Bahama Breeze is considered a fast-casual restaurant that features some top-notch Caribbean and Jamaican food infused with mind-blowing flavors. Menu items vary slightly based on location and accessibility to certain foods, but certain vegan items can be found universally among their 37 locations. Their playful menu emulates island cuisine and lingo. You can be certain you’ll feel like you’re going on a mini-vacation next time you pop into a Bahama Breeze.
Bahama Breeze has a reasonable amount of food items that are vegan friendly, and several other items that can be modified to omit animal products or animal by-products like honey or milk. Their Caribbean-inspired dishes are exploding with flavor. Vegans can choose from Jackfruit tacos, BBQ Black Bean Burger, Black Bean Stuffed Plantain Bowl, Sun-Ripened Tomato Salad, or Jicama-Mango Slaw.
If you have a sudden craving for island cuisine that is of good quality and for a fair price, you should add Bahama Breeze to your list. We’ve outlined some ideas and suggestions for ordering vegan at Bahama Breeze, so you can sit back, relax, and eat on island time.
Contents
- Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at Bahama Breeze
- Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at Bahama Breeze
- Vegan Options at Bahama Breeze
- Find a Bahama Breeze Factory near You
- Similar Restaurants (or Establishments) to Bahama Breeze
- Related Questions
Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at Bahama Breeze
- Ask for the balsamic vinaigrette to replace other salad dressings to ensure it doesn’t contain animal products
- Omit the meat, melted cheese, and salad dressing from the Tropical Fruit Salad, Tropical Chicken Salad, Chicken Tostada Salad, or the Salmon Tostada Salad to make it vegan friendly
- Order the Jackfruit or Black bean tacos but ask for no cheese or sauce with animal products, such as the cheese, sour cream, Cilantro-Crema, or Sriracha Aioli. For a sauce replacement, you can ask for some guacamole or one of Bahama Breeze’s zesty vegan salsas.
- Substitute the black bean burger for any of the chicken sandwiches or burgers and substitute the bun for a vegan bun. We have labeled what vegan bread options there are a bit further down below.
- If you’re in the mood for something sweet, consider the fruit bowl and mango sorbet or the sweet plantains. Bahama Breeze doesn’t have many vegan options for the sweet tooth’s out there, but both the fruit bowl and sweet plantains are solid choices that are not only vegan but also healthy dessert options.
Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at Bahama Breeze
- Beef Empanadas
- Spinach Dip
- Tostones with Chicken
- Classic Chicken Wings
- Coconut Shrimp
- Firecracker Shrimp
- Skillet-Simmered Jerk Shrimp
- Whole Jamaican Jerk Wings
- Yuca Cheese Sticks
- Conch Fritters
- Bahamian Seafood
- Cuban Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Crema
- Salmon Tostada Salad
- Chicken Tostada Salad
- Tropical Chicken Salad
- Island Vinaigrette
- Ranch Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Cilantro-Crema
- Cheesy Grits
- Cinnamon Yam Mash
- Creamed Spinach with Coconut Milk
- Creole Baked Goat Cheese
- Blackened Mahi Tacos
- Coconut Shrimp Tacos
- Jerk Chicken Sandwich
- Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich
- Cuban Sandwich
- Grilled Cheeseburger
- Applewood Bacon and Cheddar Burger
- Seafood Paella
- Tequila Sunburn Glazed Salmon
- Lobster & Shrimp Linguine
- Grilled Salmon
- Jerk Shrimp Pineapple Bowl
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta
- Jerk Chicken Pasta
- Jamaican Jerk Chicken
- Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Grilled Chicken with Cilantro-Crema
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Skirt Steak Churrasco
- Jamaican Stuffed Plantain Bowl
- Grilled Top Sirloin Steak
- Top Sirloin & Coconut Shrimp
- Baby Back Ribs
- Rebecca’s Key Lime Pie
- Chocolate Island
- Pineapple Cheesecake Empanadas
- Key Lime Pie
Vegan Options at Bahama Breeze
Appetizers
Unfortunately, there aren’t many small plates or appetizers at Bahama Breeze that can be modified to be vegan. Looking at the extensive list of menu items above, you can deduce that many have animal products or dairy, or both. The only truly vegan choice is chips and vegan-friendly dip.
1. Chips with Guacamole or Vine-Ripened Tomato Salsa
- Ingredients: tortilla, oil, avocado, tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro
Salads
Aside from the house salad, all salads must be customized for them to be safe for vegans to consume. We’ve listed the ingredients for the salads available at Bahama Breeze below and explained what should be omitted from each salad for it to be vegan-friendly.
1. House Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Ingredients: Roma tomatoes, cucumber ribbons, pumpkin seeds, island vinaigrette
- Omit: island vinaigrette
- Pro-tip: substitute balsamic vinaigrette
2. Tropical Fruit Salad
- Ingredients: Fresh pineapple, red grapes, strawberries, mandarin oranges, candied almonds, goat cheese, and Island Vinaigrette
- Omit: goat cheese, candied almonds, and Island vinaigrette
- Pro-tip: ask for a fruit bowl with no add-ons
3. Sun-Ripened Tomato Salad
- Ingredients: Lettuce mix, citrus vinaigrette, ripened beefsteak tomatoes, ripened Roma tomatoes, red grape tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, basil, goat cheese, garlic croutons
- Omit: Garlic crouton rounds, goat cheese, citrus vinaigrette
Main Dishes
There are a few vegetarian dishes that can be modified to be vegan-friendly.
