Protein Bar & Kitchen

I’ve been here twice and will be back! I got their breakfast mexicali bowl and the green smoothie bowl thing once and then steak mexicali another time. They were all SO good! I crave the green smoothie bowl thing now sometimes. The portions are the perfect size, the food tastes fresh, and the staff are kind. The food is also definitely packed with protein. Both my orders were order ahead/pickup, and I don’t know if I’d want to actually hangout/eat at the cafe for long, but regardless the food is great and I will be back for more.

Decent Spot with Room for Improvement I visited the Protein Bar & Kitchen near Willis Tower and ordered the Mexicali Bowl along with the PB&J protein smoothie. Overall, the experience was just okay and didn't quite meet expectations for a health-focused fast-casual spot. The smoothie, made with peanut butter, berries, almond milk, and agave, tasted more like a dessert--very sweet and lacking the balanced flavor I hoped for in a protein drink. The Mexicali Bowl was hearty but leaned too heavily on cheese, beans, and carbs, which made it feel overly dense and less nutritious than advertised. It seemed more focused on bulk than freshness or healthy balance. The self-serve ordering kiosk was convenient, but not very intuitive; I had some difficulty navigating the options and understanding how to customize my order. While the staff was present, they weren't particularly welcoming or helpful, even though the restaurant wasn't busy. The interior was clean but had a bland, underwhelming atmosphere. I still left a 20% tip out of habit, but given the limited staff interaction and self-service model, it didn't feel particularly warranted. If you're in a rush and need something filling with a decent amount of protein, this location might work--but don't expect standout flavors or an especially engaging dining experience.

i have not ordered in several months and they have severely lowered the amount of food they give you, i was completely shocked when i got the bowl i ordered. this is Not $15 worth of food, its $7 ! ventra card included in photos for size comparison. in addition to that, there were only 5 blueberries on top, 7 strawberry slices and the coconut shreds were not shreds. it looked like the crumbs at rhe bottome of the bag only and they did not include the bananas that were suposed to be there. overall, a waste of money and a disappointment /: the people were nice but made the order wrong

Consider ordering their mexicali bowl!!! AMAZING doesn't even begin to describe how good it is honestly. It was pretty affordable for such a filling bowl & has good portions compared to Chipotle. Not to mention that it's genuinely the best bowl I've ever had!!🥙👏 Price: $14.80 excluding tips 1000/10 definitely recommend!!

Still thinking about the salads that my man and I got on our first trip to Chicago this weekend. We highly recommend the Southwest and Japanese BBQ salmon bowls! The guacamole was my man’s favorite! Everything was super fresh and cooked to perfection ! The cashier was very sweet and attentive to my mango allergy when ordering a smoothie as well!!! Hoping Detroit will get one of these restaurants soon!

I got the tofu saigon bowl and it was really good. I'm over Sweetgreen for several reasons and this is a great alternative that is a bit more affordable.

Fast service, good portion size, and fresh ingredients made for a tasty lunch. Would eat there again. Only issue is the need to cross the street to Willis Tower for a public restroom to wash your hands.

I’ve been coming to this location for a long time. The food is always on point from taste to temperature. The location is very clean, and it smells clean, people are always mopping floors and wiping down eating areas. The inside in not suitable for a large group because it is limited seating. They do have a ramp for a wheel chair to roll in but it might be complicated to exit, just going by memory, because of the space issue.

Today was a late breakfast day, and these guys were so good to still make us a couple of Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Bar-itos, even though it was past 11 am. Sooooo grateful! The diner is small, and made for more grab n'go orders. There's are stools along the windows and one table. it's bright and airy here, so the feel is wakThe staff is super friendly upon entering and the entire time we sat. We don't have anything comparable in south Florida, so I LOVE the turkey bacon and egg whites here! The açaí and parfait bowls are a little smaller than we are used to, but I think they're actually perfect single serve portions. They were delicious regardless! The smoothie and Keto coffee were equally as tasty! Thanks you PB Kitchen! You're a lifesaver!

This place was very bad. We ordered through Uber eats with a group of us. I had the smoothie and southwest salad. Both were pretty bad and didn't finish either. The chicken is the salad was notably gross. Would not go back would not recommend.

