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Category: Health Markets [Edit]
Neighborhood: The LoopAdams/Wabash (Orange, Brown, Purple Express, Green, Pink)
Monroe (Blue, Red)
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2 in one: decent health food store mainly selling dry goods, pills, tea, cosmetics, with some dairy etc.
Upstairs is the cafe -- simple food that I love and is hard to find downtown. I always always get the lunch special -- a small mixed veggie juice, a spinach pie (there are a few other options) and a big bowl of bean and vegetable soup. It costs 6 or 7 bucks, I think. Just a few blocks to the Art Institute.
The soup is pleasingly low-sodium. You can drench it in salt if you want, but those of us who like less salt appreciate it coming less salty.
I usually grab few things downstairs --they carry some awesome incense, have a huge boxed/bagged tea selection, and have a few nice treats.
My review of the restaurant: This is a great lunch option if you work in the loop. I'm unaware of their hours, so I'm unsure if they're open during the evening or on weekends. I really like their Veggie chili; although I think they use different ingredients each day...but it's always good. They have Vegan packaged cookies that are out of this world there and also offer several Vegan snacks, entrees, drinks, etc. Check it out if you work in the loop! Also, when you walk in, just go to the back of the store, as the restaurant is upstairs. ;)
My review of the store: I really like this place! They have a wide variety of Vegan options including packaged goods, Vegan items from local businesses, vitamins, snacks, etc. If I forget my lunch during work, I'll walk over here and buy a few things to back to the office to last a few days. The employees are so nice here too.
I was extremely excited to visit Kramer's. I'm gradually becoming vegan, and I didn't know any eateries in the Loop that offered vegan cuisine. I also needed to stock up on some food goods. As I entered Kramer's, I was overwhelmed by the Loop workers purchasing and selecting prepackaged lunch items. No doubt it gets quite busy here. As I browsed the store, I was somewhat impressed by their selection of vegetarian foods. It's larger than your average health food store and Trader Joe's. The prices are higher than Whole Foods, but that's to be expected. I was tempted to try the Seitan Hot "Wings" (more like bites), but the small portion didn't seem to match the price (almost $6). Instead, I went upstairs to their cafe to find something else to eat.
The line is long and slow, and the food wasn't very good. Don't order the vegetarian burrito, as it's difficult to eat with your hands. It wasn't all that impressive, Chipotle is much tastier. The plastic cutlery doesn't make it easier. The lunch prices are good though. For example, their soup, fresh juice, and entree lunch specials cost under $6. You must ask for water or purchase drinks from downstairs. Seating is sparse, so ordering to-go is recommended. Overall, the flow of the cafe is rather disorganized.
My school is located a few short blocks away, and I will return to Kramer's simply due to lack of vegan options around downtown. For pantry items like agave nectar, flours, and more, I'd rather wait to go to Whole Foods and save money. I'm a student, after all.
Overpriced (Whole Foods, yuppie church that it is, is often cheaper), but as a vegan, one of the few places downtown that has a decent selection for me. I definitely run over when I forget lunch or am at work later then I expected.
The cafe is bland, bland, bland! I rarely buy anything from it. They do have a array of spice blends to put on your food, but I want it cooked in!
I've bought rotten ready-made food from them and they allowed an exchange without question- while I didn't expect it, I think a refund would have been much better customer service.
Lately, they've been asking everyone to pay in cash as credit cards charge a lot. Yeah, I know they do, but either set a minimum for credit cards or become cash-only. If I run in, I don't want a speech about it. I try to pay cash for under $10, but if I go over that, my debit card is much easier for me.
I LOVE THIS PLACE SO MUCH IT MAKES ME DIE INSIDE. Mmm.
Their sandwiches are absolutely killer, and their curry salad is the best thing ever. I might get some today.
As a store Kramer's is not bad at all. I can't review it as a restaurant as I've never checked out their cafe. They have a selection of organic and natural food. I come here mostly to get healthy (relatively) snack foods. Of course, natural does not equal healthy, so you have to read the labels like you do at any other store. There is also an assortment of other health products, like protein powders, tea, vitamins and supplements.
The main reasons for 3 stars are 1) their selection of non-snack foods is limited and 2) their prices are on the high side. I'll probably continue to visit them for my healthy work snacks and maybe some day I'll give their vegetarian cafe a try.
re: the cafe, this is a great alternative to all the chains in the area; nice soups, specials. be prepared to add your own spices, for sure. the two guys working there are super, super, super nice. one of the guys always calls me "[his] friend." i like that--i like to be someone's friend for once in my life.
separate note: grab up the spiced apple brew by reed's for as long as possible. except, please leave some for me. i really love this shit.
