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    Red Lotus Asian Kitchen

    3.4 (152 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Vegetarian
    Open 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM

    Order Red Lotus Asian Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

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    RED LOTUS ASIAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Red Lotus Asian Kitchen

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    Baked tofu with shredded pork, Assorted Vegetable and Meat in Casserole Soup, monk fish, Wok Braised Green Bean, Double Cooked Pork Belly
    Connie W.

    I've been coming to Red Lotus for years and years now, it's a staple Chinese restaurant in Chapel Hill. Pre covid the restaurant was always so busy, but now it's relatively quiet whenever I come. The food can be a hit or miss depending on what you order, and we usually order the same things every time because we know which dishes we like the most. We usually get the monk fish, wok braised green beans, and the assorted meat and vegetable casserole. These 3 are all so delicious! The casserole has soo much meat, veggie, and vermicelli in it, and the soup is so flavorful. Monk fish is cooked delicately every time and we love the black bean sauce. Green beans are a bit spicy but super tasty! We also tried the baked tofu with shredded pork and double cooked pork this time. The shredded pork dish had a bit too much ginger for my taste but otherwise was good! I wouldn't recommend getting the double cooked pork though, it was too soy saucey in my opinion. The owner was super kind and brought us a sweet, osmanthus soup dessert at the end of our meal. It was the perfect palette cleanser especially after some of the spicy dishes! Red lotus will always be a sentimental place to me and I can always count on it for a good familiar meal :-)

    $10 order of fried chicken wings
    Jillian G.

    Very disappointing. Not worth what they charge. I was most disappointed in the friend chicken wings. They weren't even full wings. I do not recommend this place.

    Julia T.

    This used to be a go to restaurant for me pre-COVID but unfortunately I think they switched chefs and now the quality is mediocre at best. The 松鼠鱼 and 腌笃鲜 were relatively good. The sweet and sour sauce with fried fish paired well and the soup was comforting. However, many ingredients for the stir fry dishes weren't adequately cut, cooked, or seasoned... Meats were too chunky and of different sizes, peppers were undercooked, and everything seemed lukewarm. Our party of 8 ordered 10+ dishes and many weren't memorable. For the price and relatively small portion sizes I would look elsewhere for Chinese food :( The servers were nice but the restaurant seemed understaffed. I hope this is temporary and also wish that the kitchen steps it up, since the dishes here were quite good before.

    Was so hungry that I forgot to snap photos before digging in. Fried rice with pork and Chinese sausage; mapo tofu; Thai green curry
    Matthew L.

    Devastated that Monterrey's (next door) was unknowingly closed for renovations... my friends and I decided to finally try out Red Lotus. In my 7+ years here in Chapel Hill I had always seen/noticed Red Lotus but had never been. The interior is very nicely decorated and clean. We were Kindly greeted by the hostess, seated promptly, and well attended to by our waiter. We had trouble deciding what we wanted but our waiter was super friendly in helping us make our food decisions. We were set on getting three things from the "American-Chinese" menu until our waiter guided our attention towards the more "traditional Chinese" dishes. Being on grad student budgets, I chose to the mapo tofu and my other friends decided on the Thai green curry and the yum yum fried rice. The mapo tofu was different than what I was normally accustomed to. They used a firm tofu instead of a more silken tofu and so the texture was a little off for me, however, the taste was very good. The Thai green curry lacked the "curry" aspect and actually came on a plate vs. a bowl. The potatoes were super buttery (maybe a little too much) and esthetically could have had more colors to make it look more appetizing. (Our mistake for ordering a Thai dish at a Chinese restaurant). The fried rice was on the oilier side -- it contained "Chinese sausage" which had a "unique" after-taste. Overall, the portions were big and it wasn't too bad. Was not the best Chinese restaurant I've been to but also not the worst.

    Black bean tofu Shanghai style
    Brenda K.

