Alice and Friends Vegetarian Cafe
$$ - average
Korean
A largely vegan Korean restaurant
Alice and Friends is all vegetarian, and uses no eggs in their cooking. The items on the menu containing dairy products are clearly labeled. Offers dumplings, rice and noodle dishes, several of which contain fake meat, a number of coffee and tea drinks, vegan and nonvegan ice cream, and vegan cakes.
Added by Eric Purdy on Jun 24 03 (updated Oct 28 07)
Reviews
Alice and Friends Cafe has good food and good service. I've been here a few times and have always enjoyed myself. It's a good place to have dinner with friends, but it's also a good place to grab dessert to go--although I must say that I enjoy Chicago Diner desserts more. I've enjoyed everything I've had here, especially their stirfrys.
Some of the best vegan food I've ever had.
the atmosphere is most friendly- peaceful. food is just as nice, and they make sure to spell out what's not vegan. always a wonderful place to visit. their philosophy is in sync with mine.
Pretty good overall. I definitely agree with the statements that the fake meats are uncannily realistic. Texture and flavor-wise, they are spot on.
I've had the Himalayan Spirit (which is a BBQ-ed unBeef dish), which I really liked. I've also had the Lemon Tofu dish, which I didn't like so much. Dessert-wise, avoid the vegan chocolate mousse pie because it's too sweet and rather "grainy".
The service is generally OK, but can get really slow if there are a slug of people to deal with.
I tried the spicy beef which was excellent as well as the lady fingers. Like someone else said, the portions are a little small, but all in all, it was worth it. The thing that makes Alice and Friends stand out is the vegan cheesecake. I've tried a lot of vegan cheesecake and this place has THE BEST, no question. Make sure to check it out if you have a hankerin' for cheesecake.
The food at Alice and Friends is outstanding. Everything is delicious. My favorites are the steamed dumplings and the Korean-style barbeque. The downsides are the portions are small for the price and the service can be really bad when they're busy. Don't go on a weekend peak time if you mind waiting and possibly being ignored. Oh, and don't expect them to be very friendly, either.
If you can get past the eerily realistic taste of the mock meats (or at least they seemed realistic to this girl who has been vegetarian for most of her life) this place is a real find. The Almond Un-chicken is crunchy and satisfying. The ladyfinger appetizer is one of the best vegan dishes that I have ever tasted. Alice΄s is pretty far north of the city, but it is definitely worth the trip!
Do not miss the unChicken Drumsticks
My husband and I found this place on this website when we were visiting Chicago. Another reason to love this site!
Alice and Friends was a perfect place to go and relax during our hectic stay in the windy city. The server was friendly, and the food came out fast. The presentation was beautiful. Youo have got to try their fried spring rolls! The dumplings are great, too. I had the not-spicy BBQ dish, and it was perfect. For 24 hours after we had eaten there, Brandon kept saying "That just hit the spot." The chocolate cake slice was huge, and the frosting was wonderful... not too sweet, sort of a mousse consistency. Highly reccomending this place.
alas, alice and friends is only about 4 blocks from my school, yet i did not find it until now, nearly two years into my college career. nonetheless, i have found this wonderful establishment and that's all that matters. the cafe is warm and inviting, the service is excellent, and the food is great. the atmosphere is extremely refreshing, for example: the water is served precisely at room temperature with just the slightest hint of lemon (i dont know how they do it, but its really nice, you'll know what i am talking about if you go there). the menu is well-priced and served in generous portions. if i could, i would eat there everyday, but due to a current lack of funds i will just have to do with a visit every couple of weeks. nice place to bring some friends, veggies, vegans, or otherwise. highly recommended!
This place is pretty good. I'm partial to fake meat, which this restaurant prepares well, and their other dishes are good too. Their cakes are pretty good, but I'd have to say they're not as good as the Chicago Diner's cakes.
We have always enjoyed ourselves at this place. The veggie duck is our favorite item by far--we have to fight over who gets to order it! Sometimes I'm a little wigged out by the videos that are playing all the time on the tiny TV, but if I am sitting in the other half of the restaurant, I can't see it. I think the dessert portions should be increased for the prices they are charging (the vegan cheesecake is delicious but tiny).