Always a great time here: delicious food and excellent service. My daughter and I went here on an early Tuesday evening. We sat outside on the back patio and the weather was perfect for it! I love their strawberry cream cake. It's a perfect combination of textures and flavors. I highly recommend it! I also especially love the earthy, natural ambience of both the interior and exterior. read more

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Big space inside and outside. Patio space is fenced, large, heating and fan. Patio allowed behaved dogs. No espresso based drink. Service was good. For early morning brunch no reservation needed. Our server was very attentive and open to our feedback. Crab appetizer- 4.5- great taste and flavor can take some seasoning Calamari fritter-3 - lacks seasoning and bottom ones were little soggy. The pickled were great touch Fried chicken sandwich- 4.5 - good size, bun was good. Would like little.more aioli. Was on little dry side. Fries is good Burrito - 3 - way dry for my taste. Again lack of flavors. Baked potato was little cold read more

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Vegetarians will love the variety of vegan and vegetarian offerings here! The ambiance is casual California earthy chic, featuring wooden furnishings and hanging plants throughout. Rear patio seating is also available. The menu is different for weekday lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Be sure to check online to see which menu suits you. Everything on the menu is vegetarian, even the "crab cakes" and "chicken" entrees. We tried the cauli-wings with dipping sauces, and one of the daily special Indian curry chickpea entrees. Both were good, although the curry was a tad bland. We're looking forward to trying their dinner selections and thought the service was good and prices were reasonable. Definitely worth a try! read more

I am a tea drinker and they had a very good tea here . The food was fresh and the service was great . When I first started eating here I went twice in one week . It is very cozy and they have many seating options . I like to sit facing out at a half booth so I can enjoy the ambiance . read more

Stopped by Spirit Elephant on my last trip to Chicago. One of my coworkers had heard great things about the vegan selection at Spirit Elephant so we had to stop by and check it out. When you arrive there is parking available on the street. Walking into the restaurant you'll feel like your surrounded by plants, and you've walked into a elevated yet relaxed restaurant. For drinks I ordered the cool as a cucumber (el mayor anejo tequila, spicy agave, lime, cucumber coconut foam) and something with elderflower that changes colors (I can't remember the name of the drink). To start we order the Cauli-Wings (garlic parmesan; carrots, celery, poppy seed ranch) which were excellent and you couldn't tell it was cauliflower. Next we ordered the calamari fritti (king oyster mushrooms, pickled pepperoncini, carrots, marinara arrabbiata) which was also so good and a great way to start the meal. We also ordered a pizza which I believe isn't on the menu anymore. For dessert we ordered a chocolate cake dessert with vanilla ice cream served in the middle. Definitely recommend checking out spirit elephant if you are in the Winnetka area. read more

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Run, do not walk, to snag a reservation here! Enjoyed weekend brunch on a recent trip to Chicago. Always thrilled to see a true vegetarian or vegan restaurant in the area better known for meat. The avocado toast on gluten-free flatbread was the perfect balance between crisp and creamy, with excellent toppings. The Buffalo "chicken" club was absolutely incredible--absolutely no need to feel like you're missing out by switching to a plant-based meal. Bonus were the fries that weee perfectly crisp and just the right level of salt. Tip: ask for a bit of "mayo" to dip them in instead of ketchup. I cannot wait to return! read more

Spirit Elephant - Buffalo chicken club and fries - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

What a gem in Chicago's suburbs. Spirit Elephant provides a unique sanctuary for you to dine in at. Very homey vibe with plants all over, a bar, indoor seating, outdoor seating and occasional special events. I did get to try their lasagna, chicken Parmesan, southwest egg rolls spicy broccoli, crème brûlée, strawberry cake, and their skillet cookie, all of which were great! The chicken Parmesan and crème brûlée are a must! If you are lucky enough and can get there by Aug 2026 you can try the danky special menu collaboration with Chef Priyanka. All of that collaboration was top notch and a must try for any foodie in Chicago. Oh and their service is so attentive and friendly. Happy Munchies, @JaeGreens read more

