I literally couldn't wait to come back here, I live a distance away but I'm all over our beautiful city all the time. Once again I walked in to lovely aromas and jammin' tunes. The biggest difference this time is the number of customers; last time was a slow but steady stream (''twas the time of day) this time it was a fast flow of many. Damn if Dave doesn't do it all like a finely tuned machine, a real smooth operator, must be the hardest working person in the city. Enjoyed our 2 coffees. My dining partner didn't like her breakfast burrito; I agree, probably not the best item on the menu. I thoroughly enjoyed my croissant breakfast sandwich. So nice to have a fully vegan place. In Yelp listing the owner describes it as a coffee shop...it is so much more! read more

See all

the vegan breakfast sandwich w added veg was delish, the plain bagel w cashew cream cheese also yum, we got a lemon loaf which was kinda dry but tasted good, really cute spot with indoor and outdoor seating :) gay friendly and yummy vegan food read more

The cinnamon roll was incredibly dry. Not tasty at all. Two stars for the staff that is helpful and friendly and working really hard on the weekends. read more

Always happy to find another vegan breakfast spot! Excellent coffee, pastries, and entrees - the triple threat. Breakfast burrito was solid, but the cinnamon roll was out of this world. Small and not a lot of seating indoors, so plan accordingly if dining in. read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Breakfast Burrito - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My two vegan breakfast sandwiches hit the spot this morning. Tbh there's wasn't anything spectacular about either of them but then again there's nothing wrong with them either. I prefer the English muffins sandwich over the croissant sandwich because the seitan mimicked Canadian bacon. According to the menu the seitan is identical but the texture was different in the two. The croissant is huge to say the least. I also have to state that the cheese here is tasty. I've had several vegan cheeses that sucked but it's good here read more

See all

Lovely seating outdoors and inside. I didn't know they brew Dark Matter till I got here. Sorry I already ate lunch elsewhere. Service was great. She brought my coffee in a real mug outside. And noticed a little dog at the next table and offered to bring it a bowl of water. The other person told me they make a great vegan croissant. I'll be back when I'm back in Chicago read more

Cute little coffee shop. My latte was good. I'd recommend it to locals to stop by and try it!

Can't beat a croissant and a latte from here! Breakfast sandwiches are great. Finally got around to trying the lox which were also great but they definitely stacked it too high and it was more of a knife and fork meal than a sandwich. read more

I left this same review on google but I wanted all the yelp snobs to see it too... you gotta try this place out, and **DISCLAIMER** before you go complaining to yelp about your food not being perfect, just ask them to remake it for you... they make it right here the first time but not everyone can be perfect at their job 24/7 so just have some kindness and understanding before you leave your next heinous review. Food for thought... ---------------------------------------------- **** On to the review **** ---------------------------------------------- THIS PLACE IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST! You have to try it at least once... and no I was not paid to promote this... not even in plants We stopped here after touring most of Chicago and were hungering for some delicious plant based fare. Low and behold we found it! The plant based Mecca of Chicago! Fancy plants cafe has a very homey small town vibe with a hint of elegance and is quite well received by a self proclaimed 5 year vegan foodie snob Let's talk about the food! Ok so we grabbed two coffees, one of their bloodied... to...die...for... and a churro donut! Boom! AND, and. We got the vegan carrot lox with a probiotic cashew cheese and the vegan spanakopita. Wow, so soft and flaky it's simply delish. The vegan lox was simply to die for. We loved it. The carrots were super soft and barely even noticeable as carrots. If you didn't know it was vegan you might have assumed it was actual lox for the bagel. All in all, great food, friendly staff, and a really cool vibe. Def recommend. read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Vegan spanakopita, carrot lox, churro donut and chocolate Chip blondie. Delicious!! - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had the carrot lox bagel and it was absolutely delicious!!! I've never had real lox before but I'm guessing this does not taste like the real thing, as it definitely still tasted like carrots. I'm vegan though and I thought it was so flavorful and filling. We also got the cinnamon roll which was amazing. Would have been better warm but :) My meat eating boyfriend got the breakfast sandwich and said it tasted like real meat and eggs, he loved it. This cafe appeals to omnis and plant based eaters alike! read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Lox bagel - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I recently visited Chicago and stopped by this cafe for some lunch. The options and taste were far beyond my expectations; even the coffee was creative. The atmosphere was COVID friendly and the staff answered every question that we had. I would definitely recommend for a quick bite or a place to order out if you're looking for a great vegan option. (Full disclaimer, I am not vegan, nor am I a vegetarian) read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great meal here and will def be back. We went for breakfast on a Sunday morning. Parking isn't great nearby, but we eventually found a spot and walked 1-2 blocks. I had the breakfast sandwich and the vegan lox. Both were way tastier than i expected. On the bfast sandiwch, I didn't expect the mung bean (sp?) patty and the seitan to have a good enough bacon and egg taste. The did, which was really surprising. The Bagel and Lox were even more surprising. The carrots has a smokier, more flavorful taste that i was expecting. I was also pleasantly surprised by the vegan cream cheese, since I'm not usually a fan of vegan "cheeses". To round it out the bagel was also really good (an everything bagel). It was a good first visit and i look forward to being back. I do hope they wear gloves or wash their hands more. That was pointed out in another review and was valid. They lox bagel was assembled by hand, with no gloves at the counter in front. Not good. That's why 4 stars and not 5. The place is small, and it was pretty empty when we went. I can imagine it gets crowded. read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - This is 1/2 of the bagel with the lox-style carrrots. I crushed the other half before realizing i forgot to take a pic! - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

