My coworkers chose this place for a team outing. We sat in the back patio area. The place was cute, the food was good with lots of options, and the service was good. I don't live close to this place but I hope I'll get to go back at some point. read more

Few friends and I went here after wanting to try some more veg places. Came in as a party of three waiting for one more friend to join us, after standing around for about 40 minutes the host indicated that she wouldn't seat us b/c the party was not complete - but even as a party of three we would need a table with four seats, not two. So that was a little annoying, she wasn't quite nice. We decided to just stay at the bar in that case. The bartender asked another bartender if we were served after sitting for about 15 minutes... Ordered drinks and the grilled cheese and buffalo chicken wrap. The wrap was pretty good, the grilled cheese was just ok. The only thing that saved this experience was the bartender Roberto! He was great! Only one that looks like he is enjoying himself. The decor was also pretty cool. Might return. read more

Handlebar is one of those restaurants I doubt I'd frequent by myself, but it has a perfect atmosphere for having a group of friends with you. I really enjoy the mac and smoked gouda mac 'n' cheese and BBQ seitan. The Greenie Meanie has also found its lovely way to my stomach. It can be quite loud, I've never been without needing a wait, but I do enjoy the variety of people I can normally see about, the servers I've had have all been friendly, and it mixes the feeling of being a busy restaurant with a social bar. read more

Sometimes I wonder if I moved here to be closer to Handlebar, a bike-enthusiast beer drinker's paradise. Its pescatarian food leaves me feeling fresh even after consuming 3 bottles of Mighty Arrow. I go so often that the bartenders and servers raise their eyebrows, Weren't u here last night? And I seem to have a special table (the one in the corner near the windows). Lightly breaded and seasoned, theirs is the best tofu I've tasted during my 6 months in 60647. The Buffalo "Chicken" Wrap easily wows all my meat-eating friends, and the Everything Green Salad (edamame, avocado, spinach, green goddess dressing) is my mom's favorite. Every day of the week they offer shots of tequila with Tecate for five dollars. Noted for their extensive beer collection, Handlebar has been listed in the Reader's top 30 Chicago Restaurants. read more

I try and get to this place when im back in town, i love the food there! Great vegetarian food!

ok people this is were i walk away with my tail between my legs and admit i was slightly wrong here. this is a big step for my stubborn self so bare with me. handlebar i apologize..after another visit i deem you worthy of 5 stars. your service really is awsome. very attentive staff and quick with the food for my growling belly. and let me tell you about my new found favorite : bbq seitan you have my heart and then some. so with that said i hope you can forgive me read more

Love it! I've had most of the menu and I really enjoy that the specials reflect the season. The drink specials are great (my favorite is Bloody Mary Sundays) and though they have a varied beer selection, the cheap stuff is still available (and still cheap). The staff is friendly and tolerant of the stupidity that can come after a few drinks. read more

OK so I just had to find out why the fuss and boy am I pleased. I asked for seating at the bar. I ordered the Vegan Diablos with avocado (to go) and a Bloody Mary. The meal was packed it an earth friendly box with the black beans in a separate container. When I finally ate it, you could have asked me anything and the answer would have been "YES"!!! I read the other reviews and thought this would be some little Veggie Bite type place. I assure you it was NOT!!! The dish was packed with flavor that kicked butt as soon as you bit into it. And the Bloody Mary was spicy, tangy and just plain Delicious bartender did not skimp on the alcohol either! My order was about $18 and it was worth every penny. I will definitely be back on a warmer day to chill out on the patio with another Bloody Mary and some of the dishes recommended by fellow Yelpers~ read more

Handlebar is a great place but I find it a little small and the music is really weird. Other than that, I really enjoyed the food and it is completely vegetarian. French fries were A-OK and I will definitely return for another round at Handlebar. read more

