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Categories: Vegetarian, Vegan, Soul Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
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Every time I'm in Chicago I have to make a visit here. I love love love the BBQ sandwich (there's something wonderful in that there sauce). The prices are right, the food is more than right and I love the diverse and unassuming diners.
As everyone noted - the service is ridiculously slow, but if anything was worth waiting for - this place is.
Given that I've never lived anywhere south of Division Street and I've been to Soul Veg in person twice probably speaks more to this place's greatness than any review could. The barbecue sauce they use on the seitan and fries is other worldly. Seriously, it's heaven.
I went down once in 2005ish and was slightly disappointed that they were serving a set of courses rather than letting people choose from the menu, but the food was still good. The last time I went was a few weeks ago and they were serving from the full menu so I was able to get a little more creative...aka order my own weight in fried gluten and barbecue sauce.
My only complaint (and it's a big one...but kind of my own fault) is that I was in recovery mode for a good 48 hours after my meal. I felt like a whale and probably would've died if someone had poked me in the abdomen. Something about the wheat gluten they use just makes you feel like there's a brick in your stomach afterwards.
However, I'd still go back and still will go back. It should be noted that some of their food can be found in other parts of the city...the two places I've bought Soul Veg wraps were the Barnes & Noble Cafe at the DePaul Center in the Loop (random, I know) and at the Whole Foods on Halsted. So head down to 75th or at least pick up a Jerk Seitan wrap from Whole Foods. It is nothing short of bbq bliss.
OMG this is among one of the best places to eat a Vegan meal in Chicago. Now the food here is by no means healthy, but it's damn good and well worth the trek all the way down to 75th street to get it! I love the staff but I have got to say, the service is slow as molasses here; however, I've been to Soul Vegetarian's all around the country and they're all like this, but whatever, I'll wait for the food.
Things I recommend: fried cauliflower (great appetizer!), gyro's (yum yum yum), macaroni and cheese (wow), potato salad (out of this world), BBQ twists, cakes, and of course my favorite... my custom ordered Jerusalem sandwich (replace the ketchup and mustard with lots of the vegan cheese sauce...WOW!).
Yes it's 75th street and everyone warned me that it's a bad area, but come on, it's not. I'm a little lady and I go down there by myself - I love the people there...staff and customers!!! This is one of my favorites in Chicago!!!
Just ate here yesterday after hearing tons of reviews over the past couple years. Rode down to the Three Floyds Brew Pub (more like three stars, hey now!) and hit this up on the ride back up. I got the onion rings, and sietan steak entree.
The onion rings, and the fries both have the same breading, and they are fantastic. So good. sosososo good. 4 of us put down 2 orders of rings, and an order of fries. The meal itself could have used al ittle more veggies & seitan instead of rice but whatever. It was only $6.50 for the main dish, so definitely not overpriced for what I got.
Definitely hit the spot after 60 miles of riding. recommended.
I love soul veg. It's really a fantastic little restaurant that will make any vegetarian get wide eyed and extremely excited over something like a cup of soup and some breaded tofu. But seriously, the menu is full of really awesome vegan soul food. You can go the healthy route, or you can gorge yourself on fried bbq goodness. Either way you should start with a hearty cup of soup and end with the best vegan cakes you can get in this city.
My personal recommendation is the bbq twist with tofu tidbits and every dipping sauce you can get. The veggie chili and potato soups are both awesome too.
Minus one start because A.) They don't have regular pop, and I like regular pop. Not fancy glass bottled pop. B.) They have their off days. Depending on who is cooking, you will either have an amazingly fantastic meal or a good meal.
This is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. The food is delicious, and the portions are satisfying. There is a room in the back that can be reserved for large parties. Street parking is usually easy to find close to the restaurant. It's convenient if you're coming off 94. Sundays you cannot order off of the regular menu, they only serve one meal to all (which is always delicious, just disappointing if you wish to order off the menu). I love their salad dressings: Prince, creamy cucumber, creamy garlic.
The only suggestion I have is that they serve the food in an order that makes sense. I have often received my salad after my main course, and half the food is brought out to some people while others are waiting with none. There are weird gaps in the service. It's difficult to get more water. Do not go here if you are in a hurry, as the service can be slow.