    I'm getting really tired of unimaginative Chinese food in this town. I ordered the Homestyle Black Bean Tofu from the Shanghai menu. It came prepared with onions and green peppers. While the tofu was reasonably good, it lacked flavor. This dish should be prepared with scallions and red chilies. Also the fried rice had nothing in it, not one lonely pea, corn kernel or carrot, What is going on? Red Lotus seems to be popular, so why are they cutting corners? I won't be back anytime soon.

    Complimentary crunchy wafers with a sweetish dipping sauce.
    Fred B.

    Well, we can cross this restaurant off our bucket list, and there'll be no return visit. The food we had was mostly average, or simply not to our liking in the least. The restaurant is located in one of the maze of strip centers between 15/501 and East Franklin Street, and it is on the smallish side, and rather dimly lit. The regular lunch menu is rather narrow, there are a few "daily specials" handwritten on a board, and there is a larger menu available, with a number of authentic Chinese dishes on it. After looking that menu over and finding nothing of special interest, we chose Dan Dan Noodles, Kung Pao Chicken, and Shrimp Fried Rice - soup (chose Wonton) and an egg roll (picked Beef) were included as sides. As we waited for our food, we munched on the complimentary appetizer, a type of crunchy wafer, with a dipping sauce, and we both enjoy them. Out first was the Wonton Soup and the Beef Egg Roll. The soup was superb, with some of the richest, most flavorful broth we've tasted. Unfortunately, the egg roll was a major disappointment, with very little beef, a bland flavor, and an underlying taste that was not especially pleasant. The Dan Dan Noodles were awful - the ground chicken (ground pork is always better, it seems) mixture was overcooked and the burnt taste was all you could sense, and there was no chile oil in the dish, it was very dry, and bland, with no heat. The noodles were decent, thought broader than most we've encountered in this dish (Super Wok, China Palace, Happy China), not especially a plus. The Kung Pao Chicken was also very bland, covered in a reddish sauce that seems to add nothing. There were more veggies than the classic version of this dish calls for - included were red and green peppers, mushrooms, a root vegetable of some ilk, and chopped carrot. Not a good version of a dish that can be excellent. The Shrimp Fried Rice was very, very good, once doused with a liberal amount of soy sauce. The shrimp were in good number, very fresh tasting, and perfectly cooked. In the final analysis, when your two best tasting items out of this order are Shrimp Fried Rice and Wonton Soup, you are most certainly not experiencing an excellent meal. The portions were plentiful, the pricing reasonable, and the service was efficient, if not especially engaging. This is obviously a family run business, as there was a 2 or 3 year old running around, and in & out of the restaurant, and once outside climbed on a bench and stared at us through the window at our booth for 10 minutes or so - not something I find appealing during a meal!

    I would much rather go to Shanghai Dumpling, which is like 10 minutes away from this place. I suppose if you're craving some generic Chinese takeout, it'll do, but if you're actually looking for real Chinese food, don't come here. I paid $38 for 1 soup noodle dish and another stir fry dish, both of which tasted nasty and the texture was pretty off too. The guy at the counter said the portions were generous, but it didn't even fill up the standard plastic noodle container that soup noodles usually come in. Not only that, but we found what looked suspiciously like plastic in our stir fry.

    Taiwanese Chicken
    Liuting Z.

    Not good. All the foods are not the type of taste I had in China. Really disappointed and will not go again. But the environment is delicate. Maybe native Americans will like the foods. Only recommend twice-fried pork 回锅肉.

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    2 years ago

    Very average food. Oils seemed to be well overused. Portions are good but flavors not to good.

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    3 years ago

    Always fresh and delicious. We go almost weekly! Family owned and run. Wish they had a place in Durham.

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    3 years ago

    Pretty good food and great service. Good place for lunch in Chapel Hill. Doing a good job coming back from COVID.

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    9 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Have been going to this restaurant for 8 years since we moved here. It is consistently good every time across a variety of different dishes.

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    6 years ago

    Always our go to Chinese restaurant for lunch specials or dinner. Great family owned place that's been around for years.

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    4 years ago

    Underrated. My favorite Asian food in Chapel Hill, give it a try if you haven't you won't be disappointed.

