Healthy Substance: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

Healthy Substance in Chicago’s Garfield Ridge neighborhood calls itself the vegan side of Mexico. The restaurant’s website states a 100% vegan menu, and the kitchen makes al pastor, carne asada, chorizo, and pollo asado from plant-based ingredients. Yelp’s owner description adds a mission: make the vegan option not feel like the alternative.

Patricia Gonzalez founded the restaurant. She grew up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, helping her mother cook for the family, and moved to Chicago in 2004. The site says the founders come from Mexico and promises exact flavors with none of the violence. The restaurant also says it was the first vegan restaurant at Lollapalooza Chicago in 2022.

Tacos are the easy entry point. The ordering page lists Al Pastor, Carne Asada, Chorizo, Pollo Asado, Carne Molida, Rajas, and Bean tacos at $5.95 each, served on handmade corn tortillas. The Rajas Taco loads poblano, guero, and jalapeno peppers with onion and vegan cheese. Burritos run $13.95 and include Carne Asada, Al Pastor, Pollo Asado, and Chorizo and Egg versions, with a Burrito Bowl at $14.95. Yelp reviewers rank Chilaquiles first among popular dishes. The kitchen tops fresh chips with green salsa, vegan sour cream, onions, and house-made vegan cheese for $14.95, or $15.95 with vegan egg.

Bigger plates include Potato and Chorizo Flautas at $14.99, Supreme Nachos at $13.99, a Tacos de Birria Plate at $22.95, and a Quesadilla at $14.95. Sandwich lovers can order the Caprese on house-made tomato herb focaccia with pesto, grilled zucchini, roasted red pepper, and vegan mozzarella for $12.99, or any of the tortas at $12.99 to $13.99. Soups start at $4.99 and cover zucchini finished with coconut milk, a chili made with Impossible meat, and fideo. Tamales cost $4.20 in rajas, green mole, and milpa. Mini burritos at $1.99 in papa en salsa verde, fajitas, and rice and beans make cheap add-ons, and gorditas cost $5.99. The dessert list has cakes, cookies, a banana pudding, ice cream, and paletas, and a one-pound bag of al pastor goes home with you for $14.99.

A few ordering-page entries use plain names such as egg, cheese, and shrimp. The website says the whole menu is vegan, so those items are plant-based versions, but you can confirm any one at the counter. Wheat tortillas, soy, and nuts appear across the menu, and the restaurant doesn’t publish a gluten-free list.

You can order pickup or delivery through the restaurant’s Toast page, which also lists Grubhub, Uber, and DoorDash menus. Smoothies at $9.95 come in Tropical, Berry K, and Hulk Power, and coffee and fruit water round out the drinks. The address is 6852 W. Archer Ave. Hours are Thursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It closes Monday through Wednesday. The site’s footer lists the phone as 773-306-2808, and catering is available.

Order three tacos and the Chilaquiles with vegan egg, then share a slice of red velvet cake.