All in all, though, absolutely delicious and vegan!
I am a flexitarian....So checking out S-O-U-L Vegetarian was a given! All my friends have been bragging about going here...So you know I had to check it out!
When I arrived, the jazz was playing in the background. Nice to get you ready for the experience soulful on the vegetarian tip. I had the Garvey Burger along with the greens. The greens were fresh and delightful. I enjoyed the garvey burger as well. It was well seasoned and tasted really good. Unfortunately, they were out of the yams. I heard great things about the yams so I was looking forward to tasting them as well. Hmmm, maybe next time.
The waitstaff was pleasant and one of them was dropping a bit of knowledge about the history of the resturant. You can't beat getting a history lesson about the resturant and the reason why they decided to open up a resturant such as this one! Love it!
The next time I go, I plan on trying something else from the menu. Hopefully, my experience will be just as delightful.
These guys have the art of cooking tofu/seitan down pat! The prince elkannonn burger was rightfully royalty compared to the peasant status burger I had at Veggie Bite. I wasn't expecting fried rice when ordering the gluten steak w/ brown rice,but nevertheless, it was healthy and it was good. The cornbread was impressively made, considering it was a vegan side.
Soul Veg East is truly one of the few restaurants that can make a lifelong carnivore such as myself quell any meat cravings.
The only disclaimer is that, like many other yelpers mentioned, the service is pleasant but never visible. It makes me wonder if the server is also the chef!
There really must be something in the food that causes me to forget how slow the service is every time I'm describing (hyping is probably a better term) SV to people (but not this time, oh no, I'm writing down how glacial the service is so as not to forget). Or maybe it's the company as whenever out of town vegetarian friends come to play, the long trip to Soul Vegetarian is in order.
And I think the restaurant exploits this fact. Every vegetarian in Chicago will end up taking their visiting herbivore friends here. No matter what the "service" is. It and Chicago Diner are seriously like magnets. Or, my sister has an alternate theory to the lack of hospitality: "they just don't care."
Now I understand the idea that they want a place that slows down time. A place to reflect, to gather with friends, to enjoy the moment. But there's a difference between bringing out the food out and not hovering and not bringing the salads until after the main course (because our table was given someone else's mains). It was alright on this particular time, however, as I'm pretty broke right now and the .67 cent total tip left by the table (to make the bill an even number) worked for my pocketbook. A bargain in this economy.
And that's the other thing. Soul Vegetarian has gotten expensive. The Sunday dinner (which starts serving at 1:00 p.m., we found out - before that it's breakfast) is now up to $13.95 pre-tax. But, hey, the food is worth every penny. Delicious seitan loaf, yams, vegetarian greens. It is really a feast. Though the vegan mac and cheese is sort of disappointing each time because it always looks amazing.
And the food does not only sticks to your ribs. The taste survived in my mouth through three teeth brushings. Seriously. Not that it's a bad thing since it is scrumptious - some of the best vegetarian (and possibly the best vegan) food in Chicago. I just hope the negative impression from the (especially) bad service last time doesn't stick in my mind. After all, I'm sure I'll be hypnotically back next time anyone meat free is in town. And will have bad service again.
When I go to a legitimate vegetarian restaurant, I never order the vegetables.
I want an otherwise unattainable vegetarian recreation of the meatiest thing I can imagine. So I've had the synthesized jerk chicken and bbq riblet, sure. Of course I would. And they were just fine. A bit syrupy, but satisfying.
But thank goodness my dining companion got vegetables.
Because I thought, as a transplanted Southerner who no longer deals in ham and turkey, that I would never have decent collard greens again. But this place brought tears to my eyes. Seriously.
If I said on Yelp that the greens were better than my grammas, I could never go home again. So you must understand I can only say, wow.
Wow! I was totally skeptical about this place since I'm like such a carnivore... (I can't help it.. I love meat..) Anyway my friends who have gone a bunch of time suggested the BBQ twist sandwich... and it was amazing! Super flavorful and didn't have like a weird consistency.
Definitely gonna come back and try some of the other stuff! I hear the sweet potato pie is really good...
