- Top Rated Bakery in Chicago
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The Chicago Diner - Lakeview
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Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
American
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Bakery
Catering
Providing all vegetarian and mostly vegan American comfort food for brunch and dinner with organic beers and wine, margaritas, vegan bakery, and desserts. Meat free since 1983. Patio seating available. Confirmed open May 2020. Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-10:00pm, Sat 10:00am-10:00pm, Sun 10:00am-9:00pm.
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- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 06 Jul 2023 by geometric-noise
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278 Reviews
First Review by amargrav
Chrizzle
Points +306
Great atmosphere, amazing food - Edit
Breakfast Combo was delicious, the shakes were amazing!
Read moreFriendly staff.
Classic Diner Style Restaurant in a great neighborhood
Pros: Best vegan milkshakes, Delicious and plenty, LGBTQIA+ friendly
Guest
irise102
Points +926
Delicious Diner Delectables - Edit
The Chicago Diner is a fun atmosphere with traditional diner food made vegan. There is a daily brunch menu that includes tofu scramble, pancakes, French toast, biscuits and gravy, and potato hash (to name a few). Also on the brunch menu is a cinnamon roll that is AMAZING!
Read moreThe breakfast combo was delicious and huge! We also had the potato tempeh hash that was equally as good. One of our party ordered off the specials menu and thoroughly we joyed the Caesar wrap.
We left feeling satisfied and oh so full!!
Pros: Yummy food, Great service , Moderate pricing
Cons: None
Guest
annies755
Points +662
Chicago’s best - Edit
Love stopping by Chicago Diner anytime I’m in town. My faves are the Cuban sandwich and spinach & artichoke dip. While this is a vegetarian restaurant, almost everything can be made vegan. Highly recommend!
Read moreGuest
JohnCalvinism
Points +37
Small Cute Diner. - Edit
Service is solid. It's pretty small. Food Good.
Read morePros: Price, Ambiance, Taste
Guest
ano
Points +152
Chicago Diner - Edit
The monte cristo is really good
Read moreGuest
SaraNorlin
Points +3493
Tasty - Edit
Delicious food, good ambiance, right in the gayborhood. It's the same menu as the new location in Logan Circle.
Read moreGuest
Esryn
Points +157
AMAZING - Edit
really really delicious food, friendly staff, nice neighborhood. also reasonably priced (we ate a lot), huuuuuuge portions. highly recommend!!!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-07-12
Pros: amazing food, cheap for the amount of food
Guest
Ayad
Points +316
Amazing Reuben - Edit
I love the Reuben sandwich here. Hot chocolate is amazing too. Great place for brunch
Read moreGuest
Danieladp
Points +20
couple dinner - Edit
good vegan restaurant , good selections of food and nice employs
Read morePros: easy to find, good selections of vegan food, good place for nn vegan
Guest
CaleighC
Points +426
Lovely LGBTQ+ Positive Spot - Edit
Went here on a tip from a local friend. Really cool concept where everything is vegan by default but can be vegetarianized.
Read moreThe meals we had were delicious and came so quickly. Everything was insanely delicious and filled two hungry people up for basically an entire day for just 50 USD including tax and tip - and we sure didn't cheap out on the tip lol!
The waitresses were so sweet and knowledgeable about the menu and what was good!
Guest
gail13oot
Points +141
Great place to take nonvegans - Edit
Tasty! I had the poutine and biscuits and gravy. The poutine had a bit too much cheese sauce for my preference but I still enjoyed the dish. Next time I'm going to try a shake because they looked delicious. I do wish it was all vegan but I guess it's a good way to get nonvegans to check it out
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-06-15
Pros: tons of vegan options
Cons: serves eggs and cheese
Guest
annieeatingstuff
Points +162
Always crave their brunch food! - Edit
Wish they served brunch all day 😭 seriously would change my life
Read moreGuest
VeganPhishPhan
Points +262
Awesome Vegan Food - Edit
Cool little spot in a cool neighborhood. Tons of options and everything can be made vegan. I got the Reuben and it was so good. The cheese was melty like real cheese and the corned beef was really good. Good portion of sweet potato fries too. Would definitely order this again. The staff were great as well.
Read morePros: Everything can be made vegan, Good portions, Lots of options
Cons: Small tables, Parking
Guest
aml1tsey
Points +77
Delicious! - Edit
This was SO GOOD. My only regret is not getting a milkshake too 😂
Read morePros: All vegan menu, Cute decor, Good location
Cons: Limited dining space
Guest
maltman23
Points +4577
Wonderful diner - Edit
I've been eating here for many years, whenever I visit Chicago. They used to be vegetarian, but now, everything on the menu is vegan, but you can ask to add cow cheese if you want. Great change (in my opinion) since last time I was here. The menu is full of really good diner food: Rueben Sandwich, Lentil Loaf, Burger, Chili, Fries, etc. All vegan (unless you ask to add cheese). The Milkshakes (all vegan) are divine. I had a Rueben Sandwich, which really hit the spot. The place has a funky, friendly old diner look. And the wait staff are all really nice.
Read morePros: Great vegan versions of diner food, Nice, funky, comfy atmosphere , Friendly staff
Guest
ravKlein
Points +400
My Go-to Restaurant in Chicago - Edit
Last time I was here was 7 years ago, but I always beeline here because the food is great and it's an early normalizer of plant-based food. Really terrific. Today it was parmesan with mashed potatoes and gravy, and of course one of their fantastic shakes. Chocolate chip cookie dough shake!
