vegan in chicago

chicago  -  suburbs  -  why?

alice & friends foods, co.

vegetarian/asian
i don't frequent this place as much as i should. the food is _amazing_ and the place is really cute. i really can't recommend the almond un-chicken and don ka su highly enough, not that anything else on the menu will disappoint! it's the best fake meat in town! someone wrote me to let me know that alice and friends was not aware of bone-char processed sugar, and uses sugar in their dishes. if you avoid sugar, please ask them which dishes you can eat. then again. you'll have to do that everywhere else too, since my guess is this is more common than not.

5812 n broadway
chicago, il
773.275.8797

amitabul

korean
i've never actually eaten at amitabul, but i've only heard great things from my friends that have been. they recently relocated to the far northwest side, but from what i hear it's well worth the trip out there.

6207 n. milwaukee ave.
chicago, il
773.763.0276

anatolian kabob

turkish
the food here is supposed to be good and i guess they note the vegan items on their menu, which is always nice.

4609 n. lincoln
chicago, il

arya bhavan

indian/vegetarian
i've never been here, but it's one more indian vegetarian restaurant up on devon. i hear they have an all vegetarian indian buffet. sounds good to me. (website)

2508 w devon ave.
chicago, il
773.274.5800

atomix

coffeeshop
atomix has a great selection of standard coffeeshop fair (coffee,tea, etc), but they also have AWESOME vegan muffins and milkshakes. go now!

1957 w chicago ave.
chicago, il
312.666.2649

the balanced kitchen

vegan/gluten-free
i haven't been up to this place, but i've heard from a number of people that i should try it. it's not only vegan, but gluten-free. i don't eat gluten-free, but if you do you now have a place for some good eats. (website)

6263 n mccormick blvd
chicago, il
773.463.1085

the bleeding heart bakery

delicious bakery
bleeding heart has upgraded to larger digs. in the past, we've brought home a delicious (but expensive) loaf of bread and amazing molasses spice cookies. we want the recipe. so good. they also had vegan sandwiches and soups in addition to the treats. go support this great little place. very cute. very good. (website)

1955 w belmont
chicago, il
773.278.3638

the brown sack

sandwiches
finally, a delicious place in my neighborhood to get a tasty vegan sandwich. their grilled, peanut butter & banana and veggie sandwiches are the best!! also, they're the nicest people ever. (website)

3706 w armitage
chicago, il
773.661.0675

chicago diner

vegetarian/vegan
here's another completely vegetarian restaurant. they have damn good seitan fajitas and amazing vegan german chocolate cake and cheesecake. (website)

3411 n halsted st.
chicago, il
773.935.6696

comiskey park

baseball
i don't remember where i read it, but comiskey was voted one of the top 10 most vegetarian friendly sports parks, offering both a veggie burger and dog. this is quite exciting since last year, when my company had an outting to wrigley there was very little i could eat outside of potato chips and cotton candy. also, a friend of mine went and said that veggie dogs are available at one of the stands in the outfield and a stand across from 121, and that many of the stands have veggie burgers. also, that if you have trouble finding the stands customer relations will be happy to walk you to the booth. (website)

333 w 35th st
chicago, il
312.674.1000

dharma garden

thai
how about a thai restaurant with tons and tons of fake meat dishes? this place is so incredibly cute, and the people are absolutely out of control nice. i really wish them the best of luck. they have an enormous menu, more than half of it is vegetarian. our spring rolls were huge and amazingly fresh and our food was _super_ spicy, which can be hard to get. it was fantastic. support these people.

3109 w irving park
chicago, il
773.588.9140

earwax cafe

earwax just moved across the street to where square one used to be, here's hoping the seats are in better shape over there! ;P anyway. go get a tasty seitan burrito or some chicago diner baked treats.

1561 n milwaukee
chicago, il
773.772.4019

el faro

mexican/vegetarian
although not completely vegetarian, this mexican restaurant at 31st and pulaski serves up both traditional mexican food and a small menu of vegetarian items, mostly boasting some type of fake meat. the portions are huge and cheap. i can't remember what the dish i had was called, but it was really good. not to mention, how can you beat a tofu/potato scramble for $3!?

3936 w 31st st.
chicago, il
773.277.1155

eternity juice bar and deli

vegan/soul food
i had completely forgotten that i should list this place independent of soul vegetarian east, because it's directly next door and essentially connected. if you have ever had the smoothies from soul veg, they actually come from this place. they also sell a variety of frozen/unfrozen vegan packaged good as well as take out containers of vegan treats, such as bbq tofu. it's delicious. apparently you can also get the soft serve ice cream here. fantastic! the address and phone nubmer listed above are for soul veg since i couldn't find a separate one for the deli. i'll make note next time i'm down there.

