Great sandwich and an awesome owner! Warning: Veeeery messy. Also, pick the slaw over the chips for your side -- it's the move. read more

I don't even like albacore tuna, but I tried the Sesame Chili Tuna sandwich at the owner's suggestion. (He told me that it's his favorite thing on the menu). And it was amazing! It's mayo-free, and has a great little zing from the ginger and chilis -- but it's not spicy. I added some siracha to help with that. Fresh sliced cukes and shredded carrots finished it off and made for an incredibly delicious -- if messy -- and affordable meal. Well, that and the house-made slaw that came with it. (I could have chosen house-made chips, but was trying to stay a little bit healthy. And I did not regret my decision for a moment.) Delicious, affordable, and the owner is super friendly. Well-worth finding the next time you're in downtown Evanston. read more

My favorite sandwich place. Its pretty good. And the staff is also very friendly. Must try!!! read more

Sandwich options were fresh and served very quickly. Bread was a little tough. But overall great little hole in the wall sandwich shop with great staff read more

Soulwich - Asian Fusion Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

This place is awesome. Stumbled in a couple nights ago, and we were blown away. Love the options, love the local/organic offerings, love that it's supporting local. Delicious sandwiches and homemade chips. Both of our sandwiches were great, and we especially loved the spicy chips! The drink offerings are wonderful, too. Wonderful service. Oh, and GREAT vegan options! A gem of a find. Will be back! read more

I've been waiting for Soulwich to open for some time and I finally made it there for lunch. I'm a big fan of Asian sandwiches epically Vietnamese. So, I figured I would try this place out. Although, I didn't see any Vietnamese sandwiches, I did find some Burmese, Thai, Indonesian, and Singapore inspired sandwiches. I ordered the Thai Grilled Chicken Sandwich: Pros: 1. The place looks great. The decor is nice and there is some room for people to sit. Mostly it's a take-out spot. 2. The food is great! The Thai Grilled Chicken was excellent and the chip with Burmese seasoning is real good. I wishe I ordered two sandwiches! 3. The price is good for lunch and the sandwich portion wasn't too small. It was a perfect size for lunch. 4. The sandwiches are unique: Burmese coconut curry, Paneer Fig goat cheese, Indonesian Ginger BBQ, Chicken Wasabi etc... Cons: 1. It took me about 20min to get a sandwich and the there was a long line behind me and I saw five people leave because the line wasn't moving. Long lines are fine if you can see people getting their order fast but that wasn't the case here. 2. Soulwich kept getting people's orders mixed up. I watched as people ahead of me were getting there orders mixed up. 3. I got charged for the wrong order because the girl at the counter wasn't sure of the menu. However, this place just opened up this week and they are trying to work out the kinks. So, I will give them a break and come back here again. Honestly, the food is excellent and edgy its worth your time to try the food. Hopefully they will work out the service issues fast. Thank you Soulwich for a great sandwich! read more

Great food. Friendly service. Excellent value. Even had a live string musician today. I echo the comments from Emily b (3/24/12) so won't repeat them here. I had a chicken sandwich and my son a beef sandwich and they were both equally good ! read more

Delicious sandwiches and great ginger coleslaw. The drinks are unique and tasty as well. It's about the only live business on that block, so if you're in there on a slow day and Ash is around, you can also get some great conversation with your sandwich. A friend of mine pointed out an unusual feature of the sandwich prices: They run from $7.75 cents up to $7.95 cents. So, if you feel like splurging or you're a big short this month, you know what choices to make! read more

Ate here about three weeks ago. I'm a big fan of their Indonesian BBQ sandwich. Good combination of sweet and spicy, probably my two favorite tastes. Not as much of a fan of the Singapore Tikka which is what my sister ordered. It lacked flavor at least to me. I found the Burmese chips to be really salty. The wasabi chips were a little better with a more subtle flavor. If I had to go again though I'd probably just get the regular style chips read more

