The smoothies and raw juices are excellent, and the service is pretty fast. Love the option to buy Protein Bakery items and Brad's Raw Kale chips in individual serving sizes! Highlights: Hi-5 juice and Pump-quinoa smoothie. My only gripes: I wish there were more meal/juice combination options. For instance, it would be nice to add a side of raw juice for a discounted price with the purchase of a quinoa bowl, salad, or burrito. Additionally, I wish the Spinach and Pesto bowl was SLIGHTLY larger. I completely understand and appreciate that the quinoa bowls are meant to be 'healthy' lunch options and that the serving size is small, but I think the Spinach & Pesto bowl should be just a tadddd larger. Overall, the food is solid. Make sure to get the punch card if you are a frequent customer. read more

This is one of those places that I kept hearing and hearing and hearing about but never made it in. Finally we made it in for lunch. It was quick and .... I have to say, the black bean bowl was good but not exceptionally any better than one I could make at home- but I don't. Let's be honest. Black beans, quinoa, some chicken or beef, a bit of flavoring and wham- there ya go! @ 8 plus tax. The really good news? It is huge and you will have left overs that you can eat at your desk for dinner! The pumpkin, whey, almond milk, plus a shot of energy drink is pretty yummy too. I might add that this and a bowl brings your total to @ 15.00. Healthy take out is NOT cheap. I guess if it were, I would be here every day. The up side is we could all get motivated and cook at home. YEAH- RIGHT! See ya at Protein Bar! read more

This is the ultimate healthy fast-food joint I have found in the downtown area. I have eaten at all 4 of the Protein Bar locations and all are delicious! You will find variations in menu and food preparation at each location, but overall the same. Vegan Gardens salad and a raw juice drink are the perfect lunch option. If you every have a probelm (forgotten item to be included in salad, dressing on salad rather than on the side, incorrect drink/smoothie) they are great about it! They will do whatever to make it "right" by you. I have to say that is what has kept me and my crew at the office consistently ordering for about a year now (since Franklin and Adams location opened). Although I am a vegan, I can say that everything on the menu is good, most likely great because I have been with enough people who have eaten a variety of food items here and seen their reactions. I have even dragged people here against their will because they thought Protein Bar would only have a small selection of non-tasty items, but every person was pleasantly surprisd with the tastiness and quantity of food. So if you have not been, go! FYI - you may want to order ahead and pickup due to long lines. Zuppler.com is where you'll be able to do this. Stay great PB! read more

I'm a fan. The food is good and I love the nutritional transparency. I love the Southwest salad (without cheese) and vegan bar-rito so much that I rarely order anything else! Uber filling despite being ~500 calories. The Hi-5 juice, Greenberry juice, and the Granola Remixed granola bowl are also delicious. The only thing I've tried that hasn't been particularly satisfying was the parm chicken quinoa bowl (ordered without the parm) - small and super bland. That being said, I don't mix milk and meat, so it's totally possible this could blow your mind if you order it with the parm ;) read more

I love Protein Bar. I first tried the location by Willis Tower and was excited when this location opened. My go to choices are the Original Barrito, the Buffalo Barrito and the Buffalow Bowl. I love that they have all the nutrition stats on the website. I eat here about once every week or two. During the summer I tried their breakfast. Their egg barrito was great. So fresh. If I need to buy lunch or dinner in the Loop, I always feel good about eating here. Order online and walk right in and pick it up. If you're there on time and don't see it, be sure ask. Don't wait! At least twice I had to ask and found out they forgot to put it out. Even with online ordering they will punch your loyalty card. Be sure to get one. The staff is always friendly. I've eaten there on a number of weeknights and have taken the food to go many times. read more

I understand that this is healthy food, but from what I'd heard, I expected this to be one of those places where you don't notice that. I was expecting good food that happens to be healthy as opposed to food that is ok for health food. I had the original bar-rito, which was very bland. I have had positive experiences with quinoa before, but it and the other ingredients just lacked seasoning. Also, I've had better tasting whole wheat tortillas before--this one was a bit cardboard-ish (the salt and Cholula they offered near the soda machine helped a bit). As for the price, I would have been fine paying $10 for the quality ingredients if the food was good, but it wasn't... The atmosphere is nice and the staff was very friendly. I'll give another menu item a try in the future. read more

Always fresh, always fast, and if you order online beforehand, always ready. I haven't had one thing from here that I didn't like. I work down the street and have been plenty of times. Some will complain about the price/portions, but its protein, so it keeps you filled up until dinnertime! Love this Protein Bar, and the employees are always friendly as hell. read more

