This is such an unique little cute place! I have never been to anywhere like it in Chicago and wish I had known about it earlier.  It's a bar that serves yummy Korean and American vegan food with a Latin flair.  The price in general is very reasonable.  The atmosphere is laid back and fun.  I went with a group of 6 and we got a table easily and had a great time eating, talking, and drinking.  The drinks are very cheap too; PBR were $2.  They serve beers, sangria, Margarita, hot tea with tequila ( my favorite), wine, many other drinks.  The service was quick and friendly and our servers were genuinely nice and we felt very welcome there.  The food is also good.  We were able to get small plates and my favorites were the kimchi pancake and vegetable dumplings (steamed). I love it how they played mostly 90's music as well. Everything about this place is very down to earth, neat, and great  to hang out with a group.  Not to mention, our servers were so awesome that they gave us free shots of tequila and dragon lady juice. It's always wonderful to have more options for folks that enjoy vegan and vegetarian food.  I am so happy that the now I another place to go for vegetarian food.
Review Source:I've known a few Dragon Ladies in my time. Luckily, maybe they eschew this spot in favor of meeting with their coven or off being Cryptkeeper's play cousin. Unfortunately, it's seems many others do as well. We strolled in after a delightful meal to check it out on a Saturday night and it was a bit dead.
The atmosphere was strange. And not in a quaint way. Odd decor. Lots of red accents, candles, velvet draped couches. A bunch of Dragon signs on the walls which my partner felt reminded him of the Karate Kid logos; but I thought resembled logos from Double Dragon. It's weird the restaurant aspect is emphasized so much, when there's only hightops, a bar, and couple of couches, and it's all dark.
The music was also eccentric. They played old school hip hop, 80's metal, hits from 90's Now That's Music compilations. Tag Team, Mötley Crüe, Toni Tone Tony, Kid Rock, Montel Jordan...uh ok? Someone set the iPod list on shuffle.
It was very cold. Even the bartender's (who was very nice) pals/co workers (?) were wearing parkas and wool hats. We only stayed for 1 round of beer due to this and the fact it was Snoresville.
They seem to be mostly known for the Thursday 7pm $7.50 Vegan Korean buffet with a bunch of options including their kimchi which is supposed to be rad. My partner said he actually likes Korean food and Kimchi (learn something new everyday). So I'm giving it an "A-OK" since I'd likely return to try the famous buffet.
Dragon Lady Lounge gets a double thumbs up from me. I came here the first time for the vegan buffet but ended up leaving after 15 minutes as I had arrived a bit too early and would have had to wait a good hour for the buffet to start. After I had gotten most of the way home I realized I left my credit card at Dragon Lady Lounge. I called and spoke to Robert, asking if he could hold onto my card for safekeeping for a week when I would return. He said he would and he did!
A week later I returned to enjoy a regular "Vegan Thursday" as they like to call it. Right away I asked for my card and got it back. I had been checking my bank account on a daily basis to ensure no one was making fraudulent purchases and was very relieved to find that no one did. SO, to make a long story short, the folks at Dragon Lady Lounge are honest and trustworthy, which, I feel is difficult to find these days.
Now onto the food. I had never had Bi Bim Bop before so I decided to try it. I'm a wuss when it comes to spicy food so they gladly made it without the spicy sauce, and they made it fresh. Needless to say I was very pleased! The Bi Bim Bop was delicious and I enjoyed how the various vegetables were seasoned differently on top of a bed of white rice, then topped with a nice piece of tofu. I really enjoyed it. In addition to the Bi Bim Bop I also tried some of the green bean crisps (which I thought would be deep fried, but instead were sauteed -- still good though), steamed dumplings and the kimchi pancake. All were VERY good. Finally for my drinks, I enjoyed a couple of their warm apple juice/cider drinks that have rum and cinnamon. Super good and warming for such cold weather.
All in all I enjoyed Dragon Lady Lounge -- the staff is very friendly and the food very good. Recommended!
When I first found this hidden joint I was living down the street. Sue was warm and friendly and the veggie burger was the best in town. I should have reviewed it then, but didn't. Now her kid(s) are running the place and doing her a disservice. I do keep a vegan diet, except for when I am served a beef burger after I have clearly ordered a vegan one. I did return the food but had to drive back because it was to-go. Â To their credit I was given a replacement and told they would "take care of me" when ever I come back, but I am fairly certain that will never happen... Unless I know sue is cooking.
Review Source:Oh my goodness! Top of my list for vegan food in Chicago by far. I was lured in by a scant but interesting grub hub menu and delightfully surprised by the more extensive Korean/Mexican/American fuzion, super vegan friendly menu.
Although the menu will satisfy omnivores as well (my dinner date, an omnivore, was also pleased), vegan is not an after thought here, it is the forethought.
The service was excellent, the environment a comfortable yet classy lounge/bar vibe and the food was taste bud blowing. Every bite was an 'omg' bite. Try it once and you'll be hooked!
The best vegetarian burger I've ever had. The menu is very reasonably priced allowing for the opportunity to taste good amount of the menu. Come with small group and share!
