Schaumburg is the suburban destination for plant-based eaters with restaurants like Tokio offering vegetarian and vegan options with some gluten-free pairings as well. Tokio merges Japanese and American pub style food where one will find ramen and beignets under the same roof. Their Restaurant Week lunch menu for $25 offers three hearty courses including veggie potstickers, tofu and shiitake mushroom ramen, and beignets to conclude a heartwarming meal. One can dine indoors, outdoors, or do takeout and delivery. 

Enjoy an assortment of hearty vegan and gluten-free staples like dosa, dal, and chana masala in the comfort of one’s home. Devon Avenue’s Arya Bhavan has an all vegan and gluten-free take-out/delivery menu with healthy and flavorful options making it a unicorn of Restaurant Week. Their 3 menus are incredibly good deals but their lunch ($25) and dinner ones (the $39 vs the $55) will leave you satisfied and give you an opportunity to get some uttapam (rice and lentil pancakes) or undhiyu (sweet potato, eggplant, and other veggies cooked with Thai chili). Don’t forget to drink some of their anti-inflammatory Masala ginger tea to keep you warm and healthy.

Testaccio is Logan Square’s Roman-inspired restaurant featuring flavors from all over the Mediterranean. Its Restaurant Week menu is for dine-in only but is a solid deal for vegetarians. What’s particularly exciting about their Restaurant Week menu from a plant-based perspective is that there are two options for the entree instead of just one. So if folks are dining out with other vegetarians, they can share entrees together instead of eating the same one entree together, but separately. Their $39 dinner menu includes highlights such as an herbaceous artichoke bisque, a classic orecchiette di cacio e pepe, and wood-fired Moroccan cauliflower with a farro tabbouleh and tahini, and its Roman chocolate bar with Nutella and raspberry.

Althea is one of the few all vegan restaurants offering Restaurant Week deals that are a great bang for your buck. They also have gluten-free options for every course. This upscale vegan spot offers both lunch ($25) and dinner ($55) options but their lunch menu is a steal with 3 courses that would cost much more than $25 if you ordered them individually. Try their maitake and oyster mushroom-based barbacoa taco and their Italian salad with a smoked chickpea provolone. Both of their menus are dine-in only where you can enjoy the stunning views of downtown.

Come to Vermilion and try their take on Latin-Indian fusion with their Restaurant Week global street smorgasbord at $39 per person for three dishes and eight accompaniments (chutneys, naan, rice, etc.) or $55 per person for six dishes and eight accompaniments. They do require a minimum of two guests for their Restaurant Week menus so one cannot dine-in alone. Try their unique tomato cauliflower empanada, savory masala fries, flavorful “pindi” paneer and their decadent dessert duo indoors or in the comfort of one’s own home.

Restaurant Week is a wonderful opportunity to try Proxi’s innovative global street food. They have two dinner menus ($39 for three courses and $55 for four courses) that will make one curiously salivate. The $39 one seems to be a great deal for plant-based eaters with unique dishes like tempura elotes and grilled king trumpet mushrooms with tofu hotpot scallions, miso, and rice that will leave eaters satiated. Proxi is doing dine-in only for restaurant week and is not available Friday-Sunday.

Antico Posto is a Lettuce Entertain You Italian cafe and winery in suburban Oak Brook offering both lunch ($25) and dinner ($39) menus for Restaurant Week. Their dinner menu is especially exciting because it includes an adult beverage (a glass of their red/white wine or their American Sbagliato cocktail). This cocktail is a refreshing concoction of aperol, cinzano rosso, strawberry, mango, and bubbles with four food courses. Indulge in their satiating eggplant parmesan with fresh mozzarella or their tempting tiramisu with a crème anglaise indoors, outdoors, or via takeout/delivery.

Osito’s Tap is a speakeasy style bar/restaurant that aims to merge Little Village’s Czechoslovakian past with its current Latinx culture. While they have three menus for Restaurant Week, their $39 dinner option is the better deal for vegetarians because there is at least an option for each course. Notable items include their Quesaditzin (tortilla stuffed with Chihuahua cheese, Oaxaca cheese, squash, mushrooms, and avocado salsa). And don’t forget about that chocolate flan for dessert. Eaters have the option of dining-in, feasting outside, or doing takeout.