203 e 75th st.
chicago, il
773.224.0104

ethiopian diamond

ethiopian
i have nothing to say about this place other than the food is outstanding. while we were there, matt announced he was done eating at other restaurants. go now, it's fabulous.

6120 n. broadway
chicago, il
773.338.6100

flat top grill

another make-your-own stir fry place. i bet your mom would think this was fun. (website)

many locations
chicago, il

flying saucer

hipster
i really love this place. it seems like it's never very busy, the food is delicious and the staff is wonderful. you should check it out for both breakfast and dinner. they're both great! i hear they have/had vegan desserts as well, i haven't had a chance to confirm this.

1123 n california ave
chicago, il
773.342.9076

green zebra

mostly vegetarian/fancypants
this is the sister restaurant to spring, which i have heard is fabulous. however, green zebra's menu will focus mainly on vegetarian dishes, even some raw. it is a fancypants restaurant, so go for a special occasion.

1460 w. chicago
chicago, il
312.243.7100

haifa cafe

middle eastern
it's always good to know where to get tasty food in the loop. that can somtimes be difficult, so here's another middle eastern place to grab some food.

163 n. wells
chicago, il
312.332.0063

handlebar

bike food
matt and i finally went to handlebar, we both had fantastic sandwiches. i had the grilled tofu and matt had the bbq seitan, which is quite possibly the largest sandwich ever made. the ingredients were all super fresh, and they have tasty vegan desserts! take a bike ride, gets some treats. (website)

2311 w. north ave.
chicago, il
773.384.9546

hashalom

israeli
this place is supposed to have great falafel, as well as the usual hummus and baba ganoush, and spicy moroccan carrots. there is usually a vegan soup, the moroccan vegetable comes highly recommended. can't wait to try it someday, and! it's cheap.

2905 w. devon
chicago, il
773.465.5675

heartland cafe

health food
went to heartland for breakfast and enjoyed a nice tofu scramble, not the best that i've ever had, but definitely delicious and worth hitting if you're in the neighborhood. (website)

7000 n glenwood ave
chicago, il
773.465.8005

heartwise express (closed)

healthy fast food
apparently, heartwise has closed. i don't know exactly why, but hopefully all you downtown loop workers can find veggie sloppy joes elsewhere. good luck.

10 s lasalle st.
chicago, il
312.419.1329

heavenly gelato and ice cream

ice cream
my husband and i have been trying to track down a shop with vegan ice cream in our area, logan square, for some time. when this place opened we stopped in to see if they had anything. at the time they were looking into it, pretty quickly that turned into them carrying temptation. YUMM! go support a small shop and their interest in carrying vegan products!

2654 n sawyer ave.
chicago, il
???

hot doug's (not vegan)

hot dogs
allright. the dog's still aren't vegan, but doug's the best. he's survived the fire and re-opened at california and roscoe. tell your vegetarian and meat-eating friends to swing by for a visit.

3324 n. california
chicago, il
773.279.9550

itto sushi

japanese
really cute/authentic japanese restaurant. very cheap if you're vegetarian, not to mention, they have free valet parking.

2616 n. halsted st.
chicago, il
773.871.1800

jim's grill (closed)

korean
jim's grill has closed and been replaced with condos (what else?), but head up to amitabul and enjoy the same folk's delicious eats.

1429 w. irving park
chicago, il
773.525.4050

karyn's fresh corner

raw/vegan
this restaurant is completely vegan and almost exclusively raw foods. i've heard mixed reviews about it, i guess, as with most restaurants, it depends what you order. anyway.. if you're into raw foods, here's the place to go in chicago. they also have a smoothie/juice bar.

1901 n. halsted
chicago, il
773.255.1590

karyn's cooked

fancy vegan
apparently karyn's been cooking some of her meals these days. i've heard good things about the southern comfort and the bread pudding. seems that there is a focus on soul food. i can't complain about that.

738 n. wells
chicago, il
312.587.1050

kopi cafe

coffee
i hear you can get a great tempeh burger and miso soup at this coffeehouse. so stop in and have a vegan treat with your cofee.

