CLOSED – Paleo Friendly Restaurant: mEAT Restaurant (Chicago)

Unfortunately, mEAT is now permanently closed. If you’d care to take a visual tour through what it was like when it was open, keep reading my review below.

For our sixth wedding anniversary Jeff & I were driving home from spending the weekend in Green Bay, Wisconsin when we decided to stop for dinner. I was searching for places from the passenger seat as Jeff drove when I found mEAT Restaurant in Chicago and my decision was made. mEAT is one of the most Paleo friendly restaurants we’ve come across in Chicago and I’ve been super excited to share this review!

The Coolest Outdoor Seating in Chicago

It was August so it was warm outside and one of the coolest things about the mEAT location on Halsted is the fact that they have swings on their patio! Yeah you heard me…swings! How freaking fun is that?!

We arrived early in the day so we had our choice of where we could sit.

Just a note, the outdoor seating is family style so depending on the number of people in your party that you arrive with, you can and will be sitting next to and/or across from others.

The table setup inside is quite the same.

A Gluten-Free and Paleo Menu

We were handed the menu when we sat down and this was the second thing that got me super excited about this restaurant.

All over the menu, you can easily spot items that are Paleo-friendly and Gluten Free because they are clearly marked with each of their own icons.

And if the swings and the clear labeling of the menu weren’t enough, our waiter came to talk to us about all the drink options available and in his hands…kale chips! No bread and butter appetizer is served here.

I think I was in shock when the kale chips arrived. Needless to say we were off to a fantastic start.

We don’t typically order cocktails (I prefer to fully experience events when we go out and since I don’t drink often, and since I’m so small, alcohol can easily do me in) but because we were celebrating our anniversary and since everything so far felt very comfortable, we decided to order a couple drinks.

Jeff ordered The American Mule and I went with the Magic Margarita. Of course, both were beautifully arranged and tasted delicious. mEAT specializes in molecular bartending so they put a twist on the typical traditional cocktails.

So after enjoying the drinks, kale chips and the view, we finally placed our order.

First up we tried the Cucumber Cups. With this dish, cucumber are hollowed out and filled with red onion, kalamata olives, tomato, feta cheese and served with a drizzle of balsamic reduction. There’s even a note on the menu that says “Paleo without feta” but since we’re fine with dairy we kept it in. :)

Next Came All The Glorious Meat

At first when we arrived I was slightly worried that they were going to be an all meat restaurant, similar to Au Cheval, where they wouldn’t have any vegetables on the menu but mEAT is nothing like that.

The meat comes served on a skewer and is hung in front of you on your table. Tongs are brought along so that you can grab piece by piece and easily share.

As far as skewers went, we ordered the Lemon Chicken with tomato sauce, the Rosemary Mint Pork served with apple raisin chutney, Seared Scallops (minus the apricot miso sauce) and the Pistachio Crusted Lamb Chops which were absolutely to die for!

Sides come in family style dishes and we ordered the Brussels Sprouts and the Cauliflower Puree. Both were positively divine and all these items were clearly labeled as Paleo on the menu.

Having dinner at mEAT was easy. It was like eating at home except other people were preparing and serving both of us! The menu was pretty transparent and the staff was quite knowledgable about allergies. This was one occasion where we didn’t need to ask many questions to our waiter and could simply enjoy each others company…and the food!

Don’t Forget Dessert

Last but not least we ended on a sweet note…but not a highly sweet, refined-sugar one. The Paleo goodness carried over to our final dish with Avocado Mousse for dessert. So, so good!

Any Drawbacks?

I have to admit, after all my gushing on how incredibly amazing our experience was at mEAT there isn’t much to complain about.

If you want to get technical, they don’t specifically advertise where they source their meat although the menu clearly states “we proudly only serve cage- and hormone-free meat & wild caught seafood” so even though the beef and lamb aren’t grass-fed, the seafood is definitely sourced well.

Aside from that little nick, mEAT is a fabulous Paleo friendly restaurant in Chicago and if you are traveling through or live in the neighborhood, you should definitely give them a try. Plus, they currently have two locations to choose from.

Jeff & I appreciate the time and effort they spent putting together their menu and we definitely enjoyed our experience.

Are you interested in more Paleo friendly restaurants? Have a recommendation of some place we should check out? Let us know!

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When you find yourself at mEAT tag us on Instagram so we can add your pic below!