We ordered the taco dinner (3 tacos with rice and beans on the side) which wasn't a good order. Although great value, the tacos became soggy due to being on the same plate with the beans. Both the rice and beans were extremely bland and lacking salt. Some of the tacos were delicious but some were just ok, and the jackfruit taco was really not good with watery, undercooked and bland jackfruit inside. On the plus side: the chips and salsa, pulled oats taco, baja taco and margarita were great. Excellent friendly service too.
Updated from previous review on 2024-04-10
BenitaB
The service was incredibly nice! I couldn't decide on what to get, so I asked for the taco dinner (the three tacos being chosen by the waitress since I was so indecisive). All three tacos were impeccable. I was not a huge fan of the bean and rice as they were a bit bland, but the three tacos were so filling it's best I didn't finish the side.
Visalakshi Kunapuli
One of those places where 5 stars does not seem enough. The food is top notch and the waitstaff are very friendly and helpful. I love their matcha horchata.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sa Pi
Awesome vegan food with great staff and service! Best vegan Mexican in town! Highly recommend! Michelle was a great waitress and extremely friendly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jazmyne Worthy
The food was AMAZING. I had the Asada fries as an appetizer and was blown away before I even got my entree of tacos. The elite was great. The tacos are too tier. The best vegan tacos I’ve ever had. I will be returning to try more of the variety of tacos!Vegetarian options: It is a fully vegan restaurant — no meat & no dairy
Overall Thoughts: The interior is super cute and the service is great and friendly! They have a sizable menu filled with a good range of vegan Mexican dishes. The tacos were pretty flavorful, and I especially enjoyed the soy chorizo taco. The tortillas tasted a little stale though and not as elastic/fresh as I would’ve hoped. The prices were quite steep ($4.50-5 per taco), but not unreasonable for the area. Overall, I probably wouldn’t come again regularly, but it’s definitely a classy yet casual spot that I would bring my vegan/vegetarian friends to in the future.Food I tried:- Soy Chorizo Taco (4.5/5): A super flavorful taco and really excellent texturally too!- Soy Al Pastor Taco (4.3/5): Pretty good, but the soy meat here didn’t hit as hard as the soy chorizo.- Mushroom Chimichurri (4.2/5): Heavy on the chimmichurri, I liked how smooth and silky the mushrooms were here. Not very diverse texturally or flavor-wise though.- Baja Tacos (4.3/5): Always love a fried avocado— these were pretty flavorful and tasty!- Quesadilla Grande (4/5): I also tried some of this quesadilla, which I thought was just okay— it’s drier and blander than I would’ve hoped.—Price (relative to peers): 4.1/5Food: 4.3/5Ambience: 4.8/5Service: 4.8/5Overall Value: 4.3/5
Brandon Wheeler
Incredible food and margs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
theCorrector
Awesome vegan food with great staff and service! Best vegan Mexican in town! Highly recommend! Michelle was a great waitress and extremely friendly!
Dayona Williams
Best vegan spot in town! Without a doubt.
