Looking for the best vegan restaurants in Chicago? Well, you’re in the right place!
With new restaurants opening every other week in Chicago, it is quite easy for you to find vegan food on most menus. However, when it comes to exclusively vegan restaurants, there are only a few names that stand out.
Whether you’re 100% vegan, vegetarian, or looking to stay away from Chicago’s deep dish pizzas for a while and eat healthy, we’ve come up with a list of the best vegan restaurants Chicago you can dine at, absolutely guilt-free.
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1. Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen
Established in 2001, Alice & Friends’ Vegan Kitchen is a 100% plant-based restaurant that celebrates all things vegan.
This vegan kitchen creates internationally-inspired dishes, American through Asian, and serves the same in a minimalist and sleek setting.
A standout appetizer from the menu is their Crab Rangoon. Made with the combination of vegan crab meat, soy cream cheese, onions, and scallions in wheat wrapper, this sesame-free and nut-free creation has a perfectly golden and crispy outer shell and a smooth and creamy centre.
With the spicy sauce on the side, you can easily chow down 20 of these in no time!
Their Tonkotsu Ramen comes with a rich and complex broth, covering Japanese wheat noodles, topped with vegan bacon, mushrooms, and different veggies. The beautifully simmered broth is so good that it makes everything in the bowl taste wonderful.
If you’re leaning toward rice, try Kung Pao Ding. Served with brown rice, this is a simple yet delicious stir-fry of your choice of mushroom, fried tofu, or soybean protein tossed in house-made Kung Pao sauce.
This dish is a combination of fresh ingredients, amazing flavor, and great sauce.
They also serve some extraordinary vegan desserts, like the nut-free and gluten-free Chocolate Mousse Pie. It is to die for!
What to order: Crab Rangoon, Tonkotsu Ramen, Kung Pao Ding, Chocolate Mousse Pie
Address: 5812 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60660
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2. Amitabul Simply Vegan
From bi bim bop to noodle soups to dumplings, Amitabul brings traditional Korean foods to Chicago, with a vegan twist.
The implementation of authentic Korean techniques and attention to detail in every dish are what make this modest vegan restaurant special.
Dark Side of the Moon – as novelistic as the name sounds, this is one of Amitabul’s popular dishes, containing oyster and shitake mushrooms tossed with a variety of vegetables and rice noodles, along with the most flavourful black bean miso sauce.
While it is an ideal vegan dish, the sauce definitely steals the show with its unbelievable flavors.
Dr. K’s Cure All Noodle Soup – this is a spicy noodle soup with tofu, seaweed, and veggies, and served with rice or wheat noodles.
This noodle soup is so flavor-packed, so spicy, and so very good that it’s Chicagoans’ go-to bowl whenever they have a sore throat, flu, cold, or even a hangover.
The 12-piece Mandoo Vegan Dumpling, with tofu and vegetable filling, is so delicious, you’ll be satisfied ordering just that when your mood needs some uplifting.
And the monk’s dish – Spicy Kimchi Bi Bim Bop – is an all-time hit!
What to order: Dark Side of the Moon, Dr. K’s Cure All Noodle Soup, Mandoo Vegan Dumpling, Spicy Kimchi Bi Bim Bop
Address: 6207 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60646
3. Handlebar
Serving vegan comfort food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, everything served at Handlebar is made from scratch, and offered all days of the week.
This vegetarian and vegan restaurant also features a full-service bar and an exclusive beer garden, and its casual and friendly atmosphere makes it a neighborhood favorite.
When you ask around about Handlebar, you’re likely to come across people raving about how good the restaurant’s Smoked Gouda Mac is.
This dish has their popular Smoked Gouda Mac as the base and is then amplified in flavor with their flavor-packed veggie chili, cheese, sour cream, pickled jalapenos, and pico.
Sprinkled with some crispy tortilla chips on top, this is a bowl of messy deliciousness!
The Fried Avocado Tacos are here to break stereotypes! Just when you thought avocado won’t taste good fried, this dish proves otherwise.
The combination of house-made ranch, brown rice, refried beans, tomatoes, and cabbage slaw, with a touch of spiciness from the salsa verde, makes these tacos an easy winner.
And now for the showstopper – Nashville Hot Fried “Chicken” Sandwich. The “chicken” here is fried hen of the woods mushrooms, which are then tossed in the perfectly and delectably spicy Nashville-style hot sauce, and the creamy vegan slaw on top balances the heat smoothly.
This is the ultimate combination!
