On busy Tharpe Street, there sits a locally owned, vegan restaurant called Sweet Pea Café. This casual, farm-to-table style café is one of the few restaurants in the city that offers an all-vegan menu.
Although this restaurant caters to people living a vegan lifestyle, the food at Sweet Pea Café has the potential to satisfy the taste buds of any customer who is in the mood for a healthier lunch choice.
The entire menu is filled with plant-based options. However, the delicious taste of some of these all-vegan dishes offered might come as a surprise, considering the non-meat, non-dairy restrictions.
In the mornings, from 8 to 11 a.m., the café serves coffee and dairy-free pastries such as brownies, cookies and cupcakes over the counter.
The full menu is available at 11 a.m. and it features a variety of mouth-watering, vegetarian options such as plant-based burgers, entrée sized salads and even non-dairy, cheese quesadillas.
The Buffalo Fried Tofu Sandwich is not only an attention grabber, but it’s satisfying aroma mixed with its equally satisfying taste make it a popular item on the menu. The deep-fried, organic tofu dipped in buffalo sauce resembles the taste of fried chicken. The sandwich is topped with lettuce and tomato slices and served on two pieces of whole wheat bread.
Another option that has been raised to high standards is the Spicy BLT. Although bacon is not included in the sandwich, marinated and blackened tofu is used as a savory substitute. The tofu is topped with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and is tied together nicely with a drizzle of spicy mayonnaise.
The hand-cut sweet potato fries are a popular choice for a side dish. However, the side options don’t stop there. Some of the side dishes include carrot ginger slaw, brown rice or poutine served with a non-dairy, vegan cheese.
The café is small, quaint and quiet. Customers have the choice to seat themselves either inside the café or outside on the front patio. During the evening, when the sun goes down, the decorative lights strung above the patio light up, which portray a calm and romantic atmosphere around the café.
The staff is respectable and the service is satisfactory considering how quickly the meals are prepared.
For more information on Sweet Pea Café, visit their website at sweetpeacafetallahassee.com or follow them on Instagram at @sweetpeacafetally.