Vegan
Fast food
Delivery
Take-out
Mexican
Catering
An all-vegan Mexican restaurant serves a large variety of dishes and beverages. Open Mon-Sat 12:00pm-9:00pm, Sun 12:00pm-8:00pm.
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 27 Aug 2024 by KatelynCollin
Update business info -
Added by Degu on 01 Apr 2022
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174 Reviews
First Review by ExploreV
GooseRodriguez
Points +2047
Best vegan Mexican restaurant bar none - Edit
We went to where it could very possibly be the best damn Mexican restaurant in the USA, maybe the world or perhaps the galaxy! I’m kidding but I am also not kidding. This place it’s legit. They have tacos , enchiladas , ceviche , buñuelos
Read moreToo many to list. We got the taco diner. 3 tacos with rice and beans. The taco Tuesday special. Silvia got the carnitas , Al pastor y asada. These were my favorite! The spices and flavor were just like I remember them. I got the quesibirria tacos with are stuffed with mushrooms and vegan cheese, fried in guajillo sauce with a consomé dipping sauce. OMG. It will knock your calzones off ! We finished it with a glass of horchata and a macha horchata. Couldn’t decide which one was better. Delicious. Chef kiss. 1000 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If you are ever in Chicago. Make yourself and your mouth a favor and visit Penelope’s vegan taqueria. You’re welcome ☺️
Pros: Authentic , Affordable , Delicious
Cons: Hot sauce is 50 cents extra, AC not working , No parking
Guest
KatelynCollin
Points +169
Best Tacos in Chicago - Edit
This place is so friendly. They make the most delicious tacos along with other things. They are very gluten free friendly
Read morePros: Gluten free options, Delicious , Authentic
Guest
edav344
Points +3483
Delicious vegan taqueria! - Edit
This place in downtown Chicago was very cute. I love the Frida Kahlo sign and bright pink building to make it stand out. The inside was small but we still were able to make a reservation for a large group. The tacos were super tasty and there were so many options. There were also a number of Mexican dishes as entree options, though these were a bit pricier. Go on a taco Tuesday for $5 off the taco dinner plate!
Read moreGooseRodriguez
that is awesome! I am going next week, thanks for the review
Read moreGuest
MarcelaP.
Points +904
Nice place - Edit
Great tacos and friendly staff
Read moreGuest
Johannapohanna
Points +89
Delivious tacos! - Edit
I had three different tacos for lunch, and a gigantic piece of rainbow cake for dessert. Everything was super delicious!
Read moreGuest
KellyJC
Points +123
Everything was perfect! - Edit
This is a fun and colorful restaurant clearly inspired by the art and Mexican heritage of Frida Kahlo. The location on Chicago Ave. is right across the street from the L stop on the Brown line, and the bright pink entry to the restaurant starts the adventure. Inside, the walls are covered with large murals of tropical flowers and birds that were clearly created by a talented muralist and that set a perfect tone for the colorful and exciting dishes on the menu. To start, I ordered the classic horchata, which was perfectly chilled and sweetened with a balance of flavors from the cinnamon and rice. It was hands down the best horchata I've ever had. My partner ordered the chimichanga as an entree based on beautiful photos he saw online, and the meal came out exactly as expected. It was attractively plated, and the fried tortilla was crunchy but not greasy. It was completely stuffed with well-seasoned fillings, and he seemed to like all the flavors and textures. I ordered the enchiladas, and again, the plating was so pretty, and the flavors and textures were spot on. There was a good level of heat and salt, and the tortillas were just softened (not soggy) by the enchilada sauce. The beans and rice were a nice addition since the enchilada filling is primarily potato. We didn't have room for dessert this time, but we will definitely visit Penelope's again the next time we are in Chicago. Oh, and there is a super fun greenery covered hallway on the way to the bathroom which was playfully decorated with sugar skull wallpaper. We just found this to be a really fun space, and the speed, quality, and perfection of the food and service just took it over the top. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: Great menu and flavors/textures, Fun and colorful atmosphere, Easy to access from the L
Guest
JamieHeis
Points +352
Phenomenal! - Edit
We lucked out…we came here on Taco Tuesday. We started with the salad which was f-amazing! I had the burrito and my husband tried 3 tacos. His favorite was the Mushroom Chimichurri. Everything, including the staff, was great! We will return.
Read morePros: Wonderful flavors, textures and sauces, Happy staff, Poblano peppers!!!
Guest
vegangma
Points +126
Oh so delicious! - Edit
Extremely friendly team, quick service, and best of all incredibly delicious. Ordered street corn in a cup, 3 tacos, and coconut cake. Gained about 4 lbs. and it was so worth it.
Read morePros: Delicious food, Wonderful choices, Great service
Cons: Not near my home.
Guest
OskarHenriksson
Points +831
Amazing tacos and tortas - Edit
Everything on the menu is delicious!
Read moreGuest
SarahGibson
Points +174
Come for the Margaritas stay for the food - Edit
Penelope's is a great little taqueria. I had a Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita and a Quesadilla, they were amazing!
Read moreThis is a definite must eat spot when in the city!
Updated from previous review on 2024-07-03
Guest
VRunner
Points +377
Great spot - Edit
Came with a friend and we split the nacho appetizer. I liked it, but I actually preferred it without the soyrizo. For dinner I ordered the potato taco plate with rice and beans. Chefs kiss— it was so good. Their menu seemed extensive and had many cocktails to enjoy as well. Was really happy to have tried it.
Read moreGuest
HarrietSpy
Points +86
This place is AMAZING! - Edit
Just go get the life-changing Pambazo! Now! (And squeeze in a piece of cake from Pie, Pie, My Darling. You won't regret it.)
