This might sound crazy, but I would rather eat their vegan reuben than a traditional reuben any day. I also recommend their tacos, fries, and watermelon juice.
One of my meat-eating friends was in town for a day and this is the one place he wanted to go back to so that he could have another chicken run ranch.
I'm a vegan. I've eaten here twice. Both times I went with non-vegans. And they loved all the food they ate. I love being able to bring my non-vegan friends to restaurants and have them leave with a new respect for vegan food, and not feeling dissatisfied. This is one of those restaurants that I feel confident in non-vegans loving as much as me.
I've eaten their french dip which was delicious, and their chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich was great, but the french dip I get random cravings for.... so have to go back soon!
Would recommend this to anyone wanting delicious food that just happens to be awesomely vegan.
Still feeling this place out. The food was very tasty, staff friendly, and I am always Grateful for Vegan restaurants, however the food was somewhat "thrown together" as though a ten year old was cooking. Â The menu boasted of home made Vegan cheese, but there sure wasn't much on there, and a skimpy little handful of fries. Â I expect the same QUALITY as other local Vegan restaurants for the not so cheap prices Native Foods charges, hope I can bump them up to a five star some day
Review Source:Man, you have to love a place that you wouldn't know was vegan unless you were looking. Their whole menu is delicious--I love the bowls because they're big, warm and very very filling. They are also totally accommodating if you want any substitutions (I was being a total hipster and wanted quinoa instead of brown rice--no problem).
If you only eat one thing, GET THE POLENTA CAKE APPETIZERS. Every time I go with my friends we talk about how we forget just how fantastic they are and try to remember for next time. I'd be happy with two orders for dinner!
This gets 5 stars for being the kind of vegan food where non-vegans wouldn't know it unless you told them. Also, they have a large, detailed gluten-free menu. Whatever your dietary needs, you should be able to find something there, and they are happy to help you do so.
If you've never been here and you give your email and sign up for their rewards card, you get a free fountain drink. GET LAVENDER LEMONADE.
Baja blackened tacos are apparently new and very tasty. Sweet potato fries were good but I wish they were crispier.
Had never tried Native Foods before and had always wanted to! Stopped by on a whim and just LOVED it! So much gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, and good old meat selections!
The lavender lemonade and watermelon agua fresca ALONE are worth going back for. They taste like summer and there's free refills!
I had the Rockin' Moroccan Bowl (with tofu it is GF). I'm not a vegetarian and still loved this dish. My friend had the Azteca salad and also loved it.
Incredibly friendly staff, very helpful, and the woman who took my order gave wonderful recommendations.
I dragged my husband back the next day, we'll be going back constantly!
Giving 4 stars for my 1st experience here. Â Very friendly staff. Â You order at the cash register and a waiter delivers it to your table. Â I had the Sesame Kale Macro Bowl. Â GREAT warm dish. Â Kale, sauerkraut, brown rice, black sesame, cabbage and some other things I do not remember. Â I would definitely get it again though. Â To drink I had the Watermelon Fresca... watermelon, mint & agave juice/sweetener....? Â Now this was a bit too sweet for my taste so I will try the Lavender Lemonade next time. Â I got a Peanut Butter Parfait to go. Â Yummy & very peanut buttery as it should be. Â My friend got the Carrot Cake cupcake. Â She said there was TONS of frosting that tasted very yummy as well and that the cake tasted like carrot cake (some do not). Â
Overall a great food experience and I have told 4 people about it already. Â Plus... they have a points card... Â ;)
This place is phenomenal!
I have not disliked anything I've tried on their menu. Everything always tastes fresh and is delish!
I got the Jamaican jerk salad with the "fish." It tasted wonderful, the dressing was great, and the "fish" tasted like real fish.
I also got the lavender lemonade, which was good but a bit too sweet for my tastes. I really preferred the watermelon guava drink.
The whole concept of this place is awesome, and every dish that I saw come out of the kitchen looked like something I would eat. Sure, they're a bit more spendy than most of the surrounding restaurants, but all of their dishes consist of high quality, fresh ingredients.
I bet they think I'm the "lady of the night" cause I show up
with a different friend & or acquaintance, Â every time I come here.
Staff...awesome,
Food...delicious, if you like savory things in your mouth. Â ( you had to go there didn't you) for shame.
Atmosphere... Welcoming  with enough natural light.
Quiet enough to converse.