This has to be one of my favorite Vegetarian Restaurants in Chicago... The menu is quite extensive and I am never left disappointed.
It's great because if your friends are vegans/vegetarians, or meat eaters-- They will enjoy this place and won't be able to tell the difference.
I took a bunch of freshmen here this week for dinner, and I was really excited because there has been a lot of hype about this place at my university. I don't really think it lived up to the hype and I don't think I'll be coming back.
Strengths:
1.) There is a wide variety of different vegan entrees to choose from.
2.) It is a cultural experience.
3.) They have good looking vegan cakes.
4.) They have a large room for groups that can often be private if the place isn't full.
5.) Their BBQ sauce is very tasty. Do they bottle it?
Areas for improvement:
1.) It is in a neighborhood that gets pretty sketchy at night. I suggest that you go in the daytime.
2.) The food was rather pricey, and none of the dishes really had the "wow" factor.
3.) Service was rather slow.
I've lived on 61st for two years and never made it down to SV. For shame! I needed to fix that. Following the recommendations here, I ordered the BBQ protein tidbits. Between the two of us, we also ordered the greens, the gyro, and the falafel platter. We ordered this much food even though I have a stomach bug right now because we're moving shortly and this is our last chance to try the food. I am sad that we weren't able to try the deserts, but I was already tempting fate on the tummy woog front.
So... the BBQ protein tidbits.. my first reaction was "Yup! It's seitan!" The flavor was good though, and the BBQ dipping sauce was very high quality. My greens (kale and collard greens sauteed with onions in a delicious sauce) were tender- dare I say they almost melted in my mouth- and the corn bread they came with was crumbly in a good way.
My husband was responsible for the gyro, and he thought it was basically just...okay, though it needed veggies. We both agreed that the falafel was a bit too dense, and a touch overly flavored (but the pita and cucumber dipping sauce were great).
This place has been a part of Chicago for more than 25 years, and is definitely worth the trip as the food is quite original. Our fairly large order came out quickly, despite SV being crowded on this particular Saturday night. Everyone was very friendly. Look for them at the Taste of Chicago, if you go!
Conclusion- they excel, quite predictably, in their soul food dishes. Gravitate towards those.
So far, I love everything I have eaten from here. Vegan soul food sounds like an oxymoron, but they make it possible. The chicken fried steak meal was HUGE (enough for two meals) and everything was delectable and filling (greens, potatoes, the "steak") I never ate real chicken fried steak before, but having eaten other soul food, I bet this tastes exactly the same. The portion of protein tidbits is almost a meal in itself. The Jerusalem steak sandwich fills you up too, though it tastes a little like the chicken fried steak...
I had a caramel cake from there, and it was better than any cake I've had at Chicago Diner. This food is way more flavorful and spicy.
And yeah the service can be a little slow, but honestly, you have to expect that whenever you go to a food that serves African cuisine ("African time" as I've heard it called, by Africans :-P). Also, the appetizers arrived about 30 seconds before the main meal. Nonetheless, the uniqueness, tastiness, overall awesomeness of the food trumps the service.
I went here one Sunday with a brave, carnivore girlfriend.
Wow, were we both blown away.
First of all, if you haven't read other reviews, on Sunday, you get one homestyle cooked meal. No menu surfing trying to decide what you think will be the best.
And they serve it up, like it is Thanksgiving dinner. Healthy portions that will leave you very satisfied.
The day we went, they had the BBQ protein tidbits, greens, the Vegan Mac & Cheese and maybe something else that I can't remember. But it was a full meal. I left with leftovers that I enjoyed another night :)
They were also at the Green Festival in May and so I was lucky enough to be able to get their Vegan Mac & Cheese there also.
And let me tell you...I make Vegan Mac & Cheese at home all the time, and people love it, whether they are vegan or not. But the Vegan Mac & Cheese from Soul Vegetarian....Is out of this world. It is phenomenal.
I would eat it every day if I could. It is so rich and creamy...Nothing compares.
Nothing.
Get over there and try it! :)
I've eaten soul veg food from all over the city, a grocery in Hyde Park, Whole Foods, Taste of Chicago and even O'Hare, but i'd never been to the restaurant itself. My friend and i finally decided to go and we checked out some yelp reviews in advance. Everyone seems to say the same thing, great food, slow service.
