Chicago vegan restaurants

Finding vegan restaurants in Chicago can be challenging and find a good vegan restaurant in Chicago can be even more challenging. If you will be visiting Chicago or live in the area and looking for a good vegan restaurant then this blog post is for you.

I created a blog post about my top favorite vegan-friendly restaurants in Chicago because I’m always asked: “where can I find a good vegan restaurant.” Without further or do in no particular order I’ve listed my favorite vegan restaurants and the reason why love I continue to go back below. I hope you find some new Chicago food places to visit. Also, as the vegan restaurant scene continues to improve I will continue to update this post and share new vegan-friendly restaurants in Chicago with you.

The following restaurants are listed in 2 categories and in no particular order:

My fav vegan restaurants in Chicago

• Althea
• Chicago House of Za
• Raw Chicago
• Vegan Now
• Chicago Diner

My fav vegan-friendly restaurants in Chicago

• Sepia
• True Food Kitchen
• Peninsula Hotel
• III Forks

Vegan restaurants in Chicago

Althea

Althea is a new vegan restaurant located in the Saks Fifth Avenue building in downtown Chicago on the Magnificant Mile. Created by Matthew Kenney Cuisine, a plant-based chef based in California. What I love most about this restaurant is that they offer elevated vegan food. From various textures and colors. Each plate looks like art. Below are my favorite selections from the menu:

• Barbacoa Tacos 
• Kimchi Dumplings
• Plant Bowl

Chicago House of Za

If you are looking for vegan pizza then look no further. This is the only all-vegan pizzeria in Chicago. To be fair, there are a few non-vegan restaurants that have one or two vegan pizzas on their menus. At Chicago House of Za, they use a cashew-based cheese that’s delicious. They offer Chicago-style deep dish and thin crust pizza with a variety of toppings to choose from. I like to order the thin crust pizza with topped with spicy seitan sausage.

Chicago Raw

Chicago Raw is one of my favorite restaurants…Period. Their food is some of the most flavorful food I’ve ever had. All the food is vegan + raw (in case you couldn’t tell by the name). What I love most about their food is that it keeps me full all day. I typically like to frequent the location in the French Market. There are so many amazing options on the menu but my favorites are listed below:

• Empanadas
• Spinach Lasagna
• Raw Ravioli (must try)
• Hummus 
• Vegan sour cream & caesar dressing
• Sauerkraut

Vegan Now

This restaurant offers a variety of comfort food classics that are made vegan. Some of the food options include eggplant, vegan mac & cheese, vegan drumsticks, kale greens, and so much more. They are located in the French Market near Chicago Raw as well.

Chicago Diner

The Chicago Diner comes highly suggested for vegan/vegetarian brunch. There are so many delicious options to chose from. I go to the Logan Square location all the time. Some of my favorites menu options include potato tempeh hash with biscuits & gravy, vegan cinnamon roll, and quinoa chili.

Vegan-friendly restaurants in Chicago

Sepia

A few friends wanted to have dinner at Sepia. Before going, I called ahead to inquire about vegan options and was told they could customize a few menu items for me. Upon arrival, the staff was prepared with options for me (this doesn’t typically happen). The food was amazing and so was the service. I ordered the falafel with charred romanesco, shishito peppers, and yogurt. Since I couldn’t have the yogurt the chef made me a vegan sauce. It was a tahini vinaigrette and I’m not the biggest fan of tahini but I couldn’t taste the bitterness from tahini.

Also, I asked the waitress for the recipe for the tahini vinaigrette. The chef didn’t have time to write down the recipe but asked for my email address so he could send me the recipe. The chef sent me an email with the recipe the same night. Talk about good customer service, huh? I have gone back to Sepia again and again.

True Food Kitchen

I go to this restaurant all the time. The space is large and the decor is very beautiful. I love that they have options for both vegans and carnivores. It’s a nice balance when having dinners with non-vegan friends. I like their vegan pizzas and their TLT aka tempeh, lettuce, and tomato with whole grain bread. It comes with avocado and vegan mayo and it’s always delicious.

The Peninsula Chicago Hotel 

I had brunch for my birthday last year at this hotel. I had never been to the Peninsula hotel for brunch. Walking inside of the hotel your energy instantly improves. The music, exquisite decor, and the lovely staff make you feel welcomed. For brunch, they offer a variety of options buffet style. Including a couple of vegan options. Also, you can choose from the menu as well. I told our waiter I am vegan and he said: “let me check with the cooks to see what we can do.” After a while, our waiter came from the kitchen with a medley of vegan food just for me. From avocado toast to roasted potatoes and so much more. Their service made my birthday that much more special.

III Forks

In January, Frederick and I, had dinner at III Forks for his mom’s birthday. To my surprise, they had recently implemented a vegetarian/vegan menu. I ordered the whole roasted cauliflower and it was amazing. Everything was seasoned to perfection. One thing I’ve learned about food is that you can tell a lot about a restaurant by the way they treat their vegetables. If they treat their vegetables well, then it’s a pretty good indication that everything else on the menu will be just fine.

At the end of dinner, chef Adrian came to our table and asked for feedback about the vegan menu. I mean…talk about great service. I love it when chefs are genuinely interested in feedback from customers. I will be back again. Also, It’s a beautiful restaurant and they have a rooftop deck in the summer.

Chicago is well-known for its food scene. From Chicago-style deep dish pizza, Garret Popcorn, Chicago-style hot dogs, Harold’s Chicken and so much more. During the summer, you can find tons of Chicago food festivals, food tours, food trucks, and so much more. With that said, I included some Chicago vegan festivals and bakeries that may be of interest to you.

Chicago vegan festivals

• Vegandale Food Drink Festival
• Veggie Fest Chicago 
• Sunday Funday Vegan Winter Market in Chicago

Chicago vegan and vegan-friendly bakeries

• Pie, Pie My Darling
• Fritz Pastry
• Tom and Wendee’s Italian Ice

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