Irenes Journey
From a Latina who just became vegan / vegatario. it’s the best taco place !!! I was shocked it was all plant based ! The pastor is my favorite and asada 10/10 overall everyone is very friendly and welcoming !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Al Pastor Con Soya Soy Marinated Pork, Vegan Birria Tacos, Chimichurri De Champiñones Mushroom Chimichurri
I ordered horchata, elotes, and the chimichanga and they were all fantastic. I think I've had maybe 1 or 2 chimichangas since going vegetarian 19 years ago (and later vegan) so I was so happy to have one! Will definitely return if I get the chance!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chimichanga, Vegan Elote
Mayra King
The elote en vaso was bomb! Everything else was just okay. Food is overpriced though. 6 meals + 3 soft drinks = $200
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Estilo Callejero Street Style Corn
Kartik Kumar Kansal
Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria is an outstanding establishment. When I called to make a reservation for my birthday party, I told them I would have a group of 16. I was worried they would turn down this request, but they happily complied even though the default max reservation size online is only 10 people. When we arrived, there were two 8-person tables set up for us at one end of the restaurant. The atmosphere was pleasant, with colorful decor and lively music. The prices were reasonable for Chicago. All of the waitresses were super helpful, friendly, and attentive. They brought out all of our orders quickly and in an organized manner. And the food was absolutely amazing. It was even better than Gracias Madre (a highly-rated vegan Mexican restaurant in California). The combination of the service, atmosphere, and food made Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and a very memorable birthday experience. And to top it all off, I just found out that the owners are a vegan couple/family. As a long-time vegan, I love to support ethical businesses run by ethical people.Vegetarian options: Menu is fully vegan.Dietary restrictions: No animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Al Pastor Con Soya Soy Marinated Pork, Baja Taco, Pozole Verde Y Elote Y Butterfly Tea Horchata, Loaded Nachos, Elote Estilo Callejero Street Style Corn, Chips and Salsa, Vegan Birria Tacos, Salad, Chimichurri De Champiñones Mushroom Chimichurri, Cauliflower Ceviche, Guacamole, Guarnición De Frijoles Side of Beans, Chimichanga, Onion Rings, Asada Fries, Quesadilla Grande, Vegan Elote
KKumarK
Penelope's Vegan Taqueria is an outstanding establishment. When I called to make a reservation for my birthday party, I told them I would have a group of 16. I was worried they would turn down this request, but they happily complied even though the default max reservation size online is only 10 people. When we arrived, there were two 8-person tables set up for us at one end of the restaurant. The atmosphere was pleasant, with colorful decor and lively music. The prices were reasonable for Chicago. All of the waitresses were super helpful, friendly, and attentive. They brought out all of our orders quickly and in an organized manner. And the food was absolutely amazing. It was even better than Gracias Madre (a highly-rated vegan Mexican restaurant in California). The combination of the service, atmosphere, and food made Penelope's Vegan Taqueria one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and a very memorable birthday experience. And to top it all off, I just found out that the owners are a vegan couple/family. As a long-time vegan, I love to support ethical businesses run by ethical people.
We ordered the taco dinner (3 tacos with rice and beans on the side) which wasn't a good order. Although great value, the tacos became soggy due to being on the same plate with the beans. Both the rice and beans were extremely bland and lacking salt. Some of the tacos were delicious but some were just ok, and the jackfruit taco was really not good with watery, undercooked and bland jackfruit inside. On the plus side: the chips and salsa, pulled oats taco, baja taco and margarita were great. Excellent friendly service too. Updated from previous review on 2024-04-10
The service was incredibly nice! I couldn't decide on what to get, so I asked for the taco dinner (the three tacos being chosen by the waitress since I was so indecisive). All three tacos were impeccable. I was not a huge fan of the bean and rice as they were a bit bland, but the three tacos were so filling it's best I didn't finish the side.
One of those places where 5 stars does not seem enough. The food is top notch and the waitstaff are very friendly and helpful. I love their matcha horchata.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome vegan food with great staff and service! Best vegan Mexican in town! Highly recommend! Michelle was a great waitress and extremely friendly!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was AMAZING. I had the Asada fries as an appetizer and was blown away before I even got my entree of tacos. The elite was great. The tacos are too tier. The best vegan tacos I’ve ever had. I will be returning to try more of the variety of tacos!Vegetarian options: It is a fully vegan restaurant — no meat & no dairy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baja Taco, Guacamole, Asada Fries, Vegan Elote
Overall Thoughts: The interior is super cute and the service is great and friendly! They have a sizable menu filled with a good range of vegan Mexican dishes. The tacos were pretty flavorful, and I especially enjoyed the soy chorizo taco. The tortillas tasted a little stale though and not as elastic/fresh as I would’ve hoped. The prices were quite steep ($4.50-5 per taco), but not unreasonable for the area. Overall, I probably wouldn’t come again regularly, but it’s definitely a classy yet casual spot that I would bring my vegan/vegetarian friends to in the future.Food I tried:- Soy Chorizo Taco (4.5/5): A super flavorful taco and really excellent texturally too!- Soy Al Pastor Taco (4.3/5): Pretty good, but the soy meat here didn’t hit as hard as the soy chorizo.- Mushroom Chimichurri (4.2/5): Heavy on the chimmichurri, I liked how smooth and silky the mushrooms were here. Not very diverse texturally or flavor-wise though.- Baja Tacos (4.3/5): Always love a fried avocado— these were pretty flavorful and tasty!- Quesadilla Grande (4/5): I also tried some of this quesadilla, which I thought was just okay— it’s drier and blander than I would’ve hoped.—Price (relative to peers): 4.1/5Food: 4.3/5Ambience: 4.8/5Service: 4.8/5Overall Value: 4.3/5
Incredible food and margs.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome vegan food with great staff and service! Best vegan Mexican in town! Highly recommend! Michelle was a great waitress and extremely friendly!
