This past weekend, I hosted a desperately needed girls night at my house. Lately, I’ve been feeling like all I do is go out to events, chat with tons of people and eat lots of really bad food. While it’s all really fun, every once in a while I just want to relax with my close friends and eat healthy!
Enter Native Foods. A Vegan fast-casual restaurant serving up some of the healthiest and most delicious food in the city! I chose them because a friend recommended them and told me they recently launched their catering menu. As a bonus, they were giving away a tray of 10 cupcakes and free delivery with the secret code “FOODIE” (your welcome)!
Now, I’m no stranger to the vegan world. My Dad has been a vegan for the last 5 years , so I’ve been exposed to a lot of that type of cuisine before. Despite my experience, I had no idea vegan food could be this flavorful! I was totally blown away by the dishes we ordered and am excited to share the photos and thoughts on each of them.
Taco Salad: When deciding what salad to order, Native Foods recommended their Taco Salad. I’ll admit, at first I was kind of bummed because I feel like I can get a taco salad almost anywhere, but I am SO glad I listened to them and ordered this.
I’m not sure if it was the seitan taco meat or the house made chipotle dressing, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with this salad. It’s honestly THAT good.
The salad starts with a blend of romaine and cabbage and then it’s topped with the seitan taco meat, salsa fresca, roasted corn, green onion, cilantro and homemade tortilla crisps. It’s a little on the spicy side (which I love), so make sure if you like things on the mild side, you go light on the dressing.
Chicken Wings: I know what you’re thinking, “Erica, I thought you said that Native Foods was Vegan?!” My answer is, they ARE, but you need to try these “chicken” wings. While they aren’t made with actual chicken, I promise you will never even notice. They are still hand breaded, deep fried and served with an incredible homemade ranch (just like a traditional wing). The wings can also be served buffalo style, but I opted to get that sauce on the side. By far these were the most popular item of the night and went faster than anything else we ordered.
Moral of the story, order extra of these beauties.
Thai Meatball Earth Bowl: Talk about crazy intense flavor! These Thai meatballs were simply out of this world. While they are good just on their own, they were even better served over roasted red peppers, broccoli, quinoa and their kale super slaw. The true hero of the dish is the awesome mango-lime chili sauce that it’s comes with it (no really, it’s like crack).
Whether you’re a meat eater or not, you can’t go wrong ordering this dish. It’s unique, hearty and just overall really awesome.
Cupcakes: Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love cupcakes? If you say you don’t, than I’m not sure I can even trust you. Anyways, I digress.
The cupcakes at Native Foods do not disappoint. To this very second, I still can’t believe these are vegan. They are incredibly moist and have a ton of flavor. I ordered the chocolate, carrot caramel and raspberry. All three were pretty amazing so I feel like choosing a favorite would be nearly impossible. As I mentioned before, they came completely free using the code “FOODIE” when I placed my order. P.S. That code doesn’t expire until June 30th!
Overall, this girls night was fantastic and the food from Native Foods made it even better. They are the perfect option for your next party or just whenever you feel like detoxing a little bit! You can place your order by calling 312-420-7006!
Love always,
Erica
What a fun story, Erica. Y’all look so cute and happy in that photo. Let me just say — love reading your blog and hearing about your foodie experiences. Your review made me so hungry. Did you take those food photos yourself? You’re a fab photographer! Dying to ask you a few questions. How long did it take for delivery? How did you feel about the ordering process? Sounds like Native Foods Cafe gave you really thoughtful, fun order recommendations. Assuming not all your friends were vegan. What did your non-vegan gal pals think about the food? How would you compare the food to Whole Foods or Chipotle or Panera Bread or the Chicago Diner or Ground Control or Karyn’s? Do you really like Seitan? Have you ever had a vegan shake?
Hi Sarah,
First off…you are SO sweet to take the time to write me such an awesome response. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog posts :).
I’m glad my review of Native Foods made you hungry! It was SO good. And yes…I did take those photos myself. I actually used my wood floor as the backdrop and the natural lighting from the window made them look awesome.
Here are the answers to your questions:
1) The ordering process was super simple. I spoke with a guy who talked me through the entire menu and we went through the right quantity for my group.
2) None of my friends are actually Vegan and we all loved it. The chicken wings were surely the highlight.
3) It’s hard to compare to Panera or Chipotle because they aren’t vegan. Overall it’s fabulous vegan food and I promise you can’t go wrong!
4) No, I haven’t had a vegan shake, but that sounds cool!
Again, thanks for following along and for being so engaged!