Category Archives: Evanston

Greek Fire Grill

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**** (4 stars)

This is a good place for a Chicago Dog, which is pretty much indistinguishable from all the other Chicago Dogs in town. One day I made the several mile round trip walk to the highly rated Mustard’s Last Stand, and couldn’t tell the difference, so now I just stick with (what is now called) Greek Fire Grill.

They have a fairly wide variety of foods, and burgers and greek specialties are also popular, although they are rarely busy.

Greek Fire Grill
1625 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-9453
http://www.yelp.com/biz/greek-fire-grill-evanston-2

Bar Louie Evanston

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**** (4 stars)

I’m not much of a bar person, but I really like Bar Louie. They have a great outside dining area, and surprisingly they make one of the best salads in town. The chop chop salad has iceberg lettuce, bacon, tomato, carrot, avocado, garbanzo beans, chopped egg, cucumber, tortilla strips, and house dressing. I also really like their pretzel sticks, which come with three very good dipping sauces. Service has always been efficient and friendly.

Bar Louie Evanston
1520 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-8300
http://www.yelp.com/biz/bar-louie-evanston-evanston-2

World of Beer

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**** (4 stars)

This place is about beer, not food. I sat outside on a lovely evening and tried a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout from a bottle. It was excellent. It took a while for my server to show up, but once she did, she was friendly and efficient. I also had one of their enormous pretzels, which was pretty good, although I would have preferred it with a sampling of mustards rather than just one.

Although the list of beers may seem overwhelming, they are clearly labelled as to origin and style, and the list is online, so you can plan before you go. If you’re into beers, this is a great place to sample them.

World of Beer
1601 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-3688
http://www.yelp.com/biz/world-of-beer-evanston

Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop

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**** (4 stars)

Considering the owners are not originally from the South, this is a remarkably authentic dining experience.

I had the lunch special of a half blackened catfish poboy and a cup of gumbo. The catfish was the perfect spiciness, still moist, and not muddy, and the bread was fresh. Gumbo was a tasty, rich mixture, served with the rice separate on one side of the cup, which was an interesting approach. My meal came with a pair of corn meal pancakes rather than muffins, which is a bit unusual, but tasty. At under $7 it was a good buy for lunch.

The unsweetened peach tea was very tasty; it’s hard to find good unsweetened tea in the South. The breakfast items and salads I saw also looked good.

I love the funky atmosphere. The space is decked out like a bait shop, and red checkered plastic tablecloths brighten things up. There are also four tables out on the sidewalk.

Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
825 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-9030
http://www.yelp.com/biz/dixie-kitchen-and-bait-shop-evanston

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

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*** (3 stars)

This place is popular due to its close proximity to Northwestern. I have to admit that Chicago deep dish pizza isn’t my favorite style: I don’t like crust that tastes like saltine crackers, and I prefer the pizza to be more about the sauce and toppings than about dough. So I find nothing noteworthy about Lou Malnati’s pizza. It’s a plus that they offer a gluten free variety, which I haven’t tasted, but might be better.

I will say that the service is friendly and efficient, especially considering how busy they are. Frankly I think the best pizza in Evanston is the one we order delivered from Sarpino’s.

Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria
1850 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-5400
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lou-malnatis-pizzeria-evanston

Davis Street Fishmarket

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*** (3 stars)

This is an okay fish restaurant in a town that has good sushi places but no really great seafood places. The food here is similar to what you’d find at a Red Lobster, and the atmosphere not that much different, either. Service is fine, but seems stretched a bit thin. Probably best if you’re in the mood for fried seafood.

Davis Street Fishmarket
501 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-3474
http://www.yelp.com/biz/davis-street-fishmarket-evanston

Coffee Lab

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***** (5 stars)

In a world filled with nasty, weedy Starbucks coffee that has to be diluted with milk and sugar just to make it potable, it’s easy to forget what coffee can and should be. Coffee Lab reminds us of just how great an experience a superb cup of unadulterated coffee can be.

The pour over coffee made here extracts exactly the optimum brew from the beans, with no bitterness, no matter how strong the coffee. It’s a time-consuming process, so don’t go if you’re in a hurry. As with anything, to do it right takes care and attention to detail. But if you think coffee needs to be “fixed” with cream and sugar, you owe it to yourself to experience the real thing at least once.

Coffee Lab
922 Noyes St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8033
http://www.yelp.com/biz/coffee-lab-evanston-2

Cross-Rhodes

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**** (4 stars)

I would describe Cross Rhodes as more of a diner than a restaurant. With a different menu it would be a typical greasy spoon breakfast place. The food is conventional Greek fare. I had the Gyro dinner, which was a large mound of sliced lamb served over vinegar fries with sliced tomato, onions, greek yogurt and a pita. Quite tasty. The hummus appetizer was also fine, lemony, and fairly thin in consistency, with pita for dipping. Service was fast and friendly, and I was greeted by the staff upon arriving and departing. The place was busy, and I think it is this friendly atmosphere as much as anything that accounts for it. No credit cards and no alcohol.

Cross-Rhodes
913 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60202
(847) 475-4475
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cross-rhodes-evanston

Found Kitchen & Social House

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**** (4 stars)

This trendy new Evanston hot spot bursts out onto the sidewalk with patrons every evening, but it’s possible to find a table at lunch and in the afternoons. Before 4:30 the emphasis is on sandwiches, afterwards on small shared plates. Our favorite was the salmon salad, a baguette slice topped with salmon, mayo, dill, red onion and celery.

There’s an interesting drink list with a short but thoughtful selection of beers, and quite a few interesting bitter aperitifs. I love Amaro, and there were four on offer, plus a sparkling wine mixed with Campari and grapefruit, inexplicably called an lsd.

The funky interior has no matching tables or chairs, and adds a fun off beat sense to the fairly intimate (and often noisy) space.

Found Kitchen & Social House
1631 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 868-8945
http://www.yelp.com/biz/found-kitchen-and-social-house-evanston

That Little Mexican Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

The first time I went here I had pretty conventional Tex Mex fare, and it was fine. But on my return visit I decided to see if they could do authentic Mexican food, and I left quite impressed. I had the Pibil, a slow roasted marinated pork, somewhat like pastor. It was brimming with interesting spices and had a piquant tang to the barbecue-like sauce. Served with corn tortillas, it was delicious and authentic.

The salsa here is quite good, a homemade version more about the herbs and spices than tomato sauce. Chips are fairly sturdy, and also seem homemade.

The margaritas are excellent. They’re hand shaken and poured over the rocks, and have just the right level of tartness, and a good balance of tequila to juice.

Service is friendly and attentive. Brunch is available on the weekends.

That Little Mexican Cafe
1010 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 905-1550
http://www.yelp.com/biz/that-little-mexican-cafe-evanston