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Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian, Fast Food [Edit]
Neighborhood: Wicker ParkDivision (Blue)
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I absolutely love this place, but only for the food. I can't tell you how good it feels, as a vegan, to walk into a fast food restaurant and be able to eat anything I want!
Their chili is amazing, so I don't ever leave there without a taco, and their chili cheese dog is great, and the fries are fantastic for cleaning up your excess chili. The chix-free nuggets were fine, but I had a friend that was in love with them and always talked about how they run out because they are so good. I wasn't all too thrilled with the tofu burger though. Why would you use barely-firm tofu to make a burger patty? It practically melted in my mouth.
And it's true, the workers don't look like they like working there, and once they left out my chili dog in my to-go order. And the actual restaurant is kinda hideous. I don't like the decor, and their menu and signs should probably been made by a graphic designer. Not to mention the fact that their signs are scotch-taped to the windows. Every time I go when there are people already there, I feel like everyone stares, like I have just walked into a party that I wasn't supposed to be invited to.
I go as often as I can because I want them to stick around, plus I need my taco fix, but it is a little on the expensive side, or fast food at least. Living within walking distance makes me happy. And hey, they now have free wi-fi.
Oh yeah! And their door loses them business, many a time, I have seen people try to open the door, think it's locked, then leave. But don't be fooled, they are open every day until 10pm, which is nice.
The food here is pretty good. I've been here several times, and I try something new every time, and every thing on the menu that I've had is pretty tasty.
However the service sucks beyond belief. The employees are rude and condescending, and act like I am putting them in misery by placing an order or asking a question. Sorry, excuse me for giving you business.
I have found the perfect meal at Veggie Bite.
A bite burger, chili cheese fries, and a Cookie dough shake.
You're welcome. xoxo
I sat here just in bliss.
eating chili cheese fries for the first time in my life.
thank you, veggie…
Read more »
I don't understand all the negative reviews. I LOVE this place.
Ok ok, I've only been there a couple of times but for fast food, this place is great.
Vegan fast food? How can you complain?
This place sucks dog balls.
You're better off just going to the grocery store. Seriously, the employees are obnoxious little shits and the food is mediocre at best.
I am so torn on how many stars to give Veggie Bite.
Okay, first of all, it's pretty good food AS LONG AS you are expecting fried fast food and not something really exquisite and healthy. Sometimes, I really want crappy fast food! When I do, I come here and they do me right. The food is pretty good, and I really love the shakes.
That being said....
the service is totally terrible. I can't stand coming into a place in a good mood and feeling like I'm inconveniencing whoever is behind the counter. I have never EVER had a really positive experience here with an employee, and I come often. I talked to the owner once (unbeknownst to me at the time) and I pissed him off by calling his "companions" (his rabbits) his pets. I usually get the same girl though, and she's always like completely miserable. Girl, if it's that bad, go work somewhere else! I don't get it!
The decor is really awful, also. I can forgive the amateur paint job and the (really) poor choice of Ikea furnishings, but the huge posters of cows and chickens are what get me. I mean, you are kinda preaching to the choir here, buddy. I'm already vegan, I ALREADY KNOW and I'm already here! Cheap tables and sponge paint on the walls aren't going to get omnis to come in here, and huge posters of cows certainly won't, either. Look at Karyn's and Chicago Diner - those places are packed all the time, always have a wait and they don't make a point to do the "COME IN WE ARE VEGAN!" song and dance to get anyone inside. They have nice (and very different) atmospheres, friendly waitstaff and good food. That's the schtick. That's what gets people, vegetarian or not, through their doors.
Anyway, I do like the food and I come pretty frequently, so I can't rate y'all too low, but the service blows and the atmosphere is even worse. I think this place has a hell of a chance, though, and I hope it improves and sticks around.
