Veggie Bite

Well, I ate at the South Side one when it first opened up a many years back and it was pretty basic layout and menu — reminded me of the local high school hot joint but veggie! I don’t know why the signs say «healthy» because faux junk food is never healthy! But I knew that going in (and that’s why I went!)
I recently tried this Northside location and I think some of food is pretty much of the same except those shakes! Vegan crack! Veggie Bite you are gonna kill me with those things! I actually felt a bit «drunk» after an hour of drinking one (no there’s no alcohol in it — it is just a big sugar high!). I had the Dreamsicile and I swear I could hear the Good Humor truck song in my head… LOL! (I kept my cool big fat purple straw btw — couldn’t resist!)
Food wise I had the Nachoes Supreme — yeah, it was like «Mall» junk food nachos only it was definately skimpy on the vegan cheeze — otherwise it tasted like proper mall nachoes should. :). The rest the menu look simiar to what I remember with some new additions but I think some substractions? I think I remember some «Chicago» style stuff on there before. We need some Chi-​style Polish and what about a vegan pizza puff to carry me back to my greasy spoon teenage years? :) So Veggie Bite those 4 stars are for that «drunken» vegan shake… and you know I’m gonna be back for more. Next time cheeze fries…:) Or could you add some deep fried mushrooms to the menu, please-​y? :)

Some ideas, it would seem, are better on paper than in reality. Socialism. Master’s degrees (M.A.s at least). Dating another Unilocaler. All just end up in the «it seemed like a good idea at the time» category. When actually executed in real life they range from «a waste of time» to «a complete disaster that nearly destroys the world.» And somewhere in that spectrum is where I place the idea of vegetarian fast food.
The idea of taking a regular fast food’s place’s standbys — hamburgers, chicken nuggets, chili — and making them with fake meat seems like it should be a no-​brainer. Just make it taste like the real thing, make it cheap, and you’ll have vegetarians coming from all over the city (née world) to feed the crappy food craving that exists in, almost, everybody. But, sadly, Veggie Bite fails on both counts.
As far as the taste goes, nothing here even approximates what it’s supposed to be imitating. Some of it tastes okay. However, the fake chicken, for example, doesn’t taste like chicken. Now, some would say that the chicken at McDonald’s doesn’t taste like chicken either. I’m not going to argue that. In fact, if that’s the case, this stuff might taste like the stuff that it’s supposed to imitate. And, just like your average fast food place smothers their stuff in sauces to try to make it taste like people food (as opposed to what it actually is), so too does Veggie Bite.
If there’s one thing I don’t appreciate them borrowing from their meaty kin is how many napkins are required to keep yourself from looking like a three-​year old.
The price is not fast food either. For one of the few thing worth eating on the menu, the not-​meatball sandwich, for example, is basically a small hot dog bug filled with three tasty things that almost have meatball like consistency (if you mixed a meatball with a sloppy joe). The thing left me hungry and it was almost $ 6.00. I wanted to scream, like in the old Wendy’s commercials questioning the value of the menu, «where’s the beef?» They probably would have kicked me out though.
See, about the only good difference between this place and the worst fast food restaurants is that I doubt the seitan protein here is fed a cannibalistic diet of other seitan protein in a pen too small to fit all the seitan protein on a corporate seitan protein farm. Sp I do give them props for being responsible. They’re animal rights (including being associated with a local no-​kill shelter), they’re locally produced and independent, and they’re environmentally conscious. So, while I feel less morally reprehensible after a meal here than I do at anywhere but Taco Bell (I loves me my Taco Bell), I feel no less sick to my stomach from the mediocre food.
Yet I keep coming back in the hopes that the idea on paper will one day live up to the actual experience!

