The population of vegetarians has increased over the years and Orlando area restaurants have taken notice. The city has a total of three all vegetarian restaurants and even an all vegetarian hospital cafeteria to boot. Fortunately, the vegetarian choices on a menu are no longer just limited to salad. Orlando has a wide variety of restaurants that will satisfy a multitude of your cravings. The lively vegetarian culture ranges from a college student chowing down a sandwich at Chamberlin's Market & Café to a baby boomer eating sushi at The California Grill. Whether or not you're a vegetarian, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the following list of local eateries.
THE GARDEN CAFÉ - Vegetarian & Vegan 810 W. Colonial Drive (407) 999-9799 Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; closed Monday Awarded best vegetarian restaurant in 2000 by the readers of the Orlando Weekly. This unique Chinese café uses meat substitutes such as tofu and soybean protein for the all vegetarian menu. Plus, the café has dishes that do not include eggs or dairy products for vegans. Owner/chef David Chan creates innovative dishes like sweet and sour chicken, sesame eel, crispy fried shrimp and double fried pork. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike can enjoy these dishes that fool the eye and the taste buds. The options are also plentiful for those who don't like faux meat dishes, such as the appetizing stuffed tofu. If you're a Chinese food lover, you've found your garden paradise.
Estimated Price: $8-$15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Closed; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Closed; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Closed; New Year's Eve: Open; Call ahead since the holiday schedule is subject to change.
CHAMBERLIN'S MARKET & CAFÉ - Vegetarian 7600 Dr. Phillips Blvd., The Market Place (407) 352-2130 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 4960 E. Colonial Drive, Herndon Village Shoppes (407) 894-8452 Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 430 N. Orlando Ave., Winter Park Village Winter Park, FL (407) 647-6661 Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Voted best vegetarian restaurant in 2000 by the readers of the Orlando Sentinel. Chamberlin's organic offerings make it a regular hotspot for local vegetarians. The café and market section varies from each of the eight Orlando area locations. The market section has a wide selection of organic produce and various other health foods. The café (located inside the market) has a juice bar, deli and a bakery. The café features sandwiches, soups, pastas, pitas and desserts. Quench your thirst from the juice bar with organic drinks like smoothies, fresh juices, coffees, hot chocolate and tea. Many of the drinks have the option of being made with low-fat milk, rice milk or soy milk. Currently, the Winter Park location has the biggest café that includes an all-organic salad bar and a hot lunch bar.
Estimated Price: $5-$15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Closed; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Closed; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Closed; New Year's Eve: Open
TASTE OF INDIA - Vegetarian & Vegan 9251 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Suite 10, B&B Plaza (407) 855-4622 Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; Closed Monday This South Indian restaurant has an all vegetarian (and eggless) menu. Vegans can choose from the large number of dairy-free items on the menu. The eatery offers an affordable all-you-can-eat buffet that is open all day long on the weekends. The menu features three different types of dosa (rice and lentil pancakes), vegetable pastry turnovers, chickpea curry and lentil pizza. The dishes are made with fresh spices and are served with delicious house sauces. Don't despair if Indian food is too fiery for you, since the dishes can be prepared to your personal taste - mild, medium or hot. The extensive nastha (Indian sweets) menu has many dessert items that are sure to please your palate.
Estimated Price: $5-$15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Open; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Open; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Open; New Year's Eve: Open; Open on all holidays unless it falls on a Monday.
FLORIDA HOSPITAL CAFETERIA - Vegetarian 601 E. Rollins Ave., 1st floor (407) 303-6611 Hours: Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m.-2 a.m. No, this certainly isn't your average hospital food. This cafeteria is open to the public and serves up delicious food at an affordable price. The eatery is all vegetarian since it follows the dietary practices of the Seventh-Day Adventists. The cafeteria features pizzas, mashed potatoes with two different kinds of gravy, a salad bar and many desserts. The Grain Chain bakery in the cafeteria has excellent fresh baked bread. The cafeteria also offers Asian stir-fry or Mexican chimichangas on occasion. After eating, take a short walk to enjoy the beautiful Lake Estelle or the Orlando Museum of Art.
Estimated Price: $8-15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Open; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Open; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Open; New Year's Eve: Open
ROYAL THAI - Vegetarian 1202 N. Semoran Blvd. (407) 275-0776 Hours: Sunday 12 p.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for lunch; Monday-Thursday 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. for dinner. This modest Thai restaurant, open since 1997, has made many loyal customers over the years. The vegetarian options are plentiful since tofu can be substituted instead of meat in most of the dishes on the menu. The selections include an assortment of soups, noodle and rice dishes. Start out with the crispy spring rolls that come with a sweet dipping sauce. If you're up to trying the curry dishes, the spicy flavors are sure to zap your taste buds. The sauces used in the dishes are savory and the portions are enormous. The attentive servers are friendly and polite. The atmosphere is set quite regally with the authentic Thai decorations. This eatery will not disappoint you, since the food is fit for a king.
