Thrive

I have to agreed with my Unilocalers, it’s hidden but a great restaurant is waiting for you once you get in there. I ordered the Mango Paradise smoothie, absolutely delicious, you can taste a fresh ingredients combination. Then I went for the Cabbage taco with salad, let me tell you, it was really good, kind of spice a little but it has the right kick in. And I finished with a strawberry cheesecake, the custard was with some sort of toasted coconut flakes and agave nectar. They also have a Saturday and Sunday brunch. Definitely coming back!

WHYYYYYYYYYYY!!! OHHHH WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY THRIVE??? why did you go away ‘-(
…so I just moved to miami from nyc a few days ago and THRIVE was one of the only places in the area that I know of that offered organic, raw vegan and vegetarian food. I had visited several times over the last year and the food was excellent. Unfortunately, they are out of business… and as far as I know, there are no good options for organic raw vegan/​vegetarian food within miles. i guess i’m going to have to eat at home more until I open my own spot soon. I’m starting to believe that people in Miami just don’t know any better. They work out a lot and eat whatever but they look great so in their mind it’s all good… until they get sick. Anyway, THRIVE is out ‘-(please message me if u know of any options near wynwood, midtown, downtown or south/​mid-​beach… thanks!

It’s hard to find a place like thins among the charred and churned beefjerkies. :) It’s small, and «hidden», so what? Walk a little! «A maze»? Really? The only problem I had is that the nice guy at the counter said «we’re 100% raw and 100% vegan… And then I got a dish with cooked lentils and steamed brown rice. Yummy, but definitely not raw… The chocolate cheesecake? Yummy! But not raw, as they assured me. I’ll come back, yes, because its a wonderful place and a great alternative for us vegan Unicorns, but they need to get their menu info straight.
Also, very few locals here, majority visitors, and very well educated ones: they need to up the ante when it comes to tell these informed customers on what’s cooked and what’s not, just saying…

My husband and I visited on a recent vacation to Miami. I am a raw food enthusiast with my own raw foods café in St. Louis, MO, so I was very excited to try the food. We tried several entrees, desserts, drinks and snacks, and everything was amazing! Keep making raw vegan food delicious!
I should mention that it can be hard to find the restaurant. We were riding our bikes and rode right past the entrance. There is a garden center that the café is located behind. It is tucked away and feels like a sweet little oasis!

A couple of friends of mine (the First Ladies of Nola and Nashville, if you have to know) have been on my case about this vegan thing for a while. Fearing a diet of rocks and sticks, I stayed away and luxuriated in cheese, duck and butter. But then something happened: I started eating so much, I was beginning to resemble Homer Simpson in his mumu days. No es bueno. To further compound the issue, I was moving to the epicenter of American sexy. This would not stand. I had to make a change to go back to days of youth and right this bodily wrong. In the haze of tacos, nachos and way too much pork, I recalled these vegan vixens telling me that what you put in manifests in what you see.
I was seeing some bad stuff. So, as I trolled Alton on a hot Saturday, I saw a brightly colored sign that caught my eye: ‘Thrive.’ «Hmm. A stone garden. That’s cool. I wonder why it’s called… hello. Is that a restaurant?» My curiosity got the best of me and I ventured down the short path to the café. Inside, I heard Lilith Fair tunes, saw women in bandanas working behind the counter and experienced a menu of all things meatless. Was I ready for this? I wasn’t ready for Spaghetti and Nutballs (not making that up), but my parched palate was always up for some freshly-​made juice. At Thrive, you can either order a juice from the menu or make one up yourself. $ 7 will get you a large made up of three fruits and/​or veggies. Since I was dipping my toe in this pool, I started simply: apple, orange and cucumber. Delicious. Refreshing. I felt the pounds melt away and the toxins evaporate from my beleaguered body. Served in a to-​go cup reminiscent of one’s morning coffee, I was equipped with all the antioxidants I could handle… and I liked it. I liked it a lot.
Even better than my entry-​level juice concoction? The service. The ladies of Thrive are cool, chill, friendly… and they smile. What? How can this be? A healthy food source on the Beach with friendly, inviting service? Vas is? So shocked by my experience, I had to come back.* Fiona Apple on the radio. Check. Do-​rag on head. Check. Greeted with a smile and hello. Check. ZOMG. I couldn’t believe it. You may not believe it, but it’s true, folks. You can improve your health, lower your cholesterol, reduce your blood sugars, get some tasty grub, and be treated like a person of worth… in South Beach… at a healthy food place. I’m still in shock. Thrive is my go-​to and the place to where I’ll direct all people looking for a healthy alternative to chowing down.
*I stepped it up with a kale, ginger and apple juice. It was awesome and it turned me into a fitness model. I am now a kept man. If I knew eating my vegetables could be as easy as drinking them, I would have started years ago!