Guess what I stumbled upon today? Oh this fantastic little place called Kramer's Health Foods--that's what.
A coworker and I decided to find someplace else to eat after the line at Chipotle on Jackson resembled the line for the Superman Ride at Six Flags in July.
Anyway, no need to fret, enter Kramer's Health Foods cafe stage right. Both the coworker and I had the lunch specials. She had the mixed vegetables over rice, (stewed potatoes, carrots, celery etc) and I had the Vegetarian Burrito (Black beans, and White rice, with soy sausage, and carrots) served in a wheat tortilla, with a side of lentil soup, and freshly squeezed mixed veggie juice. I added the pico de gallo and cayenne pepper to my burrito, and I have to say, it was darn delicious! She loved her mixed veggies and rice and couldn't get over the large portion.
After our lunch we walked around the store where I scored some fantastic grape fruit leather and some intoxicating Green and Blacks organic 70% Dark chocolate. YUM!
I asked the cook how long this place has been in the area and he said oh only a few years, like 14 or 15...sheesh, clearly I need to start exploring the area a bit more for flavorful lunches. Just as a heads up the cafe is located in the back of the store up a number of stairs, if you are dining in, you can eat first and then take your ticket down to the register to pay afterwards. All in all this was a great little spot and I would reccomend checking it out if you're tired of the usual in the South Loop.
Kramer's you have some new fans, we'll be seeing you again soon!
Outstanding!
I have seen this place many times from the el but never thought to stop in until a friend invited me. It seems like they have a pretty good selection for Vegans, but on the particular day I went, the choice was limited. After asking if 3 different things were Vegan or even available (to no avail), I just asked the cook what Vegan stuff he actually had.
I ate a Vegan mushroom pizza which was better than I thought it would be, considering it was frozen and heated in a toaster oven. I had a shake with coconut milk and banana, which was pretty good, but I like them a little sweeter.
The store sold some Vegan cookies by the register that were divine, however!
I'll try this place again if I'm with a fellow Vegan or vegetarian, but I wouldn't bring an omni friend.
Go here for the groceries, not for their sit down lunch! Yuck! My lentil soup tasted like flavored cardboard. If you love smoothies like me, don't order one from here either. Well, unless you're planning on ordering a wheatgrass, spinach, rice milk, soy smoothie because I bet they know how to make one of those pretty well.
There also isn't a lot of seating, so don't plan on taking a date to your local health food store because you'll end up sitting outside on a bench with a busted homeless man.
If you don't have time to go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and want to support a local business for their organic groceries, then definitely go to Kramer's. The first floor has quite a good selection.
And if you go there for the food upstairs... don't say I didn't warn you.
Hmmm, pay a little bit more for something healthier or pay less for junk and chemicals for my body?
Yes, Kramers prices can be a little high during this recession. But look all around you. The location is right in the middle of major univiersities, the art institute, corporate America. All restaurants and fast food joints are filling you with junk and super unhealthy, chemically preserved meals! As a matter of fact, spend less when i buy a salad and a bag of raw almonds. Today, it was about $6. Most salads in a decent downtown restaurant are at least $9.99...and most are wildly over proportioned because almost the entire bowl is lettuce!
Tried the cafe and now done...Might get what I need from the store.
The food was bland and there's not much that would bring me back to eat at the cafe. I had the lunch special with the "ham sandwich," soup, and juice drink. The soup was extremely bland and even with the seasonings you could add in yourself, the seasonings did not mix well. The sandwich had a good spice to it. The drink was very fresh, but was not chilled (which I did not like).
I also ordered the Vegan Caramel Cake. It was the driest thing I've ever eaten. Although, I did like the frosting...
I've eaten at other vegan/vegetarian restaurants and this one does not stand up to any of them. Oh well, on to the next cafe...
This is only a review of the store - not the cafe, as I haven't eaten there.
I love the idea of Kramer's and I love the idea of having such a place in the loop. However, every time I go in here, I'm frustrated by the fact that everything costs more than it does at Whole Foods (which is often overpriced itself). And while I expect (and usually don't mind) paying more at smaller shops, I just can't always justify it. Despite the prices, though, Kramer's has a decent selection (especially of teas and vitamins but their dry goods selection is decent as well) and is certainly an asset to the neighborhood. And it's a GREAT place to grab a healthy snack in the loop (something that is otherwise near impossible to do!).
