Karyns on Green

This place has closed down which is a shame .
Karyn — Open up a small place, slightly toned down, somewhere in Lakeview
I am sure you will see better results !

We came for brunch, first visit. I am vegetarian and have been looking forward to trying this out. The location and décor are very pleasant. The service was also attentive and polite. Unfortunately, the brunch was a huge miss. Quite simply, the food was pretty terrible. The pancakes tasted of uncooked batter and were less than average considering the price. My companion had French toast. Some of it was burned some was undercooked and soggy. The compote with the dish was disappointing as well. Neither of our dishes were flavorful or highlighted the possibilities of a vegan restaurant. I won’t go back.
While I cannot speak for lunch/​dinner options, given how the simplest dishes for breakfast were done so poorly I wonder where Karyn’s went wrong. Overall food was pretty sad considering what good reviews this place has received on Unilocal

Great healthy vegan lunch options! I got the vegan burrito and it was delish. it also came with some perfectly flavored kale chips :)

I’m neither vegan nor vegetarian, but my good friend is, so when she came to visit, we decided to try Karyn’s on Green. We made it just in time for brunch, and man oh man, was it delicious. My other omnivorous friend who joined us, who was skeptical that he would be able to find something filling or tasty, was quite surprised, too! I think my favorite dish – which I didn’t even order, just sampled from – was the butternut squash soup with roasted chickpeas sprinkled on top. It was like heaven in my mouth – like little vegan angels were doing happy dances on my taste buds.
The staff was attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable with our questions about the menu items, and the restaurant itself had a very elegant appearance. It was quiet and not too busy when we arrived – in the mid-​afternoon between the shift from brunch to dinner.
Overall, awesome experience. I’ve continued to refer this place to friends and family, regardless of whether animals (or they by-​products) are part of their regular diet.

This is an update of my last review. Please be sure to see that one as it really talks about the restaurant.
Update:
Alas the $ 8 breakfast bread table no longer exists. It was soooo good… But too good to be true I guess.
I have not made it back for dinner recently but the brunch has started to slide a bit on the experience side. In the last two times there have been issues with service from forgetting portions of the order to being out of multiple items, but not being told until after the order was placed. This, from my observation, is less about the server and more about them being understaffed during brunch hours (1 waitress from the entire place).
You may note that I knocked them down from 5 to 4 stars. With the service issues it is no longer a must-​take-​everyone-​there place, but still good eats all around.
Finally as a new parent, I can comment on the kid-​friendliness. This is a Sophisticated place… Not a place for children or babies. however brunch tends to be less crowded and they can seat you in the booths in the back so you have space. If you want to try this place go for t with your baby in tow, but plan for no changing stations or kids meals (which I would expect at a place of this caliber)

This was a first visit, and my carnivore mate joined me. First impressions, WOW! Beautiful and not expected for vegan food. We were all dressed up and wanted upscale eats to keep us feeling like adults hanging downtown. My review is more of what has already been said by others, very well decorated, good food, polite and attentive staff, and enough food to satisfy. We actually had leftovers.
The crabcakes were a big hit with both of us. Dare I say they were the best thing I’ve ever eaten vegan. They were very well seasoned, and they had a nice outer texture with just enough crunch. I’d drive the 30 miles for them, or press that way when downtown. The crabcakes were part of the slider appetizer, which also included a meatball slider and a bbq slider that reminded me of pulled chicken. Of the 3, the meatball was my least favorite. It was flavored like an Italian meatball and packed with caraway seeds. Years ago when I ate meat I didn’t like Italian sausage so I’m not a good opinion to follow for that. We also had the peanut butter chocolate brownie with vanilla bean ice cream on top. It was plenty to share. The ice cream tasted more like ice milk. I’m more partial to a particular commercial brand of coconut milk. This was just ok. As for the brownie, the agave coating on the plate was sweeter than the entire dessert. We sadly did not taste any peanut butter flavor. The texture was cake-​like which some prefer, but I like the fudge texture more so I was a little sad about that. Still, the entire experience was well above average for both of us and we will go back. I’m so proud of Him for taking the adventure and that He found something enjoyable. The infamous crème brûlée was unavailable on New Years day, not sure why.

Full disclosure. I am not vegetarian or vegan. Full disclosure #2, I was excited about trying a soup that didn’t end up being available.
I had black bean soup. It had a nice kick and a robust flavor overall. That said, it was puréed, which I missed when it was described, and without actual beans it didn’t seem very filling.
I did get a side of home fries (kind of random, but I had a craving) and those were to die for. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that they may have been the best breakfast potatoes I’ve ever had (the seasoning was PERFECT).
We’d heard about Karyn’s from a vegan friend who loved the crème brûlée; even though we were there for brunch we decided to go for it. It reminded me of rice pudding. Very good with a hint of cinnamon.
Overall, Karyn’s was a-​ok. I’m probably not the best person to review it because I’m not veggie/​vegan and have an odd bias against meat substitutes. Hubby, who is vegan, said it was one of the best meals he’s had in some time.
I suppose we would come back in the future, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get there.

