Jessica
Reviews written by Jessica
This place has a decent selection, but it's quite a small store. I tend to go there more for shampoo and lotion than for groceries. It's useful if you live in or near Hyde Park, but probably not worth the trip otherwise.
The waitress here told me that the pasta was vegan, but it wasn't--fortunately I discovered this BEFORE I ate it. I ended up having some kind of wrap instead. It was edible but not very exciting. I would give this restaurant another chance, but I recommend talking to the manager rather than the waitstaff in order to find out what's in the food.
The food is excellent, but some of the dishes are a little expensive. The pita sandwiches and appetizers tend to be a better value than the dinner plates. I think the decor is neat, and I love their falafel. This is a good place to bring omnivorous friends.
Most of the vegan desserts are quite tasty (which is enough to keep me coming back), but the entrees are kind of hit-or-miss. Most of the lunch and dinner items are vegetarian or vegan versions of "normal" food, which is not necessarily appealing to everyone. I like the shepherd's pie, and the Philly "Cheesesteak" sandwich is great. I also took my parents to breakfast one Sunday morning, and it was really bad. My tofu scramble left much to be desired, and neither of my parents liked what they had. The prices are a little on the steep side, but I'd recommend making the trip if only to get a piece of the vegan carrot cake.
I went here on an anniversary date, and the experience was really mixed. My salad and portobella stack were delicious, but serious trouble started with the main course. I ordered the miso soup with soba noodles, but when it came it was so drenched in truffle oil that I actually gagged and had to spit it out (very embarrassing). I sent it back and got something else, but I could smell that it had butter in it. I sent the waiter back to double check, and the chef had indeed used butter by mistake. I sent it back again and was presented with a plate of vegetables with absolutely no seasoning whatsoever. I ended up just getting dessert (a tasty coconut sorbet) and leaving. I'd really have to go back again to see if the main course disaster was a fluke.
This is probably my favorite place to eat in Chicago. It's great for groups, because there are so many options that everyone can get something they like. My omnivorous boyfriend and I eat here all the time. We bring all our out-of-town guests here when they visit, and everyone loves it. The decor and atmosphere are fun, and the waitstaff is always helpful and friendly. It's not fancy, but it's a great place for a casual, everyday dinner out.
The food is decent, but not great. The main problem with this place is that it's way too expensive. I wouldn't eat there again unless I was starving and somehow stranded in Water Tower Place.
I was all excited by the number of vegan items on their menu, but my food turned out to be pretty gross. The vegan burger is mushy and bland, and the waitstaff is not all that knowledgeable. My boyfriend also tells me that non-vegan food is terrible, so I wouldn't even suggest it as a place to take omnivorous friends.
I would not recommend this restaurant. As a U of C student, I get stuck going here a lot, and the only vegan thing that tastes decent is the hummus. The spaghetti is bland, the lentil soup is way too spicy, and they can be really nasty about making substitutions or modifications. One time they actually refused to leave the mayonnaise off my sandwich, so I couldn't eat anything. The quality of the waitstaff is completely unpredictable: some waiters can tell you every detail about what's vegan, while others will stare at you blankly. I've even been told on multiple occasions that there is nothing vegan on the menu, which is untrue--apparently many of the waiters are just too lazy to find out. They've raised prices, too, making it an even worse dining experience.
Maybe it's just because I love anything that's salty and full of noodles, but I really like this place. They definitely have a way with fried tofu, and it's pretty cheap.
This is the best place in town to get a vegan breakfast or late night snack. Lots of things on the menu are vegan but not necessarily labeled as such--when in doubt, ask the knowledgeable waitstaff. It's not terribly cheap, but the portions are decent. A few words of warning: the service can be a tad slow, and the stir-fry is less than stellar. Instead, try the vegan berry pancakes. They're to die for.
This place is dirt cheap and delicious. The Indian vegetarian combo is only $6.50 and includes a samosa, flatbread, two vegetable dishes, and rice. Most of the vegetarian items are vegan, and the people who work there always know exactly what's in each dish. The potatoes are the absolute best.
The food here was pretty good, and I appreciated the number of veg options available, but the ambiance was really what did it for me. I went after dark, and the cool decor, lush plants, candles and low lights, and live harp music created the perfect relaxing atmosphere. I dined with 6 other people, and everyone enjoyed their food. We especially liked the fancy tropical drinks, available with or without alcohol. It's a bit more expensive than some of the food one can find in Puerto Vallarta, but I would definitely go back.