Veggie Bite is decent, but I wouldn't say it's the best... I'd say that the food is flavorless to an extent, but it works when you're in the need for food immediately. And regarding fast food, don't expect Burger King like fast... Obviously a fully a Vegan restaurant doesn't have the volume of the typical fast food joint so expect to wait a bit - so you get food that hasn't been sitting for hours and hours. Admittedly, there have been times when my order came out and my food looked vile, for example, the sauce looked like something that came off of the street (imagine, imagine). The only food items I'd recommend are the Philly Sandwich and the Gyro's.
None of my friends will come to VB with me anymore either, but I can't really blame them. Their main complaint is the flavorless food and the attitude of the staff (my best friend says he doesn't want to deal with listening to the owners condescending remarks). Oh, and be sure to steer clear of the sewage smelling bathroom...yuck!
I don't know why I still come back (on very rare occasion now), but I don't want to give up on this place... This place is more deserving of 2.5 stars.
Awwww...Bunnies, cows and baby chicks on the outside of the restaurant! How cute!
Fried crappity-crap-crap on the inside.
I should have listened to my previous mental note about avoiding empty restaurants when I stepped into this place to look at their menu. I was over an hour early to an 826 volunteer orientation and I was pretty hungry. So after walking back and forth on this street, thinking of what I should have for dinner, I settled on Veggie Bite.
The first impression you get of this place is that it occupies a large space on the corner of Milwaukee and Paulina. The colors are bright, a lot of yellows and greens. What is peculiar, though, is the number of posters for ice-cream on their windows. On the windowpane near the door is where they post clips of newspaper reviews that gave this place a thumbs up. That's how I was convinced to try this place, despite how dead it looked.
So I tried to order the "chicken nuggets" and they didn't have any. Finally I picked the tofu nuggets, french fries, and a strawberry shake for about $7. The person behind the counter looked really bored, and behind her, one employee was chatting to some guy. I ate my food in that spacious place alone for about thirty minutes until I decided that I really could not finish my wet tofu nuggets or my much-too-creamy shake. The combination dried my mouth, and it was so bad, I ended up wasting the food by tossing it out. The fries were good though!
And while I was trying to eat my food, I got to sit next to a poster board about adopting some animals, which was rather unsettling just because it felt like the animals were looking at me or something. Then the entire time, as people outside passed by, I kept hoping that somebody would come in so that it wouldn't be so eerie for me to eat there all alone.
I loved this place! I ordered the chilli dog and fries (definitely not on the South Beach diet), but I can honestly say it's the first vegetarian version of a hot dog, chilli, & fries where I was hard pressed to believe that there was not actual meat in the recipe. I'd definitely go back.
Especially great for those on the go, looking for an easy quick lunch during a day of strolling in Wicker Park. Enjoy!
Well, it might be the single most disturbing sponge painting I have seen in a while - the walls look like they are diseased, with the bright orange layered over the bright yellow. Not only is it nauseating, but whoever did it did a piss poor job.
The tofu nuggets were disgusting - it was the texture of rancid pudding with a flat, harsh aftertaste. Now, I loves me some tofu and I when its good it is awesome, but with this I would say save your money.
The Buffalo on Rye was much better, it actually tasted like chicken with a similar mouth feel. A tad salty but impressive nonetheless. I would go back to order that again.
I also was a little irritated by the vegan propaganda strategically placed everywhere. Now I realize if you have a business you can do what you want, but I dont really want to feel guilty about the fact that I am a carnivore or have the latest issue of "Outrage" staring at me while I am trying to give you money for a seitan sandwich.
Amazing! The people who are haters and marking it low are people who aren't vegetarians.
I am a vegetarian, have been for 6 years and this place is a real treat. Only read reviews from vegetarians or vegans if you are one.
"burgers" "cheese fries" and "nuggets" are amazing!
I've been interested in checking this place out since my friend lived in wicker park two years ago. Finally went in for a meal today and all I wanted was a wrap. And they were out of the wraps. Of course.