If you happen to be one of a few people in the restaurant, the "dragon lady" serves you personally and sits discretely near your table to make sure you have everything you need.
The food is incredibly good here, reasonably priced, and the folks that run the place are very warm and nice. The Bi Bim Bop is soooooo yummy. I love how there's so much vegan-friendly food here. Great, great place. Love. If you haven't been here for a year or so, you've got to check it out because the service, selections and decor have really changed. It's a great, diverse mix of people too. I haven't been to the buffet but I don't see the need when there's great food all the time here.
Review Source:I really wanted to love this place. Â The idea of a Korean vegan buffet was too exciting to pass up on. Â The experience was a mix of ups and downs and while I'm glad I went and have no regrets, I don't think I'll be going back.
The restaurant/"lounge" is a wonderful atmosphere that blends the feeling of being in a hole-in-the-wall lounge with being at a Korean grandmother's dinner party. Â One Thursday each month, Sue - the Korean chef who is one of the sweetest women alive - provides a Korean vegan buffet. Â The buffet is $15 per person, and is set to be served at 7pm. Â The restaurant is very tiny, with only a few tables, so make sure you get there early. Â We arrived at 6:20 and grabbed two tables for our party of 7, but by 6:45 the place was packed. Â We all had a couple drinks while we waited for the food to be served...and waited...and waited. Â At 7:55, the plates finally started coming out on to the communal buffet table next to the kitchen. Â We were all starving, but still in good moods out of excitement.
Sue stands by the table and hands you a plate while answering any questions you have on each item. Â There was a variety of well over 20 different dishes, which had me salivating while in line. Â Sue also explained that she doesn't use any oil and every dish is baked, which added to the excitement, knowing everything was made in a healthy way. Â The baked tofu blocks (which my boyfriend somehow assumed was garlic bread until he took a bite) were my favorite dish, along with the green beans and spring rolls.
It was nice to have vegan kim chee to indulge in, but as I sampled each item, every single dish seemed to take on the exact same vinegar/garlic taste and flavoring. Â It's as if she basically made the same dish over and over using a different vegetable (or noodles) for each one. Â On top of that, the dishes were all quite cold - presumably from being made hours (or days) in advance. Â Only a few items tasted especially fresh, while the rest of it tasted as if it was refrigerated overnight and then set out to get to room temperature before being served.
The service was nice, and Sue makes it a point to visit each table and strike up conversation. Â She really is a lovely woman and you honestly get the feeling that she is hosting you for a dinner party that feels intimate and unique. Â Unfortunately, the food just wasn't good enough to get me to come back again. Â I love Korean food, but I was really hoping for some more diversity in the dishes.
I give up on this place. Â Over the past year I've gone there maybe four times to check out the Korean food. Â Every time, the kitchen was closed - always some excuse: Â "oh the chef is sick", "oh there's too much snow", etc. Â Went there 06/02/2012 and finally the kitchen was open and active. Â There was a bar tender, a cook, and maybe twelve customers. Â We ordered drinks and menus; took about 15 minutes for drinks to arrive. Â We gave our orders to the bartender.
Half an hour later we noticed that people who ordered after us were eating. Â So we flagged down the bar tender (took about five minutes) and asked about our order. Â He looked at us like he'd never seen us before, asked us what we'd ordered, rummaged through the take-out orders, and ran into the kitchen. Â Five minutes later he came back and told us they' lost our order, but they could start it up right then. Â We just left.
An establishment that can't keep track of twelve customers, not all of whom were eating, is a guaranteed disappointment.
Don't bother going to Dragon Lady Lounge. Â It's not worth the effort. Â I won't go again. Â I've had it.
I really don't know what to think about Dragon Lady Lounge.
Went here looking for late night eats nearby where I was staying, and nobody was in there. Â The server lady was very friendly, talked about the menu, how they use separate pans for vegan and non-vegan food (which is cool) and the Korean theme of the Lounge. Â She also brought out a Korean veggie sampler for free which was pretty tasty. Â And the prices were very reasonable.
But then the problems started. Â We ordered fried tofu as an appetizer. Â It took 35 minutes to get to us. Â The server was still friendly, reassured us that our entrees would be coming out shortly as well and was generally still reasonable, but this was irritating. Â And the entrees didn't come out shortly. Â By the time we got them (two vegan burgers), we had been seated for over an hour. Â I'm guessing they make everything from scratch, and there was only one chef, but as easygoing as I can be with general restaurant flubs, I have standards, and an hour for a couple burgers when we're the only people in there when we order is ridiculous. Â Granted, the burgers were tasty (and spicy as hell) and the fries were good, but I didn't plan on wasting my entire evening waiting for food.
Plus, about 20 minutes after we were seated, a lady came in and sat at the bar and ordered an entree. Â She received it just as we received our fried tofu appetizer. Â This really showed me how unacceptable it was for us to wait that long and I'm not sure what the holdup was.
Like I said, I ended up biting my tongue while there because the server was so friendly and the food, despite the wait was very good, and that's why this is 2 stars instead of 1, but you'll have a hard time convincing me to go back.