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Love this place. Their menu changes and doesn't disappoint. There were three or four options I got stuck one. Went with the chorizo breakfast burrito and it was excellent. It had a vegetarian chorizo, egg and avocado with pico de gallo. The diced potatoes had a great outer crunch, perfect. Service as always was attentive and helpful. Highly recommended. read more

Spirit Elephant - Chorizo burrito & Potatoes - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

This was my first time dining at a vegan restaurant. The esthetics of the cauliflower was to be desired . No color but the flavor was nice . The feta cheese is vegan so didn't taste like it at all and the salad was over dressed . The poke nachos were tasty . The creme brûlée is made with coconut gelato which was different but still had the crunchy top . The drinks here were my favorite. The blackberry mojito was refreshing and delicious and the brown sugar coffee was divine with cinnamon on top . Service was slow in the beginning but picked up nicely once she knew she had us for a table . The restaurant itself has a lot of plants and is bright and welcoming. read more

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I'm not sure that I've ever had a bad experience at Spirit Elephant. The handcrafted cocktails and mocktails are always refreshing and flavorful and the presentation of the drinks, as well as the food is always photo-worthy. I always look forward to the seasonal rotation of menu items, as I know the ingredients will be fresh and in season, and I love looking forward to new dishes. I absolutely adore Spirit Elephant and have loved making this my go-to spot in Winnetka. I have had Meet Up events, girls brunches and date nights here, and always enjoy the experience. I've honestly been here more times than I can count. My omnivore friends are always pleasantly surprised once they've been officially introduced to the magic of Spirit Elephant. I've loved watching all of the small changes over the years, and have appreciated that the quality of the food and handcrafted cocktails has never changed. I have raved of the patio in the past, but they've since done two major upgrades, and I love spending weekend afternoons with a group of friends during the warmer months on their patio even more. The staff is phenomenal, and I appreciate that I always know my server will have an excellent recommendation whenever I stop in (I mean, you truly cannot go wrong with anything that you order). read more

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Always a treat! Finally made it to happy hour just tinder the wire. We tried the bao buns and poke nachos - both were amazing. The tofu in the bao buns was so crispy and delicious that my carnivore friend said tasted just like pork belly. Having never had pork belly, I was happy that to me it tasted like tofu since I love tofu. The poke nachos were a bit spicy for me but flavorful and delicious. Again, my friend thought it really tasted like tuna. My friend wanted to split the steak which I thought wasn't their strongest dish because it tasted more processed and not like lovely tofu nor like meat. But for those who enjoy vegan steaks, it was quite flavorful and moist. The potatoes were so fluffy and crispy. But not my fav of their dishes. As always the manager, Jordan, comes by and makes us feel like VIPs, laughing and treating us like old friends. And the whole team works together smoothly. Being surrounded by plants with perfect warm lighting makes the ambiance just as wonderful as the food itself. read more

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My brother has been a strict vegan for a decade. He owns a vegan pizza company and he brought me to his favorite vegan restaurant - - Spirit Elephant for a weekday lunch. The experience was excellent. The food is gourmet and totally delicious. Jose was our server. He was a very upbeat and positive waiter. I had the Massaman Curry. It was loaded with fresh, crunchy vegetables and the curry sauce was smooth and slightly sweet. A large portion, I brought half of it home. My brother ordered the Forbidden Summer entree. He ate every bite! The dining room is clean and orderly with lots of plants. They also have a nice outdoor dining area where they have live music on Thursday evenings. I wondered about the name of the restaurant. It says this on their website: "Why is elephant in our name? Elephants are compassionate, intelligent, and powerful, and they use that power for the benefit of others in their herd communities. That ethos and spirit represent our passion and purpose beautifully." This is a great place. Come visit! read more

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I finally came here, and idk why it took me so long to given that I am 99% vegan (and 100% vegetarian). Omg. I got one of my friends to come here for happy hour with me and it was amazing. The cauliflower wings (mango chili) and poke nachos were insane. She really liked the bao buns and her mocktail as well. I will 100% be back. read more

