late 2017 but became so popular that they opened the doors to their restaurant just a little over a year later. The restaurant is owned by passionate plant-based chefs who cook from-scratch food for eat-in or delivery.
Their signature dishes are fake meat burgers and sandwiches, such as their Git ‘Er Done burger with a vegan patty, cheese, and bacon.
There’s plenty to choose from if you’re not a fan of the texture of meat (even when it’s fake), so definitely stop by while you’re in the area.
Murray Hillbilly is located in Murray Hill (go figure) and is open Wednesday – Sunday from 11am until 8pm.
Sweet Theory Baking Co.
This sweet little bakery has been around for almost a decade and caters to anyone with an allergy or special dietary requirement. Almost all their products are gluten-free and vegan, and all their products are soy and peanut-free, though you absolutely will not know it by looking at the delicious treats they’re serving. With everything from donuts to cupcakes and cookie sandwiches, you’ll probably want to try a little of everything before you leave!
Sweet Theory Baking Co. also serves some savory options as well as drinks, so you could easily stop by for lunch and take a huge bag of other treats home for later. The bakery is located near Riverside in the Park and King District and is open from 8.30am – 4pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 8.30am – 2pm on Friday, and 10am – 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Vegan Café Jax
Vegan Café Jax is brand new, founded within the first few months of 2021 by Dr. Rene Pulido, MD, and Chefs Mat & Jenna Bardroff. The two came together over their love of delicious healthy food and the need for more healthy eating-out options.
Their menu is packed with yummy things you need to try, from smoothies, coffees and teas, (healthy) sodas, and kombuchas, to a tofu scramble sandwich, bagels, toast, bowls and wraps, sandwiches and burgers, and some sweet treats for dessert!
They’re one of the few places on this list open on Monday, and are open Monday – Thursday from 9am to 7pm. You can find them on Atlantic Boulevard.
Southern Roots Filling Station
Yes, the interior of this café is just as cute as the name, and they’re all vegan. They pride themselves on providing their neighborhood with healthy, delicious food, whether that’s a bagel eaten at the counter with a coffee, their savory special of the day, or the bulk food you can buy to take home.
Their menu contains some delicious vegan takes on breakfast classics, such as their Blisscuit, a tofu egg salad on a cheesy garlic biscuit. They also serve sandwiches, various healthy bowls, salads, bagels, and more. In their store section, you can find a range of ethical products and staples. They have two locations, one Riverside and one Beach, and both locations are open Tuesday through Sunday until 4 or 5pm.
Bakeries And Cafés
Looking for the perfect place to start your day or to grab a snack? These eateries have got you sorted!
Community Loaves Jax
This bakery is just a stone’s throw away from Murray Hillbilly, after recently relocating to the Big Green House on the corner of Trask and Edgewood.
Their menu changes with the season, as they’re all about using fresh, local produce, and you can expect to find delicious whole foods and coffee.
The café does serve non-vegan food (they’re generally vegetarian), but they provide plenty of vegan meals and vegan substitutes, so you definitely don’t need to feel like you’re a burden if you’d rather have tempeh instead of egg.
Community Loaves Jax is open every day but Monday from 7 or 8am until 2pm, so make sure you start your day here.
House Of Leaf & Bean
House of Leaf & Bean is a café with takeout and a drive-through that focuses on serving healthy whole foods and delicious beverages. Their menu is a fusion of Western and Asian, and leans heavily toward vegan and vegetarian, though there are some meat options. Some of the delicious things you may find are Crispy Tofu Bites, Tofu Golden Dumplings, Whole Wheat Grilled Cheese (with vegan cheese), a Vegan Chili Bowl, and so, so much more! Don’t be surprised if you come back here again and again, because they really do offer such a wide range of vegan meals. They’re located on Beach Blvd and are open Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 7pm.
One Foxy Lady Café
One Foxy Lady Café on N. Pearl Street in the heart of Historic Springfield is comfort food at its absolute best – it was started by Shandon Benjamin-Fox in 2015 and has been thriving ever since. While vegan food is often left out of the comfort category by non-vegans, we all know that you absolutely can do vegan comfort food right, and fortunately, Shandon does too!
Here you can find a full vegan menu including BBQ jackfruit on a toasted potato roll, a veggie “vixen” Philly, carrot dogs, and eggplant burgers – all with a side of your choice.
They’re open Wednesday – Friday from 12pm to 6pm, Saturday from 12pm – 5pm, and Sunday 11am – 5pm.
1748 Bakehouse
Another located in Historic Springfield, the 1748 Bakehouse serves breakfast and lunch options for all diets, but there are plenty of vegan options. For breakfast, you can choose from simple granola with oat milk, two different chia puddings, or sourdough toast. For lunch, you can choose from a vegan pesto or a local greens salad with vegan cheese. They’re open every day but Monday from 8am Tuesday-Saturday until 3pm and 9am – 3pm on Sunday.
Restaurants
True Food Kitchen
True Food Kitchen has numerous locations not only in Florida but all across the US, so you may already be familiar with them. They serve health-driven delicious food with a menu that changes with the season.
Not all their food is vegan or vegetarian, but there’s a lot to choose from that is, so you certainly won’t be stuck with that one vegan option at the bottom of the menu.
On their current Jacksonville menu, you can choose from an ancient grains, quinoa, or noodle bowl, or pizza, and avocado key lime pie or cookies and ice cream for dessert!
It’s a good restaurant to choose if you’re eating with other people who aren’t vegan. They’re open every day on Big Island Drive until 8pm, 9pm, or 10pm, depending on the day.
