Dharma Southern Kitchen, Tampa Armature Works’ go-to vegan spot, will close next month

A sad day for Tampa Bay’s plant-based folks is nigh, as Dharma Southern Kitchen recently announced the upcoming closure of its Armature Works location, at  1910 N Ola Ave. in Tampa Heights.

The popular vegan eatery took to social media this week to break the news to its customers. Its Facebook and Instagram state that Sanford’s Dharma Southern Kitchen has already closed, and that Tampa’s last day of service will take place on Monday, Aug. 1. When Tampa closes, only Dharma Southern Kitchen’s flagship restaurant in Orlando will remain open.

“We’ve been so appreciative of the overwhelming support from our Sanford ‘n Tampa fam, and we’re working on plans to feed y’all again in bigger locations with bigger kitchens ‘n bigger menus!” the farewell—or “see you later”—post from Dharma reads.

Known for its plant-based southern comfort food, some standout dishes on Dharma Southern Kitchen’s menu include its Nashville Hawt chicken sandwich, southern fried chick’n, and its Big Blue chick’n nachos topped with creamy nacho cheese, black bean puree and chiles.
Popular sides include cheesy curly fries, BBQ cauliflower, crispy Brussels sprouts and the dish that help put  Southern Kitchen on the map—its mac and cheese that comes in traditional, buffalo and garlic. 

Until its closure on August 1, Tampa’s Dharma Southern Kitchen will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. on Fridays, 8 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays.

Dharma debuted inside of Armature Works’ Heights Public Market in the spring of 2019, after solidifying a customer base in Orlando.

There are currently several restaurants in the Tampa Heights market that offer vegan options, such as Hemingway’s Cuban Kitchen, Kipo’s Mediterranean Cusine and Bento Asian Kitchen, although Dharma Southern Kitchen is the only strictly plant-based eatery. And if any Tampeños crave Dharma’s gooey mac and cheese after next month’s closure, its location in Orlando will remain open seven days a week. A few menu items from its flagship location that aren’t available at Armature Works are its fried green tomato and Carolina BBQ jackfruit sandwiches, biscuits and gravy and creole grits.

For more information on Dharma Southern Kitchen and its two closing locations, head to its Instagram and Facebook, both at @dharmasouthernkitchen.

This article appears in Jul 14-20, 2022.