Upton’s Breakroom

ok so Id totally provide a pic but my food didn’t last much on my plate lol. This place I have to agree that you don’t have to be vegan to absolutely love, and you wont notice the difference. I had the Tacos Al Pastor and first bite I was LIKE WHOA! No way this doesn’t have meat! Literally taste the SAME. We went with my bf (who is a MEAT LOVER) and our friend. Since I recently became Vegetarian, I def. needed his knowledge on places to go eat and not have to dissect the menu lol. I am so thankful to him for showing us this place. Him and my BF got the Italian Beef and my bf had to try the Mac and Cheese which he LOVED. then of cores came dessert… Cilantro Lime Soft Serve… waaaaaaaa??? YES! Id like to call it a Virgin Margarita… that’s exactly what it taste like. OUT OF THIS WORLD! Well I probably bought hald their stock of Seitan to cook at home. lol. Everyone’s super nice, the place is small but everyone’s so nice and friendly. its right on the corner but honestly if we would have gone alone, we would have missed it. all in all… you wont regret it… weather your vegan or not. AMAZING!

Absolutely delicious food, friendly staff. Their employee specials and vegan soft serve rotate on a weekly basis.

My vegan family and I ordered takeout from this place to indulge in while waiting for our plane at the airport. We got the bacon ranch cheeseburger, the Korean tacos, the breakfast combo (since it was a Saturday), the BBQ plate, and the loaded potatoes, topped off with a cookie.
I grabbed the order (which was perfectly on-​time) and we had to drive for a while before we could eat any of the food.
I thought we might see the quality of the food degrade as we got further and further away from the restaurant. Boy, was I wrong! This stuff stayed delicious and warm, and even by the time it was cool it was still fabulous.
My favorite was the bacon ranch cheeseburger, with the bacon mac (comes with the BBQ plate) as a close second. And the cookie was AMAZING. The Korean tacos were a lovely treat, and the loaded potatoes felt like a ball of cholesterol with none of the health implications of a real loaded potatoes ordeal. The breakfast combo was just okay – but «okay» at Upton’s Breakroom is still really, really good. The waffle was perfectly soft, and the bacon was fabulously smoky. The tofu scramble was perfectly seasoned and just the right texture.
TL;DR: I would eat here all the time. Straight up. I wanna try the traditionally healthy options, but the «bad-​for-​you» stuff is amazing. I love this place.

My sister and I came here for a late Sunday breakfast. I had the combo plate and it was hearty and delicious. The bacon was so good and the waffles were perfect. My sister had the breakfast tacos and they were divine. The food is simply awesome! The ladies manning the restaurant were warm friendly and welcoming. I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu. We also tried the vegan soft serve and it was yummy! We both loved the food and the prices were very reasonable. There aren’t many places that offer a vegan menu that’s delicious and a great value, we’re so glad we found this one.

This is one of my favorite lunch places in the city! So refreshing to have so many vegan options. Great service, cute little space.

Super excited about this restaurant! I had the breakfast sandwich and it was REALLY good! The fried bacon and mac and is different but kinda tasty… the Bhakti Chai is delicious too… I’m gonna have my bacon ranch cheeseburger later on… so far so good! I’ve got a new vegan spot!

I’m obsessed with the Togarashi bowl. Their vegan soft serve is also amazing.

As soon as I left I seriously considered putting on a disguise and going straight back.

This place makes some amazing food! The bacon Mac & cheese is out of this world and I don’t mean for vegan food, I mean in general. The stuff they do here with grain meat is outstanding. This is THE place to take nonvegans to. I plan on trying everything on the menu. I had the Korean tacos and the bahn mi which were both delicious. We also bought a giant cookie not sure if it was supposed to be chocolate chip or banana nut chocolate chip, it was just okay more on the bland side since we couldn’t tell what flavor it was. Other than that try everything.
There’s only 4 tables so it’s more of a takeout place but that wouldn’t stop me from going