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This is a vegan restaurant and we're not vegan. I point that out because where we're from, vegan is a bad word. We went during happy hour and sat at the bar. We had several cocktails and several small plates. Everyone liked everything (except me not caring for the sliders because I'm sometimes weirded out by meat substitute that is supposed to be very meat like - I don't hold that against them. Everyone else said it was good) Our favorite item was the crispy tofu bao. Sooooo good The staff was nice and their place was so cute. I highly recommend going there! read more

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I can't believe I waited so long to try out Spirit Elephant but now I'm addicted and can't stop dreaming of the gnocchi flavors on their new menu! The patio in the back is gorgeous and the setting transports you to Santa Monica. Given my food allergies, we received special attention from their AGM Jordan, who was patient and helpful even on a busy Saturday night. Our server was clearly newer because I could see how friendly and attentive the server assigned to the other half of the room was, always available and bustling around, whereas ours kept getting caught chatting away with another server inside - we just couldn't find her when we needed to add to our order or ask for a spoon - even though things were so busy that night that their leadership was all-hands-on-deck, bringing out dishes to the tables/ taking out trash, etc. I hope they're able to build a server staff as impressive and dedicated as their leadership. We ordered a couple of appetizers - the soy-free baba ghanouj on gluten-free flatbread and the chicken rolls (not GF, nor SF) as well as the ginger non-alcoholic drink - everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. We then had the gnocchi, which I've already mentioned was unique but in the best ways! It was GF and SF too! Can't wait to return and try more dishes on their menu. I wanted to order one of each! read more

Spirit Elephant - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

What an amazing restaurant. All plant based the food was great. Staff friendly and knowledgeable. Beautiful outdoor area. Can't wait to dine here again. I highly recommend the Maryland Crab-cakes. read more

Spirit Elephant has been on my list for a while, but it is a journey coming from Northwest Indiana. We finally decided to commit to a reservation during our anniversary month, and booked a dinner slot during the week. I would have preferred lunch, but they don't have the full menu available for the days they serve lunch, and I NEEDED to try that Cast-Iron Ribeye ($39). It was pretty incredible! My husband had the Lemon Chicken Piccata ($26), which he enjoyed but not as much as mine. We shared the Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($14), which was good but not a huge amount of food. The space is beautiful, and the service was good! It leans a little upscale but not in a pretentious way. I hope to make the journey back up north again someday. read more

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I'm not a fan of vegan food where everything is so away and what not but the good thing about this place is they have a lot many options not just soy based products. Our service Erica suggested many good things and they were really good. My personal fave was cauliflower wings And fried chicken sandwich. Overall, this place is an upscale dining area where you feel welcomed with all the natural light, you can see. The location was very convenient as well close to a park so ample parking space around it read more

Spirit Elephant - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Was excited to try here. Came in and tried various items. While the ambiance is nice, the food is beyond uninteresting and mediocre. Nothing to enjoy. Wish I stayed home. read more

We've been to Spirit Elephant several times over the last years, however, this past experience was so bad and frankly weird it has made us not want to return. Both my husband and dad wanted to order the brunch Chicken and Waffles, but wanted to confirm portion size so asked our waitress if she could confirm with the kitchen how many pieces of chicken they would receive. She forgot the first time, so went back to the kitchen and asked and confirmed two pieces. When the food came out, there was only one piece. Keep in mind the dish is $$$ and the portions are small, so they wouldn't have ordered this dish if they knew they were getting one piece. The waitress didn't even notice, and when we mentioned that there was only one the waitress said she would talk to the manager. Almost 20 minutes later she still hadn't returned, and when she did she was all flustered and said the manager was supposed to talk to us. Another 10 minutes later (we all had finished eating) the manager comes over with two plates in his hands, sets the chicken down on another tables and says: "I brought the chicken but I guess it doesn't matter anymore, I'll comp one of the dishes", and he didn't give us the chicken, and then stomped back to the back and threw out the additional pieces. It was so weird. From how odd the waitress was (her manager seemed terrible so we'll just blame him), to not quickly resolving the issue until our meal had already been finished, to throwing out the extra chicken, it was just such a strange experience. We would not go back. If your kitchen tells you how much food you're going to get and then you deliver something different, that's a really bad experience... especially when the dishes are more expensive. Thankfully, they comp'd the dishes, otherwise this would've been one star. But really confused how this person is a manager with such poor communication and behavior. read more

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Food is fine but nothing to write home over. I appreciate the vegan approach, though, and the atmosphere is modern and relaxing.

