Hi all, English gal visiting Chicago here! I’ve been in the country for a good few days now and though the food is delicious, I’m struggling with the lack of vegetables! It might just be that I’ve been going to the wrong places (but Lou Manaltis was delicious!) but does anyone have any good recommendations for good, relatively healthy food options that are not a generic chain restaurant as we keep on falling into the trap of eating for convenience and I don’t want to miss out! We are staying on the Magnificent Mile.
Edited for clarification.

26 comments

  1. You’re in one of the most world class food cities on earth. You’re just going to shitty tourist restaurants.

    Check out Aster Hall, Althea, Kostali, Venteux, etc

  3. Stay away from chains for vegetables. If anyone tells you to go to Subway while visiting Chicago ignore everything they tell you. About anything.

    That said I can’t recommend anything to you since Chicago is about 900 miles away from me. (About 150 miles further than London is from Madrid)

    Check out /r/Chicago for more local answers.

  4. Not from there but a quick Google maps search of “salad” along that area brought me about 15 results within a 30 minute walk

    I like to go off of photos and number of reviews. While a low attendance but high rating place may be good theres a reason more people reviewed the other location

  5. Most restaurants serve salads, they might not always be the greatest depending where you are but it’s extremely common on menus in both sit down and take out spots. Or search for vegetarian/vegan joints

  6. Go to a Roti for lunch. It’s a chain, but local to Chicago and great vegetables.

  7. Not gonna lie, the food Chicago is known for (pizza, hot dogs) and just the blue collar, working class history of the city, the immigration the city received + being located in the Midwest, the foods can be a bit heavy

    But any restaurant will have salads and any number of other vegetables.

    Get out of the Loop. There’s lots of tourist traps there. Go check out Chinatown. Chicago has one of the best transit systems in the country and its so cheap. Get your 3 or 7 day L pass and you’re good to go.

    Get to [Vito and Nick’s](https://goo.gl/maps/Zum2WgZr2FaubaWS7) for tavern style pizza (cash only), though..uh…no vegetables there lol.

    [Here’s a Neapolitan pizza place](https://goo.gl/maps/FNJKhPJHE4QwYVWP8) that was on my list during my last visit but I never made it to.

    You can also pop into a grocery store like Trader Joes and get a boxed salad or some carrots and whatnot.

    [Minghin for dimsum](https://goo.gl/maps/okTpecfGEa5BeyE5A)

    [BBQ King](https://goo.gl/maps/t1ScJ6pMHp2Yj7TL9) for peking duck

    [Saint Anna](https://goo.gl/maps/GxiSE8SUtS3LJHA29) for Chinese pastries (CASH ONLY)

    [This Indian place downtown was also really good.](https://goo.gl/maps/tSpgCFsfEdcQFR2C9)

    [Google maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/vegan+restaurant/@41.8342451,-87.8720468,11z/data=!3m1!4b1) search results for vegan restaurants

    r/AskChicago

  10. Chicago has amazing vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Try the Happy Cow app or the /r/chicago sub

  11. As a fellow Brit I had the same problem when I was in America, lots of great food and meat but hardly any vegetables. Not just a bit of salad but actual meals based around vegetables. My favourite food that I found was in a vegan place.

  12. ##Get out of the Magnificent Mile!

    Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Chinatown. They are packed with restaurants. Lots of healthy food.

    You are in an absolutely world class city for food. It just isn’t all in the Loop.

    Use the public transit and you can get pretty much anywhere.

    La Scarola is a favorite of mine for Italian. My sister (lives in Wicker Park) recommends Evette’s, Blue Door, Il Porcellino, Dear Margaret off the top of her head.

    She recommends Lonesome Rose and Summer House Santa Monica for Salads. Also True Food Kitchen (regional chain).

    Etta or Cindy’s for rooftop deck and cocktails.

    I said you hadn’t left the Magnificent Mile and she said “lol no.”

  13. If you can still snag reservations (and you don’t always need them) Girl and the Goat is awesome. Their wood fired broccoli is a personal favorite.

  15. Penny’s Noodle Shop in Wrigelyville has been a Chicago institution for decades. Thai/Vietnamese dishes that are ample in portion and incredibly tasty! lotsa veg!

    if you want a fancier experience:

    Giant

    Girl and the Goat

    Galit

    Union Sushi isn’t too far from Mag Mile and a fun sushi/robata joint.

    try this question in r/chicagofood or r/chicago

  16. I mean a Chicago Dog or a Beef Hot Wet has all the Vegetables you’ll ever need

  18. > It might just be that I’ve been going to the wrong places

    You absolutely are, this is a common mistake Europeans make, going pretty much exclusively to shitty chain and tourist restaurants.

  19. Kasama has probably the best breakfast in the city. It’s the only Michelin starred Filipino restaurant in the world but they do breakfast at normal prices.

    I would recommend that above anything else.

  20. You’ll have to Uber or Lyft but Gather on the 4500 block of north Lincoln Ave is an amazing place. Cool neighborhood too.

  22. Rick Bayless’ has several restaurants in Chicago, all of which are worth checking out! They’re all different types of Mexican restaurants-not ground beef and cheddar tex-mex places, but more authentic and even haute cuisine Mexican that uses lots of vegetables, and often unique Mexican vegetables at that.

  23. Get a Chicago hot dog. It’s a hot dog dragged through a garden. Tomatoes, raw onions cucumbers (well pickles) and relish made from vegetables grown by Chernobyl (neon green}

  24. I had a pizza place called “Flo and Santos” last time I was there I really liked. They also had Pierogis, which were fantastic.

Leave a Reply
You May Also Like