On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan, Live/Raw Food
Neighborhood: Lincoln ParkArmitage (Purple Express, Brown)
North/Clybourn (Red)
Loading...
I have wanted to try this place for years but never got around to it until a lovely fellow Yelper invited me, courtesy of her http://restaurant.com coupon.
We started with the sliders and the nachos which were both pretty good. Her tamale was good but I think the bechamel should have been on the inside not outside of the husk. My ravioli was disappointing and something in the tomato sauce was definitely not to my liking (and it was a small portion for the price). My caramel fig crepe was okay but needed something, I can't quite put my finger on it.
Service was fine, and the restaurant itself is cute.
I might go back with another coupon.
I try to not use yelp as a bashing post and give objective reviews. this is the one place that i will never ever return. the staff was terrible. i overheard our server snickering and pointing at us that we were newbies and say something along the lines of 'watch their faces!' and i am not sure what that was supposed to mean.
we knew when we walked in it was going to be 'different,' and we are not used to raw foods but we do have expansive palates and try a lot of different foods. the food was cold, and that being new, i just didn't feel that i was being filled up and energized. there was nothing cozy and comforting about the food though i must admit it did 'look' nice in the manner that they displayed it.
nobody will go up for seconds, its not so appealing. i imagine the people who dine here do so under dietary choice obligations and not for the taste. a staff member policed our portions at the buffet station which was odd to say the least.
Karyn's kept this raw vegan girl from accidentally wandering into Lou Malnatti's - my biggest fear for my recent trip to Chicago since going vegan and raw a year-ish ago. Went in with eight friends this weekend - a couple veg-heads (ovo-lacto and vegan) among them, but no fellow rawbies. Everyone seemed to enjoy their plates, though many wondered why someone would want to call something by its non-raw name (ie "meatballs") if the final product is, really, nothing of the sort.
All I can say is, afterwards, I felt great. The range of choices was amazing. The crepes - even though they use honey (Ugh! Do I get my vegan card revoked?) were TO DIE FOR. The Napoleon also satisfied, and all the appetizers were tasty. I felt a few of the desserts were too sweet - but my tastebuds have changed since going raw, perhaps. Have to say, though, I was delightfully surprised by the curry ice cream. It started tough but ended smooth. In fact, I would probably order it again! Though those fig crepes were also amazing, as was the tiramisu.
For the number of people well-fed, I was also pleased by our overall tab. The drinkers among us also enjoyed the restaurant's BYOB abilities!!
Karyn's Raw, I shall return!
Because I'm not a vegetarian, my comments must be taken with a grain of salt ... which could certainly have added to the tastiness of all available to us on their Sunday buffet. I did't like anything I ate, tho the chocolate cake with cocoanut actually tasted like chocolate cake.
What used to be a $12.95 all-you-can-eat buffet is now $29.95 and served to you in tiny tiny portions by a server who speaks little or no English Go ahead ... ask him what something is. Ha! Ha! Luckily, it's written on tiny little labels you might be able to read.
The most infuriating thing, and what prompted me to write the first negative review I've ever written about any other restaurant, is that something is called "Fetticini Alfredo" ... but has NO FETTICINI and NO ALFREDO SAUCE!! It's look-like-noodles made of thinly sliced cucumbers and some bitter, milky look liquid they pass off as sauce. Same for "Lasagna", "Ravioli" , you name it. NO PASTA is served, yet they use the traditional names of pasta noodles to describe a non-pasta dish. Ridiculous!
Why not tenderloin made of rye bread? Otr lobster bisque made of bean soup? Or how about tuna salad made of cheese?
They create their own crazy entrees ... they should create their own crazy names to go with it! Don't pass it off as something it's clearly not!
YUKKO! I hated it.
I refused to go to Kayrn's Raw for the longest time due to my first experience there. I had the ravioli and I didn't care for it - the sauce comes cold (room temperature would have been better) and has too many olives in it, but the nut paste within the ravioli was really good. So I gave it another try a year later, but this time I got the pasta primavera...WOW! It's made with zucchini noodles (wow!) and pine nut sauce (delicious!) and you also get servings of other well prepared vegetables. All I have to say is that this dish is truly amazing and it has kept me coming back on a regular basis. My bf has enjoyed everything he's eaten from Kayrn's Raw as well.
Another thing to note, they have a deli/store connected (also Kayrn's) that carries all kinds of Vegan Raw foods. The Raw Mint Carob Cake is very good. I highly recommend Karyn's, not only is the food good, but the location is very nice. It's a great place to go for a nice dinner (great for dates), you can get dressed up nice if you want (but you're fine in your regular casual attire as well).
My overall experience was better than I had expected it would be. For me, this place is like a bizarre food-based reality show. I want to go back just to see how they come up with totally raw interpretations of familiar menu items. Totally raw ravioli? I must see how this is done.
