Since becoming a full-fledged vegan over three years ago, I’ve been to quite a few explicitly-vegan restaurants up and down the east coast. Needless to say, it makes eating out easier (and more enjoyable) not having to micro-skim every single thing on the menu to find an approved dish.
Since my blog didn’t exist back then at the beginning, so may the backtracking of reviews begin!
But- before I spend my entire pot of coffee unearthing some of my older material to share (and trust, there are some RAVE places I am excited to share with you all), I figured I’d follow the K.I.S.S. theory (Keep It Stupid Simple) and just start with my latest excursion:
~Lotus Vegan Restaurant~
Pictured: Spring Roll appetizer, and Golden Soup
This quaint Asian-catered establishment is located in a no-frills area of Pinellas County, where you would hardly pick out a cruelty-free restaurant amidst the swarm of franchised fast food options, token corner Wal-mart, and competing gas stations. But here they were! A friend (who is not vegan, by the way) actually recommended this to me, so if a non-vegan approves, surely a vegan would!
Lotus boasts a 4.6 star review according to Google reviews, and offers a colorful menu 7 days a week with lunch and dinner hours. Being allergic to wheat, I opted to start with the Golden Soup (“red lentils, onion, carrot, curry paste, celery, sweet potato, coconut milk, almond milk, mushroom seasoning”) and spring roll appetizers, surprisingly flavorful and comprised of “carrot, jicama, romaine salad, basil, rice paper, tofu, dipping in peanut sauce” (as borrowed from their online menu).
The soup was warm and hearty, though maybe not as spicy-potent as I might’ve imagined, assuming there’d be more heat. Still, all in all, really flavorful and not at all breaking the bank. I’d say that the prices are comparable to what you’d spend eating a You-Pick-2 at Panera, only this restaurant guarantees that you’re not spending your money on animal cruelty, so yay!
My favorite dish by far was my entree; at only $9 a pop, the Guru curry was nearly gone before I thought to take a picture, and I did not want the mess I left trying to do that beautiful curry justice… does that explain how good it was? This lovely curry (and I love them all) was an “exotic blend of curry, white soy protein, tofu, potato, onion, carrot, taro, and spices in rich coconut curry sauce” and did not disappoint; I got a small takeout container for my leftovers, and it was just as good two days later when I reheated it for a snack.
To be fair, if I had to list any con, it would only be that the offered wait staff did not seem to speak any English, which normally isn’t a problem as you can simply POINT to whatever you want on the menu, but in the case of me inquiring about gluten in an appetizer, language barriers are the difference between a happy meal and a bloated belly a-la migraine (and more). That being said, I say Google hit the nail on the head with the nearly 5-star review, and I’m looking forward to my next trek out to try some other menu items. Well done, Lotus!
Feel free to peruse their menu here if you want to take a look for yourself. Happy eating!
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