This place is incredible. For 60 pesos you get all the delicious veggie food you can eat. At least half of the dishes are always vegan, and they offer some interesting and tasty beverages as well. The waitstaff speaks Spanish and English, and is helpful and knowledgeable. The decor is extremely bright and cheerful, with murals that for some reason feature Disney cartoon characters.
I dragged a large group of non-veg friends here on a spring break trip, and they all agreed that it was the best food we ate while in Mexico. The most memorable dish was the vegan kabobs, which were made with this fantastic fake steak and served with pineapple sauce. I went back again when the rest of my travel companions decided to go to a vegan-unfriendly restaurant, and it was just as good the second time.
The only disappointing thing was that the cake they served for dessert had dairy in it both times I was there. Even considering the lack of dessert, it's easily one of my five favorite restaurants in the world.
I grew up in Minnesota and have since gone away to school, and I often find myself craving Bruegger's. It's usually my first stop when I come back to the Twin Cities. My favorite thing is hummus and sun-dried tomato spread with veggies on a sesame bagel. Some of the soups are vegan, too.
This place is pretty good. I usually get the 3-spread plate and soup, depending on what the vegan choices are that day. They have a lot of tasty and interesting beverage choices, too. My main gripe is that they don't have vegan desserts. The atmosphere is great, however: 2 seating levels with picture windows that look out onto Grand Avenue, perfect for people-watching. Parking can be unpleasant if you're there at a busy time.
This place is pretty good. The chocolate soy ice cream tastes kind of like good soft-serve, which is interesting. I was disappointed that they weren't able to tell me whether the cones were vegan, and that it was so expensive (seems like you should get more than a dixie-cup-full for almost $4), but it was tasty so I will keep going back.
This is my favorite restaurant in the world. It's a bit expensive, so I probably wouldn't go here for just a sandwich, but their dinners are worth every penny. I once had a pierogie dish here that was far and away the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. To be perfectly honest, some of their vegan desserts aren't the best--they're good, but not quite on the same level as the vegan dinner entrees. The ambience is completely perfect, as well. One thing to watch out for: they only serve dinner for a short period during the evening, and the time they stop seating is earlier than the closing time listed on the door.
This place is horrible. I went there a few years ago and would never go back. They seated us outdoors by the mall dumpsters, which attracted hoards of flies and smelled awful--I couldn't believe it. We were also packed so closely to the other tables that we couldn't really have a conversation and the busboys kept running into us as they tried to squeeze by. My veggie burger was so mushy that it almost didn't hold together, and it tasted pretty bland. I can't remember what my friend had, but he hated it too.
I loved this place as a kid, but it's not as great now that I'm grown up and vegan. Compared to other Mongolian barbeque restaurants I've been to, it's actually not that vegan-friendly. Both the BD's and FlatTop Grill chains list all sauce ingredients and will cook your food in a separate wok, but this place doesn't. I was there for lunch one day when they were only using one of the grills and they cooked my food on the other one, but I don't know what they would be able to do on a busy night. They don't have a very good selection of veggies, either. This place is ok in a pinch, but considering all the great vegan options in the Twin Cities, I wouldn't go out of my way to go there.
This place is fantastic! The wide variety of vegan choices is amazing--just looking at the menu makes me happy. The vegan cake I had here was the best I have ever had, and that's saying a lot considering my addiction to vegan desserts. The atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant, with a great soundtrack most of the time. It's also nice to have a place where picky omnivorous friends will eat, too.
I go to the Garden Grille every time I'm in the southeasterm Massachussetts-Rhode Island area. The atmosphere is relaxed and pleasant (there are usually several families dining there), and the waitstaff is knowledgeable and very friendly. The food ranges from very simple items such as veggie burgers to more interesting and complicated dinner entrees, and everything I've had there has been very tasty. Even my picky and omnivorous boyfriend has liked everything he's tried there. The vegan desserts are really great, too. The main downside is the size--it tends to get too crowded during busy hours. In my opinion, it's also a bit too small to be offering live music: I went there once and really hated the music, but I couldn't get away from it because the place is so little.
Amazing, amazing soy ice cream. I can't walk by this place without going in for a cone. It's the only soy ice cream I've ever had that actually has the consistency of good ice cream.
Oh man. This place is so good. I eat there every time I'm in Madison, and crave it when I'm away. The dal is so good I sometimes dream about it, and the waitstaff is very good about letting you know what is and isn't vegan.
Nov 19 04
I ate lunch here with my omnivorous family while visiting Boulder. My parents and sister liked what they ordered, but I had mixed feelings. My soba was only OK, but the vegan cake was delicious. The ambience was lovely and the waitstaff was friendly and knowledgeable. It's a little expensive, but definitely worth trying. I'll definitely go back the next time I am in town.