Read morePros: Flavorful, Normalized vegan food, Wide variety of choices
Cons: Not all vegan but glad they accommodate vegetarian
Guest
VeganBrian
Points +575
An “ok” Vegan Food experience - Edit
An “ok” Vegan Food experience. 3/5 & this is why:
Read moreI will start with the food rating. My orders were:
BBQ Wings, the „Reuben Sandwich “, „Mc n Teese“ , a coffee and a lemonade.
My favorite were the BBQ Wings with a side of ranch and salary. The Taste was a 5/5 perfect BBQ Sauce! The texture was more like a 3/5, could have been a little more “Authentic”. Summed up, a 4/5.
Next up were the Mc & teese, due to the fact that I have had many comparisons, this dish was not extraordinary; 3/5.
Last and least, I asked for a recommendation of the house & they served the “ Radical Reuben” Sandwich. For the first time in a long time, I did not finish my plate and stopped half way through. Unfortunately I could not enjoy this recommended dish. The Bread was good, crusty and tasty, unfortunately I could hardly taste the rest on the sandwich because of the two dominant ingredients. Vegan cheese and sauerkraut. The sandwich was dripping in cheese with a side note of bitter sauerkraut. Maybe less cheese would allow to taste the rest of the components on the sandwich. 2/5.
Regarding the Atmosphere and Service:
The atmosphere of the place was nice, it gave a 70’s/80’s look of a diner and the music was also not too loud and therefore enjoyable. The service was ok. Our waitress was nice, though maybe not too attentive. Our drinks were empty in the first 5 Minutes and were never asked to be refilled within the following 30 Min. Nevertheless it was a ok experience.
So far, I would not necessarily recommend this restaurant as one of my top choices, but perhaps I will visit it again and try different options of the HUGE VEGAN Selection. That is one thing I have to mention! There are plenty of options! And I will and can so far recommend the BBQ Wings with a side of ranch!
Thanks for supporting the customers decision, to go against animal cruelty and offering vegan alternatives.
For more impressions, have a look at the attached videos and pictures.
Take care & Bon Appetit! #Veganuary
Pros: Great BBQ Wings
Guest
EvaliseDexter
Points +394
BEST vegan brunch - Edit
Absolutely loved this restaurant everything was delicious
Read moreGuest
villarreallevi
Points +943
so so so good - Edit
This is the one restaurant I tried while I was in Chicago for 4 hours while riding the Amtrak cross country. The food here gave me the energy to make it all the way back to NYC.
Read moreThe thai chili wings were some of the best food I've ever had.
veganqueenofqueensnyc
My experience there was also great when I traveled cross-country on Amtrak. Good choice!
Read moreGuest
ineed_b12
Points +288
Hit or miss - Edit
I’ve been to both locations and they seem hit or miss. The first time I went for dinner and it was fantastic! Sandwich and shake were on point! I then went for breakfast and was pretty disappointed, maybe because my dinner was so good? Still worth a visit.
Read moreGuest
PBPT
Points +201
Satisfactory - Edit
We were expecting amazing food from these reviews, but compared to other vegan food we’ve had, we found the dinner just satisfactory. The food options are very creative, but could use more seasoning.
Read morePros: Variety of options, Cinnamon bun , Pierogi quesadilla
Cons: Soul bowl lacked seasoning, Mac and cheese sub-par
Guest
Pau_LG
Points +26
Bonne option végé - Edit
Bonne variété. Nous avons pris le Soul bowl et le Reuben. Le repas était bon, sans être exceptionnel. Le milkshake était très bon!
Read moreGuest
shjipstone
Points +443
Proper great - Edit
Really dug here. Good vibe. Not all junk food. Cooked well. Straightforward
Read moreGuest
pkkellow
Points +189
ZERO STARS - Edit
I had a really bad experience when I went here, which was really disappointing as this place is heavily recommended. I was served the wrong thing and when I asked if I could have it sent back and receive what I ordered my server just like gaslit me? We also had to walk around and ask servers at the counter for stuff like water and silver as our server didn’t come to our table at all to help us.
Read moreI work in the service industry and fully understand tipping but was so shocked to have to pay 20% auto gratuity for the worst service I have ever received.
Updated from previous review on 2023-02-19
Guest
rjmarciniak
Points +751
On the short-list for go-to restaurants - Edit
We have been coming to Chicago Diner fairly consistently for years now. Their food is always delicious and consistently hits the spot when looking for diner food.
Read moreWe often take people here when we are going out with friends or family.
Guest
RachelJoy
Points +24
Love it! - Edit
The gyro plate and peanut butter cookie dough milkshake were amazing. Loved the 90s Rent vibe too. It was an incredible experience!
Read morePros: Atmosphere, Gyro plate, Milkshake
Cons: Too much plasticky cheese on the Reuben
Guest
BarryY
Points +147
The vegan motherland - Edit
So many vegan friends have rhapsodized about Chicago Diner that I was eager to make a pilgrimage to the vegan motherland. I was taken by local friends who are omnivores but eat there regularly because of the quality of the food. The place feels like an old school city diner, and the menu is pure comfort food: burgers, wings, Reubens, gyros, omelets. I had the (seitan-based) Philly cheese steak and the mac-and-cheese (made with tapioca- and coconut oil-based "Teese"), and they tasted sentimental, like childhood. We shared a couple of desserts, too, and my favorite was the cocoa mousse cake.
Read moreGuest
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