DISCLAIMER: I am not vegan. Went here with a friend who is vegan because the wait at Chicago Diner was over an hour. Had a yummy latte (size sm) and a breakfast burrito. $20 for those 2 things without tip. I am not vegan but I do believe vegan food can be really yummy. This? Fine. That's it, just fine. No veggies, faux cheese, or general texture in the burrito -- tofu scramble, black beans, chopped tomato. Side of chips & salsa. I will say it was a lot of food and maybe if you're vegan it could be a real treat but.... it was not to me. Some peppers, kale, onion, any kind of complexity in the burrito would have been nice. Cute inside (hanging plants, earthy, a little funky) with adorable outside seating if it's a nice day. read more

I wouldn't recommend eating here unless you're a vegan. I stopped in to try it out and paid $10 for avocado toast and it was mediocre at best. This vegan restaurant is a casual walk up place just off of Broadway with mostly outdoor dining. What nice is they'll deliver your food to you outside too. I haven't seen to many 100% vegan places in this areas so it's definitely a niche in the area. It seemed like a lot of people enjoying eating outside while working on their laptops although i didnt see any outlets out there. The general vibe of the place was very boring with little decor except the plants outside. Again wouldn't recommend unless you're vegan and you want more options than what you can get at other restaurants. read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Avocado toast - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

I was so excited to find out that an all-vegan cafe had just opened in Chicago, and I was right to be! I ordered a mocha with oat milk and a zucchini quiche, and my boyfriend ordered a vanilla latte with oat milk and an Italian beef sandwich. Hands down, one of the best coffees I've ever had (especially the vanilla latte - my boyfriend wasn't happy I kept drinking his ). The quiche was excellent as well. I had a bite of my boyfriend's sandwich, and although it wasn't my favorite thing in the world, he loved it! The pastries? Oh my goodness. I lost count of how many coffee cake samples I ate. Our barista also offered us a chocolate chip cookie, and it was one of the best vegan cookies I've ever had! It reminded me a lot of the fresh baked Toll House cookies, which I have missed a lot! Of course, I had to buy a coffee cake and cookie to go. I also gave the matcha cupcake a taste before leaving, and it was delicious! Overall, it's a nice cozy little cafe with great food and drinks, and I can't wait until the next time I come here. I'm dying to try one of their cinnamon rolls! read more

See all

We finally had a chance to visit this cafe last Sunday afternoon. We easily found a metered space in this busy Belmont Harbor area. The cafe is a tiny little place off the corner of Broadway and Briar just off the Belmont exit on LSD. This is a cute little vegan cafe with about 6-8 tables with counter service and then they bring it out to you. We ordered the spinach quiche with side salad, Italian "beef" with au jus and giardiniera, sun-dried tomato scone and warm cinnamon bun with icing. Everything was delicious! Our favorite was the scone and we took more home and they disappeared very quickly once home. The cafe also has a full menu of coffee drinks and teas as well as other dishes we will try next time. If we lived in the area we would frequent this cute cafe often. We are so happy to know about this cute vegan option and will be back again soon! read more

See all

Loved the place! I got the breakfast burrito and s'mores cookie with lavender vanilla latte. Soooo worth it! read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - S'mores cookie and lavender vanilla latte - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

With the plant-based trend sweeping the nation, it's nice to see another vegan spot welcomed into Lakeview. It's easy to miss, but their chalkboard sign on Broadway helps, and once inside, the staff is incredibly friendly and obviously passionate about their plant-based specialties. I got an italian beef sandwich to go a few weeks ago, and was also offered some of the "carrot lox" while I waited for my food. The carrot lox are worth another visit - they emulate lox, with their seasoning and whatever other treatment they receive, yet have a bit of the bite of a carrot. I will say, I didn't LOVE the sandwich. I think it was good, and maybe I'm just not that familiar with Italian beef (mostly vegetarian up in here), and it was a little expensive, but not out of line with what you'd expect at a specialized dining establishment. $12.50 for my sandwich. Definitely plan on going back for the bagel with 'lox' and am interested in trying one of their pop up meals, that apparently they offer I think once a month. If you're looking for something healthful and plant-based, look no further and check out this new Lakeview gem. read more

