Vegetarian Express

My boyfriend and I ate there on Saturday night (January 15^th) and had the burrito and the enchiladas and two fresh carrot juices. Both were awesome and the red sauce used on the enchiladas was the best I’ve had anywhere. The portions were a good size and the bill was only $ 23 total. We liked the food so much we purchased some sandwiches and cookies out of the self-​serve case on the way out. The only drawback to this place is that it is not decorated or anything, very plain inside. But if you care more about food quality and service than how a restaurant looks inside, you will love this place.

Great cheap vegan eats, which is rare in Chicago! They need our support, people!

Last night, I celebrated a friend’s birthday here. It was her pick — she was raving that it was the best place in our neighborhood. Considering that she and her husband are serious omnivore gourmands, that was saying a lot. Well, now that I’ve eaten at Vegetarian Express, I may rarely have to cook again.
We started with the guacamole, which was unlike any I’d ever had. Rather than silky-​smooth, it almost had a tiny crunch to it. All of the ingredients were perfectly balanced, and the chips were greaseless. Honestly, I could have licked the bowl clean. It’s simply that good. The birthday girl had tacos, and I order the enchiladas verde with soy chicken (the gracious server’s recommendation). My lovely plate arrived — enchiladas, delicious black beans, a scoop of brown rice, a side of lettuce and tomatoes. Honestly, it took nearly all my will power not to scarf it all up. Fortunately, will power prevailed, and I’ll have the remaining half for lunch today. The total bill for all this yummy goodness? Under $ 23! Seriously — considering that I’m getting two meals out of my entrée, it’s almost cheaper to eat here than to cook for myself at home.
When I paid the bill, I noticed a large refrigerated case, full of take-​out goodies. Serendipitously, there were two vegan red-​velvet cupcakes — because what’s a birthday without cake? The cupcake was super-​moist, topped with a delicious cream-​cheese icing. you’d never, ever guess they were vegan.
The cherry on top? It’s BYOB! Whether or not you’re veg/​vegan, come here! No, they haven’t spend money on the décor, but the food is five-​star dining on a fast-​food budget. I can’t wait to come back!

Vegetarian Express is a great café for Vegetarians and Omnivores alike.
Every time I am at Veggie Express I have a very good meal. Whether I dine in or take it to go the food is fresh, well executed and delicious.
I have had the Kale Salad, Mock Egg Salad Sandwich, West African Stew (my favorite), Tofu Tacos and so much more. All these dishes are seasoned well and were quite filling. The prices are great too considering the portions you receive.
Vegan, Vegetarian, Meat Eater? It doesn’t matter here, that is because everything here has been delicious regardless. Want a quick snack and a great place to dine in? Then Vegetarian Express is a great place for you. Enjoy!

Super fast delivery! Just not very good. The vegan fish in the burrito seemed to be just chopped up seitan. Didn’t notice any black beans. Very little flavor. Small portions. The sweet potato fries were soggy and bland. Maybe they just doesn’t travel well. Very disappointed being so few vegan options. Still, 3 stars for being vegan.

Well I went to vegetarian express or breakfast on Sunday. I called before I went just to make sure they were opened. The young lady did not give a greeting and really didn’t do a good job of listening to my question. Upon arriving the place was cold and still no greeting. My son and I sat down to order but no one came over. I finally called the young lady over but she still didn’t hear my order and I was next to her urg. We ordered the beet and orange juice. They were good. Our vegetarian burrito was good as well. I give the food 5 stars and the service today was not good. I give service 2 and a half stars. Gotta do better.

