Vaca’s Creamery — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

After seeing so many people gush about Vaca's on Facebook etc. I made the trip up there this Saturday and sadly I have to admit I was super disappointed.

I want to start with the positives, though: the staff were incredibly friendly, and I really appreciate the commitment the owners have made to paying them all a living wage. I am also really excited to see more vegan dessert businesses popping up, and I think the concept behind Vaca's is fantastic. The storefront is also very cute and felt perfectly COVID-safe.

All that being said, though, Vaca's products are very expensive (my soft serve swirl with a chocolate hard shell was something like $7, which is more than enough to buy a whole pint of Oatly ice cream!) and simply not very enjoyable. The soft serve was far too sweet for me and tasted more like coffee creamer than ice cream, and I could hardly taste the difference between the chocolate and vanilla flavors. Although the frozen texture was fairly good (not too icy), there was none of the creaminess I would have expected from an oat ice cream base. By far the best thing about my dessert was the chocolate hard shell, which was very chocolate-y and delicious, but there was very little of it on my serving and it wasn't able to compete with the overwhelming sweetness of the soft serve.

I very much doubt I'll be going back, but I'm really happy to see the positive reception Vaca's is getting and I hope the success of this shop points Chicago towards more fully vegan dessert places. I'd love to see a change in the recipe, or at least a less...

I’ve been here several times and the ice cream and milkshakes are delicious. I know you’re trying to expand with your pastries and the blueberry cookie is definitely a hit. However, I just bought the “Brazilian cheese bread” and that needs some serious reworking. I’ve never been served cold refrigerated cheese bread so I’m not sure why you guys are serving it cold and dense. If it’s for a specific reason in regards to the ingredients, please let the customer know because that is very off putting when unexpected. The dough was really dense when it should be fluffy with pockets of air. The cheese taste is there so I commend you for that because I know that’s not easy to replicate. Maybe it needs rebranding. You might want to consider throwing in some herbs and calling it a gougere instead since those aren’t usually served warm. They’re usually served room temp and not cold either but at least that’s closer in temperature to the product you’re selling. Oh and $4 for one piece? I’m happy to support when it’s worth it but it’s disgraceful when you’re serving low quality.

Update: I was very grateful to hear back from the owner so promptly. It shows that Vaca is extremely committed to their customers. I hope thatVaca continues to succeed because their ice cream truly...

BELIEVE the hype. Vaca's is the real deal. I don't know what else to tell you except that it is easily the best vegan soft-serve in town. My girlfriend and I both love Vaca's and as vegans who think Chicago's offerings aren't that great compared to some other better destinations (CA, PA, NYC), Vaca's is a true champion in any market. The texture and flavor is better than any dairy soft serve making it a dessert destination for any diet. And DO THE WAFFLE CONE. It pairs so incredibly perfect. As someone who usually just gets the cup because who cares about the extra sugar/calories in a cone, Vaca's be different. It's the cherry on top only not a cherry -- a cone. A maple syrupy cone supporting your dreamy, creamy delight. I don't know if there's any syrup or maple in the cone, but that's my impression. The menu feels limited, but that's a GOOD thing. As a customer you should want smaller shops offering higher quality goods that are actually sustainable. Plus they pay their staff above a living wage? It shows. Even with the long lines, staff has consistently been friendly and upbeat. I'm certain that if I ever have an issue, they'll do what they can to rectify the situation. Run, don't...