Sad to be leaving this review. Brightwok used to be one of my favorite places in Chicago. When COVID hit, I went out of my way to order from here several times per week to support them. At this point, it might as well be a ''ghost kitchen.' I'm sure they do a good delivery business, but when you go in there: 1) the food takes forever as they cater to delivery orders (we waited 30 min the other night) 2) it's an open kitchen and you can see what little pride the cooks take in the food they're making 3) the quality of their ingredients has seemingly gone down but their prices keep going up 4) they've messed up orders now 2 times in a row (I didn't say anything either time, but it's frustrating) I don't know if the owners are less present or the people are burnt out (no pun intended), but I'm afraid this place needs an overhaul. Sad. read more

Damian is hands down one of the best cooks in Chicago! They are an expert of gluten free and dairy free meals (which, if you've tried to cook that way you know is extremely difficult). My girlfriend cannot have gluten or dairy and is sensitive to cross contamination. No issues here! We had the Sweet Golden Curry and the Earth, Curry, and Fire -- two dishes that are absolutely amazingggg! Reggae beats, an open floor plan, and delicious food made our visit to Brightwok on State St. one to remember. read more

Great gluten free option with lots of veggies and protein! I created my own bowl and it was fabulous! The staff is super friendly!! read more

I LOVE BRIGHTWOK!! This place is my absolute favorite. It's like chipotle-- asian style. You pick a base, veggies, protein, sauce, and boom you got dinner. Delicious addons like egg and yummy sweet potato fritters for low price, all stir fried and mixed in house made goodness. You want a sauce, they got it: bbq, teriyaki, curry... levels of spice, completely customizable and personable. Brightwok has something for everyone. Service is always excellent and workers are so friendly and make the experience wonderful. I always leave feeling satiated, but not food coma satiated which is great. Also, the teriyaki sauce is liquid crack. Super convenient for grab and go situations, and trendy interior makes it fun to eat in aswell. Definitely try Brightwok out :) read more

Brightwok Kitchen - green curry BYOB - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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BrightWok is easily one of the best places to get food in Chicago. I've been eating here for YEARS on a semi-weekly basis. either in person or via delivery; you cannot go wrong with their tasty, healthy, and consistent food. Love to see a small local business thriving; check them out - they won't disappoint read more

Stopped in randomly and was so impressed! Food was delicious, team was so sweet, and such a cute little place for lunch! read more

Brightwok Kitchen - BYO - rice noodles, veggies, Thai basil sauce - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great fast casual spot that offers custom stir fries! Super fresh and really affordable given the price.

Fast and friendly service, good music, good food. They have a great ginger beer too. Surplus fresh veggies, lots of sauces. Spicy level options. One stall bathroom , clean. read more

Worst than dog food. And very expensive. Paid $25 bucks for 1 bowel and drink. Plus tip. Could not eat the food. It was very soggy and tasted like dog poo. read more

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A good late meal, pretty good but nothing too special. Workers were extremely friendly and patient, more of a takeout vibe than eating in.

I order pickup and takeout from Brightwok all the time! Love the Earthen Fire bowl. It's so delicious!

I had a delicious lunch here today. Eric warmly greeted me and walked me through making my own bowl. He was very knowledgeable about the menu and after asking me a few questions, he gave me his recommendation. It was delicious...a brown rice bowl with chili coconut curry sauce over chicken, broccoli, onions and scallions. Yum! Eric brought my lunch to me when it was ready and gave me a sample of the green curry sauce. He checked on me and asked how I liked it. If you want great service and a delicious and healthy rice bowl, go to Brightwok! read more

Ordered from here twice, pretty good quantity, but it's super oily and salty. Id recommend getting a light amount of sauce as well. read more

Brightwok Kitchen - Pad Thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great food and very nice staff. I usually stop by during lunch on the weekdays, and they have pretty quick service. If you're looking for food that actually tastes like food, Brightwok is your place. Ingredients are fresh and sauces are to die for! My favorite is their kickin panang curry. It's perfectly spicy, I could eat it every day. read more

Eh, not terrible but not great.. average food. Extra ingredients $1+ each. $13+ is a bit high for the quality and fast food type. Overall, the sweet umami mushroom was okay, but I certainly don't see myself ordering from here again. Noodles were sticking together and fried egg didn't seem fresh. $2 for magic cake, but it's a tiny one bite piece. read more

Brightwok Kitchen - Magic Cake ...one bite for $2 - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nice local flavor. Perfect for eating alone but do not want fast food. Or, just want a little healthier choices. Lots of veggies with meat.

