Nineteen61

May 2024 Update:

Good news! There is an updated menu at Nineteen61. There is a vegetarian salad (request no cheese) with beans, avocado, sunflower seeds, and arugula. Additionally, there is a new Vegetable Saltado. The flavor is quite delicious and a big improvement to the previous vegan dish. I did confirm that the chorizo hummus cannot be made vegan as the oil is not on top but incorporated in. If you go first thing at lunch time, you may be able to order the hummus without the oil if they have not mixed it yet (I was able to do this). 

2023:

Venturing into Nineteen61 in Lakeland, FL, I discovered their vegan option, the Quinoa with Corn Salsa, which, truth be told, leans on the oily side and lacks vegetables, essentially boiling down to a hefty portion of quinoa. Attempting to enhance the dish, I added plantains which are cooked in a shared fryer with calamari and shrimp. For a touch more variety, the 1961 Salad sans cheese is an option. The beans contain meat.  The Vegetable of the Day was vegan on the day I went and came without dairy standard. There is a Fried Rice vegetarian option which can be modified: no egg, no aioli, to be vegan. The rice has a nice flavor and has some small pieces of vegetables which is appreciated. I would recommend this over the quinoa. It is also very oily but filling. I did ask the (very helpful) server if I could order a plate of steamed, grilled, or sauteed vegetables as an entree. He explained that there vegetables they have are pre-portioned and allocated to the dish they go with, like the grouper for example. So this request would not be possible. There are no vegan desert options and the complimentary bread appetizer contains cheese. 

While the inclusion of a vegan dish is appreciated, it falls short in thoughtfulness and substance compared to their meat entrees. The restaurant’s atmosphere is undeniably beautiful, elevating the dining experience, and the service stands out as the best in Lakeland. Despite some room for improvement in the vegan department, Nineteen61 offers an overall delightful dining experience.