Lake Side Cafe

What a great place! It took me about a year to finally go to Lake Side Cafe after it was recommended to me so many times. I guess I just did not expect such a clean and well taken care of place on Howard Street. The food is great quality, people are friendly, atmosphere pleasant, can't wish for more?

Posted 11/12/08

Since first opening their doors in Chicago Rogers Park, Lake Side Cafe and the Inner Metamorphosis University (I.M.U.) have attracted an enthusiastic crowd. Will their 3rd Anniversary celebrations on October 14th 2008 live up to a reputation for healthy, delicious food and inspiring entertainment? ?Easy question,? says Lake Side Cafe owner Amona Buechler - ?of course!?

Lake Side Cafe, voted Chicago?s Best Vegetarian Restaurant for 3 consecutive years (VegDining, Citysearch, Chicagoreader), has attracted a loyal clientele from all over the city. Unlike a regular restaurant, it also holds cooking classes, delicious gourmet vegetarian buffet dinners, performances and dancing ? it keeps its fans busy all year round.

The food is mostly organic and is supplied as much as possible by local producers. According to Ms. Buechler, a ?green?, eco-friendly approach has been at the heart of the restaurant?s philosophy since it opened.

On the same premises and sharing its entrance is the Inner Metamorphosis University. The I.M.U. aims to provide a program to learn mastery of the mind and emotions and a practice towards an experience of well-being and peacefulness, regardless of outer circumstances. To support its program, it holds courses, events, retreats, inspirational movie screenings and workshops for people of all ages and backgrounds.

What is in store on their 3rd Anniversary? If past experience is anything to go by, you can expect a day and night of exciting, healthy, delicious and inspiring entertainment - movie screenings, a special gourmet vegetarian and vegan buffet, artistic and spiritual performances and dancing into the night. Places are limited - book your ticket now!

Tickets Lake Side Cafe?s 3rd Anniversary Celebration on October 14 are available at the event location - 1418 W. Howard, at $22. They will be $25 at the door if space is still available.

Posted 09/25/08

Been eating here on and off for the past two years and this restaurant just keeps getting better and better.

A friend and I ate there last night and everything was amazing. The super cute server/manager/owner? (its hard to tell!) provided perfect service and the red bean and tofu special he recomended was as good as he said it would be. This place never lets you down. Just ask the server what they think is the best today and follow their lead.

It was particually beautiful there last night with all the windows open and an eclectic mix of music.adding the the comfortable and relaxing enviroment. You can tell the employees love working there and it really shows. From start to finish this is the best Vegi place in Chicago. Just wish they were open longer.

By the way did you know they show free movies there on Saturday? This place rocks!

Pros: Price, quality of food and ambience

Cons: Location and hours

Posted 08/09/08

On a recent visit to The Lakeside Cafe I was really turned off after watching the kitchen staff routinely prepare foods (sandwiches) and plates (scooping chips with bare hands and placing them on plates) using their bare hands! Isn't that a violation of health code? If I see it again, I'm calling it in. I expect utensils of gloves to be used in a public restaurant. This was a real turn-off. Great ambience. Good selection of creative dishes. Please stop putting your bare hands on the food that customers have to eat. Disgusting!

Pros: Good variety of foods

Cons: Staff uses bare hands when handling customer foods

Posted 05/22/08

The restaurant is way to far up north for my preferences, but it is worth the trip. The name Lakeside Cafe is a bit deceiving. The food and service is to good for the cheap moniker of "Cafe". The lakeside cafe is not just a cafe, its more like a fine bistro that also has the ability to educate its diners about living a healthy and forward thinking lifestyle with all of their classes they offer.

Their food has gotten a lot better in the past year. This is because of their (semi) new Chef Dashia (sp?). She is a wonderful woman who really cares about her food. Most other vegetarian restaurants in the city seem to cater towards the trendy vegetarians or vegans. Lakeside cafe seems to take a more creative/almost holistic approach to food. The cafe has a more real atmosphere and good choices like the great restaurants out west, like Millennium in SF. They are not making processed food to cater to the urges of meat eaters (no fake hotdogs or crappy veggie burgers, etc)

If you want great vegetarian junk food, get a veggie burger at the Weiner Circle in Lincoln Park. If you want honest food for those who truley live the lifestyle or even people that appreciate great tastes, go to the Lakeside Cafe.

Pros: Really good and unique food

Cons: To long of a drive to eat on a regular basis. No home delivery.

Posted 05/04/08

I love this restaurant and bring all of my friends here. It is such a good atmosphere and the food is really good. They have things that even non-veggies will find hearty enough and don't forget desert. I recomend the Vegetarian Gyro, but I love to order the Tao Bowl. My fav desert is the chocolate cake, but I also l like the date bar and the ginger cookie. Service is great!

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Service, Deserts

Cons: None

Posted 01/20/08

Yesterday I went to the Lake-Side-Cafe. Wow, what a place. The restaurant has a terrific design and it's only 200 yards away from the lake. I had a Veggie Chicago Polish and it tasted wonderful. As a desert I had a vegan cheese cake. It was the best cheese cake I ever had in my life, and I have had a lot of cheese cakes in my life. It's a must go.

Posted 07/01/07

Ok, so I am soooo not a vegan! BUT this restaurant is OUT of this WORLD! The greens, pizza and DESSERTS! So BEYOND! I will definately return!

Posted 06/29/07

I think this really the best vegetarian restaurant in Chicago. They do have great food and really do care about the environment as well. I was lucky enough to take a peek behind the scenes, organic food everywhere, great cleaning products, recycling; they do not just pretend like some restaurants do, just to make good business, they really do care. And the atmosphere is very friendly.
The pervious review really aggravated me "Too many bare hands on food!"
This must have been written by someone from the competition or someone who does not care about a small beautiful business like Lake Side Cafe. It is absolutely not against the health code to put dishes together with bare hands, the health code only requires washing hands frequently. Maybe the person should have enquired first, or talked to the manager about this. Just to write a review based on one's personal (wrong) guesses about the health code is quite something! I own a small business myself to know how they must feel about a feedback like this.
Well whoever reads this, just check this place out and see for yourself. I like it.

Pros: good food, friendly atmosphere, environmentally friendly

Cons: wish they were open all day

Posted 06/27/07

This place is the best...definitely worth a try! The price is right, the food is top-notch, and a very pleasant atmosphere!

Pros: Ambience, Food, Price

Cons: ?

Posted 06/25/07

I had a thin crust pizza, and it was very tasty. Also a vegan cake was so delicious. I will definately return for more.

Posted 04/16/07