I really enjoyed GROUND CONTROL! Everything I had a bite of was so satisfying. The asian bbq nugz were a perfect way to start the meal. They were crispy on the outside with a great texture on the inside. I also ordered the mushroom calamari and that was really to die for. The oyster mushrooms were PERFECTLY fried and I could have eaten a second plate. I had the bahn mi for my main dish and it was delicious. Everything came together with flavors and textures. I would absolutely order it again. I will recommend this place to friends both vegan and non-vegan and I hope to return soon.
Linda W.
What's the point of healthy vegetarian food if it's all deep fried? Puzzling. So that was limited choices and went with the gyro as it was seitan. It was tasty, but a bit messy. Others in group opted for a salad, which looked much better and the fried tofu options of which there are many. Wine offerings are two choices, red and white - but that's sometimes a bonus of less decision making and it was actually a nice red blend. Service was friendly, decor a bit dark and music started off a bit too loud until more diners arrived.
Katy Z Dead
My boyfriend and I visited Ground Control for my birthday dinner and we were not disappointed! Their menu has a lot of DELICIOUS vegan options, the atmosphere is very chill/relax, good beers available, what more could you ask for? I cannot wait to go back!
Devanshi S.
OMG this place is a vegetarian and vegan heaven!!! All the food is so flavorful and satisfying! The Bloody Mary was very delicious, especially the fried tomato! Great place to hangout with friends!
ID fk
The BAJA tacos were good..The rest of the service was garbage. Especially the waiter who looked like he just rolled out of bed in his tank and boxers. He had a snippy attitude while we were ordering. The wait was also too long. First and last time here.
Jessica Dobson
Chill neighborhood vibes, friendly service, outstanding vegetarian menu and tasty cocktails. This place is an absolute gem!
Katie P.
Outstanding!!! As a non-vegan with vegan family members, this place has it all. And it's all delicious!!!
Pam K.
The BEST vegetarian food around! Favorites are the zesty salad, the Cesar salad and the Nashville hot tofu. Yum!
Bill D.
I am a Vegetarian, and GFree for many years. I stopped by this place after hearing a long discussion about Vegetarian restaurants on WGN this morning. It has a tacky college coffee house vibe to it, with no good art on the walls. After discussing the menu with the server at the carry out station, he informed me that the fries marked VGF, are not really G Free and that only 3% of Americans are Celiac and that it really does'nt matter since none of their customers care about the fries. How about Truth in Advertising, I ask? And, he mocked the idea that I was brought in by radio, "since who listens to it anyways anymore? It is full of bad music and advertising" (like the free advertising that brought me in to the place!), hahaha. Anyways, I asked him what kind of bean they were serving as a side dish - "it is a savory bean" he replied. He had no intention of finding out the type of bean or explaining that it was the sauce that was savory, not the bean. Anyways, ridiculously small portion of beans, but not bad tasting, whatever mystery bean it is. The cold noodle salad was all eaten by me, but not much to recommend. Soggy peanuts, bland sauce, overspiced vinegary mushrooms, noodles were cooked right but no zest at all, and no real theme, just everything tossed together with thick slices of jalapeno. Not worth the drive, so I may call WGN and let them know that maybe radio is dead, they can please stop recommending this place.
Courtney C.
For an all vegan spot, this place is great. I have gone here a handful of times over the years and they have a nice amount of bar, outdoor, and indoor seating. The vibe is mildly grungy and friendly. I love their Baja tacos and I don't know if I can convince myself to eat anything else! We also split an order of the Buffalo nugs which were good, not too spicy. I should've asked to see if my entree could come with fries because I don't necessarily think the beans and the tacos go together in this instance for some reason. They are very good though. Service can be somewhat slow but not painful and also not to where you'll feel forgotten-they are often just busy and cook items fresh!
The service here was great; we came in on a Thursday night, visiting from out of town. I ordered the bloody mary (not my favorite, a bit too peppery for myself) and it came with a fried green tomato which was BOMB. The real show-stealer was the vegan fried 'chicken' sandwich. I got it spicy, and it was SO good! Multiple people ordered it at the table, both vegetarians and meat-eaters, and we all couldn't stop talking about it all weekend. Even the sesame broccoli salad was super good, I didn't feel like I was missing out by replacing the fries. If I'm ever back in the Wicker Park area I would for sure stop by again.
Francesca Kritikos
One of the best vegan/vegetarian restaurants I've ever been to, and definitely the top in Chicago. Everything I've had from here is amazing but the vegan gyro is on another level. Love the cocktails too. Have been here a few times already and will definitely come back often! Everyone is super friendly too. And the music is great!
Vanessa C.
I feel like this place is a hit or miss which makes it too unpredictable for me to frequent often. I appreciate the semi-rotating menu though. Most recently I tired the po-boy which was recommended by the wait staff. Surprisingly it was not hitting. The "shrimp" was replaced with fried mushroom and don't get me wrong I love mushrooms, but they weren't seasoned and the moisture wasn't cooked out of them before being fried. So imagine the texture of semi soft rubber covered in flavorless greasy fry batter. To make it worse, the sauce and toppings were mostly on the inside of the sandwich so one bite would be the mushroom and the next saucy bread and veg. Just poor distribution of the overall flavors. I enjoyed the fries but it's also pretty hard to mess those up. I will most likely return every now and then because it's conveniently close to my house but will not be getting the po-boy ever again.
Adam Agosto
Just popping in to say the mushroom fried calamari knocked my socks off and our servers were on top of it, every step of the way. This place doesn't just make some great eats and cocktails, it seriously holds it down for my city as a foodie town. Keep up the great work!
