The Best Vegan Restaurants In Chicago

Long gone are the days when being vegan meant you were doomed to eat a sad-looking salad. Thankfully, chefs across Chicago have been upping their game, reimagining how vegan food should look (and taste). Whether you’re in the mood for a “not dog” or are craving vegetable-forward meals, here are four vegan spots to try in the Windy City.

1. The Chicago Diner

Diner, North American, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Thai

“Meat Free Since ’83,” The Chicago Diner is one of the OGs of the vegan scene in Chicago. Everything on the expansive comfort food-focused menu is either vegan or can be prepared to be vegan. Favorites include the quinoa chili served with jalapeño corn fritters, and Thai chili wings (seitan “wingz” with a chili-lime marinade and Sriracha-ranch dipping sauce). Save room at the end of your meal for a vegan shake (choose from flavors like salted caramel, chocolate chip cookie dough, and carrot cake).

2. Kitchen 17

Cafe, Restaurant, Middle Eastern, American, Vegan

For that homemade taste without all the work, head to Kitchen 17. Everything from the hummus to the spicy seitan is made in-house by Chef Don Clements (in fact, according to Clements, the only thing the restaurant doesn’t make from scratch is the vegan cheese). Order the gyro, made with spicy seitan and topped with house-made tzatziki, onion, tomato, and cucumber, all on a fluffy Greek flatbread.

3. Loving Heart

Restaurant, Healthy, Vegan, Korean, BBQ, Vegetarian

Whether you’re popping in for a quick bite or looking for tasty takeaway for an impromptu picnic at nearby Montrose Beach, Loving Heart has you covered. The pocket-sized café is 100 percent vegan and uses mostly organic ingredients. Start off with a plate of their bestselling nachos (made with non-GMO chips and topped with organic veggies and two kinds of hummus), and then order up the Happy Burger (a completely vegan creation that’s been known to satisfy meat eaters) or the Curry Bowl (sweet potato, chickpea, and red lentil curry topped with your choice of Korean BBQ veggie protein or a tasty garbanzo and black bean mix).

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.