Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Gainesville, FL
For a small college town, Gainesville, Florida has some pretty incredible vegan and vegetarian food options. As a Gainesville local with some dietary restrictions, I’m here to give you the scoop on my favorite vegan restaurants and restaurants with vegan-friendly food in the area.
Until I moved to Spain in 2022, I had lived in Gainesville for my entire life. And during that time, I definitely took advantage of the delicious variety of vegan food available in the city. Now, sitting in my apartment in Spain, I’m feeling a bit nostalgic about my favorite restaurants in Gainesville.
I grew up pescatarian with a dairy allergy. So while I’m not vegan, I’ve always sought out vegan restaurants in my local area and while traveling. In my hometown, I have a lot of favorite veggie-friendly food spots.
What follows are my favorite restaurants with vegan and vegetarian food options in Gainesville, Florida. This list is by no means comprehensive—it’s just a list of my top favorite vegan-friendly restaurants in my hometown.
1. Plantology
Plantology is my number one favorite vegan restaurant in Gainesville, Florida. This 100% plant-based restaurant serves crispy chick’n sandwiches, tasty and nourishing veggie burgers, vegan mac bowls, loaded fries, and much more! They’ve got great gluten-free options, too.
I have to say, I love every meal I’ve eaten at Plantology—and I’ve eaten there quite a lot. My favorite vegan dishes are the Buffalo Ranch Chick’n Sandwich and the Mac n’ Cheezy Burger (yes, you heard that right—vegan mac on a burger).
Plantology serves their delicious plant-based food out of a permanent food truck at Midpoint Park & Eatery, which is just a short walk from the University of Florida campus. The area has plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy your vegan meal.
Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or none of the above but just simply hungry, I’d strongly recommend you make a stop at Plantology when visiting Gainesville.
2. Curia on the Drag
Another of my top favorite Gainesville vegan spots is Curia on the Drag, a local coffee shop that serves vegan baked goods and has a permanent food truck outside that serves hot veggie meals.
On any given day, you can expect to find around 8-10 different vegan baked goods in Curia’s display case. They almost always have vegan biscuits and bagel bombs—two of my personal favorites—but they cycle through other plant-based treats, so there’s always something new to try. The food truck offers some unique vegan fast food, but my favorite thing they sell are loaded yuca fries. If you’re looking for a lighter option, Curia’s coffee shop usually sells some nice pre-made salads.
Curia offers plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors, so it’s a great place to be on both sunny and rainy days.
3. Karma Cream
Karma Cream is another Gainesville vegan coffee shop that I highly recommend. In addition to their coffees and teas, they offer several vegan sandwiches and a whole array of vegan ice cream—complete with plant-based sunday toppings.
If you can get to Karma Cream while they’re still selling breakfast, I recommend ordering their tempeh breakfast sandwich and upgrading the bread option to a vegan biscuit.
As for their sundays, be sure to take advantage of the dairy-free and egg-free toppings, like hot fudge, caramel sauce, and—my personal favorite—cookie dough.
4. Frenchmen Vegan Street Food
Frenchmen Vegan Street Food has quickly become one of my favorite places for vegan food in Gainesville. This food truck serves a cajun-style menu—a unique cuisine for a plant-based restaurant.
I love their veggie burgers, chick’n burgers, and cajun-style fries. They also often serve special menus at events around town, so keep an eye out on their social media for upcoming menus.
Frenchmen Vegan Street Food moves around Gainesville to serve their tasty plant-based meals at different spots around town. So be sure to check their social media to see where they’ll be next!
5. The Top
The Top isn’t 100% plant-based, but they have some pretty exceptional vegan options! This iconic Gainesville restaurant serves innovative and classic American fusion food.
The Top’s menu carefully labels vegan, vegetarian, and wheat-free items. And their vegan options are so good that plenty of my meat-eating friends order the plant-based dishes!
Some of my favorite vegan dishes at the Top include the Buffalo Tempeh Sandwich (with a side of sweet potato fries, of course) and the Top Pecan Tofu. Oh, and if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you should definitely be sure to try the Vegan Chocolate Cake, which is legendary among Gainesville locals.
Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Gainesville, the Top often has waitlists, so be sure to arrive early!
6. Satchel’s Pizza
I know what you’re thinking: Pizza? How could a pizza restaurant possibly rank in the list of my favorite vegan food options in Gainesville? But let me tell you, Satchel’s Pizza does vegan pizza right—like really right.
Satchel’s is another Gainesville staple, and they make truly excellent vegan pizza. First off, there’s their iconic dough and sauce. Then, they use a tasty and mild vegan cheese. But where Satchel’s vegan options really shine are in the toppings.
Of course, Satchel’s offers all of the typical pizza toppings, including a long list of veggies. But my favorite topping that Satchel’s offers is tempeh. Satchel’s has not one, not two, not three, but FOUR styles of tempeh to top your pizza. They’re all quite good, but my favorite is the sausage tempeh.
And I couldn’t possibly forget about the Satch Salad! It usually comes with cheese, but it’s easy enough to ask them to leave it off if you’re going for a fully plant-based meal. Just like Satchel’s pizza, their salad is famous around Gainesville.
7. 43rd Street Deli
43rd Street Deli is classic American diner with excellent vegan options. Among Gainesville locals, 43rd Street Deli is well-known as a beloved breakfast, brunch, and lunch spot.
For vegans, they offer delicious nutritional-yeast-seasoned tofu, which can be subbed for eggs or sausage pretty much anywhere eggs or sausage are found on the menu. If you’re going for something savory, I really like their veggie stir fry. If you’re feeling something sweet, definitely get an order of vegan pancakes (they often even have a vegan pancake of the week)!
I’ve loved getting to reminisce about my favorite vegan food options in Gainesville. And I hope you enjoy eating your way through my hometown.
Who’s hungry?