My husband and I both enjoyed our breakfast at Handlebar. We went on a Sunday morning and had to wait 10 mins for a table. It is a very small place and was extremely packed. The service was good, especially considering how busy it was. The thing that sucked was the fact that it was extremely noisy. I mean, we literally had to yell and repeat ourselves several times when having a conversation. If not for the noise, I would have given Handlebar five stars. Maybe it is quieter during off hours? read more

As far as beet salads go, this is as good as it gets. Add to it a side of fried plantains and it is total heaven. Service is always great. Prices are always great. I've been going here a long time and have never had a bad experience or less than stellar food. I can also come here with my vegan friends which is a huge plus. Great selection of beers and easy parking. read more

The Ground Nut Stew is hands down my favourite thing to eat within a 1 mile range. The fish tacos are also good. Good beer selection, great service. My friends and I love this place, brought my family here too. I just wish it was open a little later. read more

After having fried pickles here, I have come to the conclusion that they are, after the tater-tot, my favorite fried appetizer (I'm excluding wings here, because buffalo wings are a true art from). Handlebar's are pretty good. Not only that, given the fact that they have pretty good craft beers makes this a pretty awesome spot. The only drawback is that it's in the Wicker Parkish area. read more

So, i was recommend to this place for vegetarian grub. I was looking to order a plain veggie burget but beware its only on tuesdays that they serve em. I am not a vegetarian by any means but once in a while you know. Although I am looking to become one again. (yes again) At least pescatarian w a side of vegetarian. Anyway, i read another review about the unfriendly service and i dint experience that whatsoever. I mean the hostess wasnt overly friendly or anything but she was semi-hospitable. So i ordered the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and again I am by no means a vegetarian so im not even familiar w the terms etc. (well kind of) Whatever it was made of it did not taste anything like chicken but it was tasty. I think maybe it was falafel w wing sauce on it. I wasnt crazy about the sauce, it was tangy w a spice and stuff but i never was a sauce guy.(again i guess it was like a chicken wing sauce) But it wasnt bad for being pretend a chicken falafel wrap thingie. But the side of garlic smashed potatoes were AAAwsome w a capital A. (a nice healthy side too...enough for two people) very Garlicky w Scallion pieces chopped on top. Very Yummy. Oh and their to-go boxes were interesting little brown things. that looked like chinese take out but not really. The atmosphere seemed pretty laid back but it was 12 noon so i dont know. Decor was Coffee Shoppe w a twang. All in all i would def go back cause my curiosity would like to try so many other things. Plus I definitely wanna try a veggie burger. If you visit HB def get you some Garlic Smashed Potatoes and stay away from your lover for a while cause its probably best. Oh and i bet the Smoked Gouda Mac is the shiz. Go HandleBar, they are Balls Deep Vegetarian. cheers, read more

This is one of our favorite places to go in the summer, even more so now that we're following a mostly vegan diet. The patio is great, covered in vines and lights and kind of deconstructed urban feel. Go before 3pm and you can sit in the shade or sun and they have AWESOME brunch, go at night and sit under the lights and pick from their good beer selection. The servers have always been very nice an attentive, so not sure whats up with the bad reviews on that. read more

I live down the street from this health conscious, pescaterian joint and eat here often. Everything I've tried has been awesome; I get something different every time. My favorite is the plantain & black bean stack (not sure what its called). I've never tasted anything like it. They have a very good craft beer selection, daily specials, and the staff is good people. read more

Not a bad alternative/hipster burger joint. It's a little on the small side, but the burger selection had me go back a second time. They had a good selection of craft beers also . The service was also good. read more

Not sure if this is an oxy moron but this is the most hipstery vegetarian place I have ever been to! Hipster or not, their food is delicious. It was rainy and damp out, making me want something warm for my hungry tummy so I ordered the ground nut stew. It was so good, I couldn't stop eating. Plus it made you feel like you were eating something really healthy since it had nutritious amount of kale, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchini. There is a sweet hint of coconut, along with the nuttiness of the ground peanuts. This was so good I was super full from over eating because I couldn't stop spooning the sweet potato goodness into my mouth! read more

