Tender and juicy… Ah, this means steak. And this is what I look for when I set foot in a steakhouse. In a vegan steakhouse, that is.
Can Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar help us with our steak cravings?
Well, I hate to break the news. Fleming’s doesn’t have a vegan steak. Yeah. That’s what I thought too. But good news. They have a few food offerings that you can order as a vegan.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar prides itself on offering enjoyable fine dining with flavorful dishes that everyone enjoys. But it’s not a vegan restaurant, although there are a few vegan-friendly dishes like a plain baked potato.
I understand how it feels when you’re stuck in a non-vegan restaurant and starving to death. Okay, that’s exaggerated, but I can relate. Don’t fret. Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has a few vegan-friendly offerings, which we’ll check out.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Your Bloomin’ American Cuisine
Started by Paul Fleming and Bill Allen in 1998 under Bloomin’ Brands, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opened its first location in Newport Beach, California.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is known for its delicious steak and a collection of wine by Fleming’s 100. Its collection of 100 wines can be ordered in bottles or glasses.
It also serves famous American-style dishes, including chocolate desserts and seafood like calamari, crab, and lobster.
At the height of Covid-19, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar was of the restaurant chains to suffer the pandemic’s heavy-beating. In late 2020 and 2021, two of its restaurants closed permanently after 20 years in business.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has over 60 locations throughout the U.S., including one in São Paulo, Brazil.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Vegan Options
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar’s specialty is its delicious, juicy steak. But it’s not vegan-friendly, and although we’re not thrilled by this idea, there are a few vegan options that you can order.
However, I’m almost certain there could be a risk of cross-contamination, especially since Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar isn’t a vegan restaurant. It’s still safe to talk to the crew about your possible food restrictions, especially if you have allergies.
Here are the vegan-friendly dishes you can order at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. These may not be your best bet, but you can count on them if you’re stuck at Fleming’s.
- Grilled Asparagus
- Plain Baked Potato
- Wildberry Sorbet
- Fleming’s Salad. You will have to order this without crostini with burrata and candied walnuts.
Unfortunately, there are few vegan-friendly options at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. But baked potato and grilled asparagus sound perfect for a meal. Pair them with their best collection of wine and cocktails, and you’re good to go.
By the way, about its collection of 100 wines, you may have to ask the staff, especially since most wines involve animal byproducts. So, is wine vegan? Let’s see.
Is Wine Vegan-Friendly?
Grapes are the main ingredients in making wine. While grapes are vegan-friendly, most wine manufacturers include animal-sourced ingredients or animal by-products to produce wine.
The wine undergoes a fining process to remove unwanted particles and substances like yeast, protein, and more. This process, as a result, will produce a fine wine free from any off-flavors and colors.
The fining process needs fining agents, and the most widely used are those sourced from… guess what? Animals. Oh, poor animals. But that’s how they do it despite many vegan warriors’ calls for manufacturing vegan-friendly beverages.
These animal-sourced fining agents include these culprits.
- Chitin. This is derived from crustacean shells’ fiber.
- Casein. It’s a milk protein from usually from cow’s milk.
- Isinglass. It’s a type of gelatin that’s derived from the fish bladder membrane.
- Animal Blood and Bone Marrow
- Egg White
- Gelatin. This type of protein is sourced from boiling animal parts such as tendons, skin, ligaments, and more.
- Fish Oil
Luckily, there have been several vegan-friendly manufacturers that produce fine wine without the use of any animal-derived fining agents. If you were to buy wine, these are available nationwide, at supermarkets or a local grocer near you, or online if it’s easier for you.
These are vegan-friendly wine brands that you can count on whenever you need to have a glass of wine at night. It’s good for the heart. Wink, wink.
- Wrights Wines
- Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards
- Vinavanti Wines
- China Bend Winery
- Thumbprint Cellars
- Fitzpatrick Winery
- Seghesio Family Vineyards
- Frey Winery
- Palmina Wines
But what makes wine vegan if the fining agents are mostly animal-sourced?