Really delicious sandwiches! We had the tuna and the ginger bbq seitan, both with slaw. The bread was warm and fresh, the sandwich components were perfectly proportioned and the sauces were delicious. Everything was super tasty. It's so nice to have a vegetarian option for sandwiches that is different from the usual fare you find. The owner (I assume) was very kind and the employees were super nice. We sat outside, received our sandwiches promptly. On the way out he informed me that they do catering. Good to know because we cater in for lunch meetings sometimes. read more

The owners here were super friendly and very accommodating, more than willing to explain each sandwich as my boyfriend and I were not sure what we'd like. We've been here twice already and looking forward to our third and more. Side of chips are crispy and delicious! Honestly, one of the best place to grab lunch. read more

Sandwiches are fantastic! As a vegetarian, I really appreciated all the vegetarian options here. Based on some reviews here I got the Indonesian Ginger BBQ sandwich with seitan and Yelp did not let me down. It comes with a side, either chips or slaw. I'm not usually a fan of slaw, but this was delicious. Maybe it's because there was no mayo? Husband got another sandwich with spicy pork and also loved it. We might have to go back before we leave town! read more

Their tuna sandwich is amazing! I'm sure they all are! I'm just pescatarian. The fig and goat cheese sandwich is also an explosion of flavors dancing in your mouth. The hospitality is impecable. It is family owned and you always see them running shop. Always very sweet and friendly. This is one of my favorite lunch spots in Evanston and I never feel guilty after eating there. The company I work for has also gotten catering from here. They were timely and helped us set everything up. Continue to excel at what you do, Soulwich! read more

Maybe it is just what I ordered, but I did not find it highly impressive as the ratings suggest. The service was great and the staff were really nice. Want to give this place another chance to see if it will improve my review. read more

Just had my first soulwich at the recommendation of a friend, and I think it's safe to say it was the best sandwich I've ever had. I got the Indonesian BBQ Ginger with pork. The pork was sliced thin, juicy, and dripping with marinade. The bread was toasted perfectly which gave it a nice crunch. The fresh veggies and cilantro on the sandwich were excellent. I also got the original homemade chips and they are awesome!! Ahhh! Don't wait (like I did), just go! read more

Living in Evanston for 3 years we were regulars here and LOVED it. Our favorite was (and still is) the #4 with pork and the spicy chips. The owners have always been working the counter when we've been here, and even after 1.5yrs of moving away they remembered us and our order! Great food, great service, great environment! Soulwich genuinely puts their heart and soul into their food and customers. read more

Worked in Evanston for years and since moving away, I really miss this place. I have seriously considered driving the 45 mins just for a sandwich here. You can't go wrong but my favorite is the indonesian ginger bbq. read more

Great place for a banh mi sandwich and only 10 minutes away from my work! It was my first time coming in and I ordered the Indonesian BBQ w/ beef. Sandwich was delicious and filling will come back to try more options. read more

Ash and the Soulwich family often cater our events and the food is nothing short of superb! Everything is cooked perfectly and he is always conscious of accommodating different food preferences. Their sauces (especially the cherry-habanero and whatever goes on the fruit salad!) are delicious. They also have Asian tacos, and I would especially recommend the chicken. Great food for a quick meal, but we always know we can count on them for catering as well! read more

Tastey sandwich! Great advice by staff on the number 4. I really enjoyed it! I would definitely come back and recommend it read more

We shared a Singapore Tikka with chicken and an Indonesian ginger with pork. Really delicious and inventive. The slaw and seasoned chips were tasty too. read more

The best vegan sandwich! Indonesian ginger bbq with seitan. A must have!!!! If you are vegan or not, this place is a must go to.

