Best Vegetarian/Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in the St. Pete Area

By Sally Burnette on August 24, 2012

Before I came to Eckerd, I had been vegan for about a year or so, and I was used to being frequently dumped on for my diet choice.  When I got to EC, I decided to be vegetarian instead, because of, you know- pizza and such- but it was still difficult to eat that way with the limited options of Eckerd’s caf.  There is a vegetarian/vegan section, but its no good.  No one wants to eat rice and cold tofu and mystery vegetable slop.  There is also a salad bar that is always covered with a film of juices (probably sweat or urine).  The pub is way better in taste (GRILLED CHEESE), but when you eat that all day every day, your blood turns into honey mustard, and your body shape and texture starts to resemble a wet Cheez Doodle.

Me, after eating at the pub. (image from Flickr user Evoflash)

Several people have told me that they would probably be vegetarians if there were more options.  Although these people are probably lying, any dietary restriction is way easier if there are more options.  So here are a few off-campus restaurants that offer awesome ways to not eat animals!

1.  Meze 119

Okay, this is by far my favorite restaurant in St. Pete.  They have the best fake-meat I have ever had, and everything is fresh and handmade.  Order anything from the menu- you won’t be disappointed.  Even some of my friends who eat meat have gone there with me and liked it.  Wait, even MY MOM has gone there with me and liked it (although I had to trick her by not telling her it was vegetarian-only).  Also, they serve tea from Hooker Tea Company, which is also amazing.

CYPRUS BLT I WANT (photo from Google)

2.  Rollin’ Oats Market and Cafe

It’s a combination of a Whole Foods-type market (but less expensive) with a bakery/cafe thing at the back.  The food is good, but the environment is… meh.  There are usually only one or two people actually ordering and eating food in the cafe area, so if you’re kind of loud like I am, it’s really awkward.  When you walk in, it’s usually silent (except for the peaceful fountain thing).  You will most likely find a few old people talking about how healthy they are. The best part about this place is the market.  They have TONS of healthy options, and (best part) they have this thing where you can make your own twelve-pack out of lots of different beers, and then you get 5% off.  You also get to look really cool and indie with your organic hipster beers.

Generic healthy food (photo from Flickr user SweetOnVeg)

3.  Leafy Greens Cafe

Leafy Greens is a raw food restaurant.  That may sound  sound pretty vile, but I”ve actually had great experiences there.  The downside (for me) is that it’s a really small space, so there’s more awkward silent dining.  The girl I went with the first time got a raw veggie burger which was actually really good.  They also have awesome tea and outdoor seating.

Or you could just eat a pile of radishes. (photo from Flickr user Keith Williamson)

And if you don’t feel like eating that healthfully, pretty much any Italian restaurant is a good bet (I love Bella Brava), and old-fashioned hangover food places such as China Wok (orange tofu all day) and Tijuana Flats have plenty of greasy, delicious options.

Mmmm hipster Tij Flats (photo from Flickr user petrr)

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