Quick, healthy and pretty inexpensive. I've had their pier-nut butter and jelly shake and it tastes like a pb and j in smoothie form. So delicious! Their vegetarian chili is also pretty good, a little soupy but not in a too-thin way. Each time I've gone the employees have been friendly and helpful, and the line always moves quickly (which is a big bonus during lunch hour!) read more

I discovered Protein Bar in 2013. There was a location near my gym, and after a workout, a restaurant with "protein" in the name was a no brainer. Since then, Protein Bar has been my go-to for a quick and healthy meal. I've been to quite a few locations around Chicago, and the store in West Loop on Washington is easily one of the best. The staff is warm and welcoming, and make you feel like you're among friends. They know my name and my typical order. In addition to their good vibes, they also work very hard. The food is prepared quick and the restaurant is always kept clean. Shoutout to Deonte, Dee, Devin, and Mary. They're the best! If you're in the neighborhood, stop in to say hello. read more

I'd give them 4.5 stars for flavor, and about 2 stars for slow service (yes, they are slow at almost 2:00 P.M. and hardly anyone there) For $7.72 for about 6 oz of Black Beans in a quinoa bowl, WITHOUT meat, I can make a LOT of QUINOA and a LOT of Black beans at home.....I'm happy it was there, and it did have good flavor, but the quantity (about 6 oz.) doesn't jive with the price charged..................that means they are charging about $15 per lb.... And to the Corporate Commad Chain of Protein Bar. You're touting that you make all your wraps with WHOLE WHEAT - Well, I wouldn't be so proud of that because Whole Wheat is an inflammatory ingredient and actually has more sugar than white flour. Whomever told you WHOLE WHEAT IS BETTER is WRONG.......all they have to do is some real easy research about nutrition and it's all there ON THE INTERNET! read more

AMAZING lunch!! I am all about healthy eating and these wraps absolutely fit the bill and were delicious! We had an assortment delivered for an office lunch and I sampled the superfood vegan and the Mexicali wraps. Both were incredible and I ate way more than I should have! I loved that the nutrition info was available online as well! read more

A lot of hype brought me to Protein Bar, the name and my inflated sense of being healthy also helped. I actually liked the idea of a truly healthy menu in the loop. Breakfast items seem awesome and I would try any of the oatmeal items any day. I gave it three stars only because I have been spoiled from eating all the bad for you but feels so good kind of food. You come here if you need to detox from all the crap you've been eating. Its the anti-fast food, fast food. If you are a true health nut, or just need to eat something wholesome try it out, but then be okay with how bland the wraps are. They do have Cholula hot sauce on the counter. read more

Look, if you're getting a fast-food lunch, and you want to remain "health conscious," then you can't do much better than protein bar. That being said, the quinoa here is much akin to sand when you get back from the beach. It's everywhere, usually in places where it probably doesn't belong. You'll find the servings of meat minimal in items which contain it, but you will find plenty of veggies to give texture and taste. There are GF and vegan options, which are always good if you're bringing someone who adheres to those diets. The wait can be a bit long at lunch, and you're going to pay a little more, but its worth it to not feel bloated and greasy. The store itself is relatively clean, and modernly decorated. read more

Have lunch here several times a week Love the healthy selections! Deonte provides great customer service and always greets guests with a big smile! read more

I am very disappointed by the service. Placed an order for delivery. They didnt bring my sweet patato chips. Also one of the items was supposed to be vegan but it had meat in it. Please be more careful preparing orders. read more

I heard this place was larger than the one on Franklin and I was craving the buffalo salad like no one's business. It does seem a bit bigger, and so there's a little more seating. Even though it's busy, you might have to wait if you want a seat. I came with a couple of my coworker's and got the aforementioned item in addition to the Bucktown Green Tea Protein Drink. It was delicious! That totally hit the spot. I love the punch cards here, so after every 10th meal or drink you get a free one! The breakfast items look really tasty, too. I think it is a bit pricey, and the bowl items have much smaller portions. It is very filling. I am tempted to come back for the Pumpkin Protein Drink, but it is kind of cold out lately to run and get a cold drink. Service is good, I got asked all the questions to ensure that I got what I wanted in my drink. read more

Definitely a fan of the Protein Bar.....it's great to have some healthy options around! While a Quinoa and chicken burrito will never taste as good as a steak and cheese one, it sure makes you feel a lot better- you can real tell the stuff is good for your body. Ah, if they could only make brussel sprouts with the taste of bacon..... read more