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    Spotted Dog

    Spotted Dog

    4.0(406 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    My husband's vegetarian coworker recommended this restaurant and we decided to give it a chance. He…read moreshould have hyped it up more because I thought it was amazing even as a an omnivore. My husband and I went on a late Saturday afternoon and we were seated immediately. We shared the Fido's Fries as an appetizer and I got the Chili Cheese Dogs as my entree. Almost everything could be made veggie or vegan so I asked for the dogs to be veggie. My meal also came with a side so I got the frickles (fried pickles). The Fido's Fries were beer battered fries, topped with cheese, bacon (we got the pork option but they have soy), scallions, & sour cream (on the side). The fries were absolutely delicious! I loved my chili cheese dogs as well. It was a very generous portion because it was two dogs and a ton of frickles. As a dog lover, I adored all of the dog art & statues around the place. The menu is even dog themed. I mean they call appetizers kibbles & bits. That could not be any cuter! There is indoor seating (with a bar) and outdoor seating. As you can probably already tell, the restaurant is dog friendly (with their outdoor area). They even have a dog friendly menu (called puppy meals). Service was superb! There is no dedicated parking lot but we easily found free parking a few blocks away. My mom is a vegan and we sometimes struggles to find creative meals when she visits. I will definitely be taking her here next!

    I was attracted to the outside of this building and assumed I was walking into a Irish/burger bar…read more We were transported to more of a dining side vs. bar so I only got to see one side of the place and I don't like to not see my drink being made. My drink was good but I'm pretty sure the house made syrup was made with sweetener that was not cane sugar and I'm very sensitive to any other sweetener. Menu was large and I had a hard time deciding. It is a somewhat vegan place much to my surprise so I figured why not try it here because I do love good vegan option even though I do eat meat I ordered the trio of patties black eyed peas and black bean. I took a bite of each and left the rest. Three different staff noticed my untouched food but none inquired or offered replacing it or removing it from bill which to me would be a gesture of a good business practice. My companion enjoyed and loved each morsel of his crab cakes! The battered fries were great! My server was very kind and attentive.

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    Spotted Dog
    Spotted Dog - Turkey Reuben

    Turkey Reuben

    Spotted Dog - Knock-Me-Down Nachos

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    Knock-Me-Down Nachos

    Sage Restaurant - Fessen Joon

    Sage Restaurant

    4.9(16 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    4-1/2 stars: Great menu, great food, slow service at lunch…read more We hadn't been to Sage since its move to Durham, so when an appointment took us to that part of town, we dropped in for lunch. In my memory it's even better in the new location. There's a mix of Turkish and other Mediterranean food on offer, and it was hard to make a choice. I got the falafel/hummus wrap and my companion got a salad. There is a small menu of beer and wine available, and we got a glass of white, and a non-alcoholic beer (Dry January). Both were perfectly fine for lunch. The food was super-fresh and well seasoned. The portions were more than enough for lunch. The only niggle is that the poor woman working as a server was all alone, and one person simply isn't enough to cover the whole place. We weren't in a hurry, but people trying to pack a visit into a short lunch hour might have been cramped. Anyway, we'll be back the next time we're in Durham for lunch.

    This is the second vegetarian Persian restaurant I've been to. It gave off no overt sign of the…read moredifficult times currently facing that part of the world. The menu includes a few options with tempeh but is mostly vegetable based, and is not full of artificial fake meats or weird fusion stuff. Ordering a sprout salad was a good decision. I was worried the nuts would be excessive but it was a reasonable amount, and the dressing and finely shaved vegetables made for a light experience. My vegetable stew came with some aromatic rice, and a satisfying flavor mix. Ordering tea was a good idea as well; almost everything in this cuisine seems to be lime-flavored. The overall portion size for price was not overly favorable. The location is near the hospital system and in an area with dicey parking, it does have its own parking spots outside and in an adjoining garage.