The restaurant is pretty nice. Seating for about 30 with white tablecloths and candles, but most people were in jeans and a sweater, so it was perfect for after work, or a casual dinner.
The food was flavorful, if not a bit oversalted. I had the shitake carpaccio, which was decent. I also had the tamales and as far as the flavor goes, they were really good - some of the better tamales I've had. The texture, due to the fact that they were prepared with all raw ingredients, left a little to be desired. They were mush with vegetables inside. Great tasting mush, but mush. I also shared the falafel, and again, it tasted good, but was mush.
There is an adjoining cafe and shop as well as a wellness center, so this is a really great one-stop place for all things vegan, natural, and/or raw. Like I said, I want to go back just to see how they come up with ways to prepare the food. Check http://www.restaurants... for gift certificates - that's what got me to go here.
I must say that this was literally the worst meal I have ever - ever - ordered. My partner and I eat vegetarian/vegan almost all the time. This place's food was truly deplorable and they should be ashamed for not feeding it only to animals. Everything - food, service, price - that is part of a dining experience was truly and utterly miserable. I took one bite of my meal and was almost moved to spit it out on my plate.
If you don't want to eat anything that will make you want to get your stomach pumped, stay away from Karyn's!
Non-alcoholic wine?
WTF is that all about!!!
I think the food in their deli is better than the restaurant. (It's certainly cheaper.)
If you like raw food and booze with no kick then this is your place.
I have just gone raw as of Independence Day 09 and this place is a life saver for me.
The Napoleon is to die for. I could eat it daily.
I have been to the Sunday brunch and found it a really good way to experience what they are capable of.
The cafe part of the restaurant is really good for a quick bite or to grab a smoothie (although a bit pricey).
The staff isn't the friendliest but Veronica is the sweetest and makes up for the rest of them.
Again at a quick glance lots of 3 stars -wondering why?
I've been into raw for a loooong time and my only guess is that people tend to miss order. Getting say 2 or 3 entrees with the main ingredient -nuts so yes then it could be unsatisfying and blotting -not fun.
Anyways, Saturday turned out to be in the 90's
An open sauna in Grant Park -hot, humid and stinky phew!
So we took a break into another part of town... drove by Hot Doug's and hell to the NO the line was insane. Good thing we went raw!
Karyn's is such a friendly, zen cafe -with an all you care to eat buffet for $12.95 amazing deal. For our table we ordered salad with dulse, sprouts and kraut, energy soup and acai smoothie -ahhhhhh just what the body craved for in this nasty heat wave.
PS on that visit they had a beautiful sample table with raw hummus, beet spread and olive served with cru de te.
Our waitperson was very helpful. Vegans: lots of stuff is made with honey, so plan to work with a much smaller menu.
I highly recommend the nachos.
The tamales were tasty, but annoying. The "bechamel" on the empanadas was drizzled on the husk of one of the tamales, and it was very difficult to get it off and into the tamales. Maybe it was just for looks? I would never mention something like this normally, but it's not normally that many people spend $12 on two tamales.
The empanadas were also well executed, but only recommended if you're not very hungry and not sharing. I felt awful for having a bite of one because they're so wee.
Other hits: the chocolate mousse and the tiramisu cake.
Misses: The "sliders." Just don't. The thin crust pizza (which I didn't taste but looked at longingly) was reported to be a major disappointment,
There are a handful of other things I would love to try- the pad thai is rumored to be excellent. I'll just have to wait until someone else is buying.
PS- you can probably tell from reading the other reviews that this place is underwhelming but just in case... I was discussing my weekend experience at Karyn's with a friend who had also eaten here before and my main gripe of the portions being sooo tiny was the main topic and she agreed.
I'm posting this because she's tall, thin, a model, and a very healthy eater as far as nutrition and portion and she said that even she, had to go somewhere after to get food because it's no where near enough food. So there you have it, even supermodels can't get full here.
It pains me to do this but trust me, I'm being kind by giving them 2 stars.
My boyfriend and I just…
Read more »
The service was great when we went. I didn't really enjoy my entree though. I should have asked about the exact ingredients...the one raw thing I hate more than anything is raw onions and my mushroom napoleon was pretty much covered in them. It was beautifully presented, but the onions overwhelmed everything. Besides that, it had olives and olives are almost impossible to find raw. I suspect they were from a can.
But wow, the dessert I had, the Tiramisu Cheesecake, was absolutely incredible I could have eaten a zillion slices. I also tried some of the raw nut "cheeses" and hummus and they were excellent too.
Ok....been trying to get way more raw with my diet and decided finally to make the trip to Karyns. After making a couple raw dishes at home from online recipes I wanted to see how the pros did it.
We were like kids in a candy store. In the little cafe/store part there were so many yummy (expensive) looking treats! Boxed meals, drinks, juices, granolas, crackers, "breads", desserts, bars, you name it- if you were going raw and could afford to buy your groceries here- you would be set! Everything looked awesome and yummy so I we drooled a little bit wishing we were loaded and could just come here.
