Local Chattanooga vegetarian and vegan cafe Southern Squeeze serves up freshly made dishes for breakfast and lunch as well as hearty juices, coffees, and teas.
A great vegetarian and vegan cafe in Chattanooga is Southern Squeeze. Not only do they serve amazing and fresh food, but they also specialize in healthy juices. Here you’ll find all organic, cold-pressed juices along with a full plant-based menu. Not only is everything made with plant power, it’s organic, well-sourced, and made on site as if they were making food for themselves to enjoy. There’s both vegetarian and vegan options so your health needs are taken care of. If this checks all your boxes, you’ll definitely have to give this place a try. And if this type of food doesn’t interest you, I encourage you to try it anyway because it just might surprise you. Continue reading to learn more about the vegetarian and vegan goodness this Chattanooga gem has to offer.
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What is Southern Squeeze?
Southern Squeeze first opened back in 2014 by a Chattanooga local. As a vegetarian, Kelsey saw the need for more convenient vegetarian food options. She started out with organic, cold-pressed juices only and things took off. In 2017 Southern Squeeze expanded into what it is today. Their picturesque storefront is located on the Northshore side of Chattanooga where they serve more than just juices. They also have a plethora of other drinks to try such as wellness lattes, teas, coffees, smoothies, and cashew milks. And now they have a full menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Plus everything is made healthy from anti-inflammatory ingredients with minimal dairy and gluten, no seed oils, no refined sugars, all plant-based and made from scratch. They offer mostly vegan food, but there are some dishes that are just vegetarian which are noted on the menu.
As many ingredients as possible are sourced from local farms so you know that all the fruits and veggies are as fresh as they can be. Southern Squeeze also has a space for other health products including shelf-stable foods, protein powders, supplements, and more.
Vegetarian and Vegan Distaste
You might be thinking that you don’t like vegetarian or vegan food. Personally, I like vegan food to an extent, but typically I find that it’s not enough for me. Either it leaves me feeling still hungry, it’s bland, or it just feels like it’s missing something. But Southern Squeeze is not this way! All their food and drinks are full of so many flavors and textures. It’s far from bland or boring. So, if you’re not big into plant-based or healthy foods, don’t knock this till you try it. You just might be surprised and find a new favorite here.
Southern Squeeze Organic Cold-Pressed Juice
Since Southern Squeeze used to just be a juice bar, of course you have to try some juice! The first time I went I tried the Limeshine (green one pictured below) as it was recommended to me by one of the employees. I was hesitant because it has celery in it and I hate celery. But turns out, you can’t even taste it! Limeshine consists of apple, celery, cucumber, romaine, cilantro and lime. It has a very pleasant taste overall and I’d definitely get it again.
A while back when I went, I got the Heart Beet (red one pictured below) just because it looked good. It has pineapple, orange, ginger and of course beet in it. This pleasantly surprised me which you will see in my initial taste test video. I highly recommend this one if you like ginger spice and want a sweeter juice. I’m sure all their juices are great, I just haven’t had a chance to try any others yet. Keep in mind, they don’t have this particular flavor anymore. Instead, they’ve kicked it up a notch by adding carrots and lemon to it and naming it the Rhinestone Cowboy.
Also note the difference in shaken and settled juice. Once you shake the juice it becomes opaque with all the goodness suspended within. And it takes a long time to settle so you need not worry about it when you’re enjoying your juice.
Southern Squeeze Milks
In the same refrigerated shelf, you’ll find Southern Squeeze’s house-made cashew milks. They have chocolate, vanilla, rose, and Vanilla Bean Latte.
I recently grabbed the Vanilla Bean Latte to try and was amazed at the flavor! With just cold brew coffee, cashew milk, vanilla, sea salt, and dates to sweeten it, this drink tastes like a cold vanilla latte, crazy! I’ve never seen dates used as a sweetener in coffee before, although the cashew milk may also help, this is one healthy, cold latte you won’t regret trying.
