Where can a group, half of whom don eat meat, get awesome cheap food in Chicago?
I agree with krautland. Chicago Diner is terrible for nonvegetarians. We go there all the time I agree that the staff is terrible and the place is crowded and uncomfortable cause Guy likes it, but it is for nonvegetarians like a steak place is for vegetarians. There is no middle-ground. On the other hand, Green Zebra is tremendously wonderful for vegetarians and nonvegetarians (although there is no beef, there is usually a fish or poultry option), albeit pricey. To go with the Penny’s suggestions, Noodles in the Pot or Joy’s are both cheap and good and vegetarian-friendly. The Third Coast is reasonably priced and although skewed to the salads for non-meat foods, a good choice. For lunch, the Spa Cafe in the Loop is an awesome veggie and nonveggie meeting ground. I love that place.
Green Zebra came up a couple of times; for the prices they charge, I wouldn’t call their food “good”. It tries to do the amuse-bouche style food, comes up short, and for a few people it’ll be a couple hundred bucks. Plus the portions are small, so if anyone in your group is an “eater”, they’ll be disappointed. Every Chicago-food thread that I see gets a shout-out for Lula Cafe, in Logan Square. Easily accessible from the blue line Logan Square stop, the food is incredible, decently priced, and the waitstaff has always been quite nice when I’ve been. The downside is that they’re small, and as such don’t take reservations. Don’t take a group on a Friday/Saturday night unless you’re prepared to spend an hour downing drinks at the bar waiting for a table. Brunch is AWESOME, though. In the Belmont/Clark area there’s Mama Desta’s, for Ethiopian, and the
