Healthy Substance Kitchen

Best vegan Mexican food in the business. Everything made to order and friendly service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We drive far to come here because of the vegan options. So we were really disappointed when we ordered take out and they forgot the tortillas, not to only one but two of our dishes which is the point of the dish to eat with tortillas they also forgot the guac. The restaurant called us 20mins out after we left to let us know they forgot the items. The cashier offered us a free drink or dessert we asked to talk to the manager and she was not in we said have her give us a call back she never took the time to call back. We had to get a hold of her and even then nothing was resolved at the end. We won’t be going back. Poor management skills on her end not caring to lose loyal customers.

Food: 1

Service: 1

We got nachos, birria tacos, and flautas. We liked everything. We were the only ones there - I hope this place lasts! We will be back to try burritos and tamales.

So delicious and I do not see any mushrooms on the menu, which is a plus for me! 😊

I'm not vegan. I had the green mole, tamale, rice and beans and fideo. This was all food that I grew up with and I wanted to eat something healthy while on a business trip.
It was all very good and somewhat reminded me of my younger days. I had a conversation with the owner and she was very outgoing, friendly and helpful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food, drinks and desserts are amazing. They renovated the dining area and expanded it for parties and events. I’ve been coming here since I first went vegan and it’s been consistent since 2018. The staff is very friendly and it’s noticeably clean even during busy hours!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My wife & I have been coming here on & off over several years, & it has been wonderful to see them grow & endure as a vegan small business which is also woman & latino owned 💙 We will support them always for that alone & love their values & how they are proud to share them!

Being vegan & gluten-free, my wife & I often struggle to find good, quality food where we can dine out, especially when it comes to breakfast & latino food which we LOVE so much. This spot has always had options for us that are so yummy, & we love that they use JustEgg & provide hearty meals that taste culturally authentic 💯

😪 As much as I love this place tho, I've come to be a lil' disappointed in recent years. Mostly bc I became GF (my gut's choice, not mine) & then realized that meant I was limited on options from their menu since there are no GF bread options. There are no GF desert options either. While I love me some corn tortillas, tamales & gorditas, I very much miss tortas (& sammies in general) & burritos. Many GF breads out there often contain egg making them not vegan, but I know for a fact there ARE brands that offer vegan/GF bread options since I buy them in grocery stores. There are also dedicated GF small business bakeries that offer vegan products that restaurants can partner with. Burrito-sized vegan/GF tortillas also exist. I wish more vegan spots would acknowledge that gluten intolerance is on the rise & that many of us would appreciate options to accommodate the vegan/GF community. I say this with love & not with any bad intentions but I'd visit more if I could eat more options.

Aside from that, while I really love how creative & presentable their menu is, which is displayed on 3 large screens in-store, it is somewhat confusing. We so much appreciate when menus are marked with icons to indicate wheat, soy, nuts, etc for dietary restrictions... but I've found it is not marked accurately. I've asked about menu items that are NOT marked with the wheat or GF icon, only to be told the item DOES contain wheat. Not sure how that came to be, but it would be great if it were overviewed & fixed to relay accuracy. I don't like to have to bother staff with questions, we really do our best to inform ourselves & read everything, but I don't like when the menu is unclear either.

It is also not fun when the staff member at the counter, most of the time a young man named Diego, seems to have an unhappy demeanor. Often he comes off as if he does not want to be there or seems inconvenienced when approached with menu questions, which doesnt make me feel confident staff is entirely informed on the menu either. I'm left wondering if he's okay? bc the interactions are not entirely welcoming, which is a bummer bc a friendly, kind engagement from staff can lend to a much more positive experience.

While the menu can be a lil' pricey, it is one of the more affordable vegan spots, & we do appreciate the generous, tastey portions which hit the spot. Tho we didn't expect the Chilaquiles to basically be crispy chips with salsa & chz shreds on top since authentically they are usually made soft (we are latinas ourselves who cook culturally at home) I wasnt looking to eat nachos for breakfast. Love love love the beans, rice & salsas, just wasnt what I was expecting in that dish. They never seem to have horchata anymore either, which is our favorite & this was like one of the only places to find it made without milk. We really love this spot, but wish these things would improve. Especially considering we drive almost 40 mins to visit & support their business.

Overall, we will always recommend this spot for healthy vegan latino food options, one of the best around Chicago! 💙

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 3

This shit blew my socks off after a gym sesh

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I guess it shows you how a restaurant can lose you as a customer We've spent hundreds with them, gone consistently, catered and recommended them but they lost us a customer. Not sure if they respond to their feedback. This isn't the first time our order has been wrong/imperfect, but we didn't complain since we know how difficult it can be having a vegan restaurant. But our last visit, they forgot the main part of our entrees(which hasn't been the first)AGAIN, & refused to honor or replace on our next visit OTHER than a free drink. Mind you we drive nearly 2 HOURS to get their food, yes I should've double checked but we always ask the cashier 'is everything in there.' We had to stop by a grocery store to buy our own tortillas/guacamole ingredients. We called & the manager said their Firm on only offering a drink or dessert for free even after we told them how frequent we go, catered from them & supported their business.

We had a great lunch and the drinks were lovely.

Healthy Substance Kitchen is a wholesome establishment that serves vegan Mexican cusines. The service is friendly and professional. In addition to Mexican cuisines, there is a diverse array of other treats: baked goods, shakes, and smoothies. The ingredients appeared fresh and good quality. The flavor is decent. It appears they have a side venue for personal or small business events as well.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Carne Asada Burrito, Al Pastor Taco, Poblano Pepper Tamale, Vegan

So happy my mom found this restaurant on our way home from the airport!!! Delicious vegan burrito and rice pudding. Will be back!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I stopped caring about online public food reviews but this one I couldn’t do a personal review & didn’t give me an option anymore, so I’ll just send one here. Been eating here since they opened & food was better when they did in the beginning. I always order the same stuff so I remember the taste. I had a long delay refund about a month ago didn’t take any food home cause it wasn’t ready but thought I grab a soup again on a one more try a day ago. The zucchini soup tasted sour but smelled a lot like garlic. I had to throw it away it hurt my stomach which never does & I honestly feel like the food is being played with under my name at this point. I think I’m done trying. I wish I brought it back for another refund. My stomach still feels weird about it. I tried.

I ordered a carne asada burrito for takeout. Maybe it’s because I had been craving a burrito for weeks but this didn’t live up to my expectations. The carne asada pieces were weirdly chewy, and the flavor was just okay. The tortilla chips and salsas were BOMB though.

The Vegan side of Mexican. Great unpretentious all vegan Mexican plus sandwiches, salads, and desserts.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Carne Asada Burrito, Carrot Cake, Vegan, Al Pastor, Healthy Substance, Sandwich, Beans, Caprese Sandwich