3411 N. Halsted, Chicago
(Red or Brown line to Belmont, walk east 1/2 mile to Halsted and north 1/4 mile to Roscoe)
(773) 935-6696 www.veggiediner.com
The Diner is one of everyone's local favorites, and with good reason. It's an all-vegetarian (95% vegan) place that you can take most meat eaters and all leave satisfied. My favorites are probably the dishes with seitan (wheat gluten, aka mock duck in Minneapolis) like the Seitanic Caesar Salad, the Philly Steak, etc. The daily specials are varied and usually good; the desserts (and vegan shakes!) are always excellent.
My only complaints about the Diner are that it's not really anything like a Diner (I was pretty disappointed at first sight) suffering from a schizophrenic identity and lack of cohesion in ambience, and once in a while the food can be a bit off; i.e. certain dishes have been bland and remind me of what meat-eaters probably imagine vegan food to be. Stick with the fake meat dishes or the specials and you should be happy; lentils and tofu will probably taste like lentils and tofu. The waitstaff are usually quite good, always knowledgeable and deal well with the crowds that throng there. The prices are higher than I'd like them to be, but they're located in a fairly prime area in the heart of Chicago's gay neighborhood on Halsted St.
Most entrees are between $9 and $11 with drinks, smoothies shakes and desserts usually running about $5 apiece. They have okay vegan cheese but I've had better at Ope's (formerly in Portage, maybe nonexistent now). They also serve organic wines and beer and have a long, narrow parking area alongside the building during evening hours. In the warmer months they have an outdoor patio that doubles their seating capacity and they supply vegan baked goods to several local coffeeshops, Whole Foods, etc., and also do catering.
Sample Dishes from the Chicago Diner
Chicago Diner Breakfast Biscuits-and-Hash Scrambler thing. Goddamn good. Also available with a nice "sausage" patty.
Chicago Diner Vegan pancakes with apple topping and tempeh strips. They make good vegan wheat cakes at the diner.
Chicago Diner Seitanic Caesar Salad, one of the finest meals on the planet. To die for.
Chicago Diner Mediterranean Hoagie, with marinated tofu, olive spread, etc etc etc. Decent.
Chicago Diner Vegan pizza. Crust/sauce were great, but undercooked overall, w/ too many tomatoes and raw vegetables.
Chicago Diner BBQ Seitan (Hoagie?) Sandwich. Really good. Potatoes were burned but they brought new ones.
Chicago Diner Black Bean Skillet (with brown rice, veggies, cornbread, salad.) A little bland.
Chicago Diner Chopped Seitan Steak, with yummy mashed potaoes, gravy, and green beans.
Chicago Diner Argentine Strudel appetizer. Very interesting and savory flavor and flaky crust.
Chicago Diner "Country-Fried Steak" with gravy and really good mashed potatoes. Steak was so-so.
Chicago Diner Philly "Cheesesteak" sandwich. Goddamn good, with or without the "cheese."
Chicago Diner Portobello sandwich with peppers and onions, marinara sauce and potatoes. Decent.
Chicago Diner Chocolate Mousse Cake. Rich, decadent, slightly sour taste to middle frosting (cherry?)
Chicago Diner Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie. Very yummy, with delicious graham cracker crust.
Chicago Diner German Chocolate Cake. Contains coconut, which I like, but some people don't.
Please note: My site is NOT any kind of official "Chicago Vegan" site; I can't help it if it gets linked to more often than some other "Chicago vegan" sites. For a great restaurant guide from an excellent organization, visit VegChicago.com. With the proliferation of digital cameras and cheap web hosting, I encourage every vegan to document their own good-looking vegan food to share with the world...the more the scarier!