Now, I had heard their food described as "vegan fast food" but I was unaware that the actual food items were consistent with that of an actual fast food eatery, i.e. cheeseburger, philly cheese steak, fries, etc. I thought it was just that they got some simple vegan food out to you quickly. So with a wrap no longer an option, the girl suggested I go with a chili cheese dog combo. It was decent but small and the fries were actually quite delicious. My friend ordered the Buffalo on Rye and said it was pretty bland; she put a crapload of mustard and ketchup on it. I had some and thought it was alright, but was also basically a chunk of fried tofu on some bread.
Curiosity has been satisfied. Probably wont be coming here again.
I'd had a few piss poor visits to this place last year and had avoided it until the other day when my vegan buddy was looking for a quick meal. Boy, I don't know if they've been reading the yelp reviews or what, but service was attentive and fast and the food was great.
Had the soft serve ice cream which was awesome - served in a waffle cone - yum! I've also had the shakes here before and those are fantastic as well. I hope others will give veggie bite another try. I didn't think too much of the place when it first opened - in fact, their layout is still pretty dumb - a lot of wasted space. I don't know if they ever get busy enough to fill up the place, but maybe on weekends they clear out the tables for a little break dancing while you wait for your food. But, you don't go there for ambiance; so if you've already written this place off, do yourself a favor and give it another try.
I would have given four stars, but the last time I went in, they were "out" of seitan and were pretty unapologetic about it. How could a vegan place be out of seitan?!
Anyway, that visit aside, Veggie Bite is a good place to pop in for a quick and vegan bite on the go. If you want a large, traditional vegan meal, you should probably look to Karyn's Cooked or Chicago Diner, but if you're the area and want something quick, convenient, and tasty, then Veggie Bite hits the spot.
Anything with the chili is delicious (tacos, chili dog), the fries are good, and the staff is friendly. The only thing I've gotten here that I didn't like was the Buffalo on Rye. It was not nearly enough food or flavor for the price. That reminds me of another downside, this place is pretty expensive for what you're getting. But I think it's still worth it. I'll definitely continue to go back.
This place has potential to be good, but is falling short of what it could achieve. Here is what my single experience was like:
I walked in to a very spacious, nicely painted place that was also very cold. I'm not referring to the temperature here, nobody bothered to say hi, smile or acknowledge my existence in any way. The lady at the register had a pretty much permanent frown, Said little to nothing and was generally unhelpful. After pondering the menu, i went for the tofu burger. The price was reasonable and blah,blah,blah. I sat down, the same sandy haired lady at the register brought me my food. She didn't say thank you, smile, or exhibit any form of human emotion whatsoever. She simply put the food on my table, frowned at me, and walked away. Funny, because I saw her laughing with the cook in back. So, via my power of deductive reasoning, I inferred that she is probably human, capable of laughing and holding a conversation And, I don't know, maybe saying THANK YOU, for ordering food at her restaurant and contributing to her pay check a little.
The tofu burger was fine and the fries were good. For the price I paid it seemed fair. No complaints about the food. I am, however, gonna complain a whole shitload about the music. As I'm eating my pretty good tofu burger, I hear in the background the fucking Eurythmics, then I hear fucking Tom petty, then i hear a bunch of other shit from some god awful top 40 rock station. Then I hear a bunch of ads for jimmy Johns, burger king, and other soul sucking fast food chains. What the fuck is going on here? Why, at some supposedly hip and cool veggie joint am I hearing ads for McDonalds. Do you want me to go to McDonalds? There is an outside chance I might get a smile out of it and maybe the clerk will even say "thank you". You make a tempting proposition Veggie Bite, perhaps I'd have better luck at a real fast food restaurant. I can tell from the number of tacky, uncreative, Microsoft word printed notes around the store that you probably have a computer in back. Why don't you download itunes and make a playlist? Or have your employees bring in their own music? Not the clerk that served me though, she probably likes coldplay. My point is this: I shouldn't have to listen to Def Leppard while eating a sandwich. That's just mean.