I have to go  back for the monthly vegan bar.  I say this because I had a little taste of Dragon Lady's food.  It was late and the kitchen was closed but Tina fixed us up.  We had vegan Kim chi dumplings and white rice with Kim chi.  It was excellent.  One of my closest friends immigrated here from South Korea, she makes Kim chi.  So I know authentic, tasty Kim chi. Â
Also, I had one of their mixed drinks and it was very good. Â
The crowd was cool.
It's true, Dragon Lady isn't what it used to be. Â But that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Yes, there used to be a vegan buffet every Thursday, and now it's once a month. Â Of course, this is sad, but ensures that the buffet will be profitable and worthwhile for Sue, the sparkplug who spends all day cooking the food from scratch. Â
Dragon Lady also now boasts a very sweet and helpful staff. Â These folks are more than happy to answer any questions and to tell you about any specials they are running. Â
The place itself looks entirely different now and feels much less like the thrown-together dive bar it once was. Â Real effort has been made to give the place a comfortable atmosphere, with new lighting, paint, and seating. Â Events are now hosted here regularly, featuring karaoke, drag shows, and holiday parties. Â I haven't attended any events here yet, but the staff and regulars are kind and fun and lead me to believe I'd have a good time.
The non-buffet menu still offers vegan options as well as meat options. Â You have some bar standards on there like cheese sticks, fried ravioli, burgers, nachos, etc, and you also have some nice Korean twists on the usual fare. My favorite, the vegan burger, is both interesting and delicious- charred and a bit crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, spiced up with kimchee and served on a pretzel roll. Most entrees come with seasoned fries that are a bit on the salty side, but sill tasty. The Korean dumplings come in a few varieties, all delicious and well worth your dollars.
The monthly buffet has gotten a bit pricier, but is still 100% worth it. Â Come hungry, because everything is delicious and Sue doesn't like to see food go uneaten. Â Starve yourself all week if you have to, because you're going to gorge on kimchee and dumplings.
Don't listen to the naysayers- we all loved Dragon Lady before, and there's even more reasons to love it now. Give this place a try.
What can I say about the Dragon Lady Lounge that hasn't already been said...
Well they have an amazing staff that is friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, and helpful. I haven't been in on one of there vegan buffet nights, but I have heard rave reviews about it. On the third Saturday of every month, I host karaoke there and its so much fun and everyone gets just joins right in from their seats. Robert is the owner/manager of this place and is always around to make everyone in his place feel at home. Drinks are about average prize for the area, but they always have something on special so just ask. There menu doesn't only have vegan items on it, so when you visit, try out the food. It is awesome. Kids are welcome during the early hours for lunch and dinner.
Thanks
The new atmosphere the Dragon Lady Lounge is great and the staff is very friendly! The food is delicious (especially their wings and the shrimp basket!), and I really like that they offer a vegan menu. I would definitely recommend giving the vegan burger a try.
All in all, I would say if you're in the neighborhood and looking for a laid back place to eat, drink, (or even study!), check out the Dragon Lady Lounge.
Maybe even "like" them on Facebook, to get updates on events and menu items.
I've become a frequent customer :-)
I've never eaten here, although the great descriptions of Korean food might be enough to pull me out of my cozy abode later on this evening. Â
This is a longstanding go-to for a number of my Avondale and Logan Square friends, several of whom still refer to it by its old moniker of Stadium West. Â Beer only comes in bottles and hands, clap your hands, and it's not at all an inspiring selection. Â I think Tecate is the most "out there" option. Â
But it's consistently fun, particularly when you and 80 of your closest friends take over the entire bar for a 90s party. Â Flannel, Hammer pants, JNCOs. Â Color Me Badd, Silverchair, Deadeye Dick. Â Rad, dude, I know you are but what am I? Â
Our little gathering descends upon DLL once again sometime next month. Â The anticipation is all that and a bag of chips.
I nearly ate myself into the emergency department, and loved every minute of it.
They have great vegan food, but don't be fooled into thinking this place is a gastropub. Â It's a real bar, with real bar food. Â Much of which happens to be vegan. Â Almost all of which happens to be better than what you'd get at a gastropub. Â There's really been just one complaint so far: Â What was described as Chicago-style, was served with ketchup. Â
But that's OK, because you're too busy stealing kimchi cakes from your neighbor's plate to dwell on such transgressions.
I have never been to the Dragon Lade Lounge before yesterday, but from the previous reviews, this place was once a "dive bar." The new manager Robert, a warm and friendly guy, told my husband and me about his efforts to transform the place. Â We were in a bit of a hurry to get to a concert, so he recommended the vegan hot dogs and hamburgers. Â The hot dogs ($5.25 for two with fries) were dense and flavorful with a kick, almost like a spicy sausage. Â The vegan Dragon burger ($8) was also flavorful and served on a wonderful pretzel roll. Â
Unfortunately, I also had a disappointing $6 homemade "sangria" Â - red wine served over ice with green grapes and maraschino cherries. Â I've been to Spain. I have had numorous amazing homemade sangrias across the country. Â What I had was an insult to the word sangria.