There are 1 million places to eat in Evanston, but Soulwich is the one that u have to try when u stop by... Sandwiches u won't find anywhere else (try the #4 if ur there). Manager Ash is one of the friendliest individuals you'll ever meet, and it definitely gives off the vibe of a small family run business that everyone loves. Have already had it a few times in the past week and definitely plan on continuing to come here in the future. read more

I lieked the sandwich i have here today. fig sanwich with goat cheese. the slaw was a very good slaw. Thank you for this time and experience. p s - what happend to all those nice reviews like some 4 an five star wons were her before and now they gone read more

Good food, poor service. Tips: - Recommend #2 and #4 for the soulwiches! mmmm - Order it to-go, unless you want to wait a lonnnnnnnnng time. Several hits against them: - Ordered the Indonesian Ginger BBQ with veggies, got it with pork instead. I got it to-go, so I didn't realize this until much later, but luckily I'm not vegetarian (+1 meat eaters, but seriously guys, pork?!) - The kid (the owner's daughter, maybe?) who was running around behind the counter. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE kids, and she was super duper cute, but eating a chip off a floor? Please, no kids in a sanitary environment, thanks. - Sandwich WILL get soggy super quick. They need to find a way for you to eat this without it falling apart in your hands. That being said, DON'T go here for a date! Unless sauce-smeared mouth, food dripping everywhere is your thing, you probably won't be able to eat your sandwich neatly. Positives: - OMNOMNOM. Definitely fabulous sandwiches. Bang for your buck ($8 for a sandwich for dinner!) - Vegetarian friendly. Yeahh I got the meat sandwich by accident... but the menu had at least 2-3 selections of pure vegetarian stuff. Might give this place another try. Maybe! For now I'll stick to Rollin' To Go (Soulwich is not quite comparable...)! read more

I was in the area and could see the colourful walls from the street. I decided to go in and order. The walls are all brightly painted with oranges, greens and yellows; it's very lively in there. It's a small building, as of now there are about 4 or 5 small tables with 2 stools at each table, this would be a problem for rush hour lunch time. It was not a problem getting a table at 7 pm on a saturday. The menu is displayed on two TV screens, it's not too descriptive but it's very easy to understand, I was unsure about a flavor so I asked the women taking my order and she explained what the number 1 was - The Burmese Coconut curry. It took about 3-5 minuetes for the lady to prepare my Burmese Coconut Curry with Chicken, I also ordered the pomegranate lemonade, and decided to try the wasabi chip and the burmese chip. The sandwich itself was fairly large, the bread was incredible, the actual bread was fluffy and dense, the crust gave a satisfying crunch after every bite. The sandwich was filled with large chunks of good quality chicken, carrot slices that gave a wonderful crunch, also it had cilantro and a delicious coconut curry sauce. All these different textures, colours and flavors created a fantastic symphony in my mouth. This sandwich was worth $7.50 all by itself. The chips are homemade, and they are served in a brown paper bag. I was expecting the Wasabi chip to be too hot, but to my surprise they weren't - this is coming from someone who can't take even some mild salsa's. These are not chips you'd get at the gas station they added a complex flavor in my mouth. A very high thumbs up. The burmese chip was a real kick in the mouth. It made me thirsty for a cold glass of milk, they were almost too hot for me- but I still ate them, because they were that yummy "too-hot" to handle spicey-but gotta have more. The pomegranate lemonade was a nice mellow drink, it was a good addition to my meal, it was not over bearing and it was just the perfect temperature. I think Soulwich is a place I will certainly go back too. I have never had such a vibrant sandwich that really sent my taste buds to heaven. Well worth the minor wait for the sandwich to be made and well worth the money. read more

Went to Soulwich for the first time and OMG it was amazing! I got the tuna and it was by far one of the best tuna sandwiches I've ever had! Perfectly toasted bread, very flavorful, spicy but not unbearable but sweet from the fresh veggies. Very similar to a Vietnamese sandwich but to the next level. I will def be back! The fig and goat cheese is next on the list. read more

