It's not easy to find vegetarian food in the South when you're hungry. Lila came to the rescue!…read more Downtown Sarasota parking can be tricky, but we found a parking structure with one hour free nearby. When we first entered, there was just one table occupied, it was early afternoon. The music was a bit too much for the setting. The environment was clean. But, it took 5 minutes or more for someone to come out and greet us. We went to the restroom and almost left, thinking they were closed. But, finally they noticed us. Thank goodness, because I had one of the best BLTAs of my life. The bread looked boring, but it was soft and the perfect blank slate for the seitan bacon, tomato, avocado, and mayo. Very tasty! My husband had the Tofu Rueben. The tofu was a thick slab and the faux corned beef idea would have been better as thin seitan slices. But, he still enjoyed it. Both came with a small salad of just lettuce. I enjoyed my meal (obviously) but I think they could improve their hospitality. Prices indicate a higher level of service. Maybe to go is best.

This is definitely a place for foodies! I actually volunteered my time to the Cheff to be a taster…read moreand wash dishes for free so I could taste his creations. The food is Mondo Biondo with flavor. The great thing is anybody can eat here. It is billed as a vegetarian vegan place or plant base place actually but they have meat and fish on the menu. Just they're very careful about where they source their products. I brought two of my friends here that are very picky from the Midwest and they were in love with the place. It has a nice ambience, very clean, kind of industrial, but warm ceilings are very high, so even though it's a small place it does not feel small in the least. The Chef is amazing! The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and customer service oriented. It is on one of the main streets in Sarasota and if you walk by, it may not look that interesting but I am telling you you are missing out on a truly exceptional food experience. Go here do not wait. It is definitely a place that makes your taste buds come alive..

August 17, 2024 - Two for dinner before the SRT show at 8 pm. This was actually my birthday pick…read morefor me - a selfish unethical vegan, its not about the animals, its about my health and not dying too early?? . (actually I am a Nutritarian Whole Food Plant based eater) Got a 2 hour (free) parking spot just a block away!!! Score in Sarasota and in this neighborhood is crazy difficult parking especially in season. (this was a slow hot august Saturday night) A little light traffic this time of year on a Saturday night. We were greeted promptly and was efficient and awesome through out. We REALLY like the interior, the seating, the cleanliness etc. Drinks were awesome. We got single crab cake app and the shitake "escargot". These TWO items were fantastic!!!! My wife thinks naming and promoting something as 'cheese' or as escargot/snails that is really mushrooms is - dumb. So having said that she like the mushroom appetizer and we both love shitake and most all of the mushrooms!!! (I eat my G-BOMBS every day!! Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, & Berries) We ordered a Caesar Salad as this is one of my wife's go to favorite salads at a few Sarasota restaurants with obviously the croutons and the dressing and of course the copious cheese shavings and chunks making the main SAD diet ingredients and hyper palatable dopamine triggering aspect of it so enjoyable?? She want to see how a vegan substitute might fair? I had hope a thick shave cashew or parmesan vegan attack and a creamy thick vegan dressing might result, but the dressing was almost void of notice and there was no grated or shaved cheesiness at all. It was not really a contender for a very simple Caesar salad. Just a thin white wetness on the leaves. For our mains my wife got the Love Loaf in a tomato soup as she tries to stay away from white potatoes because of her Lupus and other stuff. We realized later that the tomato base HAD a potato cream in it as well????? Yikes. The presentation was fantastic and a host of fresh colors and vegetables was a wonderful site. The Love Loaf itself was just okay with a lot of ingredients and flavors but nothing stand out. The accompanying broccoli in her dish was distractingly sugary/sweet and the carrots almost a candied sugary item. Frankly as a vegetable guy this was heresy? mushy carrots and broccoli soaked in sweetness? (sugar, jackfruit, honey?? - no can't be that?) We just did not like that. I got the Pan Roasted 'smoked' mushrooms. This was accompanied by a broccoli mash. The mash was ok. Like the loaf I am sure it has lots of good things in it but it was so processed and mashed it has no distinctive character or variety of flavors or textures? The 'smoke' or the cooking process for this was NOT to my liking. It just tasted like liquid smoke and very artificial and a bad taste in my mouth. The mushrooms were very nice and fresh but overall I would not try this again. I think this has a lot potential but instead of trying to make substitution foods for snail, meat, barbecue, pizza and cheese eating folks maybe a few awesome whole food plant based minimally processed and prepared and mix entrees? An example one of the best Vegan Restaurants in the country is Vedge in Philadelphia. https://www.vedgerestaurant.com/dinner they just make GREAT food, hugely successful and not crazy expensive? So with that I wanted to say in closing - this was NOT an inexpensive meal either? With just 1 truly alcoholic beverage, and our flat water request turned into a bottle of Saratoga somehow? we cleared the cash register w/gratuity over $160 for two? We will probably give it another go, but be very selective and ask a lot of questions before we order.