You order at the counter
Get a number
You get your own drink
Sit and they bring you the order
When finished, Leave everything at the table.
They clean it for you.
Hope you enjoy cruelty-free-food:)
Shozzett.
Sure we can go together :)
Listen, I'm not a vegan. Â The concept does not appeal to me. Â I think sustainable, local lean animal protein is an important part of a balanced diet, but Native Foods definitely makes me question the need for meat when it comes to how delicious food can be.
I've had just about everything on the menu, and I've been impressed every time. Â My favorites are the bacon cheeseburger and the twister wrap. Â Here's a secret though, if you go with a partner, and neither of you is ravenous, you only really need to order one thing. Â All the items being vegetable based makes them more filling than your typical wrap or sandwich. Â My partner and I will not even dither, always order whatever is the special and get a side of the sweet potato fries and call it a day. Â If we're feeling particularly fancy, we might get a drink of the Lavender Lemonade (with free refills of course). First time we went, we each ordered something and honestly, we were too full, way too full! Â Try it yourself first, maybe we just have small stomachs or something (This is highly doubt).
The place just feels clean, cared for, and is always full of vegans, hippies, lesbians, and confused meat-eaters who stumbled in. Â Makes for great people watching.
WHY DID I NOT EAT HERE A GAZILLION YEARS AGO?! So good! So, so good.
This place isn't just a vegan/vegetarian place, it also welcomes carnivores like myself and I'm so glad they do. I had the Chicken Run Ranch Burger w/ steamed kale, I liked it so much I refused to share.
My boyfriend had the soul bowl which was tasty, and my friend had the gyro bowl which he was raving about. We all had the Lavender Lemonade and my god, what a treat! So nice, light and fresh! We were so full, but not uncomfortable- and it's all light, fresh, locally sourced food. And for $10!! (that doesn't include the drink & my side of kale, but its still all reasonable)
We will probably be in here at least once a week. Veganism wouldn't be hard if I could live at Native Foods.
I must just have a meat flavored glow surrounding me cause before my order was complete the cashier chimed in with "Sir, you do know everything on this menu is vegan don't you?"
I was aware, but definitely skeptical. That is until I tried everything. After the chili, Indo Noodle salad and house made juices I'm pretty sure I could be a vegan if I lived right next door to a Native Foods.
Amazingly fresh ingredients, great recipes that you wouldn't even know didn't contain meat, and surprisingly friendly vegan staffers. Native Foods is more than alright in my book even though they don't serve beef.
What a pleasant surprise! I would never have walked in here because I can't live without meat :) But one of my friends is vegetarian and I felt bad choosing restaurants where she can hardly find anything to eat (restaurants really need to step up on menu offerings for vegetarians. Upsized salads do NOT count!), so off to Native Foods we go. I ordered the Bangkok bowl and it was fresh, with flavorful Thai curry sauce, lots of steamed veggies cooked just right, and brown rice to soak up the sauce. The tofu on top adds another dimension in texture. Also tried the pesto polenta appetizer which was good too. Best thing is: all drinks are refillable at $2.50, including Chai!
Review Source:I was a bit deflated after my experience here at the Native Foods Cafe. First of all it has that sort of franchise feel like a Chipotle. Although I like Chipotle I thought that Native Foods was something original and unique to Chicago. The entire ambiance has that franchise/corporate marketing feel which I wasn't prepared for.
My experience:
I went with a friend and we shared the butternut polenta (three pieces) which was very good. But the portion was not large enough of an item to share with another person. We also ordered the lavender lemonade which I read was amazing in other reviews. Personally, I thought it was weak and it tasted like your basic lemonade. We were also invited to try the other beverages and we tried the Watermelon Fresca. Although it wasn't bad I found it to not be a flattering complement to my entre. I sent it back and got more of Lavender Lemonade.
For food, I had the Greek Gyro. In the men, it states it has thinly sliced peppered seitan as the meat substitute. I was curious to try what this was like. When it was brought to my table it looked like tuna salad. It was little chunks that looked like it was mixed in some cream sauce. It was NOTHING like sliced gyro in appearance nor in flavor. It wasn't bad but I have no idea why they call it a gyro. If they had called it a tuna salad seitan I probably would have thought I got what I ordered.
