Delicious Vegan/Gluten-Free Dining Options Abound in Pensacola
When you’re visiting a new place, figuring out where you’re going to eat is always one of the most important questions to answer. Of course, you absolutely want to find something delicious, but when you have special dietary needs, the question goes beyond mere taste to making sure you’re going to find enough to eat and enough variety to eat to prevent boredom.
None of that is an issue when you’re visiting Pensacola. If you’re maintaining a vegan and/or a gluten-free diet, your options are as plentiful as they are delicious.
While this is by no means meant to be a complete round up of every vegan and/or gluten-free dining option in Pensacola, here are a few options we know you’ll want to include on your list on your next visit.
Salad 'n Dash
End of the Line Cafe
Pensacola’s premier vegan cafe, End of the Line, has been serving an all-vegan menu for more than 20 years, featuring items made from scratch. The menu features organic, local, GMO-free ingredients, and efforts are made to keep everything consciously sourced. That includes making their own venue cheese in-house. End of the Line’s menu also features a number of gluten-free selections, as well as wheat-free and soy-free alternatives for those with sensitivities.
Of course, what matters most is how it all tastes, and it’s all delicious. Options include a wide variety of sandwiches and wraps, including the Buddha Burger (with a gluten- and soy-free patty); the Bacon Avocado Club, piled high with maple-hickory vegan bacon, avocado and grilled peppers and onions; and the Lions Mane Chimichurri Steak Sammy, with lions mane mushroom, spinach, tomato, grilled onions and smoked gouda. Other selections include a Mezze Platter with Mediterranean treats like grape leaves, feta, olives, hummus and falafel, and Sriracha Mac & Cheese topped with bacon and Parmesan. There’s also an extensive selection of delicious baked goods and an extensive coffee bar with a wide variety of drink selections including beer, cider and wine.
Beyond its regular menu selections, End of the Line frequently offers special selections, as well as a hearty vegan brunch.
Cafe Single Fin
Located inside Waterboyz Surf & Skate Shop, if for some reason you don’t arrive at Cafe Single Fin already hungry, you can work up your appetite at the indoor skate park as well as picking up all of your skating and surfing needs. But even if you’re not a skater or surfer, the delicious smells you’ll encounter when you walk through the door are sure to get your tummy rumbling.
Cafe Single Fin also features an extensive, all-vegan selection of baked goods, including gluten-free peanut butter cookies and their Everything Cookie. Acai bowls, smoothies, juices and an extensive selection of coffees and teas round out the offerings.
Carmen’s Lunch Bar & Tapas
For those seeking a great gluten-free lunch, Carmen’s Lunch Bar & Tapas is an absolute must. Seating is limited indoors and outdoors, but the menu is worth any wait, with almost all selections being gluten-free and fantastic, with an eclectic, international flair.
Start your meal off with spiced organic pipits; Spanish crab pepper poppers with jumbo lump crab, chorizo sausage, Manchego cheese, lemon and saffron; or Thai yellow curry crab chowder brimming with local jumbo lump crab, coconut milk, ginger, sweet peppers, potatoes, carrots and sugar snaps. Gluten-free plates and pies include a chicken tikka masala plate over turmeric basmati rice with cucumber-mint raita; the straccoto slow-roasted beef pie with beef chuck slow cooked with red wine, onions, garlic, porcini mushrooms, thyme, rosemary. sugar snap peas and carrot-whipped potatoes; and the Cuban pork plantain pie with slow-roasted pork, spicy red sauce, chopped sweet plantains with sour cream and black bean salsa. A daily gluten-free dessert special is also offered.
While Carmen’s does not have an extensive vegan menu, don’t overlook the vegan Moroccan vegetable curry, a flavorful and filling plate featuring harissa, carrots, onions, sweet bell peppers, golden raisins, chickpeas, green olives and fresh mint over turmeric basmati rice.
South Market Restaurant & Bar
Another paradise for gluten-free dining is South Market Restaurant & Bar. Overlooking the beautiful Pensacola Bay, South Market offers a scratch kitchen with a menu designed to be gluten-, soy- and MSG-free. Nearly every item on the extensive menu is either gluten-free or can be prepared gluten-free on request. Don’t look for a lot of vegan selections here, but gluten-free diners could hardly ask for more options.