Outstanding service and unique vegan dishes. Would recommend the poached pear salad and carrot cake…read morefor dessert

I work from home but drive downtown just to get this awesome lunch! The food is delicious and 100%…read moreplant based at a really reasonable price. It's healthy, natural food that tastes consistently amazing. There are a few options on each menu and it's hard to decide which one to get. Shared with a friend today the tacos and a falafel pizza with caramelized onions that we both loved. I definitely recommend getting the truffles every time. I haven't tried the soup yet but they sound delicious and come in a mason jar. You can get a $1 off for returning the mason jar. Good people making good food and making it convenient too!

Very fresh, delicious, and filling vegan options for a great price! You can tell these guys love…read morewhat they do by the quality and taste of the food they put out. Great to have a locally sourced and made option that's not overly expensive like a lot of the other vegan and vegetarian places around town.

I had the most wonderful birthday dinner at Ciao Bella at the Organic Farmer's Table. This is a…read morelovely Italian restaurant that doesn't have the fast pace of most American restaurants. We were able to sit and watch the outside scenery and have time to relax and enjoy our meal. The food was delicious, but what truly made the evening unforgettable was the kindness and care shown by the manager, Aurora. Because I have celiac disease, dining out can sometimes feel stressful, but Aurora went above and beyond to make sure I felt comfortable, safe, and celebrated. She took the time to carefully help design my meal around my dietary needs, and she did it with such warmth and grace. What touched me most was that she even gluten-free baked muffins so I could have a special birthday dessert. That level of thoughtfulness is rare, and it meant so much to me. The service was exceptional. Aurora was extraordinarily helpful, a gracious host, and simply a wonderful person. Her care turned a birthday dinner into a truly special memory. I am deeply grateful and highly recommend Ciao Bella at the Organic Farmer's Table to anyone looking for delicious food served with genuine hospitality.

A friend and I try to have a dinner together once a month and since she is vegan I always try to…read morefind a location that has some vegan options and Ciao Bella at Organic Farmer's Table checked all the boxes! The location is right off Main Street and there was a parking lot in the alley behind the restaurant. We were seated right away and given 3 options of water. We got a small table right in the window and could people watch while we ate. They gave us bread and olive dip for the table and it was good! I ordered the chicken and mushrooms in a cream sauce with roasted potatoes while she had the pasta and broccoli and everything was delicious and homemade! For dessert we enjoyed the strawberry shortcake made with their homemade biscuits and a cappuccino! It was cozy and quiet enough to talk while listening to Italian music playing. It is family run and they do a great job.

Loved this small and unassuming restaurant. The fried artichokes were very special, lightly dusted…read moreand crunchy, perfectly fried. We shared the almond ricotta triangoli, which were amazing, such delicate flavor, the chef knows how to make vegetarian food taste very good. The pizza was incredibly good, thin and crispy, savory prosciutto with dates and cashew cheese, truly refined. Cannot wait to go back and taste everything on their menu. Great service too.

