Soul Vegetarian East

I went, for the first time in several years, to Soul Vegetarian East last week. It is a completely unique vegan restaurant. As with many great vegetarian restaurants, the vegetarianism is based on religious conviction rather than attempts to be healthy. In striving to keep with their religion, the restaurant has created a unique vegan cuisine. Usually, I dislike restaurants that try to recreate meat; this is an exception. Think soul food without any animals.

My friend and I shared the Protein Tidbits--a mysterious blend of seitan (wheat gluten) deep fried in a tasty batter and served with barbecue sauce. It was awesome and hard to stop eating throughout the meal. (My friend tells me that they're great as leftovers warmed in a toaster oven--I can't verify this through my own experience-we ate them all.)

I ordered the Barbecue Twist sandwich and the greens and cornbread. My friend got the daily special--pepper "steak". I could only about half the sandwich because it was so big. The "twist" was seitan, homemade and twisted until it had a very hearty chew. The barbecue sauce was spicy and sweet. The greens were good, but maybe a little bland. I would guess just collards, tomato and onion. Still, a good complement to an overly fried meal. The cornbread is heavy--I'm not sure how they make it, but eggs and butter would make it lighter; considering the restrictions, it's impressive.

My friend didn't love the steak special, compared to the other dishes, but loved the salad. They have a great creamy dressing that leaves you wondering how they did it--was it tofu? Was it the soymilk equivalent of buttermilk? Who knows--it was delicious, garlic-y and complemented the salad very well.

My friend is a major meat eater and this is one of her favorite restaurants. I love it too. The cooks care about their food and have tried to make dishes that anyone would enjoy. The experience is fun and if you haven't been in several years, they've expanded the dining area.

I would recommend it to adventurous eaters looking for a unique experience. I would also recommend it to any vegetarians who don't mind occasional fried food in their diet. (Warning to strict vegans: ask about honey.)

Soul Vegetarian East
205 E 75th St - Btwn S Michigan & S Prairie Ave
Chicago, IL 60619

I also like the barbecue twist and protein tidbits, and the fact that it is a block away from Lem's BBQ always makes me smile. Actually, the last time we went to Soul Vegetarian, we stopped by Lem's afterwards for some ribs to go.

As much as I like Soul Vegetarian, service there is always lackadaisical at best. I realize that all of the servers are volunteers so I put up with the slow service, but I'm not sure how many others are aware of that fact.

Count me as another fan of Soul Veg. Yes, the service is terribly spotty, but the food is fantastic.

Sadly, I haven't been in about two years, but from what I recall ALL of the fried morsels of appetizer are great (mushroom caps, the protein tidbits mentioned upthread, etc), the handburger and the BBQ Twist also satisfy even meat eaters like myself.

While I would likely not eat a banana if my life depended on it, I sort of recall a banana pudding or creme pie or something that my friends raved about. Their other desserts in general are very nice; I like them better than Chicago Diner, though less than the vegan cupcakes I make at home for friends.

So if you're prepared to spend some time relaxing with friends and have a, um, leisurely meal, Soul Vegetarian East is a unique place to do it.