Upton’s Breakroom is actually a part of an alternative meat manufacturer called Upton’s Naturals. It’s very small, just like a «break room» because that’s what it is, only it’s also open to the public. The meat dishes they prepare here are absolutely delicious. I eat here quite often and everything they make is indistinguishable from its meat counterpart. I really recommend it but it is very very small and can get quite crowded, so take-​out might be a better way to experience their unique cuisine. Their vegan (non dairy) ice cream is out of this world!
The meat substitute they make is called seitan (sometimes called «wheat meat») and is created by washing the starch away from wheat flour with water. What remains is the wheat protein, making seitan a high-​protein food with a similar texture to meat. In fact, it is so similar that it is somewhat indistinguishable and the way they prepare it is absolutely delicious. Upton Naturals is a huge and growing supplier of seitan and their products can be purchased at natural and conventional food stores all over the country and abroad.
I am a raw vegan and my main concern about seitan is that it’s just plain and pure gluten. There is evidence to support the claim that the human body can easily become over-​saturated with gluten, leading to gluten intolerance (aka celiac disease). Our bodies can process gluten, but if it is overconsumed it can prompt inflammation, and ultimately intolerance, so I think moderation of consumption is recommended. I have searched quite extensively for side effects of seitan and I cannot find anything but this, so an occasional visit is definitely built into my dietary calendar.
I really like this place and highly recommend it!

This was a pit stop on our drive back to New York. Had the bacon mac and cheese, bacon cheeseburger, banh mi, nachos, and soft serve (chai was the day’s flavor).
Not far off 90, at least for anyone specifically seeking vegan eats, and easy to find. Seating was minimal but readily available for an early lunch. Nothing fancy, but certainly a friendly atmosphere and pretty quick service. So it was great for a little break, or for a bite while out and about in Chicago.
And everything tasted great.
Homemade cheese sauce was smooth and creamy, not too salty, over seasoned or bland.
The tofu and pâté on the banh mi were delicious with a little spicy kick (mild for my senses but noticeable, not too spicy for anyone not so tolerant of lotsa heat).
Seitan was all wonderful taste and texture (it’s their main gig of course), and did not seem too similar between the bacon, burger and chorizo sausage crumble.
Nacho and burger toppings were fairly standard and did not disappoint, with the nice additions of the crema on the nachos and ranch on the burger.
Mac and cheese was neither too oily/​heavy or dry, but good comfort food being fried with seitan bacon chunks and all.
The ice cream, from Temptation/​Chicago Soy Dairy, was a generous portion, good texture and the Chai flavor was great (a spicy, cardamom and pepper heavy chai).
Portions were decent (we were pretty road-​hungry), but you’ll probably want to get the mac and cheese as a side with any sandwich. $ 12 – 15 will get you a pretty solid lunch that feels worth it.

My visits to Chicago have been numerous over the past few years and this year I was hankering for something new. With only one day in Chicago and tons of vegan restaurants — where to go?! After much contemplation, the choice seemed obvious — Upton’s Breakroom.
In case you don’t know, Upton’s Naturals makes the best seitan in the country and is located right there in Chicago. So, it seemed only natural to them to incorporate their seitan into delicious meals and open a café right in their building — so Upton’s Breakroom was born.
When I arrived to this unassuming tiny little café, it was pretty busy. I had just hopped off the plane and was waiting for my friend to arrive so I took a seat at one of their three tables. Their menu had so much delicious-​sounding stuff on it that I found it hard to choose. And all of it is vegan!
I will disclose that I have gotten to know the owner and his partner over the years and they came to say hello while I was there. I almost felt guilty, but I was really in the mood for one of the few items on the menu that did not have seitan. They encouraged me to try the Chicago Style Italian sub along with the selection I was most interested in so I convinced my friend to order the sub. :)
I went with the Togarashi Bowl made with baked tofu, grilled kale, pickled radish, scallion, shredded seaweed and sesame seeds over purple rice with a lemon tahini miso dressing and togarashi seasoning. It was quite good — a macrobiotic bowl with spice!
But, even better was the Fried Bacon Mac. Remember, calories don’t count on vacation. I dare to say this was the best vegan mac and cheese I’ve ever had. A housemade mac and cheese made with nutritional yeast and fried Upton’s bacon seitan all fried on the grill made-​to-​order — the flavors mesh in a way that makes you want to eat a trough of it!
My friend got the «Chicago Style» Italian that featured their herbed seitan with giardiniera. This is a classic-​style Chicago sandwich veganized. We liked the inside — you can’t go wrong with seitan and giardiniera (pickled veggies), but felt it was a bit too much bread and not enough filling.
On the side, she got the flash grilled seasonal greens. Yum.
Other choices that sounded yummy were the Bahn Mi, Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger, Korean Tacos, and Nacho plate.
The dishes and sandwiches average $ 6 — $ 9 each with sides being $ 4. That’s awesome pricing for excellent food. The café is quite small with no service, but as long as you can snag a seat, it is well worth the trip. During the warm months, outdoor seating is also available. I’d totally rate this as one of the top vegan cafes in the city — totally worth the trip. And I’ll be back next year!