What to order: Smoked Gouda Mac, Chili Mac Attack, Fried Avocado Tacos, Nashville Hot Fried “Chicken” Sandwich
Address: 2311 W North Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
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4. Vegan Plate
Another cozy neighborhood spot, Vegan Plate excites Chicago’s vegan community with a menu full of authentic vegan Thai dishes.
Also featuring fusion classics, burgers, and wraps to satisfy the local taste buds, comfort and warmth are the two attributes that best describe this vegan restaurant.
Start with the Sweet Chili Gyoza. With a slight crunch on the outside and soft in the middle, and served with the unbelievably delicious sweet chili sauce, these are, for sure, little pockets of heaven!
Served with an incredible sweet and sour sauce, the deep-fried Spring Rolls are just scrumptious!
Garlic Pepper with Soy Beef – an aromatic mix of sauteed garlic, garlic sauce, fresh black pepper, and cilantro with soy beef – complete yumminess on a plate!
Of course, how can you not order Pad Thai when you’re at a Thai restaurant?! Vegan Plate’s version, with soy chicken, is a fan favorite; the “chicken” is so moist and tender, absorbs the flavorful sauce from the noodles, and tastes just exquisite.
Don’t forget to grab a Thai Iced Tea too – cold, sweet, and satisfying!
What to order: Sweet Chili Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Garlic Pepper with Soy Beef, Pad Thai, Thai Iced Tea
Address: 1550 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
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5. Majani Soulful Vegan Cuisine
Located on Chicago’s South Shore, Majani Soulful Vegan Cuisine, as its name indicates, serves tasty vegan soul food, prepared following recipes from the chef’s African heritage but using plant-based alternatives.
This is a fast casual restaurant with a low-key atmosphere, ideal for social gatherings and casual dates.
One dish at Majani that you’ll never get tired of is their BBQ Cauliflower. It’s just cauliflower, what could be so special about it?
Made from 100% organic ingredients, this cauliflower is lightly battered and fried to become crispy; but, that’s not all; it is then tossed in a bold and deeply flavored barbecue sauce that makes all the difference.
The Fried Oyster Mushroom Burger is a solid 10/10. Served with BBQ sauce and garlic sauce, this vegan burger will make your day!
The Jerk Tofu Taco is in a league of its own; it’s spicy, garlicky, and simply out of control!
What to order: BBQ Cauliflower, Fried Oyster Mushroom Burger, Jerk Tofu Taco
Address: 7167 S Exchange Avenue, Chicago, IL 60649
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6. The Chicago Diner
With two locations in Chicago, The Chicago Diner is the city’s veteran vegan and vegetarian restaurant, operating since 1983.
Still catering to the locals’ vegan lifestyle, every plate of food that leaves the kitchen is hearty, and the vibe here is original, casual, and friendly.
One of The Chicago Diner’s dishes with its own fan club is the Country Fried Steak. This is battered seitan fillet, fried to perfection, and served with creamy and velvety mashed potatoes, and slightly crunchy sauteed veggies, and topped with luscious country gravy.
Have a bite, and you’ll join the fan club too!
The Radical Reuben – with a trademarked name, this sandwich has corned beef-style seitan, which is pure genius, and tastes out of this world.
Have it with a side of GF Waffle Fries and a vegan shake, and you’ll be happy.
Topped with Teese or vegan cheese, and gravy, their Poutine is pretty BOMB too!
To finish your vegan meal on a high note, get one of their Vegan Cinnamon Rolls.
Available all day, these are made in-house, and come to the table fresh, warm, and finger-lickingly delicious.
What to order: Country Fried Steak, The Radical Reuben, Poutine, Vegan Cinnamon Roll
Address:
-Logan Square – 2333 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647
-Lakeview – 3411 N Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60657
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7. Native Foods
Founded in 1994 in California, Native Foods is now a nationwide vegan restaurant chain, offering tasty dishes made with natural plant-based ingredients.
What’s impressive about this place is the fact that almost everything they serve is made from scratch, including tempeh and seitan, which is quite rare and very much welcome.
The setting is modern, warm, and inviting, and the food is top-notch.
The Cauliflower Po’boy, with cajun-seasoned fried cauliflower, and other additions, loaded between a toasted baguette, is oh boy, so delicious! The creamy Cajun sauce takes the flavor up a notch.
The Chicken Tenders here are made with plant-based “chicken”, and can be ordered naked or sauced. Get yours sauced with Buffalo sauce and we bet you’ll love it.
Served with ranch on the side, we got to admit that their vegan ranch tasted even better than our regular ones.