The salad bar looked a little scary though- definately had been a while since reloading and refreshing the mini buffet and did NOT look appetizing at all. Half the spreads and dips were just crusted over remnants-c'mon people! I know it was an odd time in the day (between lunch and dinner but still!)
Now on to our late 3:30 lunch....service was helpful but a little slow- she kept dissapearing (to where I am not sure- its a tiny room!) and not refilling water(my pet peeve). But she did give excellent advice on what to get and what was not garlicky- can't stand how sometimes vegan or veg. means extra garlic- gross.
The food....EXCELLENT!!! The mango soup was served slightly warm and was SO delicious! (would even do in place of dessert!) And the falafel was PERFECT. Served super gourmet, just the right amount and portions with a delightful dipping sauce. Not only looked amazing but it tasted absolutely wonderful.
I cannot wait to go back!!!!
I decided to go to Karyn's with a fellow yelper since I had heard great things about it from a vegeterian friend of mine. It was different that is for sure. I had the stuffed portobello mushroom that was delicious. We had the nacho appetizer- guacamole with olives very yummy!!
My friend had the pasta primavera which I thought was good. At first, I thought -how can raw pasta be any good? We used a gift certificate and it still was pricey. It was worth trying something different.
Been going to Karyn's for 5 years for treatments in the wellness center and buying wheatgrass shots and other items from the juice bar. The food and juices have always been very tasty and of great quality.
I believe in what Karyn is doing and I support her business because I think we need more of these individually owned stores and not corporate run establishments that push out processed food.
I do think the prices are too expensive, especially when you see that Karyn drives a Bentley and lives like a millionaire.
I was in Chicago visiting 3 weeks ago and my daughter & I decided to try Karyn's for dinner. We thought it was excellent. I was in Chicago again over the past few days and took my family there for lunch.
The restaurant has a nice ambiance compared to many raw food restaurants. Well appointed interior, clean and somewhat upscale. The service is excellent - and they are willing to give you their opinions on the best dishes as well as some good specifics about spice and portion info.
I try the chocolate mousse at all raw food restaurants that offer it. Karyn's makes a really rich one that is delicious - made from coconut meat. Her Caramel Fig Crepe is also quite good but could use just a little more filling. My daughter really enjoyed the berry parfait and the presentation was beautiful as well.
The sea dim sum appetizer is excellent but a fairly small portion. However, the nachos are great and can serve 2-3 pretty well.
The Pad Thai was "so-so" but the Portobello Napoleo - worth getting the recipe for! Excellent and I'll have that the next time I'm in Chicago.
Overall, this is one of the much nicer raw restaurants I've been to.
Our service was fair- only one server on a Friday night and the busboy kicked my chair about 7-8 times.
I am glad I tried the whole "vegan" thing but it is not for me.
The dim sum appetizer had an awful texture and the Karyn's House salad had a flavor that disagreed with me- although others at the table enjoyed it.
The avocado appetizer was very tasty and the chocolate mousse was awesome.
Old Dirty Bastard is a fan of the raw food diet (right? I mean, he sang "oh baby I like it raw, yeah baby I like it raaaaawww". He obviously loves Karyn) and I am a fan too (but not just because of ODB).
I follow a raw diet for about 4 months a year. Just long enough to feel good and reap the benefits, but also because I cant go more than 4 months without real cheese pizza and coca cola slurpees.
Karyn's Raw is awesome! The tuna salad is tastier and better than the mock (but not raw) tuna salad at Wholefoods. Everything is very, very delicious and satisfying.
Yes, prices can be insane (but then again, if you're on a raw diet you're probably a little bat*hit insane anyway). Buy your fresh food here, but don't buy the nuts, goji berries, kombucha juice, teas, or crackers. These same things can be purchased at Wholefoods for 1/2 the price.
One point off because the adjacent 'Karyn's spa" really irks me. Colonics and ear candling are unnatural and unsafe. I'm surprised to see these offered. ...and I mean, if you're on a raw diet, do you really need colonics? Shhiiiiiit.
PS - one time I was dating this hipster idiot and I took him here (out of spite) and he kept saying "awww man, I LOVE raw". He gorged on the salad bar. Later we went to the movies, but he spent the entire time in the bathroom. It was awesome.
The staff was rude and condescending from the moment we walked in--especially when we told our waiter that we had a gift certificate. Also, we went on a Sunday afternoon and all they were serving was their "all you can eat" brunch which was $30/person (and their website DID NOT indicate that that was the only thing served on Sat/Sun afternoons).