See all

Great food. Great service. Nice cozy little cafe just off Broadway. Nice assortment of coffee, tea, and baked goods

Ordered their NYE meal for 2, and was overall happy. I really liked that we were given direction for prep so we didn't get a soggy dish. Wasn't a huge fan of the soup, it was just ok. Salad was AWESOME, seriously good I was ok with the tofu entree but my wife loved it! Maybe it was the soft looking/tasting tofu that my preggo body couldn't get used to. Chocolate dessert was badass. Wife compared it to cheesecake, I compared it to mousse- i think it was somewhere in the middle.. I definitely will order again to see what else they have! read more

Best vegan Breakfast burrito! Abc wrap is solid too, just not a fan of chickpea salad in it though.

I visited first time today. As I am working towards eating and cooking in a healthier direction, I passed by many other places on Broadway and am so happy I did. I thought I would be brave and try the BLT made with tempeh, which something I am usually not a fan of. What a yummy surprise, it was perfect and just as you see in the photo I posted. Despite being super busy,Alex and his coworker made me feel like a special guest. The place itself has such a great vibe and welcoming to such a diverse group of people. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the food and the summer day. I sat inside, but they also have outdoor seating. I was very comfortable. I will definitely return to enjoy other things they offer as well as bring friends. Continued success and let's all support this indy owned place! read more

I've been seeing this cafe when I search vegan restaurants as I'm always hoping to find something new in Chicago. I realized it would be convenient for me to stop by one morning, and it is located where kitchen 17 used to be. I die for vegan breakfast menus, so I ordered the breakfast burrito. I was I initially considering the crossiant breakfast sandwich, which had "just egg" and is apparently not real egg. I also wondered how it was vegan since crossiants have butter in them. So I went with the burrito per the recommendation of the cashier, who said it was more of a meal than the sandwich. The burrito was definitely smaller than the sandwich, and I requested to add Chao cheese and they literally placed slices of cheese atop the burrito. The burrito was made and wrapped and they put the cheese outside on the tortilla. WTF. Along with the dryness and lack of flavor, this cheese fiasco tells me their stuff is frozen and not made fresh. Plus who does that and doesn't give you a heads up?! I also ordered the pumpkin spice cinnamon roll which prevented this review from being 1 star instead of 2 stars. read more

The place itself is pleasant, but the food is expensive and disgusting, frankly. Wanted to like it because it's plant based, but honestly don't. read more

Absolutely love this place!!! The workers are so friendly and the place has such a wonderful vibe! The seating area outside is super cute and now that it is a little colder there are lanterns on to help keep you warm! The pumpkin spice cinnamon roll was delicious!! Definitely recommend this place!!! read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Outdoor seating - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't understand how this establishment has a single review above one star. To quote my friend, "that meal left me feeling sad and unfulfilled." We both ordered breakfast burritos. It took a really long time to come out and they were cold. I don't know how it's possible to take 15 minutes to make a cold burrito but whatever. I asked for mine to be heated up which then took another 15 minutes so my friends were done with their meals by that time. Oh, it also smells like trash outside because the outdoor seating is next to a huge dumpster. If you dare go - I recommend sitting inside. Ordering is also very confusing. The employees don't talk to you and when I asked for a menu, they pointed to the glass case. I'm also 80% sure the guy working there was high. Anyways, it's the worst place I've eaten in Chicago so congrats on that! read more

Great place for vegans! Decent menu (carrot lox bagel is excellent), but the only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is that it's just a teeny bit lacking in atmosphere, but it's only an extremely minor nitpick that shouldn't discourage anyone from trying their awesome food! read more

Read the reviews about what's on the menu vs. what's in the case and the owner's comments about being a small business and trying new things, but decided to stop in. The lox and bagel wasn't on the printed menu I saw, but it was in the case and I'd seen pics from others, so I was excited to try it... however, I was super bummed that even though it was on display in the case, it wasn't actually available. I said, okay, how about one of the famous cinnamon rolls I heard about, then, but those (which are on the printed menu I saw) were also unavailable. The disappointment put a bad taste in my mouth, so nothing else in the case enticed me and I left. It's hard to find solid vegan breakfast options in Chicago, so it sucks that this only confirmed that. read more