I may have said a lot of negative things here, but I only do so because I WANT THIS PLACE TO GET BETTER! It's a cool idea and I just feel whoever is running this place is fucking up royally. Attention owners: Are you reading this? You should be. Tell your employees to smile and say thank you. I mean, duh! I'm giving you money, thank me. Get some music in there that does not sound like I'm in a sports bar. You are supposed to be cool and hip right? Start acting like it.
On a side note, I was going to put this in your comment box. But there are no pens or paper for it. Get some pens and paper for your comment box!
My excitement for vegan fast food was greater than the actual food but I still enjoyed it.
I think I should have gone with something a little easier to spice up like a burger with ketchup and mustard. I got a gyro and it was kind of bad... soggy (in a bad way) and tasteless. My BF got the Philly cheese steak and it's basically the "gyro" but with a little bit of cheese instead of cucumber sauce. Meh, my BF didn't care for it much either.
For an app I got the buffalo wings are just fried tofu with some (not really even) "buffalo sauce" on it. They weren't bad, just no match for Chicago Diner's wings, though Veggie Bite defo has them topped on portion size. After I finished everything I was still hungry so I got some fries as a dessert... I think these are the same fries from Long John Silver's. They're seriously identical... still good though.
Overall, I wasn't as impressed as I was excited for a responsible fast food option with cutie animals on the wall. 5 stars for the animal friendly environment, 2 stars for the food. If I've got a good buzz and I'm int he neighborhood I would totally go back for some affordable critter friendly foodies.
I was very excited about this place because I miss the convenience of fast food since becoming vegetarian. The food lacks flavor, and pretty much everything is fried, so it makes you feel a little blah afterwards. I keep hoping I'll like it more if I go back and try something different, but it's all still average. The only things I've tried that I would order again are the buffalo wings and the taco salad.
Food aside, their vegan milkshakes are fantastic! I go in for these from time to time. The decor is obnoxious. Orange and yellow spongepainted walls? Ugh. I always get mine to go because I don't want to spend time in the restaurant. The staff is friendly, and the cook always smiles out the little window.
On a road trip from Toronto, I only managed to try the 'chicken' nuggets. They were fried, a bit greasy ... yet absolutely delish! The prices here, unfortunately, run a little steep and those six lil' pieces o' heaven cost me about $4 after tax.
As a fast food restaurant, it doesn't make sense why they should be advertising the notion of 'eating healthy'. As well, the large signs screaming the vegan activist mantra is a bit intimidating. Even as a vegetarian who's been involved in animal rights in the past, I found it uncomfortable to be sitting there.
The owners should reassess the vibe that they want to give. You can tell it's not drawing crowds, so I don't expect this place to stick around for too long.
Date Visited: Friday 7/24/09 (Dinner)
Vegan fast food is just a strange concept to accept, but it would be interesting to have it here in Portland. Since Viet (from Alice & Friends) suggested we come to Veggie Bite, we did just that.
We didn't know what to expect, so we just ordered a drink and the meatball sub. The "meat" was very crumbly and the bread was nothing special, but it was surprisingly decent.
I should have stopped eating. Instead, my fiance went up to order a salad and decided he wanted to try and duplicate my fries and a Frosty favorite by getting the cheese fries and a chocolate milkshake. The fries weren't bad, but the "cheese" was cold and the fries were just warm, so it wasn't really making my mouth feel so great. I felt like I was eating something wrong. The milkshake was rich with flavor, but I really didn't need the heaviness of it at that particular time.
I left with a stomach ache.
I live right by Veggie Bite and go there quite a bit. The gyro has the shape and texture (a tad bit chewy) of gyro meat but is far less tasty. The vegan sauce was "creamy" with a hint of spice. The sandwich was filling and not at all greasy or fatty.
I love the buffalo "wings". Not as filling as the sandwiches, but these tofu pieces are crispy and full of buffalo goodness.
