Vegan
American
Organic
Take-out
Bakery
Catering
Gluten-free
Vegan chef and catering company, opened this cafe 2019. Serves coffee, tea, and carry an assortment of baked goods, daily specials, grab 'n' go food. Fri-Sun evenings hosts a private 5-course gourmet vegan dinner by reservation only. Reported open October 2023. Open Mon-Sun 8:00am-4:00pm.
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613 W Briar Pl (at Lake View East), Chicago, Illinois, USA, 60651
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 18 Nov 2023 by Vegan Vagabond
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60 Reviews
First Review by citychic
MelisaMedina
Points +60
Average place! - Edit
The experience at this place was average. Unfortunately, I did not have a good time with the food. First, we called to confirm their location after getting confused about the previous one in Lincoln Park, and the lady who answered the phone was not very nice.
Read moreWe ordered a soy latte, which looked more like a poorly made cappuccino and had a strong plastic smell and taste. They changed it for us and served it in a mug, but the smell persisted, likely due to the milk. I ordered a croissant sandwich, but the croissant was hard, and the bottom was very greasy, making it inedible. My husband ended up giving me his breakfast burrito, which was okay.
As for sides, the croissant came with regular Ruffles chips, which I don’t think are a good match for a breakfast sandwich. Similarly, the breakfast burrito was served with tortilla chips when it would have been nice to have breakfast potatoes instead. Finally, I tried the coffee cake, but based on my baking experience, it was too hard and did not seem fresh; it appeared as though it had been made days ago.
I absolutely will not go again!
Guest
TiannaPrichard
Points +230
Cute little spot - Edit
Cute little café with fun wall art. This was recommended by a local friend to get while visiting and it did not disappoint. We got the breakfast croissant and I got a Maple Citrus Crème Brûlée latte. Both were delicious.
Read moreGuest
lilvegancat
Points +849
Slightly disappointed - Edit
Although the atmosphere of the place is great and in really cute part of Chicago,
Read moreit seems that the quality of this cafe is going downhill. The food in previous pictures looks nothing like what we ordered, especially the croissants which were dense and undercooked. They honestly looked and tasted worse than pillsbury. The burrito was cold in the middle like it was frozen and reheated.
Updated from previous review on 2024-06-24
Guest
MikeLunde
Points +79
Huge shout out to Fancy Plants! - Edit
I went for a bike ride this morning with two friends who are very much non vegan. On the way back, one of them recommended we go to a coffee shop with breakfast options he had been to before and liked. He initially found it through good reviews he saw they had. When we got there, I was so grateful to him for taking us to a vegan place, but he said he had no idea it was vegan. Both of them really liked what they got today as well. So, great job, Fancy Plants!
Read moreGuest
CarrickMcCullough
Points +149
Tasty little spot! - Edit
Cute cafe, classic coffees and teas with some more unique custom flavors as well. Good little selection of breakfast sandwiches as well as fresh baked goods. Would come again!!
Read morePros: Good food, Cozy atmosphere
Guest
frankinjection
Points +1074
Mostly arrangement - Edit
This vegan cafe is super nice, and the people are great. However it falls under what I call “assembly spots” where they use well known products to assemble a meal with no real creative slant.
Read moreI had the breakfast croissant, their best seller, which consist of supermarket vegan products. It was good, but something you can whip up at home. Still a great place to visit when you’re hungry.
Vegan Vagabond
I’m pretty sure they make everything in house. The seitan, the “cheese,” the baked goods, etc.
Read moreGuest
annieeatingstuff
Points +162
My fave place for breakfast, pastries, and coffee - Edit
The coffee cake!! The croissants!! The burrito!! The “lox”!! The chai!! Ahhh I cannot even verbalize how much I love this place. A staple for us. Everyone who works there is so nice and accommodating too.
Read morePros: Everything
Guest
Yvonne108
Points +114
Best breakfast and brunch - Edit
Get your guilt free breakfast on with rich favs and large portions!
Read morePros: Delicious food, Friendly staff, Easy parking
Guest
AgustinaTami
Points +35
Overestimated - Edit
This food is not made with love
Read moreVegan Vagabond
Can you give more detail? The chef behind this restaurant is very much into the love of serving good food. I’m curious to get more details.
Read moreGuest
Samantha18
Points +475
Top rated restaurant???? - Edit
We had really high hopes when we saw all of the great reviews and that it was a top rated restaurant, maybe our expectations are just too high.
Read moreWe had an awful experience. To start off there was only one employee in the entire cafe. She would take everyone’s order that was in line at the counter, then run to the back and heat up food in the toaster oven, thus leading to extremely slow service and long wait times.
We had ordered two items from the bakery case to eat until our food was done. Very disappointing baked goods. The walnut banana bread was hard as a rock and ice cold. The blueberry muffin was also rock hard and almost uncooked in the middle. We finally got our breakfast burritos and after the first bite, knew we had made a mistake. It was disgusting. So bad we couldn’t even finish eating them. Oh and I can’t forget to mention the tortilla chips from a bag as the side dish. Don’t expect to get the salsa with those chips because all you get is sliced up pickled radishes. We walked over to the self service counter where some sauces were to try and make the burritos more edible but didn’t even feel comfortable doing that because the bottles of sauce were also extremely disgusting. Crusty tops and practically empty bottles. At this point we asked for to-go cups for our tea and were ready to go.