There are limited healthy food and drink options in Chicago but I was able to find this protein bar that gives you so many healthy juice options! It was located pretty central and I stopped by for a much needed refresher. Then, I went over to see Millennium Park and they had a few summer things happening that day like make your own lunchable?! yes. Thanks for giving me a little healthy boost that day.

I went to Protein Bar & Kitchen yesterday for my first time and really enjoyed it. I got the Carnitas bowl without meat and it was very tasty! It honestly reminded me of a healthier Chipotle. I highly recommend Protein Bar & Kitchen for a quick lunch and will definitely be back!

While I haven't been to Protein Bar as often as I used to visit, this is always a solid spot. I usually order ahead to go and I've never had an issue with my order not being ready. The Buffalo Barr-ito is a favorite of mine. A perfect amount of spicy without being overwhelming. Portion size is perfect for lunch (though you can add on sides if you are extra hungry). Staff has always been super friendly - the very few times I've ever had an issue with my order it's been taken care of immediately and with a friendly staff member. They're also pretty quick if you go in during a busy lunch rush. All in all it's one of my favorite spots for a quick, flavorful lunch in the area.... So much so that I missed it during the long Covid break from in office work!

Spinach and Pesto Bar-rito was really good and very filling for a not super large burrito! Would defiantly order for lunch again.

Love Protein Bar! Matt somehow managed to make a full menu of truly delicious, but healthy, items. Can't say there is anything I've tried I didn't like. My favorite item of all time is the spinach and pesto bar-rito. Chicken, pesto, spinach and parm. Tons of protein and even more flavor! Their shakes are superb for a quick breakfast and the Beyond Chili is hands down the best vegetarian chili I've had in my life. One of the best lunch options in Chicago, in my opinion.

no flavor whatsoever. seems difficult to make a smoothie this bad considering all of the ingredients by themselves are good. they really managed to do the impossible here. for the price I'm shocked. the salad is so small and bland and I think they microwaved frozen veggies. super GROSS!

This place is underrated, seriously. This is an excellent alternative to fast food. From their protein shakes to their bowls everything is very good. It is not cheap because of the natural ingredients, so it's not for the crowd who insists on big discounts on what they eat. If you want cheap go to McDonald's where their artificial food doesn't age, but if you want a tasty, and healthy option check them out. The only area of opportunity is the parking, which is not that bad. There are parking meters and garages nearby if you'd like to dine in or take your time. Otherwise, park on the street with your hazard lights and you will be fine to get food to go. You cannot leave your car anywhere downtown unattended for more than 7-10 minutes so don't gamble with this if you don't want to risk losing. It's definitely within walkable distance of metered parking on Franklin. I would park one or two blocks away and walk. This location is in the financial district and not much is going on here.

I think that review from 12 years ago was when Protein Bar was first getting started in Chicago and it was for a different location. Now, it's a well-run operation that I frequent often. I frequent the location in River North and it is definitely worthy of 5 stars. I especially love the recent addition of Abbot's plant-based meat into the wraps and salads. I appreciate the ease of ordering through the app, the food and smoothies are always good, and the staff at the River North location is always friendly & accommodating. I'm grateful I got the nudge to update this review. Can't speak for the other locations but River North floats my boat and gets my money!

The Protien bar has hands down the best smoothies after a hard workout! Kyle specifically has been my favorite worker and always greets me with a beautiful smile KYLE IF YOU'RE READING THIS YOUR AWESOME !!!

This place has really gone downhill. Portion sizes cut down and my chicken chili today was luke warm.

I'm a big fan of this place. I ordered the Mexicali bowl for delivery & was so impressed by how well-balanced and dynamic the flavors were. Most bowls I've had rely solely on the ingredients and not the spices and tend to be bland, but this was an excellent meal. The only negative I'd say was the portion seemed a bit small for the size. The smoothie was also packaged thoughtfully for delivery and my order was finished 20 min before I anticipated. I definitely will be coming back here for my work lunches.