It's pretty good but not outstanding. The bread is a little hard, but the flavors are unique. I think there's a little too much hype about this place, but I do enjoy it occasionally. The chips are pretty good too! read more

I'm always in the market for a unique meal, and this place doesn't disappoint. They also have friendly staff and reasonable prices, so definitely check it out! I like the coconut curry sandwich best! read more

I had the best sandwich of my life here at Soulwich. I had been waiting for the opening, and was glad to finally be able to try their goat cheese and fig sandwich that was posted on their menu prior to opening. Everything was fresh, and seasoned perfectly. On the side, I had their homemade Burmese seasoned chips. I talked at length with the owner about his use of locally sourced produce and his refusal for corporate branding in his store (you won't find any Coke or Pepsi products). I'm looking forward to going back and trying additional menu items. Great addition to the Evanston area! read more

Feeling torn about this place.... On the one hand: The food is AWESOME! Nothing bad to say about it. However...the other hand: The male owner is awful. While I was ordering, he was reprimanding his wife saying "what are you doing!" because she wasn't giving accurate change. I then proceeded to ask allergy-related questions and he couldn't have been more annoyed. Then, after his cute daughter came out of the kitchen, he yelled at her, literally grabbed her, threw her into the kitchen, I heard a loud noise and then she started screaming and crying, which was far worse than her being a normal kid around the restaurant. I felt so uncomfortable. Believe it or not, I ordered from them again because I enjoyed the food so much. When I called to ask more questions he was extremely rude on the phone and said "I think I answered your questions already" and practically hung up. Totally insensitive to allergy issues and clearly is not interested in earning repeat business. Then my friend went there and her take was the male owner totally disrespects women, after looking my friend up and down. Next time, I'll try sending my husband. Maybe he'll be nicer to a male. I hate supporting this business. People with allergies must ask about their orders with each order. Restaurants often change their recipes, unannounced. read more

I was first intrigued by this little restaurant's name - Soulwich. I love sandwiches and if they are made with a little bit of soul then how could I possibly resist? As I entered last night I was a bit surprised as it was a lot more hip than I would have imagined it to be. I immediately loved the ambiance of the place, but I can just imagine how packed it must get during their peak hours as the space is pretty small. We looked at one of the menus on the counter prior to ordering - this is a must if you have never been there before as the short menu on the wall isn't as descriptive as the menus on the counter. While there weren't that many sandwiches to choose from, it seemed difficult for us to decide which two to get - they all seemed so eccentric yet wonderful. We ended up choosing the Burmese Coconut Curry and the Paneer Fig, one with a side of the homemade asian slaw and the other with the original home fried chips. For drinks, we used the DTEvanston app on our phones to receive our free pomegranate and herb infused lemonades. Both "soulwiches" were filled with the freshest ingredients. It's January in Chicago and I have to admit that I was not expecting such colorful ingredients inside my sandwich - I would give the freshness of the veggies five stars alone! They are also very generous with what they give you, especially with the goat cheese in the Paneer Fig! Holy nommy goat cheese! So, I'm not a big fig fan, but I can tolerate small amounts of it and I have to say the fig went very well with the goat cheese and infused carmelized onion - this was my favorite sandwich out of the two. I was honestly expecting to love the Burmese Coconut Curry as I love coconut curry, but that simply wasn't the case. While it was good, it wasn't my favorite, but I think that I would have enjoyed it more if I chose to have it vegetarian style rather than with chicken. It was almost as if the chicken was taking away from the coconut curry, because while it had a good curry flavor, it was only subtle. I enjoyed the homemade asian slaw and thought that the portion size was perfect - I wouldn't have been able to eat any more of the slaw, but wouldn't have wanted any less. As for the chips, to me, they are just chips. I don't care for plain chips and I wish that we had ordered the Burmese style chips, but we will just have to try those next time! We will also be getting something else to drink next time, because unfortunately we did not care for the pomegranate and herb infused lemonade. This drink sounded so good, but it just tasted a bit weird and I can't put my finger on why. I'm sure others would find this drink refreshing and flavorful, but I personally didn't enjoy it and neither did my partner. Service was great - both of the employees were more than accommodating and asked us on multiple occasions if everything tasted okay. While I'm not positive, the man we spoke to seemed like he would be the owner and he was extremely knowledgable and we carried on a nice conversation with him for a while after our meal. I can't wait to go back and try the other sandwiches on the menu, and the saladboxes as well. Soulwich has such a great concept, I love Asian and I love sandwiches - so this place is kind of sort of perfect. read more

