Heartland Cafe in Rogers Park Chicago, IL

Heartland Cafe

Some hippies neither die nor fade away—they just open successful restaurants

Address: 7000 N. Glenwood Chicago, IL
Phone: (773) 465-8005

The sustainable, whole foods focus of the Heartland has been with the cafe since the beginning. The owners, Michael James and Katy Hogan, were followers of whole foods advocate Adelle Davis in 1976 when they opened the restaurant. Both then and now, their motto has been “good wholesome food for the mind and body.”

The menu includes a macrobiotic plate, a rotating selection of vegetarian chilis, organic PBJs for the little ones, free-range chicken and grass fed buffalo. The seitan curry with seasonal vegetables and ginger sauce is a long-standing favorite among regulars, as is the West African vegetable stew with coconut, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, kale, and brown rice.

Breakfast is a vegetarian paradise at the Heartland, with selections such as vegan buckwheat pancakes, the Veggie Panhandler (organic eggs or tofu scrambled with mushrooms, spinach, potatoes, broccoli, and green onions), and, it might go without saying, granola. The waitstaff are both hip and cheerful, even first thing in the morning.

The Heartland features a dining room with high tin ceilings and plentiful light, a rotating gallery of local artwork, and a large patio and covered porch—ideal for a shady, fresh air repast. The Heartland is more than just a restaurant, however; it is a hotbed of liberal politics, community organizing, and local arts. The building houses a small “general store” of gift and personal items including fair trade and locally made choices that’s worth a visit.

Want to be kind on the environment on your way to enjoy the whole, local, and organic offerings at the Heartland? Try taking the El to the Morse stop in Rogers Park. Look north from the train platform for the rocket on the rooftop (and that’s a longer story than we have space for here) and walk towards it. You’ve arrived!