Chicago is popularly known as a hot dogs and pizza kind of town, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. But there comes a time in every closet-hippie’s life where one feels the itch to listen to Enya, free Tibet, and stuff one’s face with a tempeh reuben sandwich. In other words, it was time to take a trip to a vegetarian restaurant.

I’d tried a few places around town, and unfortunately hadn’t been particularly taken with any of them. Then there was the legendary Soul Vegetarian. The rumors started innocently enough. Soul Vegetarian, the whispers murmured, you won’t regret it. But it’s on 75th, I said, that’s such a long trek! Do it, the whispers insisted, or else you will drown in a pool of tahini-ginger-flavored regret. And so I found myself and a few adventurous compadres biking down to 75th St on a warm summer evening.

Soul Vegetarian certainly occupies a niche in the Chicago restaurant ecosystem, as I cannot readily think of another restaurant serving vegetarian soul food. For added cult appeal, the restaurant is run by Black Hebrew Israelites, whose influence is seen in menu names like Hebrew toast and Jerusalem steak. You can order a number of traditional soul dishes, sandwiches, and other classic entrees like lasagna. All items are vegan, other than the use of honey in a few dishes, and our server was also very accommodating when we mentioned that one person had a nut allergy.

Though the dining room is fairly small, we were able to snag a table without a wait on this weekend evening. The room was decorated with framed prints of jazz greats such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The rest of the furnishings seemed to be a motley collection of assorted chairs and tables. All in all, an unpolished but cozy atmosphere.

We began with the battered tofu, which arrived piping hot in a basket of blocks. The tofu was lightly breaded, and crisp on the exterior while being chewy in the center. Ketchup, BBQ sauce and tartar sauce were included for dipping. This appetizer goes to further prove that everything is delicious when fried. Collard greens and cornbread followed soon after. The greens were some of the best I’ve ever had, a flavorful treat that will convert even finicky eaters. The cornbread was a little dry (if only we could have added butter), but was still satisfying.

Next, we ordered a trio of sandwiches: the Handburger, the Prince Elkannon (Garvey) burger, and the BBQ Roast. Alas, the kitchen was out of buns at the time, so our sandwiches came on toasted wheat bread. This was actually not a terrible change, since the toast added a nice crunch to the sandwiches. My favorite of the bunch was the Handburger, made of a lentil patty and topped with lettuce and onion. The Garvey burger was similar, featuring a patty comprised of TVP (textured vegetable protein), while the BBQ roast sandwich included nuggets of TVP doused in BBQ sauce.

So, how well does soul cuisine hold up once you remove the meat and dairy? For me, the answer was “decently well.” There were no major disappointments, but neither did I ever forget that I was eating at a vegan restaurant. Soul Vegetarian shines the brightest when it isn’t trying to be a substitute for meat. Though the meal got off to a great start with the collard greens and battered tofu, the sandwiches left me with more of a ho-hum, “I could do that myself” kind of feeling. For those of you searching for the restaurant that will convert your carnivorous friends, this is probably not the one. Still, our meal was quite filling while being inexpensive. And despite other reviews of lax or surly service, I found our server to be one of the friendliest that I have encountered all year. He even offered to bring us an extra item when we couldn’t decide what to order.

If you would rather not work as hard as we did in transporting yourself to 75th St, there is ample street parking in the area, and the 79th St Red line stop is 0.8 miles away. Or, you can take the more adventurous route by biking south to the terminal end of the Lakeshore Path and then head west, though this may attract a certain amount of attention.

Soul Vegetarian East
205 E. 75th St
(773) 224-0104