I’m super glad I was given a heads up about this place by a friend. The curb appeal isn’t that great, so I may have never ventured in on my own. The food was delicious, absolutely delicious.
We had the fish sandwich (on the herbed ciabatta). It was really f’ing good. This was my husband’s choice because he wanted to try the «fish.» It tasted nothing like fish. But I was sort of glad, because I never liked fish. It was very good overall, but I think the herbed ciabatta was a component that made it SO good, so I’m glad we went with that option.
We also ordered two tacos, one «chicken» and one seitan, and it came with rice and beans. The chicken one was better, but they were both good. The chicken one just had a little more flavor. The rice and beans were good also, but unique. It was brown rice, with bean (black bean?) purée/​refried beans on top, ½ with (what I assume) was green enchilada sauce and the other ½ with red. I thought it was really good, just not your typical mexican rice and beans so it caught me off guard.
The last thing we got was a smoothie. I think it was called «breakfast.» It had bananas, oats, cinnamon, and vanilla. Then the «liquid» of your choice. We went with the waiter’s suggestion of almond milk. This was REALLY good. It tasted pretty much like a delicious liquid banana oatmeal.
We were really pleased with everything that we had. I noticed some of the other reviewers talking about the décor, but I think they’ve cleaned it up since then. It did have a sort of odd odor when we came in. Maybe musty? But it wasn’t too off-​putting, and you eventually don’t notice it.
We both enjoyed it so well that we spent a few minutes trying to figure out if they deliver.
The only odd thing I noticed is that they actually have real tuna salad in the prepared food case. I don’t think there is any real meat on the menu, but they have real tuna at a place called vegetarian express.
Anyway, I think the prepared sandwich/​soup/​snacks case is a good addition. My friend who pointed me in this direction had the «tuna» salad and said it was really good.

I love the West African stew and the smoothies! I wish they would use a different vegan cheese though. My nachos came with American cheese-​esque slices. In these modern times, with the myriad of vegan cheeses available, this is unnecessary. There’s great local options like Chicago Soy Dairy or national brands like Daiya. It’s a minor issue but I think it would make some of their items much tastier. Also their soy chicken has eggs and I think they could take another step forward if they adjusted the recipe and made this vegan too. Otherwise I love the food and the vibe!

Love. Love. and Love.
We went here yesterday for brunch yesterday not knowing what to expect, and though I agree with other reviewers that the pacing of the service and the décor may have both been just a little off (but keep in mind that they’ve only been open a couple of months, and these things take time!!), I was thrilllllled with the menu. I have dozens and dozens of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks and do a LOT of home cooking, and I think the thing I liked best about the menu was that everything sounded like dishes I would for myself at home (read: using real, easy-​to-​find ingredients).
On our server’s recommendation I got the raspberry ginger ale to drink (it tasted like it was made with real raspberries and real ginger!), and we ordered the ceviche to share. When I went vegetarian years ago, I remember thinking that this was one dish I would miss having — but more for the refreshing flavors and less for the seafood. Vegetarian Express’ version is more like excellent, homemade guacamole, with some fish cubes (grilled tofu?) thrown in for decoration to make it more authentically ceviche-​ish. I’m sure this added some extra protein, but didn’t really enhance the flavor — but it didn’t need to! It was so good! It came with hot, homemade (?) tortilla chips (they seemed like they had just come out of the frier).
My dining partner got the African Stew (such a good choice!!), and I got the Sweet Potato burger with Home Fries. And I am here to tell you that everything went way beyond my expectations. A little extra dusting of salt was needed on both dishes, but I appreciate a place that lets you do the honors rather than pre-​loading your food down with extra sodium.
Funny, though… I ordered as I did because I have never been able to make a vegan sweet potato burger at home that would actually stick together and I wanted to see how they did with it. Their version had the same problems as mine… It was kind of just more like mashed sweet potatoes in a sandwich with some toppings. Very tasty, but a bit unwieldy to try to consume…
We will definitely be back. I want to try every single thing on the menu, if for no other reason than to support this new, vegetarian business! We need more of them!!! I love watching new places shift and grow and upgrade as they enjoy more and more success. I hope this place makes it, and I know we will do our part to help out.
Another reviewer mentioned not liking the fish pond at the front of the restaurant, but we found it beautiful and unexpected. I just hope that they will be able to expand the pond a little bit, because the fish looked a little crowded and I worried about their well-​being…

I am giving them a 4 because I love what they are trying to do… I love all the vegen and gluten free options. The homemade scones are my absolute favorite. The juices and smoothies are also great!
Generally the place needs a makeover though… lose the fish pond, the pictures of food on the front, the exposed freezer, random music — Give the place a fresh look and I could see this becoming a neighborhood favorite.
As is, I’m not sure how well they will do. I hope they can make it because we really need more vegan/​gf options in the neighborhood.