So I have always wanted to try the VEGAN BUFFET but geography is keeping me from going. Â As of this review, the plan is to have the vegan buffet every month on the 3rd. Â If there is enough demand, they may increase it to twice monthly. Â Tell your friends and use social media so that they have the demand they need to keep the buffet going!
Man oh man... how I USED to love dragon Lady. I went there semi-regularly last year and the food was cheap and delicious and the sketchiness of the bar was even entertaining. I'd been raving about it to my boyfriend (we're both Korean food enthusiasts) and as soon as I started trying to take him there, it all went downhill.
We went once over the winter and they were closed, renovating or something and said they would be open in a month. Fair enough. Then we'd gone in the spring at an hour when they should've been open and they were closed.
I called a number of times throughout the year and either no one would answer, the food-serving schedule was always erratic, or they weren't serving food at all.
Last Friday I give them a call and I ask the gentleman if they're still serving food. He explains that they are serving food but just not the buffet. Cool, so at least we can get some Korean a la carte.
I get there and my boyfriend was waiting for me, sipping on a drink that looked like a bunch of rose's lime juice mixed with diesel fuel, with a couple of limes floating at the surface and two lonely ice cubes holding on for dear life - They called it a mojito. It's the kind of drink you would only have if it was 4am and you were so desperate to hook up with someone that you needed to get drunk enough to make everyone look good.
Then the bartender explained that their bar menu was all that they were serving. Their entire Korean menu was gone (with the exception of a couple of appetizer items). This would have been nice to know over the phone. And even if we wanted food, the Bartender told us the cook had been "missing for an hour."
The Dragon Lady that once was is no longer. I'll never go there again. I'll never refer anyone there again, as I have in the past. The photos on this page are misleading in the sense that it's not representative of the Dragon Lady that it is now. It's pretty sad, I mean, with Kuma's, Red square, Pork Shoppe, the Mexican restaurant on the corner and Urban Belly all within walking distance, you'd think they would step up their game. It's now a crappy little hook up bar with big screens.
I am a vegetarian slowly trying to make my way to an entirely plant based diet, so I am always happy to find new places and new dishes to eat. I went with the Vegan Meetup Group and we had the buffet set up for us. It was so nice to know I didn't have to ask what was in anything and I could--and did--try everything. I had a heaping plateful and was stuffed full of deliciousness. Sue did play the part of proud Mama and Robert, the new manager, seemed to care about the customers and was telling us about the changes they are undergoing as well as upcoming things there. Full service bar, so you don't have to feel fully healthy (my Jack and diet was $6, I find that reasonable). Â Parking was pretty easy around the corner.
A place that both vegheads and beefbrains can both enjoy.
Er, are you kidding me?
I have NO idea why this place is so popular on Yelp. I was pretty excited for my first visit after reading all these positive reviews. It was just as unexpected of an experience as everyone describes, but the food is really low quality and not worth dealing with all inconveniences imposed upon customers for.
If you went to ANY Korean or Chinese restaurant in the city and ordered a tofu or vegetable dish (made to order, fresh for your table and not a crowd of random hipsters), you would very likely be pleasantly surprised that the fried tofu isn't mushy/cold and the vegetables don't taste overcooked. Better yet, if you went to the grocery store and brought home some fresh veggies to stir fry with a little bit of garlic and oil, you'd have a better taste experience than at Dragon Lady's.
Seating is very limited and there is no service. Her margins must be huge because she charges about 20x cost of materials for a sub-par meal.
Why do people like this place?
This place confounds description. Â It's a dive bar that runs out of ice by 8pm. Â It's a vegan Korean buffet that seems never to run out of food. Â It peddles mojitos and salsa dancing lessons. Â This is a fusion place, but it's an unlikely, unselfconscious fusion.
The space, which is clearly more tavern than restaurant, is dark and dingy, its location an unappealing "six corners" intersection of narrow sidewalks, abundant concrete and asphalt, and (sigh...) no bike parking in sight. Â If you weren't looking for this place, you'd never see it.
For dining, you have your choice of a few high three-tops, or low (possibly communal) no-frills tables. Â Or you can eat at the bar.
Thursday is buffet night, and for $13.50, you get your fill of rice, noodles, and all the vegetables your mother couldn't get you to eat as a kid--because she couldn't cook 'em like this.
One senses that food which might have been blazingly hot in its natural habitat has been tamed for the local palette. But without skimping on red chili pepper, this kind of cooking demonstrates an important principle about working with chiles that's lost on today's macho, heat-fetishistic food culture: heat is not essential for complex chili flavor. Â
And almost everything was redolent of toasted sesame oil--an essence that rarely fails to add complexity to otherwise simple, vegetal flavors.
And the vegetables! Â Well, this buffet is vegan, so it's all about vegetables: wilted watercress offered a welcome bitter note, while sweet, tangy shredded radish provided brightness.
A kind of bean sprout "slaw" made me rethink my long-standing aversion to the vegetable--as did the saucy mix of green and yellow summer squashes that, despite being thoroughly cooked, retained their crunch. Â Brussels sprouts, while cooked more than I would normally prefer, nevertheless were mild, and sweet.