Went to PBK opening in Skokie, met the whole team super friendly, informative, efficient. Was very busy and front line had it. Go to PBK in downtown at NM doctor pavilion great food always ! Favorite was BBQ Asain Salmon bowl now Salmon Cesar ! Thanks everyone for your hardwork

Came here this morning for Protein Bars 10th birthday in collaboration with former Chicago Bear #33 Charles Tillman and his Cornerstone Foundation. Until 5/26, if you order the Peanut Punch shake - featuring organic peanut butter, blueberry, strawberry, organic agave nectar, vanilla protein, and almond milk, they'd donate $1 from each shake sold to The Cornerstone Foundation. That is a very classy touch! I ordered the shake, met the friendly staff along with taking a pic with Peanut. He was friendly and a little chatty but based on the pic you wouldn't think so! The staff did a nice job of decorating the store interior and exterior wise. Parking around here could be tough as it's easier to get to if you work in the area. Overall it was a nice morning.

I'm visiting Chicago and tried the Protein Bar at Lake St. delicious! I love pretty food and was so happy to eat the Magic Dragon . It is beautiful and delicious! And the employees are so friendly and helpful! I recommend this place!

Recently I had the pleasure of experiencing Protein Bar for breakfast while at work in Chicago. I had placed a pre-order of the Wrigley Peeled shake (organic peanut butter, banana, organic agave nectar, chocolate whey protein, and almond milk) and the sunrise spinach and parm bowl (spinach, nut-free pesto and parmesan) to be delivered to the office along with the rest of my colleagues' breakfast orders. The shake was the star of this breakfast. Even though it's healthy, it tasted like an Elvis milkshake and it was downed in no time at all. The scramble bowl was good, but very small in portion size and was all mixed together rather than looking anything like the picture shown on their online menu. I honestly believe I finished the entire bowl in 7 bites and would have been left still hungry had it not been for the Wrigley Peeled shake. Would I order from here again? Sure. Do I feel that the presentation and portion size could use some tweaking? Yep.

Really enjoyed the pb&a and vegan bowl. We tried a protein smoothie too (forgot the name potentially macha something). Everything was wonderful. I am not sure if açaí's nutritional value would have retained in pb&a bowl considering it warmed up and melted the açaí, so would try other bowls next time I am around.

Protein Bar is one of my typical lunch stops during the work week. I usually get one of three salads - Southwest, club, or kale Caesar. This time it was the Caesar. It has chicken, avocado and a parmesan crouton substitute - a pretty tasty and healthy lunch. The other salads are great too! The wait is typically not nearly as bad as some of the other places in the loop, but there's limited seating - you should come here if you intend to take out. I highly recommend this place for lunch.

No. Ugh. No. Just, no. Got the Spicy Korean Bowl. Here's a hint. When you have to douse something in hot sauce, it's because it has no flavor. The bits of steak in this were overdone. It was overfilled with quinoa, a mealy, cheap filler. A few other desultory bits of green, but overall - this place is a fail. My companion felt the same about his burrito. We didn't even finish our (EXPENSIVE) lunches, they were mealy, dry and dull. I won't be back. The food here is how "healthy food" gets a bad rap. It doesn't have to be this DULL and tasteless. The interior is depressing too, like a bunker. Not slamming the staff, they were perfectly friendly and great. The food is just not that good here, and with the typically spendy $10-15 lunch price point, I'll go elsewhere.

Came here after I was craving a protein shake after the gym, and this was just a block down the street. The interior was small but bright, and overall it was very inviting. I had the Berry Good with coconut milk, and while a bit pricey at $7, it was delicious and so filling!

1st visit. Staff was friendly and helpful making recommendations. Had the vegan superfood wrap. Was ready quickly and everything tasted fresh. Unfortunately, I thought the wrap needed some additional seasoning - it lacked flavor for me and I wasn't excited to finish it. Definitely would try this place again, but not order that wrap again.

For someone on a protein rich diet, this place is very good and is affordable. I usually make our proteins at home but cooking specifically proteins can be very boring after a while. I was passing by this place after work and thought to give it a try. Got the Chicken Chili and the The Perk protein shake. Order came out super quick. The drink was very tasty considering it had only 12g carb. The Chili Bowl was pretty good too - I would have preferred if the carb content in it was a little lesser but hey you can always adjust carbs in another meal. Doesn't hurt the pocket to try once in a while when cooking seems just impossible!