We got there and it was not crowded, maybe 2-3 tables other than ours. We ordered pretty quickly, had the onion rings, handburger and southern bbq sandwich. The food came almost immediately and it was delicious. We wondered what reviews were talking about when they said service was slow.
Then, after eating our meal, it came time for the order desert, lunch for her husband and get the check part of the meal. We weren't in any rush but we probably sat for an hour intermittently waving and "umm"ing to get the server's attention and we were ignored. Eventually, as time wore on, we decided to go pay at the counter. Apparently there was some confusion as our check had been mis-entered in the system and it took about 20 minutes for them to finally ring us up so we could pay.
Everyone is right, the food is awesome, but the service is all but non-existent. Also, the quality of product is not significantly superior to what you'll find in retail locations. Save yourself the headache, and unless it's a special occasion, just get your soul veg in a grocery.
I LOVE Soul Veg. I love it so much that I'm willing to ignore the fact that a year ago 3/4 people I went to dinner with ended up with food poisoning. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
My friend is a carnivore. She professes her love for meat on a daily basis and I think the only person who loved meat more than her was an ex-boyfriend of hers. Sometime in November I was having a conversation with one of my lactose-intolerant vegetarian friends (who pretty much leads a vegan lifestyle when he doesn't feel like getting sick to his stomach from eating cheese) mentioned this place. He told me that Justin (my friend's ex) had gone down there with him and really liked it.
Now, I'm not a fan of mayo, but when Justin said Veganaise (yeah, the spelling's probably wrong) was awesome, I had to try it for myself. It tastes like mayo, and still disgusts me. Moving on. He confirms that this place is good and I think "cool, I've got to bring Kevin here then" since I'm always dragging my friend to meat-inclined places.
After driving out to 159th and Cicero I decide to see if another friend of mine (who lives on 83rd) wants to venture with, but opt against telling him what type of restaurant this is.
The food was alright. Actually, MY food was alright. I forget what the boys ordered, but I liked theirs more. I got a wrap and it was falling apart and drenched in (BBQ?) sauce. That's my fault, because I should have requested it on the side as I'm not a fan of most sauces and hate when a sandwich/wrap falls apart because of the sauce. Regardless, the waiter was very patient with me. It's not far off the expressway, which is a plus because I would have ZERO patience for taking streets to 75th when I live about 1900 north.
If I'm in the neighborhood I'll go again, but I won't make a special trip down there just for this place. There's some amazing vegan (and vegetarian) places closer to home. Honestly, it's just me being lazy, but like I said, should I be in the area (for a friend, or coming back via the Dan Ryan) I'll go there. Both of the guys thought the food was ok, and while I know for certain the one who lives off 83rd won't be going back there, the other one would if he's in the area, but seeing as how he relies on public trans., I can guarantee he won't make the special trip down there either.
I would prefer a 2.5. It is ok. Friendly service. The reviews are spot-on with slow service. Be NOT in a rush if you are trying to get in and get out. A lot of eye-contact with the waiter/waitress is needed to indicate you need something or are ready for the check.
As far as the food, I ordered the dinner special which this night consisted of greens, macaroni and cheese, fresh string beans and some buffalo tofu. Not the biggest fan of the tofu, but that is personal, nothing SV related. The greens (I am from the South) and have experienced tastier (non-meat seasoned) greens, the macaroni and cheese was ok and the string beans were good. I had the "water" because I am not a fan of sodas, etc. - The water was LEMON"Y" -- which I am sure hid the taste of the city water.
Overall, it was ok. I would meet someone there, but not sure if it would be a top of mind suggestion or go on my own.
Went to check out some homes in Beverly and decided to finally check out Soul Veg on our way back into Bridgeport. I have to say I have mixed reviews and feel that I'll need to go back a couple more times to get a real feel for things.
Despite apparently being the only waitress serving the entire (fairly-busy) place, the woman taking care of us was extremely friendly, fast, and helpful. I decided to order the daily special: bbq tofu, greens, beans, corn bread, chili, sweet potatoes, and more. Everything was off-the-charts good in my opinion, with special notice given to the sweet potatoes.