I was downtown today and was looking for a place to try and remembered we always wanted to try this…read morerestaurant. We stopped in and it had a cute wine bar type of atmosphere. The waitress was very friendly and helpful with answering all my questions. We ordered 2 glasses of pinot noir which were decent, fried artichoke hearts for the appetizer and two pizzas one cheese and one with garlic, cheese, and little chilies. The appetizer was really good but I think it could have been elevated a notch if the dip was more of a lemon base dipping sauce. The pizzas were both thin and very tasty, nice tomato base, I liked the little difference of crust (thin & crunchy) compared to your normal softer crust on an Italian wood fired pizza. I like when I'm able to have preferences on pizza crusts on any given day. I would like to go back and try something else next time to see what this little spot has to offer. Overall it was a good experience and we will try it again in the future. Food 8.0 Atmosphere 8.0 Service 9.0

We go here almost every time we visit Sarasota, and it never disappoints. The food is always fresh,…read moregood quality, healthy, flavorful and well cooked. This time, we had the shakshuka and the kale salad. We also had a warm Immune Booster Elixir. It was busy but service was still timely. And the atmosphere is hustling and bustling - we sat near the door.

We found free parking just around the corner. The neighborhood felt calm, quiet, and distinctly…read moreupscale. The dinner menu features four salads, each priced between $17 and $19, with optional add-ons: fish for $11, avocado for $4, or grilled chicken for $6. Entrées range from a vegan beetroot risotto to a wagyu burger, priced between $19 and $28. I ordered the Baja burrito--filled with avocado, red cabbage, carrot, cashew cheese, and wrapped in a massaged collard green burrito. It was tasty, but it's definitely a dish best appreciated by vegans who truly enjoy collard greens. My husband chose the goat cheese salad, a mix of organic greens, goat cheese mousse, pickled shallots, candied pecans, preserved grapes, house-made crackers, mustard pearls, and maple vinaigrette, also $18. The goat cheese was extremely creamy and paired beautifully with the light, airy toasted pieces served alongside. It made for the perfect light entrée. For dessert, he had the pumpkin chia pudding--creamy, lightly spiced, and satisfying without being heavy--so we ended the night feeling perfectly content, not overly full. There was a gentleman playing the saxophone just outside the door, a bit hard to carry on a conversation at times but very adorable when he played happy birthday for a little boy who clapped for joy. Very heartwarming moment. Go and enjoy a very healthy dinner.

After a relaxing day at Siesta Key beach, we stopped at The Cottage for lunch. I cannot say enough…read moregreat things about this restaurant. It's got a relaxing beach vibe with outside seating and a nice patio in the back with enough shade. I could tell that they host nightly entertainment here with a small stage. For lunch, I ordered the lobster maki roll. I'm not a big sushi fan, but I was intrigued. This lobster roll was one of the best sushi rolls I've had in a long time. Also ordered include the blackened grouper sandwich, billionaire burger, and tempura shrimp appetizer. Our group loved every entree. The cocktails were also refreshing. I really loved my jalapeño watermelon margarita. Our server was wonderful - very friendly and quick service. Definitely an enjoyable lunch or dinner spot!

We booked this place via OpenTable since it received great reviews. We ended up parking next door…read moresince parking was a bit hard to navigate. The parking place had ample parking where you needed a mobile app to pay for your parking. There was a larger souvenir store there if you needed to kill time before your seating. Once it was our time for our dinner reservations, we were greeted and seated at our table. Our waitress was a bit sarcastic or had a witty comments that didn't sit well with my kids. When ordering our foods, the kids asked what type of drinks they had since it was not listed on the menu. She said Coke but didn't elaborate that they had Coke products. Since she said Coke so fast our daughter didn't hear the response and asked her the question again where she just said that's a great question and ignored her and moved on. Food wise - we had the Peruvian ceviche, Peruvian chicken, I think I had a special grouper dish. The food was good. We were able to eat everything and the kids enjoyed their kids burger meals. Outside of the waitress comments, the place placed nice modern music to listen to and had the basketballs games playing on the tv at the bar.