I also recommend the veggie dog, which comes on a wheat bun and is dressed with vegan cheese and a rich chili. Request some diced raw onions and hot sauce, and you have the perfect snack!
On another positive note, while I praised Veggie Bite for improving the accessibility for vegan-friendly junk food, the sign at Veggie Bite actually boasts that most of the food is in fact "healthy".
Somehow I doubt the healthiness of sauce-drenched deep-fried seitan and such, but I'll buy into this propaganda, because I still find Veggie Bite deliciously satisfying.
Favorites are the chili cheese fries and the chix-free nuggets.
I don't find this place to emphasize good health or environmental sustainability...it mainly seems… Read more »
Walking into veggie bite as a vegetarian, you get kind of excited. A whole fast food restaurant, just for me! Not to mention the signs everywhere saying how healthy everything is, giving you the impression that you're getting your money's worth on the 4 dollar premium for your non meat equivalents.
After finishing my order and shelling out 8.80 for a sandwich and medium fries to go, I waited patiently for the food to come after, about seven minutes, I see the guy from the back putting the food into the bag. Around this time some lady was talking to the cashier, and then started talking to the cook in the back. They started having a conversation, while the guy was holding on the the filled bag of completed food. For like 2 full minutes the guy stood there, with my bag of completed food just talking to some stupid woman about who knows what, oblivious that I'm giving him a death glare from three booths away.
Finally I get my bag and go home. By the time I've reached my apartment, I've noticed that both the sandwich and fries that were wrapped in paper, are now visible ... through the paper. So much for healthy. If you aren't sure if it will make you gain wait, just rub it on paper, if you can see through it, its your window to weight gain!
The fries were fine, nothing special. The philly burger was plain gross. In the picture in the store it looked like more of a cheese melt. The atrocity in front of me was two halves of a bun completed coated in barbecue sauce and pretty much no cheese. The seitan that was supposed to correspond to the fake italian beefish stuff was really thick chunks, not like slices, and the taste was pretty much non existent, since it was all just smothered in BBQ sauce. I'm by no means a great chef, but I've made much better seitan from a recipe off of a wheat gluten box. Overall it just tasted like BBQ sauce and bread, and hell no I guarantee you it was not healthy like the 5 signs around the store claim everything there is.
Even though there is a lot more to the menu, there is no way I'm going back to that place. I'd rather pay 3.50 for a box of four boca burgers and make them in my toaster oven.
As many others have remarked, I wanted to love this place. Fast food where you can order anything on the menu as a vegetarian sounds awesome, but this place was a huge let down. My friends and I shared a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich and an Italian Beef Melt sandwich along with chili cheese fries. Both sandwiches were dry and tasteless and not even the fries were good. I have to say that vegan cheese is just plain gross and shouldn't even be messed with, so I guess that's my fault for trying that, maybe there are other things there that are not so bad. Worst of all though was the service. We all ordered at the same time, yet everything came out one at a time with seriously like 5 minutes in between (there was maybe one other person in there besides us).So basically, it's not fast, it's not super cheap and the food is poor quality, not to mention the horrible atmosphere.
Vegan fast food.
Thank you.
You get exactly what you think you are getting. It is fast food after all.
And they make it so perfect... not really caring that you exist and semi-ignoring your presence! It is almost like I am in some other random fast food place with some snotty teenager taking my order!
It is the complete package!
When you walk in, you can't help but to feel healthy and chipper with the bright yellow walls and lots of sunshine beaming through the windows. When you walk out, you're enlightened to why you're not vegan. Veggie Bite is a classic example of why I would never give up my animal proteins.
I know, I know...I have had mix experiences here. I am a life time vegetarian with vegan tendencies. I can say that I am a fan of veggie bite for making it easier to eat vegan and (usually) fast. I have had some quirky times here too with the random people who come in there to eat. The people who work there are characters for sure. I do love the BBQ nuggets and I am a huge fan of a vegan milkshake. The sandwiches are usually pretty messy too, so be careful. All in all, thank you Veggie Bite...despite your short comings.