I was excited to find this place while traveling to Chicago. They offer fresh, healthy, high protein, options in reasonable portions*. Love that they have a tofu option you can sub in on any of their menu items. I can tell this will be a regular stop for me while I'm visiting. *Just a note on portion size-- I think the smaller portion size is a "pro" but you may think it's a "con". Portions are definitely not your typical giant bowl of whatever. So, if you're someone who needs a little more bulk, this may be a downside for you.

This is the first "kiosk" style establishment that I've tried, and honestly, I love it! One of the main reasons I love Yelp is that I'm able to look up what menu items actually "look like" by browsing through the photos posted to a restaurant. I'm very driven by the way a dish "looks" when deciding if I'm excited to order it. I LOVED that with the kiosk style menu, I was able to visually see every single item AND customize ingredients if I wanted to. I ended up ordering the tumeric shake and customized the Southwest Salad by getting extra avocado instead of chicken. The shake was a great consistency, and the ratio of ingredients was awesome. No single fruit flavor took over, and because you can actually see your items being made, I was happy to see that they were using 100% fresh ingredients. The shake also included an energy boosting powder and collagen powder. There were plenty of other options that I could have added on as well. The salad was DELICIOUS. I took my food to go and the container didn't spill or leak at all in the plastic bag that I carried it in. The dressing had a nice spice to it which I really enjoyed. Most importantly, there were no wilted leaves or ingredients that weren't 100% fresh and beautiful looking. That's important to me - I hate when I order a salad and find a piece of wilted lettuce, because that's just gross. I wish there was a Protein Bar in my city! Definitely plan to stop in later this week while I am still in town. Love the healthy, filling options and I'm excited to come back.

Had a quick meal here after completing a tour at the Skydeck tower. They have a lot of options and so I was confused about what to order. I finally went with the sweet potato falafel bowl. The bowl was healthy and seemed fresh, but the falafels were not particularly flavorful.

Wanted a healthy snack, so I stopped here for a smoothie. I got the fruit loop'd (banana, blueberry, vanilla protein, and almond milk). I thought it was pretty tasty but I could barely taste the blueberries. Basically, it tasted like a banana shake that looked purple. Quick service, friendly staff, and decent price. I want to try the food next time because it looks super tasty!

I ordered oatmeal with chocolate powder and strawberry/banana. I didn't like it very much since the protein powder added a weird taste. The oatmeal itself is quite bland and the natural sweetness of the fruit didn't compensate for that. Maybe the protein powder is something you have to get used to, but the oatmeal was definitely a miss in my book.

As someone who eats mostly vegetarian food, I'm always looking for restaurants with healthy options, tofu instead of meat as a choice, and filling, high-protein meals. I've loved everything I've had at this Protein Bar location, and the staff is friendly! Today, I had a Buffalo Bar-Rito with tofu, which was delicious. I also love the Wrigley Peeled shakes (with peanut butter, banana and chocolate protein). In the past, I've also had some of the wraps with tofu and a salad, which were all delicious.

So... the lady at the counter today lied straight to our face, yep, you heard me right. My friend ordered a spicy Korean bowl, substitute quinoa for cauliflower rice, and she PAID $1.00 for it. But apparently the shop was just too busy or simply just doesn't care about making orders right. They not only skipped our order by 20 something orders, when our lunch order was finally readay after 25 mins, they again lied straight to our face when we asked wether they substituted the quinoa with cauliflower rice. Seriously?!The lady at the counter just took a look at the bowl and said "yes, it's your order." I guess what she didn't say is :" Yes, this is your order and we don't care whether it is correct, and I am gonna just LIE so you can't bother me anymore. Just TAKE YOUR ORDER AND GO already. " Never coming back, not to mention this already happened twice in two weeks. This place is a joke. Treat your customer with respect please.

I had a Greek bowl, which I had not ever had before. I was pleasantly surprised how flavorful it was. I normally eat alot of fast food and the food that was served to me was so much better. The cook, Max, not only made sure that the ingredients I wanted left out were but also when he brought it to our table, he was very professional. Will definitely visit again and try new things.

