Vegan Restaurants in Orlando

Although my own diet is not strictly vegan, I cook mostly vegan at home and my husband and I are both vegetarians. We've lived in Orlando, Florida our whole lives and have been eating vegetarian for three years. The vegan restaurants we've discovered in Orlando are definitely hotspots we would never have discovered if we hadn't started digging. Orlando has a lot to offer by way of vegan food and this Hub will touch on many of them.

By the way -- each restaurant name is a hotlink for a map so you can map your way to each of these tasty vegan hangouts.

Brunch atEthos Vegan Kitchen (Sundays Only) -- Every Sunday at Ethos, they serve Sunday brunch from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. There are specials including French toast, pancakes, waffles, tofu scrambles, and more. You can upgrade your orange juice to a Mimosa for just a bit more, and it's worth it. This is the only time of the week that Ethos serves breakfast, and it is worth making the trip! I wouldn't go anywhere else.

Ethos Vegan Kitchen $-$$ American/Italian -- Ethos serves quite possibly the most tasty vegan food in Orlando. This restaurant has it all -- pizza, pasta, lasagna, burgers, philly cheese steaks, calzones, wraps, and salad. And everything is absolutely delicious. Ethos also serves baked goods such as cookies, cake, and muffins. Why not try some organic, local beer while you're at it? Plus, Ethos is in a great location, right across from Lake Ivanhoe, a great little park to walk around in after you've stuffed your face with great vegan food!

Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar $ Cafe/American -- This little coffee bar/cafe is a treasure to Orlando. Although they don't serve only vegan food, Drunken Monkey is to be praised for its diversity in menu. They have a HUGE list of coffees and teas to choose from, with any kind of non-dairy milk you can imagine--coconut, hemp, soy, almond... you name it, they can put it in your beverage. And their vegan wraps and sandwiches from the deli case -- ah-ma-zing. Just delicious. The wraps change every day and always have a unique name to them. Each wrap is served with a special dipping sauce that I can never seem to get enough of... In addition, their baked goods are absolutely fantastic. The vegan ones are all marked vegan, and the brownies are especially remarkable. Last but not least, Drunken Monkey serves a variety of soups each day, and the vegan varieties are just delicious. And the price is right, too -- for a wrap and a cup of warm soup, you'll pay about $10. Not bad. You'll leave with a full belly and that warm, fuzzy feeling that makes you want to hug all of your awkward relatives.

Pine 22 $ - American -- I wanted to include this one because of it's fabulous vegan options. This restaurant is so unique you can't miss it! Don't go to Orlando and not check out Pine 22. In the heart of Downtown Orlando, you walk in the door of Pine 22 and start filling out paperwork... paperwork? Yes! You fill out a sheet of paper specifying what you want on your burger. Of course if you're vegetarian or vegan, you can choose the black bean burger with as many delicious veggie toppings as you choose. You steer the wheel at Pine 22! Oh, and make sure you order your meal with sweet potato fries. Smother them with the organic ketchup they have sitting on each table, and enjoy.

Dandelion Communitea Cafe $ -- American This is the cutest little restaurant you ever did see! Chiefly vegetarian, each meal at this restaurant can be veganized -- as in, you can replace the cheddar with vegan cheddar, and so on. The black bean burrito and sweet potato burritos are enormous and enough to feed two people, for sure, but I usually eat the whole thing myself. They also sell cupcakes, salads, tea (obviously), wine, and each day they have a happy hour between 4 and 7 where each day you can get discounts on certain menu items. You have to go just to see the decor--so cute and home-y.

Cafe 118 Degrees - $$$$ Raw -- Okay, so this one's pricey, but oh-so-unique that it is a must. Go on your birthday! The unique part about Cafe 118 is that not only is everything served in the restaurant vegan, it is also "alive"-- or raw. You can order Living Lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs and everything is cold or room temperature. If you're on a super tight budget but still want to visit the vegan deliciousness of Cafe 118, splurge on the ice cream. Made from coconut milk, the banana ice cream with almond butter cups will have you squealing with glee. Or maybe that's just what I did. It is so smooth and delicious you'll never believe it's vegan!

Woodlands Indian Cuisine $-$$ Indian -- Although not all vegan, this Indian restaurant is still a star for many Orlando vegans. Closed on Mondays, Woodlands offers a daily lunch buffet for $9.95, and at night you can choose from many North Indian delights, and even some Indo-Chinese dishes, with both an Indian and Chinese taste to them.

The Loving Hut $ - $$ Asian -- This place is really funky. There is a TV playing encouraging all viewers to "Go Veg" and save the earth. At this unique restaurant, you can get some homestyle delights like cheeseburgers and corn dogs, even BBQ on a stick! It does have an Asian flair to it, though, so there are lots of noodle, rice, and stir-fry dishes to choose from as well.

Garden Cafe $ - $$ Asian -- I went to Garden Cafe for my birthday and was surprised to see they now offer ALL VEGETARIAN SUSHI! You can get California rolls, eel rolls, and all of the rolls you'd traditionally see on a normal sushi menu, but it's all made with meat substitute. It does not disappoint. Garden Cafe serves all the traditional Chinese food restaurant meals, but there is no real meat. You can order General Tso's chicken, Orange beef, fish dishes, and everything is prepared with meat substitute. You can also order brown rice with your meal instead of white.

Although several of the Lunch and Dinner restaurants listed above offer dessert, there is one little place in particular in Orlando that stands out in terms of vegan desserts...

Raphsodic Bakery. Formally known as Raphsodic Cooperative Company, this artsy little place is big on cupcakes. I want one right now, actually. Offering gluten free selections as well, Raphsodic goes the extra mile in making sure every ingredient is truly vegan. They even called their sugar supplier to make sure their sugar wasn't decolorized using bone char from animals! The cupcakes there cost $3 a piece, and you can also order some organic tea to go with it. They have this really cool antique pastry case which houses other types of pastries available for purchase, all of which are vegan. PLUS there are always samples for you to try waiting on the counter. My favorite delight from Raphsodic is the ginger snap "sammie" -- two big, chewy ginger snap cookies sandwiched together with a thick slab of vanilla icing. O-M-G.

Do you know of another vegan or vegan-friendly restaurant in Orlando that you would like me to feature on this Hub? Leave me a comment and let me know, and I'd love to add it. Keep in mind that unless the vegan option at a conventional restaurant is slam-dunk amazing, can't-miss-it good (like Pine 22's bean burger with sweet potato fries), I prefer to feature restaurants that have a lot of vegan or vegetarian options.