Soul Vegetarian East

My Girl Friend mentioned that there is a Soul Vegetarian Restaurant that was on the South Side of Chicago IL. I loved the taste and the flavors of their foods it’s so Delicious we have been coming back for years. We lived in the suburb and drive about 40 miles to get to Soul Vegetarian East. Their House dressing is the best I’m so please and proud that they are here in the Chicago land area.

I’ve been coming here since I was a child and always left satisfied. Over the years they have added more options to an already great quality of food list. Customer service is ok not the best though but the food is pretty good. Let’s not forget the deli/​café bar either which is also good.

The #1 stop hands down the best Vegan/​Veggie food in the metro Chicago area. The mac and cheese and gravey burger are always on point. Protein tidbits are great and so is the lasagna.
Try it you’ll be hooked!
FYI: The parking in the area is horrible but if you can find a spot check out this spot!

I love their Vegan food! The breaded tofu, candied yam, spaghetti casserole and chili were delicious! It’s so hard to find a good tasting Vegan restaurant, but they totally meet the mark. I can’t wait to come back, they had a set menu but I look forward to trying everything on the menu.

My new favorite place now that I’m on a healthier path of life. I gave it 4 starts because it’s so small in there, food and smoothie is great tho!!!

So good. Worth the drive. Their soft serve ice cream is made in house and always amazing. Their lunch/​dinner special is so filling but delicious.

The food isn’t how it use to be I think they have new cooks or something I use to love the prince dressing it taste super funny now like it’s made of butter and garlic only. The fried steak was horrible I did however love the fried cauliflower I’m probably gonna make those at home now. The fried tidbits still pretty good. THE fries are kinda soggy and greasy not all that and to make things worse the waitress was kind of rude with a attitude problem. I live up north they have lots of vegetarian restaurants now next time I’ll stay up there if I was a vegan restaurant.

BEST vegetarian ribs I’ve ever had. Carrot salad was great. If I had more time in Chicago, I would so venture again. There were so many items on the menu I want to try. Sloppy joes… a ton of things that looked good. One of the servers said he appreciated my making the trip there. If you’re a vegetarian coming by Chicago, you should try their food
The restaurant is located in a neighborhood where I felt like people were shooting stares at me. I’ve heard Chicago’s neighborhood’s are greatly segregated. Coming from Queens, NY, it was a very odd thing to me. I tried not to let it influence my behavior. Walking on the street it was hard to look near a person’s eyes. Not something I usually do, but weird to have it in the forefront of my thoughts when doing something easy like walking.

Let me start by saying I am not a vegan, so when my sisterfriend told me we were going to a vegan restauarant where they served ‘faux meat’ (forgive me as I don’t know the proper way to phrase it), I experienced two emotional hunger transitions:
1. I was too damned hungry to play and say anything other than ok, although I had come prepared with steak n shake coupons before I knew where we were headed.
2. I don’t like these places. I don’t like faux meat. Awww man. :/​
We arrived and this quaint little spot that sits on a corner in Chicago was black owned and inviting. The chandaliers gave a soulful glam to the dining area and the line of people on the side where the salads and homemade ice cream are served stayed full. I scanned the menu looking for something that did NOT contain the faux meat. I settled on a noodle veggie plate.
It was FIYAH! FIRE! GREAT ! As in gooooood! Yes, I was starving which means there was a small possibility that it wasn’t as good as I thought it was. But that’s not true. It was really quite delicious… there wasn’t a ‘sauce’, but the noodles and veggies (onions, sundried tomatoes, spinach & mushrooms) had been tossed in ginger and probably some type of sesame and olive oil combination. I ate until I could not eat anymore and not to be wasteful, I took the small leftovers home. The plate was huge and anyone can get full from half a serving. I didn’t like the flavor of the water. It tasted like it was flavored with lemon but came from a busted up, unfiltered pipe that has an attitude towards clean water. But the food was amazing.
I would definitely go back and have this again. I might even try the greens they offered and there was also another veggie plate that read like it would cure my hunger pains as well.
The service was cool, the waitress was friendly and helpful and the hallway that leads to the bathroom is decorated full of vintage photos of famous (and even non-​famous) people. It’s a welcoming atmosphere. The guests seemed happy and peaceful and by the time we left, my stomach was in agreeance.
If you’re in the area and want to try something new or if you are looking for a really good vegan spot with good portions for the price, you definitely need to give Soul Vegetarian a try. I call it a #WIN.

If you are in Chicago do yourself a favor and check this place out. Great vibe. Good food. Nice service.

Food is great. Just don’t go there hungry because there has always been a long wait. Not because they are busy but because they are slow. However, good place to eat.

Food was awesome! It was delicious and hot when it arrived to our table. It did take a while for it to come but I believe that was because it was cooked fresh. Here’s what we got and I would recommend.
Collard greens with tomato and onion On top with a fresh slice of cornbread
Protein tidbits (yummmm) with Bbq sauce
Vegetable stir fry
Jerk wrap sandwich
And yummy peach cobbler!!!

This is my first time here. Had the breakfast sandwich and it taste so good & fresh!!! The staff are very helpful & knowledgeable. Open to answer all your questions. I will come again

I have wanted to get over here for a long time. It is not conveniently located for me. I live way North and work late. Every time I have thought to go there, they would be closed by the time I got over there. I knew that I needed to plan this out! So, Doctors appointment at Northwestern memorial in the middle of the day… left work early and would still have plenty of time afterwards so I knew that would be my chance.
Trekked over there midday after my appointment. We noticed that the menu did not have the barbeque fare that we had heard about and inquired with the server. She said that the lunch menu and the dinner menu were different but if we just waited about ten minutes they were switching things over. We happily obliged. Oh man, was that food good. We ordered the special that came with tofu barbeque strips, greens, cornbread and mac and cheese. Everything was simply delicious. I really liked that the corn bread was more savory, not super sweet. Just as it should be when coming with a meal, in my opinion. We also ordered some hot teas that were really good, as well.
Upon leaving, we noticed that up in the front there is a hot bar that you can order take out from. There was a huge variety of offerings that I know I would just love. I wish I lived closer to this place. I am def going to have to plan another southside day very soon!