Veggie Bite’s food is so bad, they have a sign up that says you can not return their food!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Veggie Bite is so weird, they play an oldie’s station while AI is on a big screen TV with the sound off and captions on and the place smells like burning plastic!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Veggie Bite is so dirty the mop killed itself!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
But seriously folks, sometimes a restaurant is so lousy you feel bad for it. Veggie Bite is unsatisfying and what’s worse is that they’re stubborn about it. Not everything is about being or not being vegan. If a person walks into your restaurant and tells you the food is garbage it’s because your food is garbage. It’s not prejudice, it’s just the facts.
For the record, I ordered a «burrito» that was a bunch of room temperature beans, «sauce» and wilted vegetables. I’m a lifetime member of the clean plate club and I couldn’t even finish it. The oreo shake was so gross it was funny.
Oh, and the «suggestions» box was overflowing, with no pen and it was out of paper. Hey, uh, Veggie Bite? Do you see the symbolism in this?

The 4^th star is for existing. I know, I know… that’s not fair to give a star for simply existing. News flash: life’s not fair.
Veggie Bite is a noble effort, unfortunately, those that care enough to be veggie/​vegan normally prefer to eat live foods the majority of the time. So we are talking about the good folks of Veggie Bite trying to support a business on the 4 times a year the true veggie eater craves junk food.
It is depressingly empty in here all the time. I ordered an italian «beef» one day because I felt bad for them, plus I wanted to see how on earth they were going to imitate IB. Very poorly is the answer. It was a good sandwich, don’t get me wrong, but it was no IB.
I think this place could thrive if they moved into a smaller space, offered green smoothies, cut down a few of the fast-​foody items and replace with fresh veggie items. You just don’t need seitan everything since seitan always tastes the same.
I thought the staff was nice enough but I wonder how they don’t get depressed that no one ever comes to eat there.

First, I’ve only been here once, and I loved my Buffalo on Rye sandwhich — although I wouldn’t call it healthy.
This place needs focus. It appears as though it is trying to be the Vegan Fast Food joint — given it’s abundance of fried food on white bread, but then it needs to be stripped of all of the «heathy» claims on the signage.
And what is up with the drink selection? What carrot juice are people talking about? I only see milkshakes on the menu and there were only TWO choices of SODA in the cooler.
Choose a path Veggie Bite — Fast Vegan Guilty Pleasure or Healthy Vegan Bites… you’re not doing both successfully.
I wish I could mash this restaurant with my favorite Austin ‘Daily Juice’ bar and include nutritional information on everything — so that even when items are fried, I would know exactly what choice I was making.
All of that being said, I want them to succeed, and I will come again.

I have wanted to try this place for some time now, probably going on 6 months, but literally every time I stopped by they were closed for strange reasons that cannot be determined. I called last night and found that they were indeed open so I was determined to stop by!
My order was simple so I cannot give a full review today; I got the chili cheese dog combo. The fries tasted like funnel cake (mmm) and the dog was good. Very filling and cheap. The drink was from the cooler, which surprised me slightly. I ended up with a root beer, which is ok on occasion, but a more sugary drink than the water or diet soda I originally had in mind.
The service was super friendly (I was the only one in there) which was a surprise from the reviews i’ve read here. They were nice and helpful. I admit that when looking around, I couldn’t help but think of all the things I would change if I were running the place (it doesn’t seem very consistent– from dress to napkins).
I think the general consensus is that vegan fast food is a great convenience and we should support this place. I am itching to try the Gyros despite the bad reviews, so i’ll be returning soon.