A pan of lightly fried tofu was mild and plain, as was the steamed rice, and a big bowl of ramen-style noodles--but these all provided a comfortingly bland foil to the zesty mix of flavors that dominated the buffet table.
Most importantly, vegetables--which few of us eat enough of these days--were overwhelmingly abundant here, and all were cooked in ways that spared their natural crunch and flavor.
One ingenious factor with this buffet is that most of the dishes are designed to be served cold (or at room temperature). Â Many are not unlike salads or slaws: lightly dressed, and crisp-tender. Â This simplifies the otherwise daunting challenge of keeping a buffet fresh and alive. You will not find gummy mixtures of breaded meats and slimy vegetables in cloyingly sweet sauces withering under heat lamps here. Â Freshness is definitely happening.
And while you might leave the bar feeling over-stuffed, you will also feel virtuous in your consumption of nutritious, light vegetation. Â (Whether your concurrent alcohol consumption is equally virtuous is up to you...)
As if all of this wasn't enough, the proprietress is wonderfully gracious and talkative: she's happy to speak to you about the two days it takes her to put together each buffet. Â Once the food is out, she circulates amongst the tables, entreating you to eat more, visiting your table to talk to you about the health benefits of all the vegetables she offers. Honestly, when is the last time you had an experience like this at a bar?
As I was settling my bar tab, I commented that I was reluctant to post a review: I'm afraid people will swarm this place and I won't be able to get in next time. Â But it's been around for awhile, and tonight's crowd was completely manageable. Â The bar tender (who is also the manager) encouraged me to "Yelp" the place, and I'm all too happy to comply.
Maybe there aren't yet quite enough Korean food fans in the 'hood to overwhelm this place. Â But I think it's only a matter of time before Dragon Lady has to start thinking about growing. Â And that will be sad, because this place is absolutely perfect right now: a superlative example of it's unexpected fusion of Salsa/Tavern/Korean buffet.
And yeah, I'll see you next Thursday.
Dragonlady has a fucking gay flag behind the bar! Sue says "if you don't like it don't look at it!". That's not really her doing though but her patrons are appreciative and she's savvy enough to roll.
The format for the buffet changes constantly to keep you on your toes. My previous "How to" guide is completely obsolete! Even I'm confused now but that's a thrill of the buffet. It's well worth the slight discomfort. Stop your hand-in-pocket shuffling, grab a seat and drink already!
Speaking of which, they have a better beer selection now! Hooray!
Sue fucking grows mint on her patio and uses it for the goddamn mojitos! If you order a mojito the bartender will call Sue to work her magic and she'll send a minion out to collect the mint. While she explains how she makes a special fresh sugar free mojito mixer the minion will come back with tomato leaves and Sue will pick up the nearest 12" knife and chase him down. Who the fuck doesn't know what mint is? Yeah, that's worth a good stabbing and Sue aint afraid to dole it out. I felt bad for getting the bartender stabbed to I tipped an extra 5%. The mojito was well worth it.
Every time I come in she lays on a parable ripped from the annals of her life. Just when you think she gets to the end she lays on a weird punch-line that throws you for a loop. She perfectly imperfect!
Dragonlady sucks don't go there. Read: it's awesome and a unique experience every time.
A friend sent us an email saying this place was going out of business, so my brother invited me to go with him and a friend to try out their Vegetarian Korean night.
I walked in and there was a very bright jukebox, but it was dead silent. Not too many people in there. It's a little run down inside but it adds to character. I was a little spooked. I felt I needed to cue up my Pandora on my blackberry to fill the eerie silence.
I really did not know what to expect...then a 15 minutes later...hipsters in flannel and skinny jeans come rushing through the door. Everyone was friendly though.
When the food came out - they served it buffet style - kind of like going to a filipino dinner. They had it all laid out on a table and had the foil trays holding the food. The line for the buffet was getting long, luckily, we sat strategically right next to the front of the line. Felt like a soup kitchen to tell you the truth. But, I can get down with the griminess - I don't forget my roots :)
I was first in line and asked Dragon Lady, "So I heard you're closing". She screamed at me, "Where you hear that? We not closing!" Luckily some hipsters behind me backed me up and said they got the same email. Maybe it was a marketing ploy to get us in there during a slow month. Who knows.
The food was delicious and Dragon Lady was like mama. She screamed "Come and get it" and was dictating the pace and scolded us like she was her children. Felt awesome to be dominated (whoa).
We got a healthy and abundant plate of Korean Vegetarian goodness. As we finished our food - we thought to ourselves, "Yo, Dragon Lady doesn't know who the hell we are - we can eat!" We didn't want to seem too greedy because everyone seemed so thin and healthy. But c'mon son, you advertise buffet, we abouts to get 2nds and if you're lucky enough Dragon Lady, 3rds!
So I was the first to ask if we can get seconds, and she screamed, "Of cowwwwse you can get seconds, gimme yo plate." She put a whopping spoonful of rice and I scurried to gather up what was left inside the food trays. I was lucky I thought...
Then one of the cooks comes out with more food. I didn't feel so bad getting 2nds after that.