I got the #5 and my friend got the #3. Both sandwiches were a kind of curry chicken with the carrot and cilantro toppings. So good!!! The toppings remind me of Vietnamese sandwiches so it was a nice twist of flavors! read more

Indonesian BBQ is one amazing and addictive sandwich. Add in the spicy cole slaw and a bottle of coke and you have the perfect lunch. Really good stuff served here and a great value. read more

Nothing disappoints! I've gotten the paneer fig (vegetarian) and the Indonesian Ginger BBQ before and they were both delicious. The owners are very sweet and they recommended that we get their homemade chips. The coleslaw is also a great option because it's light and refreshing. This place almost reminds me of Vietnamese banh mis but they're much more savory and juicy. A little expensive compared to banh mis but they're worth it. They also have some outside seating. read more

A bit pricey for a small sandwich and ginger ale. Tried the #4 with pork and it seemed salty and was not very flavorful. The top of the bread was charred. Was excited to try the side of slaw but the little box was only half full, was not cold and lacked flavor. Overall, it was an underwhelming experience and not likely to go back. read more

We absofreakinloutely love this place! Sandwiches are delicious & perfect every time.

GREAT FOOD. Great service! Sharon Paravastu especially was very personable and pleasant. Sandwiches are DELISH but slightly overpriced. The owner is realllyyy nice. The tuna tastes freshly caught. The goat cheese sandwich tasted delish. Not enough seats to sit down, but still a great location. great vegan indonesian barbecue! read more

They do have gluten free bread and hence I was able to try their Singapore tikka sandwich. It was quite yummy and spice. My gripe is with the person who was taking our orders, he seemed to be in a bad mood and was off-handish about the whole process. Also, I wanted H.'s sandwich to be gluten free too, so that I can try both but he forgot to update that in the order. Good food but service could have been better. read more

I wanted to check this place out for awhile now, and when I was finally in the area a couple weeks ago, I gave it a shot. Holy moly - seriously the best sandwich I have ever had. I came in to Soulwich, and not a soul was there except for two cute cops who started telling me that I have been missing out since it was my first time here. The cop recommend the Sesame Chili Tuna, but I ended up going with Thai Grilled with chicken- it has a red coconut curry inside. To be honest, I must have not read the description of the sandwich because I HATE coconut and curry, so I don't know what I was thinking, but my point being is that I barely, if not at all, tasted either of those two flavors. Speaking of flavors, the sandwich was bursting with all kinds of exotic tastes, nothing like I have ever had before. Maybe coconut and curry is a great combination after all. The sandwich comes with a a choice of homemade seasoned chips or homemade slaw. I went with the Burmese chips - so freakin' good!!! Though the prices are a little steep for a sandwich, they give a very generous portion. To me, Soulwich is a true definition of what Asian Fusion should be like. The owner was incredibly friendly gave me a few suggestions since I didn't have the slightest clue on what to get. He was happy to tell me a little about his and his wife's business and asked me to follow him on Facebook. I mentioned how amazing it would be for Soulwich to open up another location in the northwest suburbs, so my fellow yelpers, start following them!! As it's clear, I recommend this to anyone and everyone because they have such a variety of flavors, that I am certain no one will have any trouble finding something they like. I will definitely be back and I'm super excited to see what kind of flavors the other sandwiches will offer my taste buds :) read more