Love love this place. 100% vegan, 90% raw, gluten free. I fear i would go to T.H.R.I.V.E. everyday if I lived nearby. Amazing food and great personal service. Best vegan/​gluten free waffles I’ve ever had, wonderful raw organic soup, great locally brewed kombucha, loved the vegan coconut leche ice cream.

This place’s location is hidden in some kind of maze of a large house converted into a commercial building, but I am not sure what to classify this building as. This is an odd little place and I do mean little. After a few minutes I finally found the entrance within the maze, I pondered what to order from the menu written on the wall. I chose the curried lentils combo and for a drink I chose the coconut with coconut juice in it.
.
Once I saw my plate I was incredibly surprised at the size of the portions, I started to think maybe this very small plate of food is for the local stray cat or something. The portions of the combo plates they offer are minuscule and in no way or form reflective of the price you are paying. At most the combo plate should be half of the price for that amount of food. I paid $ 11 for a small portion of rice covered with a small portion of curried lentils and a small half hand full of salad leaves in one dish. I also paid 5 $ for a coconut with coconut juice in it, which is odd because the exact same coconut with coconut juice in it cost’s $ 1.99 in the retail store down the street on 6^th street. The meal itself was very tasty and fresh, I have no complaints there.
The one very odd experience I had here was when I had ordered I had to leave so I told them to just make it and keep it for me until I get back in about 15 minute, I then paid and left. When I came back they had the food out sitting on one of the tables uncovered in front of everyone. I thought that to be very odd and unprofessional. They could have at least had the courtesy to keep the food behind the counter until I came back, or at least put a cover over it.
Am I coming back… NO WAY, this place is insanely expensive and obviously the hippies who work here are on another planet mentally. As a matter of fact before I even walked in after returning, I bumped into the people who I saw in the restaurant before I left, and even they said to me“your food was just sitting there on the table.” I was like what the hell?
Who the hell is going to pay $ 16 + tax for a insanely small portion of rice covered in seasoned pea’s with half a hand full of lettuce and a drink.

VEGAN REVIEW
This place is cute. Like, really cute. You head into the garden center, too, an endearing plus. We had a cucumber-​avocado-​dill soup that we’ll be recreating at home plus two entrees. Of particular note was the Alfredo, creamy and delicious.
Service was great, too! The only issue is the price — it felt expensive, and the soup and one of the entrees didn’t have a protein component. It is true we skipped dessert due to price, but I like savory protein, too!

«Ooh baby I like it raw…» is the song that comes to mind when browsing around Thrive Café. The food is all vegan and most is raw as well.
Friendly staff greet you and answer any questions you may have about menu. Tried the hot (hot in temp-​not spiciness) cajun vegetable stew with tofu, quinoa, & salad, kombucha tea with apple ginger flavor, and a raw white chocolate goji berry coconut macaroon/​truffle for dessert.
The total cost for my meal was $ 20 which is very reasonable considering that everything there is home made, organic, preservative free, and fresh. It was hot and humid outside so I enjoyed the cozy indoor seating with good AC. It was like being in someone’s kitchen. They have a nice selection of home made snacks, and other packaged raw products as well. I will be back for some grocery shopping…

Fresh healthy tasty vegan food.
Tucked behind a plant nursery in a residential area, Thrive was a little hard to find. However, once there, the plants provided a nice outdoor atmosphere.
We tried the gluten free waffle, which is rice based and comes with a huge amount of fresh fruit and berries on top. The waffle was delicious. It compared very favorably with the pancakes we then got at another vegan establishment in Miami.
We also tried the tofu scramble, which was delicious.
Our meal at Thrive was probably the best food I had while in Florida.
One thing — if you are concerned with sanitation — it does seem a bit dirty and rundown. Thrive feels a bit like a thrift shop inside, which is ok — but for a place that serves food I personally prefer to see a little more attention to cleanliness. It’s possible that the kitchen area is clean, and the condition of the rest of the place just does not reflect that.
Also, be prepared to wait. We waited probably 20+ minutes for our takeout order, which wasn’t especially large or complicated. The food was definitely worth the wait, but it was a downside since we were on a tight schedule and we had no idea when the food was ever going to be ready.