Best vegan spot in town! Without a doubt.
From a Latina who just became vegan / vegatario. it’s the best taco place !!! I was shocked it was all plant based ! The pastor is my favorite and asada 10/10 overall everyone is very friendly and welcoming !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Al Pastor Con Soya Soy Marinated Pork, Vegan Birria Tacos, Chimichurri De Champiñones Mushroom Chimichurri
Restaurantji Recommends
I ordered horchata, elotes, and the chimichanga and they were all fantastic. I think I've had maybe 1 or 2 chimichangas since going vegetarian 19 years ago (and later vegan) so I was so happy to have one! Will definitely return if I get the chance!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chimichanga, Vegan Elote
The elote en vaso was bomb! Everything else was just okay. Food is overpriced though. 6 meals + 3 soft drinks = $200
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Estilo Callejero Street Style Corn
Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria is an outstanding establishment. When I called to make a reservation for my birthday party, I told them I would have a group of 16. I was worried they would turn down this request, but they happily complied even though the default max reservation size online is only 10 people. When we arrived, there were two 8-person tables set up for us at one end of the restaurant. The atmosphere was pleasant, with colorful decor and lively music. The prices were reasonable for Chicago. All of the waitresses were super helpful, friendly, and attentive. They brought out all of our orders quickly and in an organized manner. And the food was absolutely amazing. It was even better than Gracias Madre (a highly-rated vegan Mexican restaurant in California). The combination of the service, atmosphere, and food made Penelope’s Vegan Taqueria one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and a very memorable birthday experience. And to top it all off, I just found out that the owners are a vegan couple/family. As a long-time vegan, I love to support ethical businesses run by ethical people.Vegetarian options: Menu is fully vegan.Dietary restrictions: No animal products (meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Al Pastor Con Soya Soy Marinated Pork, Baja Taco, Pozole Verde Y Elote Y Butterfly Tea Horchata, Loaded Nachos, Elote Estilo Callejero Street Style Corn, Chips and Salsa, Vegan Birria Tacos, Salad, Chimichurri De Champiñones Mushroom Chimichurri, Cauliflower Ceviche, Guacamole, Guarnición De Frijoles Side of Beans, Chimichanga, Onion Rings, Asada Fries, Quesadilla Grande, Vegan Elote
Penelope's Vegan Taqueria is an outstanding establishment. When I called to make a reservation for my birthday party, I told them I would have a group of 16. I was worried they would turn down this request, but they happily complied even though the default max reservation size online is only 10 people. When we arrived, there were two 8-person tables set up for us at one end of the restaurant. The atmosphere was pleasant, with colorful decor and lively music. The prices were reasonable for Chicago. All of the waitresses were super helpful, friendly, and attentive. They brought out all of our orders quickly and in an organized manner. And the food was absolutely amazing. It was even better than Gracias Madre (a highly-rated vegan Mexican restaurant in California). The combination of the service, atmosphere, and food made Penelope's Vegan Taqueria one of the best restaurants I have ever been to and a very memorable birthday experience. And to top it all off, I just found out that the owners are a vegan couple/family. As a long-time vegan, I love to support ethical businesses run by ethical people.
Best vegan restaurant I ever ate at