I've come here the last few trips I've taken to Chicago and I absolutely love Brightwok! It's great for a quick lunch or late night dinner. They have lots of vegan options, the food is beyond tasty, and the staff is friendly. No complaints! read more

I love this! The bowls turn out great; you can choose the ingredients but we Generally just choose one of their pre-defined options It's wonderfully fresh read more

Brightwok was a dinner choice made out of pure convenience, but will definitely be one I go out of my way for now. I ordered the earth curry fire + sweet potato fritter. In all honesty, I thought, what an odd combo but it was highly recommended on yelp so I gave it a shot. The fritter was absolutely incredible....savory, sliiiightly sweet, bursting with umami flavors. So good, do NOT pass this up. I will definitely try the fully loaded version next time but the 'plain' one is outstanding. My curry was spicy but not too spicy, flavorful, veggies were thinly sliced and coated in sauce. My order was thoughtfully packaged and did not leak (ordered on door dash). I will absolutely order from here again! Oh-don't forget the cashew cake dessert ....great portion and not too sweet! read more

Yet another delicious discovery thanks to vendor-paid lunches at work and free delivery by Doordash this week! The best thing about my experience is that their food gave me the flavors of Asian food without the super saucy, super salty tummy slump I'm used to with Asian food. Light and healthy tasting, yet delicious! I had a build your own bowl with chicken, coconut curry, crispy seasoned egg, edamame, squash, carrots, & mushrooms - I had asked for purple cabbage, but they forgot to include it :( Still delicious. The loaded sweet potato fritters were worth the extra $3.50! Very tasty! A little crispy, a little chewy, a little sweet, but mostly savory and delicious. Ginger beer washed it down and hit the spot! Made with cane sugar and just spicy enough to give it a kick. This meal cost about $20 - so more than I would like to spend on lunch out of my OWN pocket, but definitely delicious on someone else's dime! I'd be willing to check it out in person for dinner, perhaps, to get a feel for the restaurant itself, and at least to get another order of the loaded sweet potato fritters! read more

Alert. Alert, Brightwok is a paperless location so they do not take cash. This place is caddy corner to True Food and right next-door to Pinkberry. This is ground zero for custom made Asian inspired bowls. The menu has many pre-selected bowls that are tailored to many taste options. You can make a custom bowl by picking pick one of three bases (white rice, brown rice or glass noodles). You also pick your own sauce. On my visit,​ I went with the build your own that allowed you choosing up to six veggies. Be mindful mushrooms cost more as they're grown locally and are seen as a premium ingredient here. Everything is made fresh for you and you can see the prep in play. They have four wok stations that you can observe while you wait. I watched as they prepared my base of glass noodles, Thai basil sauce, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, corn, cabbage, green pepper, ​ and bean sprouts. Don't worry about leaving unfulfilled; they give a really healthy portion enough for lunch and snack for me. Side note, the food comes out boiling hot. I burned my lounge so wait about five minutes to eat if you can. Apart from the food, I liked that they have different trash receptacle for recycling bottles/trash items/compost and then the dining room bowls & trays. read more

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So, traveling with a friend living with celiac, we have to be extremely careful about where we eat. Thankfully, I don't have that problem... I love gluten! But, he's always worried about cross-contamination. This place definitely catered to him and he had zero worries about getting sick as their entire menu is gluten-free! That definitely made our day easier. But, what's even better, is that the food was terrific! Every single thing we had was top-notch, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and delicious! The atmosphere is a little pre-fab and generic, but who cares with the amazing food they serve! read more

Brightwok Kitchen is to stir-fry what Sweetgreen is to salads. And for a quick lunch, I'm a fan. Having walked past here numerous times, I finally decided to pick up for lunch. I went with the "Everyday Eat Right Bowl" and added chicken -- supposedly one of the most popular menu choices! Pick-up was a breeze, thanks to their built-in shelving just to the right of the counter. I looked for my name written on their compostable to-go bowls, grabbed myself a bag and silverware, and went on back to work. My biggest complaint? When I opened it up, it didn't look very appetizing. But hey, if it tastes good, who cares? The bowl was true to the menu description, with loads of carrots, broccoli, green peppers, and onions. But the chicken looked like sliced rotisserie chicken, which wasn't quite what I was expecting, and the brown rice at the bottom was clumpy and a tad crunchy. The Thai basil sauce was good, but next time I think I'll try the teriyaki and go with a different meat and rice. Brightwok has a build-your-own choice, so really, the options are endless! I got $5 off with the ritual app, but at full-price ($10+) it's just a bit pricier than other lunch spots with a similar set-up. Not bad for something a little different! read more

Brightwok Kitchen - "Everyday Eat Right Bowl" with chicken. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Each bowl I've tried has had me scraping the bowl for the last bit. The Earth, Curry, and Fire bowl was great. Also, enjoy some of their healthy lunch bowl options. read more

Gluten Free goodness Open and comfortable oriental bowl food just a few blocks from central downtown area. Rice or noodles. Veggies or even fried sweet potato (which was excellent). Came with a big group and the staff worked to take care of everyone quickly and efficiently. read more

Went inside and they told me to order on my phone instead taking my order. Then two more people walked and the server took their orders and the food came out before mine. I waited 30 mins to get my order. Horrible speed. Do not order from this location. read more

Great place to pickup food when in a rush or don't feel like cooking. There are good vegetarian options.