All the way around it was a bad experience. To the identity crisis and uncleanliness of the restaurant, the single lifeless employee, and the awful and definitely not fresh breakfast food. It certainly was not worth the 50$ we spent. We are very confused how this got so many good reviews. There is nothing fancy about these plants.
Pros: All vegan , Off street parking
Cons: Bad food, not fresh , Cleanliness , Understaffed
Guest
bemmabarson
Points +36
Flaky croissants - Edit
Croissant sandwich is amazing, flaky and flavorful. The burrito is great as well!
Read moreGuest
AnnFromIllinois
Points +788
Must go! - Edit
We were lucky enough to get a seating at one of the Saturday dinners and loved every course. Refined food in a casual setting. Great staff too.
Read moreThe above review was for Fancy Plants Kitchen which seems to have closed and/or merged into the Fancy Plants kitchen. Still five stars though for this cute little cafe coffee shop.
Updated from previous review on 2019-11-10
Pros: Delicious, Affordable, BYOB
Guest
Vegan Vagabond
Points +4089
Don’t confuse this location with Fancy Plants Kitchen. - Edit
Fancy Plants Kitchen closed, unfortunately, but Fancy Plants Café is still open and going strong.
Read moreThis is a small little neighborhood café, with great coffee, pastries, and food items.
Guest
WFPBNOSOS
Points +298
Love this little vegan oasis - Edit
Incredible food on a quiet street.
Read morePros: Quality food, Cute space, Outdoor seating on quiet street
Cons: Would love for them to be open later
Guest
RachelJoy
Points +24
Awesome vegan food and vibe - Edit
This place is amazing! We were so impressed with the seitan steak, croissants, and vegan Brie and feta, all made in house! Chef Kevin is a super cool guy too. This place is a must-visit if you’re in Chicago.
Read morePros: Grilled seitan steak, Cheese plate, Chef and wait staff
Guest
meghanmansur
Points +368
Great vegan breakfast!! - Edit
Loved the breakfast options as well as the pastries!
Read moreGuest
rjmarciniak
Points +780
Cute café on a side street - Edit
Cute, small storefront café just off of Broadway Ave. Food is pretty good, just make sure to go early, as they often run out of some of the items. Excellent place for a coffee on a weekend morning.
Read moreGuest
Haley_Kat
Points +362
So good!! - Edit
Everything was great and the person working was very kind to my very disruptive children lol. Love the croissant sandwich
Read moreGuest
badlucky
Points +68
Delicious chill breakfast spot - Edit
I stopped by Fancy Plants on a whim after an appointment nearby, and I'm glad I did. I had their Croissant Sandwich with Just Egg patty, smoky seitan sausage, tomatoes, vegan cheese, and veggies, and a delicious spicy coffee called "Breakfast Club Latte" with maple, fennel, coriander, and black pepper. Both were really good. Vibe is relaxed and casual. Seems like a great local hang.
Read moreGuest
RobertaEdelman
Points +13
Yummy! - Edit
This is the second time lunching here I had the quiche the first time and the spinach pie today. Both were wonderful! You would not know they were vegan!
Read moreGuest
Ramy94
Points +134
So many options - Edit
Really good stuff! I had the breakfast burrito and ube muffin, as well as the iced cherry amaretto latte. The burrito came with chips and a super flavorful salsa. Adding this place to my list for when I come back to Chicago!
Read morePros: Many pastries, Inventive drinks , Tasty foods
Cons: Only a few hot food options
Guest
pkkellow
Points +189
Lox - Edit
Lox is fire, seating is weird but i don’t really care
Read moreGuest
DavidDainko
Points +360
Fantastic!! - Edit
Absolutely wonderful food and location. Breakfast sandwiches are to die for
Read moreGuest
diannec
Points +786
So good - Edit
I love this place! Everything I’ve tried has been delicious
Read moreGuest
ajaff
Points +216
Cute cafe with a nice patio - Edit
Adoptable cafe on a tree-lined street in lakeview. Solid pastries and some food items. Burrito bowl and the pumpkin spice muffin were both tasty
Read morePros: Pastry selection, Wifi + workspace
Guest
MelanieForrey
Points +845
Worth It! - Edit
We diverted on a road trip to try some vegan food the Chicago way, and it was so worth it! The food was amazing! The atmosphere was a vibe - and the people were unbeatable in their welcome and energy. Thanks for making us fall in love with Chicago at first bite! Xo
Read morePros: All vegan, Awesome atmosphere , Friendly staff
Cons: A little pricey, but worth it
Guest
j.eni_
Points +120
great breakfast cafe! - Edit
this is a very cute little cafe!
Read morealthough there are tons of great coffee/tea places around here, i feel like they always have exciting and fancy drink mixes here like dulce de leche lattes or mint chocolate matcha!
not only do they have great drinks but their food options are good too! i will admit their food tends to be on the pricier side, but usually it is enough to be full after eating. The pastries are hit or miss, their croissants are very good, especially the one used in their just egg and veggie sandwhich, but the brownies/cupcakes/cookies have been great sometimes and lackluster sometimes.
would definitely recommend for a great vegan breakfast, which is sadly hard to find around the area.
Pros: all vegan! , fun and exciting drink menu , vegan breakfast
Cons: expensive/not always filling, pastries hit or miss
Guest
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