Two meals here, and everything was good. My first time, I was alone on a weekday afternoon, and I had a fake BLT sandwich with sauteed onions. I am usually not a fan of fake bacon — it tastes nothing like bacon to me – but this, I enjoyed. Something about the sweetness of the onions really balanced it nicely.
My friend Jen, another vegetarian like me, went on a recent Sunday afternoon. We shared guacamole, which was very good. She ordered a salad, and I had two tamales. We had plenty of food, and everything was really good.
I think the owners might be Mexican, because there are a lot of Mexican items on the menu. That’s just fine with me. I look forward to trying more of them.
Lots and lots of vegan and vegetarian options. I really appreciate having so much choice.
This location has been tough on restaurants. I remember a Moroccan restaurant and, most recently, a sushi restaurant here. The layout of the place is pretty weird. There is an upstairs area, and I wonder if anybody really eats there.
Very glad this has opened. I will be back for sure!

I recently took on the 22 day vegan challenge. I attempted to cook a few vegan meals but it turned out pretty disastrous. Then I remembered Vegetarian Express opened in my neighborhood so I thought I’d give it a try. They have a full menu and ready to go take out.
Let me tell you I am in LOVE with their vegan tuna salad! so good and I get it to go. It makes 3 good size sandwiches. Their kale salad is the bomb too! I mostly get take out. I’ve eaten in the restaurant once. I had the stir fry veggies with cashew ginger sauce. I think they roast the veggies before stir frying. SO GOOD!
My only gripe about this restaurant is the restaurant its self. It’s kinda dumpy. They have paint cans and ladders in the corner in plain view. The upstairs is better but the entrance really needs some attention. Also, the staff doesn’t seem very knowledgeable about the food. If they put some loving details into the restaurant, this could be a fantastic!

Went for Sunday lunch on the recommendation of my vegan friend.
So glad I took his suggestion! African Stew was lovely & enough to take home for another meal. Itasted my friend’s BBQ tamale & was also impressed with the flavor.
The prices are more than reasonable & parking was easy to find on a Sunday afternoon.
We will certainly be going back!

The sauteed vegetables and the West African stew were both really good. The vegetables were crisp and tender, the dishes arrived promptly, and the flavors were excellent.

Yummy food, cheap prices, vegan/​vegetarian options, byob, good people-​watching, free wifi, take-​out options, friendly service… what’s not to love?
The west African stew is flavorful, filling, and delicious, and my server happily accommodated my quick dining needs. My drink did come out a little later than my food, but considering how quickly my food came out (and how damn delicious it was), it was all-​good.
Would definitely like to go back to try some of the smoothies and other stews!

Service-​wise, vegetarian express still has some figuring out to do. Service was slow and I was confused about who was supposed to be helping me.
But food-​wise, vegetarian express was great. I got the barbecue seitan sandwich and it was perfect.

I understand they just opened, so may be figuring things out. One waitress covering four tables. Service was extremely slow. We waited several minutes for beverages and then another several minutes for milk with coffee to the point my coffee was cold. Fruit juices looked fantastic, but a few people ordered them ahead of us and didn’t want to wait. Our orders arrived and mine was good, my wife’s was wrong and had to be sent back to the kitchen, came back wrong for a different reason, ate it bc we didn’t want to wait any longer. Paid full price for both meals even though one was wrong twice. My meal was the sweet potato burger which did have a nice flavor. Maybe wait a few months until they get more established and will try again.

The location is genius, you can stand on the sidewalk outside and play good cop/​bad cop with yourself as it’s right next door to Budacki’s. I almost went to Budacki’s because of the tempting smells but I scored a win for my arteries.
They have another location on Halsted which I haven’t been to. There seems to be a lot of interest in a vegetarian place in the neighborhood as I saw a lot of people stop and read the menu when they walked by.
I got a sun shake which was outstandingly delicious. And a traditional panini which I ordered to go. It was a bit sad looking but tasted good. It seemed like a long time to get it but I was by myself and hungry. The nice server made my shake right away so I drank it while I waited.
The interior has great design features, once they get established maybe they could put a bit more effort into the décor, it could be just lovely. On the whole I’m glad they’re in the neighborhood.

I love this place and was delighted to see the new location. No more going all the way down to Lakeview for quality vegetarian food. Vegetarian Express not meant to be fancy but the food is good quality. They also have great smoothies. Some of my faves: West African Stew, Lentil Burger, Greek Omelette, all the smoothies and Enchiladas.

Food is just okay, but super cute ambiance and good service. I appreciate that they have vegan and vegetarian choices. Also, they have free Wi-​Fi and are BYOB.
Oh and I highly recommend the peanut butter scone with a glass of milk!