I love Veggie Bite. I'm not even kidding. The service is pretty much awful, I'll be honest, but the opportunity to get vegan fast food outweighs that problem by about 1000%
First off, I much reiterate. Don't go to Veggie Bite for service or atmosphere. It sucks. It's a fast food place, and like going to McDonald's or Burger King, they will take your order with overwhelming apathy, deliver your food to the wrong table, remake it, and make you wait an extra 10 minutes. It's all plastic chairs and booths. It isn't fancy, it's brightly lit. It's a fast food joint.
On the other hand, imagine not having to go to Burger King and order a Whopper, no meat, no mayo. Imagine getting tasty, relatively cheap fake chicken nuggets, hot dogs, hambugers, and more. They even have Italian Beef and Philly Cheesesteak options. Amazing. Also, try the vegan shakes, they're pretty fabulous.
So far I've only tried the chili cheese dog, chix nuggets, tofu nuggets, and fries but they've all been great and, in my opinion, worth dealing with the cranky service. Like I said, you dealt with the same type in your pre-veg days.
The concept is good - veggie fast food. The execution... horrible. We get here early evening, one person behind the counter and virtually no customers but still was doing something in the back. The place had decent decor but bottles (for recycling) were out everywhere.
I asked what the most popular item was and ordered it - the buffalo on rye (pictured on blog). Not sure if it was supposed to come with buffalo sauce (hot wing sauce) but it didn't, instead came with this syrupy sauce that was tasteless. When I asked for hot sauce, I was told it was going to be an extra dollar and that it wasn't that hot anyway. The texture of the sandwich was decent.
My wife had the veggie burger, this was the most vile and disgusting veggie burger I had in a long time. The fries were ok but very difficult to screw up french fries. No regular cola drinks available (and they call themselves a fast food joint!).
Overall, the food here was mediocre, the "service" non-existent, but the worst part was the hygiene. The table was sticky, chairs were sticky, even the ketchup dispenser was sticky, like nothing had been well cleaned in a LONG time. The service people behind the counter and in the kitchen looked like they hadn't showered in a few days - not something you want to associate with food.
Save yourselves time, money, and a terrible experience!!
-mihir
http://veggienation.ni...
Picked what I thought would be the hardest to pull off on the menu...the 'Italian Beef Melt' and discovered that rather than trying to simulate it they had put a whole new spin on it. It was very good.
I'd like to try some of their other menu items at some point. I had the idea for a vegetarian fast food place back in high school although I had envisioned a larger chain. Nice to see someone has made it work.
i have been trying to go to this place for quite a while.
i rarely hit that end of wicker park, so i usually forget it exists. for some reason, the last two times i've passed by and actually wanted to go in, they were mysteriously closed. you can imagine my surprise when i actually found it open this afternoon. my boyfriend and i just wanted to try something to get an idea of what the food was like, so we popped in to check it out.
there were two people in line ahead of us. i don't know if they had incredibly complex orders or if that's just the name of the game, but we waited in line for about 10 minutes. at least this gave us plenty of time to agree on chili cheese fries and bbq nuggets.
french fries are my jam and these were pretty tasty. their chili was basically a bean paste and it was covered in a sort of cheese goo that didn't taste bad but didn't contribute all that much. i dipped them in my bbq sauce and it was pretty fantastic, but i would eat bricks dipped in bbq sauce. the nuggets had a nice flavor on their own but i have to say i was surprised by how crispy they were. not greasy but a serious crunch factor, like a bunch of croutons. fried? baked? we weren't really sure.
walking out, my boyfriend decided to buy a bite burger for the road. he grabbed a yellow mustard container out of the fridge and was about to squeeze it onto his burger when we noticed that it actually contained some sort of brown liquid akin to used motor oil. i'm sure this sauce has its proper purpose, but damn dudes... put a label on that sucker. with no refunds or exchanges on food, you might want to lower the fuck-up factor. you will be happy to know that the other, identical container indeed housed mustard.
this place is more than a little slow, but i was satisfied with my experience and i will be back for a milkshake because that sounded fucking fantastic.