It was served in tiny little portions--like party appetizers. On top of all this, the food wasn't even very good. Oh--and did I mention that our bill was $77 w/tax and the 18% gratuity that our rude waitress tacked on? And all we ordered was the brunch--no extras! But even if we'd wanted to order extras we couldn't--b/c the only choice they were offering was the "all you can eat brunch" or nothing. I am NOT recommending this restaurant to anyone, nor will I be going back! (even though I have another gift certificate!)
I did not eat at the restaurant, but picked up a few to-go items at the little grocery store attached to the restaurant. Although the hummus they had out to sample was passable, the rest of the food available for carry-out was atrocious and terribly over-priced. $13 for 1 "sushi roll" made with avocado and nut paste? Are YOU nuts? I also got a smoothie from the bar with green food and some other healthy treats, but the green food base they used was terrible and the frozen strawberries they pulled out to make the smoothie seemed to be contradictory to their raw food mantra, not to mention tasteless. I'm never setting foot in this place again and will venture elsewhere for healthy treats.
GOT TO PREVIEW THE NEW MENU. IT IS GREAT! GO TRY ALL THE NEW FOOD....
Went here for Valentines Day and it was super good. After a mile walk in the cold cold, the restaurant was warm, the service awesome, and the food was well above my expectations. I've eaten a lot of RAW food and this is good RAW food. You can tell Karyn takes a lot of pride in keeping the quality up.
Karyn was super friendly and stopped by our table to say hello. We ate:
Nachos - which actually tasted like real nachos, best raw nachos ive had
Spanish Ajo Soup - This was fresh, made with almond milk and grapes
Beet, Watercress, and Cabbage Salad Trio - all great
Pad Thai - yums - super creamy with sweet nut milks and lot of veggies
Spinach Pizza - the best part. spinach had been soaked in oils.
Cacao Fondue - with bananas, raw graham crackers, etc.
We even left with a cacao covered strawberry. This place is such a godsend for the meat and potato town Chicago. The store also has lots of raw goodies. I was digging this place really hard. Karyn's has the love.
My boyfriends mom went through a raw food period, so for a special occasion Karyn's it was.
I have to admit that everyone else hated the food.. But strangely I liked it. I had the "ravioli" it was made of radishes. I tried the burger and several other dishes but mine was the best.
the guac is good but hard to mess up...
Overall, It depends on your taste... These items are not exact replicas of you old time faves.. If you are Raw you have to accept the fact that you may never have some of the flavors that you loved ever again.
If you come here without the expectation that you will be recapturing the flavors of the past you will enjoy your self, if you think you'll finally get to feast on that familiar burger flavor again reevaluate your diet all together.
Everything here is a reasonable facsimile of what it is named, but in a disappointing awww-this-cake-is-made-out-of-flowers kind of way.
I had the "ravioli" which was some sort of nut paste folded into radish slices. My beloved friend Steph ordered the veggie burger, cuz she was raised right, and it came with some sort of sprouted bread which made her feel like she had eaten a brick.
Menu creation for this place must not be easy or fun. I don't know how to more adequately or succinctly describe what you are going to serve since it's so bonkers compared to an average place, even an average vegetarian place. But for goodness sake- even if the menu and customers were divided into experience and skill levels (e.g. tadpoles, goldfish, tunas and sharks in swim lessons) and subsequently paired up, it would have made things better.
And Furthermore! The mega-energy-dense bars in the adjacent store are clearly made of birdseed have as many calories as three candy bars. Which means eating them is just sort of un-American. And kind of a racket, if you ask me.
Yes, super skinny Karyn is herself g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s and all the food is supposed to be alive or something.
.
Whateves. Koala meat is the most delicious.
I have an incredible amount of respect for anyone who has the determination and skills necessary to follow the raw food philosophy for any significant amount of time. It is freakin hard core folks. So you go on with your bad self, Super Scary Thin Karyn. I don't know how you make it through a month without a piece of chocolate or cheese, but I am truly impressed.
Renee C wanted to try this place for her birthday so we arrive on a Monday night to a completely empty dining room. Our server seemed pleasant enough and I wasn't getting that "bad service vibe" that I had learned is a problem for this restaurant. I order a wheat grass shot and a glass of frozen peach juice. The wheat grass was fabulous! It was the best I have ever had. The grassy flavour was very mild and it was very sweet, unlike shots I have had at other places. So then we order an appetizer, the "Olive Oil Cured Sun-Dried Tomato Cheese Puree with Seasoned Celery" and entrees. I get the "garlic lovers pizza" and Renee gets the "Creamy Sea Wrap" which is Avocado, Walnut Pate, Sweet Onion and Basil Wrapped in a Seaweed Crepe. While we waited I went to check out the other side, which is a shop and cafe. (interesting stuff, but things seemed VERY pricey)
Anyway, by this time, other people had filtered into the restaurant and suddenly I felt like our service was becoming less than ideal. The other people seemed like regulars and the server was practically fawning all over them, whereas we were getting the most bare minimum of attention. (and this is after we had said we had never been to the restaurant before!)