My hipster friend from the suburbs didn't like it. I remember my first time having Korean - I didn't like it too. It grows on you though. He got a big plate of kim chi radish - he thought it was pasta. We were cracking up when he tried it. Kim chi is no joke to the rookie Korean eater.
Good food. Interesting experience. If you don't go there for the food - go there for Dragon Lady. Dragon Lady is one of those iconic Chicago legends in the making. The type of legend you see on Channel 11 PBS documentaries.
Oh, cash only. No ATM inside. Heads up.
"Is she coming?" "I think she's coming." "Uh oh, ok act like you're eating." "I'm gonna throw up!" "She's gonna kick our asses." "Ok good, we're clear." "Phew!"
This is what reading the other reviews will do to you. Make Sue, the bar owner, look like the Asian version of Big Momma. We were deftly afraid that leaving any food on our plate would result in a caning or worse, Chinese fingercuffs. I'm sure she is as sweet as can be but when I first saw her shake her head at a male patron in disgust and say, "ladies first", I was sure to be on my best behavior. Plus, it seemed like every one knew the drill except us noobs. No one hovered around the buffet. Then at a blink of an eye a line almost out the door formed.
Of course we were the last ones served but when we got our food and dived in, it was so worth the $8.99. I am not a vegetarian by any means but if all vegetarian buffets were like this, I'd like to become an honorary member.
Everything was delicious - every vegetable had a distinct flavorful sauce and the potstickers had the perfect crisp. Don't be fooled by vegetarian food - I have never been this full in my life.
It is a dive bar and there are your typical hipsters but Sue and her home cooked Korean food are what makes this place special.
Tip: Buffets are on Thursdays and you are served when Sue says you should be.
The Vegan Chicago Meetup group held a private dinner soirée at Dragonlady Lounge. I had not yet had a chance to check out the Thursday night vegan buffet, so I was quite excited. (Note: They do serve non-veg items as well, but the buffet is 100% vegan.)
The food was awesome. Huge trays of freshly-prepared Korean goodies, all of which I could eat: cabbage kimchi, cucumber kimchi, daikon/carrot kimchi, green beans, potato/apple salad, glass noodles with veggies, garlicky greens, veggie mandoo, tofu/bok choy in a delicious sauce, roasted peppers/mushrooms/zucchini/potatoes... I'm probably forgetting something. Overall it was less spicy than what I've encountered from the Korean market, but it was so tasty. Don't waste a bite - not only will you incur the wrath of Sue, but you'll be missing out on one more tasty mouthful! I wish I could have fit more in my belly.
Sue is amazing - cooking, serving rice and otherwise taking care of everything. It was pretty packed with the event, so I think she had a couple extra people assisting, but I can't believe how much she tries to do herself. Unfortunately, that means we had to wait for drinks until after she was done cooking... The beer selection isn't extensive (and nothing on tap), but the dragon slayer shots were sweet little treats.
The decor is bizarre, combining a Mike Ditka photo with beer memorabilia, a jar of roots and cute animals cut out of calendars. Strings of holiday lights provide a warm, dim light in the front of the bar, but in the back there is a glaring fluorescent fixture. It was a tight squeeze with all of us; seating got to be a little limited.
Even with its few faults/quirks, I give it five stars because of the food and Sue's character. I can't wait to return!
My friend got there first, called me while I was on my way over, and said she was unsure of this place and that I should hurry up because she didn't want to wait alone too long.
10 minutes later, I got there, and a nice Korean lady announced "Dinner is Ready! Come!" and waved everyone into the kitchen. We felt bad leaving at this point.
20 minutes later, my friend said she felt like she was dining in a community center/room. She also said it reminded her of some of the neighborhood centers back in China when she was a little girl.
The place is small, dark but clean. The Thursday night vegan buffet is setup right in the kitchen with the nice Korean lady herself serving the rice on the plates that she then handed out to the long line of people waiting eagerly and very hungrily. I have no idea how she handles all the cooking and cleaning single-handedly, quite admirable!
It was $13.25 per person and the buffet included soup, dumplings, rice, tofu, BBQd veggies, kimchi, potato-apple salad, zucchini, broccoli, turnip and collard greens.
Quick Tip: Get there around 7ish to get the best of the buffet because she did mention she was having a slow night and I observed the food was gone by 8ish - guests arriving after had to find another dinner place.
Let's suppose that your mom is the coolest mom in the world. Â The mom all your friends want to hang out with, and all your friends' moms want to be. Â But she's not the mom who tries to be one of the gang. Â Nor is she the mom who lets you do whatever you want. Â And she's certainly not the mom who shares your cute twenty-something vices. Â
Because while she may be the coolest mom in the world, she darn well knows what's best for you, and she don't take no guff.
Let's further suppose that your mom can really burn. Â She slings amazing home-cooked vegan Korean food that makes you never want to stop eating, and bomb-ass veggie burgers bigger than a car tire and tastier than any you're likely to find in Chicago. Oh, you want a beer to go with that? Yeah, she can hook you up there, too.
