The 30A dining scene is increasingly becoming a hot spot for many dietary needs, including vegetarian and vegan.
The 30A dining scene is increasingly becoming a hot spot for many dietary needs, including vegan.
A vegan diet focuses on foods that come from plants. People following a vegan diet usually avoid all animal products, including meat, dairy, fish, eggs, even honey.
As vegans know, it can often be hard to find dining options at restaurants, especially in the South. We are happy to report, that’s no longer the case in the 30A area. We have rounded up ten of the best dining options for vegans in South Walton.
Even if you don’t follow a vegan diet, these locations offer healthful and delicious options for any diner. Many also provide options for other special diets or people with food allergies.
The Oasis is one of the newest and fullest additions to the vegan options in the 30A area. This restaurant, which opened in September 2021, offers an entirely plant-based menu.
“I saw a need for options for not only plant-based eaters but for others with allergies and food issues,” said owner and chef Amy Sievers. “We wanted to create a foodie restaurant that everyone can enjoy.”
She and Chef Divaldo DeLima Jr. created the restaurant and menu to offer gourmet comfort food, catering to vegans but with gluten-free and soy-free options as well. The entire restaurant is also nut-free.
Menu highlights include portobello steak over whipped butternut squash béarnaise with asparagus, Moroccan-spiced burger with fries, and deep-dish lasagna with broccolini. Their sushi stacks are made with sweet rice, smoked teriyaki watermelon, avocado, spicy sauce, and panko. They also have a pizza menu offering 14-inch pizzas and calzones, a happy hour menu, and Sunday brunch.
The restaurant, tucked into a quiet neighborhood north of Highway 98 on the west side of the 30A area, has a main dining room styled like a speakeasy, an outdoor bar, a patio, and a poolside lounge.
“It’s more than a restaurant,” Sievers said. “We are creating a place of connection. We hope that people from all walks will come and enjoy our chill and welcoming environment.”
Jenifer Kuntz’ Raw and Juicy, named one of the top 10 juice bars by USA Today, offers a creative menu of healthful foods, including a wide selection of vegan offerings.
Kuntz was one of the pioneers to bring healthy, plant-focused options to the 30A area. Her offerings have only grown since moving from an airstream at Seaside to her new location in Alys Beach. Grab a table at the gorgeous, open-air patio and order at the counter to fill your body with high-quality, nutritious — and delicious — food, cold-pressed juices, and smoothies.
Vegan options include a lentil beet burger served on a gluten-free, vegan bun; a sweet kale Caesar salad topped with crispy garlic garbanzo beans, cashew parmesan, and mushroom bacon; Acai bowls; overnight oats, and more.
Prema Organic Cafe was the dream of two 30A area health nuts, Bart and Kelli Precourt, the owners of Balance Health Studio, the longstanding yoga and chiropractic health hot spot in Seagrove Beach.
They opened the cafe next to their studio and now serve up cold-pressed juices alongside a broad menu of healthful, fresh options, most of which are vegan. All menu items are gluten-free. Their menu lists every ingredient in each dish, making it easy to cater to any dietary need, including vegan.
Vegan menu items include Pad Thai kelp noodle bowls, beet burgers, black bean burgers, coconut yogurt bowls, breakfast balls, and several smoothies or smoothie bowls. All their lattes are made with housemade cashew milk.
This casual, beachside cafe is the first restaurant owned and operated by The 30A Company. Located on Scenic Highway 30A in Watercolor, it’s a short stroll from the beach and right in the center of all the 30A action.
The menu features several vegan options, clearly marked on their menu, including a rotating selection of goodies from NaturBaker, a Destin-based company that makes plant-based, allergy-friendly baked goods. Regular bakery offerings include blueberry or banana and chocolate chip muffins as well as chocolate or cinnamon donuts. Special flavors rotate but have included Samoa donuts, maple chai donuts, and spiced carrot muffins.
The menu includes a vegan chicken salad wrap on a spinach tortilla and their summer vegan sandwich with hummus, avocado, tomato, and arugula on Dave’s Killer vegan bread.
All their smoothies are vegan, and the coffee bar, which serves local Amavida coffee, has macadamia nut and oat milks available.
Hibiscus Cafe is attached to the Hibiscus Coffee and Guesthouse, an old-fashioned bed and breakfast located in the heart of Grayton Beach. The owners dub their spot the Hibiscus “Mostly Vegetarian” Cafe, and they have several vegan options on the menu as well.
Breakfast is served every morning in the Backyard of Love, a beautiful and eclectic garden space with fountains and an abundance of greenery.
The menu features vegan, gluten-free waffles and vegan biscuits and gravy. Oat and almond milks are available for coffee selections.
Located in Grand Boulevard, the shopping district outside Sandestin on the far west side of the 30A area, EverKrisp offers fresh salads, soups, and grain bowls that can be customized for any diet, including vegan.
Vegan options for grain or salad bowls include quinoa, kale, spinach, tempeh, and an expansive selection of fruits, veggies, and nuts.
Vintij is a local wine and fine dining restaurant also located in Grand Boulevard. In addition to an exceptional wine selection, the restaurant’s chefs include vegan options on their lunch, dinner, and brunch menus.
Items include vegan tacos with a housemade v-eef, spaghetti and v-eefballs, and a vegan lucky bowl (a big pile of deliciously roasted veggies). And, for a cherry on top, they also offer a selection of seasonal vegan desserts.
Pizza by the Sea has four locations all across the 30A area, and they cater to a vegan diet.
Vegan diners can choose a cauliflower crust and Violife Just Like Mozzarella Shreds, an all-vegan cheese substitute. They also have a lot of vegan toppings to create any delicious combination you can dream up.
True to its name, Vue on 30A has one of the best views along Scenic Highway 30A. Located directly off the beach, this is one of the hotspots for dining with a sunset over the water.
It also happens to have a great vegan bowl made with truffle and shiitake mushroom risotto topped with a combination of grilled and fresh veggies.
The only organic grocery store located on Scenic Highway 30A, For the Health of It, in Blue Mountain Beach, features fresh, organic produce, vegan refrigerated items, and even some vegan baked goods and deli case selections.
They also have a juice and smoothie bar with healthful options for vegans and other diets.
Another unique option for vegans is The Cultivated Kitchen. Founded by foodie Krissi Finch, this option offers a rotating weekly menu. Place your order on Monday and then pick up your meals on Wednesdays. Take them home, reheat and sit back and enjoy healthful food made exactly how you need it.
All of The Cultivated Kitchen’s meals are dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. While not all the items are vegan (many include chicken or beef), the menu always features a vegan option or two. Recent examples include creamy butternut orzo with crispy miso mustard Brussel sprouts and a roasted fall veggie salad with cilantro tahini dressing.
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