Again, just like the juices, separation in the milk is normal so just shake well before consuming.
Southern Squeeze Breakfast
When I went to Southern Squeeze last time, it was for breakfast with my friend. She got the Superfood Oat Bowl. And as the name implies it is made with gluten-free oats, superfoods, and topped with fresh fruit and maple syrup. She was impressed with the texture of it. She said it’s not at all like classic oatmeal, but better. I didn’t try it, but based on her response to it, I’d say it’s a good one.
I ordered the Works Waffle. This is a waffle loaded with banana, berries, fruit compote of the day, almond butter, coconut butter and blueberry maple syrup. There were so many flavors and textures here and I loved it. I would order this again hands down. The other thing that surprised me was how filling it was. I don’t know what they use to make their waffles but it was good and dense and I really like that.
Southern Squeeze Drinks
With breakfast, my friend and I both got drinks to try as well. This made for a really big meal and I must say I wouldn’t recommend having a drink AND a breakfast dish. It was too much! That’s what surprised me. Normally food like this is not nearly as filling, but they make it right because this was really filling indeed.
My friend got the Calm and Collected which is almond milk, coconut butter, ashwagandha, lion’s mane, reishi, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and honey. This combination is to promote anti-anxiety and relaxation, as the name implies. She enjoyed it and said it tasted like a chai. So if you are looking for a relaxing chai, definitely give this drink a try.
I have been obsessed with matcha lately and Southern Squeeze has two matcha lattes on the menu. I had been eyeing the Matcha Match latte which closely resembles a traditional matcha latte. But instead, I was encouraged to try the High Vibes, so I did. This one is made of coconut milk, ginger juice, matcha, cacao powder and honey. The cacao is why it’s brown instead of green and nicely balances out the flavors. I was shocked at how I could taste every ingredient individually before the ginger hit. And again, the ginger is strong, but so good.
Southern Squeeze Lunch
Back to the first time I tried Southern Squeeze, I was looking for lunch so I decided to try the Poke Bowl. This is basically a salad consisting of seasonal veggies, quinoa, avocado, romaine, kelp noodles and nori. A spicy “mayo” and sweet sesame dressing are served on the side and compliment each other very well. I got this to-go at the time so I’m sorry for the to-go box picture. But as you can see, this food is still beautifully arranged. And yet again, I was impressed by the mouthful of flavor and textures it provided. I would get this again for sure!
More recently I grabbed lunch to-go again, but this time I tried the Nachos 2.0. This tasty concoction consists of hot lentils with house-made vegan nacho cheese atop romaine lettuce, slaw, tomatoes, pickled onions, fresh pineapple and cilantro on a bed of cassava chips. As usual, I was amazed at the fullness and flavor this meal provided. It’s a huge serving size and I struggled to eat it all in one sitting. If you want the freshest tasting nachos of your life, you’ve gotta try these.
Southern Squeeze Snacks
Southern Squeeze really has it all, including a little bakery selection full of plant-based snacks. Like the Matcha Pronut which is a dense, protein donut. It has a hefty, cake-like texture packed with protein, making it the perfect snack. Other protein snacks include breakfast protein cookie and maca protein energy bites. There’s also desserts like mint bars, peanut butter bars, and cookies.
Conclusion
I’ve only been to Southern Squeeze a few times now, but I’ve tried a lot there. I highly recommend this Chattanooga vegetarian and vegan cafe and look forward to returning again to try something new. I really want to try a smoothie bowl and some of their other breakfast foods. How about you? Do any of these items pique your interest? Or have you tried Southern Squeeze before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Until next time, enjoy exploring Chatt!
Try More Local Chattanooga Eats and Drinks
- Milk and Honey: Coffee, Brunch, Gelato, and More
- Visit The Daily Ration for Breakfast, Lunch, and Brunch
- Try Chattanooga Chai with Cheiman Tea
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