Good news for vegetarians and vegans: While more restaurants are adding plant-based options to their menus, South Florida is also home to a thriving 100% meat-free dining scene.
Sometimes, diners want a restaurant that offers only meatless meals, with no chicken or beef approaching the premises. Fortunately, the choices are plentiful.
Some specialize in creative approaches to fruits and vegetables; others offer thickly stacked Impossible Burgers or Beyond Burgers designed to resemble Big Macs, with lots of fixings. Several focus on butter-free baking, while others have sit-down, gourmet dining rooms, showing that healthful food does not mean pick-up-at-the-counter only.
Here’s a sampling of eateries in Broward and Palm Beach counties that are dedicated to the proposition that plant-based eating can be tasty, hardy and imaginative. Restaurants in South Florida come and go, but it looks like vegetarian dining is here to stay.
Broward County
C4Eats, 2003 Harrison St., Hollywood; 954-404-8065; c4eats.com
Right in downtown Hollywood, C4 serves vegan breakfasts and lunches with diner favorites that taste like traditional sausage, bacon, eggs, fish filets and pancakes. On the weekends, you can try the vegan oxtail with rice or grits ($20-$22). Lots of Southern comfort foods on the menu, including sides of black-eyed peas, candied yams and collard greens ($7 each).
Southern comfort foods, including mac and cheese, candied yams, and crispy chick’n, are served at C4Eats in Hollywood. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Earth’s Goddess Holistics & Juicebar, 1032 NW 10th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 754-701-8134; earthsgoddessholistic.com
Tacos, burgers, smoothies and juices are all 100% vegan. The shop recently described one of its signature dishes, Plantails, on its Facebook page as “a rich, slow-braised Jamaican vegan oxtail experience made entirely from plants, simmered in a deep, savory brown gravy with butter beans, served with fluffy quinoa & red peas, fresh vegetables, and sweet fried plantains. One bite … and you’ll be checking the plate to make sure it’s really vegan!” The shop also sells supplements, skin care and hair products.
Parlour Bakery, 700 SW 78th Ave., No. 114, Plantation; 954-533-7104; parlourbakery.com
Cakes, cookies, cupcakes, dot cakes, empanadas: This bakery makes you feel like you are not missing anything by leaving out butter and other animal fats. Cakes can be made to order.
PS Green Healthy Food & Juice Bar, 2306 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-999-5474; psgreenftl.com
Main dishes include a Vegan Breakfast Sandwich, made with scrambled tofu, vegan mozzarella, vegan sausages, and a hash brown patty on a multigrain kaiser roll ($10.99) and Eggplant Parmesan ($14.99). The CEO, chef and owner is Jose Pablo Luque, a native of Argentina who worked in his father’s restaurant as a kid and helped birth several South Florida vegan ventures.
Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel
This 2021 file photo shows mac ‘n’ cheese from chef Samuel Woods of The Rabbit Hole in Pompano Beach. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
The Rabbit Hole — Elevated Vegan Comfort Cuisine, 2659 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach; 954-399-7459; TheRabbitHole.life
Samuel Woods, the chef behind The Rabbit Hole, transforms the soul food of his youth into meatless vegan comfort foods, with Coney Island-style chili dogs, burgers and a barbecue plate called Smoke in the Woods, made of citrus-lime spare ribs, mac ’n’ cheese, baked beans and corn bread ($25). There are also quesadillas ($16.95) and plant-based Jerk Chicken ($17.95).
SoBe Vegan, 401 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954-368-4640; sobev.com
SoBe Vegan offers an extensive menu of bowls ($15.80-$18.60), all-day breakfast items, salads, meatless burgers ($19.50-$20.50), smoothies and freshly made juice combos. It is certified kosher by Aventura-based RAM Kosher Vegan & Vegetarian.
Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Owner Stephanie Peña packages vegetable soup for a pickup order at Stephanie’s Vegan Bakery + Cafe in Fort Lauderdale in this 2022 file photo. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Stephanie’s Vegan Bakery + Cafe, 1436 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale; 954-368-5596; stephaniesveganbakery.com
Vegan breads, cheesecakes, croissants, cupcakes and tarts are on the menu at Stephanie’s, along with all-day breakfast items including bagels, toasts and empanadas. The family-owned business also serves an assortment of hot and iced coffees and colorful smoothies, and designs custom-made cakes.
Sweet Love Bakery, 6678 Stirling Road, Hollywood; 954-322-8291; sweetlovepastries.com
Kosher, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, peanut-free, and nothing genetically modified: Pastry chef Ana Buendia seems to have covered the bases for people with allergies or other concerns about food ingredients. Breads go for $8.95, while mini-cupcakes are $1.82 and a 10-inch pizza is $13.50. Buendia is a Pompano Beach High School graduate who immigrated from Barranquilla, Colombia.
Vegan Delights Global Bakery & Cafe, 2201 Palm Ave., No. 104, Miramar; 954-367-7972; vegandelights.org
This cafe takes pride in “veganizing” familiar tastes from around the world, such as meat, chicken and cheese, and transforming them into tasty sandwiches, wraps and pastries that are free of animal products. Try the Media Noche ($16.99), a Cuban sandwich featuring vegan ham, cheese and mayo, or the Pan Bagnat, a French sandwich on a roll with fake tuna, olives and vegetables ($15.99). For dessert, there’s baklava, chocolate cigars, apple turnovers and chocolate chip cookies.