I agree with whoever wrote that this food is so good it makes you want to put it in your pockets! At first I didn’t know what they were talking about and I even made fun of reading that on Unilocal but I realized what they really meant as we left. The food was so yummy that I carried my leftover few bites of dessert in my pocket all across town on public transportation for the rest of the day. So if you don’t wanted stuffed pockets maybe bring a side bag with you because you WILL want to take food with you, not just what you ate, but all the grab and go items behind the deli counter look amazing.
We would order again:
Garvey Burger with fries
Greens
Side Garden Salad with amazing garlic dressing
Fried Cauliflower
Onion Rings
Coconut Cake
Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
We would pass on:
The fried steak and fried tofu that came in the combo basket BUT I can see why some folks would like those flavors, just not our cup of tea!

This is an amazing Vegan spot. A real hidden gem located in Englewood Chicago. I had the Macaroni and cheese, kale, salad and carrot salad along with the bbq vegetarian dish. It was like no other! I’ll be back with someone special!

I used to prep and cook for Soul Veg… even I adore this restaurant.
I’LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU SOUL VEGGGG!!! LOL
Anyway,
I love to bring my children here on a hot summer’s day. We do the same thing each time. We go to their Eternity Juice Bar and order food, then we order hot food from the restaurant to take home.
Eternity Juice Bar
–soft served vegan ice-​cream cones
–Raw/​Cold salads… chick peas, bean curd, kale, tofu, artichokes, olives, you name it! OMG, DO NOT FORGET the JALAPENO CHEESE (they put a huge dollop on top of your salad).
–bags of honey mustard kettle chips or crackers to dip.
***This hits the spot on a hot day when you are hungry but don’t want to eat anything heavy***
Then, we order food to go from the restaurant.
–everyone orders their favorite foods or dinners, a dessert to go, and a yummy ginger brews or drink.
***While we wait for our food, we hang around, talk, listen to music, look at all the pictures and artwork on the walls. We always see people we recognize, cool vibes, and positive people from all over Chicago and IL. We leave with our bellies and our souls satisfied and full!***

Nice restaurant, bad food. I’m a vegan and I decided not to go the raw route, hence I tried what everyone on Unilocal was raving about: bbq tidbits and the bbq twist sandwich.
I think this place goes «vegetarian» by substituting everything with tofu. The tidbits were eatable only because they are hot and fried, but I threw away the twist sandwhich after a few bites.
I love the atmosphere and I was dying to try some of their cobblers or desserts. I think I tried the wrong entrees.
Don’t get me wrong– I love soul food. I have a gf who takes me down that route ever so often. She also takes me to Ms. lees which is on point!
I’m just guessing but I think this place is trying to make the ever so popular soul food more healthy. I just don’t know if u take something with so much sugar, fat, Greece, salt and cholesterol and turn it vegan? Ever…
Great atmosphere and great place inside, but the food wasn’t very good for my taste considering I’ve tried a few other vegetarian/​vegan/​raw places in my dad

Soul Veg continues to own my soul.
I made the hike over for my 2^nd visit and while they were out of the BBQ twist, I loved everything else I had. Yes, my heart broke into a million little pieces but I took it as a sign to expand my horizons. Since we had a groupon (they come around every year around March, check for it!), we got the gyro, jerk wrap, east coast BBQ roast and tidbits, of course. We over-​order because we need to keep eating this stuff the next day. Once it hits your lips, it’s just so good. Fries come with the orders and they’re ok. You don’t make the trek to SV for fries though. You don’t even need to eat the fries.
Server was chill and while we waited for the grub, I walked to the restroom and noticed photos on the hallway walls of the owner chillin with Barack and Whoopi amongst other famous people. Damn, can I be your friend too?
Overall, everything was still freakin’ phenomenal. The place was packed and the AC wasn’t on but It didn’t matter. My belly experienced joy like it was Christmas morning.
I could honestly eat Soul Veg daily and not get tired. Til the next time, my soul will be dreaming of SV.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review on Soul Veg! This restaurant is fantastic. Even if you’re not a vegetarian, there’s nothing to not love about it other than the location. I’m a carnivore, but my partner is a vegetarian. We’re always looking for the next best vegetarian/​vegan option out there, but I don’t know if we have ever had anything quite like Soul Vegetarian.
This restaurant is completely unique! I’d prefer it to the Chicago Diner or Native Foods any day. If you want real soul food, this is the place to go. Hands down best soul food in Chicago — and the great thing is they manage to do this completely vegetarian. Everything we’ve ordered (and we’ve had a lot) is delicious.
A huge plus is that they always seem to have a special on Sundays– some kind of dinner like beef tips or meatloaf; always with all the trimmings. We’ve never been disappointed with portions, quality, flavor, or pricing. You get a lot for what you pay. I swear that if I took another carnivore here and didn’t tell them they weren’t eating meat, they’d never even know it.
I’m pretty sure Soul Veg is distributing food to some of the local Whole Foods and Barnes and Nobles. That’s awesome because it can be really difficult to make the trek all the way down south to 75^th from where we live on the Northwest side.
As I mentioned, the only con is the location. It’s sooooo far away and a nice long walk from public transportation. The area itself is fine — but I’m not so sure about surrounding neighborhoods, so just know where you’re going.
With that being said, it IS worth the journey getting there. I am looking forward to our next visit. I’d highly recommend this place!