The Greek Gyro also came with flatbread but it was only one quarter round piece and it was literally paper thin. I am used to flatbread that is fuller in appearance. This was literally paper thin and only a quarter size of a circular piece. The vegetables and quinoa were fine but nothing special. No spices or anything added to them which is unimpressive since anyone can do that at home.
My friend had the the Yo Amigo Taco Salad bowl. It was a large looking portion of food. It had minced looking "native meat" on top of greens and veggies. But as my friend was digging into her salad she was complaining as to why the bowl was nearly half filled with water. The veggies on the bottom were drowning in water. I don't know what that water served as but it gave me the impression that they just rinsed the veggies and didn't give them time to drain and dry off. She didn't finish her entire meal and offered to share it with me. I started to take a few bites and declined to accept anymore. It was somewhere in between 'just okay' and kinda lousy.
You have to stand in line at the register and pay for your food first and they bring it out to you at your table. This sort of contributes to the "fast food feel" which I also wasn't too crazy about. Well, after paying nearly $40 (which included a tip) and after getting halfway through our subpar meal I was a very annoyed as to how expensive the food was. Â And as I was sitting at my table I saw a Subway directly across the street and couldn't help but torture myself by chanting (in my mind), "Dang, I could gone across the street and had a Falafel Footlong for under $6."
Honestly I can cook better vegetarian options for a fraction of the price in my own home.
Ehhh... I have to say I'm a little let down by my first Native Foods Cafe experience. I got nachos, because they're the best food in the universe. However, they weren't hot. The toppings were delicious, although I found the cheeze sauce to be a bit too sweet for my taste, but everything would have been much tastier if they'd been hotter than room temp.
My boyfriend got the Oklahoma bacon cheezeburger, and really enjoyed it. It looked like an epic burger, even though it was more like shaved seitan than an actual burger.
My theory is that my nachos finished before the burger, and mine just got cold waiting for the awesomeness of the burger to finish up. I'll definitely give this place another shot in the future.
I'm the kind of carnivore that can easily eat vegetarian at any time. Â Many so-called ethnic cuisines lend themselves well to meatlessness and I happen to enjoy most of them. Â What I typically don't go for are meat-replacement dishes such as barbecue seitan sandwiches, soy-crumble tacos, and the like.
So that made me a little skeptical of Native Foods, since their menu is focused on meat substitutes. Â But it turns out that the grub is so tasty that I don't care if it has fake meat, real meat, no meat, or whatever. Â Good food is good food, period.
Native chili? Â Better than any meatless version that I've had anywhere. Â (Although, the cornbread is bland and curiously brown.) Â Meatball sub? Â DAMN. Â (Although, the sweet potato fries were just okay and dusted with sugar rather than salt--bleah.) Â Saigon roll? Â Tons of flavor with just a few vegetables, tofu, rice, and peanut sauce. Â Moroccan lentil soup? Â I've had more lentil-y versions, but this one was pretty satisfying. Â And the portobello and sausage burger? Â Holy double hot damn, that is one phenomenal sandwich. Â (Although the mountain of lettuce and tomato are superfluous.) Â Somehow they manage to make fake sausage taste and feel JUST like the real thing. Â I could come around to this replacement-meat idea.
There are nice, friendly people staff the counter and the floor. Â Oh, and bottled microbrews for $3.95 because people in Lakeview be drinkin'.
They offer a "loyalty" card too--1 point per dollar and a $10 gift card after 200 points. Â I wish that we lived in the neighborhood because the food is great and I am a sucker for those types of hooks.
I hate to admit this but I eat here A LOT! I love the Native chili with the side of corn bread, tacos, Saigon rolls, and especially the oatmeal "creme" pies. I like that the food is delivered to you at the table and then cleared off the table when you are finished. I really love the chewy ice pellets at the beverage area but most of all, I love the positive atmosphere.
The only downside to Native Foods is the lack of WIFI :(
I come here almost way too often. The food is great! Nice all vegan recipes, delicious cupcakes and mock pies. If you're into healthy eating this place is a must. Try everything! But some of my all time favorites are the chiken run ranch burger, the soul food bowl and the twister wrap. Don't forget to try their sweet potato fries or potato fill salad. Remember to wash it all down with their watermelon aguafresca- it's delicious. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Don't be afraid to ask them for recommendations or helping you decided between two mouthwatering choices!
Review Source:Like it's sister restaurant in Wicker Park, Native Foods Cafe offers up really tasty food along with kind, non-judgmental service. (See my Wicker Park location review for my take on that particular branch.)
