Expressly Leslie Vegetarian Specialties in Woodstock - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Food was delicious, but service and atmosphere left much to be desired.

Wow! Delicious Takeout. I’d been walking by this place for over a year, chuckling to myself as I compared it to “Sue’s Salads” from the show Parks and Rec. I did you dirty, Leslie. Your salads are amazing. This is my new favorite Woodstock stop. This satiates my craving for Mediterranean/Middle Eastern and everything is super tasty. Good portions, prices, menu diversity. The atmosphere of the shop is great, but the sitting area could be spruced up. A little music coming through a speaker and tweaked lighting would make it perfect. Thank you for this great restaurant.

I’ve been here many times now. It is my favorite place in the area. Everything is fantastic and fresh. Many vegan options and I think everything else is vegetarian. Service is quick and everyone there is nice. Highly recommend to everyone I meet.

Just tried this rare vegetarian restaurant yesterday and went back today. The only exception that I know of is their including eggs. I was recommended to try a sampler plate, and I tried the Mediterranean sampler. The second time was the omelette wrap. Both very good! I used to cook at a macrobiotic restaurant years ago and I can attest that this is high quality food. If you've really tried to eat healthy but prefer typical, highly processed food, then maybe this isn't your place. But if you care about eating delicious, healthy food and want to support businesses that provide that, go here and enjoy. Note: there's no seating in the restaurant itself but it adjoins a lobby with other businesses and there are tables where you can sit and eat. Woodstock Square is also steps away and you can enjoy your meal on a bench or table.

Always made fresh, worth the trip every time.

Excellent bold flavors. The Smokey eggplant and falafel are stand-outs.

So so good! I could live off all the salads- such a variety and all delicious!

The food was fantastic! Fresh, healthy, and tasty. They offer a tasting of an item before you order if you're uncertain whether you'll like it. The Moroccan eggplant, carrots, hummus, and falafel were especially great. I'm a huge tabouleh/tabouli fan, but their's was not my favorite; same for the babaganoush as it lacked smokiness. That said, it's a personal flavor and texture preference and I'm sure it's good for others. It's a very small place; a few seats are available in the general common area of this building just outside the restaurant; I think it is primarily a take-away place. I will mention that the flow to the ordering/waiting/ serve/ self serve processes were a bit awkward. I'd mentored to the employee that we'd not been there before, but the person behind the counter expected us to know how they do things and didn't communicate their expectations until after they see you're not doing as they expect, e g., you don't wait for your hot drink but sit outside of the restaurant and they bring it to you, the rice which is on the salad menu and an item that we expected as part of the large sampler is actually not one of the salad options for the samplers but they provide an item that isn't even on the salad list (I had the employeepount out each item provided as they're kinda' mushed together; they bring your food to you but you get your own plasticware, napkins, cup. Don't get me wrong, it's obviously not hard, but if you don't know what's expected, it makes for service awkwardness. Street parking was fairly easy, but if it was busy on the square I expect parking would be difficult. Despite the few oddities, I'd definitely return and highly recommend for vegetarians and vegans.

Their menu is great if you're seeking something healthy or vegetarian/vegan. Some dishes are small portion wise compared to others. Overall, glad this restaurant is still around.

Good food just lacks better dine is options

Loved it! Great option when I’m craving food at my pregnancy!

I am not a falafel expert but I know this tastes good! My wife and I shared a plate. All the fixings like the pita, cucumber salad, tahini, and hummus were spot on. Also wanted to give a big THANK YOU for holding onto my wife's purse after we left it behind! There are some very honest people working here!

The food is authentic and fresh cooked. Vegan, gluten free and tasty. The seating is outside the restaurant but in a building and there were kids running on the third floor, yelling and unattended from another business. Will get food to go next time. Young lady was knowledgeable in her cuisine.