My friend decided to order one of the burgers and it came out late (after the cook forgot to make it), and textured like a dry sponge. I have a feeling my friend made a mistake getting a burger at a soul food joint, but I wasn't about to call her on it - she knows who she is, and will probably yelp about it sooner or later :D
I also bought my husband a slice of their lemon cake for his birthday and brought it home. Considering the fact that he scarfed it down without even offering me a bite, and later looked up his own recipes for lemon cake online, I'm guessing that the cake was a hit!
Don't sleep on this place, it's a great reason to get further into the south side.
Food is awesome, not healthy though, but if you're going for soul food you should know better.
Fried cauliflower and jerk tofu wrap were really good (and I'm not a vegetarian).
Service is a bit slow since they are super busy.
Also, if you're white you'll get a little culture shock as you'll probably be the only white person in the restaurant, and neighborhood for that matter. However, for me that's part of the fun!
I'll be back...
The name is appropriate. Being from the South, I know my soul food, and this is it - with the added bonus of being meat free.
I went to Soul Vegetarian for lunch and got the jerkfu wrap and fries. The wrap was stuffed with generous portions of green peppers, onions, and tofu - all coated in the best jerk sauce I've ever had (and I spent a month in Belize). The fries were unlike any I've ever tasked, with unique spices and some kind of crispy coating beyond what you normally find on fries (maybe they use cornmeal?). I also got their ginger beer, which was the perfect refresher to complement the spicy jerk sauce.
Wish this place was in my neighborhood. I doubt I'll have an opportunity to go back anytime soon, as it's pretty far South and not that convenient to public transportation.
Soul veg has been on my list of places to eat at for a while. We finally made the trek out there,, and were ready to eat some mad tasty food. We ordered the fried protein tidbits for appetizer -- tasty, large portion, good bbq sauce for dipping. We also ordered the bbq twist sandwich, jerusalem sandwich and the daily special - bbq chunks with potato salad greens and corn on the cob. The food was individually tasty, the greens were amazing -- but the sad part was that the protein was so similar in all of the dishes. From the appetizer down it was all deep fried seitan in bbq sauce. This could definitely be our fault for not ordering different dishes,, but the menu did a medium job at describing the dishes. Aaaand it turns out mac and cheese, something that i was so excited about, is only served on tuesdays!!! the corn bread was a bit dry and dense, but the cream of broccoli soup was delicious, made with coconut milk. For desert we had lemon cream pie -- super tasty, and all the other deserts sounded amazing as well.
Overall, there was too little variety, a bit too much deep fried to get over 3 stars. But deserts and greens and the daily special deserve 4 stars. Also the service is amazing. The staff is engaging and so helpful. I think I would go back for a sunday dinner or tuesday mac and cheese.
One of my favorite places in Chicago. I mean, its an all-vegan place and it's full of local south-siders every time I go. I think that's pretty good. I never feel out of place here either, as everyone is very very friendly, staff and patrons, not that I would expect otherwise.
Everything tastes great, very filling but I always manage to have room for dessert. As some have mentioned, service can be slow sometimes but they're always apologetic and try to make everything work out. Can'r wait to come back!
The food was absolutely delicious. I had veggie tidbits and a BBQ sandwich and both were delicious.
I came here with my big ex-football player bacon-is-the-perfect-food friend and he loved it, so I think that's a pretty big endorsement. Plus the place itself is kind of a trip. And you can get BIG bowls of collards and cornbread with whatever you order!
A warning to the health conscious: Just because it's meatless doesn't make it good for you. Expect a greasy, salty, sloppy, delicious mess.
I loved Soul Vegetarian. The service was friendly and fast, the atmosphere was charming and worldly, and the food was delicious and perfectly priced and portioned. I haven't had soul food in a long time and found their cream of broccoli soup, cornbread, mashed potatoes, collard greens and country mock steak to all be wonderfully filling and tasty.
The clientele was diverse and added to the charm of the restaurant. Vegan food often produces a self-segregating customer base, but Soul Veg. seems to attract people from all different backgrounds.
My only gripe is with the location, which is hard to get to via public transportation. Otherwise, it's highly recommended.
