The Chicago Diner, Lakeview

“This was my first time eating an entirely vegan meal, and I have to say—I was blown away.”

This was my first time eating an entirely vegan meal, and I have to say—I was blown away! The food was absolutely amazing, full of flavor, and so satisfying. My waitress, Lia, was on point—friendly, attentive, and made the whole experience smooth. The food didn’t take long to come out either, which was a nice surprise. I left completely satisfied, and my tummy couldn’t be happier. Definitely recommend The Chicago Diner to anyone, vegan or not—you won’t be disappointed!

James Torrey

Sep 2025

“Try chill place and the food was all top notch.”

Try chill place and the food was all top notch! Loved their sweet potato fries and their nachos were killer too! Also had an amazing hot Chai Latte!

C E

Aug 2025

“As a repeat diner, I can happily confirm that The Chicago Diner continues to live up to its...”

As a repeat diner, I can happily confirm that The Chicago Diner continues to live up to its legendary “Meat-Free Since ’83” reputation. This was my second visit, and once again I walked out wondering how plant-based comfort food can taste this fresh and satisfying. Every dish that hit the table—from the soul-warming soups to the perfectly seasoned entrées—had bright, clean flavors that never felt heavy. You can tell the kitchen treats vegetables like the stars they are rather than a side The team here isn’t just polite; they’re excited about the food. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or just veg-curious, they explain the menu with contagious enthusiasm and spot-on recommendations. Service felt more like being hosted by friends than a typical restaurant interaction. Great first visits are easy great second visits prove the place is dialed in. Both times the quality, plating, and timing were identical—an encouraging sign that The Chicago Diner cares about every plate, every day. the Radical Reuben (yes, it’s plant-based and yes, it’s that good), the Thai Chili Wings appetizer, and absolutely save room for one of their legendary vegan shakes. If you want bold, crave-worthy food that just happens to be meat-free, The Chicago Diner is a must-try—and, judging by my experience, a must-return. Two visits down, many more to come!

luis alvarado

Aug 2025

“Great, tasty, and filling vegan food with some vegetarian options.”

Great, tasty, and filling vegan food with some vegetarian options. Food: I had the black bean burger with added avocado and sweet potato fries. Burger was huge and incredibly flavorful. Sweet potato fries were a good execution of the standard sweet potato fries. Service: very welcoming, friendly, timely, and accommodating. great service overall. Atmosphere: honestly was so hungry that I didn’t pay too much attention but it’s like a classic American diner. Will absolutely return and recommend it to anyone visiting and looking for great vegan food.

Nikolay G

Aug 2025

“both the chicken quesadillas and smoked tofu club (with a side of salad) were excellent.”

both the chicken quesadillas and smoked tofu club (with a side of salad) were excellent. totally would come by and try all the items on the menu.

Miranda

Aug 2025

“Went here with my family and everyone loved it.”

Went here with my family and everyone loved it! The food was delicious and the service was great too! The country fried stake and the tofu clubs tasted out of this world!!!! I really enjoyed eating here, and so did my family. Highly recommend for yummy vegan foods!

Lucy Patel

Jul 2025

“Great service and the best vegan food I had in Chicago.”

Great service and the best vegan food I had in Chicago! Everything on the menu can be made vegan. The Thai Chili wings were excellent. I love that they make their own mock meats.

Liam Kirsh

Jul 2025

“It is very easy to see how the Chicago Diner has been a staple for decades now!”

It is very easy to see how the Chicago Diner has been a staple for decades now!! The ambiance is unbeatable- a skinny little building packed with retro diner kitsch, decor, and classic furnishings all with an LGBTQ+ friendly twist. The staff was soooo warm and welcoming!! Every single team member we interacted with was just beaming with warm energy and good vibes, while also being professional and very helpful in narrowing down decisions (which I definitely needed with so many appealing options). As a long time vegetarian happy to lean vegan, I was totally blown away by the quality of the food as well! There were several dishes I would never has guessed were vegan, they were just so packed with flavor, perfectly seasoned, and even “creamy” or “cheesy” without ever imparting that overly processed vegan-trying-too-hard flavor. We got the crispy potato skin bites stuffed with Mac & cheese (!!!), minced jalapeños, tomato, crunchy “bacon”, green onions and a sooo yummy “sour cream” sauce! I would recommend these to anyone…. Every bite was incredible and the only problem with them is actually sharing them once every tries them 😅 The absolute hands down star of the show though was the Truffle Mushroom & Lentil Meatloaf! I feel like I have been searching for this meal my entire life. I’ve had a few other veggie and even lentil based “patties” claiming to be meatloaf, but were really just mushy sculptures that broke down into a soup under bland gravy. This dish was the opposite of that. A masterpiece!! Every ingredient in the patty was the perfect texture, you could see fresh veggies and lentils shredded and cooked and bound together flawlessly. The gravy was the best I’ve ever had. I told the server I am not a huge truffle fan when it is overdone and she assured me it was subtle and used well, and wow she was right! The truffle notes were there, but just enough there to enhance an umami like sensation with the mushroom and give the gravy a delicious savory aspect. The gravy was so thick and held together perfectly, and the meatloaf was cooked so incredible that there was some crunch and crisp to the edges that held up even after sitting under the gravy for the time it took me to finish the dish. The potatoes and green beans on the side were perfectly cooked and seasoned as well. Overall I would rate the Chicago Diner 10 out of 5 stars if I could!! I will be raving about it and recommending it to friends forever. I can’t wait to come back and try the entire menu… I’ve heard the milkshakes are not to be missed! I just want to thank this business and all its staff for creating such magic for us to enjoy. 🫶🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Scott Perkins

Jun 2025

“We didn’t realize this was a vegan spot when we went.”

We didn’t realize this was a vegan spot when we went. We were pleasantly surprised with how absolutely delicious it was! We got some quesadillas and they were so good! So glad we checked it out while in Chicago

Jess McGuire

Jun 2025

“Food is so good. Service was excellent. Had a Cuban Sandwich. My friends had a meatless meatloaf....”

Food is so good. Service was excellent. Had a Cuban Sandwich. My friends had a meatless meatloaf. For dessert we had the carrot cake. Very enjoyable dinner. I go to a lot of vegetarian/vegan restaurants because a family member is vegetarian and I highly recommend this restaurant.

Rhonda Skolnik

May 2025

“As a non-vegan/vegetarian, I thought The Chicago Diner was delicious.”

As a non-vegan/vegetarian, I thought The Chicago Diner was delicious! In a group of three, it was my first time and I enjoyed the atmosphere, and the servers were very kind. For lunch, we ordered the SUV sandwich, Taco salad, Cuban sandwich, and shared a chocolate milkshake. All of which were amazing. My Cuban sandwich had vegan Mozzarella cheese, grilled seitan, yucca root chips, mayo, and mustard. This was my first time trying seitan, a high-protein meat substitute, and it resembled the texture of deli meat with a hint of chicken flavor and a few spices; it complimented the Cuban very well. The milkshake was also very tasty! I couldn’t quite make out the milk that was used; it tasted a little nutty, and added a nice touch to the sweetness of the chocolate. Next time, I will definitely order the Radical Reuben sandwich because the corned beef seitan is very intriguing and sounds delicious!

JMW

May 2025

“I got the meatloaf it was ok, mostly lentils and did get much sense of mushrooms.”

I got the meatloaf it was ok, mostly lentils and did get much sense of mushrooms. Truffle oil was a bit much. potatoes and green bean were good. Service was great. Had a mocktail that was very tasty.

Tiffany Douglas

May 2025