Cleanse me! Surrounded by chain restaurants and everything and anything bad for you (including the Exchequer next door), Kramer's is a tall glass of Kombucha and a gooey fig of delight. Like any small food co-op or health food store, it's a bit pricey. But if I want to pick up a quick vegan lunch, or if I need some fruit and veggies, and I'm stuck in the Loop, this is where I go.
Kramer's also has groceries, soaps, and other things that are good for your body, but I really only go in for a quick pick-me-up.
i've never been to the cafe upstairs, so this review is for the store only.
this place is weird in a good way. it's kind of dingy and stark inside and the employees are a bit odd but totally friendly and helpful. they have an amazing selection of vitamins and dietary supplements, a good sized inventory of teas and health food, and a solid assortment natural beauty products (think J/A/S/O/N, Hugo Naturals and Alba). plus, they sell kombucha there, right up in the cooler in the front, just where i want it.
Though I've been popping into Kramers for YEARS, this 5-star rating is based exclusively on today's miracle.
Let me set the scene: I get off work with a mad sweet tooth. To add insult to injury, it's about 94 degrees outside. I think to myself "Man... something chocolately sounds SO good right now... but something cold would be so refreshing!" Since I don't do dairy, the logical choice of a traditional ice cream cone is out of the question. I opt to just scope the dark chocolate bars at Kramers.
When I walk in, I discover that my snack attack fairy godmother has been looking out for me; a freezer full of Temptation soy cream at $2 a scoop!!!! With about zero hesitation, I run to the counter and say "Chocolate soy cream, my good sir"* and he scoops the biggest scoop I've seen in a long while.
I exit... completely fulfilled while stuffing my face with chocolate frozen soy goodness.
(* I may or may not have actually said this)
It's incredible that a place like this exists in the Loop.
When they mark stuff down, they mark it DOWN. I found huge bags of gluten free pasta here for not much more than $2 a pop. They also carry GF flours, cookies, and even biscotti, at prices comparable to--if not competitive with--Whole Paycheck. They also have a tremendous selection of beauty products.
But definitely check out the cafe upstairs. Delicious soups and other dishes galore, along with fresh squeezed juices.
I love Kramer's. Whenever I'm in the Loop, it's my default destination for wandering while waiting on friends.
Kramers knows the secret to making juice. Anyone can make juice but if it does not come from the heart ( the inside) then it is worthless. Kramers staff has the heart and this is beautiful. You make my day live and breathe, kthanks!
Since my "discovery" of Kramer's, I come here several times a month. Sometimes I just get soup, sometimes a tuna sandwich, sometimes chips, or just pick up some protein bars for my husband. No matter what I'm craving, they have something to satisfy it (the craving that is). I love the variety and the freshness of the foods. With their food, I don't feel like I'm eating a bunch of chemicals and preservatives. I feel like I'm eating natural and healthy foods that won't leave me full for the rest of the day.
If only they had fresh strawberries and organic (regular) milk...would they get 5 stars. I'm in a… Read more »
Not a big fan.
I used to work next door and I stopped by recently to find the place definitely has gotten depressingly run down. The selections in the cooler up front were kinda sketchy lookin but i bought a veggie gyro anyway and it was delish! A quick walk through the store with the picked over isles and fluorescent lighting gave me the heebie-jeebies. Prices are pretty high for what they're sellin. Never cared much for the food upstairs either. Always felt uninspired and 70's pseudo healthfoodish.
Goodbye Kramers.
I am a solid fan of Kramer's. Their little shop has really grown over the past few years and the staff seem to have a renewed focus on their customer base. They are all incredibly knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. The cafe staff are all really friendly as well.
Kramer's carries all sorts of organic and special-diet foods. Normal things like natural peanut butter and soy ice cream, and rarer things like soup mixes without MSG and other mystery additives. Their refrigerated/frozen stock is ever-expanding and they also have some pre-made stuff that they actually make fresh in the store. This makes Kramer's a great Loop lunch spot if you want something healthy but quick!
Their cafe upstairs is not as quick, but the food is pretty good. I'm fond of their Cuban black bean soup. I wish they had yogurt-based smoothies, but such is life.
