Reviews
The food is delicious for being raw and almost 100% vegan (with the exception of a very desserts having honey). I took my boyfriend who is a vegetarian to Karyn’s Bistro for brunch and dinner and on both occasions he enjoyed the food.
You will find yourself satisfied with every bite and walking away feeling completely satiated.
I really enjoy the spring rolls and hummus for appetizers! Karyn’s Famous House salad is delicious with the raw ‘cesar’ dressing. You can buy the ‘cesar’ salad dressing in the store and take it home to share it with your family and friends. The Coconut Pad Thai is tasy and the ‘salmon’ sushi rolls are my favorite. Try the fig crepes for dessert or the chocolate fondue for dessert or even better try their ice creams, you will not regret it. . You won’t believe it’s made from all natural raw ingredients, but it is and it’s so good.
If you haven’t tried a raw food restaurant and are curious, don’t hesitate and give Karyn’s a chance. You will find yourself pleasantly surprised with the ingredients and the food preparation that will leaving you wondering why this is not available around the world.
If you are short on time, pack a meal to go from the deli bar that is available throughout the day with almond pate, sometimes beets or turnip salad, with either kale salad, and so much more…and don’t forget to try the ‘cesar’ dressing on your salad.
Amazing weekend buffet spread -the best way to try a diverse array of Karyn’s raw dishes including desserts, pastries, appetizers, soups, and meals.
All you can eat for $19.99 which is an amazing price, considering individual servings of dishes (e.g. deep dish pizza) retails for $10-$15 at the cafe next door.
I went with my boyfriend who had never tried raw food before and he loved the raw oatmeal and raw asparagus soup.
The portions of dessert (strawberry and vanilla soft serve ice cream) was very generous too.
I really liked that the restaurant was quiet on a Saturday late-morning -no screaming children or lines out the door.
Both the store and the restaurant are just a bit expensive, but nicely done! Great variety and nice atmosphere. Thank you, Karyn!
I’ve been here twice, now. And each time was an excellent experience. The food is really really good. It’s a fun place to take a friend and enjoy a relaxed candlelit ambiance.
Raw food is not weird! If no one told you it had never been cooked, you’d think you were just eating delicious. Lots of menu choices.
I didn’t like the sliders very much, but it was fun to try everything.
This place is AMAZING!! My partner and I were visiting Chicago from Northern California, where we are used to the Gratitude Cafe being our only option of we are in the mood to eat raw. We had the Carrot Cashew soup special and were literally moaning out loud because it.was.just.that.good. Lol couldn’t help it. I had never tried rejuvelac before so was curious about their mojito version, my partner had the cacao smoothie which we fought over because it was so delicious. We also shared the small bruschetta starter, and the cashew ceviche appetiser. My main entree was fabulous too- fresh, paper thin, crunchy and flavourful ravioli outer that somehow magically had a cheese reminiscent filling with a slight basil hint of flavor. Mmm! I definitely felt that “raw food high” during our meal and we both were so excited to have found a healthy for our gut & high enzyme meal while travelling. We loved this place… Karyn was even there and gave us a personal tour of the adjacent wellness center! Thank you again (:
Stopped in for a morning smoothie. I love how there’s no stress or doubt about anything I get from there. “Tuna” sandwich was amazing. It’s pricey but a good place to invest in your health at.
Great food.. Been there a few times and this place never fails to impress me..
Vegan pizza - best ever
Taco salad - super
Eggplant - awesomeDesserts - only thing which I gave it 4 stars for… Would have been 5 otherwise..
This place varies a lot, but basically the food is pretty yummy (and the desserts very yummy) and the wine is ok, and it’s a little loud. They don’t take reservations, which is a drag, but I’ve never had to wait too long and usually not at all. The wait staff is fantastic. Best tofu in the city in the salad. Karyn’s on Green is better for non-vegans to eat vegan at, and fancier. But I love KC.
Five years a fan… I’ll start with that. I discovered Karyn’s in 2009, a couple of years after I went vegan. I lived in St. Louis, MO, but would happily make the 4 hr road trip each way, to eat at her restaurants and drive 4 hrs back home, happy and full. Once I got my family hooked, this road trip became a summer tradition.
