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 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.

I’m surprised at how many people gave this place five stars. As a vegetarian, I just feel that there are definitely better places for meat substitutes and vegetarian and vegan foods. It may be the situation where it just wasn’t my favorite place. The service was good and the food isn’t bad, it just isn’t the best tasting restaurant in the area. I would potentially consider going back for other things, but it may be a while.

Oh Ground Control! you have spoiled us forever! First the Buffalo Nugz and vegan ranch is perfect! The texture, the breading, the flavor, the heat were all perfect! I don't like ranch dressing at all, but this vegan take is absolute fire! (if you don't like dill you might not like it) The Baja tacos were amazing, everything worked together but the star for us was the roasted seaweed! Then there was the Blackened Tofu Poboy. Again the tofu was perfect and the mild spice paired perfectly with the corn, relish, and mayo! Also the garlic fries were amazing, I'm not sure how many cloves are sacrificed in the making of these but they are well worth every penny! Cannot recommend Ground Control! enough (even if you are a meat eater)!

Stumbled upon this neighborhood gem oh and btw it's vegetarian\vegan. Great service and fresh flavorful food. You definitely don't have to be vegan to enjoy. Nice cocktail selection as well.

My wonderful vegan daughter encouraged me to eat here. Wow. Simply DELICIOUS! I still don't like tofu. But this cheesy Italian sandwich taste better then a Chicago style Italian beef. Oh my goodness. The mushroom Po boy was great. Please get a side of mushrooms They are so good. Logan... yes Mr. Logan was awesome. The food and music and vibes and on and on until the break of dawn was great. I'm not going vegan, but will return for sure. Thanks Mr. Logan again.

Really nice atmosphere and good food. Nice size portions and they were not afraid of bring heat on the spicy buffalo "Nugz".

Upon arriving a this hip little eating establishment I was pleasantly surprised by the upbeat atmosphere. Needlessly to say my experience took a nosedive from there. There were no paper towels in the restroom. The system for seating guest was unorganized. The wings were overcooked . The mushroom wasabi sandwich.... lacked the wasabi punch. The chocolate cake seemed to be stale and was dry / cold. However, me being from the industry...... I understand an OFF night. Maybe things got OUT OF CONTROL @GROUND CONTROL.

Affordable, fresh, and FAST service. Definitely 10/10 recommend!

I happened to come across this place through a search for healthy food in Chicago and a few clicks. Myself and my friend both love new food, but also are afraid to be let down, so we both often avoid new foods when trying restaurants. But yesterday, we were not at all disappointed! He had the Korean BBQ sandwich and spicy mac and cheese, and I had the Beet Burger 2.0 with fries. Everything was cooked to perfection! The fries were perfectly salted. The beet burger patties were surprisingly juicy and had the ideal amount of bite to them. The burger itself was divine, curated with a fascinating and thrilling blend of spices that made me hungry for more with every bite. My friend said he really enjoyed his sandwich, and the “meat” was very substantial and juicy! If you’re looking for a cute and chill new place to meet up for checkers, pinball, and delicious comfort food done right, GROUND CONTROL! is your new best friend!

We are always trying to find a good vegetarian spot…. This place is seriously awesome!!! Fun ambiance, unique decor, friendly staff and above all the food was seriously so good! Try it you won’t be disappointed!

Pretty basic vegetarian/vegan place. As an appetizer I got the fried green tomatoes. Maybe it's just me, but it tasted underseasoned. Same with the gyro I got as my main meal, but the sauce made up for it once I got extra. They were also sold out of dessert both times I went, thank God there's a Mexican bakery two stores down. Forget the name but that place was great!

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!

I wish I had known about this place sooner! I had been craving vegan onion rings for the longest time. This place serves a deluxe BBQ sandwich with onion rings on it and it was fantastic. I was also blown away by how good the fries were.