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    Sage Restaurant - Tables for six as well as tables for two

    Tables for six as well as tables for two

    Sage Restaurant - Sprout salad

    Sprout salad

    Sage Restaurant - Sage shaded outdoor patio

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    Sage shaded outdoor patio

    Lucha Tigre - Bulgogi Nachos. $15.99. Giant-size nachos with Korean BBQ beef, pico, kimchi, cheese, crema, jalapenos, black beans.

    Lucha Tigre

    3.9(441 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    We love Lucha Tigre for their unique menu and awesome vibe. Consistently good food, great options…read morefor gluten-free, vegetarians but really something for all. Service can be a little slow, but they are friendly and accomodating. Fun place to dine with larger groups too.

    We discovered Lucha Tigre thanks to Yelp. We enjoyed our meal here. I give this place 3.5 stars…read morerounded up to 4. Good food, for the most part, and great service. I'd come back. This is a casual, fun, Asian-Latin fusion restaurant and bar. Inside, the space is divided into two sides: bar and dining room. A big "LUCHA TIGRE" covers one of the bar walls and pop art decorates the main dining room wall. They also have a somewhat spacious, partially-covered patio. Overall, it's got a neat vibe. I booked our reservations on Lucha Tigre's website at https://luchatigre.com/ The reservation process was unconventional because instead of getting booked immediately, I had to wait for an email confirmation. On a Sunday, I got a "Pending Reservation Request" email at 2:16pm followed by a confirmation email at 2:52pm, so a 36-minute turnaround time. I got us a same-day reservation at 5pm, not a peak time as evidenced by the lack of customers upon our arrival. However, business had picked up by the time we left around 6:30. The menu had an interesting selection of food and drink. A few good examples of the Asian-Latin fusion served here include General Tso's Chicken Empanadas ($5 each), Pozole Ramen ($15.99), and Pad Thai Al Pastor ($16.99). They also serve straight-up Asian and Latin dishes like pho ($14.99) and tacos ($2 and $4 each). Drink-wise, they had a full bar with a decent selection that included tequila, mezcal, and sake cocktails. They even had a cocktail made with Japanese Suntory Whisky Toki. Here's what my wife and I had: Bebidas Especiales (cocktails) * El Conquistador ($14) - Tequila Herradura Silver, freshly-squeezed citrus, Cointreau Tapas * Tuna Tiradito ($16.99) - sashimi tuna with aji amarillo pepper, onions, cilantro, roasted corn nuts, and fresh citrus; Nikkei cuisine * Bulgogi Nachos ($15.99) - giant-size nachos with Korean BBQ beef, pico, kimchi, cheese, crema, jalapenos, black beans Entrees * Salmon Poke ($18.99) - raw salmon with sesame, onion, and tamari with seaweed salad, rice, and avocado * Pollo Saltado ($16.99) - stir-fried chicken, tomato, cilantro, onion; served over fries with rice and salad In general, we were happy or content with everything. Some dishes were better than others. Beautiful presentation all around. The El Conquistador was a margarita that was more tart and less sweet. It was refreshing. I liked the Tuna Tiradito more than my wife. Tiradito is like Peruvian sashimi. I thought this dish was fine. I could see why my wife didn't like it as much because the texture of the tuna wasn't as fresh and appetizing as the tuna sashimi we're accustomed to. This tuna was a bit more "pasty" in texture. Also, the roasted corn nuts, which we think were the same as hominy, didn't add much. The standout dish was the Bulgogi Nachos. I saw pictures of it on Yelp and knew we had to order it. The portion size was huge and the Korean beef bulgogi was sweet and savory. We devoured the nachos. They were incredibly delicious and addictive. A lot of textures and flavors, and they all blended and worked well together. The Salmon Poke was solid. I recommend it if you like poke. Admittedly, it was better than we both expected because we haven't encountered a lot of great poke in the Chapel Hill-Durham area. Decent portions and fresh salmon, seaweed salad, and other ingredients. I will say the rice tasted plain and not seasoned with rice vinegar. The poke came with two sauces on the side, tamari (a type of Japanese soy sauce) and what I think was a type of curry sauce. The salmon was already nicely marinated and tasty so the sauces weren't needed. The Pollo Saltado was OK. It wasn't among the best I've had, but it was "authentic." The problems with this dish were the chicken was too dry and tough and the fries were underseasoned (not salty enough). Unfortunately, the salad was the best part of this dish. Our server Taryn was great. She was attentive and efficient. Everything we ordered came out fairly quickly. One detail I really liked and appreciated was Taryn neatly packed our leftovers and labeled and dated the boxes. That's an extra level of service you don't get at most other sit-down restaurants. Lucha Tigre opened in December 2012. It replaced the Chapel Hill location of The Original Flying Burrito: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-flying-burrito-chapel-hill You can find it in the Midtown Market shopping plaza, north of UNC's campus. There's plenty of free dedicated parking. I didn't have a good cell signal here and used their guest Wi-Fi. Password was Beefbulgogi1.