I order food from this place and OMG the food was super delicious it was so good I almost order again after I ate it 😂

The food here is amazing! There are plenty of delicious vegan options. My favorite item I tried was the Eggplant Salad, which went great with the hummus snack and Moroccan Carrots. I am already planning my next trip back 🩷

Ordered the same food here for the past five years now. It's been going down hill in the past few months, undercooked food, recipes changed bland taste, missing spices and ingredients, new staff not familiar with menu it's just not the same anymore, seriously disappointed... please bring back Expressly Leslie.

Love the classic pizza and Kirk wrap

Been coming here for many years and am always happy. Super consistent and delicious.

The food here is AMAZING! Like literally anythinh you get will be yummy. All the employees are super nice too and it’s always ready pretty quick! 10/10

I am neutral about this place. I LOVED it more when the old owner was there. New owners took over a few months ago and sadly already changed the cupcake recipe and other things. I will change my review once they go back to the old receipes. Why change stuff if it's not broken?

It’s hard to enjoy somewhat somewhat tasty leftovers when the person at the counter doesn’t even know what’s in each dish and what to recommend. Terrible service, was told there was no dairy in the plates we ate, however my stomach says otherwise.

Was very excited it was fully vegetarian but food was so-so.

I can't get enough of the delicious vegan food that comes out of this kitchen! Quick, friendly, health-conscious menu, right on the historic Woodstock Square. Locally owned and run by some great people.

The staff here was friendly and helpful. I decided to eat what one of them was making for themselves, and that was the Southwest Pizza. Sooo good. Really liked the crispy skinned eggplant and the guacamole on that whole grain pita. Ate it right in the little mall they're attracted to. Will be back to try something else soon.

I love coming here to eat. The vegan pizza is my favorite!

Sadly it is closing but the vegan choices were great. The samplers are an excellent way to try all the different flavors! It's not an eat-in establishment but you take your food and eat at the tables in the common area. Or if it's nice outside, go and eat at one of the benches in the square. I'd recommend you bring your own flatware and some napkins. I try to make sure I have those in the car for these opportunities!

This little spot is extraordinary. There is very little seating available inside and a few tables outside. The unassuming location makes it all the more interesting. The service is always prompt and friendly. The selections of food are some of the best combinations of flavors, for an experience of worldly enjoyment. Highly recommend the falafel and Morrocan plate. Smoothies are amazing on a hot summer day and the tea is exceptional.

First time going today, and let me just say, the food is amazing!

The food is fresh, new and fun. You won't care about the fact that it's vegetarian because that's how good it tastes, and the portions and quality are a great deal for the prices they charge. I've never had a bad experience and even though it is a small hole in the wall, you have an amazing park next door and the main square of town to explore. The also have the summer woodstock farmers market right in front of their store.

I cannot over express how good the food is here! The fallefel is cooked to perfection, all of the vegetables are seasoned well, and cooked exactly as they should be. 5/5 stars, even from r us meat eaters!

A wide variety of freshly made vegan and vegetarian options. Food is fresh, colorful, and made right in front of you. Staff customizes based on your requests. Located right on the Historic Woodstock Square. During the summer months there are a few tables set up outside, and the atmosphere is just heavenly. The rest of the year: tables are inside the strip mall, and, while we greatly appreciate them, the atmosphere is...lacking! ( During colder months, you may want your jacket on inside) Carryout is available. My recommendation: Mark your Wednesday night calendars July through August, And plan on bringing your food from Expressly Leslie onto the square for a free City Band concert. Or, a Tuesday or Saturday morning for the great Farmers Market.

Great cold salads, Vegan and veggie soups, and the Bug's Bunny smoothie is a good choice for a healthy snack.

We regularly serve Expressly Leslie food for our guests, no matter the event! Their food is fresh, prepared quickly and delicious! Last night was no exception, as my last minute order was a 7 salad Leslie Plate which was plenty to provide a snack for the 7 committee members working on a special new event! We love the Hummus and Muhammara Salad, anything with eggplant and the cucumber dill salads.

