"Soy" Yes to These Vegan Restaurants in Tampa

Plant-based restaurants have been popping up everywhere over the last few years, and Tampa is no exception. When you’re bogged down by the Florida heat, what better to eat than a delicious plant-based meal that will leave you feeling light and satisfied? Check out one of these vegan restaurants in Tampa for your next post-beach meal—we promise you won’t be disappointed.

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1. Coco N’Ice

Vegan sugar-free ice cream.

3407 S MacDill Ave | South Tampa | facebook.com/Coco-NIce-

Although this isn’t exactly a restaurant, we had hoped that no one would be opposed to us featuring a vegan ice cream place on our list. This vegan ice cream is coconut milk and date-based. The dates are what sweeten the ice cream, so sugar isn’t necessary to make this plant-based dessert delicious.  

Pictured is their Black Magic ice cream—charcoal with a hint of tangerine and orange—paired with their refreshing Raspberry flavor. Here you will find fun, unique flavors like these as well as some classic favorites like Chocolate and Vanilla.

In addition to ice cream, Coco N’Ice offers açaí bowls, bliss balls, smoothies, shakes, and raw cakes. Oh, and all cones are gluten-free! This is a place where everyone can get a sweet treat they enjoy, whether they’re vegan, gluten-free, or just love all things dessert.

“Such a nice small business in South Tampa. Definitely worth a try… I had chocolate which was very rich and tasty. One daughter had caramel and one daughter had raspberry. Very healthy and clean dessert. You feel good afterwards!” - Yelp Review 

Purchase a GiftYa for Coco N’Ice here.

2. Mahana Fresh

Fast-casual plant-based bowls.

17512 Dona Michelle Dr | New Tampa | mahanafresh.com 

Step aside Chipotle, there’s a new bowl place in town—and it’s plant-based. Mahana Fresh is a fast-casual restaurant where you can build your own bowl using fresh, mostly plant-based ingredients. 

Start with a base of coconut rice, sesame noodles, or kale crunch salad, then layer on veggies like sesame ginger broccoli, roasted sweet potato, and buffalo cauliflower, and finally select a protein (sesame garlic tofu is where it’s at!). Top it all off with avocado and either their citrus ginger or coconut sweet potato sauce, and you have a filling vegan bowl that will make for a delicious lunch or dinner. 

If building your own bowl sounds great in theory but it actually leaves you dumbfounded, check out some of their signature bowls instead. The Veggie Vacay Bowl is 100% vegan, so go for that one if you are unsure what to order but want to order vegan!

“Basically Chipotle with more food options. I got a Big Mahana for $10.99. I don't remember what all I put in my bowl, but it was fresh and healthy. Definitely a good fast casual place to keep in my lunch rotation.” - Yelp Review 

Purchase a GiftYa for Mahana Fresh here.

3. Little Leon

“Good food for good mood.”

3636 Henderson Blvd | Palma Ceia | eatlittleleon.com 

Not only do we love the name of this restaurant—I mean, come on, Little Leon—we also love their healthy choices. Little Leon offers bowls and salads, and you can either build your own or enjoy one of their signature bowls or salads.

Since this spot isn’t entirely plant-based, here’s your vegan guide to ordering at Little Leon:

• Bases: arugula, lemon turmeric quinoa, kale with lemon, purple rice, romaine, herb garlic cauliflower rice, harvest mix, coconut basmati rice, and spicy rice noodles.
• Veggies: spicy broccoli, sweet & spicy sweet potatoes, balsamic mushrooms, warm black beans, and herb roasted onions & peppers.
• Protein: vegan meatball. (Pro tip: since there is only one vegan protein, ask to double up on a veggie or select a high-protein add on if you don’t want the vegan meatball).
• Add ons: smashed avocado, house made hummus, thyme-roasted beets, lemony chickpeas, marinated cucumbers, and pesto tomatoes. 
• Toppings: cashews, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, cilantro, scallions, pickled red onion, pickled red cabbage, and edamame. 
• Sauces: thai cashew, herb vinaigrette, and maple vinaigrette. 

If you want something sweet to sip on while you eat, be sure to check out their colorful and refreshing house-made beverages featuring ingredients like beets, guava, and cucumber. 

“This is the BEST bowl place! Their hummus bowl is ridiculously good with flavorful, colorful, fresh ingredients. The citrus chicken is tender, the tzaziki sauce and vinaigrette are drinkable, and the flavors come from the food, and not just from over salting like another popular bowl place.” - Yelp Review 

Purchase a GiftYa for Little Leon here.

4. Loving Hut

Asian-inspired vegan cuisine.

1905 E Fletcher Ave | USF | lovinghut.us/tampa 

This vegan restaurant specializes in Asian-inspired vegan dishes, from noodle bowls to rice dishes. But they also offer veganized American favorites like burgers, wraps, and wings. 

Menu favorites include Vegan Beef Noodles Soup made with rice noodles, mushrooms, green onions, and soy protein, Sesame Sweet & Sour Chick'n with orange infused sweet & sour sauce, vegan nuggets (or tofu), broccoli, bell peppers, pineapple, onions, and garlic, and Spicy Wings—vegan chick'n wings served with organic celery sticks and a creamy dipping sauce. 