Sushiko
Fancy a spot of sushi? Finding more than one type of vegan sushi on a menu is typically a challenge, but Sushiko in Avondale has an entire vegan menu. It’s seriously impressive. You can start with an appetizer, such as stuffed shiitake mushrooms, grab a rice dish, such as their vegan shrimp fried rice, and then enjoy any of their 50 other options. They even have 3 dessert options! They’re open every day until 9pm, 10pm, or 11pm.
Buddha Thai Bistro
Buddha Thai Bistro, located in Jacksonville Beach, isn’t exclusively vegan but is happy to veganize pretty much anything and everything on their menu. All but one of their rice and noodle dishes can be vegan, all of their curries, and most of the other dishes on the menu, too. That means you’ve got an entire vegan menu, while the rest of your party can eat whatever they like.
They’re open every day for eat-in or takeout, so you know you can always get your hands on a delicious vegan meal.
Green Erth Bistro
Green Erth Bistro (nope, not a typo!) is a Persian restaurant, which makes it ideal for vegan food. While it also offers meat dishes, all those grains, vegetables, and legumes mean that almost any dish can be made vegan with just a tweak, if it isn’t already. Just a glance at their delicious menu will make you feel right at home – plenty of chickpeas and pita here, and they do a super-affordable vegan chili, which you can order by the cup or bowl.
They’re located on Hendricks Ave. north of San Marco, and are closed Sunday and Monday, but open every other day from 5pm until 8pm.
Nacho Taco
Nacho Taco is a family-owned Mexican restaurant located on Stockton Street with a full vegan menu.
That’s not just one burrito option and one taco option, either!
They offer vegan chorizo tacos, vegan chicken tacos, vegan beef tacos, a vegan queso, and a couple of vegan desserts.
They’re open every day but Sunday from 10.30am – 9pm.
Ibex Ethiopian Kitchen
Want to try something you (likely) have never tried before? If so, Ibex Ethiopian Kitchen is a place you need to stop by. They have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, including their Ibex Vegetarian Platter, which is a combination of all their vegan dishes. The rest of their menu is pretty meat-heavy, so it may be a good one if you’re the only vegan or vegetarian in the group.
They’re located on Baymeadows Road and open from 4pm until 10pm every day.
Takeout Only
Food Dog Curry Traders
This unique eatery only does takeout and delivery, but can supply almost any item on the menu as a vegan option.
They offer curries from all over Asia, such as a Masala from India, a Lime Curry from Cambodia, and Lion City LiLi from Singapore.
They also offer delicious noodle dishes, such as Kanpai from Japan, and Jap Chae, which is Korean.
They’re located on Stockton Street, between Riverside and Five Points, and are open every day until 10pm, or 8pm on Sunday.
Hotdog Party Vegan Mobile Cart
Okay, so you may have to stalk their Instagram to see where in Jacksonville they’re currently set up, but it will be well worth it! Hotdog Party serves purely vegan hot dogs every day from 9am to 3pm (and yes, they accept credit cards). They have a menu as well as an abundance of different topping options, so if you can track them down, it’s well worth it. Find them on Instagram here @thehotdogparty.
Icecapade Frozen Treats
Jacksonville can get pretty hot and humid, so if you’re looking for a vegan-friendly cool treat, this is a great place to go. They serve a range of smoothies, Italian ices, salads, and more. They’re open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm during the week, and 5pm on Saturday. They have a website but check in with them on Instagram or Facebook for the most up-to-date information.
Juice Tap
As a juice bar, they’re no stranger to vegan-friendly food and drink!
Juice Tap has two locations, one in Deerwood and the other in Bayard, where they serve fresh juices, juice shots, smoothies, bowls, lemonade, salads, and toast.
If you want to start your day with a healthy smoothie or have a light and healthy lunch after overindulging a little at one of the cafés on this list, then this is a great place to stop.
Both locations are open every day from 9am until 6pm on Sundays, 7pm on Saturday, and 7.30pm the rest of the week.
Honorable Mentions: If You’re Eating With Omnivores…
If you’re eating with omnivores, then it’s worth looking at the menu of these next eateries to see if there’s something you’d like. However, compared to the other options on this list, they’re not going to blow any vegan away (unless you love that particular style of food) with their options, so don’t just turn up and hope for the best without first glancing at their menu!
- Modu Ramen – Ramen is delicious and a great option for vegans, and Modu Ramen on Baymeadows Road has a couple of dishes visiting vegans have loved. Their vegetable ramen, vegetable gyoza, and potato croquettes are definitely worth a try. Find out more here.
- Hightide Burrito Co. – Hightide Burrito Co. in San Marco and Ortega offers a couple of vegetarian and vegan options. You can switch out some of the meat options for tempeh, and they do a vegan burrito called the salt water hippie burrito, as well as a veggie burrito. They’ve also got a couple of taco options I bet you could get in a vegan option if you ask nicely. Find out more here.
- Crispy’s Springfield Gallery – If you have a hankering for pizza, you can switch out any of their options for vegan cheese or a gluten-free crust, and add on any veggies you like, so they’ll likely make a pizza with whatever toppings you love most. Find out more here.
- River & Post – If you look below all the meat dishes, you’ll find that they serve the Impossible Burger as well as vegan crab cakes and Tofu Bouillabaisse, so you’ve got a few interesting options here. The restaurant is open for dinner every day until 10pm, and they’re located in Five Points near the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Find out more here.
The Available Vegan Options In Stores And Restaurants Are Already 10x Better Than They Were A Decade Ago, And They Continue To Improve All The Time.
Here in Jacksonville, vegan food is thriving – you’ve got plenty of delicious options, whether you’re a native going vegan or a visitor looking for the best spots for your trip. If you’re looking for a great way to spend the day (besides eating your heart out), try The Escape Game Jacksonville to work up your appetite!
