Choices Cafe

I’m happy to have this place nearby. I love the option of eating healthy, vegan cuisine. I’ve tried plenty of dishes here, and I haven’t been disappointed by anything. At first, the prices were a little bit astronomical. I suppose organic, vegan options aren’t quite yet cost effective for businesses. Now, they have updated their menu to include meal options under $ 10. The desserts, however, are still frighteningly overpriced. I like this place and I hope that my review doesn’t prevent you from trying this place. Just be open to spending a few more dollars here than you would at other places.
I brought a friend in to pick out some gluten-​free, vegan desserts. She grabbed a small brownie and two slices of cake. Our total, after tax, was $ 30. I could have made several trays of gluten-​free, vegan brownies for that amount. Again, I love this place, just be ready for the initial sticker shock. Once you get over that, the rest of your experience will be pleasant.

One of my greatest fears of trying anything vegan is being deprived of desserts and maple bacon donuts. I’m sorry Mr. Pig:) However, since the Unilocal Vegges Out event, I did open up to trying some more vegetarian and vegan dishes. During Carlos’ creatively named UYE at Choices Café, I figured out that there are some very tasty vegan items that hit my sweet tooth right.
As with the rest of the crew, I had gotten my carnivore fill from Blue Collar’s pulled pork benedict (can I mention that around here??) but will admit that some of the black bean burrito Cherry (all the way from the 713) looked delicious. Being vegi-​curious, I’ll try that next time.
Based on the invite, my eyes darted toward the last Maple «Bacon» Doughnut of the current batch on the display case. The bacon, instead of from a lechon, came from coconut chips and taste of the dough was not the same of a traditional one but nonetheless I enjoyed it and would order it again. After seeing Krys’ order, I placed an online order (no annoying standing in line) for the acai bowl. Yes it had chocolate, grains, bananas, strawberries and acai (the fruit some comedian called Portugese for expensive blueberry :) Score #2! A tropical fruit smoothie closed out my mostly vegan dessert binge.
As someone else noted, parking may be tight since it’s mostly street parking. But since you’re eating healthy, park a few blocks up and walk. Oink!

Para mi que soy amante de la comida vegetariana este lugar superó mis expectativas. Pedí la biggie buger que es de lentejas con chipotle mayo y estaba deli! El té verde con leche de coco lo recomiendo 100% ese me lo tomé con una «donut» con chía… Ummm. Volveré por el bowl de quinoa que se veía exquisito.

Let me first start this by saying I have been a loyal choices café customer since 2011 when the first location opened. I enjoyed bringing my family, friends and steer plenty of people who are interested in dietary changes or a cool vegan spot. I have always loved choices despite the sometimes slow service and food mistakes but this was definitely the last straw for me.
I was at choices 2 weeks ago for brunch which I have done countless times. The prices have recently gone up which is no issue for me at all since I definitely believe in compensating employees with a livable wage, but first you must have a strong staff. I ordered 2 Kind Slams, Tofu Scramble and a Pesto toast. With the new price points the total was about $ 50. I ordered pick up and as I got home I noticed that one of my pancakes was charred. I don’t live too far away so I decided to call in and ask them to remake it so I could switch it out. Unfortunately, the restaurant’s phone was going straight to voicemail so I had to go in to the restaurant to make the changes.
As I arrived to the restaurant I politely let the cashier that I had a burnt pancake, showed it to her and she went back in the kitchen to ask them to remake it. If you have ever been to Choices café on 79 street you will know that the kitchen is in a somewhat open setting. As the cashier took my pancake back in the kitchen I heard one of the managers say «Yup, that was the burnt one», now hearing that let me know that they were aware that they sold me a burnt pancake and was my first red flag for me. Upon hearing that I asked the cashier if there was any sort of compensation provided and she went to get the other manager Eduardo. I explained the situation to Eduardo putting emphasis on the fact that I had to come back to the store to return my order, asking if there is any type of compensation offered when an obvious mistake is made, perhaps an order of pesto toast and the answer i received was most jarring, disrespectful and rude I ever heard from management. Eduardo told me «We give high quality products here that’s why it is so expensive, it is not just trash that we can throw away whenever a customer wants something for free». My question is this: If i am paying high quality prices should I not receive high quality food? and I asked him that. If I purchased a meal you knowingly sold me burnt would you not want to rectify the situation? The final straw was when he realized how offended I was by his garbage remark, he then said «Do you want a cookie or something?» in the rudest way possible.
I cannot say that I will never go to choices again, but I will definitely be limiting my frequency significantly. This place is definitely in need of some sort of consulting and or staff change. I have met the owner several times and know that this is not his vision for this establishment.
I hope things change soon.