4/5 The Atmosphere: A clean, cool, hipster diner in Chicago. We really liked the logo and the chalk board with fun artwork on the walls. The place was nice and clean, including the bathrooms. We enjoyed the metal plates that the food was served on as well. Parking is limited, which is to be expected because it's in a major city. Also, the diner is a bit small and has limited seating, so when it's busy, you may have to wait a bit. We got lucky and were able to snag a table during breakfast/brunch time when it was really busy. 4/5 The Menu: As vegans, when anything on the menu is clearly marked vegan or can be made vegan, it's a big win for us! They had plenty us options for us veggies. 3/5 The Service: It was a bit slow only because two people were working a full restaurant and bar. We felt a bit bad for them as it must have been stressful, but the two men who waited on us were nice. The Food: 5/5 The Curry Fritters are fantastic! The warm potatoes mixed with the fresh cool mint chutney, the hint of spicy curry, and the sweetness of the corn were the perfect balance of flavors. So good! 5/5 The Breakfast Tacos with tofu were so good! We dipped them in a small side of fresh salsa, and it was so tasty! 1/5 The Southern Breakfast with Batter Fried Tofu and the Biscuits N Gravy: As Southerners, we love biscuits and gravy and have had many non-vegan versions when we weren't vegan and many vegan versions as vegans. This was simply over salted and the beer flavored kale was a bit overpowering. We're not quite sure what we were tasting, but it seemed like it was a mix of soy sauce, beer, and salt. The biscuits were really soggy as well. The tofu was pretty flavorless. These dishes are almost exactly the same with the exception of the kale, and we wouldn't get either one again. Luckily, the waiter did comp one of them and told us that other people had complained about it being too salty. 1/5 Side of Breakfast Potatoes: These we're okay. They were a bit on the greasy and overcooked side. We wouldn't get these again. 4/5 The glass of orange juice was tasty, too. Overall, it's reasonably priced, and we would go back for the curry fritters and breakfast tacos and to try something else.

This restaurant has great atmosphere, delicious food, and good service. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The music was great and it was lovely, but not loud. We had the vegan tacos, vegan burger, beer braised greens, and curry fritters. The curry fritters tasted like samosas, but better. Our server was very friendly and helpful but not overbearing. My husband is not vegetarian but he really liked his food. Great date night stop!

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.

The food and the fun vibe makes this place a fun visit! All our meal was delicious and affordable.

Food is great! Only thing is music is super loud and it's hard to hear the people you're with

Impressive menu of vegetarian and/or vegan-optional fare! Food was delicious, service was prompt and friendly in a relaxed atmosphere. (They even have a couple of pinball machines!) Also really appreciated the fact that they have a dedicated kids menu on a coloring/activity sheet with crayons. Oh, and plenty of Instagram-able space murals throughout the place!

A twist to vegetarian food, have not found another restaurant like it. Additionally, they have a good drink selection.

Preface: I'm not a strict vegetarian or vegan, I just partake in those kind of meals occasionally I ordered for delivery and the food was AMAZING. A lot of places you feel like they skimp out on quality because it's an order-out order, but not Ground Control. The wasabi portobella sandwich was seriously phenomenal. Buffalo tofu wings are *chefs kiss*. The pictures of the venue look super cute, next time I'll dine in

Great service & simple menu. If you’re in the neighborhood…maybe after the Farmer’s market…worth a walk over for a quick lunch. Pictured: beet burger & mushroom po boy.

We went to this place for some vegetarian food but it was not up to the mark. Everyone except me left it half eaten. The atmosphere was okay as well. Nothing special about the place.

Def worth the trip. Had the tofu wings-excellent. The gyro was huge and was great leftovers the next day. The lentil coconut milk soup was unreal-will be googling recipes and attempting to recreate it for sure. The cold broccoli was not my favorite. Our server was kind and professional. We sat outside and had a lovely date. LGBTQ friendly for this visibly queer couple.

Are you looking for one of the best vegan spots in Chicago? Well, you got it!!! Everything on the menu is off the charts, the taste is amazing, the size of the servings are pretty good and the prices are fair enough! The music is deep, heavy and doomy and the ambience is great for a seitanic meal!