My girlfriend and I have been wanting to try this place for quite some time, but live south of Chicago. Today we had our chance. We ordered through DoorDash, and the order was accurate, and everything was delicious. Because of our location AND our shared anticipation, we decided to get three things off of the brunch menu: the Breakfast Burrito, Ranchero Skillet, and Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich. The Breakfast Burrito was rolled tightly, and you could see all of the different fresh ingredients before devouring. It was cut in half, making consumption and sharing convenient. We chose to have this made with Just Egg, but tofu is an option as well. The food had a little spice to it, which I loved, but my partner, who is more sensitive to spice, focused her attention on other items. Such as... her favorite, which was the Ranchero Skillet. This was made with scrambled tofu, chorizo, ranchero sauce, and an assortment of other toppings (e.g., peppers, onion, avocado, tortilla strips). Each spoonful consisted of an array of flavors comparable to a sophisticated burrito bowl(?). The Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich was a little sloppy but in the most endearing way. The chicken was tender and not at all chewy, unlike anything I had ever had previously, with delicious breading all around the outside. Presumably this is something they make in house. This came with coleslaw on the sandwich, and the pickles were so fresh they still looked like cucumbers (i.e., not like store bought pickles typically found in restaurants). We passed the sandwich this and forth until it was no gone. There are different sides to choose from, from which we chose fries and the crispy potatoes. Both were good and the crispy potatoes are a nice alternative to more basic forms of potatoes that are often served in restaurants with breakfast foods. We hope to visit in person in the near future and try more of the items from their menus. I'm sure it's all great. read more

Spirit Elephant - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

We really liked our meal at Spirit Elephant! The cauliflower wings were delicious. I got the spicy curry tofu dish as my main meal and it was very good. The carrot cake dessert might have been my favorite. Our server was awesome and the outside space is really cool. The only dish that we weren't crazy about was the carrot appetizer. We would definitely come back!! read more

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Love the food. Love the people. Love the ambience. Everything is delicious! a must try!

The menu is getting boring after many years with dishes not being implemented the way they were previously. Although the Southwest Egg Rolls were absolutely great, our entrees left a lot to be desired. The "Spicy Thai Coconut Red Curry" I had was bland with virtually NO taste and NO heat. The "Scallop & Mushroom Risotto" dish was so small that my husband came home still hungry. Very, very disappointing for a restaurant that used to shine as a vegan outpost. read more

Ambiance was good and so was the food . The portions are pretty decent . Cauli- wings were delicious . read more

Spirit Elephant - Cauli-wings with garlic Parmesan and mango chilli sauce - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

Great vegan restaurant that also has a ton of gluten free options! I got the BBQ/buffalo cauliflower wings, 18 carrot appetizer, and summer bowl. The cauliflower wings were delicious - I loved the BBQ and buffalo equally and I loved that you can choose two different sauces! The 18 carrot appetizer was great and so was the summer bowl. Love to see a yummy vegan restaurant doing well! read more

I've been a vegan for 28 years, travelled worldwide and I'd be to remember going any place where the food more and had more selection. The expression died and went to heaven comes to mind. read more