5317 n. clark
chicago, il
773.989.5674

lake side cafe

vegetarian/organic
new to east rogers park, lake side cafe is a vegetarian restaurant that serves food made with ~95% organic ingredients. with a menu that ranges from vegan chicago polish sausage to freshly made vegan chicago-style pizza, this is a must try establishment. (website)

1418 w. howard
chicago, il
773.262.9503

lao sze chuan

chinese
if you like chinese food, you absolutely have to go to this restaurant. everything i've had there has been amazing, and all the reviews that i've read say that this is one of the best chinese restaurants in chicago, and also one of the most authentic. i can't guarantee that, but it is so incredibly good!

2172 s archer
chicago, il
312.326.5040

leona's (not vegan)

pizza/italian
ok. i have no idea what's going on at leona's these days. apparently some locations are using a vegan soy cheese, but not all of them. but i've also heard that their pizza sauce has cheese in it? who knows. i like my pizza cheeseless anyway.

many locations
chicago, il
773.292.4300

the lobby at the peninsula

high tea
i had no idea this existed, and i'm assuming most people don't. for a company party, we went to the peninsula hotel for tea, _vegan_ tea. i was served a three-tiered tray of vegan goodies, finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones to go with the tea of my choosing. if you're ever feeling stuffy and peckish, i highly recommend it. just make sure to request the vegan tea menu. (website)

108 e. superior st.
chicago, il
312.573.6760

lula cafe

multi-ethnic
this is a really great neighborhood place. there are a ton of vegan options on their regular menu, and it's all really good. along with having great food, lula uses a lot of organic ingredients. can't argue with supporting that.

2537 n. kedzie
chicago, il
773.489.9554

m. henry

american contemporary
this new place in andersonville is supposed to have a good selection of vegetarian foods. i haven't been yet, but go have a "vegan epiphany."

5707 n clark st
chicago, il
773.561.1600

mamacita's

mexican
this place is said to have a fantastic array of vegetarian dishes easily made vegan. i wasn't going to add it, but even metromix said it's good for vegans. ;) (website)

2439 n clark
chicago, il
773.404.7788

mercury cafe

coffee shop
my understanding is that this is a coffee shop with vegan treats and temptation soy ice cream. sounds good. (website)

1505 w chicago
chicago, il
312.455.9924

mysore woodlands

vegetarian/indian
yet one more indian vegetarian restaurant on devon. i have never been, but i'm sure it's wonderful. however, i did have someone write to tell me they were not happy with this place.

2548 w. devon ave.
chicago, il
773.338.8160

a natural harvest

deli/health food store
i guess the deli of this small vegan health food store has been closed for a while, but the guy who runs it, a raw vegan, wants to try to find someone to help him reopen it. apparently while they were open they has amazing mock tuna salad, as well as sandwiches, salads, soups, tacos, tamales, cheeses, cornmales, as well as other mock meats. let's hope he reopens!

7122 s. jeffery blvd
chicago, il
773.363.3939

new life health foods & vegetarian restaurant

vegetarian?
i've been told this is a vegetarian restaurant, but i can't find any other information about it. obviously, i've never been, so i can't say how it is, or what type of food they serve.

3141 w. roosevelt rd.
chicago, il
773.762.1090

oasis cafe

middle eastern
i can't tell you how amazing it was to find this place when i was working in the loop. they have great falafel and soup! all so cheap, too! note the new location!! i'll have to check out the new space if i find myself downtown for lunch.

17 s. wabash ave.
chicago, il
312.558.1058

opera

fancypants
one of thew few places in chicago, that you can go get your fancy on and have a separate completely vegan menu to help you do it. everything that we had was absolutely fantastic. the service was great, the music was loud, and they brought us more food than we ordered. we couldn't complain about anything, not to mention the cute waiter.

1301 s wabash ave.
chicago, il
312.461.0161

p.f. chang's china bistro

chinese
my family went to this place for my mom's birthday and we were pleased by the number of vegan dishes available. while not the most traditional chinese food, it was all delicious. we had the vegetarian lettuce wraps as an appetizer and they were fantastic, then i had the vegetable chow fun, extra spicy. so! good! not to mention, they were peta's january eats pick. (website)

530 n. wabash. ave.
chicago, il
312.828.9977

pick me up cafe

diner
just about the only place in chicago that you can get super good vegan diner food (french toast, pancakes, etc.). not to mention they're open 24 hours on the weekends and late enough otherwise. they have vegan desserts provided by: "desserts by rebecca" (website)

3408 n clark st.
chicago, il
773.248.6613

ras dashen

ethiopian
this ethiopian restaurant is supposed to be excellent! also, i was told that if it looks vegan on the menu it is, and delicious to boot. i can't wait to try it! (website)

5846 n. broadway
chicago, il
773.506.9601

rodan

lounge
my friends and i have a hard time deciding whether this place is a restaurant or a bar. anyway, they started serving a vegan brunch on sunday's that is supposed to be amazing. adam says so. he had the tofu/quinoa scramble and the nariyala rice pudding, and apparently they were both awesome.

