738 N. Wells St., Chicago (Brown Line train to Chicago stop, walk east 2 blocks or so then south 1/2 block)
312-587-1050
Okay, this section for Karyn's Cooked is LONG overdue and I apologize for the delay in posting. I hadn't had a chance to go until fairly recently but I'm so glad I finally did, because this is probably my favorite vegan restaurant in Chicago at the moment. I'm not a huge fan of Karyn's Fresh Corner (same owner, all raw foods) because it's really expensive and the food is usually too rich for my taste, something about the potent flavors kind of upsets my stomach. Thankfully Karyn's Cooked offers a very delicious and more reasonably-priced alternative and gives some SERIOUS competition to both the Chicago Diner and Soul Vegetarian, the two long-standing pillars of the Chicago vegan restaurant business.
Karyn's has food similar to the Diner, though not as extensive a menu. The prices are similar, but Karyn's has done much better than the schlocky decor and seating/space chaos that characterizes the Diner. Granted the neighborhoods are very different, the Diner is in the heart of a very popular pedestrian strip and is usually packed. Karyn's has less seating but, at least for now, fewer customers, so the service is more consistent and there's more space to move and breathe. Everything about Karyn's seems professional and well-done, the interior is lovely without the pretension and snobishness of the Green Zebra. The downtown location is another bonus, especially for those in town for conventions and similar events. The desserts are amazingly good and everything we've tried has been pretty damn good. Bravo to Karyn and company, they'll be seeing a lot more of us in the future.
Sample Dishes from Karyn's Cooked
Karyn's Cooked
Vegan Lasagna. Has fake ricotta cheest and, if I remember correctly, fake sausage, very tasy!
Karyn's Cooked Vegan pizza with fake (melty!) cheese and mock italian sausage. Probably the best vegan pizza in Chicago, though no Pizza Luce.
Karyn's Cooked
Taco Wraps. Nice flavor, a little spicy with ground fake meat, romaine, cilantro, coleslaw, and wedges of potato w/ BBQ sauce.
Karyn's Cooked
"Slab of Ribs." The title is a little misleading, it was kind of like large block of solid seitan, flavored well but a little boring in presentation.
Karyn's Cooked
Sampler platter featuring vegan chili, potatoes au gratin, and potato soup (I think). The Au Gratin was my favorite of the three, very good.
Karyn's Cooked
Steak Sandwich (maybe can also order as a wrap?). Good flavor to thin-sliced seitan, with a spicy chipotle sauce.
Karyn's Cooked
Vegan Fajitas with Seitan. Kind of a barbeque-y sauce, not as many fresh veggies as some places, but good flavor.
Karyn's Cooked
Vegan Lemon Cake. Some of the best cake we've ever had, vegan or otherwise! The first slice from a cake, super-fresh and so moist and yummy.
Karyn's Cooked
Vegan Marble Cake. Also very good, though probably not as good as the Lemon. All the desserts here look great.
Please note: My site is NOT any kind of official "Chicago Vegan" site. 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!
