There’s no shortage of fresh, flavorful food in Virginia Beach—including some of the finest farm-to-table dining in the country. But thanks to a steady rise in sustainable restaurant practices, there’s an emerging plant-based food scene here, as well. We’re proud to be home to six 100% vegan eateries, each offering high-quality, low-impact meals sure to please any omnivore.
Fruitive
Oceanfront
Don’t let Fruitive’s sleek, modern design fool you; on the menu, this Hilltop mainstay is as natural as your local farm stand. Every item on the menu is housemade from wholesome plant-based ingredients like fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices—with priority given to organically grown produce sourced from trusted farms.
Fruitive serves three meals a day, with dozens of nutritious options ranging from juices, smoothies and bowls to soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps. We’re big fans of the Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Açai Bowl; you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the texture-and-flavor explosion of fresh fruit with almond butter and crunchy cacao nibs.
Green Cat Juice Bar & Market
Oceanfront
Inspired by a childhood gift from the owner’s grandmother—a whimsical green cat pillow, handmade with love and intention—Green Cat Juice Bar & Market approaches its operations with the same idea. Everything on the menu is 100% plant-based, raw, organic, gluten free, and handcrafted with care.
Green Cat serves breakfast and lunch; for the former, try the Cherry & Chia Oatmeal, with peanut butter and maple syrup balancing the sour bite of the dried cherries. For the latter, try the Pinto Bean & Lentil Chili, deliciously topped with chipotle cashew ranch. Then celebrate your healthy choices with an indulgent Oatmilk Affogato: creamy vegan soft-serve with an espresso pour-over, topped with cacao nibs. Trust us: you’ll be craving this version forever.
Honest Pastures
Chesapeake Bay
If you’ve chosen a plant-based lifestyle, you’ve likely experienced disappointment at the deli—vegan choices are usually few and far between, and they rarely stack up against the options available to omnivores. Enter Dacia Thorson and her groundbreaking Honest Pastures: a 100% vegan deli dedicated to making their own plant-based “meats.”
Everything meaty you’ve been missing is replicated here in plant-based splendor, from juicy burgers (The Whapper) to gyros (choose from Chickun or Beaf) to your long-lost Italian sub (with Hammy and Veggeroni) and beyond. But perhaps even more uncanny is Thorson’s ability to match the experience of an authentic deli sandwich—soft, decadent bread (gluten free is available), creamy sauces and guilt-free cheeses, all dripping with deliciousness.
Desmond’s Island Soul Grill
Inland
Another meat-forward cuisine that seems an unlikely candidate for plant-based excellence: soul food. And yet excellence is exactly what you’ll find at Desmond’s Island Soul Grill—a Black-owned, woman-owned, veteran-owned and LGBTQ+-friendly operation that’s “no flesh, all soul.” With roots in Guyana and a menu that island-hops through the entire Caribbean archipelago, Desmond’s is known for its Jerk BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich and Krabcakes.
We also feel compelled, though, to mention two standout starters: the Guava-Glazed Lentilballs and Pholourie. The latter, a traditional Caribbean snack food, is a crispy split-pea fritter served with your choice of mango or tamarind chutney … and you’ll be dreaming about it for weeks!
CLTRE VGN JNT
Inland
The CLTRE VGN JNT logo is a drippy waffle—and while this cheery Great Neck breakfast and lunch spot offers a colorful spectrum of plant-based choices, it’s hard to have a bad day when you start with a decadent grid of goodness. You can choose a spelt-flour or gluten-free waffle base with sweet or savory toppings, but from where we’re sitting there’s really only one choice: Chik’n & Waffles with Szn’d Cauliflower Wings. It’s unique and so, so good.
If (for some crazy reason) you’re not in the mood for waffles, the Black Bean Brkfst Biscuit, a toasted housemade buttery biscuit topped with black bean breakfast sausage, is to die for. Craving something sweet? Try the Cinnamon Apple Toast: perfectly browned and buttery sourdough topped with peanut butter, cinnamon apples and crm chz drizz. It’s light on vowels, but heavy on flavor.
My Vegan Sweet Tooth
Inland
Speaking of sugar cravings, Inland mainstay My Vegan Sweet Tooth, Virginia’s first all-vegan bakery, is arguably one of the best bakeries in town, period—a serious feat when going up against folks baking with butter! While everything on the menu is scratch-made and wonderful, the cinnamon rolls and whoopie pies garner the most consistent and enthusiastic raves.
Celiacs will be excited to see several vegan and gluten-free options on the shelves, including fluffy sandwich bread and chocolate chip cookie sandwiches, complete with rich, creamy filling and rainbow sprinkles. Your canine companions will shift into wiggle-wag mode over the vegan dog treats! And everyone will be thrilled to note that My Vegan Sweet Tooth ships nationwide.
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Written by Staci Amend
As a Californian living in Colorado, writer Staci Amend takes a “why not both” approach to the whole mountains vs. oceans debate. She covers travel, nature, beauty and fashion for a variety of publications and brands — and is happiest when surrounded by hand-painted tile, struggling to pronounce her next meal. A Huntington Beach native and longboarder, she tries to time her Virginia Beach visits with the East Coast Surfing Championships.