I stopped in for a quick bite prior to a meeting across the street at the Willis Tower. The line was long so I took that as a good sign. :) The line moved along fast and the wait wasn't bad. I had a buffalo chicken bowl -- it was very tasty, portion size was just right, not too small, not too big. I'll be back.

I was so pissed off by this place. Two times in a row, they got me the wrong order, made the very same mistake twice: I can never get that cauliflower rice I substitute for $1. Yeah I paid for that little scoop of replaced cauliflower rice and it seems sooooo hard to get it right. For the first time, a mistake is ok. But today's experience totally provoked me. Not to mention that I waited 25 mintues for my order to came, even 20 customers after me were getting their lunch (believe me I checked the order number on the package). Finally when my order came, I double checked with the lady who was handling out orders since a mistake was made before. She opened the lid, took a peek, and told me this is my thing. Out of curiosity, this time I opened the lid and checked in store. Yep, still no cauliflower rice, just regular quinoa, plain as day. What am I looking like a person who just pay additional for fun? Lying to your customer in the face is what your staff training be like? An organized food chain service should never be like this. I can bear with some glitches at times, but two times in a row??? Terrible service made of negligence, carelessness and lying to your customers was definitely something prevent me from walking into this chain EVER again.

This place wasn't bad, it had loads of good yummy choices. It all sounds pretty healthy, but their salads are covered with sauces; pretty much, all their food choices are really heavy, probably not the first choice for a light meal. Having said that, their smoothies are pretty good, especially their beauty brew. The staff are nice, but can get a little loud and ignorant having their own conversations and singing loudly to the songs playing (they seem like loads of fun tho).

Met a friend here for lunch today and had a pretty positive experience. The only real reason for my 3 star review is based on price. Why we came here: she works on LaSalle and I work on Jackson, this was a perfect in between meeting spot for both of us right across the street from the Sears Tower (you aren't from Chicago if you call it that other thing). She's a vegetarian and I am a health conscious meat eater so this was a perfect combo for us. She ordered the Kale wrap and I ordered the regular chicken wrap. I will say that I am more than full but I'm not sure I really felt like $10 was worth it for a wrap. I could have gone to Pot Belly's downstairs from my office for half the price and still had leftover food. I will say in terms of quality it was good but I won't be frequenting a $10 wrap all that often. Pro Tip: They have free cucumber water, skip the bottle. Save yourself some $$ and help the environment :)

BGT and quinoa chili. DE-freaking LISH!! Prices are kind of much but nothing more than you would find anywhere in the loop. A solid meal for sure.

Healthy. Affordable. Quick. Choose 2 of the 3. This places chooses healthy and quick. I like that because many times I need a quick meal, but then I'm left deciding between unhealthy meals. Steak and Eggs scramble (2.5/5) - It's an alright dish. There's a lot of liquid pooled up at the bottom of the scramble so it's kinda gross. I would just go for the burrito and not the scramble. The eggs and steak are just alright. Steak a bit dry for me and doesn't feel like steak. Scrambled eggs are just alright. Matcha/Avocado Protein shake (4.5/5) - This is really good. It's not to sweet as the matcha and avocado balances out any sweetness that's added to the shake. However ,because there is some amount of sweetness, I'm wondering how much sugar is added to get that taste which makes me question if it's really all that healthy. For both the items mentioned above, my total came out to ~ $14, which I feel is very expensive for a fast food breakfast. I do like the concept they're going for here, but Americans don't usually like eating healthy. To incentivize it, they should find ways to reduce the price per unit production. I would suggest that they remove some dining real estate as typically if you're marketing yourself as 'quick meals', you don't sit and dine anyways. Find some way to utilize that space and reduce your costs.

Protein bar! I love you. I hate your lines. Please continue to make good food. Please find a way to deal with your lunch rush because holy **** am I never going to come here during the lunch rush. I will say your food kicks butt, and it does. The amount of healthy/vegetarian options is a definitely plus, even if you gave me non-veggie chili when I asked for veggie chili. Veggie "Barritos" (burritos) with quinoa are always something I enjoy and a nice change from traditional burritos. So, dig the place, dig the food, hate the lines.