In a nutshell, this restaurant offers fresh vegan food prepared so that even meat eaters can leave with a fully belly and satiated tastebuds. The staff is very friendly and always happy to talk about your meal and make their own suggestions.
Strongly recommended.
I went there last night and was AMAZED. I really enjoy vegan or vegetarian options and this place has a great selection. When I first arrived, I was confused and did not know what to order. The girl at the counter provided me with great insight and pointed me in the right direction. When I eventually ordered, I got the Butternut Polenta Bites, Bangkok Curry Bowl and a side of Sweet Potato fries.
The Butternut Polenta Bites and the Bangkok Curry Bowl both had tons of flavor and were very light and healthy. The portions are decent and the price is typical for Chicago and I expected to spend $$ for Vegan/Vegetarian food.
The service is phenomenal and I was asked several times how everything tasted. I am definitely going back. Best. Vegan. Restaurant.
This place is ridiculously delicious!
I tried it for the first time this weekend and I am OBSESSED!
I had 3 glasses of the yummy and fragrant lavender lemonade - best lemonade I've ever had. Â I also got the twisted wrap with the blackened "chicken" and it literally tasted BETTER than chicken! All the ingredients were seasoned and very fresh. Also the service here was great - there was someone walking around to make sure everyone was doing ok and asking how the food was. Really great atmosphere and tons of different dishes to choose from - will be back soon!
Awesome experience here.
I'm not a vegan. In fact I really enjoy my meats (no offense guys, just being honest). This however, did not stop me from enjoying every last crumb of my meal.
I still don't know exactly what it was that I ate, but it looked and tasted like a meatball sub and breaded chicken breast sandwich ( GF and I split our meals).
The meatball sub was delicious and spicy, just how I like it. And the chicken breast was just as convincing. I assume it is tofu/bean/soy or something, but I couldn't actually find the ingredients listed.
The cashier was incredibly nice and service was quick. The bathroom was clean and had inspirational words of wisdom and pictures of elephants.
I'll have to try one of the local locations, as I'm a Los Angeles resident.
-1 star because WTF did I eat and the price was a bit high on some entrees.
This is probs a 3.5, or even a 3.4 or maybe 3.3. Â But I am judging based on one lunch only, so I will have to come back to confirm. Â Tie goes to the vegan in these instances, so...
I am a big fan of non-meat proteins, but not always a fan of meat-wannabes. Â So although I was tempted by the Friday special, the Twister Wrap, I opted for the Scorpion Burger instead (a tempeh patty with avocado, chipotle sauce, and a ton of lettuce, onion and carrot). Â It has potential, but way too thin a patty plus way too much lettuce, onion and carrot make it less than stellar. Â The tempeh is described as blackened but it was pretty mild. Â I actually asked for the chipotle on the side (didn't get it at all) and no onion (got 'em) but I made do. Â The bun was big and wheaty, which was nice but made the patty that much skimpier in comparison. Â For the price ($8.95) I would appreciate better tempeh and a side. Â It did come with some edamame though (meh).
The service was otherwise good - friendly counter fellows as well as busser. Â Their menu is updated quarterly and the staff highlights both new recommendations as well as "good for first timers" options (i.e. things that won't freak out a meat eater too much). Â They also have a loyalty program where, after 200 points, you get a gift card for $10. Â
The floor plan is open and sparse in a casual, no frills way. Â They did have a little table top quiz on reindeer, so we added a little ammo to the trivia cannon while we waited. Â Their Muzak also gave us at least two hits: The Decemberists and Nick Lowe.
I would like to give them another try but don't live too close to this location. Â I wonder if they'd consider opening in Andersonville....In the meantime, we'll try them again if/when it's convenient.
All I can say is WOW! Â If all vegan food tasted this good there would be a LOT more vegans in this country! Â I had the Bistro Steak Sandwich which was the Tuesday special and it was ridiculously good! Â I don't even like Bleu Cheese so I was a little nervous, but the dressing didn't even really have that typical strong bleu cheese taste and I really, really liked it! Â If it wasn't for the fact that I want to try their other options I would order this every time!
I had a side of steamed kale that was fresh and perfectly steamed and a glass of their Lavender Lemonade-LOVE!  I also got a complimentary dessert because they had a special going on-the Peanut Butter Parfait is dangerously good.  I'm pretty positive that even my meat-loving fiancé would enjoy Native Foods, can't wait to return!
