Home // 5 Bitchin' // Vegan-friendly grub hubs

• by Ellen Thompson
• 8.24.09

Hey, vegans, do you find yourselves in the minority among your meat-lovin’ friends? Tired of pulling a "When Harry Met Sally" moment when you comb the “sides” section of the menu for meat-, egg-, and dairy-free dishes? We scoured the city’s meat-filled restaurants with a notepad full of questions and a thirst for vegan cuisine. We gauged the wait staff (you want a server who’s willing to trek back to the kitchen to confirm the griddle is butter-free) and ruled out places that charge to for sides of veggies and extra dressing. All of our picks are easy on the wallet, and with these enticing offerings, you might even turn a few rib-eye steak lovers over to the green side.

Here are our 5 bitchin’ vegan-friendly grub hubs:

• 3408 N. Clark St.
• 773.248.6613
• www.yelp.com/biz/pick-me-up-cafe-chicago

Hit the 24-hour Pick Me Up Café for an impromptu dinner party, when you and your friends need something to soak up the shots you just threw back. Its fluffy and buttery vegan pancakes (thanks to soy margarine) are the best in Chicago. “With or without pecans and berries, drunk or not, these pancakes are awesome,” says New Yorker James Clayton, 19, who orders a stack whenever he’s in town. But not everyone has a late-night sweet tooth, so Clayton suggests the Cheez Fries. They’re seasoned, smothered in Chicago Soy Dairy’s Teese Cheese, and served with ranch dressing and salsa. “The cheese actually melts,” he says. “It’s not like a plate of potatoes drowned in oil.”

• 3542 N. Halsted St.
• 773.857.2911
• www.the44thward.com

No, you haven’t stepped into the Tenenbaums’ dining room. And yes, you’re still in the always colorful Boystown. Sure, this cozy restaurant with wooden furniture, French wallpaper, and ornate mirrors might seem out of place here. But once you’re inside, there’s something about it that feels just right. Like so many other restaurants along this strip of Halsted, 44th Ward has some of the most friendly and helpful service. The waitress helped us through our Vegenaise-or-no-Vegenaise debate. We ultimately said yes, and the soy-based dressing added another level of finger-licking tastiness to the 60657, a sandwich filled with soy bacon, Roma tomatoes, sautéed portabellas, alfalfa sprouts and mozzarella soy cheese. Choose the sweet and savory fries, pass on the complimentary apple slaw (it’s sprinkled with bleu cheese). They also serve a vegan-friendly signature drink called Lakeview Lemonade.

• 5605 N. Clark St.
• 773.878.8930
• www.turkishcuisine.net

This place is totally worth a visit for the weekend-night belly dancing and Turkish pop music alone. But of course there’s more to this 100-seat restaurant. The six in-house bakery chefs produce fresh Turkish specialties, including several kinds of baklava, borek, pide, sekerpare, and kazandibi. But you need not feast on bread alone. Since Turkish Cuisine is also BYOB, you can stick to the menu’s appetizer section. An order of falafel, babaganoush (smoked eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and extra-virgin olive oil) and tabule (parsley and cracked wheat salad), paired with your favorite wine, is plenty for vegan and meat-eater alike.

• 3332 N. Clark St.
• 773.404.2000
• www.thaiclassicrestaurant.com

It’s no secret: Ethnic restaurants are a sure shot for accommodating both vegan and omnivorous tastes. They can also add a touch of class to your dinner. Take Thai Classic, which is decorated with traditional artwork. You can sit in chairs or on the floor. And you can choose from a plethora of vegan options at this spot. The food takes a little time to reach your table, since the chefs prepare each dish with fresh ingredients. Start with the Tom Yum soup (a sour soup with mushrooms, galangal, and dairy-free coconut milk) or the Tofu Satay. The Fried Tofu (served with sweet and sour sauce) is a crunchy delight.