Spirit Elephant has been on my list of restaurants to get to for a long time. I finally made it there and I'm so glad I did. We had no problem finding a parking spot on the street in Hubbard Woods. The restaurant has a modern safari look to it. The service was friendly and efficient. The menu had many intriguing options but we ended up making a meal out of starters. For dinner we ordered the cauliflower wings - half with buffalo sauce and half with BBQ sauce. We upgraded the ranch dressing that comes with it to blue cheese dressing. We also ordered the mock calamari which was fried mushroom and a sourdough pizza topped with pepperoni, ricotta and hot honey. All the items were delicious. While the mushroom isn't going to be confused for calamari, the pizza toppings didn't seem plant based at all. We'd order everything again although we'd maybe not upgrade the dressing. To go with our meal my husband ordered a margarita and I got the spicy fizzy pineapple mocktail. The presentation and taste of both drinks was fabulous. For dessert we tried the carrot cake and brownie dessert. Both were winners. The brownie dessert came with a vanilla ice cream like dessert. Two things we didn't know at the start of our visit. First is we were offered a table inside or outside. We chose inside because it seemed like the outside tables were in front of the restaurant where the scenery was the Walgreens across the street. When going to the washroom I discovered the restaurant has a nice outdoor seating area behind the restaurant. Next time we plan to try to get a table there. Second is we were offered tap, still or sparkling water. My husband chose still water which had a surprise charge on our bill. We strongly recommend dining at Spirit Elephant and plan to be back. read more

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The fact that the whole menu is plant based is pretty amazing. They also have happy hour from 4 to 6. Stopped for a celebratory dinner with a friend and we had a fantastic meal. We finished with the chocolate chip cookie and ice cream in the griddle. Would definitely go back! read more

Went to Spirit Elephant for the first time for brunch. The ambiance and service were great! What was underwhelming was the food. As a vegan restaurant, it would be awesome if they didn't try to replicate "meat" and "fish" dishes and focused on amazing vegan dishes that highlighted seasonal fruits and vegetables in unique ways. For example, the watermelon and arugula salad with a curry dressing and "feta" was delicious! Just vegetarian and vegan forward ingredients with unexpected flavor profiles. I ordered the fried "chicken" sandwich and my friend ordered the lemon and blueberry pancakes. Her dish was lovely, super fresh ingredients that highlighted summer fruits. There was even an option to make it gluten free, which is rare for restaurant pancake options. My sandwich was underwhelming. It was a very small portion with the ratio of toppings to chicken being off. The fries tasted okay but were a bit soggy and limp. I could have put a Quorn patty and frozen fries in my home air fryer and made better sandwich and side. I would be willing to try again with the dinner menu but I'm not sure it would be worth the high prices. Overall, if you're looking for vegan options, lots of gluten free options, and live in the area, this is a great place to add to your rotation! Because I am less limited in my food options (I'm pescatarian with no food allergies), there are other places that would rank higher on the list. read more

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Took my mother here for brunch and we were both delighted with the service, the ambience and the food. I really enjoyed the waffles with chicken. Really great menu and all vegan. Definitely would love to return there next time. I am in Chicago. read more

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We were there on. Sunday for brunch and able to get seating pretty quick. The server was so friendly and helpful with our order. The space was clean, trendy and has nice patio seating. The food is next level delicious for plant based eating. Everything was fresh and full of flavor. The carrot cake is one of the best carrot cakes I've ever had and served on a carrot purée that helped. read more

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We went in to try Spirit Elephant for the first time, the restaurant was busy for a Saturday night. We were going to be seated in the back at a tiny two seat table sandwiched between two larger tables but asked to be seated toward front where a larger 4 chair table was available and we were able to. The lighting, minimalist decor and bar area looked nice. Looking at the menu it's not immediately obvious that everything is vegan and the "Impossible Meat" and similar are used throughout. We had the Fall Harvest salad which was nice /fresh and a 'sweet' flavor due to figs. Forbidden Fall and Meatloaf Bourguignon were ordered for our main courses. Side of fries as well. The main dish flavors were just okay, and fries 'salty'! We noticed the 'chipped' bowl used to serve us the Forbidden Fall dish ! These chips were large and in multiple locations around bowl! We wondered where the pieces of porcelain had landed ???would anybody care or notice in this restaurant?? We had a few bites but had enough of the imitation meat and tofu and black rice. The bill was quite steep for what one gets at this restaurant.-- showed the 'chippy bowl' to our waitress and told her not to serve anyone else in this. Tried this place but won't be coming back. read more