I'm not really interested in vitamins and supplements, but my partner regularly shops here for such items and says their selection is outstanding.
I love this store! Still not a fan of the cafe food, but the rest of the atmosphere is great:) The guy in the morning is pretty cool and helpful too. They also renovated.
I was pleased to find a health food store in the midst of the city.
The selection of items isn't…
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Great vegetarian spot in the loop, in fact, it's pretty much a respite from the busy streets. The specials include a spinach pie or burrito with soup and your choice of vegetable juice all for under $6. Definitely go if you are sick of staring at suits all day.
The downstairs grocery area is temptingly cute until you find the price tags (which are necessarily inconspicuous!) I just don't need to spend $7 on a box of vegan scones.
I love this hidden treasure in the loop. They have great teas, yummy snacks, organic beauty products, vitamins, food to-go, or a cafe upstairs. In the cafe they have delicious juice made to order, warm soup (you have to season it yourself.), salads, burritos, and pizzas. It's super cheap too.
The downstairs market is stocked buckwheat soda, whey protein toothpaste, and shampoo made from recycled wind-chimes.
Upstairs is one of the nicest vegetable-oriented cafes in the loop. Get the spinach pie lunch special, and free your mind.
I used to be a huge fan of Kramer's and had lunch here every day during the summer.
It's super healthy.....you can get freshly made carrot and beet juice, wheat grass, smoothies, vegetarian soups and sandwiches. This is the perfect place for a true health nut.
So, why only 3 stars? Well, I guess the manager of this healthy establishment decided he had a little...well, o.k., huge, crush on me. When things did not proceed as he wished, he banned me from the store and told me never to come back. Really, who does this! How horrible. Where else am I going to get my beet juice!!!!
I'm rather fond of Kramer's. They've got ample supplies of vegan ice cream, fair trade chocolate, and healthy tidbits that make life as a vegan joyful indeed. And because Kramer's is in the Loop, it's all very convenient and such. Nice to have these lil' outlets over the city.
Four stars? Well, I don't know if the guy behind the counter was the weird manager mentioned by Christina S., but damn, he was one creepy muthafucka. He looked like Ralph Fiennes from Schindler's List; he looked like a serial rapist, he was terse and unfriendly. Gave me the shivers. Other than that, hooray for Kramer's. Who knows. Maybe he'll die soon and leave the store to his less creepy nephew.
What a great store, and an even better place to eat healthy for lunch or a snack!
They have the best employees and are so customer focused. I just love how educated their staff is in the different products and in really knowing their product lines.
A real treat is visiting Raoul and his staff for lunch and did that today in fact. They have some really wonderful soups, and sandwiches and salads, but I especially love their vegetable juices and blender drinks that they make to order.
I highly recommend their Green Energy blender drink and their 'blend' vegetable drink that they juice right in front of you. Really tasty and very nutricious.
Give it a try. You'll be hooked!
After coming here for years, I was hoping the "new ownership" would revitalize the store a little more than it did. It's a convenient location for a health food store if you happen to be in the loop, but from what I've bought at the market, I'm a bit disappointed in the small selection and how close to their expiration dates many items have been. I have to agree that the strange fluorescent glow cast by the lighting in this place doesn't create a good ambiance either.
The food can be pretty boring, but I still like it. They used to be real jerks, but their service has devfinitely improved in the past few months. The guys who work the cafe/juice bar in back are super nice!
Some of their stuff can be kind of pricey, or I'm just a cheap asshole.
Watermelon gazpacho, yes!
Love love love Kramer's. Its so much better then Whole Foods or any other pretentious place. They have so many different kids of Dr. Bronner's soap, its amazing. I bought one of each kind, and some bars to try out, too.
Everyone that works here is extremely friendly, and they have a wonderful variety of organic makeup, food, supplements and the list goes on and on.
Kramer's is kind of hidden right now, because of all the construction; but its totally worth checking out.
Great store with a fantastic little upstairs vegetarian/vegan cafe.
Nice range of "health food store" products downstairs (including the complete range of Lara bars!)... although surprisingly few actual fresh fruits and veggies for sale...
I suggest skipping the premade lunch stuff in the fridge downstairs and venture up to the cafe.
Brilliant vegetarian/vegan cafe upstairs. The lunch special is fresh and tasty and an absolute bargain at $5.99 for an 8oz fresh juice, 16oz soup, and Mixed Veggies/Burrito/Burger/Spinach Pie. I scoffed it all up so quickly that I burnt my tongue!