    Photos
    Lucha Tigre - Inside. Dining room.

    Inside. Dining room.

    Lucha Tigre - Seared Salmon Fillet, Heat Seeker Tofu

    Seared Salmon Fillet, Heat Seeker Tofu

    Lucha Tigre - Inside. Bar. View upon entry looking left.

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    Inside. Bar. View upon entry looking left.

    Pomegranate Kitchen - Today's pastry/kolasch selection

    Pomegranate Kitchen

    4.6(64 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Persian flavors and Mally are the reasons to visit this out-of-way kitchen. My wife and I stopped…read morein for lunch while looking at another nearby shop. We were greeted warmly by David, the assistant, and he explained each of the available dishes on the trays stacked on the shelving unit. We chose pirashkis, flaky dough filled with meats or veggies, and plenty of yummy spices. Our two favorites were the tomato and the chicken and sausages. Mally, the owner and top chef, engaged us in conversation that felt like we were welcome guests in her home, specifically the kitchen. Mally gave us a plate of fresh greens from her garden complete with edible Nasturtium flowers. Very limited seating was available inside and the breezeway outside had a number of tables where we enjoyed our food and a cool breeze. After our lunch, we walked back to the kitchen to tell Mally how delicious everything tasted and I picked up a baklava to go. Tasty walnut and honey in layered philo dough was a great finish lunch. This woman-owned small business is worth supporting, IMO, for all the reasons above. Additional Note: Rice and stew options are available as noted by other Yelpers.

    The food is very tasty and vegan and gluten free by default. You can also add meat if you want to…read more The service is great and the owner is very nice and welcoming. Definitely suggest this place to anyone who is in the area around lunch time.

    Photos
    Pomegranate Kitchen - Mally, owner and head chef

    Mally, owner and head chef

    Pomegranate Kitchen - Baklava - walnut. Yum!

    Baklava - walnut. Yum!

    Pomegranate Kitchen

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    The Refectory Cafe - Cheese platter

    The Refectory Cafe

    4.1(442 reviews)
    6.0 mi
    $$

    Solid brunch spot with great service and lots of GF options -- execution needs a tune-up (4)…read more Visited The Refectory Cafe on a busy Sunday morning. Parking was tight but doable in the lot. The space is charming inside and out; the shaded patio has a nice vibe, though foot traffic to the entrance passes by those tables. Ordering is walk-up, and food is delivered to the table. Menu is broad with clear gluten-free indicators (huge plus). Coffee was dark and delicious, and service throughout was genuinely warm, knowledgeable, and fast -- easily 5 stars for hospitality. Getting to-go boxes was effortless and we were offered refills often. Food was a mixed bag. My wife had the gluten-free smoked salmon toast with avocado. She wished the veggies and tomato were grilled; the GF bread itself was very good, but the greens/tomato ended up pushed aside. I had the smoked salmon Benedict. The salmon portion felt light, and the hollandaise leaned more toward mustard than citrus and was a bit thin. Breakfast potatoes and veggies were nicely cut and well-seasoned but undercooked; same for the bacon, which tasted more tough than crisp. (I reheated the potatoes/veg at home -- flavor was there once cooked through.) Prices felt reasonable, ingredients seemed thoughtfully sourced, and the team's earnestness shines. With a little tighter execution (fully cooked potatoes/veg, crisper bacon, brighter/thicker hollandaise, slightly more salmon, grilled tomatoes), this would be an easy 5. I'll definitely be back -- I gave it a 3.7 but rounded it up to 4 stars for the service, coffee, and GF-friendly menu options.