Calling all quinoa lovers! Check this place out for awesome quinoa based dishes! I tried the black bean bowl, which is organic quinoa, vegan black beans and shredded cheddar cheese. I really enjoyed the quinoa, which was cooked perfectly. The black beans gave the dish an earthy taste, which I liked. And, who doesn't like cheddar cheese? I never thought cheese and quinoa would work well together, but it did. The cheese was the glue that held it all together. Also, it was very filling and has only 331 calories. I enjoyed my meal, but I thought the sodium content was a little high. The black bean bowl has 1140mg of sodium and 15 grams of fiber. That's 48% of the recommended daily intake for sodium and 60% of the daily intake needed for a 2000 calorie diet. This is a little TMI, but you might experience some side effects after eating this if you aren't used to consuming that much fiber. I got there a little before 12:30 on Thursday and it was relatively full, but my friend and I had no trouble finding a place to sit. I noticed a long line of people coming in as we were eating so I was glad that we beat the rush. The location looks nice and modern and has a pretty decent sized dining area. They also carry a good selection of snack bars (Kind and Cliffs) as well as some nice looking desserts. I definitely think I will be back since I am interested in sampling the breakfast as well as eating that quinoa bowl again once I get used to eating more fiber! read more

This was one of the best vegan salads I've ever had in my life. Marinated tofu, chickpeas, chopped lettuce, sunflower seeds, and a creamy vegan dressing? Omg. This is actually a salad I have been trying to re-create for the past week now. It is that good. As a last little note, though, I will say that the service was not great. I went at the end of the night, and the people working there were all talking and not really paying attention to other customers coming in. I ordered the dressing on the side, which they forgot to do, so they had to remake the salad. But the deliciousness of the salad is outweighing any bad customer service I had, so I don't even care. read more

Lunch time can get busy but its in the Loop so that's expected. Your standard Protein Bar. I'd visit again! :) read more

Protein Bar & Kitchen - Spacious - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love quinoa. I don't eat it very often, but I really do love it. What's not to love? It's a complete protein. It's a grain. It's... Awesome. Today I had a wrap from Protein Bar. It was blindly ordered for me by the company I was visiting, but it was fantastic. It was so full of quinoa. It really was the perfect power food to get me through my 6 and a half hour meeting. No complaints. A+. I'll be coming back here. read more

I was a fan of Protein Bar when I was visiting their Franklin St. location. But the Washington/ Wells location blows Franklin Street out of the water. First of all, it's bigger than a shoe box. Plus I like the decor in here better. And while I haven't been to the Franklin street in quite some time, the staff here is friendlier than I remember the staff at the other location. Second, this location offers fresh juice. The food is fresh and tasty, but at $10 a salad (and almost $20 for a salad and a juice) it feels a bit pricey. That said, the quality is definitely there, and the salads are large enough to feed me for two meals. read more

1 of my go-to lunch spots. Healthy, filling, fresh food. Quick service. Recently, I learned they no longer utilize punch cards. They gave me a free lunch anyways for my punch card (and it wasn't even completely filled!) Can't beat that! read more

It's good to have a place that focuses on protein and eating healthy. It's bad when the food is bland, they don't list carbohydrate contents, it takes forever to get your food, and there's not even that much protein on anything they have! I work right down the street, but if I am looking for a healthy lunch, I skip Protein Bar and walk right into Med Kitchen. read more

PROTEIN BAR. YOU ARE ONLY A BLOCK FROM MY OFFICE. WHY HAS IT TAKEN ME SO LONG TO VISIT YOU?! Sure, it's a little pricey but everything is delicious, healthy, and filling! I grabbed their guac n roll bar-rito on a whim today and I swear there was an entire avocado stuffed up on there. It was delicious. I also looooveee their protein smoothies. This will definitely be one of my go-to spots in the future! read more

I love all the Prtein Bar eateries. I'm giving this one a 5 because there is actually enough room to move and eat. The shakes are all awesome. I also recommend the pesto chicken bowl. read more

I love the look of this Protein Bar. So much white! I had a wrap when I was here. I was super hungry, and looking for a place that was new and exciting that I hadn't tried yet. Quality: Great. Clean ingredients. Yummy ingredients. Fullness: Not. Maybe because my wrap didn't have quinoa in it, but I was still quite knawingly hungry afterwards. For that price, I could have gotten two Chipotle burritos that would have fed me for a couple of meals. PB is a nice novelty and the food tastes good, but not the best value especially for those that don't have filling quinoa in them. read more

I love me some quinoa, so this place fits the bill. Great selection and I must recommend the squash soup....probably my most favorite thing on the menu when they have it available. A word to the wise....order online. The line is ridiculous, and the layout of the restaurant is so weird that there really is no where to stand waiting for your meal without getting in the way. read more

