
Vegan dining establishments are emerging like wildflowers here in St. Petersburg, Florida it seems. Freya’s Diner, the savory sister location of the popular Valhalla Bakery, has bloomed in the Grand Central District on the corner of Central Avenue and 25th St. If you’re familiar, it’s actually connected to Valhalla Bakery with access to both locations without stepping foot outside.
Freya’s is ultra busy serving up their vegan diner classics that are reimagined with a twist. They opened their doors back in December and for now, they are mostly to-go only; however, they do have a handful of tables outside that you’re welcome to help yourself to when the weather permits. Simply stop into Freya’s, place your order and after a brief waiting period your food will be packaged up and ready to enjoy. During said waiting period, you’re presented with an idyllic time to pop over to Valhalla Bakery to ooh and ahh over all of the incredible vegan baked goods. Might I suggest picking up something sweet to enjoy after your meal? You won’t be disappointed. Valhalla has a range of vegan baked goods – everything from cookies, bars and cake slices to luscious morning masterpieces like ham & cheese puffs, scones, coffee cake, muffins, cinnamon buns and more. They even take custom vegan cake orders – like this incredible lemon cake with rose icing that they created for me for my birthday last year.
Of the few times that we have paid Freya’s a visit, they have been quite busy every single time. Rain or shine, folks line up and pay their time to enjoy some of the most delicious vegan eats in St. Pete. The interior of the space is quite modern and clean with eclectic and artsy touches. My favorite interior detail is undoubtedly the gorgeous mushroom mural that is painted on the wall above the threshold leading into and out of Valhalla Bakery.
The menu at Freya’s is quite extensive and ranges from burgers and sandwiches and bowls and salads to snacks and toast, and even weekend brunch. Their brunch items are only served on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00AM – 2:00PM. They are not listed on the regular menu as of now so be certain not to miss them listed on the back wall on the craft paper behind the counter.
We did not notice the brunch menu until our second visit – better late than never though, right? My husband was drawn to the Fried Oyster Mash & Grits, so that’s what we opted for. It includes smoked gouda, grits, mushroom gravy, vegan cheddar cheese, scallions, fried oyster mushrooms and is topped with Freya’s Fancy Sauce. The grits were wonderful – plenty of flavor and texture. We aren’t the biggest mushroom fans that you’ll ever meet, but it’s tough not to enjoy a fried mushroom. And not to mention the beautiful presentation of the dish and attention to detail. In fact, everything we ordered was thoughtfully presented.
Perhaps one of my favorite items ordered (if not my absolute favorite) was the Kombucha Onion Rings. The incredible flavor is so unique – unlike any other onion rings that I’ve ever had. The texture is just perfect with perfect crunch. It’s a large order so sharing is definitely encouraged. These golden savory beauts are served with a curry mustard aioli to make things THAT much better. If you don’t finish them, save them to enjoy again. We tossed our leftovers into the oven the next day and they were equally as delicious.

Speaking of favorites – if it isn’t the onion rings, it’s definitely the Buffalo Broccoli Bowl for me. It is not listed on the menu; however, when I looked down on the counter prior to ordering, there it was on a small piece of paper as a newer menu item. The all-stars of the dish are rice, fried broccoli, tomato and vegan ranch. It was full of flavor and totally filling. My only suggestion would be to maybe cut the broccoli florets in half to make eating them a little easier. Other than that, they’re completely satisfying.

Keeping on the trend of spice, whenever there is a Nashville style chicken sandwich on a menu, you can almost guarantee that my husband is going to order it. This rendition is comprised of a fried “chicken” patty, Nashville spices, bread + butter pickles, and root veg slaw with garlic aioli. We thoroughly enjoyed it, though, we would’ve loved even more spice. Everything else was on point though – from the slaw, to the bun.
The second that we both glanced at the menu, the Jerk Wrap immediately grabbed the attention of the both of us. The presentation and overall flavor was totally on point. The mushrooms were a bit tough for our liking. We would like to see them a bit more broken down as we found them somewhat chewy. The French Fries, though, were incredible! Seasoned well with slight texture, yet mostly soft on the inside. I could’ve eaten an entire order of those as a meal.
Sweet Potato Fries are also a newer menu item for Freya’s – one that should not be overlooked, at that. The serving size is perfect for sharing, but would also make the perfect side for any of Freya’s sandwiches/wraps.
Vegan restaurants are trending upwards and spots like Freya’s Diner are paving the way. They have managed to transform classic comfort dishes into irresistible vegan versions. Even though they’ve only been open for a short time, this hip little diner is already attracting major attention…and it’s well deserved.
Vegan diner classics reimagined with a twist.
PLEASE NOTE: Reviews reflect a certain moment in time. Some restaurants stay extremely consistent over many years, and some change for the better or worse. Some things that may change are: chefs, recipes, food suppliers, ingredients, philosophies, ownership, etc. We always hope that you have the same good, or great experience we had.