Apparently, you need to be from Seattle and have a mustache to be vegan-​Certified, but…
Organic soda?
Muahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Spaghetti and Nut balls?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Cold soup?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Cabbage Tacos?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
T.H.R.I.V.E. for these enzymes and you’ll reverse the aging process, folks.

Food, juices and smoothies are all freshly done — we literally see, hear and smell the cooking process. :)
So go there prepared to connect to the pace of the place. Not in a hurry neither hoping to get food in 5 minutes.
Staff are really nice and friendly.
Food is delicious.
For smoothie + main dish, I’d say you’d spend around $ 20

Excellent raw vegan food. I had some sort of «pesto pasta» and it was quite tasty. A friend of mine had their tacos and said she really enjoyed them. The dessert was also sooo good. We split the coffee pie.
The waitress was extremely friendly. We arrived after the restaurant was already closed and she still took care of us.
Be aware this place does close early! But be prepared for some TASTY raw vegan cuisine.

I came here with my friend and co-​yelper Ute L. I must say I had never seen this restaurant from Alton Road even though I drive by it almost every day. It is located in something looking like an apartment complex but its a little hidden. (I think they must grow some of the produce or herbs on site or something).
I truly enjoyed the food, especially the toasted buckwheat with the nut milk, freshly cut fruits and toasted coconut. I was fairly stuffed after this one but I signed up for the $ 20 brunch so I had a round No. 2 to go. I opted for the tofu scramble with a sweet potato hash. I loved the tofu scramble as it resembled scrambled egg whites with veggies. I was not crazy about the sweet potato as it was too sweet.
Try their cucumber-​apple freshly squeezed juice!
The food is prepared freshly right in front of you and the atmosphere is very vintage-​laid-​back. :) Only down-​side was the fact that they didn’t have enough cups handy. I guess they are «really» green. It was not a big deal but kinda funny that they had to ask for our water jugs in order to serve us coffee. All in all still a very nice experience.

This place is so hidden; I literally lived across the street from it for years without ever knowing it’s there. I finally read about it on Unilocal!-where else (?!) and promptly decided to get some girls together for Sunday Brunch.
What a little gem, you can tell they are passionate about their vegan, 90% raw and totally organic food. Everything is made from scratch with a lot of love.
The $ 20 brunch special includes fresh squeezed juice, granola and any brunch entrée. I chose cucumber apple juice, foamy and refreshing goodness.
The buckwheat granola was crunchy and not too sweet and came with lightly sweetened homemade yogurt that appeared to have flax meal in it.
The waffle was out of this world light, crunchy, sweet and moist all at the same time.
The tofu scramble was cooked and seasoned so cleverly that it could have easily fooled me into thinking I was eating eggs. The sweet potato hash was more of a purée. I sort of expected it to be crunchy but it was more of a creamy mash.
Being not only a chocolate lover but also German, I couldn’t pass up the daily dessert special: German Chocolate Mousse Cake. This was chilled, chocolaty, sweet, crunchy, gooey decadence on a plate. So satisfying in fact that I couldn’t finish it by myself and I am known to finish off entire dessert buffets without difficulty. I had to ask how they melt the chocolate if it’s a raw cake. The secret? Not a block of chocolate but pure cocoa powder.
Even the coffee here is great and they serve it with nut milk and agave nectar. Who would have thought that eating vegan can be this satisfying. Genius!
I did pay $ 35 for brunch including coffee and dessert, which is a little on the pricier side but it was definitely worth it.