In general I'm kind of a freak for Protein Bar. I previously trekked down to the State and Lake location. Doh! I just discovered this one which is so close to where I work. My craving is the Green City Vegan Bar-Ito. It's always tasty and protein packed. What sets this location apart are the friendly and helpful people that work here. The way an establishment treats its customers is huge. These folks make coming here a pleasure. Check 'em out. read more

Protein Bar & Kitchen - Heading out the door. - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I work near this location and I finally decided to give it a try and I loved it. I have been a regular customer at this location for almost a year now. The store manager Brad and the staff are all the best. Everyone at that location makes sure I am not disappointed when I order and if there's a problem the fix it right away. I only wished I found this place sooner. read more

Protein Bar & Kitchen - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Hands down Protein Bar is one of my favorite places for lunch downtown Chicago. They used to have this healthy parm bowl, that i wish would come back, but it was delicious and only 300 calories. However, i've switched over to the buffalo bowl and it gives me a guilt free meal (that doesnt spike my blood sugar) and a bit of a kick from the buffalo sauce. Tried the buffalo bowl as a bar-rito the other day and i was not disappointed! Definitely recommend to tourists and locals. read more

I love this place. It's great for vegetarians, vegans, or gluten-free eaters, as well as anyone who wants to watch calories but still be full. I've only ever had the chicken spinach pesto bowl because it's so good I don't want to try any of the other bowls. The vegan superfood salad is good too, it has all kinds of good-for-you ingredients in it and the dressing makes it taste great. Wish it had a bit more tofu, but there are so many greens in this you won't go hungry. The chicken chili is good as well, add some greek yogurt. I had the Bucktown green tea which sadly tastes overwhelmingly like banana and not at all like green tea. This place is PACKED at lunch but you can order online and pick it up. Otherwise, go at 11 or after 1. Make sure you get a punch card- buy 8 and get a 20oz blended drink, breakfast bowl, or 16oz chili (you can get the veggie one or chicken, with whatever toppings free!) read more

It's a nice, healthy place for lunch. I love their spinach pesto quinoa bowl and their chili- they're very health conscious and selective when it comes to ingredients, but protein bar definitely does not skimp on the flavor! Their meals are always fresh, delicious, and an easy lunch for those in the area. It's a little pricey for the portions, but when you're thinking about the health benefits and idea of the place, it's a bit more justifiable. The place is always clean, and the staff has always been friendly to me. read more

Protein Bar & Kitchen - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tried to order delivery but they only told me a half hour later (through yelp) that they're not taking online or yelp orders.

This is my new favorite downtown lunch spot! Stopped by with a friend, and we both really enjoyed our meals. We were there at lunchtime on a weekday and it was busy, but the line moved quickly and we had no problem getting a table. Their buzzer system is a great idea. I had the Bucktown Green Tea smoothie and have been daydreaming about it ever since. It was perfect. I was in a breakfast-for-lunch mood so I also had the Banana Walnut Quinoa Bowl and loved it as well. It was very fresh and clean tasting, but was somewhat simple (which is fine since that's what I was expecting it to be). My friend had the Spinach & Pesto Quinoa Bowl and that was really delicious. It had much stronger flavors and I will probably try that on my next visit. The prices aren't cheap, but considering the location and the food options surrounding it, I think they're very reasonable. The service was terrific - everyone was super friendly and moved quickly. We need more places like this! read more

I order a Steak Breakfast Bar-rito. It's ok but my two complaints are that they charged me $1 for cheese get to work no cheese to be found. Second, It didn't taste that great for a $8 breakfast burrito. I should have just gotten a smoothie because I was not impressed with food. read more

Healthy yet yummy!! I went for the original bar-rito, hold the cilantro. Had a red line protein shake on the side. Super yum!!! Kept me full all afternoon. Will definitely eat there again. Next time will try a chili bowl! read more

Protein Bar & Kitchen - The original bar-rito - New American Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

The food is good - and you feel good eating it, but it's really pricey for a place you drop in for quick eating. The people are nice and its always clean. It did get me to start eating quinoa - but I make my own at home. They must be killing it cause quinoa is not expensive and each meal is about $8. read more

I have been a member for only a short time at FFC. However, I have certainly picked up on the energy of the people who represent FFC as a whole and I am truly grateful to have met Lisa at the protein bar. She's always happily glowing and remembers my name, and even when I was having a bad day on the inside, she possibly sensed it within me and brightened my day. Cheers Lisa read more

Great tasting, great for you and great that so many locations are starting to pop up. It's a little pricey, but when you consider the health benefits it's totally worth it. (Would you rather eat the right thing now and pay a little more or eat nutritional negative food now that's cheaper but contributes to your Insurance premiums later?) Fun Fact: Their former menu items are still available on a "secret" menu, you just have to ask at the register! read more