Bland food, subpar service, with a redeeming atmosphere. While I enjoyed the bloody slammer (ask for the fried pickle), most everything else lacked substance. The egg and sausage sandwich was salty and lacked flavor. The biscuits and gravy were boring. The French Toast was a bit soggy. Overall, brunch wasn't that great. read more

Not being a vegetarian, but open to the experience, I expect a bit of finesse maybe, something new and exciting to the vegetarian meals I try? There are moments where eating at Handlebar does deliver a new way to look at vegetarian food (like the biscuits and gravy) and there are times (like the BBQ tofu) where I wish I was eating something else. Overall its a success. Their drinks are killer, and for the most part, the food is enjoyable, if not particularly inventive. read more

The ambience of this place is pretty cool. The interior design is very unique. It is a little bit on the loud side, but not too overbearing..you will still be able to hear the people you're with. Now to the food, I was torn between the Blackened Catfish and the Sambal Tofu..in the end I order the tofu. My dish was no disappointment! The tofu came out crispy and all the leafy greens that came with the dish were perfect. The only thing that I would change is to lessen the amount of sauce not that it was bad or anything, but there was just too much sauce. My partner ordered the nachos and said it was the best nachos she's ever had. She said the only thing that she would take out is the seiten soyrizo. Other then minor changes to both our meals I would definitely come back here! read more

Good place for brunch and dinner with a group of friends that includes vegetarians/vegans and those who eat everything. Vegan French toast and biscuits and gravy will keep me coming back. Love this place. read more

So delicious. A friend of mine always swore he would never ever eat vegetarian. We all came here and he said, begrudgingly, that it was the best biscuits and sausage gravy he's ever had. Such good food and a fun atmosphere!! read more

I love this place! Their veg options are wonderful! And the flavors that they combine in their food is delicious. I love the Chicago Style Tofu. And the side of broccoli is out of this world! Also their macaroni is delicious. Sometimes service can be a little slow here and the staff is the typical hipster crowd. But the food makes up for it. It's a go to for everyone! read more

Sam bal tofu is suuuuuuper spicy and salty, had to order a side of brown rice, which is super small and cost &3, this place is overrated and overpriced. Not coming back. read more

Excellent veggie friendly spot! I love the breakfast burrito and fried avocado tacos!

Heard so much buzz about their nachos that I had to go... The final verdict; they were only ok. The chips seemed a little stale but the gauc and vegan cheese were amazing! Also had the Nashville chickin sandwich which was like biting into a bland greaseball. The fries were excellent read more

we tried the vegan red velvet cake, its so goood. 10/10 we definitely will come back to try their food.

Cute set up, hipster vibe. However service wasn't great - took 25 min to get a server, only after going back up to the host. Empty glasses left on the already small tables after getting new drinks, dishes not picked up for awhile. Took forever to get check, and then to pick up check. Just wish service reflected this cute restaurant. Otherwise food was delicious and $5 mimosas were a good deal! read more

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan but I absolutely love this place. I love their nachos and would recommend getting the cashew queso! It is kind of small so there can be a wait. read more

As a vegan, this was a very exciting find! Several of their dishes can be made vegan and are delicious! Their vegan queso is the best vegan cheese alternative I've had. read more

The first time I went there it was delicious but the service sucked. The second time I ordered the same thing which was something with eggs I can't remember name, but it wasn't good. The service was even worse the 2nd time. Went back, and I don't know why but the only consistent good thing is the sopes with refried beans and avocado and green salsa. Everything else was blah! read more

Everything I have had hear is great. I recommend the mac-n-cheese with any menu item. I used to be hooked on the BBQ Seitan sandwich, but last time I had it it was super dry and very disappointing. Right now I am all about the green meanie. Outdoor patio is great, unless the garbage man comes while you're eating, and then you're in for a stinky meal. I brought my parents here and my dad even tried seitan! read more