I’m going to give this place 3 stars.
When I was doing some research on vegan restaurants on Chicago I was extremely excited to hear about Veggie Bite. Vegan fast food? YES PLEASE. However, the reviews on here made me a little nervous.
As stated, the décor and ambiance of Veggie Bite is incredible sterile, cold, and somewhat standoffish. Again as mentioned, eating vegan food with preachy signage is a little awkward because clearly I already believe in not eating animals. I came with a friend of mine on Saturday night (not a vegan or vegetarian) just to try it ou.
I decide to order their chix nuggets and made it a combo meal with fries and a coke. I wasn’t really thrilled about the drink selection as it was all just sugar and carbonated beverages. Where’s the bottle tea? Anyway, when I take my friends out for vegan cuisine I usually treat so I got my friend the buffalo wings.
The food service was quick, although I thought the lady behind the counter was a little strange. Polite, but she seemed out of it. With all this said, the food was indeed fantastic. I absolutely loved the chix nuggets and fries. My friend on the other hand, hated the buffalo wings. I tried them as well and there was something a little off about them. The «meat» was tasty, but the sauce was funky.
Overall, I did enjoy Veggie Bite. I will for sure be returning. I do think their management should take a few notes from the reviews on here though. Vegan places should be welcoming, cheery, and helpful; not sterile, standoffish, and cold.

Sucks.
Like, a lot.
That’s about all the literary wit I’m willing to throw at this establishment.
Which, for the record, is always empty. Wonder why?

Last night at 3AM I received this message from someone who I assume works for or owns this fine establishment:
«Agnieszka S.
Block User
3 hours ago
to respond to your comment this place is for meat eaters trying to make the transition to vegan we r not a salad place you can make that at home but there r 4 on the menu so either u r lazy or cant read. from your comment i would say u r not able to read for the record veggie bite has turned 2000 people vegan which is why they r going on opra grow up learn to read people like u make me feel ashamed to be vegan, and if they all sound and look like u thats a huge turn off «
Militant ranting? Check. Insulting service? Check. Incoherent banter about the supremacy of being a veg? Yup.
Maybe these people are iron deficient or something.

I have found the perfect meal at Veggie Bite.
A bite burger, chili cheese fries, and a Cookie dough shake.
You’re welcome. xoxo

Veggie Bite is decent, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best… I’d say that the food is flavorless to an extent, but it works when you’re in the need for food immediately. And regarding fast food, don’t expect Burger King like fast… Obviously a fully a Vegan restaurant doesn’t have the volume of the typical fast food joint so expect to wait a bit — so you get food that hasn’t been sitting for hours and hours. Admittedly, there have been times when my order came out and my food looked vile, especially the sauce. The only food items I’d recommend are the Philly Sandwich and the Gyro’s.
None of my friends will come to VB with me anymore either, but I can’t really blame them. Their main complaint is the flavorless food and the attitude of the staff (my best friend says he doesn’t want to deal with listening to the owners condescending remarks). Oh, and be sure to steer clear of the sewage smelling bathroom… yuck!
I don’t know why I still come back (on very rare occasion now), but I don’t want to give up on this place… This place is more deserving of 2.5 stars.

Awwww… Bunnies, cows and baby chicks on the outside of the restaurant! How cute!
Fried crappity-​crap-​crap on the inside.

I live right by Veggie Bite and go there quite a bit. The gyro has the shape and texture (a tad bit chewy) of gyro meat but is far less tasty. The vegan sauce was «creamy» with a hint of spice. The sandwich was filling and not at all greasy or fatty.
I love the buffalo «wings». Not as filling as the sandwiches, but these tofu pieces are crispy and full of buffalo goodness.
I also recommend the veggie dog, which comes on a wheat bun and is dressed with vegan cheese and a rich chili. Request some diced raw onions and hot sauce, and you have the perfect snack!

My excitement for vegan fast food was greater than the actual food but I still enjoyed it.
I think I should have gone with something a little easier to spice up like a burger with ketchup and mustard. I got a gyro and it was kind of bad… soggy (in a bad way) and tasteless. My BF got the Philly cheese steak and it’s basically the «gyro» but with a little bit of cheese instead of cucumber sauce. Meh, my BF didn’t care for it much either.
For an app I got the buffalo wings are just fried tofu with some (not really even) «buffalo sauce» on it. They weren’t bad, just no match for Chicago Diner’s wings, though Veggie Bite defo has them topped on portion size. After I finished everything I was still hungry so I got some fries as a dessert… I think these are the same fries from Long John Silver’s. They’re seriously identical… still good though.
Overall, I wasn’t as impressed as I was excited for a responsible fast food option with cutie animals on the wall. 5 stars for the animal friendly environment, 2 stars for the food. If I’ve got a good buzz and I’m int he neighborhood I would totally go back for some affordable critter friendly foodies.