1530 n. milwaukee ave.
chicago, il
773.276.7036

sher-a-punjab

indian
tasty vegetarian indian buffet. yumm.

2510 w. devon
chicago, il
773.973.4000

soul vegetarian east

vegan soul food
vegan soul food, it's amazing. you must get the protein tidbits and soft-serve ice cream. not to mention, you can buy their cookbook! however, please know that the servers are all volunteers, so be nice! (website)

205 e. 75th st.
chicago, il
773.224.0104

specialty's

sandwiches
my friend says this places has amazing vegan salads and sandwiches, such as thai veggie, pesto, and focaccia w/ tomato, basil, avocado, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, olives and spinach. sounds tasty to me. if you don't like it, i'll direct you to him. ;) (website)

191 n. wacker dr
chicago, il

sultan's market

middle eastern
sultan's market is FANTASTIC, both their falafel and lentil soups are delicious. go there. it's great food and really cheap, and in my opinion the best falafel in town.

2057 w north ave.
chicago, il
773.235.3072

sweet cakes

bakery
sweet cakes is super vegan friendly in disguise. last i checked nothing was labelled vegan, but if you ask they'll let you in on the secret that about half of their stuff is vegan. go get some chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes. no really. go. ALSO. they have the best courtyard in the city for sitting around on a summer day. (website)

935 n damen
chicago, il
773.772.5771

szechuan garden (vegetarian garden/asia cafe)

chinese
here is the restaurant that has for years been rumored to be reopening. it used to be located in chinatown, and now is on broadway. the food is absolutely amazing, the vegetarian menu is so large we had a hard time deciding what to get. the "vegetarian sausage" appetizer was so incredibly good, but not what you may expect from the word sausage. also! the woman said she wants to possibly offer cooking classes. i really hope she does.

2901 n. broadway
chicago, il
773.525.6677

thai eatery

thai
this is one of my favorite thai restaurants in the city, and while i understand that i can't list them all, i think this one deserves recognition. it's adorable and has great food. i swear by their noodle kee mao, extra spicy. oh! and the yum grilled vegetable appetizer is so so good!

2234 n. western
chicago, il
773.394.3035

tibet cafe (closed)

tibetan
i love this place, and i'm sorry to say that my friend sent me a message saying that it has closed. if anyone can recommend a tibetan cookbook, that'd be fantastic.

3913 n. sheridan rd.
chicago, il
773.281.6666

tokyo lunchbox

fast food japanese
another amazing find in the loop for lunch. they have numerous kinds of vegetable maki, and will make whatever you want if they don't already have it. they also have super good vegetable gyoza!

many locations
chicago, il

udupi palace

indian/vegetarian
been craving indian for a long time and tried this place on a recommendation from a co-worker who said that he knows people that drive all the way from detroit to eat there and then sleep in their cars. i'm not sure i'd sleep in my car over it, but we had some really good food there! (website)

2543 w. devon ave.
chicago, il
773.338.2152

veggie bite

vegan soul food?
i got an email that this restaurant had opened, and that it is 100% vegan. interestingly, it is in the same location that vegetarian express gourmet used to be. i certainly hope that it is as delicious, if not related.

3031 w. 111th st.
chicago, il
?

vegetarian fun foods supreme

vegan/fast-food
a vegan fast food restaurant on the south side. i have heard this place is absolutely amazing. their milkshakes, while prepared with honey, are supposed to be delicious. their menu consists largely of tacos, pizza, submarine sandwiches and apparently they have great vegan cheese and vegan chicken on some of their sandwiches. i can't wait to try it out!

1702 e 87th st.
chicago, il
773.734.6321

victory's banner

vegetarian
victory's banner is an all vegetarian restaurant in roscoe village. although i hear that there are few options for vegans. if you eat here for lunch, do walk across the street to get some sorbet or soy ice cream at mario & gino's, listed above. (note: victory's banner is only open for breakfast and lunch)

2100 w. roscoe st.
chicago, il
773.665.0227

wrigley field

baseball
i hear that wrigley is now offering gardenburgers and 365 organic trail mix. now you can have a snack while your friends eat their hot dogs! dig in! (website)

1060 w addison
chicago, il
773.404.2827

 

home about recipes vegan
pix links recent mail