I’ve since moved from the midwest, so it had been 2 years since I’d been to Karyn’s. Luckily, on a recent trip back home, I had to fly out of ORD airport, so come hell or high-water, I was going to Karyn’s. Chicago traffic (if you know, then you know) + @ a 1 hour window to get to the airport and I was about 30 minutes outside the city limits. “Go straight to the airport !”- said reason. “You better get your Karyn fix while you can !”- said the foodie. So I called Karyn’s Cooked (phone # still on speed dial), placed my normal order, found street parking out front, and my order was ready and waiting when I arrived. Yes!!
My order -
FRIED BROCCOLI BASKET:
I’d would order huge pans of this appetizer when I lived in STL. Luckily, it still travels well, and it’s still delicious. Deep fried broccoli trees, perfectly seasoned, and a killer garlic aioli sauce. A must for any broccoli fan!JERK TOFU WRAP:
I order it w/o tomatoes, but with extra jerk sauce. It comes with 2 potato wedges (w/ BBQ dipping sauce) and coleslaw (which I omit). This is my favorite food entree. The spice level is on point! Flavor + high spice level = Tiggy heaven. Then there’s a creamy garlic sauce that she adds for a sensory boost. SO amazing!HOMESTYLE MEAT LOAF:
I used to like this dish, but it wasn’t good this time. I didn’t like the flavor or the texture of the meat loaf or the gravy. I’ll definitely pass on this dish next time.This also traveled well, in a great, reusable to-go container.
KEY LIME CHEESECAKE:
OMG! I didn’t pre-order this, but it was staring at me when I walked in to pick up my carry-out order, so I felt obligated to take a piece home with me. I thought I’d tried one of her cheesecakes before and didn’t like it, so I wasn’t expecting much. But my, oh my. It was so good. Thick, yet creamy, great key lime infused flavor, with a delicate crust (I believe it’s nut free, but double check if you have nut allergies.)… I was nearly in tears when I reached that last slither. The quality, taste, and the big piece that I was given made me forget it was a $7 piece of cheesecake. Well worth it! I want a whole order of this yumminess! This is easily one of my top 3 favorite vegan cheesecakes of all the vegan cheesecakes that I’ve had worldwide, thus far.In my haste, I forgot to order it this time, but I must also recommend their BREAD PUDDING. Coming from someone who isn’t a bread pudding fan, and never gets it elsewhere, trust me when I say that this bread pudding will change your life. (As long as you’re not allergic to coconuts; then you’ll have a problem.) I’m also not a fan of coconuts, but this warm, caramel-y, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth chunk of yum is outstanding, on all levels. This is another item that I’d order as a huge pan (think catering order), and drive it back to STL.
I’m so happy to know that over all these years, I can come back to a place and the food is either generally consistently good (excluding the meatloaf), and/or improving (i.e. the cheesecake).
I am from Chicago and recently moved to California. When I return back for a visit I crave certain foods and restaurants. Lets just say this last visit I couldn’t get enough of Karyns Cooked.
I was there for dinner five days in a row. I ordered the same thing each time. The steak wrap with soy cheese on the side, mac and cheese and bread pudding. OMG! So good.
I was also so pleased with the staff and want to give a shout out and a thank you to Juan, Adrian and Nacho. Your friendly dispositions and attentiveness were the frosting on the cake.
Oh, did I mention that the whole restaurant randomly sang out loud when Boys Of Summer started playing. I can’t promise there will be a sing a long but I can promise you will get hooked on the mac and cheese.
Submit your review | |
1 2 3 4 5 | |
Submit Cancel | |
My favorite place in Chicago!!!! Can't wait to go again !! The weekend brunch is amazing !! All my non-vegans friends love it too !
Great food! It would be nice to see some meals without tamari and noma shoyu, especially for those who have allergies to these ingredients. Thanks
It's great to see finally a new website!!! The other one was not very friendly at all! Yes the food is pricey, but if you've ever bought raw organic nuts on its own...you almost need to take out second mortgage just to be able to consistently always have them available. Food is good and it's nice to see new meals come out on a more frequent basis! In the past, it was almost always the same meals being sold. Just one mind boggling curious thought...why is there such a turn around with employees here. It's kind of nice to see the same employees working here everytime we visit. I guess it's all in running a business.