PDQ stands for People Dedicated To Quality, and such is the mantra of this family-friendly restaurant that was founded by Bob and Nick in 2011. Hailing from Tampa, Florida, PDQ is dedicated to serving people with fresh, fast, and affordable food that the whole family can enjoy.
PDQ promises to serve only the freshest ingredients and scratch kitchen food that is Just Made, Better, for better experiences with their most valued customers. A friendly atmosphere that is willing to readily accommodate your needs and preferences, PDQ boasts of fast, quality, and equal service whether you’re dining in or just driving through.
Today, the brick-and-mortar franchising restaurant has over 50 locations in Florida, and a few others in North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina. Seeing how booming this business has been within a decade, makes you wonder what made them so successful in such a short time. Even more, would this customer-oriented company be able to accommodate one of the strictest diets in the world?
Unfortunately, PDQ doesn’t have any vegan meals, and even vegetarians would find it hard to dine in at their locations. They don’t have a lot on their menu yet, and they heavily rely on chicken wings, tenders, and slices in most of their menu options: sandwiches, bowls, and salads.
Therefore, we don’t recommend eating at any of PDQ’s locations since it’s very difficult to get a decent vegan meal from them, but we’ll still do our best to show you which items from their menu is or can be made vegan, at least.
Table of Contents
Vegan Options At PDQ
Beverages
- Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
- Fresh Brewed Tea
- Coffee
Sides
- French Fries/Tots
- Brocolli (without butter or cheese)
- Apple Sauce
- Apple Slices
- Zucchini Fries (without butter or cheese)
- Chile-lime Corn (without butter or cheese)
Salads
None of their salads are vegan as they all contain chicken. They do have Ceasar salad, but their dressing contains anchovies.
Vegan “Crispy Chicken” Places in Florida
While it’s sad to see how PDQ barely has anything to serve vegans and vegetarians, there’s nothing barely when it comes to the number of vegan and vegan-friendly diners in the whole of summer-loving Florida. So, as we’ve gathered these top spots from various rated trips and sites, here are some of the best plant-based places to eat in Florida!
Ethos Vegan Kitchen, Winter Park
Offering 100% vegan breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day at Winter Park, Ethos Vegan Kitchen features savory tofu scramble, sausage or bacon burrito, and pancakes for breakfast and brunch, but their lunch and dinner menu are more expansive.
Better try out their vegan sausage rolls, Crispy “Chikun” salad, Buffalo Chickun Wrap, and Ethos Sundae for a sweet finish. This home-themed restaurant exploits the yummy wonders of tofu, seitan, and tempeh, your vegan meat buddies, but they don’t do reservations, deliveries, or catering as of now.
They’re open every from 9 am to 11 pm, and you can catch their lunch and dinner menu by 11 am. The place is usually crowded towards the evening, so it’s best to be there around sundown and you can enjoy the welcoming theme and delicious food much better while relaxing. They also serve wine and beer.
Darbster, West Palm Beach
Darbster is a vegetarian-themed bistro that aims to appeal to both plant-based and mainstream diners. More so, their goal to provide delicious, natural, organic, and vegetarian-friendly cuisine is more than just talk. With a waterside deck that features lush palm trees and serene scenery of glittering waters, Darbster is sure to soothe both your stomach and soul.
They’re open on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 5 pm to 10 pm, and on Sundays, 5 pm to 9 pm. So it’s a dinner-themed restaurant that mainly caters to people who just want to relax with friends, family, or their significant other with the sounds and ambiance of the evening.
Their menu? Of course! They have plant-based meats, cheeses, and milk. For starters, they have beet tartare, “chick’n” buffalo wings, and “chick’n tenders.” They also feature a vegan Caesar salad, “meatless” lasagna, buffalo wrap, and even a Philly “cheeze” steak. Most of their menu items are solid vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, so you won’t run out of savory and filling options here!
The Rabbit Hole, Pompano Beach
Just below Darbster, The Rabbit Hole offers Elevated Vegan Comfort Cuisine, and they’re also available for online orders, delivery, and pickup. They’re closed on Sundays and Mondays but are open the rest of the week usually from 11 am and onwards, you can check their schedule here.
Well, let’s get to the menu of Food to Live For, shall we? Their best-sellers are the Boneless Wyngs which come with 10 triple-battered, seasoned, and golden-fried Wyngs and an optional Wyng sauce, “Smoke in the Woods” Souther BBQ Platter that features citrus lime-marinated BBQ spare ribs, mac n’ cheese, buttered corn, and fresh grilled toast, and “The Answer” Philly Cheesesteak with a tender, marinated pepper steak grilled with garlic herb butter, and filled with yellow onions, red and green peppers, provolone and mozzarella melt, and finally served with a side of French fries.