This place is pretty awesome. I didn't know they made vegan food that could be represented as actual normal food. Hummm..... Kinda different.
I was on Milwaukee looking for a wig for my anime convention costume and the place caught my eye... (ok so u can't miss the place, it's kinda bright but hey i guess thats effective marketing for u!).
I walked in out of curosity. I tried the chix free nuggets since they said they are similar to McDonald's McNuggets. I was shocked when it was.
Um, I guess I have a place to put on my list of good places to go to get in shape for my costume. The anime convention is just next month and I gotta look good. Sailor moon mini skirt + chunky ass = a very sad me. :(
Ya but veggie bite it's awesome. I like the squissy seats on the side wall by the big painted logo. They are comfy. ^_^
I love the idea of a vegetarian fast food restaurant, but I'm not necessarily in love with Veggie Bite; however, I do like it enough get a crazy craving for chili cheese fries and an Oreo shake every now and again.
I get the whole fast food theme, but the ambience is kind of lacking. I don't know what it is, but no matter how clean I'm sure it is, it never actually seems clean. But, then again, I guess we can say the same about McDonald's or Burger King, so I'll call it a wash. Actually, I'm going to add on a point because there are rarely annoying little kids running around and I'm pretty sure they don't have some creepy clown or rapping monarch as a mascot.
I'm mainly just happy that somebody finally understands that being vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean wanting to eat healthy all the time. I can't even count the amount of times I've ordered a veggie burger from somewhere and they've substituted the fries with a side salad. Hey, what? Last I checked, potatoes were vegetarian, so fry them up and hand them over.
I've tried almost everything on Veggie Bite's menu, including four separate trips for chix free nuggets, all because they were out the first three times (I have my own theories on that, but I'll save it for my conspiracy theory blog). They have the usual standard fast food fare (hamburgers, hotdogs, fries), but I really feel like I could do the same, if not better, at home. I like the idea that they make different things, like fajita wraps and Philly cheesesteaks, but the fajita wrap seems to have a strange aftertaste and I've had a vegan Philly cheesesteak in Philly, and Veggie Bite's little guy doesn't stand a chance in that fight.
Even so, I like what they're doing and support their cause, so I will patronize Veggie Bite time and time again, if only for their wonderful chili cheese fries and delicious Oreo shakes.
Veggie Bite is as fast as fast food but not as cheap. I had fries and the veggie gyros, but the serving size was small. I hoped to only eat half and take the rest home but instead at the whole thing and was still hungry.
As happy as I am that there is another vegan-friendly option in Chicago, I'm not so thrilled about the actual food. It's worth popping in if I am in the neighborhood, but I won't make a special trip (I live on the southside).
I went here once before on a random walking trip (*ohh, fond memories of weather warm enough for walking trips*) and enjoyed it thoroughly.
So when I found out from http://grubhub.com that Veggie Bite delivers, I was most excited. I put in an online order for a chili cheese dog and gyro and my meat eating roommate got a chili cheese dog and some chix-free nuggets. We also put in for an order of fries. The online menu said it would take an hour and a half, but we were pleasantly surprised when it was significantly less time.
The guy who brought us our food was not from Veggie Bite but a separate delivery company and so when our fries were forgotten he could do little else but take the order off our bill.
The food was minimally packaged in paper and so all of our food was slightly smushed. Despite this, all was scrumptious. The gyro was on the smaller side and the cheese in the chili cheese dog was barely noticeable, but I loved the food anyway. My roommate found her food tasty too.
Though I've been a vegetarian for five years, I sometimes still get those junk food cravings (especially for hot dogs, gross). Veggie Bite definitely delivers.