Native Foods Cafe is a vegan restaurant. I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian; I'm a pescatarian. But I like going to vegetarian/vegan places because I can try anything that sounds good without requesting the carefully crafted dish be altered or checking every ingredient. Thus, I arrived at Native Foods.
The menu is quite expansive, and there are lost of good options: sandwiches, salads, entrees, and so on. I made my first choice (and likely not my last) the Portabello "Sausage" Burger. I also ordered a side salad with it. The salad was one of the most vibrant sides I think I have ever seen. The balsamic on the side went really well with it. The burger itself was pretty good, although a bit sloppy (as in the pieces kind of fell out with my first bite, not that it was prepared or presented messily). The mushrooms were certainly the best part; portabellos are hard to beat. The seitan burger was interesting, my first time trying the stuff. I wouldn't say it was great or bad; it as a touch better than tofu. But it also wasn't bland. And the multiple other great ingredients on it made me less worried about how the patty was.
The servers (and service) were all very quick, too, although it really is more of a fast-food style place: you order, your food comes out, you eat it or you take it with you. Nothing real special about the inside, although there are some pretty funny sayings/cartoons on the wall. In any case, I enjoyed my food and will certainly go back to try more options.
..hmm, thought I had more to say. Maybe I was too busy eating to observe anything more inside or out to write about. Oh well.
Well clearly everyone has been raving about how good Native Foods is since they opened and since it's the only all vegan restaurant by my work I've gone there A LOT. Â I've tried a lot of there food and it all has good flavors but there always seems to be too much salt or oil in most of it. Â
I had the bistro steak sandwich for the first time today and the flavor of it was awesome but there was so much damn salt on it! Â I felt like I had to drink a gallon of water after I ate it. Â Plus it's pricey...$10 with no side included.
I also prefer Chicago Diner over Native any day. Â I don't know if it's the fact that Chicago Diner has a more home cooked style of food and Native foods is a mass chain or what.
Anyways, I probably won't stop eating there, I just wish they would address the salt/oil issue.
Absolutely love this place. It's a great spot for veggies and vegans, but I've taken non vegetarians here and they've had a good time as well. Their food is mostly organic, and while it's heavy on the fake meat, there's plenty for people with gluten allergies. I also find them super friendly and the ambience is just pleasant - lots of room to eat, even in a rush, funny trivia on the tables, good music (imho - it trends indie, but I've been in when classic rock or 80s was playing) that isn't too loud.
The portions here are IMMENSE. Over the several times we've been, we've basically come to the conclusion that for two people, three and maybe even two appetizers are perfectly acceptable. We regularly spend under $20 bucks for the both of us.The Native Wings are definitely the best fake chicken I've ever had. (Pro Tip: Try ordering them with the Saigon Rolls so that you can take advantage of the peanut sauce as a third alternative to Buffalo or Ranch.) I think on average this is probably a $$ place but only because you're probably assuming you want more than you do (unless you do want that much, in which case party on).
This is how it goes: you order at the counter (there are menus at the door to check out first), take a number, sit down and wait for your friendly server to come by. They are extremely nice and generally ask if you need anything else and will refill your drinks or bring out hot drinks to the table (though this place is fairly chill and most people refill their own).
The lavender lemonade and watermelon fresca are BOTH great, and I love that they have free refills and that they keep condiments available. We mix mint into our drinks :P
Really not too much bad to say here except that I never have room for their delicious desserts. Cardamom rose? Mmm.
I should deduct a star for them putting up something as cool sounding as tempeh crab cakes and then not getting the tempeh in all summer, but...that's not their fault.
I am a vegetarian but don't think you need to eat greens (ever) to sustain. Now to live healthily, of course you do need to.
The menu is quite extensive and everything sounded so good that we had a hard time narrowing down two entrees. We went with the Yelpers' recommendation of chicken burger and did the thai bowl. The burger was indeed very good but the bowl was full of veggies - may be a little too healthy for me haha!
The portions are certainly large and we also tried dessert/lavender lemonade - but didn't quite need them (had they not been free).
I consider myself a meatlover (sorry!) but somehow, I still love love love this place.
The Rockin' Moroccan Bowl is the best. Â So flavorful and yummy (and healthy, I'm assuming). Â And it really does "taste just like chicken!"
Great service, too. Â The wait staff is super friendly and really on top of their game.
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