I have to admit that I’m not the guy who comments or review on the businesses, but this one deserves a good review from a Vegan who is searching everywhere I go when I’m traveling. The place is very nice, clean, low light, excellent personnel, answer my doubts about the food, no every place that say is Vegetarian is it, but I liked the ambience. I tried the Portobello steak with veggies, in the start with a butternut squash soup that was exquisite! I was full with another appetizer, but I want to order a dessert that I had to take out! Then in the hotel I tasted and was awesome! Now I’ll return for a second chance with another nice dish! :)

Karyn’s on Green does EVERYTHING RIGHT. I remember coming here a few years ago when my brother threw my sister-​in-​law a birthday party in the upstairs special events room. Everything was great – delicious food, attentive service, gorgeous setting. Then I went to a community event in that same room – and same experience. Then when it came time for figuring out where to have my Saturday birthday brunch last week, I was really dreading making plans for that. Typically brunch for large groups in the city can be tough, with long waits and booked reservations and crabby restaurant folks when your entire party does not show up on time. So I was happy when I was able to make a reservation for a table of 7 so easily. That morning, texts from my friends were pouring in as they were running late due to traffic, weather, parking, small rowdy children, etc. I was nervous about the reservation but there was nothing to fear! The restaurant was calm and our table was set up in its own little nook to the side so it felt semi-​private. The staff were really kind and didn’t mind at all that we were all trailing in at different times. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, with large windows and simple lines and tasteful, modern decoration. It was really relaxing and my group spent nearly 2 hours just taking our time to catch up. They were also great and accommodated a high chair for my nephew, not minding at all that he was happily contributing to a whole mess on the floor.
So apart from the great logistics and staff, the food was amazing. All of us agreed that it was delicious, including us meat eaters of the group. Also I loved how it was one menu that had symbols next to it for GF (gluten free), SF (soy free), NF (nut free), and R (raw). I ordered the chicken fajita tacos with the butternut squash soup and did not regret my meal… devoured it! But was also very tempted by other things on the menu when I was trying to decide… the corn cakes, roasted corn quinoa salad, and the portobello sandwich, meatball sliders, crab sliders, etc. Basically everything! Will have to get these next time. :) The waiter told me too that they had GF bread that they could swap out any of the regular breads for among the sandwich choices which was helpful. In the end I also treated myself to a raw cinnamon roll and almond milk as a birthday treat, which was just ok. Not mind blowing and I should have known better as raw is raw, but I was expecting more of a smoother creamier texture and it wasn’t it.
The next time I want to have brunch in the West Loop on a Saturday I will not hesitate to go to Karyn’s! Or any other time of the week, really. These guys know what they are doing and will relax you while serving you real, delicious food.

My friend who is a vegetarian made a huge effort squeezing me in before her flight out to DC. So, the least I could do was find a restaurant where she could order something. The only time we could get together was during my lunch, this place was perfect as it was close to work and her to get on the expressway to head to the airport.
Great décor! I don’t think I have seen a resto so large that caters to vegan/​veterinarians.
After being seated, we ordered some tea. Mine was called flowering tea. When they bring it to the table, it is in water and dried of course and in the shape of a closed flower. After a few minutes, the flower opened and my tea was ready to drink. Very cool.
My friend ordered a salad and I ordered crab sliders (no meat of course) and fries.
Very thing was great! I would definitely go back. However, I am a meat eater!!!

Nice vegan restaurant perfect for couples and families. Comfortable ambience. For starters, we had employees pizza. It was a vegan pizza with faux sausage. Taste was great and it was very satisfying without all the fat and grease. The vegan chicken drumsticks were made to look like the real fried chicken. It was crispy on the crust and succulent on the inside, but could have had more seasonings. The tofu dish was seasoned perfectly sautéed with bokchoy and basil leaves. We had a raw vegan carrot cake for dessert. It was delightful. Highly recommended.

I have to admit, when a former co-​worker picked a vegan restaurant to meet at for dinner, I was less than thrilled, I was even less enthusiastic when I saw the menu. However, once the food arrived I was pleasantly surprised. The food was really good. They had a good variety of different types of foods all of which had a lot of great flavor. This was by far the best vegan food I have had.
Great ambiance, nice place for drinks, not the best for families or kids.

Love the ambiance and the music (I asked the waitress what they were playing and it was the Jamiroquai Pandora station, which I love!). Our waitress was very sweet and nice. I’ve actually had her on 2 occasions.
For the most part everything was delicious. The caramelized brussel sprouts are to die for! I also really liked the sliders. The warm chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream and coconut crème brûlée were all very good. I’ve also had the strawberry peanut butter cookie ice cream sandwich for a lunch treat and it was very good as well. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the broccoli soup. It didn’t have much taste at all.
It was never very crowded the times I’ve gone, always on Friday evening so I think that is a great time to go. Also lunch time it isn’t very busy but I normally order takeout since I work in the area.

