Chicago Cheap Eats

When I dine alone, I actually prefer dives, diners and secret basement dungeons. The East Village and West 4th Street surrounding Washington Square Park were perfect for me. I had to research Chicago and find the hidden gems that were veggie friendly and cheap. Lucky for many Chicagoans, cheap vegetarian eats are right outside your door.

I have been making my final rounds before I head out of town. Here are some of my favorites!

Petite Pita

3952 North Sheridan Road (AKA Sheridan Red Line stop).

Small Hummus plate $2.50 & side of 3 falaful @ 5o¢ each. Total bill = $4.00 + tax.

The hummus is perfect fort this hot weather. Not too thick or too runny. The falaful is seasoned rather than bland and tasteless at most places. I am there every week and they even gave me some lentil soup to try. I think they like me:)

Ajé Café

2942 North Clark Street

Garden Veggie, Feta Cheese & Cucumber  sandwich with Balsamic Basil dressing $4.39+ tax.

Ajé Cafe is known as the gourmet coffee and sandwich spot that opened earlier last year. I’ve been a skeptic at ordering sandwiches at coffee shops but the aroma of everyone else’s sandwiches made me hungry to try it out. The ‘Garden Veggie’ sandwich is light and healthy and the portion not too much. I get it toasted on multigrain.  I always go for complimentary fruit salad side. It’s perfectly satisfying if you want a light and healthy lunch:)

Vegetarian Express

3109 North Halsted Street

Soy Chicken Tamales Combo $6.59+tax = 2 tamales with rice & beans.

I come here more than I probably should so now the owners expect to see my mug 2 times a week. I like everything I have tried here. But among my favorites are the tamales. I usually get soy chicken combo which is 2 tamales, rice and beans for $6.59+ tax. The seasoning in the tamales make it flavorful. Since their entire offering is vegetarian, you have a lot of choices!

Yuki Hana

2920 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL

Finding good veggie sushi has been a challenge. It usually ends up being bland, tasteless and messy. But, I found Yuki Hana where the veggie alternative is addictive.  I suggest the seaweed salad $3  and the 312 $3. The salad is a mix of cucumber, carrot and seaweed which is light and healthy. The 312 is sweet potato, cream cheese tempura drizzled in eel sauce. No reason to panic, the eel sauce is just a type of soy sauce combination without eel. It makes eating sushi a fun experience again for me! It’s always happy hour here where everything is $3+tax.

Hanabi

806 West Webster Ave.

I never tried Bi Bim Bop but a friend obsessed with all things Japanese, Korean and Thai introduced me to it. I have been hooked on this bowl ever since. You can order it vegetarian and without egg if you want. I’ve tried bim bim bop other places but they just don’t measure up in price or taste. 

They use a special in-house made sauce which is the treasure to the bowl and from most things I have tried, I think this is the bowl that strikes gold. At lunchtime, you’ll pay $8.95+tax but after you’ve tried it, it is completely worth it!

There are probably many more little places through Chicago’s grid but in Lakeview where I did not have to travel far, these places became second residences for me. So glad to have found  such a veggie friendly city

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