1. Jackfruit tacos
- Ingredients: jackfruit, jicama-mango slaw, corn and black bean salsa, tortilla, and sriracha aioli
- Omit: Sriracha Aioli
2. Bow-tie Pasta with your choice of sauce (Tomato Sauce, Balsamic Vinaigrette, etc.)
- Ingredients: bow-tie pasta, tomato sauce
3. BBQ Black Bean Burger
- Ingredients: black beans, BBQ sauce, cheese, bun, onion, tomato, lettuce
- Omit: Cheese, and bun
- Pro-tip: replace the non-vegan friendly bun with a lettuce wrap or Cuban bread
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4. Black Bean Stuffed Plantain Bowl
- Ingredients: Black Beans, Caramelized whole sweet plantain, white rice, Frito sauce, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheese
- Omit: cheese, Frito sauce
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5. Sun-drenched Portobello Sandwich
- Ingredients: seasonal veggies, Portobello mushroom, non-vegan bread, cheese, onion, tomato
- Omit: cheese, bread
- Pro-tip: substitute the bread for Cuban bread or a flour tortilla
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Another idea for vegan-friendly main entrées is to make your own pasta. The Jerk Chicken Pasta is far from vegan-friendly, as it contains jerk chicken breast and Parmesan cream sauce, but you could request a bow-tie pasta from your server with fresh asparagus and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, or another variation of veggies to add more flavor and texture to your pasta dish.
Sides
Bahama Breeze boasts quite a few side dishes that are free of animal products. Just ensure that any veggies be made without butter or sauce that might contain animal products.
1. Steamed Broccoli
- Ingredients: butter, broccoli
- Omit: butter
2. Asparagus
3. Green Beans
4. Jicama-Mango Slaw
- Ingredients: jicama, mango, bell pepper, red onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, seasonings
5. Steamed or Sautéed Assorted Vegetables
6. White Rice
7. French Fries
8. Fried Sweet Plantains
9. Vine-Ripened Tomato Salad
Vegan Bread
Despite popular belief that most bread contains some form of dairy; Bahama Breeze has several breads and wraps safe for vegans to consume. If you are gluten-free, however, please be advised these all contain gluten.
1. Flour Tortillas
2. Flatbread Crisps
3. Naan Bread
4. Cuban Bread
Vegan Sauces and Dressings
To our knowledge, all these sauces are vegan. Just to be sure Bahama Breeze has not modified their sauce formulas at your specific location, ask your server if the BBQ sauce contains honey before ordering.
1. Jerk BBQ Sauce
- Ingredients: Olive oil, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, orange juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Dark Jamaican rum, lime juice, habanero pepper, red onion, green onion, creole seasoning
2. Chimichurri Sauce
- Ingredients: parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, vinegar
3. Tomato Sauce
4. Guava BBQ Sauce
- Ingredients: BBQ sauce, Guava fruit pulp, blackening seasoning
5. Black Bean & Corn Salsa
- Ingredients: black beans, corn kernels, red onions, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
6. Guacamole
7. Vine-Ripened Tomato Salsa
8. Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
9. Mango Salsa
- Ingredients: mango, jalapeño peppers, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, red bell pepper, red onion, salt and pepper
Desserts
1. Fresh Fruit with Mango Sorbet
- Ingredients: fruit assortment, mango sorbet
Find a Bahama Breeze Factory near You
Check out the Bahama Breeze store locator here if you’re wanting some bold flavors and a momentary break from reality.
Similar Restaurants (or Establishments) to Bahama Breeze
With all of these options available to you, you really can’t go wrong. We hope you found this vegan guide to Bahama Breeze useful and refer to it next time you make your way to one of their establishments. Below, we’ve answered a few common questions to give you further guidance on nutritional content and health information for Bahama Breeze’s menu items.
Related Questions
Does Bahama Breeze Have Healthy Menu Items?
Bahama breeze offers a few menu items deemed healthy, yet many contain some form of animal product such as chicken, fish, or cheese. The Sun-Drenched Portobello and Vegetable Sandwich without the cheese and on a lettuce wrap is an incredibly healthy vegan alternative that has a variety of seasonal vegetables and is sure to satisfy your hunger and keep your heart happy. The house salad or black bean burger on a lettuce wrap are additional menu items with high nutritional value.
Does Bahama Breeze Have Hidden Meat or Dairy-Based Products in Their Meals?
Unlike other restaurants that don’t explicitly state whether seemingly vegan or vegetarian food contains meat or dairy products, Bahama Breeze is clear as day when it comes to listing their ingredients in each menu item. What is said to be vegan is truly vegan, and what is stated as vegetarian is truly vegetarian.
Bahama Breeze characterizes vegetarian menu items as “food that is made without meat, stock, or gelatin from an animal, but may include dairy and/or eggs.” Bahama Breeze defines vegan menu items as any items made without animal meat or animal by-products. This includes honey, which some restaurants sneak into salad dressings and marinades. Rest assured; at Bahama Breeze you get what you see.
Does Bahama Breeze Have a Gluten-Free Menu?
For those who are celiac, Bahama Breeze has an entire menu called the gluten-sensitive menu. Not only are the gluten-free items made without gluten, but they are also carefully selected to ensure that cross-contamination with gluten ingredients is not an issue. Their house salad is among the few options you’ll find that is both vegan and gluten-friendly, however, several other vegan options are inherently gluten-free, such as the steamed broccoli and rice.