Pick Me Up Cafe

Pick Me Up to leave Clark Street for new Uptown location | Eater Chicago

"A colorful, counterculture neighborhood diner that has served vegan- and vegetarian-friendly fare since 1997, it spent 23 years just south of Wrigley Field as an all-ages, anti–sports-bar hangout with loud music, a passionate following, and a DIY vibe. Owners Joe and Lavinia Mann are relocating after citing disruptions from the CTA Red‑Purple Line modernization and broader redevelopment around the ballpark, and plan to keep the Lakeview spot open through March 22 before debuting an Uptown location in April. The new roughly 2,200-square-foot space should seat about 15–16 booths and tables, will retain corkboard walls for community art and fliers, and is being designed in-house so staff can express personality rather than conform to a cookie‑cutter look. The menu and drink program will remain the same — a mix of vegan, vegetarian and some meat items — highlighted by customer favorites such as “mac & cheeze,” a pizza grinder with garlic bread, seitan, mushrooms, peppers and marinara, the stir-fry “Stir Crazy After All These Years,” past items like the garlic-chicken “Garlicious Breast,” and boozy milkshakes plus mimosas and bloody marys. While the future of the Lakeview space is uncertain, the move is framed as an attempt to find a neighborhood where the business can remain an active, community-focused presence." - Naomi Waxman