Read moreGuest
ShanahBell
Points +1024
Great local vegan find - Edit
I found this place on the Happy Cow app. And since it shares a name with one of my daughters, we just had to check it out.
Read moreI loved that the whole place was vegan and they had a ton of gluten free options also. The menu is well labeled, which was extremely helpful.
2 of us got the taco dinner deal since it was Tuesday and they do a $5 off deal on that dinner. It comes with 3 tacos of your choice, rice and beans.
All of us loved our meals, and the margarita I got delicious!!
I was really excited to try their ice cream sundae for dessert, but it appears that they don't usually actually have the ice cream at this location. Apparently it's made at a different location, so they usually only have the cake, which isn't gluten free. I was really disappointed that there wasn't a dessert for me to try, especially since I'm the one who's vegan in the group. One of my daughter's who can eat gluten did try the cake special and really liked it though.
In my opinion, in order to get 5 stars, they either need to have all of the dessert options regularly, which includes a gluten free option, or just make the cake with gluten free flour and call it a day.
Other than that issue, it was a great find here in Chicago!
Pros: All vegan, Great service, Lots of gluten free options
Cons: No gluten free dessert options regularly
Guest
anmrise
Points +999
Tasty Affordable Perfect - Edit
This is everything y’all said it would be and more. The elote with chips & salsa was fantastic, the tacos are delicious, and you will leave feeling so full. Every taco packs a punch in flavor, the vibes of the place are phenomenal too. Not the venue for your fanciest outfit (the soft taco shells fall apart easily), great time all around
Read morePros: Tasty, Affordable, Great venue
Guest
NatAWeevil
Points +108
Darn Good Food - Edit
This place is awesome! The restaurant itself has very fun decor and wonderful people. We tried the Nachos Locos appetizer and the plate was huge and it was delicious! The Quesaburria, Chimichanga, and Horchata were all amazing as well. We were able to be seated right away as walk-ins, but I believe making a reservation on a Friday or Saturday evening would be smart to avoid any potential waits:)
Read moreGuest
MelinaSantos
Points +241
Large portions - Edit
This was our first stop in Chicago! I’ll take any chance at eating vegan Mexican food! Their tacos were delicious, the horchata was one of my faves I’ve had, and their chilaquiles torta was delicious and such a unique find! We also had the elote in a cup which was perfect. Would have liked to try it on the Cobb but my husband and I got it to share and we figured this would be the least messy option! I appreciate the dinning experience as often vegan restaurants we’ve found don’t over a dinning experience and are more of on the go style. I would say to get Beans and rice on the side cause the bean water made it so the tacos fell apart instantly.
Read morePros: Dinning experience, Large portions
Cons: Tacos broke easily
Guest
debbl
Points +28
Tasty food and decor - Edit
3 pages of choices and a good hit of spice and heat in everything we ordered. Food was delivered quickly and server was really nice and helpful
Read morePros: Battered deep fried avocado was great, Authentic drinks offered
Guest
diannec
Points +786
Looking forward to coming back - Edit
Tacos were yummy, but I’m looking forward to trying other things on the menu. Menu is clearly marked for gluten allergies as well, and unfortunately the chips are fried in a shared fryer, but staff was knowledgeable about what was safe for those with celiac. And they have pie pie my darling cake for dessert!
Read moreGuest
Ksis
Points +1373
I see why the hype! - Edit
Coming from Texas, I was fairly skeptical about how good this taqueria in the Midwest would be, and man oh man did it live up to the hype!
Read moreEverything we got was delicious—quesadilla grande, guacamole, street style elote, beans and rice, margarita, and the butterfly pea horchata.
The stand out was the street style elote—idk how they did it but the cojita cheese on top was amazing. Guac was incredibly well seasoned too.
Overall you won’t be disappointed!
Guest
hashtagvegan
Points +102
Great food and ambience - Edit
Hard to miss Penelope’s—it’s the pink restaurant just off the Brown/Purple line at Chicago. The inside is also pink! The space is cozy but not cramped. The asada fries were piled high with toppings, and my carnitas taco was excellent. I wanted to try a margarita with zero-proof tequila, but they were all out; I wasn’t too mad however—I’m glad there’s a growing interest in mocktails—and I got the butterfly pea flower horchata. The horchata was blue, and sweet but not too sweet.
Read moreI loved my experience and look forward to going back to try a nonalcoholic margarita and more tacos.
Pros: Delicious food, Good ambience, Friendly staff
Cons: No physical menus
Guest
wuski
Points +411
Love this place - Edit
We usually stop by during every Chicago visit. We always get their elote and torta. Haven’t been disappointed yet!
Read moreGuest
FrankEsposito
Points +16
Just ok but solidly vegan. - Edit
The food was ok, nothing fantastic, and rather expensive. But realize it is in an expensive neighborhood too.
Read morePros: Vegan restaurant in Chicago
Cons: Have to use your phone to see the updated menu , Have to pay for parking $5/hr
Guest
kmoffatt
Points +180
Hit and miss - Edit
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.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-04-10
Pros: Service
Cons: Taco dinner plate
Guest
BenitaB
Points +30
Great Mexican food - Edit
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.
Read moreGuest
theCorrector
Points +186
Amazing! - Edit
Awesome vegan food with great staff and service! Best vegan Mexican in town! Highly recommend! Michelle was a great waitress and extremely friendly!
Read moreGuest
KKumarK
Points +60
Perfection. - Edit
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.
Read morePros: Food, Ambiance, Service
Guest
ohgeorgia
Points +1134
Yuuuuuuuum - Edit
10/10 no notes.
Read moreBut since there's a character requirement I'll say that the baja taco is out of this world; I'd eat it for every meal if I could. Good cocktails, delicious elote, everything is sufficiently spicy. New favorite spot for sure!
Pros: all vegan, friendly staff
Cons: cramped interior
Guest
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