We were disappointed with our first visit here. We have heard so many good things about this place. We thought the food was just so so. Not bad, not good just so so. The staff was very friendly. When I talked to some people who recommended this place to us and asked what they order. It became clear most people order the classic pizza. I think that is what they called it. We order a full. Basically a very large sampling of there offers but no pizza. We may try it again for the pizza. The place could use a little sprucing up.

Great place to pick up some delicious treats! Everything we tried was fantastic, can't wait for our next visit!

Been here twice now and made sure to stop when we were back in the Woodstock area. SO good! Will be back again and again. 7 salad plate was incredible and enough to share for sure. We also tried the grilled cheese this time (a delish spin on the og) and such reasonable prices.

I've stopped at this place many times, little gem in the mall in the square; not very big, but the food has always made a positive impact. Great customer service, nice accommodation, and suggestions for your lifestyle

Mmmmm I wish I lived closer! Fresh and quick service with excellent flavors! Worth the stop! The owner was very sweet and hard working as well! She took good care of me. I had the Israeli platter as well as the falafel snack and a bugs bunny smoothie. Enjoyed every bit of it!!

Hands down, best vegetarian food I’ve tasted. For a long term vegetarian it may not be as exciting. Even the toughest cretic would find this food very good. It’s a gem in the beautiful town of Woodstock IL were they have another claim to fame. The movie Ground Hog Day was filmed. So treat yourself to a trip to Woodstock. 👍😎😋

Friendly and fast service. Very fresh ingredients done deliciously.

Loved the food and the Groupon. Only problem is that it is way too far from our place and the Groupon has to be redeemed as 3 different vouchers at 3 different times. Doesn't practically work out.

By far some of the best vegetarian food I have had in a while and i'm usually a carnivore. I crave this now almost everyday. You guys are the best.

Loved the pizza, tea and smoothie! Coming back to try the rest excellent customer service as well!

Fabulous food! I'm not a vegetarian, but I LOVE this place! The staff are helpful & kind & food is delicious!💗

Go once a week. Good stuff and im not vegetarian.

I'm not a strict vegitarian by any means but damn this place is great...especially the Pizzas, so much flavor and more healthy than a beloved deep dish I may just choose these over them! my only "beef" (sorry veg heads) would be the unsustainable packaging for take out.

I love this food so much! What a feast! Highly recommend!

I’m not a full on vegan but I do have to say the food here is amazing. Will Come back.

We've been coming to this place since Leslie really owned it - it's all her recipes and she trained the current owner. We were really happy with the traditional flavors and quality for quite a while, after a bit of a slow start. But last summer we noticed the quality control slipping. Soups were scorched. Pita was over microwaved. We talked to the owner - she was pleasant but seemed offended. We stopped going for a while. This week, we came back. The salads taste nothing like they used to. The Muhammarra is now a paste, not a chunky spread. It has no tang (from pomagranate molasses) and no kick (from allepo peppers). The eggplant salad, a favorite, again - no tang, not much flavor, and so salty I didn't eat it. Overcooked eggplant. The dill potato salad was dry - not much flavor either. We were truly crushed. My daughter, who had picked up an order a day or two before said she felt the same and didn't eat her meal. Not sure what the issue is, but I wish they'd go back to the original basics of those recipes and retrain some of the kids who are working there. Such a shame.

Great value, love finding any food in Woodstock that is ethnic (and not italian or chinese). Nice option to add falafel to any salad. There is a guy with a long ponytail who works there and is very helpful if you aren't familiar with Mediterranean food. Food is very flavorful and especially perfect for summer. Not really indoor dining tables-Get carry out and take it to a picnic bench in the Woodstock square!!

