Bernie's L.A. Café, South Beach, Miami - Vegetarian-friendly Latino Restaurant

Bernie's L.A. Café, South Beach

Bernie's Latin American Café is on Alton Road, not one of the main tourist streets of South Beach.

Close to Lincoln Road
But it's only a few minutes' walk from the bustling Lincoln Road, and for a vegan the short detour is definitely worthwhile.

Full Meals, Not Just Snacks
Despite its name, the L.A. Café serves full meals, not just snacks. It's bright and spotlessly clean, with friendly service. This is not a fast-food restaurant. Everything is cooked to order, so you may have to wait a little while for your meal to arrive.

Tell the Waitstaff if You're Vegan
If you're vegan, say so, to ensure that anything you order doesn't include cheese or eggs.

Vegan Main Courses
There's a small selection of vegan main courses, including:

• Tofu and vegetable stir-fry on wholegrain rice
• Grilled vegetables with organic quinoa gallo pinto (beans cooked with quinoa)
• Wholegrain rice and beans bowl
• Vegetarian “Chix” chicken substitute, either in a fajita wrap or a sandwich

Vegan Side Dishes
Side dishes which are vegan include:

• Yuca fries
• Sweet potato fries
• Tostones (patties made from plantains)
• Maduros (fried plantains)

Before you ask for a side dish, check with the waitstaff that fries, maduros or beans and rice aren't included with your main dish. If you order fries, tell them you don't want salt.

Try Bernie's sauces, which are provided free of charge in little bottles, but take care, because the spiciest one is very hot.

Wine and Sam Adams Beer
Wine and beer are available, including the Boston beer, Samuel Adams, which has a full-flavoured taste about as far from that of Budweiser as you can get.

Order for Delivery by Phone or Online
You can order for delivery, either by phone or in the Internet, although the website is a shade slow. Also, you'll be asked to register.

Bernie's Cookbook with Videos
A recipe book, Bernie's Kitchen, is on sale, although I didn't see it displayed. This definitely isn't a vegetarian cookbook, but it does have some interesting vegan recipes.

The book comes with a CD which includes videos and is designed to work in both Apple Macs and Windows. If you're using Windows, you'll need to download and install the free Quicktime program, but this is very easy and doesn't take long.

Bernie Matz is a Cuban-American chef of Jewish extraction, so his recipes include elements of Latino, Middle-Eastern and European cooking.

Directions to Bernie's L.A. Café in Google Transit
Bernie's L.A. Café is at 1570 Alton Rd, South Beach. For detailed directions by public transport, walking or driving, click on the Google Transit link in the right-hand sidebar of this blog and search for Bernie's L.A. Café, Miami Beach.

Tips on using Google Transit can be found in the following post: Directions in Miami - Walking, Driving, Bike, Buses & Trains.