NB: fresh fruit is available upstairs in the cafe.
FYI: wheelchair accessible to the store, not to the cafe.
Go fresh and healthy veggie food!!!!!
Looks are deceiving. The first time I went here was during sidewalk repair on Wabash and it was quite a feat to get into the store. There is an occasional whiff of "natural man" floating around, but the big, cheap, healthy lunch special blew my mind. I've heard some people say the food is boring or not seasoned enough, but you can season it yourself with an array of spice mixes they keep on the counter, and the food is friendly to those who have to keep an eye on what they eat for a variety of reasons. Also, beyond friendly service... on the cook's birthday they gave out shots of tequila. During lunch!
A lot of people are saying great things about the cafe, so I'm going to talk about the store. This is the BEST place to go for vitamins and detox/natural healthcare supplies. I try to stay off antiibiotics, but am prone to UTIs, and this place has everything I need for my infection-destroying cocktail. The staff is also incredibly knowledgeable. Seriously. Ask about any mineral or any ingredient in a supplement, or make one up, and they will more than likely be able to give you loads of advice and recommendations.
Oh, and yes, I'll share my UTI recipe.
This place is a hidden gem. Like a lot of stores on this side of Wabash, you might miss it if you aren't looking for it.
Kramer's offers a lot of natural and herbal remedies for your body as well as a whole host of natural everyday products and foods. It is kind of like GNC with a little Whole Foods.
They also sell salads, sandwiches and fruits for a quick bite or head upstairs to their cafe. I haven't been yet, but I've heard a lot of good things about it. Can't wait to try it!
kramer's is awesome for the most part. they've got a kitchen upstairs and a large selection of health foods and health food products (vitamins, beauty products, etc.) - and EVERYTHING is vegetarian, if not vegan. the fresh made stuff is really good and is priced well, considering the quality and quickness with which it's made. i will say that the products they sell - the prepackaged foods, vitamins, etc. - are definitely over priced, but i'm sure there are things there you can't find elsewhere (not talking about the vitamin B-12, etc.).
i'm there for lunch usually twice a week.
even though it is buried under layers of Wabash construction materials - don't forget Kramers!
They're still going strong. This place makes me very happy. They're a healthfood / yummy stuff store, without the slick fashionable gleam of somewhere like wholefoods. And of course they're a small friendly joint, hidden away in the Loop.
They like it when you bring your own carry bags, and I even felt like being doubly apologetic when I forgot mine once.
The nuts and dried fruit and salads are all pretty cheap too, all things considered.
And my final accolade:
3 cheers for WEETABIX! On special too. Now my life is almost complete. I may be the only person in Chicago who eats the stuff, so maybe that's why.
this place is awesome. the food is delicious and not overly salty--you should add your own if you're a salt fiend. they have a juice bar upstairs with at least 3 daily specials. at least 2 homemade soups everyday and any number of freshly made juices. the prices in the upstairs area are reasonable. they have a wide selection of typical healthfood store items downstairs along with that untouched look from the 70s. it has that nostalgic smell that must come with vitamins and supplements as it smells like every old health store from when i was a kid. there is also a cooler next the checkout if you're in a hurry that has lots of already prepared foods. sometimes the upstairs area can have a line or it takes a little longer to prepare than other places, but it's definitely worth the wait the curry is enormous--you can easily get 2-3 lunches from it.
who knew this place was so huge...and who is that wonderfully pleasant man working in the cafe? and where do they get by selling such heaping scoops of temptation ice cream for barely $2? and why did it take me so many months of failed lunchtime foraging in the loop before i finally came across this gem of a place?
ok so its not your typical modern bourgeois grocery/cafe...its got more of a hippie and dare i say "vintage" feel to it...with quite the dreadlocked clientele...but 5.99 for a lunch (and that INCLUDES a most delicious fresh squeezed celery-carrot-beet juice)??? i have fell victim to the pay-by-the-pound hot food bar at whole foods one time too many...never again! at kramer's, they have equally tasty meals for triple the portions and half the price. and i get dessert!
It was hard to find this little gem in the midst of Sbarros, Chipotle, Potbelly's and all the other fast food energy sapping joints. The first time I went in I was a little skeptical and just walked around a bit. The second time I went up and ordered a vegetable curry plate and it was delicious. It was just what I needed! Good bye My Thai! Hello Kramers!
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