As for dining out, vegetarians have fewer choices. Not in Chicago, though: this cosmopolitan city has generally always been ranked highly in terms of the top vegan restaurants, with an embrace by a host of eateries of a more plant-powered philosophy. You’ll find vegan diners touting comfort food classics, elevated vegetable-forward tasting menus, and piles of international food without a piece of meat in sight. Here are just a few of our favorite vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Chicago.
Bloom Plant Based Kitchen Veggie lovers, rejoice! This 100%, plant-based, gluten-free restaurant in Wicker Park has been named a Michelin Bib Gourmand winner, boasting a menu full of fresh and inventive dishes: ceviche, braised jackfruit, plantain lasagna, kelp noodles with cashew crema. The Bloom Plant Based Kitchen menu truly is for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike from health-focused options to comforting food.
The Chicago Diner
Long one of the city’s classic veg-friendly establishments, The Chicago Diner proudly proclaims itself “meat free since ’83”. The whole menu reads as a rundown of comfort food classics: poutine, spinach artichoke dip, wings, nachos, country fried steak, burgers – but everything on it is meat-free and can be made vegan and many of them gluten-free, too.
Their claim to fame is the “radical reuben” sandwich-a corned beef seitan, grilled onions and peppers, sauerkraut, vegan Thousand Islands dressing, and vegan cheese all piled on marbled rye. And its vegan shakes are reason enough to visit one of their two locations in Lakeview or Logan Square.
Arya Bhavan
Arya Bhavan Whole foods, plant-based vegan specialty dishes are the order of the day at this friendly Indian restaurant in West Ridge: samosas, lentil soup, biryani, dosa, tofu tikka masala, and much, much more. Most can be prepared gluten-free.
Kale My Name
Kale My Name Kale My Name is a smoothie bar and restaurant serving globally-inspired, fully plant-based fare in casual style. Expect vegetarian takes on American classics-like housemade veggie burgers, buffalo tofu wraps, and cauliflower wings-along with international influences like traditional Balkan spreads, empanadas, and jackfruit tacos. Patio status in the summer is.
Thai Food Vegan Style
This Ravenswood gem takes those usual Thai dishes and reworks them with seitan and other meat substitutes, so you get all that Asian flavor with no actual meat products. You can get just about anything you might at a standard Thai place from the Urban Vegan menu: chicken satay made with soy chicken, steamed dumplings packed full of vegetables, a ton of flavorful curries, some noodle dishes, stir-fried veggies with rice, and many, many more. Bonus: They deliver.
Beatrix
With such star options for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, this restaurant and coffeehouse tempts one to make a day of it at Beatrix. In the morning, order the chia cereal bowl, the light and fluffy lemon pancakes or opt for something in their tempting pastry case. There are plenty of ways veggies get to be the star of dinner from the asparagus and pea risotto with farro to the steak of eggplant. They have three locations scattered throughout the city, plus four market locations with grab-and-go options.
India House Restaurant
In River North, India House Restaurant has long been a neighborhood institution, doling out authentically Indian cuisine. Since opening its doors in 1993, India House has veered toward becoming a vegetarian diner’s dream. Their many meatless entree options include aloo gobi, chana masala, saag paneer, dal banjara, and the like. Can’t decide? Go for their lunch buffet where you can have it all – a little bit, anyway.
Demera Ethiopian Restaurant
The folks at Demera prides themselves on making authentic Ethiopian food made from scratch, including an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu. If you’re new to the cuisine, ask for the vegetarian messob. Your waiter will bring out four of the restaurant’s most popular veg-friendly dishes, all perfectly portioned for one. Dishes that are loved by the fans include: gomen, collard greens sauteed with onions, garlic and ginger then topped with jalapeno; their lentil sambussas, a fried dumpling served with sweet and spicy honey sauce.
Soul Veg City
Food is the best kind of medicine at Soul Veg City. Family-owned, this Chatham area spot has been serving 100% animal-free dishes in the city for over 40 years. Comfort foods dot the menu – sans meat or dairy, of course – think: sandwiches, pasta, soups, salads, desserts and more. Be sure to try a fresh juice, and see what’s on the hot bar.
True Food Kitchen
Bring in both the meat lovers and veggie-obsessed into the same room at True Food Kitchen. This airy space in downtown is thoughtful to its core — seasonal-focused menus with a little something for every kind of diet. There are even-the-carnivores-will-swoon-over-edamame dumplings in white truffle oil, pizza of wilted spinach and mushroom with caramelized onions and almond milk ricotta, the spaghetti squash casserole. Or get the grass-fed burger, the steak tacos, or grilled salmon. Something for everyone.
Handlebar
The mantra at Handlebar is “food, booze, and good times” — and it delivers on all three. The menu at this bustling Wicker Park spot reads like a typical tavern menu, à la nachos, buffalo chicken wrap, grilled cheese, and sloppy joes – but everything’s made-fromscratch vegan or vegetarian. It’s farm-to-table goodness all the way, with all ingredients sourced locally. There’s a full-service bar and even a beer garden outside, plus a regular cast of locals to keep the good times coming.
Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen
Vegans rejoice — you’ll be able to satisfy all your cravings for Asian flavors at Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen. This “wonderland for vegans” gets the craft skillfully in preparing flavorsome, healthy 100% vegan dishes that change the way diners look at a plant-based diet. Entrees span everything from miso ramen, chow mein, bibimbap with smoked tofu, chana masala poke bowl, and many, many more from the long list. House-made desserts-from zucchini bread to soy ice cream-make for a sweet end to the meal.