    What a gem! This café has a warm, inviting vibe with its colorful murals (the sunflower wall…read moreoutside is stunning!) and plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. We sat outside under their covered patio; it was drizzling when we arrived, but the space was still comfortable. When sitting outside you have to go inside to place your order but they bring it out to your table. My kids ordered the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. They're a decent size for little ones, topped with fresh strawberries (tip: if your kiddos aren't into strawberries, just ask to have them on the side like I did). You can also add extras like chocolate chips or blueberries for a small up-charge; both of mine loved theirs. I ordered Huevos Rancheros Brunch, which was good. Crispy tostadas loaded with tender shredded steak, beans, lettuce, and cream, and ask for a fried egg cooked medium so the yolk spills out perfectly. It came with pico de gallo and jalapeños on the side (I skipped those, but if you like a kick, i'm sure they will add great flavor). I tried their seasonal S'mores Latte; sweet, creamy, and topped with whipped cream and drizzle. Their dessert case is worth a peek; cakes, cheesecakes, pies, even vegan-friendly options. Didn't have any but next time. The staff were all so kind and welcoming, smiles all around.

    Photos
    The Refectory Cafe - Indoors

    Indoors

    The Refectory Cafe - Fall Walnut Gnocchi

    Fall Walnut Gnocchi

    The Refectory Cafe - Cherry pie

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    Cherry pie

    Pure Soul - Chkn Strips plate with Kale Caesar & Soul Mac

    Pure Soul

    4.9(270 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$
    Vegan friendly
    Outdoor seating

    My experience at Pure Soul was excellent. From the moment our group walked in, we were warmly…read moregreeted by Andrew, who was friendly, welcoming, and provided a true sense of hospitality. The food was outstanding. It was refreshing to enjoy delicious vegan soul food that genuinely captured the flavor, comfort, and authenticity of traditional soul food in a fully plant-based form. There are so many delicious options, it's hard not to order everything on the menu. It was nice to enjoy authentic plant-based soul food while visiting from California. I was also impressed by the wide variety of dessert options available, which made the experience even better. It's not always easy to find vegan desserts with both quality and selection, but they definitely delivered. This place is truly a gem, and I will definitely be back again.

    Seriously one of the best restaurants I've eaten at, EVER. In my life! As a lifelong vegetarian, it…read morewas overwhelming to look at a menu and be able to order literally anything I wanted. I was also happy to see that, on top of that, there are lots of gluten free options--it can be kinda hard to find vegetarian AND gf at a restaurant, so that's a big bonus! I was with a group, so we tried a lot of different menu items, and everything we ordered was, like, the best thing we'd ever eaten. I dream of the soul rolls! And wouldn't be right not to order sweet tea. Andrew and his staff treated our table like we were royalty, so not only was the food incredible, we had an amazing experience, too. You can really tell the love and care that has been put into curating such an authentic, cool spot. Impeccable vibes.

    Photos
    Pure Soul - Vegan Shrimp Po'Boy Oh My!

    Vegan Shrimp Po'Boy Oh My!

    Pure Soul - Chicago Burger and a Sweet Tea on a nice day

    Chicago Burger and a Sweet Tea on a nice day

    Pure Soul - Vegan Fried Fish, Sandwich & Plate! Need Gluten Free? Go for the Cheese Fries or the Gluten Free Soul Mac!

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    Vegan Fried Fish, Sandwich & Plate! Need Gluten Free? Go for the Cheese Fries or the Gluten Free Soul Mac!

    Red Lotus Asian Kitchen - chinese - Updated May 2026

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