Leslie “Les.” Mims
Very nice quaint place to go. Very unique. The food was okay but didn't enjoy their peanut sauce, but my fav were the garlic fries and tacos. Very good service overall and the food is pretty good.
I really enjoyed GROUND CONTROL! Everything I had a bite of was so satisfying. The asian bbq nugz were a perfect way to start the meal. They were crispy on the outside with a great texture on the inside. I also ordered the mushroom calamari and that was really to die for. The oyster mushrooms were PERFECTLY fried and I could have eaten a second plate. I had the bahn mi for my main dish and it was delicious. Everything came together with flavors and textures. I would absolutely order it again. I will recommend this place to friends both vegan and non-vegan and I hope to return soon.
What's the point of healthy vegetarian food if it's all deep fried? Puzzling. So that was limited choices and went with the gyro as it was seitan. It was tasty, but a bit messy. Others in group opted for a salad, which looked much better and the fried tofu options of which there are many. Wine offerings are two choices, red and white - but that's sometimes a bonus of less decision making and it was actually a nice red blend. Service was friendly, decor a bit dark and music started off a bit too loud until more diners arrived.
My boyfriend and I visited Ground Control for my birthday dinner and we were not disappointed! Their menu has a lot of DELICIOUS vegan options, the atmosphere is very chill/relax, good beers available, what more could you ask for? I cannot wait to go back!
OMG this place is a vegetarian and vegan heaven!!! All the food is so flavorful and satisfying! The Bloody Mary was very delicious, especially the fried tomato! Great place to hangout with friends!
The BAJA tacos were good..The rest of the service was garbage. Especially the waiter who looked like he just rolled out of bed in his tank and boxers. He had a snippy attitude while we were ordering. The wait was also too long. First and last time here.
Chill neighborhood vibes, friendly service, outstanding vegetarian menu and tasty cocktails. This place is an absolute gem!
Outstanding!!! As a non-vegan with vegan family members, this place has it all. And it's all delicious!!!
The BEST vegetarian food around! Favorites are the zesty salad, the Cesar salad and the Nashville hot tofu. Yum!
I am a Vegetarian, and GFree for many years. I stopped by this place after hearing a long discussion about Vegetarian restaurants on WGN this morning. It has a tacky college coffee house vibe to it, with no good art on the walls. After discussing the menu with the server at the carry out station, he informed me that the fries marked VGF, are not really G Free and that only 3% of Americans are Celiac and that it really does'nt matter since none of their customers care about the fries. How about Truth in Advertising, I ask? And, he mocked the idea that I was brought in by radio, "since who listens to it anyways anymore? It is full of bad music and advertising" (like the free advertising that brought me in to the place!), hahaha. Anyways, I asked him what kind of bean they were serving as a side dish - "it is a savory bean" he replied. He had no intention of finding out the type of bean or explaining that it was the sauce that was savory, not the bean. Anyways, ridiculously small portion of beans, but not bad tasting, whatever mystery bean it is. The cold noodle salad was all eaten by me, but not much to recommend. Soggy peanuts, bland sauce, overspiced vinegary mushrooms, noodles were cooked right but no zest at all, and no real theme, just everything tossed together with thick slices of jalapeno. Not worth the drive, so I may call WGN and let them know that maybe radio is dead, they can please stop recommending this place.
For an all vegan spot, this place is great. I have gone here a handful of times over the years and they have a nice amount of bar, outdoor, and indoor seating. The vibe is mildly grungy and friendly. I love their Baja tacos and I don't know if I can convince myself to eat anything else! We also split an order of the Buffalo nugs which were good, not too spicy. I should've asked to see if my entree could come with fries because I don't necessarily think the beans and the tacos go together in this instance for some reason. They are very good though. Service can be somewhat slow but not painful and also not to where you'll feel forgotten-they are often just busy and cook items fresh!
Restaurantji Recommends
The service here was great; we came in on a Thursday night, visiting from out of town. I ordered the bloody mary (not my favorite, a bit too peppery for myself) and it came with a fried green tomato which was BOMB. The real show-stealer was the vegan fried 'chicken' sandwich. I got it spicy, and it was SO good! Multiple people ordered it at the table, both vegetarians and meat-eaters, and we all couldn't stop talking about it all weekend. Even the sesame broccoli salad was super good, I didn't feel like I was missing out by replacing the fries. If I'm ever back in the Wicker Park area I would for sure stop by again.
One of the best vegan/vegetarian restaurants I've ever been to, and definitely the top in Chicago. Everything I've had from here is amazing but the vegan gyro is on another level. Love the cocktails too. Have been here a few times already and will definitely come back often! Everyone is super friendly too. And the music is great!
I feel like this place is a hit or miss which makes it too unpredictable for me to frequent often. I appreciate the semi-rotating menu though. Most recently I tired the po-boy which was recommended by the wait staff. Surprisingly it was not hitting. The "shrimp" was replaced with fried mushroom and don't get me wrong I love mushrooms, but they weren't seasoned and the moisture wasn't cooked out of them before being fried. So imagine the texture of semi soft rubber covered in flavorless greasy fry batter. To make it worse, the sauce and toppings were mostly on the inside of the sandwich so one bite would be the mushroom and the next saucy bread and veg. Just poor distribution of the overall flavors. I enjoyed the fries but it's also pretty hard to mess those up. I will most likely return every now and then because it's conveniently close to my house but will not be getting the po-boy ever again.
Just popping in to say the mushroom fried calamari knocked my socks off and our servers were on top of it, every step of the way. This place doesn't just make some great eats and cocktails, it seriously holds it down for my city as a foodie town. Keep up the great work!
Very nice quaint place to go. Very unique. The food was okay but didn't enjoy their peanut sauce, but my fav were the garlic fries and tacos. Very good service overall and the food is pretty good.