Customer Reviews

Read what our customers are saying about us!

‘You sure this is veggie?’

I’ve been hearing about SV since before I ever moved to Chicago. My veggie sis has been raving about it for years. We finally made a sister date and I saw the light.

The place was pretty busy for a 3pm weekday but we were seated immediately. I remember plush chairs and vintage decor, like this place used to be used as a fancy dinner spot.

We order protein tidbits and I have the BBQ twist. My sis orders something so boring, I don’t remember. For me, the whole point of paying $10+ for a veggie item is because it’s something I could never possibly cook on my own. Why bother with a salad? Yolo!

Food comes out and from the first bite, I’m in heaven. I have to seriously ask the waitress if she didn’t mess up the order and slip some meat in this. She laughs and says nope. The BBQ twist was unlike anything I’ve ever had before. The chik’n isn’t rubbery or jerky-tough. It’s perfect. Sauces are not squeezed from a bottle but homemade. I’m in love.

I make sure to only eat half so I can save it for later. I took it to my bf at the time and even he was like ‘Whoa! Is this veggie?’

I’ve made a big effort to visit all the veggie spots in town: the 3 Karyn’s (Green is best), Handlebar, Chicago Diner, Native Foods, etc. None of them compare to SV!
Thankfully they sell a lot of their wraps and side dishes to Whole Foods, so I keep my addiction strong that way.

This place is a little far from me but if I have to take 3 buses in the snow, I will be back!!! – A.K.

Vegetarians and vegans, unite! Soul Vegetarian is a restaurant free from the worry of your food being cooked in beef fat or fish sauce or chicken stock! And it’s so damned GOOD, too!

Now, at around 3pm on a Thursday, the restaurant was bustling, so you know that you’ve found a real gem of a place to eat.

I ordered the Veggie Gyros and my god, were they delicious: the perfect texture with the perfect seasoning, the pita bread thin and not too heavy. And the fries that accompanied it were crispy and tasty too.

As my friend and I were digging in, a dapper gentleman came to our table to ask us how we were enjoying our meal. Remember how I said the restaurant was busy? This is clearly an example of why that is. If an establishment cares about what they’re serving you and how you like it, well, instant return visit for sure! – K.S.

Very delicious!! I am not a vegetarian, but my best friend is. I was so surprised at the plethora of menu items and how delicious the food was! I would definitely visit this place again. I would recommend the jerkfu! – K.K.

oul Veg is one of my favorite restaurants in the world, without question. Living on the South Side for almost 8 years and being a vegetarian the whole time, I used to come to Soul Veg as often as possible.

All of the food is delicious, and has given me lots of ideas for making recipes in my own kitchen. Sure, most of it is not exactly healthy, even if it is vegan, since it’s heavy on the deep fry, but most soul food isn’t super healthy anyway.

The BBQ sauce is boss, the homeade seitan is delicious, and my mouth is literally watering thinking about the Jerusalem fries as I type this review. I love their carrot salad and homemade dressings, too. The juice bar is pretty good and they’ll make you basically whatever you want, even though the menu is pretty extensive. I wish they still made the date rolls there, though years ago, the cook who made them stopped working there and I don’t think they’ve made them since.

The service is laid back, so don’t expect to be in and out in a jiffy. I think because this is such a destination restaurant, they get a lot of yuppie vegan types here who give the staff attitude if the service isn’t super speedy. You can tell they roll their eyes a bit when they see obnoxious, self-righteous vegans from the North Side who have never really been in a predominately African American neighborhood. But, if you are appreciative of their delicious food and smiley service, the wait staff will make sure you are well taken care of. – S.R.

Fabulous greens and cornbread – what a fabulous, unexpected find and in an unassuming neighborhood. Can’t say the atmosphere or the service gets 4 stars but the food – quality, flavor and attention to the health conscious – were stellar. Give it a shot, I’d go back in a heartbeat. – C.H.

I came here on a Friday at 3pm and was easily able to find one hour street parking outside. I ended up ordering the Down-South BBQ Twist Sandwich, which had both tasty BBQ sauce and protein, but was a bit too messy to eat with my hands. Next time I come I think I will order the protein tidbits off the appetizer menu. – P.K.