SWEET TOMATOES - Vegetarian 4678 E. Colonial Drive (407) 896-8770 Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. 6877 S. Kirkman Road (407) 363-1616 Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. This budding fast-food chain offers many low-fat and vegetarian options. Unlike most fast-food joints, this eatery will satisfy your appetite and won't do damage to your waistline. You can't miss the delicious smell of the freshly baked breads such as sourdough and multigrain that fill the eatery. The popular all-you-can-eat salad bar has a large variety of excellent items for lunch and dinner. The pizzas, especially the one made on fresh focaccia bread, are the crowd pleasers here. The other vegetarian items include pastas, baked potatoes and homemade soups. End your meal with one of the desserts like a fruit muffin or a frozen yogurt.
Estimated Price: $5-15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Closed; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Closed; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Closed; New Year's Eve: Open
RINCON CRIOLLO CAFÉ - Vegetarian 331 N. Orange Ave. (407) 872-1128 Hours: Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.; Closed Saturday-Sunday This downtown Cuban café is a great place to grab lunch with your amigos. The inexpensive restaurant has daily vegetarian specials that are served with bread, rice, beans and plantains or yucca. Meat substitutes are used in many of the specials and sandwiches. The specials include sirloinless tips, steaklet, chicken and picadillo. Or try one of the sandwiches like the chickenless or the veggie meatball sub. One bite of the flavorsome food, and you'll think you're in Havana. Try the tofu pudding that can be made with carob or vanilla. Es Delicioso! Top off your meal with one of the thick smoothie shakes like "kiwi to my heart" or "livin' la vida lavazza."
Estimated Price: $5-15
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Closed; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Closed; Thanksgiving: Closed; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Closed; New Year's Eve: Open; Call ahead since the café's holiday schedule is subject to change for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
THE CALIFORNIA GRILL - Vegetarian Disney's Contemporary Resort, 15th Floor 4600 N. World Drive Lake Buena Vista, FL (407) 824-1576 Hours: 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. daily Awarded best restaurant overall by the readers and the food critic of the Orlando Sentinel in 2000. Tourists and locals both love the vegetarian food at this upscale restaurant. Located on the 15th floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort, it has panoramic views of the surrounding areas. Vegetarians rave about the udon noodle bowl and the sushi is also a stand out dish. Wine lovers will be awed at the wide variety of vintage California wines that are available by the bottle or by the glass. The service is amazing and the dinner portions are huge. You'll be wowed as you watch the fresh creations being made in the on-stage kitchen. Make sure to get reservations for a table that has a view of the nightly fireworks at Disney's Magic Kingdom (the inside lights are dimmed during the show). This romantic place is perfect for a special occasion like Valentine's Day, a birthday or an anniversary. This gourmet indulgence is definitely worth every penny.
Estimated Price: $21-$75
Holiday Schedule: New Year's Day: Open; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Open; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Open; New Year's Eve: Open
RASOI - Vegetarian 852 Lancaster Road, Bombay Plaza (407) 859-0111 Hours: Wednesday-Monday 11:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.; Closed Tuesday Awarded the Orlando Sentinel's critic's choice award for best vegetarian restaurant in 2000. Despite the offbeat atmosphere (it's part of an Indian video store), this small all-vegetarian Indian eatery continues to excel with their authentic cuisine. If you are unfamiliar with the offerings, begin with the puri (bread rounds) or the samosas (fried dumplings filled with vegetables). Or order one of the thali combination platters that come with side dishes and entrees. The menu also includes spicy mogo chips (deep-fried yucca/cassava), potato patties, vegetable curries and sandwiches. Just don't forget to leave room for dessert so you can try the pastries from the sweets counter.
Estimated Price: $5-15
Holiday Hours: New Year's Day: Open; Valentine's Day: Open; Easter: Open; Thanksgiving: Open; Christmas Eve: Open; Christmas Day: Open; New Year's Eve: Open; Call ahead since holiday hours vary and the holiday schedule is subject to change.
Tuesday- Sunday 11:00 am to 11:00 pm Closed on Monday’s Dandelion Communitea Café is a veggie lovers dream. This restored house is painted green on the outside and is decorated festively on the inside to make diners feel they are at home with both nature and their location. The menu consists of Florida grown and organic ingredients whenever possible. Items on the menu are free of saturated and Trans fats, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners & GMO’s. The menu will also state if the item is safe for Vegans or if it contains items like eggs or cheese. The menu covers vegetarian favorites like Hummus, Chili and salads but also adds specialties like Fluffer Nutter Sandwiches with rice mellow fluff. This café has great food and also fun entertainment like Poetry night, drum night and Tarot Readings call ahead for exact schedules. By dining at Danelion Communitea Café each guest is doing something healthy and healing for themselves as well as the environment.
The Top List of Veggie Restaurants - Orlando, FL