Good question. What makes it vegan are the animal-friendly fining agents used by vegan-friendly wine manufacturers. You can check them below.
- Carbon
- Bentonite Clay
- Limestone
- Kaolin Clay
- Plant Casein
- Silica Gel
- Vegetable Plaques
These are derived naturally from nature, while others are plant-based, which makes wines vegan-friendly.
What Is A Steak?
A steak describes how meat is sliced, such as cutting across or against the meat’s muscle. This may also include the bone part, usually from cow’s beef. And Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar uses real meat, which makes the restaurant non-vegan.
Other animal meat, such as pork, is also used in making steaks, poultry, and fish. A steak is traditionally grilled, although others would prefer it pan-fried, cooked in sauce.
Obviously, it’s not vegan and animal-friendly. However, there are many vegan-friendly steaks that I’ve tried, and I can say they just taste like…oh well, steak. How cool is that?
Thanks to tofu, lentils, chickpeas, seitan, and more for giving us vegans a chance to try what a steak tastes like. And you know what more fun about it? You can make your own vegan steak at home!
Yes, you can. Cooking is super fun. I’ve tried it several times, and although I’m not a chef or something, my vegan steak is as delicious as the others. Why? Because I use these vegan meat brands that are not only vegan-friendly, they’re tasty, healthier, and easy to find.
These are ready-to-cook vegan meat you can make as your burger patty, bacon, nuggets, meatballs, steak, and more.
- Tofurky
- Beyond Meat
- Gardein
- MorningStar Farms
- Before The Butcher
- Field Roast
- Yves Veggie Cuisine
- Trader Joe’s
- Lightlife
- Boca Burger
- Sweet Earth
Unfortunately, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar uses none of these brands.
Is Vegan Meat Healthier Than Real Meat?
Vegan meat isn’t the healthiest food you can have, but it’s healthier than real meat. It’s non-greasy, lower in calories, and has very little to zero trans fat.
Due to the growing demands of vegan warriors, many non-vegan food chains have joined the cause. Nestlé, Burger King, McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway have their own fair share of vegan-friendly products that have been one of many vegans’ go-to meals.
Research conducted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that vegan meat is a great source of iron, fiber, and folate with less saturated fat.
However, it was also found that vegan meat contains more sodium and less vitamin B12, protein, and zinc. When consumed beyond the recommended intake, salt or sodium can damage your kidneys, cause stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The USDA recommends limiting your sodium intake to 2,300 mg daily to keep things in moderation. Vegan warriors have also called for vegan-friendly meat with less salt produced by food manufacturers.
However, not all vegan meat contains a lot of sodium. This varies by brand, and vegan meat is still the best choice as an alternative to real meat. You just have to choose which one suits you.
Vegan Steak Key Ingredients
Cooking is always fun. At least, that’s what I thought, especially since it’s the safest way for vegans to eat without the dangers of accidentally eating non-vegan food.
As I’ve said earlier, I’ve tried making my own vegan steak at home several times, and I loved the result. And since Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar can’t serve us vegan steak, this would be the best way to eat steak in a vegan way.
So, if you’re curious, here’s the list of what you can get for the main ingredients that don’t involve animal byproducts.
- Chickpeas
- Tofu
- Lentils
- Seitan
- Mushrooms
- Beets
- Flaxseed
- Coconut Flour
- Dark Red Kidney Beans
There are many easy-to-do vegan steak recipes that you can check online. The ingredients are easy to find, and I’m almost certain you already have most of them in your pantry.
The Bottom Line
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar isn’t a vegan-friendly restaurant offering limited vegan options such as plain baked potato, grilled asparagus, and more. But you can’t have its steak because it’s made of real meat.
You can also check its 100 collections of wine to see if there’s anything vegan-friendly. Otherwise, you can skip it and go for vegan drinks such as soft drinks and juices.
If you’re curious about recipes and ingredients for vegan steak, check out this article I wrote about vegan meat that a food vlogger makes from scratch. Have fun!