Absolutely delicious and adorable. I've been meaning to check this place out for a while and I finally made my way there this morning. Unfortunately the donuts were gone which is how i lured my kids there but they made do with apple fritters, lemon cupcakes and chocolate chip muffins. I got the bagel with carrot lox. I've been dreaming about it and it was as amazing as I had hoped. My husband got the breakfast burrito and he was a huge fan. The dark matter coffee also really hit the spot and the family loved the chai. It is a small place and popular on this weekend morning which I was glad to see. All in all, the food was amazing and the prices were reasonable. I'll just have to get there early next time to snag some donuts! read more

This place is the absolute cutest!!! We happened upon it when Kitchen 17 was closed. It's completely plant-based with such great cafe options. We both got iced dirty chais that were soo tasty. I got the breakfast burrito and my friend got an everything bagel with CARROT LOX! Literally so innovative and unique. This place is underrated imo. read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Carrot lox - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We are always looking for vegan/vegetarian restaurants to try. I read about this one on Yelp and we decided to try it for breakfast. It is tiny. That wasn't the problem, we asked for a menu and were told that the menu needed to be updated or something similar. "What we are offering is what is in the case" gesturing to the glass case at the front counter. We could choose from two different quiche's, a soup or a variety of pastries. Since we usually preview the offerings on line this was disappointing to say the least. Where was the breakfast sandwich, or burrito? Can not recommend this spot. Their website is stunning. It totally misrepresents this restaurant. Do not be fooled. read more

this cafe is paradise. perfect atmosphere with a chill and earthy vibe, baristas with great music taste, and amazing food. the classic croissant sandwich is my go to, but i love their lox bagel, spanakopita, blt, pastries, baked goods, everything really. i love sitting on the patio to work and i'm so grateful they let me stay so long. im not a morning person, but i make sure to get here as early as possible when i can just so i can have more time at fancy plants cafe! xander and cara are genuinely the most wonderful people and take care of me every time i come in. i keep ordering just so i can tip them on my card more lol read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - cara brought me a chocolate croissant right out of the oven, made my life it was so good - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place used to be Kitchen 17, now they are around the corner. Let me say this, it's been a while since I've been here and I really only come for the croissants which are absolutely divine. I got a breakfast croissant with the Just Egg and that costed me $18! Look, I'm a vegan through and through. Let me learn how to make them croissants and it's over. There's this one guy, I think it's the owner, is a little rude. His customer service isn't the best. read more

Being vegan, I wanted to love it but the food is terrible. I gave 2 stars bc my latte was delicious but pricey. The wrap was a very cold "red onion" salad w large chunks of tempeh that were rock hard. My friend had the croissant sandwich which was dry and dull. The prices are absurd. Such a bummer. read more

Got the lox bagel with house made cashew cream cheese was absolutely delicious! This is way better than the fake vegan cheeses restaurants usually use. Owners are also super friendly and overall a cute lil cafe! read more

Fancy Plants Cafe - Vegan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was extremely disappointed with everything but the turmeric ginger latte that I had. I ordered the breakfast sandwich and my boyfriend got the breakfast burrito. My sandwich tasted like a dishwasher and it made me think that the cleanliness of the raw veggies on the sandwich were not up to par. My boyfriend said the tofu in his burrito was flavorless. Not to mention the cleanliness of the cafe itself was pitiful. There were crumbs everywhere, tables not cleaned off, and floors were filled with crumbs and grime as well. If you go here, stick with getting a coffee or a tea. read more

Love this new space! We had an excellent breakfast sandwich with very flavorful seitan and fresh veggies on top, in addition to a huge cinnamon roll (available on weekends as of right now Jan 2019) which was warm straight out of the oven. The cinnamon roll was really soft inside, and went really well with the Dark Matter coffee. Prior to this visit I had the cinnamon coffee cake and it was excellent as well. Can't get enough of this cafe! read more

See all

Wow Chef Kevin Schuder is a brilliant genius! If you think you don't really love vegan food then you should try Fancy Plants first. The café on Briar in Lakeview is fantastic especially their quiche and croissants but their dinner options just opened up on the new Fullerton Avenue full restaurant and they are really fantastic! I especially loved the Arancini (so hard to find vegan!), King Oyster Karaage, Seared Cauliflower, and Trumpet Mushroom Scallops! They have great wine pairings and mixed drinks as well now! read more

Delicious and over-the-top for breakfast food. Prices are fair for the quality ingredients. Lovely hood to eat outside at. Will definately be going back next time I'm in town read more

Coffee shop, cozy diner, brunch spot, fancy vegan food, all in one! It doesn't look "fancy," but the food sure is! My girlfriend and I were in here in Monday and the bagel and lox were DIVINE! And they serve Dark Matter Coffee, what more could you want? I love supporting local, vegan, small businesses like Fancy Plants. We'll be back, and often. read more