This place is either a hit or a miss but the past couple of times I’ve ordered off DoorDash they have been a huge miss! The pita bread is constantly hard and the vegetables are either shribble pieces of nothing you can even eat you wouldn’t feed your dog or they have dirt all over them! When I’m getting a meal I want to enjoy all facets of it so it just spoils everything but a few things are such a mess! The last time whoever handled the order putting it together got this red sauce I forget which item I ordered all over all the containers it was just disgusting!

Woodstock has a lot of the same type of food but Expressly Leslie is a breath of fresh air being different and healthy. I love that they have so many choices and combinations.

Every time I eat here my stomach gets upset! No bueno! Tal vez el restaurante necesita un nuevo preparador de alimentos...?

Absolutely delicious food that's healthy too! It's always a treat when I get to stop in. The food is wonderful, the shakes are delicious and they have great friendly service.

Absolutely delicious!! My whole family goes here everytime we get a massage at Harmony Falls! Delicious healthy food to recooperate the body. Muhamera is to die for!

Absolutely delicious! I cannot wait to get food from here again. The food is fresh and beautifully crafted. With how nutrient-dense the food is, you feel full quickly, so one meal can stretch to multiple meals.

One of my absolute favorite places! I usually get the Israeli Sampler or The Plate and you can’t go wrong with either. The food is always fresh and consistently so yummy!!

One of our favorite spots in Woodstock. Food feels very healthy. We love getting the big salad plate and splitting it between our family.

Soooo good, fresh and delicious Highly recommend 👍

First time trying this little place out. Everything on the menu sounds amazing! Staff made great recommendations :) The Falafel wrap is the chefs kiss. Cannot wait to go back and try more!

This place was a nice surprise. We ordered a sampler and everything we tasted was delicious. I especially liked the roasted eggplant, carrots, sweet potatoes, dill potato salad and cucumbers. It is a small little place with take out and there is seating out in the market area. I definitely recommend.

Great service and great food, the owner is very hands-on, it is a must-try. One of the best Mediterranean food I have ever had. They make fresh falafels, now that is awesome. I highly recommend their full sampler, with so many different things, so much flavor, and a great value. I have made falafels from scratch myself and theirs tasted just as good. I had a take-out order and made my own extra tahini sauce at home even though they gave it to me. This food is better than any other fast food out there. I am getting ideas about our next picnic.

Crazy good food. Love the falafel.

This place is a real gem. Vegetarian or not (I was...for 27 years...), their food is excellent. My only criticism....PLEASE bring back the Israeli Breakfast plate!!! 😋👍

This place was one our favorite finds. We have gone back several times and the food tastes great every time!

Amazing food. The owner is extremely nice and personable. We will definitely be back!

Delicious, healthy food and friendly service. I tried the Moroccan plate and ordered the volcano lasagna for the next day’s lunch. It reheated well. I mostly eat an omnivore diet but I’m happy to have this place for healthy vegetarian and vegan options. P.s. their vanilla strawberry cupcakes were sooo good. Not too sweet, very light and flavorful

Don't let this place get skipped if you're not a vegetarian! Every dish is packed with flavor & very filling. Seen here is 1- 7 salad platter & "falafel snack" split between 3 hardworking adults for lunch break from remodeling our newest B&B. Now, always ask for an extra pita & crackers when you do it this way. Delicious food for $20 you just can't beat that!

Good local vegan and vegetarian foods

I'm not vegan but their food is amazing.

I remember Leslie from 2008, when she was a startup! Best Falafel anywhere for miles! I'll be back next time I visit iL

Moroccan eggplant is devine. Food always seemed fresh when we went there.

Very yummy vegetarian Mediterranean food. Delish and healthy stuff. A little hard to find the place first time.

We had the omelet wraps and a vegan cupcake. Both were amazing. The omelet was fresh with lovely salsa and feta cheese in a toasty wrap. The cupcake was moist and delicious. The server was very helpful and friendly. Strongly recommend!

So delicious!!! Will definitely be eating here again!