Well, the food arrives and Renee's is presented like sushi - and tasted quite a bit like it too, which was awesome. My "pizza" was nothing more than a garlic and olive salad over 4 triangular slices of gluten free bread. Tasty but come on - it is stupid to be calling that Pizza. How about "Salad over Toast Points" instead?
So after the experience I am pretty sure I could do the raw food diet for a few weeks. Um, maybe a week. OK - a day, I could definitely do a whole day. But anything more than that and my body would get pissed and demand a half a pack of bacon for the trauma.
Went to Kayrns Raw last night for the second time after 4 or 5 years and their menu has changed. A lot more variety than what it was when we first came. We are n avid fan of Karyn's cooked on Wells street but my bf loves this raw place. I have to say, it is not for everyone but if you want true vegan raw and uber healthy food then this is the place for you. This is vegan paradise, the place is small but cozy, modern decor, you dont have to be seated just seat yourself and there is only one server who is very knowledgeable of the vegan cuisine experience. We started with the sliders which was 2 pieces of brown bread with some tomato and pate topping, this I love so much that I took my boyfriends share ($9), he ordered some almond milk soup, I tried it and didnt like it ($8). For the entree we had the empanada (just ok) and the ravioli which was pretty good but the best thing was the chocolate mousse dessert which I cannot stop raving about. We dont typically order desserts in resttaurants since we dont like refined sugar so that pretty much eliminates 98% of desserts out there. Karyn's version of the Choco Mousse is made of coconut meat, raw cacao and coconut oil and it was heavenlyyyyyyyy I will eat this dessert every single day and not feel that I have betrayed my health. I do think this place is quite expensive for the portions that are given but if you think of the quality of ingredients and the fact that this is a rare genre of a restaurant... well I still wished the prices were a bit lower. All in all one of the most authentic and innovative vegan places that serves delicious food at a price. We used our http://restaurant.com coupon and paid a today of $42 NOT BAD. Will I be running to this place without my coupon, probably not. Will my bf who is a total health nut be eating here everday if he can afford it, probably so. Will we be back... Most Definitely. Oh and they ahve FREE PARKING which is GREAT!
I was really excited to try this place, but it was not for me. I found the texture & tempurature unappealing. I'm sure it was all good for me, but I'd rather enjoy a shorter life!
My wife and I had our Valentines dinner here. Partially because we had wanted to try it and partially because we had a hard time getting reservations anywhere else.
It was a PriFixe menu for the holiday. They were serving non alcoholic wine and champagne. (watered down grape juice) we brought our own bottle.
We aren't raw food people per se. But it wasn't our first raw food experience. The staff seemed a bit unknowledgable about the food they were serving. We suspected that because it was a holiday menu, most hadn't eaten the food that was being served that night.
We started with a serving of "Nachos" which were pretty tasty. Raw corn and flax seed pressed and dehydrated and topped with Pico De Gallo, guacomole, and Vegan raw sour cream.
Second course was a spanish Ajo Soup which was fantastic! Almond milk, garlic and peeled grapes. Quite a treat.
Main courses. She had the pizza which was overpowered with Garlic. I LOVE Garlic but this was even too much for me. I had the Pad Thai which was really quite good.
For desert we had the chocolate fondue. Raw Cacao with cashew oil and agave.
We probably would not have ordered the pizza had the server been able to explain it better but everything else was really good. We bumped into the chef on our way out and she was quite knowledgable and invited us back to hear her speak about raw food techniques.
We'll be back.
I am a meat eater. I enjoy the taste of chomping down on tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon... you get the idea. However I do have an open mind. When the very cool and vegan Nicoletta R asked me about doing dinner with her and her boyfriend Thane, I said yes. Then when she asked if I wanted to try Karyn's Raw... um.. sure? I've gone by a bajillion times, but really, a huge part of me looked at it and thought could I get a good meal out of there. I had said yes, but I had so much to discover and learn that night.
I met Nicoletta out for a drink or two earlier, perhaps to kills some time, to keep my mind open, so when we got to Karyn's Thane was waiting for us, but we forgot something. Our own drinks. Its BYOB y'all! And if you don't want to bring your own, they have several smoothies and non alcoholic drinks, but for us, I made a quick trip to Sam's which remedied our situation.