You absolutely cannot skip dessert. From their Vegan Cheesecake—vegan cream cheese, vanilla, and lemon juice with a drizzle of chocolate or strawberry syrup on a crumbly crust organic carrot cake—to their Dark Brownie—chocolate syrup, soy milk, baking soda, vinegar, cocoa powder, and organic flour—you can’t wrong with any of their delicious desserts. 

Everything on their menu is super affordable, which is hard to come by when you’re exploring vegan dining options. In fact, everything on their menu is under $11. 

“I have been coming here for a few months and omg it's delicious! My bf is not vegan but he loves the vegan wings and the corn soup... he said it was the best soup he's ever had :) Can't wait to try everything else on the menu!” - Yelp Review 

Loving Hut doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants!

5. Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery

Recreating your favorite dishes without any meat or dairy.

803 N Tampa St | Downtown Tampa | farmacyvegankitchen.com

Going vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite foods—not anymore. With vegan restaurants like Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery, you can enjoy all of your favorite foods as a vegan.

Farmacy offers Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, hot sandwiches, and lighter fare like Cashew Mac and acai bowls. Our personal favorite menu item is the Loaded Philly Cheese Steak, chopped Impossible meat with grilled peppers, onions, marinated mushrooms, cheese, and garlic aioli. The Cashew Mac we mentioned is also a big hit among guests. This menu item consists of house-made cashew cheese over al dente cavatappi pasta and their smoky secret seasoning.

Since Pharmacy is also a bakery, you essentially have to get dessert. From banana bread to donuts to chocolate avocado brownies, you have a lot of great choices. The only problem will be deciding which one to get!

“This place is the bomb phenom! The staff is super friendly and helpful. The food is absolutely insanely delicious (I got the Philly cheesesteak). The only problem is that I discovered this gem of a restaurant on my last day in Tampa.” - Yelp Review 

Farmacy Vegan Kitchen & Bakery doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but like we said, check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants!

6. Dharma Southern Chicken

Plant-based Southern chicken.

1910 N Ola Ave | Tampa | dharmasouthernkitchen.com 

If you love Southern fried chicken, run to Dharma Southern Kitchen ASAP. Here you’ll find plant-based fried chicken sandwiches as well as vegan Southern comfort sides like mac and cheese. 

The Orange Bird is definitely one of their most popular sandwiches. If Florida citrus BBQ chick’n topped with Southern slaw, served open-faced on a toasted bun, and spread with a roasted garlic sauce sounds like your jam, definitely order The Orange Bird.

Fixin’s include tater salad, cajun boiled peanuts, BBQ cauliflower, creole grits, mac n’ cheese, garlic-rosemary mashed taters, and cheesy homies. 

If you want something on the lighter side but still want some tasty vegan fried chicken, consider ordering the Dharma Chopped with BBQ or blackened chick’n, cucumber, charred corn, watermelon, radish, beet chow chow, pretzel croutons, and Dharma dressing over a baby kale, cabbage, and romaine base. This salad will still bring you that Southern comfort you’re craving!

Come for brunch if you like Chick’n & Waffles!

“AMAZING food, the homemade vegan chik'n is insane, The DFC bowl is so so good, everything is homemade and has a ton of flavor - we were especially impressed with the Elote Burger, which is a special item but should REALLY be added to the regular menu.” - Yelp Review 

Dharma Southern Kitchen doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants!

7. Sweet Soul 

Superfood bar.

1101 S Howard Ave | SoHo | ilovesweetsoul.com 

Does anything sound more refreshing in the Florida heat than a smoothie bowl? Sweet Soul is just the place to cool down after a hot day in the sun.

Here’s how it works: you choose your Soul Bowl base from maple steel cut oats, pure acai, protein chia pudding, or plant-based soft serve in seasonal flavors—just to name a few—then you add three fruits of your choice, your choice of granola, drizzle it with honey, peanut butter, or another drizzle of your choice, and then add topping like chocolate chips or coconut flakes.

In addition to smoothie bowls, Sweet Soul offers smoothies, lattes, and desserts. They have a vegan Brownie Sundae complete with vegan soft serve, dark chocolate shavings, vegan brownies, chocolate granola, cacao nibs, and your choice of drizzle. Does that sound delicious or what?

There’s even a cute mural with their logo outside perfect for Instagram pictures! Oh, and did we mention they want your furry friends to come along? You can even grab a doggie ice cream for your pup so you can both enjoy something cool on a hot day.

“I was looking for a healthy place to grab a light breakfast and came across this cute spot! I ordered the Sweet Soul bowl with the oatmeal base, coconut chia seed pudding, mango, strawberries, granola and a honey drizzle.” - Yelp Review 

Sweet Soul doesn’t offer GiftYa digital gift cards just yet, but like we said, check back soon because we are always adding new restaurants!

Hopefully you can soy “yes” to one of these vegan restaurants in Tampa for your next plant-based meal or dessert. From vegan soft serve to vegan beef noodles to vegan veggie bowls, there is something for every kind of craving on our list.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to be a vegan to enjoy any of the vegan restaurants on our list. The more people that eat plant-based some of the time, the better for the environment. You don’t need to be a vegan to make a difference! Plus, the food is absolutely delicious. These restaurants don’t just serve tofu and call it a day. They offer some innovative and delicious vegan dishes that you likely won’t be able to find anywhere else.

Let us know in the comments which of these vegan restaurants in Tampa you try first! We love to hear from you!