Famous for the first landing of Christopher Columbus, infamous pirates, rum, white sand beaches, pristine turquoise water, and luxuries beyond one’s imagination are some things we might visualize when we think about the islands of The Bahamas.
Almost everyone understands the islands as paradise, even those who haven’t been there. It’s synonymous with cocktail-filled days on the beach with endless blue skies and ridiculously lavish accommodations.
Close your eyes. Focus. Think of The Bahamas. Can you hear the voice of the sea? I picture myself beachside wearing sweet shades, sporting a slick fedora, and sipping on an expertly crafted Bahama Mama decorated with a pineapple wedge. Ah, that’s the life; relaxed and worry-free.
Wouldn’t it be something if you could get this feeling without having to go there? That’s what the founders of Bahama Breeze decided to do when they first thought about opening a restaurant that sold more than food. They wanted to sell an experience.
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Vegan Options at Bahama Breeze
Bahama Breeze is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant specializing in seafood, chicken, steaks, and tropical cocktails. The food is a fusion of many ethnic dishes found throughout the Caribbean islands—serving specialties like jicama, plantains, jerk chicken, and conch fritters.
The restaurant is decorated tropically with many bright colors and wood finishes. But what makes it unique is how it aims to make you feel. As soon as you walk in, you’re welcomed with big smiles, laughter, live music, and the sense that even if you had a long day, it would be all right in this place after a few minutes.
It’s difficult not to love the concept of Bahama Breeze, but what about vegan dieters? Indeed, what can vegan dieters expect from their menu?
Bahama Mama offers plenty of vegan options as long as you aren’t troubled by the significant amount of meat and animal products in the kitchen. According to their official site, the restaurant is considerate of vegan dieters. You can expect accommodating services, transparency about the ingredients they use in each dish, and the option to customize your meal.
In A Hurry? Order This!
If you have no time to read the entire article, don’t worry; you can order the following dishes without any modifications.
Appetizer
- House salad with balsamic vinaigrette
Entree
- Bowtie pasta with tomato sauce
Side
- Jicama-mango slaw
Bread
- Cuban bread
Sauce
- Guava BBQ sauce
Dessert
- Fresh fruit with mango sorbet
The dishes above aren’t the only vegan choices on the Bahama Breeze menu. There are plenty of other delicious vegan-friendly creations that you can order. Read on to learn more about Bahama Breeze and find out what other vegan-friendly options they offer.
What Is This Place Anyway?
Bahama Breeze was founded in 1996 by a major company called Darden Restaurant Inc. With over 1,500 restaurants in North America and more than 100,000 employees, Darden is one of the world’s biggest restaurant corporations. They also own Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, and Eddie V’s.
The first Bahama Breeze was opened in Orlando, Florida, on International Drive. Today, you can find the restaurant chain throughout Florida and on the east coast of the States. They have over 35 locations. Unlike many restaurants in the States, Bahama Breeze was not started as a privately owned business; it was designed to become a massive chain.
The Concept
Bahama Mama is designed to give you a break after a long week or a long day at work. It’s a place where you can forget about your routine and celebrate the weekend, a place where you can enjoy a good time with friends, a tropical cocktail or two, and flush your stress away to the sweet sounds of live reggae music.
The restaurants are spacious, high-ceilinged, and tastefully decorated. You can choose to hang out at the bar, on the patio, or inside at a comfy booth. It has a Caribbean feel, so you can expect a laid-back, friendly vibe. The dishes are reasonably priced, and an excellent place for the entire family.
Fun Facts
1. Darden Restaurant Inc., the owner of Bahama Breeze, is traded on the NYSE (the symbol is DRI).
2. Every cocktail has a story. You can read about the origins of each legendary island cocktail. Learn as you sip!
3. You can treat your entire office to Bahama Breeze. They cater and will gladly bring along their brilliant dishes and island vibes.
4. Bahama Breeze gives back to the local community by donating all its surplus food to shelters.
5. They aren’t stingy about their secret recipes. You can learn how to make your favorite Caribbean dishes from their recipes page.
What Are People Saying?
Bahama Breeze ranks very high on both Trip Advisor and Yelp. Of course, there are complaints (I’d be worried if there weren’t), but the majority of reviews are incredibly flattering about the food, especially the ambiance. So, at a glance, I’d say this place is worth a try!
Your Vegan Menu
Even though the menu has many animal products, it’s reasonably sized and offers a good number of vegan-friendly options. So, don’t get discouraged, my vegan friend; there’s hope! Here’s what a vegan menu would look like at Bahama Breeze.
Appetizers
- House salad with balsamic vinaigrette
- Chips n’ guac’
- Chips n’ vine-ripened tomato salsa
Unfortunately, most restaurants use the same oil to fry all of their food. You will have to surmount this when you eat at a non-vegan restaurant. It’s sad, but as long as you do your part by choosing to refrain from eating meat, countless animals are being saved every year.
Entrees
- Jackfruit tacos (request no sriracha aioli)
- BBQ black bean burger (request no cheese or buns)
- Bowtie pasta with tomato sauce
Sides
- French fries (fried in oil that may be contaminated by animal products)
- Fried sweet plantains (fried in oil that may be contaminated by animal products)
Again, remember that these two sides will be fried in oil that may have animal product contamination.
- White rice
- Green beans
- Jicama-mango slaw
- Vine-ripened tomato salad
- Asparagus (request no butter)
- Broccoli (request no butter)
- Sauteed vegetables (request no butter)
Bread
- Naan bread
- Flour tortillas
- Flatbread crisps
- Cuban bread
Sauces and Dressings
- Guava BBQ sauce
- Black bean and corn salsa
- Chimichurri sauce
- Jerk BBQ sauce
- Balsamic vinaigrette dressing
- Vine-ripened tomato salsa
Dessert
- Fresh fruit with mango sorbet
Add to this list a fantastic collection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, making for a decent vegan-friendly menu.
Is It Worth It for Vegans?
Bahama Breeze is worth it for vegans because it has plenty of vegan-friendly options to choose from. However, it depends on your ethical approach and your vegan philosophy. Some may decide that the vegan options are perfectly fine, while others may look down on the establishment for carrying so many animal products. But if you aren’t that strict and accept that people still eat meat, which probably won’t change for a long time, then Bahama Breeze is an excellent place to have a good meal.
Final Thoughts
Bahama Breeze is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant offering dishes you would regularly not eat. Having the opportunity to have fried plantains is priceless. The environment of the place is brilliantly conceptualized to give people a feeling of freedom and relaxation. You can enjoy live music (a rare thing these days) and have fun socializing with a merry crowd. According to Trip Advisor and Yelp, their cocktails are the talk of the town.
They have a good selection of vegan-friendly dishes requiring minimal customization and a staff that can accommodate your diet or allergies. One downside is that their oil is used for frying everything that needs frying on their menu. If you can overlook this fact or somehow ask them to pump in a fresh new batch of oil for your French fries (good luck with that), you should have a great time at Bahama Breeze!