The situation on hand now was dinner. This is all vegan and raw, nothing cooked, so the warmest it will get is lukewarm or room temperature. Don't freak out. Don't get scared. Open your mind, your stomach will follow. We had ordered two starters and then our main courses. The nachos were a hit, the chips were dehydrated, with a crunchy texture, a slightly nutty and toasted wheat flavor, the rest was really good. Don't expect the plate covered with cheese and hot and steaming, this is the vegan version and I rather liked it. The sliders we ordered were... not that great. I think the problem we had is, if you are going to name it "Sliders" on the menu, perhaps there should be more than one? We finally discovered what the bun and the "burger" parts, it was okay. The sun dried tomato ketchup was good, the actually slider part was a little too bland and one note. I'd skip this one. Then the main courses, we had tamales, empanadas and pizza. I didn't try the pizza, but the tamales were good, served in the traditional corn husk, some good flavors going on and layered too. My empanadas were good, but honestly I loved the mole and the tomatillo salsa that came with it... I might have slammed them down, shot style of course, but some how I think that wouldn't have gone over that well. Finally dessert. I will say this now, with no hesitation, the chocolate mousse, you need to get. It was a richer chocolate pudding, but Bill Cosby doesn't have anything on this version. A slight nutty taste, but certainly a mouthful will make you think about an eternity on the hips.
Our server was great. She was helpful and friendly and made sure we knew what we got as well as things to look out for. Vegans don't have honey, (See? Did you know that? Learned something new perhaps? Well.. I try...), however at Karyn's she does allow honey in some dishes, which our server was quick to point out to Nicoletta.
Is this a place where I would say I would come here every week? No. It was a treat to come here to try a different level of eating. These are passionate people, for one reason or another, who have given up meat, to take a different path and to go with what speaks to them as truth and what speaks to their heart as right. It certainly gave me a better understanding of what a vegan has to go through if they ever go out. It was certainly an eye opening experience, one I wouldn't mind coming back to try again in the future.
If I could give less than one star I would! Ok, I'll admit it....I didn't read the Yelp reviews before I coordinated an event at this place. I've learned my lesson! The service was the worst I have ever experienced....I'm surprised this place still employs the same loud/rude manager!
Here's the story the way I see it...I made a call and went into Karyn's Raw 2 months before my event. Got it on their calendar (watched the girl write EVERYTHING down) and obnoxious manager shows me the Yoga room that will be set up for my event and tells me all sorts of other things.
Invitations are sent.
I get this feeling 2 weeks before the event that I should call and make sure everything is still cool and that they don't need anything from me. This is when obnoxious manager lady tells me....oh you never came in so I scheduled something else that day. To which I reply...of course I came in, my flip-flops broke you gave me a paper clip to fix it. We had a moment! She is still dead set on the fact that she never forgets anyone and that no, I never came in! WOW! I feel trapped my event is scheduled I can't call everyone to change the location, i have to make this work.
We work it out.
I arrive day of the place looks good with the exception of the yoga mellow music playing loudly in the room (it's a party people).
Food was actually not bad for what I had expected. But then the proverbial poo hits the fan! The waitress comes to me and says...the tip is not so good. WHAT!?!?! Is this a bad prank obnoxious manager lady is playing on me? Then she say's would you mind if I made an announcement to let people know gratuity wasn't included?
#1 Why wasn't gratuity included we were a party of 20? #2 Are ya kidding me? I looked back over the check and 20% was included.
I just cannot believe this place. In a city of plenty of amazing restaurants with superb service, this place should be shut down for service alone. These people had the potential to win over 20 new faces to frequent their place of business. Instead, they have lost 20 and judging by the amount of people that left saying this is going in my blog or my Yelp review I am sure they lost many more!
Karyn, you seem like a great woman! But obnoxious manager lady has got to go! She is ruining this places reputation!
Wow! Went to the Sunday brunch at Karyn's to try out a variety of things. LOVED the samosas best! Want more!!!
Who knew raw food could be so satisfying! The presentation was creative, the wait staff was very attentive (I have some food allergies, so i'm always happy when the server asks about allergies first thing - then I don't have to explain myself too much). The ice "cream" was amazing - I'm lactose intolerent and miss this the most.
My friend and I also opted to try the oxygen bar. This was just an oxygen machine wheeled out to a sofa in the back of the cool little grocery area. They hand you a disposable nose thingie and you breathe away. Not sure if it did much for me, but it was refreshing.
Over all this place has novelty and healthiness in it's favor, and an upscale feel about it.
I try to eat raw most of the time and I feel I am fairly creative when it comes to making dishes. I was anxious to go to Karyn's Raw, but most of my friends are meat eaters and don't want to pay a high price for veggie dishes.
Now let me say this, in general, eating raw does not come cheap, especially when you incorporate nuts in most of your dishes. Karyn's does use a lot of blended nuts in her dishes, but she blends them so smooth you wonder what you are eating. A few people have told me they have received an upset stomach after going here. To be quite honest, you might if you don't eat healthy and incorporate veggies in your diet on a day to day basis.
It is BYOB (Yeah!), which is nice to cut down the cost. The dishes can be expensive but I feel with the ingredients she uses, they are worth it. There is free parking available which makes a change and the staff were very friendly. I am like a bottomless pit when it comes to food so when I told the waitress I was still hungry and I could not decide what I wanted on the menu, she had the chef make me a raw 'macaroni and cheese' dish which was awesome. All the staff in the restaurant and store were nice, my friend and I felt bad because we held them up. We loved it here!