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First the good: Amazing to have an all vegan restaurant on the NorthShore - not a lot of other all vegan options around. Atmosphere was clean and cozy. Noise level got a little high as the evening progressed but still pleasant for a conversation. Selection of interesting and unique teas was great and the tea was served in a French press - well done. Appetizer of Brussels Sprouts was excellent - crispy, flavorful and delicious. Appetizer of fried calamari (aka mushrooms) was quite good and tricked me into thinking I was eating the real deal. Only complaint there is there wasn't enough red dipping sauce to the amount of calamari. Not by a lot. Needed 4x what was served. Desert of bread pudding with vanilla gelato was pretty solid. Bread pudding had a hint of funnel cake to it and not quite as fluffy but given veganness of the dish, reasonable. Gelato had a slight aftertaste but reasonable for vegan product. Now the not so good - gnocchi was falling apart and while the flavors of the sauce and various vegetables was nice, the gnocchi tasted more like mashed potatoes than a pasta. The curry main had a nice flavor but vegetables and rice lacked a uniqueness. Service was good. Would give the place at least one more try for uniqueness factor. read more

Spirit Elephant - Bread Pudding - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

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If you're looking for a date night restaurant, especially if you are vegan, Spirit Elephant is perfect. It's definitely not cheap, but the food is lovely and not your normal vegan options. They even have a great kids menu! It is worth going to for both brunch and dinner. We're lucky to have Spirit Elephant as an option in Chicagoland. read more

As someone who doesn't have any dietary restrictions, this place was DELICIOUS!! We all got the breakfast burrito that comes with the crispiest breakfast potatoes - the burrito was amazing!! And the pancakes were great as well. The service was extremely attentive and friendly! Overall would come back and 11/10 would recommend to everyone!! read more

Spirit Elephant - Breakfast Burrito (comes w Crispy Breakfast Potatoes); Pancakes with Bananas - Vegan Near Me - Winnetka, Illinois

5 stars aren't enough for Spirit Elephant! My husband and I made a last-minute reservation at 9:30 PM on a Saturday, just 30 minutes before closing. Despite this, we were warmly greeted and offered a cozy outdoor seating area in the back. The ambiance was great, complete with ceiling fans and heaters. Our server, Michelle, was exceptional--friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the menu. She's been with the restaurant since August 2020 and her expertise showed. Here's what we ordered: Cauli-Wings (Buffalo): The BEST Buffalo cauliflower wings we've ever had. Perfectly spicy, with vegan ranch that tasted just like the real deal. A must-try! Blue Cheese Bourbon Burger: We opted for the impossible burger with American cheese. Delicious, with caramelized onions and a bourbon reduction, paired perfectly with fries. Seasonal Cheesecake: Not overly sweet--just right for me, though my husband prefers sweeter desserts. Carnivale Du Peche: A tropical drink with a perfect balance of sweetness and alcohol--ideal for beach vibes. Jordan, who held the door for us as we left, checked on our experience and mentioned an exciting new fall menu. We can't wait to come back! read more

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Almost every meal I've had here has been grand-slam, hit-it-out-of-the-park excellent. The one that wasn't was not terrible, it was just good as opposed to stellar. And the fact that they experiment with seasonal menu changes is a great thing, but if you're feeling adventurous, maybe ask yourself if you like this food item (e.g. mushrooms, eggplant, etc.) normally before you order it. That said, I had no time for cauliflower before I tried their cauli wings, and I had no idea vegetables could be so delicious. Likewise everything else in our order. Whenever I introduce people to Spirit Elephant, they start out skeptical (it's all vegan? and they're charging that much without fish or meat?) but finish their meal satisfied converts. This time was no different. read more

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Great bar and cocktail menu. The bar area is hip swanky and great staff and service. The cocktails are very creative and crafty. Great mocktails as well! Loved the one with ginger and lemonade. Favorite foods here Calamari- really mushrooms The spring rolls- delicious vegetarian rolls The burger is solid. My only beef (ha) is that they just don't make a plain cheeseburger...there has bbq sauce, fake bacon, etc...sometimes just a simple burger will do. Desserts are solid and tasty. The carrot cake is nice. Overall good place and bar is awesome. read more