Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Chicago

As anyone who has given up meat (for any length of time) knows, eating out when meat is off the menu can be challenging. Chicago doesn't look like an easy city for it. This is the town of Italian beef and the Maxwell Street Polish, and the meat-free scene has had a rough couple of years. In late 2025 the city lost four plant-based restaurants in eight days, including Kitchen 17 in Avondale and Native Foods in the Loop (CBS Chicago has the list).

The places that are left are good, though, and they're spread all over the city, from Edgewater down to Chatham. Most of the spots in the first version of this post are gone. RAW in the French Market, both Karyn's restaurants, Mana Food Bar and Delicious Cafe have all closed. Two of the originals are still going, and they're still the first two to try.

The Chicago Diner, Lakeview

The Chicago Diner has been around since 1983 and is still the best-known place for veggie dining in Chicago. It's a proper diner, with the old comfort food rebuilt from seitan, tofu and vegan cheese, and most of the menu is vegan. Order the Radical Reuben ($18), corned beef-style seitan with sauerkraut and Thousand Island on marbled rye. The Cajun black bean burger and the seitan gyro are good backups, and save room for a shake. Brunch runs every day until 3pm.

It's at 3411 N. Halsted St., a short walk from the Belmont or Addison Red Line stops. The second location in Logan Square closed in December 2025 after 13 years, so Lakeview is the only one now. Come early at peak times or expect to wait. There's an online waitlist on the website, which beats standing on Halsted.

Handlebar, Wicker Park

Handlebar, at 2311 W. North Ave., has been Wicker Park's cyclist hangout since 2003. It's a small neighborhood bar and restaurant with a beer garden out back, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. The menu is vegetarian and vegan comfort food with a Southern and Tex-Mex lean. Think seitan chorizo nachos, sambal tofu, a Nashville hot "chicken" sandwich made from hen of the woods mushrooms, and a vegan chili mac. Nearly everything can be made vegan.

One thing to know if you're strict about it. Handlebar isn't fully vegetarian. The fish tacos from the old days are still here in the form of tuna and catfish, and they're marked clearly on the menu. The daily specials are cheap. Wednesday brings three black bean smashburger sliders for $10, and the Tuesday "chicken" and waffles are built on fried mushrooms.

Veggie House, Chinatown

Veggie House is an all-vegan Chinese restaurant at 2109 S. China Place, a few minutes from the Cermak-Chinatown Red Line stop. The menu reads like any Chinese-American place (orange chicken, Mongolian beef, the lot), except the chicken is mushroom and the beef is plant-based. It's the easiest way to eat in Chinatown with a vegan in the group. Closed Tuesdays.

Alice & Friends' Vegan Kitchen, Edgewater

Alice & Friends' at 5812 N. Broadway goes back to 2001. It spent some years as a Loving Hut before the current owners took it over in 2016 and brought the old name back. The cooking is all vegan and draws on half of Asia. There's a bibimbap in a hot stone bowl, walnut "shrimp," a Burmese noodle salad and a vegan Spam banh mi. The Edgewater room is small and walk-in only, and it's closed Tuesdays, so don't plan a big group dinner here. They also have locations in Glenview and Oak Park.

Urban Vegan, Ravenswood

Urban Vegan is a vegan Thai restaurant at 1601 W. Montrose Ave., and the Montrose Brown Line stop is the nearest L station. It's a neighborhood spot for curries and noodles, not a destination dinner. That's the point. It's where you go on a weeknight when you want a curry without asking what's in the sauce. Closed Wednesdays.

Kopi Cafe, Andersonville

Kopi calls itself "a travelers cafe," and it's been on Clark Street in Andersonville since 1991. The menu is mostly vegetarian and friendly to vegans and gluten-free diners, and there's a small boutique inside. It's a good place to sit with coffee and a pastry for longer than you meant to. It's at 5317 N. Clark St., and the Andersonville stretch of Clark around it is one of the best food streets on the North Side.

Soul Veg City, Chatham

Soul Veg City, at 203 E. 75th St., is the South Side's vegan soul food institution. It used to be called Original Soul Vegetarian and has been cooking for more than 40 years. Get a combo basket with mac and cheese and collard greens, or the vegan fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. The place was renovated recently and now has a deli, a carryout counter and an outdoor patio. It closes early (6pm most days, 5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays), so this is a lunch stop.

Planta, River North

If you want a vegan dinner that feels like a night out, Planta (some listings still call it Planta Queen) is at 413 N. Clark St. It's part of a small chain with branches in New York, LA and DC, and the menu is Asian-leaning. The spicy tuna roll is made with watermelon. It's pricier than everything else on this list, but the weekday lunch deal is two courses for $28, and Monday nights there's unlimited maki for $35.

A few more ideas

Plenty of Chicago restaurants that aren't vegetarian feed vegetarians well. Michelin-starred Indienne in River North has separate vegetarian and vegan tasting menus, and Boka can handle vegan diners too. In Logan Square, Lula Cafe on Kedzie Boulevard runs a market-driven, mostly organic menu with plenty for vegetarians. In summer, go straight to the Green City Market or one of the city's other farmers markets. If you're eating on a budget, the BYOB restaurants list and our guide to Chicago's best cheap eats have more ideas.

Because so many places closed in 2025, check a restaurant's website or social accounts before you make the trip, especially for the smaller spots.

Photo by ryemang