KENNY KRAVINGS

Review of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Jacksonville

Jessica Golden | Staff Reporter

True Food Kitchen

4663 River City Dr Jacksonville, FL 32246 904-996-7333 @livetruefood

True Food Kitchen is a health food chain restaurant located at St. Johns Town Center next to Cantina Laredo with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. They also cater to those on keto or paleo diets, according to their website.

There is a rustic kitchen vibe at this restaurant, and it felt very clean and full of amazing natural light. A QR code on the table pulled open the menu on my phone. I dined with a friend and we ordered two appetizers: the vegan edamame guacamole and the vegetarian herb hummus. We happened to be there during Happy Hour, so each dish was priced at only $5 instead of $11.

For my entree, I ordered a vegetarian seasonal roasted squash and ricotta panini for $13. The dish was savory and the warm ricotta reminded me of my mom’s lasagna. It came with a side of sweet potato hash, which balanced out the salty panini.

To wash it all down, I ordered their tart and sweet cranberry limeade which was served in a cocktail glass.

The food was a bit pricey compared to the price of an entree somewhere like California Pizza Kitchen, but well worth it due to the comforting atmosphere and delicious healthy meal.

Vale Food Co

90 Riverside Ave Unit 603 Jacksonville, FL 32202 904-329-2371 @valefoodco

Vale Food Co is a healthy, Florida-based fast casual restaurant located in the Brooklyn Shopping Center in Riverside. Here, you’ll build your own bowl and choose a base, vegetable, protein, boost and a sauce, and the employees make your bowl right in front of you.

I selected the cilantro lime brown rice, roasted broccoli, buffalo vegan tenders, balsamic tomatoes and citrus vinaigrette, all of which are vegan and glutenfree. The bowl costs $9. To me, it tasted like something you might get from Chipotle.

The dragon fruit lemonade I ordered came in a jug that allowed me to fill my cup myself. If dragon fruit is too exotic for you, Vale also offers regular lemonade. I would definitely go back to Vale if I had the chance. I love that they use biodegradable food containers and they support local farmers.

Sweet Theory Baking Co.

1243 King St Jacksonville, FL 32204 904-387-1001 @sweettheorybakingco

Sweet Theory Baking Co. is a local vegan bakery located in Riverside. Everything is made by hand daily at their location to ensure freshness. They create a selection of cupcakes, cakes, biscuits, doughnuts and cinnamon rolls, but once they are sold out for the day, they close.

I ordered two of the speciality cupcakes for $3.50 each. I loved the creative names for each of the cupcakes because the personality of this small bakery really shined through. The “Yoga Pants” consists of vanilla cake and frosting with caramel drizzle and brownie crumbles. It was the perfect balance of light and sweet cake to a rich caramel flavor such as the caramel on a caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks. I also got the “So Fudging Good,” made of chocolate cake, brownie, chocolate drizzle, sunbutter frosting (which is dairy free and made with sunflower seeds), chocolate chips, caramel and chocolate sauce. This cupcake was yummy, but it was really rich; I couldn’t finish it all at once.