vegan what?!
so delish! i ordered a kale salad, mac and cheese and korean tacos — don’t judge, i was hungry!
wait, this isn’t meat? it was so good that you think you can convert to being a vegan. the mac and cheese was excellent! the kale salad, they massage the dressing and it’s super yummy. the korean tacos are the perfect balance — it is a meal. definitely yummy and any meat eater would be pleased.
good for only take-​out unless you’re on your own. limited seating. parking is no problem. a hidden gem in west town.

I had the bacon ranch burger with avocado and bacon mac n cheese. Very filling and a lot of flavor. I was so full from this place I had to skip dinner. I would probably return to try the nachos…

it was quite the mission to get to upton’s on public transportation but totally pleased that the bus dropped us at the door.
we ordered bacon mac, loaded potatoes, a brunch combo plate, a bacon cheeseburger, mashed potatoes and the breakfast tacos.
I loved everything I tasted with exception to the tofu scramble which was wet, which is a big texture no no for me.
the bacon cheeseburger, mashed potatoes & gravy and loaded potatoes were all delicious!!!
pumpkin shake for the road and we left very happy first timers! can’t wait until Florida starts carrying upton’s naturals at whole foods!!!

We love the Upton’s seitan products at the grocery store, so we thought we’d try out the restaurant. For a small place, there was a pretty wide variety of menu items. I got the daily special — «Sancocho» which they explained is the national dish of the Dominican Republic. It was an amazing spicy bean and vegetable stew with plantains and yucca, topped with avacado and purple rice. My husband got the bacon mac and cheese and mashed potato with gravy — it’s always nice to find vegetarian versions of foods that are never vegetarian.
I’d give the food 5 stars, but the restaurant itself was a little lacking. This place seems to be primarily carry out and delivery — which would be fine, if that’s how it was billed on the website. There were exactly 4 tables, each seating 2 people. So basically a restaurant only 8 people can eat in at a time. I guess during the summer they have outdoor seating, but this time of year, it would be disappointing to plan to go out to lunch and not have anywhere to eat. While we were there the tables were filled, and someone came in and was surprised he couldn’t sit down to eat, and seemed resigned to get his order to go. Hope there’s some way they could reconfigure the seating, or expand the restaurant — the food was fantastic, but come prepared for the possibility that you’ll have to take it to go.