So your mom? She opened a bar in Avondale. Â It's called Dragonlady Lounge, and she's expecting you to come by this week for dinner. Â Maybe Thursday? For the vegan Korean buffet? Â She misses you. Â Don't disappoint her.
Dragonlady Lounge has a secret Vegan dinner buffet on Thursdays. Â I say secret because I didn't know about it until I stumbled upon it on Yelp. Â Anyway, I've been trying to go to this buffet for months now and finally tried it last week. Â
The first thing I'd like to mention is that this place is not limited to the Thursday buffets. Â I saw a sign on the window that said "Vegan Burger and Fries $5" posted on the wall. Â Also, they don't have a menu, so from what I hear, the owner will make you different things when you go. Â I haven't tried this Vegan burger yet, but will update my review as soon as I do so.
When we walked in Dragonlady Lounge it was packed (with hipsters...good place to go if you're into the hipster scene). Â The buffet starts at 7:30PM and it wasn't ready until 7:45PM - we weren't upset especially given the circumstances, the owner was the only person running the show. Â When the food was ready, she came out and said "ready" and everyone hurriedly formed a line outside of the kitchen. Â All of the food was set on a counter in the kitchen, no buffet set-up or designated area - I suppose this is fine because it goes with the whole dive bar deal. Â The one thing I didn't like, however, was the fact that people went back up with their dirty plates. Â To top it off, the people going back up were still eating off of their dirty plates while waiting in line and going through the buffet again...eww germs.
The lady that runs the place is very nice and I have no idea how she runs the place by herself, but it works. Â Although I won't be back there for the buffet ever again, I'm not totally writing the place off and would like to go back for the Vegan burger.
After lots of hype from my husband's vegan co-workers we cruised past the suckers waiting in line at Kuma's this Saturday night, crossing our fingers and hoping from the best at magical, mysterious Dragonlady Lounge. Sue took one look at our tattoos, crinkled her nose and asked, "You come from Kuma's?" No ma'am, we assured her, and took a seat.
After overhearing her phone conversation about an unruly late-night vegan customer, Sue explained her cuisine, a mix of vegan and non-vegan dishes with no actual menu to speak of. The home-grown, handmade veggie burgers are legendary, so we ordered up a pair and watched as a handful of other thrill seekers walked into the dark bar and took a seat.
One of them ordered something I couldn't hear, so which Sue said, "We don't have that, this isn't Kuma's." Oh my gosh, I love this lady.
We started with a plate of complimentary veggie pancakes, which where delicious and almost as soon as we were done, out came two big, beautiful veggie burgers. "I gave him extra," Sue winked at me, motioning toward my twice-the-size-of-me husband.
Crunch! The perfectly crispy, spicy and chunky burger hit the spot. We already knew it'd taste good, because Sue let us try the uncooked mix just to show us how freshly made it was. A medley of tempeh, jalapenos, tofu, oats, crunchy veggies and kimchi - it was, by far, the best veggie burger either of us has ever eaten. The hand-cut French fries weren't half bad themselves. (Did I mention she grows a lot of the veggies on the roof top? Yeah, Rick Bayless isn't the only gardening chef in Chicago.)
All this, along with hilarious banter from Sue and a warm welcome to come back for "vegan Thursday" for $14. Sue - you have got yourself a date. Make that two dates.
Sue, I love you
I love your food.
Love,
Crystal
ok now for my review:
So I went in not knowing what to really expect ...
I love korean food
I am a vegetarian
these two things ususally do not go hand in hand
But at dragon lady they do.
We asked for a menu there is'nt one
she asked what I wanted ...
I asked for a special korean soup and if she had it ..
she said...
well I can make it for you..
umm awesome ...
she even brought us out a fresh made treat ... super good...
oh yeah i will be back!
I came.
I saw.
I *conquered.
I liked. Much.
*dragonslayer shots. Seems to be a mysterious blend of Dr. Pepper, cherry schnapps and vodka? I have no idea, but it went down easy enough. Perahps serving them over dry ice would give the desired "super freaky fantasy" effect that would push this place WAY over the top. I suggest ordering one or seven to go with your vegan Korean buffet (Thursday nights).
When I arrived one Thursday night, I was a bit amused to see an entire bar full of people hovering over their food, MGD cans in front of them, and NO music playing. Eerie? Yes. The reason: $9.99 all-you-can eat Korean buffet was in full swing, MGD cans are $2 on Thursdays, and I'm pretty sure everyone was so engrossed in this coupling of simple pleasures that they forgot to que the jukebox.
Order was restored shortly after. :)
Other possible scenarios for Dragonlady Lounge:
-Waiting room for Kuma's. Throw back a few cheap (cold) ones at the bar in preparation, and skip sitting outside on the sidewalk looking all vagrant-like, salivating for....burgers.
-When you get to Hot Doug's and realize they keep the WEIRDEST, shortest hours ever...console yourself by sulking down California to Dragonlady Lounge, where hopefully the line never curls around the block with people itching for....hot dogs.
-Random "date" spot. Can he/she hang with vegan Korean food, a basket of beanie babies behind the bar, a sports cooler with a handwritten "Free Water" sign, trekking to Avondale AND getting their own food out of a bar kitchen? Might warrant another date then. Perhaps? I'm going with...yes.