Great food, great staff. We will be going back soon . Im vegan so its great having options :)

I have only given 2 restaurant reviews in my entire life and I am the biggest carnivore of a person my girlfriend is as vegetarian as they get and we went here so I could try something non meat related and see if it’s good and let me tell you this place is amazing a definite must try whether you’re a meat lover or not. Also if you’re interested in what I got it was the falafels the veggie chili and the muhammara sauce all spectacular and the muhammara sauce ie especially good with the falafels

Excited to have a place with Moroccan dishes so close to my house. The food is very good but being Moroccan myself I would have loved the eggplant salad to have more spices in it. I recommend this place to those who love Middle Eastern/Moroccan food!

Phenomenal. I brought my notoriously carnivorous friend here and he actually felt satisfied. We had the eggplant wrap and some green teas. I will always come here every time I'm in the area.

So incredibly delicious. Highly recommend the Moroccan sampler! The iced tea was also delicious. We were all wowed.

10 of the 14 daily salads are vegan, as are the cookies and muffins. So delicious! This place is amazing. Also, free tea refills.

We had the platter with everything and it was absolutely delicious and enough for both of us for lunch and dinner! Not to mention it's all extremely healthy🥦🥬🥒🥕🍆 we will definitely be back and become regulars!

THE MOROCCAN EGGPLANT 😍😍😍 is what dreams are made of! Savory and tender, when I’m craving it, the flavor is unmatched. I love everything on the menu, try a sampler platter and treat yourself! Made fresh and a healthy, quick option.

We are so grateful to have a quality vegetarian restaurant in town! I'm always amazed by the amount of variety, product quality, and generous portions.

Fresh, simple & delicious food. Robust menu. Friendly & knowledgeable staff. A gem for anyone looking for vegetarian, vegan or gluten free options.

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” ―  Albert Einstein

Love the different salads! Foods great, service is too!

Literally just got done with the Last bite of my wrap....the Kirk wrap . That Sammie is on point, absolutely excellent.

Highly recommend! Customer service is top notch — kind, friendly and courteous. Their variety of freshly made and delicious daily salads makes it hard to choose from because you can’t go wrong with any of them! The muhammara salad, Moroccan eggplant salad & the Moroccan sweet potato salad are favorites. Their lentil soup is perfect for a chilly day and their falafels are the best!

This was a great find while in Woodstock. Love all the types of salad picks on the Leslie Plate. Highly recommend the Muhammara.

Pita was good but really dry. Hibiscus water was amazing. Everything else decent

Definitely one of our favorite carry out places. I wish they were closer to us. We drive from Lake in the Hills and it is totally worth it. Best veg/vegan food in the area by far. Try the vegan pizza... like nothing I’ve ever had.

Had lunch here and it was delicious. Can't wait to taste all the warm options. I had the sampler plate. 💕

The food was amazing and the service was very friendly

Absolutely love Leslie's! Hope it stays and only goes up!

I really wanted to love this place but.... I ordered a falafel wrap, red lentil soup, and a traditional smoothie for about $19. I tried the smoothie first and it really didn't have a lot of flavor. I was really looking forward to the lentil soup when I ordered, but the lentil soup didn't taste like anything other than vegetable soup😐. I wouldn't order the smoothie or the soup again. The falafel wrap was much larger than I expected, which was nice. It tasted alright. Nothing to write home about here, but at least I can say I finally tried this place. Fantastic customer service though!

I cannot get enough of this delicious food. The eggplant is my favorite.

We found this gem the weekend after Thanksgiving. After so much turkey it really was "what the doctor ordered". Every dish was outstanding. Thank you.

just came back from getting food here. it's so delicious and everyone was very nice!!! thank you!

Finally found a vegan friendly restaurant around here! Plus the food is amazing! All of it! They even have gluten free options and crackers to accompany all the wonderful salads. Everything is so good, my boyfriend and I order the big double sampler every time now. Its simply incredible.