You know how people always say «I could never go vegan because…» And then they fill it in with whatever their omnivorous vice may be? Steak? Salmon? Maybe cheese? Mine’s definitely cheese. But if I could eat every single meal from Upton’s Breakroom, I wouldn’t want for anything that wasn’t plant based!
We came here during Dog Restaurant Week, so that the proceeds of our amazing meal would benefit One Tail at a Time, but I’ve been dying to come here forever. Upton’s various seitan products are in local grocery stores all over and I really enjoy them as a meat free alternative. I felt like we’d come to the mothership.
We went a little overboard ordering because it was so exciting — so I got the bacon ranch cheeseburger (the bacon, ranch, and cheese were amazing. Burger was a bit too herbaceous to be convincing but still tasty), the fried bacon Mac and cheese (amazing, perfect, delicious, crave worthy, cheesy goodness). My friend got the Korean tacos (I didn’t try but they looked incredible — smallish portion, but she advised they were delicious), and the loaded potatoes (these were to die for — the cheese was possibly even more convincing on these than in the Mac and cheese. The sour cream was dead on. The textures of the bacon, the creamy potatoes, the cheese, all together? Perfection). I got a cold brew coffee to drink and we sat in the teeny tiny little restaurant and enjoyed our freshly prepared, quickly ready feast. When that was done, we got the soft serve ice cream (flavor of the day: coffee!) as dessert, and left full and satisfied of vegan goodness.
I can’t wait to go back. I wish I was already back. Enjoying incredibly delicious, flavorful, exciting vegan food for an equally wonderful cause.

I am so in love with Upton’s new menu! It’s a perfect mélange of all their old staples and some new, delicious treats! Some of my favorites include:
–The Fried Bacon Mac: So smoky, cheesy and delicious.
–Kale Salad with Chick Seitan: For when you’re in the mood for something a bit healthier.
–Chick Salad Sandwich: For when you’re in the mood for something not healthy at all.
–Temptation Soft Serve: They rotate the flavors regularly and I’ve never been disappointed.
–Chocolate Chip Cookie: They are MASSIVE and amazing!
All vegan, all fantastic. Also, while I haven’t had them yet, it’s nice to see that they’re now offering a few gluten free options. Togorashi Bowl, you’re next!
It’s also worth mentioning that the staff over at the Breakroom are super friendly. The CEO, Nicole, is one of the nicest people you will ever have to pleasure of meeting.
Finally, they are now selling packaged jackfruit over there! You have a choice of either BBQ or Chili Lime. Both are so tasty and great for making tacos or BBQ «pork» sandwiches.
Upton’s Breakroom is truly becoming another «must go» restaurant for vegans all over the country and I hope non vegans alike give it a shot. I got their holiday meal this past Christmas for me and my omnivorous family to share and they all LOVED it. Who knows, carnivores who for some reason are reading this? You may just fall in love with seitan, tofu and soy ice cream too!

A couple of my vegan friends actually tricked us into coming here for brunch, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. As I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, I’m very much a carnivore, and I have an aversion to fake meats due to past horrific experiences. However, it should be mentioned that everything here I tasted was pretty good, including the seitan. The owners of Upton’s apparently own a factory that produces their own seitan, and they ship it all over the country.
When our party arrived, we managed to snag the small section of outdoor seating. The actual place is a fairly small space, with only 3 – 4 tables and the counter. We went with mostly sides including the breakfast potatoes, Brussels sprouts in mustard vinaigrette, and the fried «bacon» mac. Pretty standard stuff with the vegetables, but the macaroni was delicious and not too greasy. The bacon seitan had a smokey flavor, and while it definitely was not the same texture as real bacon, it was fine holding its own. We also ordered the waffles, which were a bit on the dry side, but once you put on the maple syrup it was fine. I tried my friends breakfast tacos, which had a tofu scramble instead of eggs, which weren’t too bad, especially with the amount of avocado they give you.
The prices are pretty standard, and the waitstaff was very accommodating and friendly about explaining the menu items. Overall, no fake meat will ever beat the real thing in my book, but Upton’s comes pretty close. In all, you can get a decent vegan meal here, without sacrificing quality.

My favorite seitan products has a sandwich shop. What can go wrong? NOTHING.
CLEAN SHOP, friendly staff, ice cream, Stumptown cold brew and a completely vegan menu. Not much seating inside but there’s an outdoor area decorated with moss roses. Seriously, why isn’t this place in Des Moines! Not fair!!! Upton’s Breakroom does everything right. Very impressed.