Ever since I became a vegan, last year, I’ve been on a hunt for vegan and/or vegan-friendly restaurants in my area. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find many entirely vegan restaurants in South Florida. However, a couple of weeks ago I read a review on Yelp about a place called Green Bar & Kitchen (located in Ft. Lauderdale, just minutes away from where I live) and I had to go check it out.
You know how they say that the “little-hole-in-the-wall” restaurants are the best? This one was no exception. First of all, the place is a bit hidden within a plaza on Southeast 17th Street, near US1/S Federal Highway. As soon as you see “Waxy O’Connor’s” you’ll need to make a quick turn into that plaza and you will see GBK almost towards the end on the east side.
The restaurant, inaugurated on February 4th of this year, even though set in a small local, is spacious. Talk about making the best out of a small space! It’s also cozy and they have an inside and outside seating area. On the inside you’ll see high table tops, the bakery area and a separate area with refrigerators filled with beer, wine and other healthy vegan, organic beverages. The outside has a backyard setting with patio tables and chairs for seating.
My boyfriend and I decided to sit outside since it was cool out that day. The host was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, as was our waitress.
The food you ask? It was spectacular! I had the Living Lasagna, which is made out of raw zucchini pasta, sundried tomato marinara, macadamia ricotta, basil pesto and extra virgin oil. My boyfriend had the Lavash Pizza made with homemade tofu ricotta, sliced tomatoes, arugula, and blood orange extra virgin oil. He also had the soup of the day, a Beer Onion soup, which the waitress said is like the vegan version of a French Onion soup.
We had some vegan, organic beer and cider to go with our meals. The sweet, light, apple-tasting flavor of Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider was so good, my boyfriend ordered one after he was done with his beer.
After eating our main meal, we were still a bit hungry so we ordered a Tempeh sandwich with a spicy buffalo sauce which is not on the menu but was part of that day’s specials. The sandwich looked so good that we just dug into it and completely forgot to take a picture. But take my word for it, it was beyond good. Mind you, my boyfriend is not vegan, and he loved it.
Once we were done with dinner, I went inside to the bakery area to check out the desserts. They all looked so good that I didn’t know what to choose. I was gonna go for the vegan brownie, but then saw something called a “Brookie,” which looked similar, and was so curious about what it was. When I got back to my table and the waitress came over, I asked her what the difference between the brownie and the brookie was. She said that the brookie is a brownie and a cookie… I stopped her right there and said, “Bring me that!” with a huge smile on my face.
When the waitress brought over the dish she also brought two forks to share, and my boyfriend immediately said… “No need for two forks, it’s chocolate. She’s not sharing this with me.” I did, however, give him a couple of bites just to taste, but I have to admit I had most of it. It was seriously too good for words. I was enjoying it so much I think my boyfriend almost got jealous.
All in all, we had a great evening out with tasty, healthy food, and lots of laughs in an inviting atmosphere. This is by far one of the best vegan restaurants I’ve been to in South Florida. So if you ever have a chance to visit or live in the area, Green Bar & Kitchen is a definite must-try if you are hungry and looking for a good, healthy, organic, plant-based meal with great service and an pleasant atmosphere.
P.S. They will be serving vegan brunches starting April 7th. Brunch menu and schedule coming soon.
Clik here to view.
Living Lasagna – Raw zucchini pasta, sun-dried tomato marinara, macadamia ricotta, basil pesto and extra virgin oil.
Clik here to view.
Lavash Pizza – Home-made tofu ricotta, sliced tomatoes, arugula, and blood orange extra virgin oil.
Beer Onion soup – Vegan version on a French Onion soup.
Clik here to view.
Brookie = Brownie + Cookie
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