I finally went to try Soul vegetarian East and absolutely loved it. I went on a Sunday afternoon with one of my close friends and they were just starting to become a bit busy. We were seated quickly and brought out water. The people that work there are so friendly and helpful.
The first Sunday of every month they offer a Sunday dinner. This particular Sunday was the first of the month and the dinner included collard greens, stuffing, yams, mac & cheese, a gluten based roast with gravy, a dinner roll, and apple pie. This was so filling and SO good! It was hard to tell that the mac n cheese was even vegan. I always chop up onions in my greens but they already had onions chopped up in them!
The dinner is $13 and well worth every penny. I even tried a sample of their sweet potato ice cream which was SO good.
The staff was great and never neglected us since we were sat in the larger room toward the back because they were crowded. We were checked on consistently for water and asking how our food was. The art and decor was awesome too with African paintings and carvings.
I don't like driving but am so happy that I have a car now and can get to Soul Veg more often. I will be going back for sure to try the other things on their menu. This is definitely my favorite veggie spot right now..
Its good to have a vegetarain restaurant on the south side. Yes the food is great, the other reviewers are correct that the prices arent CHEAP, but they arent expensive either. I definately believe you get your money's worth.
The service leaves a bit to be desired, but the food more than makes up for it. I enjoy the desserts and the laid back atmosphere much more than the location- but there is always parking to be had.
They are mean mean mean to pasty white people, but that's okay because they dish up some good grub. It was close to my university so the hike wasn't bad - don't know if you center city folk will venture down here.
Pretty good vegan junk food. Seitan is AWESOME - makes you sweat so you know its got a lot of oil and crap it in. Mac and Cheese = wow. Everything else is okay. Not that cheap and takes forever too. Go if you want soul food and don't eat meat. No vibes, but alright times.
so let's clear something up about this place that seems to be a litle unclear: the service is NOT good. If there is one thing that I cannot stand, its bad service. Maybe that's because my mother was a waitress and I know what good service is, but I digress. That is not to say that the waiters at Soul Vegetarian are rude, or mean, but they are just not very attentive. This is not only based on my experience, but my friend's experience as well, and she has been there more than a few times. So the service sucks!
Now on to the good part: the food! I didn't know what to expect because I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't really eat vegetables, but I honestly think there is something for everyone here. I had the seasoned fries appetizer, stir fry steak, a slice of lemon cake (it was huge!), and a vanilla creme soda. All for 13 dollars (tax and tip included). The BBQ sandwhiches are also good, and I'm sure everything else is too! Me and my friend were a little disappointed because they didn't have a couple of things we thought they might: mac and cheese and sweet potato pie. I think I read on here that they have sweet potato pie ice cream, but they don't.
Bottom line: its a great place to eat, not a great place to be waited on. That may be why they automatically add tip to parties of 4 or more.
Soul Vegetarian is one of my favorite restaurants, and before I lived in Chicago I would always find a way to eat here whenever I visited.
First off, everyone I have ever taken here loves the protein tidbits, so you might as well order those. My other favorites are the BBQ twists, greens, chicken fried steak, mac and cheese, gyros, and breaded tofu sandwich. They also make my favorite salad dressing, which is the cucumber.
The desserts are great, and though I have a huge sweet tooth and they don't use nearly as much sugar as I would use, everything is still delicious. They make cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, cobbler, and their own vegan ice cream, and the selection varies. I especially liked the Oreo-style cake, which is carob cake with vanilla icing and carob "crumbles" dusted all over the cake.
My only complaints are that they don't have some of my favorites--like mac and cheese and chicken fried steak--on the menu all the time, so sometimes I can't get what I'm craving. And the service is sometimes on the slow side, though everyone seems to be especially friendly. But these quibbles are not enough to take away the 5-star rating.
I thought I already had a review up? Oh well.
Soul Vegetarian is perhaps my favorite all vegetarian restaurant in Chicago (and in most of the other cities where it had locations) and certainly is better than those of any of the others run by small religious groups (like Alice or Victory Banner). There is so much great food here, with textures and sauces that you just can't find at the Chicago Diner or anywhere else. Whether you're going for a plain old sandwich, or a lunch or dinner special (lunch specials until 1:45pm), this place is great, and always worth the trip to 75th St for those of you who are far away.