I’ve never left a review in my life. But felt compelled to call this place out. ABSOLUTE GARBAGE! Tastes like they got the food off of the ‘ground’! This is the kind of food that gives veganism a bad name, How did they even manage to mess up Fries?! And horrible customer service to boot. All in all, 100% would not recommend.

Our first time visiting this restaurant was a complete dump! The restaurant is unsanitized, dirty tables, the smell indoors was unbearable! The blond female manager running the place is beyond unprofessional with no skills to having a working team! Props to your team for mistreating a pregnant empowered woman who only wanted good customer service! Due to your terrible service, you're losing, good-paying customers!!

After dining here, I can safely say this place delivers on all fronts. Ambience is chill and squeaky clean. Staff are upbeat, polite and super professional. Food? Delicious, zesty, spicy, and incredibly flavorful. There are so many places out there with “vegan comfort food”, but nothing in Chicago comes close to this spot. I’m not big on Seitan, so I stuck with the tofu dishes and everything was superb. Cannot wait to come back for breakfast!

I suspect this is one of the better places for veg/vegan fare in Chicago. Some options stand out more than others, with the tofricken royal and po boy being delicious while the beet burger was entirely forgettable. The garlic fries sound appealing, but unless I'm mistaken, had a (uh... very) generous amount of raw garlic on it; sure to be a hit if you are on a bad date or meeting that you want to end early. However, the regular fries were some of the best I've had in a while. It feels weird to review under the pretense of "it's really good... for vegan food," but compared to alternatives, the effort here warrants a 5 star rating. Very casual bar atmosphere with calming lighting and relaxed servers. Get the Dr. Brown's soda!

The food was tasty but I do wish there were more options for healthy vegetarian and vegan foods. (Healthy as in not fried or battered fried.)

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!

Really enjoyed my banh mi sandwich here. One of the more unique restaurants I have been to in Chicago.

This restaurant has an awesome selection but I feel like every time I order, the flavor misses the mark. It’s like the food is visually awesome but it’s just... missing something.

Had the regular Tofricken Royale sandwich with fries, it was fantastic, really dig the service, love to have solid vegetarian spots in mind, will definitely go back.

Suupper delicious and friendly staff. A really interesting take on vegan tofu wings. We just moved to Chicago and have been trying all the vegan friendly places.. This is up there with our favorites! Almost the whole menu is vegan - I think the only things not vegan are things with cheese, and there are some fantastic vegan cheeses out there so my only recommendation would be to go all in vegan! Right around the corner from the 606 trail so makes for a nice bike ride reward stop. Will be back here without a doubt.

Never again. Half my order was under cooked, the other half was over cooked. Everything was complete mush from the steam being trapped in the to-go containers as well. Called and received a refund then threw it all in the trash. So much for trying a new place on my birthday!

You don't need to be Vegan to enjoy the southern hospitality here. Fried green tomatoes, smothered sweet potatoes tacos, zesty salad with crunchy tofu croutons, fun cocktails and a giant piece of cake, what more could you want! It was really hard to decide. I will be back to try the Mac n cheese!

EVERYTHING is so delicious. I LOVE the mac

Best vegetarian version of a chicken sandwich I'd ever had.

LOVEEEEE this place! The tofu wings are my fave 😜

The jibarito slaps Also the zesty salad Some of the people who work here ride motorcycles so that also slaps Try it! I’m not even vegetarian but I like it!!!

Great food...

great atmosphere, delicious food

Love the beet burger and baja tacos! Have been ordering delivery from here, but when we can make it in, the cocktails are great too!

Very tasty food, ordered for take-out took about 15 minutes to get our order together. The curry puff appetizer was superb. Really liked that there are seiten options as well as tofu, as tofu makes me ill. Overall definitely looking forward to eating here again, fries were *just okay,* though.

Always good food. The servers tend to be a little rude or short for no apparent reason, but doesn't take away from the great tasting vegetarian options

Everything was delicious. Will go back again. Ordered the Banh Mi, Nashville Hot and Fried Green Tomatoes. So good.