I feel like my three-​star rating is generous. It’s a lovely space, and the server was very nice, but the food was not great. The best thing I had all night was the cheese plate, which was quite tasty. But the entrée (chicken parm) was not good. The pasta it was served with was mushy and bland, and the vegetables on the side were cooked to a pulp. Also the «buffalo mozzarella» on top of the chicken parm was truly gross. I would just leave it off– it was very sour and not at all good (and I liked the «cheeses» in the appetizer so I’m not just a veg cheese hater).
Biggest disappointed was the charred brussels sprouts which came highly recommended by our server. Maybe they don’t know what «charred» means in the kitchen, but there was no hint of char on those bad boys. They felt like they were lightly steamed– maybe sauteed? In any event they were also mostly raw. Almost too hard to pierce with a fork and very crunchy (our table of 3 all agreed). I am normally a fan but these were really terrible. They need to just rename this dish to «dijon brussels sprouts» because that’s a better description– mostly raw sprouts covered in mustard.
My two girlfriends got the chicken legs. I tried a piece and thought the «leg» was pretty good. Their sides were ok– one friend liked and the other didn’t like at all.
All in all I didn’t think the menu sounded that great and certainly what I had did not inspire me to return. I’ve now eaten at all three of Karyn’s restaurants and I thought Raw was the best… but that’s not saying much.
Side note– Karyn was walking around and saying hello so that was nice, and I’m glad she stopped in while we were having our appetizer (cheese plate) so we could honestly say «this is so good!». If she had come by 20 minutes later we all would have had a tougher time being as effusive.

The looped television show about how the world is going to end in a plastic-​infested carnivorous consumption fest brought by overpopulation sort of killed the buzz.
However, I managed to keep an upbeat mindset regardless and managed to order the «Chicken Legs» — quite good. The other odds and ends were also tasty.
The atmosphere is classy, bordering on formal, and while I’d consider going back, it would need to be for a special occasion. The service was also very good.

Amazing! The staff was very friendly and the food was so damn good!
The atmosphere and ambiance is very chic and urban. The menu is diversified and delicious. This is a great place bring friends and family.

Carnivores leave full and satiated :)
Favorites include quinoa hush puppies, chorizo slider (especially the tomato jam), arugula flatbread, bbq seitan (especially the stuffing), and roasted portobello
Amazing drinks and even more exciting mocktails (aloe vera and kombucha!)
They also host quite a few events in their beautiful and airy space.

Came here for a surprise birthday dinner for my boyfriend (who is somewhat of a new vegetarian).
I am a carnivore– and as a carnivore I was skeptical to what vegan food might have to offer.
So glad we checked it out! This is by far is one of the best foods we’ve ever eaten (vegan and non vegan). We plan to be back and try more of the menu options– we played it safe since it was our first vegan experience and did not know what to expect. (Our main courses were pasta and tacos lol). Needless to say they were good but defiantly think we could’ve done better in our choices.
Service was overall good– a little slow and I’ve had to ask for water refills when we were empty. Out waitress was very helpful in recommendations.
The slider was delicious the texture of the «patty» was identical to a real one– that threw me off! So good!!!
I would highly recommend the arugula flatbread– to die for!
Karyn’s really set the bar high for vegan food for us! We will be back and you should try it!

Upscale vegan done right. Nice big portions, lots of options — both whole food and fake meat.
We started off with crab cake sliders and an arugula flatbread. The crab cake was great. I’ve had great crab cake done vegan so many times now that it frustrates me that we all just agree to leave the crabs alone. They are not needed to make awesome crabcake!
The arugula flatbread was good too though a little messy. Lots of arugula and the reduced vinegar got everywhere. My wife and I both washed our hands before the main course. Good though.
For the entrée we had fried chicken with a side of corn on the cob on the side. The «chicken» was great. It made a great leftover too. Before veganism leftover friend chicken served cold was a favorite of mine. Thank you Karyn for letting me enjoy it again! The chicken was served with a great sweet bbq sauce on the side and mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli rabe.
Special attention must be paid to the corn on the cob. It was served with vegan butter and a root beer reduction aioli. I did not taste root beer but altogether it was awesome.
If you are in Chicago you owe yourself a meal at Karyn’s!

We made reservations for Sunday brunch at 1pm but it wasn’t necessary. It was a slow afternoon and only five tables were occupied. The restaurant has a very Zen-​like and clean setting.
Our party of six skipped the appetizers and went straight to the entrees with crab sliders, biscuits and gravy, and banana pancakes. I had the banana pancakes and they were marvelous. There were four pancakes stuffed with bananas in addition to fried plantains and blueberries atop with sprinkled powdered sugar.
As for desserts, we had bourbon poached white peach, lavender cheesecake, and chocolate peanut butter pie. Each dessert was delicately presented. The poached peach was very refreshing whereas the lavender cheesecake was light and very well-​scented. Both of them were very enjoyable. The pie, on the other hand, was too rich for my preferences.
Service was quick and courteous. Parking was also relatively easy. Looking for healthy dining? Tis the place to be.