From our friends at Dining Duster Blog: 

During a press trip to McHenry County, Illinois we were most impressed with the vegan options that were available to us. If there’s one thing we’ve learned since switching to a vegan diet is that eating out can be a challenge, if not impossible to find a vegan option on the menu.  Rest assured, there are plenty of vegan options in McHenry County, IL. 

For reference,  here is a map of McHenry County, IL. The train to Chicago runs through McHenry County. Depending on your location in the county, Chicago is approximately an hour away! Also, the drive from Mankato, MN was only a short 5 1/2 hours making for a great weekend getaway for anyone in the Twin Cities area!

We haven’t always been vegan but we’ve always loved to eat out and try new, local restaurants. We know first-hand what a challenge it can be to find vegan options on the menu. We’ve gathered some options to get you started when you visit McHenry County, IL. We’re told there are other places with vegan options. This list comes with our personal recommendation.

 

Local Supporting Local

A great thing about the restaurants in McHenry County is they buy local ingredients whenever they can. It was common to hear that they support each other and it left a really great impression. It’s also a great environmental impact to buy local.

 

Vegan Options in McHenry County, IL

Conscious Cup 

A family-owned coffee shop with two locations in Crystal Lake & Barrington, IL,  Conscious Cup has been around for 12 years. Their mission is simply to provide simple, great coffee!

Sustainability is important at Conscious Cup. They find excellent importers with high-quality beans that are certified Fair Trade and then roast those beans in-house. Coffee truly does have a global impact. Mike, an owner, explained that the craft coffee is as big as the craft beer movement. At Conscious Cup, they want to make the connection to ethically traded coffee. Another philosophy the owners embrace is how they treat their baristas. They’re fully aware that the baristas are the face and brand of their company so that is what they invest in. 

The philosophy of their food menu is to keep the ingredients simple. Everything is made in-house including their drink syrups and sandwiches. 

They also have a coffee subscription. Good coffee delivered to our door every month? Yes, please!

 

To continue reading CLICK HERE!

 

Author: Dining Duster

Dining Duster is written by Kelly & Dusty! A couple who love to dine, drink and discover the midwest! They're based in Minnesota but cover a lot of ground in Iowa, Wisconsin and occaisonally venture into other midwestern states. It's all about the local scene with them, you won't find information about chain resturants on their blog!