Picked what I thought would be the hardest to pull off on the menu… the ‘Italian Beef Melt’ and discovered that rather than trying to simulate it they had put a whole new spin on it. It was very good.
I’d like to try some of their other menu items at some point. I had the idea for a vegetarian fast food place back in high school although I had envisioned a larger chain. Nice to see someone has made it work.

Meat Lovers BEWARE! Your body may react the way a vegan’s would to eating meat for the first time. Despite my carnivorous leaning appetite, I thought this would be good to try for my new «flexetarian» lifestyle. Ummmm, the time I spent in the bathroom for the next 2 days afterwards, wasn’t really worth it.
But, the few moments that this food stayed in my body were good… I had chili cheese fries and the philly cheese steak. Both were quite satisfying even for a meat lover like me. So, if you’re trying non-​meat for the first time, I’d ease into it and maybe just order something small and see how it settles… and definitely don’t go here on a date or with someone you don’t know very well!
This place has the potential for Shart written all over it!

yes

I came here expecting more, honestly. I’d had Veggie Bite food at green conferences in Chicago and was amazed (they set up shop at at least a few of these events) by their nuggets and sandwiches.
But when I went to their second outlet in Chicago I found the service to be slow and a little bit bumbling. The place wasn’t super-​clean either, with many tables and the especially the floor, needing a good wipe-​down.
My meat-​eating cousin who was with me loved everything here, from the chicken burger to the chili cheese fries to the nuggets. I, however, found the food to not be as impressive as at those catered conferences; this time it felt flat and greasy, like the ingredients had been sitting around for a while. I also thought they loaded the chicken burger with way too many liquid condiments, making the bread horribly soggy, and making the «meat» patty lose all of its crispy-​fried goodness.
That said, I’ll definitely come back here to see if I just ended up there on an off-​day. At least my cousin loved it and he used to be skeptical of vegan food.

People, let me tell you something from the eyes of a common man. Well, I can be a snob sometimes but, I’ll be a common man for now. To preface, I lurve deep fried comfort food. Imagine my joy when I found out I can have all the comfort I want in vegetarian and walking distance of my house!
You know why McDonald’s is successful, in spite of all the crap they put in their food? It is because the sh*t tastes f*cking good! Have you ever driven from Chicago to East Hampton and the only reason you stopped was to pee and get gas? Yeah, I do that often. And the only thing that makes me driving sane is eating at McDonalds on the road. Seriously, their fries put a smile on my face. The chicken club select makes me want to drive like a responsible adult and not plow through the stupid drivers I encounter.
So, why am I talking about McD in a review for Veggie Bite? Because Veggie Bite is the McDonald’s of vegetarian food. And I mean that in a good way. Remember that hot fling you had when you were single (or as a couple, if you are asking me)? Yeah, it’s like that. I wouldn’t want it everyday but, it is «oh so good» once in a while. Minus the chemical induced crap that you get at most fast food restaurants.
We have eaten here 4 times in the past week. Take out only though. There is a seating area which never appealed to me. Plus, I live within walking distance. I am going to take this home and eat in my sexy underwear. Can’t do that at the restaurant. I also do not like to sit and listen some obscure music that I have no interest in.
The buffalo on rye is absolutely wonderful. The bite burger is the closest thing to get your big mac craving (minus the crap that comes with your McD’s big mac). The bbq nuggets are perfect and so are the chix-​free nuggets. It is funny they use all regular names even for the vegetarian items. Helps carnivores like me avoid the confusion. This way I know what I am getting when I order a philly cheesesteak.
So, why the minus one star? They always run out of stuff when we order. It took us three tries to get the bbq and chicken nuggets. We never get everything that we want, something always runs out. Seems like they are making good business if they are running out of items by 7pm. Maybe they are still working out the kinks. I may give them the fifth star after they work out the kinks.
Until then, I am going to enjoy Veggie Bite on an occasional basis. Just like that hot fling I/​we have from time to time :-)

