The Sanford Vegan’s Self-Guided Food Tour (7 Stops!)
September 2023
Sanford
Mimosa’s anyone? Start your day right with Sanford’s favorite vegan brunch spread featuring Chick’n & Sweet Taters, Bakon Egg & Cheese, and Smashed Avo Toast. Run by twin brothers, Michael and Benjamin Dees, this family-run watering hole elevates the Sanford bar experience with a spacious floor plan, soothing live tunes, weekly bingo and movie nights, and of course, a great selection of plant-based fare.
Lake Mary
Prepare yourself for a flavor explosion with Instagram-famous plant-based donuts and cinnarolls from Donutste Donuts in Lake Mary. Just a minute’s drive from town hall, this Black-owned, family-run, and fully vegan patisserie operates out of an adorable pink cottage serving up hundreds of treats each weekend. Crack into cream-stuffed red velvet creme brulee donuts, or start your next vacation early with Orange Hibiscus or Mimosa flavors. Pair any visit with a picture in front of the iconic hot pink Donutste Doughnuts neon sign mounted on their massive rose-hued flower wall.
Longwood
Pop in for a hearty four-course vegan lunch at Longwood’s location of The Melting Pot. Start off with decadent, stringy vegan cheese fondue served with bread, apples, and crudite. Next, enjoy a refreshing bite of greens with their veganized take on the California Salad, served with candied pecans, tomatoes, and a tart raspberry vinaigrette. Select from Court Boullion, Mojo, or Coq au Vin cooking styles to boil your vegan main, a take on The Garden Pot (which comes with Impossible Polpettes and a vast array of veggies). And no visit to The Melting Pot could be complete without dessert—it’s true—they serve vegan chocolate fondue! Dunk strawberries, bananas, and green apples into thick, creamy, chocolatey goodness to finalize the experience!
Casselberry
V’s Diner
Travel back to the 50s with this fully vegan retro diner located in our very own Casselberry, FL! Slide into electric blue diner booths and feast on chili mic, loaded burgers, chick’n sandwiches, caesar wraps, animal-style fries, and rotating baked goods in the nostalgic comfort of V’s carefully curated groovy playlist. V’s Diner is also home to Orlando’s only vegan event venue, called The Green Room, which is the perfect spot for your next plant-based hangout.
Winter Springs
Travel to the sands of Arabia with flavorful za’atar pita, cool hummus, and refreshing tabouleh at Winter Spring’s Heart of Jerusalem restaurant. This iconic Arab-owned, veteran-owned Middle Eastern establishment was founded to serve authentic Arabian fare to his family and the broader Middle Eastern community of Orlando. Make sure to order some of their staple (and vegan) heart-shaped falafel to accompany any dish on the menu.
Altamonte Springs
With scant veggies thus far, reorient yourself toward Norma’s Plant Based Cuisine, a Latina-owned, health-conscious, and fully vegan mainstay located in Adventist Square Plaza in Altamonte Springs. From kale smoothies to Asian-inspired salad and chick’n salad sandwiches, you are sure to leave feeling better than when you arrived with a visit to Normas. Norma’s Plant Based Cuisine also has several gluten-free offerings including chick’n alfredo pizza, stuffed arepas, and a black bean burger.
Oviedo
Burn off those self-guided-vegan-food-tour calories with a competitive game of boutique bowling or axe throwing at Oviedo’s one and only The District Eat & Play, located in the Oviedo Mall. Serving classic arcade food done vegan, nosh on vegan nachos, philly cheesesteaks, tacos, and pizzas in between rounds of pinball and escape rooms for a fun night out!
Allison van Tilborgh
Hi there, I’m Allison! I’m an Orlando North-based vegan food blogger and staff writer for one of the nation’s largest vegan magazines. In 2021, I started The Sanford Vegan to connect everyday folks with delicious vegan food through the power of social media. In the short time I’ve run my socials (and blog), the number of restaurants offering plant-based fare has skyrocketed, covering every type of cuisine imaginable: health-conscious, soul food, diner food, patisserie, Middle Eastern bites, and even fondue! Because of the sheer size of Orlando North, I cannot host a walking tour of all my favorite spots, but I found the next best thing! Follow along for The Sanford Vegan’s Self-Guided Vegan Food Tour, covering seven stops in seven cities!