Love this place because everything is vegan, not just vegetarian. The girl at the counter was very helpful and willing to tell me about the menu items, and what she thought was the best, etc.
The buffalo chicken sandwich tasted like chicken. So much so that I had to dissect it a little and make sure they weren't lying. Very tasty. It definitely fills my once-in-a-blue-moon fast food craving.
I am not giving it 5 stars though, because I don't like the anti-meat posters/fliers. I'm vegetarian, but I never try to change other people's eating habits, or make people feel guilty for eating meat. It's personal choice. Anyway, take down the posters and I'll add another star (=
I like this place... They stave off my spicy Chicken sandwich cravings like no other. I have had orders that were prepared better than others though.. SO they loose a point for consistency... Also Ear wax shakes are a bit better and thicker.. they use the same brand Soy based icecream soo I dunno...
The best of the menu:
Buffalo on Rye
Chili Cheese fries
Chix Nuggets
the gyro was just ok...
I 'll most definitely be going back though!
This place is amazing! I love it love it love it. And I love the fact that it's in my hood. I use to drive to the southside but, now this is so convenient.
Not only is Veggie Bite vegan but, it's so fast and inexpensive that it's a must. The staff is so helpful and friendly. THe food is delicious I recommend the Chilli Cheese Fries, Nachos Supreme, Philly Steak, Chicken Nuggets etc. Basically I recommend everything. Show some love to veggie bites.
I love the chili cheese fries.
Not much atmosphere, and (coming from a lifelong vegetarian and a 15-year vegan) the PETA signage is likely to turn away people who would otherwise eat some tasty vegan fast food here. And I would call the service mediocre - they're not outgoing or friendly, but neither are they rude.
Delicious food if you're a vegan craving greasy junk, and inexpensive. The shakes are good, as well, though no different than what you can find at Earwax Cafe or The Chicago Diner.
I really want to give Veggie Bite a stellar review, because I really appreciate the effort to have a not only vegan-friendly, but 100% vegan, place to eat. But I'm hovering around 3.5 stars.
I'll be honest about my skepticism for faux meat products in general. Why try to imitate something you choose not to eat? There are plenty of "real" vegan dishes (in Indian, Thai, etc.) cuisine that stand on their own and don't need to be struggling substitutes... Typically, faux meat is either soy or seitan (wheat gluten), which means it doesn't innately have much flavour. You have to marinate it or surround it with other tasty goodies.
The Philly Cheese sandwich I had tonight seemed to have spots of deliciousness and spots of dull cardboard-y seitan taste. I kinda liked the sauteed mushrooms in the sandwich the most. I wonder if they'd consider making a mushroom sandwich without the faux meat.
The cheesy sauce is pretty good though. The chili cheese fries were darn tasty. And heavy. I'm lying here in a semi-food coma now. I'll probably come back sometime to try a different menu item, but I'm not rushing back just yet.
It was around dinner time, and a large group came in right before me, so I had to wait about 15 minutes for my food. The cashier was apologetic though, and let me pick out a bottled juice for free. I wasn't expecting to walk in and out, since they don't have sandwiches sitting in a warmer like at a fast food burger joint, so that was an unexpected gesture.
I don't think I'd want to sit to eat here. The lighting and walls were too bright and it didn't feel very cozy. I'm used to the animal rights literature and photos, but I can see how it might be unnerving to people who aren't familiar with it. Make it more welcoming (and make tastier food!) and they'll be more receptive to the idea of veganism as a viable, enjoyable lifestyle.
I think I'm of the general opinion that this is the kind of place for transitioning vegetarians who crave their McD's. For someone like me, it's better to stick to "real" vegan food. Still, I am glad to have this option at all.
Complimentary Oatmeal Shake
Neighborhood: Bucktown
Daily dine in specials
Neighborhood: Lincoln Square
Neighborhood: Mount Greenwood
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Greater Grand Crossing
Category: Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Norwood Park
Category: Vegan
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Category: Mexican
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