Oh, did I mention all that was vegan? Yes, prepare to sink your teeth in The Rabbit Hole’s scrupulous and “meaty” offerings. They’ve got more than just that too: salads, chick’n quesadilla, steaks, BBQ, desserts, you name it! Order now.
Quick note, we’re not affiliated with any of the shops, stores, brands, or restaurants we mention and link to.
Full Bloom Vegan, Miami Beach
One of the youngest but finest vegan restaurants in Florida, Full Bloom Vegan serves 100% plant-based and non-GMO food that is even recognized by Forbes in 2021. A fine-dining style vegan restaurant that also does event catering, in-house parties, and online orders, you have to try this place out.
They’re open throughout the week from 11 am onwards, and you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to get more updates and views of their scrupulous menu. Speaking of the menu, what do they offer?
They have lunch and dinner menus. Their lunch menu runs from 11 am to 4 pm, and dinner starts at 5 pm up to 11 pm. Just bear in mind though, that if you want to take your vegan loved ones somewhere high-end and gourmet, this is the place.
Their plant-based dishes are unique, classy, and otherworldly tasty. Try their crispy, cauliflower Wings with cayenne pepper sauce, ranch, and pickles, or their Buddha Roll with a taste of the orient using nori seaweed, mixed greens, jicama slaw, sunflower pate, and ginger ponzu.
Appease your stomach with their special, vegan entrees such as the savory Roasted Tenderloin made of roasted chickpeas, demi-glace, butternut squash puree, and pan-seared Brussels sprouts on top. Want something a bit more familiar? Their Tailgate Burger features the vegan Beyond burger patty, cheddar cheese, BBQ jackfruit, tempeh bacon, and a side of either pickles & burger sauce or yuca fries.
Cheeseburgers, hotdogs, wraps, subs, salads, meats, and desserts are also available with beautiful plating and fast-casual service.
Loving Hut, Orlando
Loving Hut stands up to its name as it’s strongly committed to a world of peace and no killings, and in their practice, it starts in the kitchen. With fresh and healthy ingredients, this simple restaurant only serves cruelty-free, vegan meals that will surely find their spot in your stomach.
Open every day except today, they mainly serve lunch and dinner till 9 pm, and most of the food items you’ll find here are served fresh like rolls, sushi, and salads, but they also feature soups, entrees, rice, noodles, and Western classics: burgers, sandwiches, and Philly subs.
Their expertise is delightful, vegan mimicry of seafood such as the Sushi Delight with vegan ham, tofu, and avocado in a seaweed wrap, the Ocean Sushi, and the Curled Island which copies Shrimp Tempura. They also have a family-sized menu, so this is the perfect opportunity for you to bring your friends and family over and let them taste what a loving, guilt-free, and vegan party meal tastes like.
Their menu items are very affordable, with less than $20, you can order a family-sized platter for 3 to 4 people, depending on your appetite of course. Don’t forget to treat yourself to a couple of specialty drinks such as the Avocado Smoothie, Mango Smoothie, Taro Delight, Ginger Ale, or a classic Lemonade. It doesn’t stop there, a variety of desserts are also available: Vegan Flan, Cheese Cake, Chocolate Cake, and Banana Fritters.
Bottom Line
While PDQ isn’t yet able to accommodate vegans, there’s no need to fret as there are more places than one to order a hearty vegan meal in Florida. While I hardly see PDQ would start offering vegan-friendly or vegetarian-friendly menu items anytime soon, we can focus more on supporting those businesses that are already doing great for the vegan diet and ideology.
The ones mentioned above are only a handful of what many more restaurants nestle in Florida, and we’re hoping for more businesses like these to flourish across the nation.
According to a US 2021 research by Good Food Institute (PDF), plant-based foods in the US are a $7.4 billion market, and the sales continue to grow three times faster than overall food sales in 2021. This indicates that veganism and plant-based food are among the fastest-growing trends of the decade.
More so, Sentient Media reveals how in 2022, veganism is on a steady rise due to people’s rising concerns for health, weight management, animal welfare, and the environment.
Be sure to check out our similar reviews on other famous chicken houses, Viva Chicken, Firebirds, and East Coast Wings.