This place is pretty awesome. The only thing I don’t like is the parking, which can be hit or miss. I came here for the first time as part two of the «bang bang» UYE, and I really enjoyed it a lot more than the first place. I ordered the insane pancake, which came with soysage and I ordered a side of the tempeh bacon. The pancake was insanely delicious, the soysage was awesome, and although I did like the tempeh bacon, I felt it was a little too salty.
For a small place, the menu here is very diverse, and I look forward to coming back to try additional menu items.

Part two of the «bang bang» brunch UYE was Choices. Yes, we all got our fill of meat at part one, so we opted to get our healthy on at Choices.
Despite reading reviews beforehand I didn’t quite understand that Choices is a stand-​alone building and parking can be tough. Luckily most of us were able to snag curbside parking and walk across the road (traffic was pretty light). I can see parking during rush hour or prime time being a bit of an issue here, but perhaps you’ll be able to enter their secret back parking lot.
I consider myself a healthy eater (most of the time), but Choices caters to those even more extreme than myself. I don’t think everything on their menu is vegan, but it sure is vegetarian, so don’t come looking for beef here. Also, you can expect things to be a little pricey as they are using high end ingredients.
Seating is limited, but luckily our group of 12 managed to grab two tables next to each other just as the patrons were getting up. I also saw a lot of patrons stopping in for to-​go food, so expect constant foot traffic.
Ordering is simple, head up to the bar area, order, pay and you’ll be given a number, or they’ll yell your name when your food is ready.
I was pretty full from brunch #1 (plus hungover) so I opted just to get something to go. I talked a lot with the cashier about different options and he steered me away from my initial selection to the Insane Mex. I had seen pictures of the collard green wrap so I got that. I had some concerns about it getting soggy by the time I ate it, but it was more or less fine. I actually ended up cutting it up and eating it with a fork and knife (I may have added a few unhealthy condiments) and mixing it all together for a delicious dinner.
Choices isn’t in my area, so it’s unlikely I’ll be back anytime soon, but I’ll definitely recommend it to all my veggie friendly friends :)

I waited 30 minutes for an acai bowl just to find out their acia machine needed to dethaw. I don’t have even 10 minutes to wait for a acai bowl. Anyone that likes acai bowls should check out under the mango tree on south beach. It’s a one person operation and the smoothies, juices, bowls, and food come out lightning fast compared to this multiple person operation that they call choices. I can tell you it will never be my choice ever again!

Ordered a Sergio Bowl to go and specifically said that I didn’t want any onions in my meal … Cashier even joked with me about not liking onions either … After $ 17, I get to my office and of course, the meal is full of grilled onions which in turn makes the whole meal taste like onions … So of course, the $ 17 goes right in the garbage … I usually double check my order when I’m at Pollo Tropical or Wendy’s but not after paying $ 17 and specially saying that I didn’t want any onions … 1^st and last time!

Extremely bland and extremely expensive for what it is. I ordered one of their «signature dishes» that was also an apparent customer favorite and two of the desserts (lemon pie and pumpkin pie). Might as well have gotten a slice of cardboard, sprinkled some sugar and squeezed some lemon juice on it and have had that for dessert instead. First and last time for sure.
The hot sauce was pretty good.

I love me some steak and fatty unhealthy food… but today I decided to give healthy a try. Choices Café is the perfect place to try healthy while still enjoying your meal! Who would’ve thought vegan was going to be so delicious.
I had the mental lentil salad and a heaven on Ice drink. It was my first time trying something called a lentil patty. Boy was it delicious! And with the black beans, sautéed onions, pico de gallo, avocado, quinoa, plantains, and homemade sauces it turned out to be a very flavorful dish. Be careful with that habanero sauce they have on the tables though, they’re not kidding when they say «very very spicy»! The heaven on ice was like having a healthy frappé. I would love to have that every morning if only it weren’t so pricey.
Yes, it’s expensive. Everyone says that, I thought so too. But you get what you pay for. Every ingredient is organic and fresh. I also noticed that they emphasize that they are TIP FREE. So I’m guessing that means that the prices are a bit high also because the «tip» is included in the menu price. It makes me happy to see a company ensure that their staff is well-​paid. If you keep your staff happy, then they will keep your customers happy.
One small concern I had was that when I walked in, the place was a little messy. But I think I arrived after rush hour. Even still, I felt like it wasn’t as clean as I expected. You could tell because there were stains on the walls, dirty Windows, dust on furniture, water glasses/​silverware not polished and with water marks. It’s minor little things that I’m sure nobody else notices but if you’re promoting a healthy clean lifestyle, then it would be nice to maintain a clean atmosphere as well. The self-​serve water container was warm; keeping a little ice in there would be nice. It’ll make the water look fresh and clean. Also, parking is a bit of a hassle. Had to find street parking.