The next time I go here I will try their brunch which I hear changes all the time. Looking forward to it!
Haven't yet been to the fine dining side but often enjoy the the small but inventive salad bar and sandwiches such as the "square of joy" (made on "bread" composed of soaked nuts and grains...dense, chewy and sweet) that are available in the cafe side. If the salad bar has anything with mushrooms in it, I recommend it...particularly the marinated mushroom/bean sprout/carrot conconction. (Wish I had the recipe for it.)
I am very, very partial to Karyn's raw desserts, particularly the carob mint cake, with frosting so rich...it's just bliss. I think it may be my all time favorite dessert.
(Sidenote: I wish more restaurants would do things with carob! It's not competing with chocolate, it's its own thing, dig?)
I don't seem to have the service problems on the cafe side that others have. Sometimes there can be a bit of a line but I've also found the staff friendly.
This is yet another establishment where I always feel I've spent an arm and a leg, but, I tell myself, it's in the service of health and happiness.
there aren't many raw restaurants in the city, so my mother and i decided to go to karyn's. the first time we went, we ordered the nacho appetizer (which was delicious and filling, although 9$ seemed a little pricey). i ordered the pizza and my mother ordered the tamales. both of which were just okay. BUT THEN, my mom found a hair in her tamale. gross. we told the waitress and her entree was comped.
the second time we went, we ordered the nachos again. but GUESS WHAT- we found a hair in the nachos! what is going on? is human hair suddenly considered raw? we told our waitress and she apologized and suggested we try the sliders, which were good but overpriced...
i'll be going back to karyn's, but not because i enjoy human hair. the waitress gave us coupons so that we would come back. haha.
I actually organized a bit of a pilgrimage here so I feel a bit responsible for everyone I invited's experience (7 of us total). We had a mixed group of omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans. Nobody was specifically on a raw food diet, but everyone was willing to try the place.
After we ordered it took a -really- long time for anything to come out. My dinner companions were getting a bit cranky. We had water, but that was it. Perhaps a little something to nibble on while we wait would have taken the edge off? Anyway, finally 2 shakes came out. Mine was amazing, and I'd say worth the wait. It was the "Really Rare and Raw: nutmilk, dates, banana, vanilla." I am definitely going to have to try to recreate that at home because $9 is a bit pricey. Two people at the table ordered the guacamole and chips, and both were delicious and filling, despite seeming initially like a small portion. The chips were very dense and slightly soft. I'm not sure what they were made of.
(I also got to nab one of the "Crimini Mushrooms Stuffed with a Nut Pate and Topped with a Light Gravy" and thought it was really complex tasting and delicious.)
My entree was the "Pasta Primavera", which is made with zuchinni "pasta". It was yummy, though the pine nuts seemed a bit salty and were perhaps soaked in soy sauce? Not sure. What initially again seemed like too small of a portion turned out to be more than enough. Seriously heavy food. (Funny that we think of cooked food as heavier- but man, that much of mostly fresh veggies and nuts catches up with you.)
Most of the table was just sort of okay with their food. Nobody raved except the two of us who ordered the primavera. The one who ordered the "basil scented ravioli" actually left half of it and I wound up taking it home (so I'll be trying that soon.) It had a bunch of olives in it, and I love olives. I am hopeful.
We didn't have room for the amazing looking deserts (which we had been revved up to try because we hoped they'd be served quickly... they're already prepared and sitting in a class case in the juice bar area.)
Go knowing what you're getting into, with a feeling of adventure, and with serious patience. If you get restless, I don't see why you shouldn't feel free to wander into the next room and browse books :)
This is a small space, and I didn't like gourmet raw cuisine as much as I expected... not sure I'd make the trek all the way from Hyde Park to go back when karyn's cooked is closer. The feeling of doing something lovely for my body was great though... but I did eat a tastykake when I got home. Does that negate my dinner? ;)
FOOD: (3 stars) I started eating here when I went 100% raw (about a year ago), so I am grateful that Karyn's was around for that. The food is okay. It is a bit on the nutty side, though, and quite heavy. She uses a lot of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which is not raw. It really does taste "cooked" which may help her de-tox students, or those who are newly raw. For much better raw food, however, go to Cousin's IV (on Irving Park). They have a wealth of salads and lighter dishes.
SERVICE: (0 stars) This is the main reason I almost no longer go to Karyn's. There are two sub-reasons: 1) They are WAY understaffed and very, very slow. Even though I was a regular for MONTHS, I never was treated like a valued customer. I had to wait in line for up to 10 minutes just to pay for a cookie or a bottle of water. 2) The managers (including Karyn) YELL at their staff! In front of customers! This is unacceptable, and quite the opposite of a "raw" and radiant attitude. I have gotten better service at just about every juice bar and health food restaurant in Chicago. (Try Doc's on Armitage or Kramer's Health on Wabash for excellent juice bar service.)