Loved the food and vibes! Plenty vegetarian /vegan meals that are culturally diverse. Family friendly. Will definitely return.

Super creative vego and vegan options in the heart of Uptown! We ordered a blackened tofu po-boy and an Italian sub and were both super happy with our choices! However, service and location options were lacking (due to COVID), and the sandwiches were a bit salty for my taste. Definitely worth a re-visit when I head back to the city though!

Amazing food

Wow! The vegan Italian sandwich amazing!! Definitely a place to visit if you're new vegan or vegetarian looking for a beef sandwich fix. This is it.. also get the garlic fries vs regular.

COVID UPDATE: Pickup and delivery have been ON POINT. Orders always correct and somehow the food is better than before. Delicious vegan and vegetarian bites. Drinks are tasty as well. Two pinball machines. Edit: so after living a block from here over a year year, I've noticed a major lack of consistency. Tonight I was served a cold Cheesy Italian with almost no giardinera. Three days ago, had a great meal. Would give them 5 stars again if they could improve the consistency of their product. Edit: after living here for three years, consistancy continues to be an issue plaguing this restaurant. Possibly one of the worst attributes for a restaurant to have.

Ground Control is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. Hands down. It is everything. On top of having an awesome vibe and terrific vegetarian/vegan food all-around, this place has the best damn wings (Asian bbq 4vr!) and blackened tofu po boy sandwich I have ever had on this earth.

Another one of my favorite spots to grab some plant based eats! The atmosphere of the building and the art they have on the walls immersed you almost immediately in their restaurant. Would recommend for some tastey cocktails, and vegan food with friends that aren't necessarily on the same diet.

This place is awesome!! I love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!

You won't regret it. You CAN'T regret it! Amazing food staff and music definitely can't go wrong!

Decided to try this place out, I enjoyed it. We were greeted right away and they brought us the menu and waters right away I had a some questions since it was my 1st time there Scott (our waiter) was very kind and answered them without a problem. He and a female waiter were constantly filling up our cups with water I got the Baja tacos (I believe that was the name) they were delicious. The flavors mixed well together, I tried the tofu buffalo wings and they were pretty good too a little spicy. I liked the appearance of this place as well, we did wait a little for our check and box but it’s because they were busy so I couldn’t blame them. Overall I liked the food/waiter/appearance

Best beat burger!!!

Awsome fried green tomatoes!

Overall; bland food, unfriendly staff, slow service and ok atmosphere with artistic digs, two pinball machines and Terminator playing up in the corner. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options! The side of mashed potatoes were tasty and my favorite thing in their menu! The smothered sweet potato tacos were good but the rice and beans were mixed together on the side, ew together. The rice was plain and the beans were greasy. The curry fritters had no hint of spice and the wings were mediocre, especially considering The Chicago Diner has a location nearby. We were seated by the bartender, the hostess came out with water and then our waitress brought our menus. She seemed to have a rude or maybe just apathetic attitude when she took our order. And that was the most attention we got all night. The table next to us were seated five minutes after us and left fifteen minutes before us. My drink took awhile, we had to ask for refills, the cook brought our food and our check took twenty minutes. Ten to come back with it and ten after we provided our payment while she walked around with said payment almost falling out of her apron. We were late for our train. They had other customers who were waiting and could have had our table if we hadn't been waiting for the cashing out process. That was the only time we saw a wait for a table our entire visit and I think they took a seat at the bar instead.

It's good, not great. The fried green tomatoes are excellent, and the tacos and french toast are decent. Breakfast or lunch here is good, but personally I don't love what their dinner menu has to offer. If you're not a sandwich eater there's not many choices, and their salads leave a lot to be desired. It's basically a poor man's Handlebar (which is higher praise than it may seem,) so come here if you don't want to worry about possible long waits.

All veg restaurant - I will drive an hour into the city for their tacos and wings. Excellent portions, prompt service. Prices are great in comparison to other restaurants in the area. I feel like this place is a hidden gem!