It's prices aren't very cheap, but there aren't many vegetarian places that are, and for the specials you do get a lot of food. Some of the meals you will insist can't be as healthy as they actually are.
There are some naysayers out there that complain about the service, but I love the service. Though sometimes it can be on the slower side, it is always gracious and helpful. They always make sure I know that they want me back. Soul Veg is a destination restaurant, great for locals treating themselves, visiting out-of-towners, and anyone in Chicago who wants great food.
After my experience at Karen's, I was eager to try another take on vegetarian, and Soul Vegetarian East completely pleased me.
Sure, it was far too quiet for a birthday dinner with friends. Sure, my greens didn't have the tomato the menu promised. Sure, it's a bit of a trek from Logan Square.
But man, the greens were outstanding. The variety basket of fried goodies completely hit the spot, and the lemon meringue pie blew Karen's attempts at dessert out of the water.
The bill for five people, including appetizers, entrees, ginger beer and dessert, was $70. I definitely am OK with that.
I'm giving this joint five stars based on the rantings of my vegetarian friends. I'll update after I… Read more »
I love Soul Veg!
It's all vegan but it is definitely not health food. It is absolutely decadent soul food at its best. The have a-la-carte options available, but the dinner is a must-have. You get more food than you can eat and it's utterly delicious. As appetizers go, the protein tidbits are a hit with everyone I've ever taken there, vegan or not. On Sundays, there is one set meal available for order, rather than a full menu, though it is always excellent.
Their service has taken a few blows on yelp, but it truly doesn't bother me. Everyone at Soul Veg is incredibly friendly. Though food often comes slow, and not always at the same time for everyone at the table, it is fresh and delicious. I'm willing to make the trade.
My favorite items are the BBQ twist, the greens, and the PRINCE DRESSING.
My parents and I meet here whenever we can arrange our schedules and enjoy a delicious, healthy feast. My father is the type to never, ever eat at restaurants-- so I'm sure he'd like me to give this more than five stars if I could. He's a picky vegan and sometimes I suspect germophobic tendencies. At any rate, I also love this restaurant and I recommend getting either whatever the lunch special is or one of their awesome sandwiches. I never pay, since I go with the rents, but I'm pretty sure the prices are very fair.
Soul Veg is probably my all-time favorite restaurant. So easy to find, so easy to love, so hard to leave.
They have the heartiest, most delicious vegan soul food you can imagine. The specials are always a treat, but there is so much love here, everything leaves you feeling amazing, no matter how overstuffed you are.
This is my first and last stop in Chicago, and I always hit I-94 with my passenger seat full of food to savor after leaving Lake Michigan and another piece of my heart behind.
I finally went here a month ago with a few fellow vegetarian friends after wanting to go since I tried their BBQ Twist & Gyro at the Taste of Chicago last summer. So much BBQ! The battered fries were amazing. The BBQ tidbits were pretty good along with my Jerkfu Wrap. The service was rather slow. With such a heavy meal, I just needed more water refills than the small two glasses I was given!
Im in love...mmm. So if i ever decide to get married Soul Vegetarian will have to cater my reception. The food here was amazing.
We started with the detoxification shake which was amazing. Strong citrus flavor. So good and refreshing. All natural. YUM!! I decided on the BBQ protein tidbits as an appetizer and they were so yummy. Covered in BBQ sauce..even better!!!! I've realized they're addictive. lol. I ordered the BBQ roast sandwich with a side or fresh greens. I have a BBQ thing..im a big fan.
It did take a while for my sandwich to arrive but it was well worth the wait!! So good!!! Wheat bun with faux BBQ roast, lettuce and grilled onions!!!! Finger licking goodness...drools. After my sandwich and tidbits I was so full. I tried some of the greens and took the rest to go. The greens had a great flavor along with onions, tomatoes and some pepper.
I was completely satisfied with the food here and will definately return...soon.
Neighborhood: Avalon Park
Category: Soul Food
Neighborhood: Mount Greenwood
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Wicker Park
Category: Vegan
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