I love this place! All organic and vegetarian its great and it taste so good. Finally a restaurant that’s open past 6 o’clock it’s convenient and the food is so delicious

Excellent customer service quite nice little spot and excellent food I don’t have a single complaint

One of my absolute favorite vegan restaurants to visit while in Miami. I brought the whole family in recently, three generations, and definitely converted the meat eaters. We had a few smoothies, desserts, and breakfast. The pancakes are incredible, the tempeh bacon amazing, lovely raw treats, and many smoothies to choose from. Just GO!

Same delicious and nutritious food as Choices Kitchen, but this location has added beer and wine. They also bake their desserts here, so the selection of sweets is usually a little more extensive.
Mental lentil wrap and pumpkin cheesecake were both awesome. If you’re here for breakfast you must try their pancakes. Better than any non-​vegan wheat flour pancake I’ve ever tasted, plus you get to chose your own add-​ins. Some of my favorite combos are banana-​walnut, strawberry-​hemp or just blueberries.
There are 3 – 4 free parking spaces right in the front. The parking behind the building is really difficult to find, because you have to enter from the back street. I still haven’t figured it out, but my Mini can usually squeeze in up front.
Great, fun spot to eat like you give a damn.

Choices Café is just the best place in Miami for ALL organic and vegan food hands down! Besides presenting consistently delicious & well portioned dishes and deserts they educate & inform people as to why eating organic, vegan is the most healthy choice.
Their animated videos are fun, friendly and very educational so you can understand not only how eating organic & vegan helps you but how it makes the world a better place. For me, that’s why I Love Choices so much! They care about the world and do something about it with everything do and are.
I’m the Director of Kundalini Yoga Miami, Miami’s Home for Kundalini Yoga & Conscious Living so people constantly ask me where to go for conscious food in Miami. Our local choice for amazing, healthy food and an uplifting atmosphere to enjoy it and connect with other conscious people is Choices Café.
We LOVE Choices and we’re sure you will too!

I’m so happy when I see a vegan place doing well. I see this biz has four locations. I hope they keep doing well, and expanding.
I had La Pixsa, which is a cold pizza on very thin, crunchy tortilla crust. Freakin delish. I got half pesto sauce, half chipotle mayo, and my favorite was the mayo which is completely on point and impossible to tell it’s vegan. Walnut meat was also tasty and, though I don’t need meat «recreated» in vegan meals, it was very meaty.
Service was kind and helpful. Prices are steep– but that seems to be the trend at vegan places. Give it a few years, and the popularization of plant-​based eateries will bring down the prices. Anyway I’d rather take my chances with overpriced veggies than underpriced meat (ew).

This was my first visit here and I will say I’ll be back. I’m on my 3^rd week of veganism and I was struggling with a burger craving. But I’ve been doing well and did not want to screw up. I walked in and I was initially was going to go with nachos but noticed they had a «burger» It began with the letter «K» and it was served with sweet potato fries. The cashier was very friendly and helpful. It was absolutely delicious and satisfying. The only thing that sucked was that my sweet potato fries were cold for the most part. But all in all good experience and you get organic, cruelty free, delicious food.

I like this place, I like the food here, I’d eat here more often if it weren’t for one big problem: it’s expensive.
Yeah yeah, fresh organic produce is expensive to procure. Maybe it’s because the food purveyors who have a stranglehold on the market are just ripping us off and we accept high prices because we don’t know any better?
Why is it that I can go to cities like New York and eat out for almost half of what it costs to eat in Miami?
That being said I can’t blame Choices for their pricey delicious food, I really don’t know what the deal is. I just know it’s a shame because this place is a good example of how eating vegan or vegetarian is a viable and tasty alternative, you’ll just have to sell your kidneys to afford it.

Great food, just be ready to wait for it.
Extremely hot coffee, undrinkable even after 10 min

Amazing food! So nice to have a vegan option in Miami. Nachos are to fabulous! Great portion and tasty! Bowls are also incredible!
Also another plus in my book, there’s a side patio so you can bring your fur baby!

So I’m finally adding the extra star to Choices. They upgraded locations and the food and quality is what I remembered and appreciated on previous visits.
Service was also on point which means I only had to order once and my order came out perfecto!
They do charge an extra dollar if you ask for more syrup which I feel is slightly ridiculous since you’re already paying top dollar for food but whatever… maybe that dollar could’ve been the make or break on the extra star I didn’t just give them because of that… lol but 4 stars is just and fair considering.