The gluten-free Sesame Kale Macro Bowl is likely to make you feel much healthier as soon as you finish the bowl.
Made with grilled tempeh, steamed kale, organic brown rice, and more, this bowl is as vegan and as healthy as it gets, and the creamy ginger sesame sauce is icing on the cake.
The Peanut Butter Parfait is rich, not overly sweet, and yum!
What to order: Cauliflower Po’boy, Chicken Tenders, Sesame Kale Macro Bowl, Peanut Butter Parfait
Address:
-Lakeview – 1023 W Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
-The Loop – 218 South Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60604
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8. Sundrip
Formerly called Uncooked, Sundrip is a plant-based restaurant focused on nourishing people’s bodies inside out.
The space is bright and refreshing, and everything on the menu is as delicious as is healthy, including plant-based smoothies and juices.
Dressed in a creamy and nutty almond sauce, the Sesame Noodles, made with kelp noodles, is fresh, healthy, rich, and highly flavourful.
The Pesto Noodles are equally good. This is again kelp noodles tossed in their signature kale pesto, which is clean, healthy, and yummy.
The Powerhouse is Sundrip’s best-selling blended smoothie. This smoothie is protein-packed and tastes wonderful with a shot of espresso – perfect as a morning pick-me-up.
You can have the smoothie unblended, as a smoothie bowl, as well – The Powerhouse Bowl.
What to order: Sesame Noodles, Pesto Noodles, The Powerhouse, The Powerhouse Bowl
Address: 210 N Carpenter Street, Chicago, IL 60607
9. Fancy Plants Kitchen
Aimed at providing vegans an elevated dining experience like no other, Fancy Plants Kitchen combines molecular gastronomy with vegan cooking, delivering dishes that are special and one of a kind.
The space, finished with a beautiful patio, is modern and refined, and the food is unforgettable.
Fancy Plants Kitchen sends out FANTASTIC croissant sandwiches, and our favorite is the Vegan Croissant Croque Monsieur.
House-made fluffy, flaky, and warm vegan croissants come filled with their house-made vegan seitan ham and all other fixings you’d find in a traditional croque monsieur (vegan, of course!).
Just this sandwich is enough to fill you up.
Served with fried and the restaurant’s fancy ketchup, the Supernatural Burger, with all the delicious fixings, is supernatural indeed (in a good way!).
Huitlacoche Cotija Elote – don’t let the complicated name discourage you from ordering this wonder!
This is roasted corn topped with creamy spicy mayo, cilantro, and lime; but, what makes the dish is the house-made huitlacoche cheese, which makes the dish rich and decadent.
What to order: Vegan Croissant Croque Monsieur, Supernatural Burger, Huitlacoche Cotija Elote
Address: 1443 W Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
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10. Urban Vegan Thai Cuisine
Thai, Vegan, Vegan Thai – Urban Vegan Thai Cuisine brings you delicious Thai cuisine, where everything is vegan, from dumplings to curry, and more.
While the food is clean, healthy, and delicious, the setting is simple, casual, and friendly.
Urban Vegan Thai Cuisine kills it with the Wonton Noodle Soup. The vegetable broth is skillfully prepared and comes packed with flavor, and every other element in the bowl soaks up its deliciousness.
The Tofu Satay is a high-protein appetizer, and is a savory goodness in skewers. Served with a salty and sweet peanut sauce, you’ll probably order another round of these sticks of scrumptiousness
The Orange Chicken is definitely a crowd favorite. This is soy chicken, lightly battered, fried, and tossed in a sticky-sweet orange sauce – tastes spectacular!
The Yellow Curry is mildly spicy, slightly sweet, fragrant, and has a rich taste to it. Enjoy it with a bowl of Jasmine Rice or Brown Rice.
What to order: Wonton Noodle Soup, Tofu Satay, Orange Chicken, Yellow Curry
Address: 1601-1603 W Montrose Avenue, Chicago, IL 60613
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Heading straight for some drinks after your vegan meal? Our recommendations never go wrong! Check out these awesome Chicago bars you can visit.
How We Create Our “Best” Lists
All Noms Magazine’s “best” lists are created using multiple factors and signals to help readers find the best restaurants, things to do, and places to stay at. Some of these factors and signs include personal experiences, correspondence with locals, and compiling experiences from review sites.
Each list is also created to be balanced (in terms of price, cuisine type, ambiance, and more) as possible. This means that the lists are not specifically created in ranking order. You should be comfortable picking from any of the spots on the list and generally have a good time. But of course, YMMV (your mileage may vary) and everyone may have different experiences/palates.