-Veggie/Vegan friendly Korean fare....home made!
-Character: Dragonlady. Endless entertainment, super sweet, proud of her place, and happy you are there. This is a good combo, I assure you.
-Pinball!
-Jukeboxxxxxxx!
I dig.
I'm bringing Avondale back!
I read about the Dragonlady Lounge through Yelp a month or so ago. I've been 2x in the last two weeks. This is a fun low key dive near the house. I never thought to go into this place as it used to be called Stadium West and appeared to be an old man sports bar. This was never the case. Sue changed the name and this place may just take off yet.
Sue runs the show. What I love about this place and Sue is that she treats you like family when you come in. Her home is your home. When you order her fantastic Korean spread, she pulls you into the Kitchen and let's you go at it. Kind of a help yourself deal. This mirrors how I am when I'm hosting the crew at the house for BBQs and such. Mi casa su casa. I like that.
Rox is great too. She developed a tasty shot called the dragon slayer. Request it if you ever get the chance.
I'm telling you, Avondale is coming back...
By the way, 25 plays on the juke for $5. That's 20 cents a song, kids. Lot's of good oldies to play as well. You'll hear lots of Tommy James when I'm in the bar!
Special thanks to Michael G for introducing this place and myself last night. $7.50 all you can eat Korean food! Thats a steal in my book, eventhough I have never had Korean, to my knowledge.
Great hospitality from Celia C and the other woman/cook. They gave us a nice sized bowl of sticky rice and let us go to town in their kitchen, selecting veggies galore! I did not do the sake, due to my lingering hangover from the previous night's activities, so I just had 2 glasses of sprite. The crowd was a little light and we actually made up most of the crowd. I think that is because you would probably miss it driving by, but I think it will pick up once this $7.50 deal is really put out there. Metromix, do you here me????
They had a pretty cool jukebox and a pool table in the back. I never would have guessed this was a dive bar. Definately will be back and they get 5 stars from the AW
Wow! Did I actually come here for veggie dinner night with other Yelpers? I didn't realize this place was a dive bar but it didn't matter as the bartender was really nice and the food was good too.
This place is hard to recognize as you come down Elston looking for it. I was lucky to make out Dragonlady Lounge on the window. This place was pretty dead on a Wednesday night except for the veggie night crew. They have a couple TVs by the bar, a jukebox and a pool table to keep things interesting.
We were allowed to go into the kitchen area to assemble our food and that we did. The food was good considering I tried some new things this night. I think I would have appreciated it more if it wasn't veggie night but I gave it a go and was fine with it.
They had hot sake and apple cider available in which I went for the cider. It was excellent especially spiked with some rum. Although I found hot drinks don't go very well with spicy food but it really tasty! I'll give them another go perhaps when there is cooked remains of a particular animal on the menu!
If you like Korean food or are just someone with restricted diet like vegetarian or vegan and want to try something different then this is your spot.
I went there for their "All you can eat Thursdays" for $7.50 and it worth every single penny plus $50 I never had to pay (because I ate so much).
I had a rice dish and some dumpling then washed it down with $3 bottle of warm Sake. I don't eat Korean food this often so I can't remember the exact names but servers are very helpful and give great suggestions.
Bookmark this place, it's going to become very big very soon.
Ordinarily Korean food to me is much akin to Scottish food. Â Mike Myers summed that "cuisine" up nicely when he said, "'my theory is that all of Scottish cuisine is based on a dare," and Korean for me fell in the same category. Â Korean food has always seemed to me to be some mad chef putting a bunch of vegetables and meats in heavy sauce over rice and then throwing an egg on top. Â That omnipresent egg which sadly, in the past, I've found the most edible part of Korean food.
So it was with a bit of reluctance that I went to scout out Dragonlady for the March installment of the Vegetarian Supper Club when an "event" was posted. Â Let me say that if Dragonlady was tasty enough for me to get seconds, I can only imagine it would be foodgasmic to someone who likes Korean food.
Sue, a true Chicago character in the way that only the best bar owners can be, makes all the food from scratch using only the highest quality ingredients. Â And on Thursdays for the all-you-can eat bi bim bop (dangerous if you are, like me, really bad at choosing flavors that will combine well) she opens the kitchen for $7.50 and lets you pile these up as high as you want over brilliantly good sticky rice. Â She'll even give you advice as she spoons out the rice and (incredible) miso soup so you don't make any horrible mixing errors.
Which, just an aside, can not be made on the incredible juke box here.
The crowd in this bar seems to be a tight knit group but it really is only a matter of time before people start wandering over from Kuma's and Urban Belly and make this bar Avondale's (Chicago's next big neighborhood) next big thing. Â Get in on the ground floor why you can so Sue knows you and you don't have to fight the crowds in this pretty small bar/restaurant.
For the record, there is a printed menu now, on the wall next to the kitchen (because what dive bar with food has printed menus?). Unfortunately, it doesn't make Korean *look* any more appetizing. Â But Dragonlady has to be tasted to believed or even appreciated.
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