Seemed promising for a gluten free power option after my workout and the pictures looked inviting so I made the trek. It's a food bar so it was predictably sterile in decor with a glowing back lit menu that I perused for probably too long, or at least that's what I thought, based on the two employees visibly in wonder at what was holding me up. Honestly, it's a lot of info to take in-- ingredients and calories and so on...... I was torn between the southwest salad and the meze salad which had "not fried" falafel, so I settled for the SW with a side of falafel. When I asked about the side they told me "we don't carry it anymore as it's not in season." Come again??? Not in season?? Are the falafel trees not growing these days??? I grabbed my salad and kombucha and returned to my hotel expecting some clean, nutritious and great tasting food. First strike-- the kombucha was spoiled. I suspected it might be when I took it from the cooler and noticed it was not very cool to the touch. And for 4.49..... yes....... I was pissed off. The salad was just ok. It was very weighed down with black bean and quinoa and thus pretty dry despite having extra hot sauce added. The things I did not really notice were the chicken or the cheese, and since the lettuce to quinoa ratio highly favored the grain...... it ate more like a dry quinoa bowl. I like clean food..... but not this clean. I'd recommend that they carry some sides that fit the healthy lifestyle like Hummus and gluten free chips..... maybe some prepared small items for those that need some extra calories in addition to a salad...... Final bill was 16.15 for a spoiled kombucha and a not so great salad. Sorry guys. Ya missed the mark....... and fix your refrigeration if yer gonna sell kombucha, lest you sicken people. Rob D, Parker, CO

Protein Bar is decent option for a gluten free lunch. While there is no separate gf menu, a handful of the items are on the menu are gluten free naturally or there are some that can be modified. One of the nice things is that they do note which items these are on the menu. If you are truly gf and worry about cross contamination, keep in mind that like many places, there is no dedicated separate area for gf prep. They do try to minimize cc by changing gloves, but there is still always a risk of it occurring. For this reason, I would not recommend getting a salad. I have found that the bowls tend to be a safer meal option. The restaurant itself is on the smaller side,and can get packed during the lunch hour rush. The workers do a good job of getting everyone in and out in a timely manner. Sitting is also tight. There are very few tables, and the line to order and pick up can push the people into the tables. The prices are pretty reasonable and won't break your budget or expense account.

Got to the register and Nick was super helpful in telling me about all of the different proteins offered in the Signature drinks. He told me what he enjoyed and what would suit me best. Ended up with the Millennium Perk which was the perfect pick me up I needed this morning. He also helped me decide on the Pesto Bowl - it was delicious. The perfect size and exactly what I needed but didn't know I wanted. Then at the pick up area Crystal was super excited to see me. She gave me a welcoming good morning and asked me how my day was going. She genuinely cared! It was a nice refreshing breakfast paired with enthusiastic employees who want to help and make sure you enjoy your meal. Definitely stop by!

Overall (4/5): Great place to grab a quick and healthy lunch! With a menu chock full of quinoa, acai, and kale, Protein Bar is perfect for the health-conscious, busy professional. I was in Chicago for two weeks for a work thing, and I found myself coming here at least 4 times. Food: The Red Line (3.5/5) - Very thick smoothie. I could taste the vanilla protein powder way more than the fruit. That being said, it does have 17g of protein, so it's really more of a protein shake than a fruit smoothie. If you're down for that, then go for it! I personally prefer more fruitiness. Chicken Chili (5/5) - My go-to. Flavorful, chunky chili piled on top of quinoa. Because the ingredients are so substantial, I found that I was full until dinnertime. It does smell a little strong, so maybe not the best if you're eating it in a small office with coworkers (but TBH, worth it). Korean BiBi-Q with Beef (3.5/5) - Tastes good, but looks like mush. The quinoa absorbs all the sweet/spicy/savory sauce, so it kind of turns into a glob of stuff. You're not exactly sure what you're eating, so the flavor is a bit one-dimensional, but still pretty good. Service (5/5): - Fast! You order at the counter and grab it in the pick-up area. Average wait time for my food was never more than 7ish minutes despite the heavy lunch crowd. Ambiance (4/5): - The lunch line may seems long, but it moves very quickly! - Most patrons seem to know what they want before they line up, so I would recommend standing aside if you're still deciding :) - They have nutritional info up on their menu, which is great but can also can make you sad. Waiting impatiently for them to expand into LA :)

Great place to come for a refreshing and healthy smoothie. The prices are reasonable, the service is quick and the smoothies are delicious! I recommend the Millennium Park to all the chocolate-lovers looking to get their fix.