Vegan Tierra, 8755 Stirling Road, Cooper City; 954-990-8062; vegantierra.com
The menu at Vegan Tierra features an assortment of soups, smoothies, appetizers, wraps and entrees, including Primavera al Pesto ($15.40, or $18.40 for gluten-free), Tierra Burger ($19.80) and Loaded Nachos ($22). According to the website: “Our goal is not for you to diet but to help you have a healthy lifestyle where you can actually Eat to Live and not Live to Eat.”
Woodlands Express, 4816 N. University Drive, Lauderhill; 954-749-3221; Instagram.com/woodlands.express
Woodlands has an extensive menu of classic Indian dishes including curries, soups, rice combinations and dosai, or crepes, with vegetables, cheeses and rice. There’s also an assortment of freshly baked breads and even a section of Chinese specialties.
Gluten- and dairy-free cupcakes at Joey’s Home Bakery in Boynton Beach. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Palm Beach County
Christopher’s Kitchen, 4783 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, and 328 Fern St., West Palm Beach; Instagram.com/christopherskitchen
All food is organic and plant-based. Weekend brunch menu offerings include waffles with vanilla cream, maple syrup and fresh fruit ($14) and a Breakfast Sandwich with a Beyond Sausage patty ($14). There are lots of dairy-free ice cream options, such as sundaes, shakes and scoops, as well as a Breakfast Pizza made of macadamia ricotta cheese, veggie sausage and plant-based egg ($22).
Cinnaholic, 141 NW 20th St., Suite B1, Boca Raton; 561-617-7277; cinnaholic.com
You may have seen the founders of Cinnaholic on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2014. Now they have locations around the country for their plant-based dessert shop. A Cookie Monster Roll, which is a chocolate-drizzled cinnamon roll topped with frosting and cookie-dough chips, goes for $7.85, or there’s the more traditional Old Skool Roll, with vanilla frosting for $5.98. Cinnaholic is certified kosher by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, a large regional agency that makes sure food providers adhere to strict kosher standards.
Darbster, 8020 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach; 561-586-2622; darbster.com
Pets are welcome on the waterfront patio of Darbster, which donates profits to animal rescue charities. The restaurant’s menu presents classics with a vegan spin. Dishes include tofu stir fry ($18.50), New York pasta ($21.50) and meatless lasagna ($24.50). There are also raw food items, a kids’ menu and an extensive dessert list (try the mocha ganache cake or tres leches with no dairy, $10.50 each).
Dina’s Vegan Deli & Desserts, 1880 W. 10th St., No. 106, Riviera Beach; 561-623-8643; dinasvegandeli.com
Inspired by the flavors of the founders’ native Philadelphia, Dina’s proclaims itself “Home of the Best Vegan Philly Cheesesteak.” Prices range from $8.95 to $19.95, and you can also order taco pizza, cheesy bread, hot dogs and hoagies. There’s a creamy yellow cheese sauce for dipping chips; it’s gluten-free and made from vegetables ($3 for a 3-ounce cup).
Dope Vegan, 175 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach; 561-788-5139; eatdopevegan.com
Dope makes a point of welcoming all kinds of eaters on its website: “Calling all vegans, vegetarians, semi-vegetarians, flexitarians, meat-reducers: We’ve got you covered. ” Beef-, chicken- and fish-flavored dishes are on the menu, including the Complete Meltdown ($16), which consists of a plant-based burger with a double helping of vegan cheese, caramelized onions and homemade sauce. There’s also the Seems Fishy ($16), a plant-based fish fillet with a creamy sauce, lettuce and tomato on brioche.
Stephanie Luna serves customers at Joey’s Home Bakery in Boynton Beach on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Joey’s Home Bakery, 1532 SW Eighth St., Boynton Beach; 561-292-4004; joeyshomebakeryglutenfree.com
This bakehouse shows that vegan and gluten-free does not mean you must deny yourself doughy pleasures. The bakers make bread, bagels, cinnamon buns, cakes, scones, challahs and cookies, all from scratch and without trans fats, artificial colorings or high fructose corn syrup. A slice of flourless chocolate cake is $7.99; a loaf of rye bread is $12.
Maoz Vegetarian, 6000 Glades Road, No. 1176, Boca Raton; 561-489-8575; boca.restaurant
With falafel or a vegan burger as the base of every meal, customers can design their own pita sandwiches and bowls ($13.99-$15.99). There are also acai bowls and freshly made juices. Maoz, which means “courage” or “strength” in Hebrew, started in Amsterdam in 1991 and now has franchises in the United States, the Netherlands, France and Spain.
True Vegan, 815 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach; 561-249-1985; true-vegan.com
Chef Rahein Jones has moved his plant-based eatery from Delray Beach to West Palm Beach. The menu includes pizzas, salads, pastas and several raw dishes, including Zucchini Fettucine ($19) and Curry Plantain ($15). Build your own breakfast shakes begin at $10.
Both counties
Plant Based Mafia, 1115 NE Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale, and 7100 Fairway Drive, Suite 52, Palm Beach Gardens; plantbasedmafia.com
A Mafia-themed vegan franchise? Yes! With dishes including “The Hitman” and “The 4 AM and SH%% Faced,” this restaurant wants you to become “part of the family.” Try the “Don’t Breaka My Balls,” a vegan meatball sandwich ($20.95) or the “Untouchable,” a fried cutlet on a hoagie with arugula and bruschetta ($20.95). There are gluten-free chocolate cakes and carrot cakes for dessert ($13.95).
Let us know about other vegan and/or vegetarian restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties by emailing Lois Solomon at lsolomon@sunsentinel.com.