PRICE: (0 starts) All I can say is that Karyn is MONEY HUNGRY. Her items are often 10-20% more expensive than those at Whole Foods. Save your money and go to Life Spring on Clark for vitamins and supplements. It is offensive to the Chicago raw community that she charges up to three or four dollars more for the SAME items available at the stores of her competitors. This just makes raw people look bad. Her smoothies are 9 dollars, on average. Those of her competitors are around 5 or 6. How does that make sense? Her smoothies often are not even organic...
If you are raw (or thinking of going raw), my advice is to look up recipes on http://GoneRaw.com and learn to make some of this stuff yourself. Do NOT let Karyn's represent the raw food movement. There are plenty of great raw restaurants (including Cousin's) across the country that have amazing food and great service to boot.
Nuff said.
I almost want to cuss in front of my grandmother so she will wash my mouth out with soap, that is how bad the taste of the food was.
Let me preface that I am a very healthy eater, respect all forms of beliefs, diets, and I enjoy vegetarian and vegan options when presented.
That being said, I can't say enough bad things about Karyn's. This place was awful, and it was not just my dish but everything we ate. Our party got three dishes and two juices and TA DA ...nauseous.
I can hear the responses to this review now: "It's raw, its actually um good for you." or "It's natural, its organic and you obviously don't get it."
Vegan food can actually taste great and most of the vegan food I eat tastes amazing but you will never find the words Karyn & Amazing together.
The service was awful too, I guess the waitress took a bite of what we were eating and felt the same way based upon her attitude.
I almost want to hand out fliers with a warning to people walking by this place just to make sure they don't go here.
Maybe I am being harsh, I usually give complimentary reviews but this place made all of us sick. No, it is not because we are unhealthy and our bodies rejected something good.
I wish I could rate this place on how many times myself and my party threw up, but I will just stick with the star system.
I almost wrote a premature review of Karyn's-- I mean after my uncomfortable experience at the cafe and after being inundated with raw food bashing via old Sex and the City episodes, I was sure that Karyn's was going to be a total miss.
I was wandering the cafe and my existence went unacknowledged- I mean, I don't expect a grand parade but I clearly looked lost. I could have been more assertive but I didn't even know what to ask- I was just taking it all in. (lots of products, cook books, refrigerated lunches, kombucha)...
Anyway, I finally settled on the lasagna. The package boasted microwave instructions which confused me- I mean, isn't raw food supposed to be cold unless heated below 180 degrees (or something like that)?? Well, I asked the guy at the counter if he would microwave my lasagna (maybe a silly question, but it said so on the package and hey, I'm new to this...)
He looked at me confused and said, no, we're raw, everything is cold- we don't have a microwave. I showed him the microwave instructions on the package to which he became all flustered and shrugged his shoulders. I took my lasagna home and tucked it in the fridge for later.
I was so intent on writing a bad review... The mouthy woman who kept on condemning people (namely, her son in law) who weren't raw to the unfortunate parties who pretended to care sort of set the tone for the elitist vibe I felt.
Why so many stars you might ask? Granted, I approached my lasagna with super low expectations, but lord almighty- it was DELICIOUS!!! I decided to try it cold before I nuked it, and it was awesome. My belly is happy, albeit full. I am eager to try the sit-down portion of Karyn's--sans chatty lady.
__________________________________________________ __
Update-
I checked out the restaurant portion with a friend and it was yummy--
We shared the ravioli and the garlic lovers pizza- both phenomenal. We also had a pecan/carob cake with ice cream for dessert. (all of this raw/vegan) This place is creative.
There is something eerie about the homogeneity of the staff there- I don't know, I felt badly for the waitress... only one woman for the packed dining room on a Friday night- it was just all a little strange.
I had this delicious celery appetizer there and a dessert that was pretty good. Other than that, I would not recommend this place.
The first time I went here Karyn asked me if I was familiar with raw foods. That was funny. One time outta sheer boredom as I was driving by the old location on Lincoln I called and asked what today's soup was. "Energy Soup" was the reply I got. I asked if the soup contained electrons. Total confusion on the other end of the phone.
I think you could get most of this stuff at somewhere else in an untampered state for less.
Complimentary Oatmeal Shake
Neighborhood: Bucktown
Daily dine in specials
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Irving Park
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Restaurants
I'm a vegetarian (though I love and constantly…
A wonderful clutch of terrible places. Avoid…
THE RANKINGS: BEST OF THE BEST FROM ALL OVER THE…
oxymoron, i think not! here are my fav places in…
Places that know a thing or two about vegetables,…
If you're Vegan/Vegetarian, curious about the…
My curves prove that I eat well. A list of yum…
I stole this list name from a blog of the same…