Tofu bowl with cashew sauce - bowl was pretty average, but I really like the concept of picking your own ingredients for the stir fry. Kind of like flattop or bd Mongolian without the added effort. I felt really pressured by the lady behind the county to pick my ingredients quickly even though we let people behind us go first. I took my little sister and cousin so they were super indecisive, so the negative atmosphere kind of out a damper on the dining experience read more

I like to compare brightwok to an Asian Chipotle because you can build your own bowl exactly to your taste and preference. I like some spice but mild or no spice on my first order was too bland. Don't be afraid of the heat. Get some extra on the side if you need to add slowly. Always add the CRISPY EGG and get your food to go so you don't smell like the cooking oil by staying there too long! read more

Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Cleanliness: 4/5 Now you can't really go wrong with quick bowls customized for you. Brightwok offers all Glueten-Free ingriedients! (Or so they say, hope I did not hear wrong). Food is good, light, and healthy! Everything is scooped and cooked for your viewing pleasure. For one thing, I think my bowl could've used a bit more seasoning, it was almost near bland and I had to get some siracha to give it a kick. My only comment, please keep the music at a decent volume, this isn't a club. Not here to lose my voice to be able to hold a conversation. We asked one of the staff members and he gladly said "no worry" and turned the music down. Way better. Thanks! read more

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Good healthy Great food and excellent staff. Everyone in our family loved our dishes - excellent! read more

I have to hop on a train to get to the Loop Brightwok location so the opening of this closer River North location was the highlight of my summer! It looks like this one even got some new sauces (there's a "orange" one that takes me back to my Panda Express Orange Chicken days that eventually I need to try) -- tbd on if these get rolled out everywhere or not? Other than that, the menu is pretty similar with the same "healthy, asian/stir-fry Chipotle" vibe going on. Brightwok is the perfect healthy lunch spot that's easy to grab a quick carry-out lunch during the the workday or while out shopping downtown (also very conveniently located to Sweetgreen for another healthy option, but 60% of the hefty pricetag haha). There's a few tables in the restaurant if you want to eat there, but this location is definitely prime for to-go orders. Pro Tip: This location is cashless, and open on Sundays unlike the Adams St. location! read more

Me and my three friends loved this new place that just opened. They're super flexible allowing you to create your own bowls and substitutions. I got the earth bowl with mushrooms instead of eggs to make it vegan. My friend also got one of the "favorites" with mushrooms and the cashew dressing but with tofu instead of steak to also make it vegan. I thought hers was better in terms of flavor so I'll get that the next time. Ambience is nice, I love the wide open window, but there is little space for group sitting. The place offers reusable bowls but would be even better if they had reusable cutlery from an environmental perspective read more

Brightwok Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came to chicago for a weekend and my girlfriend and I decided to try something new, we saw this brightwok across the street from our hotel and took a chance. Walking in, the employees were so nice and understanding when we told them we were new to it. They gave a few suggestions but eventually we tried the noodles with the coconut sauce, i forgot the name of it but i was aboslutely blown away. This is the best wok I've ever had and to this day I have not found one like this in my city. it was our first impression of chicago and it absolutely set up our trip to be a good trip. 10/10 Do not hesitate to try this. The employees were nice, the food was amazing and fresh, a bit pricey but believe me when i tell you, absolutely worth it. read more

As a fan of Bright Wok's original location, I was eager to try it's newest setup. Placed perfectly between PinkBerry and Quartino - 2 of my favorite spots.. This new Bright Wok is set up for "great success" **Borat voice** Ordered take out with my wife to bring back home and watch TV (Crazy night) - Her mushroom bowl was outstanding, my steak bowl - just a notch below, but still great. She ordered the better dish and I paid - wife wins again, what's new? read more

Brightwok Kitchen - Build your own steak bowl - $13 - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Brightwok is my go-to option for a healthy and convenient meal. I love the homemade sauces and all of the veggie options. Recently obsessed with the curry dish. Fave quick spot in Chi. read more

I am so glad there's a Brightwok Kitchen in my neighborhood. I enjoyed my bowl (Everyday Eat Right). My parents like whatever they get, too, especially appreciative of the staff's ability to reduce salt wherever possible. They cook the vegetables perfectly, from the delicate slivers of zucchini to the plump but firm brown rice. I did not like the chicken too much; it's already cooked, so cooking it in the wok makes it rubbery. I also wish there was more seating. There's certainly a bit more space, even without making it cramped. Two-tops are nice, but sometimes 3 or 4 people show up :) read more

Really good make your own bowls, not very expensive and it was delicious. Definitely a go to read more

Brightwok Kitchen - Asian Fusion Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love this place, my new favorite fast casual. The food is delicious and Jeremy and his team are great, extremely friendly and welcoming. Love the build your own bowl with tofu, veggies and their chili sauce. Highly recommend! read more

3/23/2020 Just ordered, picked up and enjoyed Brightwok Kitchen's meals. All three of us really enjoyed the heck out of the meal. We picked up our "to go" meals, walked seven blocks on a cold day, reached the condo and enjoyed the delicious meals. Packaging was perfect for transporting as the food stayed warm. Will definitely be enjoying Brightwok Kitchen more often. Great pricing too. read more