Literally just left a few minutes ago and upon taking the first bite of my burrito, my Lord what have I been missing. This was my first time and although it was very busy, this did not stop how amazing the service was. Although I was unable to catch the cashier's name who helped me(greatly), she is the reason that I will be returning. The service she provided was flawless and made my Friday :) I will be back soon! Thank you!

The High-5 is amazing. For being a smoothie with kale in it, it's shockingly amazing and a bit addictive. Plus it's across the street from the Willis Tower, so get your health food on and then go stare down 1,000 ft!

Are you looking for inexpensive, tasty, nutritious food with pleasant service in the Loop? Then you are looking for Protein Bar. This calorie conscious vegetarian is always on the search for a good meal (with the appropriate ratio of carbs/fat/protein- although I usually don't succeed and succumb to my inner desires for things like bagels and cake). Stumbling across Protein Bar after a morning at Chicago Kent was the highlight of my day. Let me get down to business- I built my own wrap (which is priced by the weight) with tofu, pesto, spinach, broccoli and tomatoes, AND a container of non fat plain Chobani yogurt- they had CHOBANI! My favorite brand! And they had non fat plain!! Before I ate my wrap they already had me sold. They also had free ice water available for consumption. The staff was friendly and patient when it took me a while to decide what I wanted. There are so many other things I want to try such as the smoothies, vegetarian chili and quinoa. Carnivores don't fret- there are plenty of chicken and beef dishes for your enjoyment and pleasure. The total for my meal was $7- that's it. Between my wrap and yogurt I was full well until the afternoon, but not that "heavy run down" type full. My biggest dislike was that there was only stool seating, since the place so small I assume they do not want you to park yourself and linger/study/hang out. Oh, I forgot to mention- Protein Bar provides the nutrition facts for all their food- SCORE for those who need to watch our calories. I am definitely making Protein Bar my go-to lunch spot this summer.

Psst...I'm not a fan of Protein Bar. I know, I should just revoke my human card now and get it over with. There are locations all over Chicago and clearly I'm missing the "it" factor. I got the Korean bowl and felt like I needed to go eat a real lunch after. If I was going to go back, I would order a smoothie/shake as those seemed to be more filling and a better value.

This was a hold me over smoothie before lunch. While I don't have anything to complain about I don't have anything to rave about either. My smoothie was sort of bland. It was named after Wrigley field. I'm sure some of the selections are tasty and if I was local I would definitely give this place another shot or two.

Eating healthy today is a must and never expect the food to taste so good. I was amazingly surprised on the experience that I had here. Of course, I had to check everyone's review and it was off the chart satisfying. I ordered the chicken harvest salad and I have to say that it is not your traditional harvest salad, where the usual lettuce lay under everything else. I'm the kind of person who hate using utensils like knives to cut the salad in smaller pieces. The salad was perfect! The chicken, lettuce, broccoli, red cabbage, raisins, carrots, bleu cheese, strawberry (yes) and nuts diced up in small mouthful pieces. Hint: I highly recommend you order your lunch online. It was very easy and fast. The line was out the door with people and I just walked in and walked out within 5 minutes. The prices are little on the high side but worth every penny.

This place is crack for healthy food junkies! If you care about high quality, healthy, tasty food, this place is for you. Its ok if you can't spell or even pronounce Quinoa, cause after a few visits you will converted to a true believer. I love their Ivy wrap, and the Capone is also excellent. The Vegan salad (which i sub Chicken in for the tofu) is also outstanding. And their protein shakes make you feel like you are cheating and having a milkshake. My only complaint would be that the portions of the wrap are a little on the small side if you are a large male with a healthy appetite. But then you can always grab a couple hard boiled eggs as a side if necceary. Don't forget to ask for a frequent visitor card, cause once you start you won't stop (i know plenty of people that go several times a day). Oh yeah, avoid the high traffic lunch hours because the line is long and you won't get a seat. If you can wait til 1PM, thats the sweet spot. Or just order online and pick it up with no wait.