I really love this place. Its only too bad I live on the other side of the city so I don't get to visit as often but every time I do the experience is great. I am usually greeted for a table before I even get to the 'Wait to be seated' sign. The servers are always informative and cooperative with any questions a member of our group may ask. They have a great selection of beer and the foods are a great pairing. They always have a daily special, including Messenger Mondays. So if you are a bike messenger be sure to stop by on Mondays to get an extra bonus. The portions are so huge that I can barely finish them. read more

I love Handlebar! Everything there that I've had is pretty great. And they have good drink specials. $3 whiskey drinks? Yes please. Also great deals on good beer to go along with an excellent veggie friendly meal. The chili is dope. And all sandwiches are great too. And they have a place to lock up bikes up front! A++++++ read more

This is a great place for some offbeat veggie comfort food. Every entree is solid (red beans an rice with plantains, fake meat BBQ, etc.). They've got a great selection of beers (incl. spicy non-alcoholic ginger beer). During the summer, it's the perfect brunch spot. As you can imagine, the crowd is very bike-y. I'm talkin' about Chrome bags, beards, one pant leg up, large framed glasses, etc.) with a few beer geeks thrown in for good measure. The difference between the two? Beer geeks are bit chunky. One star off for a few times (out of many) where the food was "off." Not bad, mind you. Just not as good as it usually is. It can get crowded on weekends, so arrive a bit early. And forget about the last Friday of the month from March to October- that's Critical Mass time. read more

Y-U-M. im not currently vegan (although i have stuck to a vegan lifestyle for large chunks of time, so im somewhat familiar with meat replacements and alternative proteins, etc.), but i am absolutely veg-friendly and was excited to try this place. i was not disappointed -- the flavors and textures were amazing. i ordered the black beans maduro *its one of the dishes for which you have to request vegan preparation* (it was a tough decision, but if there are plantains on the menu, i will ultimately gravitate toward them :)). it was phenomenal. it was crazy-spicy, though (the menu did warn that the sauce was spicy, but damn), and id recommend that if you typically like medium-level heat (as i do), you might want to request a milder sauce (because the kick from the sauce had me tearing and i had to take a long-ish break from eating and then eat around the sauce when i was able to get back to eating again. sad, cause from my brief moments of non-pain, the sauce was yummy). since ive only ordered this once, i have no idea if its typically this spicy, so i guess id suggest erring on the conservative side if ordering this. despite all of my whining about the spice, i would absolutely order this dish again. other thoughts: -its a pleasant walk to and from the blue line. -it was surprisingly loud/busy on a wednesday night at 9. (bear in mind that i dont like crowds, so if you dont particularly care, i wouldnt worry about it.) -i was, by far, the lamest person there. if youre at all prone to feeling self-conscious in situations where youre, e.g., the lamest-dressed (:P), steel yourself before going in :) will absolutely go back (albeit shooting for an 'off' time). read more

Really like the Handlebar, good food, the service was very patient and good. the atmosphere was really nice, I ordered the bbq seitan, huge!! it provided me with a few meals afterward. Really want to go back. read more

How is it that I haven't reviewed Handlebar yet? I've been eating here since I moved to Chicago 2 years ago, and have yet to find a complaint. As vegetarian food goes, theirs has been consistently delicious, offering both healthy vegan/vegetarian options, and more indulgent ones. The vegan 'buffalo chicken' wrap with any of the sides makes a pretty delicious and huge vegetarian meal. The margaritas (on special for $5 on Saturday!) don't taste strong but do pack a punch. I'm sorry to say that I have yet to brunch here - will update when I do! read more

Cute place with a nice patio. The buffalo "chicken" wrap was amazing and honestly better than it would've been if it were real chicken (this is coming from a meat eater). The balsalmic vinaigrette was yummy and tasted homemade, and our waiter was cute and very personable. Plus beermosa's and shandy with oberon? YES! read more