In the 90’s Miami projected an image of healthy conscious, fitness-​fueled beautiful people rollerskating along the beach and even produced their own diet, The South Beach Diet. That being said, I’ve found it quite interesting that South Beach has a very small selection when it comes to vegan restaurants.
When I was researching restaurants in the area, I came across Thrive. It was relatively close to where I was staying and had several good reviews. The one factor that I wasn’t the biggest fan of is that it was a primarily RAW vegan restaurant. I rarely find RAW foods to be truly delicious, a raw lasagna and a raw pizza from a marketplace called Erewhon in Los Angeles made me give up on raw food and more or less ruined lasagna for me. I will be honest and tell you I did not try any of the raw food at Thrive, however, I did try some of their daily «hot dishes».
There was some lentil situation with rice that I tried as well as an eggplant and tofu stir-​fry. To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t blown away by either of the hot dishes. The was another that I tried on another date but I don’t remember the ingredients, I do remember taking one bite of it and being completely over it.
WHAT I DO LIKE ABOUT THRIVE IS THEIR SMOOTHIES!!! The Fudge-​sicle smoothie with cacao, bananas and dates is probably the best smoothie I have ever had in my life and believe me, I’ve had A LOT of smoothies. I also tried the Choco-​love smoothie which had cacao and strawberries which was also quite good. If, I return to Thrive, I’m definitely just going to get smoothies from now on.
Another thing I like about Thrive is their staff. Everyone who works here is very courteous, kind and seemingly wants you to enjoy yourself and the food. I applaud their efforts even though I am not the biggest fan of the food, nice people.

Dear Thrive, you’ve ruined me for other vegan restaurants.
As a vegan novice, you were my first and now I sit here wishing you had been my only.
Here I was thinking you were all the same, but alas, I was wrong.
I didn’t mean to cheat on you, I hope you find it in your heart to take me back.
I keep reminiscing on the games we’ve played. The word blocks of my heart are yearning to relive that expression.
There aren’t smoothies in the world as sweet as yours. Your scrambles are like no other, you are the only one whose flavors blend perfectly in a harmonious symphony.
I miss you. I hope to see you again soon.
Laura

My boyfriend passes by Thrive on his walk to work and mentioned it to me. As a vegetarian, I am always looking for new eating out options, so I was very excited to try it. Anyone who is a vegetarian or vegan knows that there aren’t many choices for good quality vegetarian fare.
We went to Thrive during his lunch break, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I got the Tunahhh Nori roll and he got the Portobello Pizza. I loved my roll! It was light, fresh, and delicious. I didn’t like the portobello pizza as much. Because Thrive is a raw vegan restaurant, most of the plates are cold, which is good for something like my tunah nori roll, but not as good for a portobello pizza.
I also got the Sunrise smoothie, which is strawberry, mango, and nutmilk. It was AMAZING. They make their nutmilk themselves out of cashews. It was soooo good!
I have been back since for more smoothies and several times to get the kale chips. They are addictive!!! My only «complaint» is that it is really expensive. I can understand why, because all of the food and smoothies are made with organic, fresh produce. But it still hurts the wallet.

Sunday Brunch at THRIVE is starting to become a weekly tradition for my local vegan friends. I’ve really been loving it here, the food is really yummy and full of flavor, especially the sweet treats, it’s got a great atmosphere and a warm vibe, Sheryn, the owner, is so welcoming and talented, and it’s vegan and raw! Can’t go wrong!
I posted a few pictures that I took at brunch a few weeks ago. Here’s my vlog review, actually:
So yes, THRIVE is now officially my go to Sunday brunch place. I love introducing more and more people to Sheryn’s cooking and uncooking, and I love supporting a local vegan business!
YAY!

Delicious, healthy, and fulfilling, THRIVE is an oasis of Zen in busy Miami Beach.
It is a bit hard to find, nestled in what used to be a one story house on the east side of Alton Road. You’ll first notice the plants out front, then the small signage. The space is a nursery as well; just head to the back patio for THRIVE.
I’m no vegetarian, but I try eat consciously so the concept of THRIVE — sustainable, vegan food — appeals to me. The menu is somewhat limited and, on the day we visited, was a little hard to read. Hand written on a dry erase board, the handwriting was messy and crowded so it was somewhat confusing. The lovely young woman behind the counter was more helpful as we decided on what we wanted — portabella mushroom «pizza» and veggie «quiche.»
The food was ready quickly (nothing is cooked, so no surprise here) and both items were served with a large, fresh salad. Both were flavorful but I preferred the meaty texture of the portabella, which was topped with vegan «cheese» and olives. The quiche was yummy as well, the texture of which was similar to a pâté.
Perhaps the most pleasant thing about the experience was the environment in which you dine. You truly feel like you have left the urban jungle and been transported to a rural garden. The large patio is open in the middle, with small wrought iron tables and chairs and gorgeous plants and fountains circling the space. Above, a mesh cover is strung to keep out the brightest of the sun, creating a lovely, comfortable dining space.
I did find it to be a bit pricey ($ 20 total per person), but I understand why.
Bottom Line: THRIVE fits their niche precisely: healthy, vegan food in c comfortable environment.