Okay, so I was really excited about this place after hearing so many good things about the South Side location for so long.
Let me just say, I was NOT impressed, and it takes a lot to disappoint me.
The weird propaganda signs, and signs in Spanish were sort of strange in the windows, so I just sort of ignored them.
The place was super colorful inside, and huge, but had minimal seating/​décor. Everything just seemed so spread out. Especially the distance between the counter and kitchen window.
After waiting in line for a few minutes, I finally ordered the Fajitas Wrap, and some bottle of Vanilla Lemonade from the fridge. I wanted the veggie burger or the Chix Free Nuggets, but decided to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I wish I hadn’t.
OH, and can I just saw how much I hate the menu? It is organized horribly, and nothing is explained. It says combo next to some items, but doesn’t let you know anywhere in the whole place what a combo is, the milkshake section takes up much more space than needed, and the secondary sandwich menu is all squished, and unclear about what exactly things are. What is a supreme wrap? Whats in the live salad?
I grabbed a couple of the paper menus hoping that it would be more clear or explain some of the items, but no. And why are the kids items listed on the Mediterranean menu? Speaking of, someone please spell check the next batch of menus to be printed.
The Vanilla Lemonade was strange and sour and I had to add water to it to dilute it. But, that’s not Veggie Bites problem since they didn’t make it.
The wait was long, and once they finally called out my order, some guy who happened to order after me (but was sitting closer to the counter) got there first and took my food! The guy bringing the food from the kitchen just sort of smiled at me and didn’t care at all that he gave some other guy my food. I just stood there sort of dumbfounded. The counter girl noticed and called to the kitchen to make another fajitas wrap.
Okay, so I finally get my food, bite into it. and its definitely not anything close to what I had expected. Just like what Kris said, it was protein covered in some kind of curry sauce with peppers and onions, except mine was wrapped in a tortilla… have they been using the same ingredients in EVERY ITEM?! It would have been fine if it tasted good, which it did not. The fake meat, which I’m not entirely sure what it was made out of, was weird, and green. The sauce was spicy, and just didn’t taste right. The only thing that tasted okay were the red peppers.
My roommate ordered the Chili Cheese Fries, and they came much later after my order, and only after she went up and asked them where they were. She also tried to order a milkshake, but they said they didn’t have them yet. So I’m not sure how Kris got hers? ha ha .But maybe we were better off.
The Chili Cheese Fries were actually okay, I wouldn’t say great, but they were edible, and I’d probably order them again, unlike my wrap. So I helped my roommate eat those, while she picked out all of the fake meat pieces from each bite (apparently they tasted bad to her, and were too chewy), I didn’t mind them.
While sitting around waiting/​eating there seemed to be a lot of confusion with orders and everything took a really long time.
I thought they had been open for a few weeks, but someone said that today was their first day open, so I really hope it was just some first day flukes, and it’ll get better. Even for a first day, it was pretty bad though. And shouldn’t an owner or manager of been there? The employees seemed pretty frazzled and lost, and uneducated on what they should be doing/​how to prepare the food.
An extra star just for all the cute boys I saw ride by on their bicycles or come in to eat while I was there. Thanks for improving my experience!
I really wanted to like this place, but I just didn’t. I’m not going to give up just yet, I’m gonna give them a couple of weeks to get up and running and on top of things and then give them another try. I really hope they change my mind, but I’m not crossing my fingers.