Why is this place in business???.... definitely lives up to the name. BARE ... I can see why this…read moreplace has the ratings it does. BELIEVE THEM. 0 stars across everything. For starters I ordered a berry smoothie without chocolate protein. It took a little over 10mins to make it. Once I got it, it HAD chocolate protein in it. Super nasty, I returned it and asked to be made without protein. Once it came back out it tasted nasty again, flavorless, and expired. I advised the workers there, the "manager" "lead" came out and stated nothing was expired on their end, and that the ladies there were training which is why they made a mistake. I told he/she I don't like it, it's nasty. They stated we're going to call the "owner". When they came back out they stated - "unfortunately because we already remade it for you, and nothing on our end is expired, we can't refund you. " - Instead of arguing I just threw it out infront of them and other customers. Waste of time and money. Never again. Not a place I'd ever recommend, for any location. Save yourself and go down the street to Toastique where the service is 100000% better and the juices/smoothies and bowls are phenomenal.

Looking for a snack after the farmers market and spotted this place across from the whole foods…read moreparking lot. Decided to try out two smoothies. I got a sunshine state which was ok, however, my fiancé ordered a berry bomb minus the chocolate protein that was horrible. The drink was initially made with the chocolate protein so we kindly asked them to remake it. The revised drink still tasted absolutely sour, but also bland. After already asking for a first revision of the drink we decided to ask for a refund for it. The manager on staff apologized for the first mix up stating the two girls were training so they messed up (training on their own while the manager was off the floor, in a back room?). The manager then stated that the owner would then need to be called to see if the refund could be processed and quickly came back and stated no as they had no error on their part. Despite there not being an "error" with the SECOND drink, there was no concern or effort given to trying to rectify a clearly disgusting drink as the manager noted that other customers have made similar complaints. I wouldn't set foot inside another Bare Blends location and if you're near the Sarasota one you may be better off going into the farmers market on a Saturday or getting a refreshing drink in Whole Foods right across the way.

The Portobello Melt was on point! Came out hot, freshly made, service was great. Flavors from the…read moresmoky tofu, rye bread, spinach and I added sweet chili mayo to mine and it was phenomenal! Definitely will be back to try more of the menu! Clean and cool spot to stop in for lunch!

Long live Fam Cuisine along with other phenomenal local (vegan) options like Ionie organic cafe and…read moreProject Coffee in Sarasota. I love the price point and value Fam's menu offers. They're conveniently located on Fruitville Rd near the Sprouts market and they're a perfect spot to stop by whether you need a quick bite or on your way to or from the beach in the area. There isn't anything I've tried here that has disappointed. Note that their hours of operation do change every so often so check on Google before visiting. I think my favorite of all the options is the Portobello mushroom melt. It does have a considerable amount of moisture from the tofu, portobello mushroom and spinach combination. I've learned it's best to have it at the restaurant and lifting the bread ever so slightly once your unwrap the sandwich so that it releases the extra heat before you enjoy it. It'll save you from a burn! I like asking for tempeh "bacon" or soy curls as add-ons depending on which item I'm ordering. Tempeh "bacon" works great on sandwiches and soy curls in the wraps. I also like their fried mushroom sandwich which is supposed to mimic a Chick-fil-A sandwich because it's satisfying but not heavy. Their brown sugar Oatmylk iced coffee was nice because it didn't taste sugary and I liked their iced tea option that was the very berry forward one. They have good sweets also like their banana chocolate chip muffin. I'm looking forward to trying their vegan tiramisu.

One of the best breakfasts I've ever had. The food and drinks were fantastic and the service was…read moreimpeccable. I had a cold when I was there and our server, Jose, recommended an immune boosting drink that was out of this world. He was so warm and friendly and the location was just lovely. Will recommend to everyone!

Love this Brunch spot!! Love the service we receive every time we dine in…read more Lacey, Candy and Everson they're always spectacular! Only reason why I can't give this location a five star rating is that front DOOR.. extremely inconvenient how hard it is to push open