Vegan Food Near Me: Chicago’s 10 Must-Try Restaurants

While Chicago may have been coined Hog Butcher for the World by poet Carl Sandburg, a lot has changed since 1914. Today, the Windy City is more renowned for year-round greenhouses than slaughterhouses. As such, it is also teeming with restaurants that offer cuisines from all corners of the globe, new interpretations of familiar dishes, and upscale dining experiences.

Bloom Plant-Based Kitchen

1 Bloom Plant-Based Kitchen

A stylish and sleek hot spot in vibrant Wicker Park, Bloom Plant-Based Kitchen is perfect for a date night. But you don’t need a special occasion to enjoy this global-yet-Latin-centric menu. With a full bar and fun mocktails, make a sophisticated meal of their Cultured Cheese Board featuring nut-based spreads like pimento goat cheese and ash truffle wedges. If you’re there for brunch, the Churro Waffle, seasoned with warming spices and drizzled with dulce de leche and Mexican chocolate, is a must.

Amitabul

2 Amitabul

Stepping into Amitabul is like stepping into a monastery. Water trickles from a small fountain, and gentle flute music creates a peaceful atmosphere—but the expansive Korean temple menu is what makes the restaurant such a destination. The Chop Chae, a perfect bowl of bouncy sweet potato noodles and vegetables, is a good option. But don’t miss “Chicago’s favorite”: Dr. K’s Cure All Noodle Soup. It’s a spicy concoction with seaweed, tofu, and vegetables—and dozens of Yelp reviews claim it’s “magical,” “healing,” and “the reason why I won’t move from Chicago.” 

RELATED: Looking for the Best Vegan Asian Restaurants? Start Here.

Soul Veg City

3Soul Veg City

The restaurant that launched a million imitators since opening in 1981, Soul Veg City has modernized its original location in recent years, but their rib-sticking, fan-favorite dishes remain as new ones join the menu. Start your meal with a combo basket of battered onion rings, mushrooms, and cauliflower (dipped in its famed smoky-sweet barbecue sauce), and then tuck into the Italian V: a juicy and deliciously messy sandwich featuring thin-sliced, au jus-dipped seitan, melted cheese, and giardiniera.

Planta

4Planta Queen

Whether the occasion is a business lunch close to downtown or a night out on the town, Chicago’s Planta Queen has it all. Located in the bustling River North neighborhood, the plant-based hot spot is stylish, modern, and has a full bar and fresh, pan-Asian flair. The 1,000 Layer Crispy Potatoes with caviar, sour cream, and chives are a decadent, natural wonder of an appetizer, while the Dan Dan Noodles—a rich tangle of coconut milk, Szechuan flavors, and veggies—is a delight in every bite.

Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria

5Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria

With two locations and a third outpost opening soon, this colorful and cheerful plant-based taqueria offers a variety of opportunities to indulge in its fresh, fabulous menu. But be warned: the signature house salad will make every other salad wither in comparison. It’s alive with crunchy, creamy textures, and complementary flavors thanks to avocado, roasted corn, tortilla chips, queso fresco, and a piquant jalapeño-lime vinaigrette. The Quesabirria!—three succulent mushroom tacos with guajillo sauce and warm broth for dipping—will haunt your mind until you can visit again.

Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen

6Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen

After reopening its Chicago location following an extensive remodel and then opening a second location in the northern suburbs, Alice & Friends Vegan Kitchen continues to impress loyal and new fans alike with its vibrant pan-Asian menu. Warm up with their signature Sweet Cinnamon and Ginger Tea, and try their Burmese Noodle Salad—a generous bowl of chilled wheat or rice noodles, crunchy cabbage and carrots, sour tamarind, and shallots. Dine indoors or al fresco in the warmer months, but definitely save room for the decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Bar.

Runaway Cow / VegNews

7 Runaway Cow

Dairy-free queen If you’ve ever fantasized about a vegan version of DQ where you could get all the signature treats and novelties, Runaway Cow is ready to be your creamy dream come true. With vanilla and chocolate oat milk soft serve (plus seasonal flavors supplied by locally owned Temptation Ice Cream), enjoy a slushy drink as a float or freeze with your ice cream of choice. Take your pick from treats like the Snowstorm (a DQ Blizzard facsimile), a caramel malt (when was the last time you even had a malt?), a mindblowing Turtle Parfait, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and much more.

Fancy Plants Café

8Fancy Plants Café

Every city the size of Chicago deserves at least one great vegan coffee shop, but few are as nice and adorable as Fancy Plants Café. Between delicious savories like the Croissant Sandwich (starring a perfect, flaky-rich pastry made in house), and sweets like the daily assortment of scones and muffins (including gluten-free options by local bakery Mindful Baking), you’ve got all your needs met. Gilding the lily with an exquisite London Fog or Aztec Mocha Latte is allowed, though.

Spirit Elephant

9 Spirit Elephant

A spirited experience While Spirit Elephant isn’t in Chicago proper, it is a scenic 20-mile drive north of downtown along Lake Michigan to Winnetka, and it is worth it. With a modern, sleek-yet-warm interior and a verdant patio during the warmer seasons, this is the place to go to feed your spirit. Try the Penne Alla Vodka, which is rich and savory with a cashew-tomato vodka sauce, when you want to carb it up, or the Blue Cheese Bourbon Burger with pommes frites for greatly elevated tavern food.

Vegan Plate / VegNews

10Vegan Plate

Thai one on With a menu focusing on traditional cuisine from Thailand but without animal ingredients, get your curry on without a fear in the world at Vegan Plate. Stop by this cozy eatery, enjoy the warm service, and know you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. However, it will be hard to resist items that are hard to find at conventional Thai restaurants, like red curry with soy shrimp or zesty tom yum goong ramen. Crispy banana spring rolls with chocolate chips complete a perfect Southeast Asian meal.