Top 5 Chicago Vegan Restaurants Food Lovers Will Enjoy
Chicago Vegan Restaurants have a lot to offer in the windy city. People are raving and craving from these establishments, so you should too! Below I listed my top 5 Chicago Vegan Restaurants that will start a party in your palette.
1. Stand-Up Burgers
Backstory: this restaurant used to be a different one called Veggie Grill. A big vegetarian chain that was huge in California and opened two locations in Chicago. Recently, the two locations closed on got replaced by the ones standing today: Stand-Up Burgers. It has been unclear why Veggie Grill closed since it was so popular. But the good news is that Stand-Up burgers have stood up their game and offered some of the best veggie burgers ever!
Stand-Up Burgers offers insane but incredible sandwiches. They use award-winning impossible patties that taste a lot like real meat. On top of that, there are different variations of sandwiches you can choose from. These include Tex-Mex, BBQ bacon, chili-cheese, and double cheeseburgers. You can also buy a fried chicken sandwich, falafel veggie-based burger, and a chili-cheese hot dog. What’s wonderful about these selections is that they go all out with the toppings and flavors.
Beyond the sandwiches, you can order chili-cheese fries, crispy buffalo cauliflower, and charred onion fries. Dessert-wise, you can pair your burgers with classic chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry shake. There’s even a “double-shot buzz shake” that has espresso and chocolate together!
2. Native Foods Cafe
Native Foods is a franchise that started up in Palm Springs, California. It spread to many locations in California. And a few locations in Colorado, Oregon, and of course, Chicago. It is available nowhere else. Therefore, a Native Foods Cafe is a rare find in the U.S.
This Chicago Vegan restaurant has a very extensive menu. There is an appetizer section that includes nachos, cauliflower wings, Brussel sprouts, and chicken tenders. A burger section with jalapeno popper burgers, BBQ brisket, gastropub burger, and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich. There are also other entrees like Buddha Bowls with tofu, BBQ chicken sandwiches, orange chicken cauliflower with fried rice, and many more options. For dessert, you can indulge in key lime cheesecake parfaits, peanut butter parfaits, oatmeal creme pies, and classic chocolate chip cookies.
Overall I think this cafe is perfect for everyone. If you want something healthier, you can enjoy a buddha bowl or salad. If you want something daring, you can gobble up a Jalapeno popper burger. There is even a kids’ menu that includes small buddha bowls and chicken tenders!
3. I’m Vegan, IL
Want to travel your tastebuds to a different corner of the world? This Chicago Vegan restaurant will take you there. It will take you to the flavors of Thailand! A country that is full of super delicious dishes! I am personally a massive fan of Thai cuisine. And I had the pleasure of trying what this establishment has to offer!
I’m Vegan, IL offers a great catalog of Thai dishes and different Asian cuisines. There is a noodle section where you can get pad thai, Lak-Sa (curry noodle), Pad Kee Mao, and rice noodle soup. There are also fried rice dishes and curry plates. For each of these plates, you can have it served with mixed vegetables, tofu, soy chicken, or even soy duck! Yes! There is vegan duck available to try! And it is incredible. My personal favorite item on the menu is the steamed grilled tofu buns. These tofu buns are like a steamed bao. A massive and soft dumpling with a delicious spiced tofu filling!
Beyond the delicious flavors of this cuisine, the dishes are aesthetically pleasing. You can even look at the website of the restaurant. And feast your eyes on the beauty of each plate. And once you visit this restaurant, you can see how hard the staff works on presenting these dishes as pretty as possible.
4. Alice And Friends’ Vegan Kitchen
Want to fall down the rabbit hole and venture into a wonderland of flavors? Alice and Friends is an establishment that is themed after Alice in Wonderland. I award this restaurant for having the best theme in the Chicago area. Having a title like “Alice and Friends” will absolutely attract many guests to this establishment. In fact, this restaurant was the first to catch my eye when I was looking at a list of vegan places to check out.
This Vegan Chicago joint mostly serves East Asian and American foods. There is a lot listed on the menu. So I will list highlights from each category. In the appetizer round, you can enjoy dumplings, fried vegan shrimp, Tomka soup (from Thailand), and crab rangoons. In the entree section, you can try Korean Bibimbap, fried rice with walnut shrimp, and a fire Korean BBQ platter. Things are also crazy at the dessert station. Over there, you can devour zucchini bread, German apple cake, cookie dough ice cream, green tea cheesecake, and many more!
Another fun fact about this establishment is that it is listed in the top three Vegan Chicago restaurants. Alongside Native Foods, and the next restaurant on this particular list.
5. The Chicago Diner
Since 1983, this classic American Diner has been serving the best of what America has to offer. But meat-free. Although this restaurant has been for a while, it has retained that old-fashioned charm everyone looks for at their favorite neighborhood joint.
This wonderful restaurant offers great diner classics as well as items unique to places like this. As an appetizer, you can order spinach and artichoke dip, Canadian Poutine, Classic Vegan Wings, and Thai Chili Wings. Entree-wise, you can order a Truffle Mushroom lentil loaf, country-fried steak, spicy chicken sandwich, and the world-famous Radical Reuben sandwich. The Reuben is a Chicago specialty that has been enjoyed by generations. And for dessert, you can take a sip on their award-winning milkshakes! You can taste them in chocolate, pumpkin pie, cookie dough peanut butter, banana, and other flavors!
If you ask any Veg-friendly person in the Chicago area about places to eat, they will most likely mention this place first. This is how well-known this restaurant is!