Appetizer selections include tuna poke nachos loaded with ahi tuna, beschamel, corn salsa, pico and sriracha aioli; Bay scallop corn dip featuring local Bay scallops, sweet corn and Parmesan Creole cream; and smoked salmon deviled eggs made with Neuske’s double-smoked bacon jam, scallions and annatto oil. The menu also features extensive oyster and seafood options as well as French-cut chicken pesto, the popular Market meatloaf and a rotating chef’s pick steak selection. Brunch selections include Southern stalwarts like biscuits and gravy with fresh buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage and rosemary gravy, and a Creole omelet featuring shrimp, Andouille sausage, onions, bell peppers, mozzarella and remoulade.
South Market also features a full bar and extensive beer and wine selections, including gluten-free beer.
Agapi Bistro & Garden
Led by one of Pensacola’s top chefs, Gus Silivos, Agapi Bistro & Garden, has become a highlight of the East Pensacola Heights neighborhood, combining a Mediterranean flair with sustainable local foods. One of the area’s most celebrated chefs, Silivos has long had an interest in catering to clients with special dietary needs, and that is showcased throughout Agapi’s exciting menu.
86 Forks Bar & Table
As you’re strolling downtown Pensacola’s busting Palafox Place, step off the street to discover 86 Forks Bar & Table. This Asian-influenced eatery features small plates, noodle bowls and a few legacy favorites from a much-missed past Pensacola eatery, Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen and Taproom.
The expansive menu features a number of vegan and gluten-free options, including several that are both, such as seared Brussels sprouts with ginger garlic sauce and fired rice noodles; the tofu veggie noodle bowl featuring spiralized zucchini noodles, seasoned tofu, veggie broth, baby bok choy, bamboo shoots, cilantro, toasted crushed peanuts and grilled shiitake mushrooms; and the Impossible rice noodle bowl with Impossible patties, veggie broth, baby bok choy, carrots, thai basil, garlic, green onions and enoki mushrooms. Other gluten-free options include the legendary duck fires, a holdover from Hopjacks featuring fresh-cut potatoes fried in duck fat and served with a pair of addictive sauces; sweet and sour pork skewers; and BBQ spare ribs.
The Kennedy
If you’re a fan of classic cocktails and mid-century atmosphere, make sure to visit The Kennedy. This upscale bar is at downtown Pensacola’s very heart, the intersection of Palafox and Garden Street, directly across from Vinyl Music Hall. And while the cocktails are the marquee attraction, the kitchen here should not be overlooked, with a number of vegan small plate selections to satisfy your appetite.
The loaded fries — which are also gluten free — feature waffle-cut potatoes piled high with spicy black bean patty, jalapeño aioli, vegan pepper jack cheese sauce, chipotle butternut squash drizzle, tomatoes, green onions, arugula and cilantro, and you can kick them up a bit more by adding jalapeños if you like. Chipotle pumpkin hummus features roasted pumpkin seeds, spicy maple aioli, smoked paprika and pepper jelly. Or try ginger scallion noodles with sautéed vegetables and scallion sauce; or the pumpkin black bean burger with vegan smoked gouda and jalapeño sage pumpkin spread on a vegan pretzel bun.
Nomadic Eats
Nomadic Eats has a permanent space with indoor and outdoor seating, and has become a solid local favorite. The menu varies with specials and pop-ups from time to time, inspired by Chef Randy Russell’s travels throughout southeast Asia and Latin America. Vegan selections on the regular menu include cauliflower tacos with salsa macha marinated cauliflower, coconut jasmine rice, black beans, pickled onion, salsa rosa and lime verde, and cauliflower rice bowls with black beans, salsa roja, lime verde, pickled onion and fried shallot.
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Khons
Situated in Downtown Pensacola, Khons presents a dynamic Asian-inspired menu that encompasses sushi, noodle bowls, and various other culinary delights. Among its offerings, Khons caters to vegan preferences with options such as Cambodian tofu rice, lettuce wraps, dumplings, and a sesame tofu salad. Whether you're inclined toward traditional sushi or exploring plant-based choices, Khons ensures a satisfying dining experience with its array of flavorful selections.
Looking for more?
Two excellent and well-curated Facebook groups document vegan and gluten-free offerings in the Pensacola area, and are worth the follow for additional ideas. Search Facebook for “Vegan Pensacola” and “Gluten Free Pensacola.”
