***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite sandwich shop in Evanston. Creative, really fresh tasting sandwich and excellent ginger beer. Try the Indonesian BBQ sandwich with pork. It’s basically a Vietnamese Binh Minh with secret sauce!
Soulwich
1634 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-2222
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soulwich-evanston
**** (4 stars)
Pete Millers has that clubby feel I like in a steakhouse. The steaks aren’t particularly life-changing, but the ambiance is great, and there’s live entertainment that is pleasant without making conversation impossible. A good place for a business dinner.
Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steak
1557 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-0399
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pete-millers-seafood-and-prime-steak-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This place makes some very inventive rolls, and the fish seems fresher than the other places in town. It is pretty pricey, though. I love to sit outside on the sidewalk late on a summer evening when the traffic dies down.
Kansaku
1514 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 864-4386
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kansaku-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This place offers really authentic Middle Eastern food and at lunch the prices are crazy cheap. A great falafel sandwich, delicious side of hummus and a beverage is under $6. That’s nuts! PLus, it’s full table service, and the owner is always there to make sure things go right. Great restaurant.
The Olive Mountain
610 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-0380
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-olive-mountain-evanston
*** (3 stars)
There aren’t a lot of authentic Italian places in Evanston, so Trattoria Demi is probably as close as you’re going to come. They make a good Caesar salad, and the pizza is serviceable. There’s nothing about the place that will really fool you into thinking your in a Trattoria in Italy, but it’s a perfectly fine restaurant.
Trattoria Demi
1571 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 332-2330
http://www.yelp.com/biz/trattoria-demi-evanston
*** (3 stars)
This place has a massive menu, with all types of Asian food. It’s big and busy and loud, and probably the best reason to go is for their huge assortment of beverages and ice cream drinks. 527 Cafe, right next door, offers better Korean and Thai food in a quieter environment.
Joy Yee’s Noodle Kitchen
521 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-1900
http://www.yelp.com/biz/joy-yees-noodle-kitchen-evanston
*** (3 stars)
Cozy Noodles is a funky little cafe near Ace hardware, on Davis, but on the other side of the tracks from the business district. The striking thing about the place is the collections of tin toys, Pez dispensers, license plates, canned good, and other oddities that line the walls. Despite its name, it doesn’t serve comfort food (unless you’re from Southeast Asia), but rather Chinese and Thai food. Our food was good — “spicy” definitely means spicy — and the prices are very reasonable.
Cozy Noodles & Rice
1018 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-0101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cozy-noodles-and-rice-evanston
***** (5 stars)
This is a small plates sort of place, so we sampled some smoked salmon, hummus, Margherita flatbread and some fish tacos. It was all good, and the hummus plate, which is more like a whole Lebanese meal including falafel and olives, is a particularly good deal.
The menu is really interesting, and warrants several repeat visits. Service was well-intentioned but not quite as professional as the food. The place was very busy, due to the trendy vibe and good prices. The bar looks nice, too.
Terra an American Bistro
2676 Green Bay Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 563-9100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/terra-an-american-bistro-evanston
**** (4 stars)
Cafe 527 is a new Asian place that had the nerve to open next door to the popular Joy Yee’s Noodle Shop. The plan seems to be working, as 527 was packed when I was there for lunch. The atmosphere is bright and the counter service is friendly. The Korean BBQ taco I had was delicious, filled with bulgogi beef, kimchee, rice and cilantro, and served on seaweed rather than a tortilla. The miso shrimp salad was also tasty, although the shrimp was the least interesting part. The crunchy lettuce and cabbage mixture was enhanced by green peppers, scallions, and edamame. It went well with a miso based honey mustard dressing. There are lots of choices posted on makeshift signs, so be sure to check out the offerings not on the “official” menu board. Definitely a great new Asian option for Evanston.
527 Cafe
527 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 332-2233
http://www.yelp.com/biz/527-cafe-evanston
**** (4 stars)
This small restaurant offers quite tasty and authentic Indian food, and at least at lunch the prices are quite fair. I had the Chicken Korma. There seems to be some disagreement about what goes into Korma sauce, with some places adding spices that turn it pink or red, while others make the traditional white. This was the pink variety, and it was savory and delicious, and mild as advertised. I love garlic naan bread, so I ordered that, rather than the plain naan that comes with the lunch, and took rice instead with my chicken. Both the rice and the garlic naan were excellent, and the two chutney accompaniments — tamarind and cilantro — were perfect. A tiny salad was as also on the plate, really just some shredded lettuce that might have been lightly dressed, but it actually served well to clear the palate. The two fried bits of smashed and breaded cauliflower aren’t really my thing, but they were good with the chutneys. A lot of food for ten bucks. Service was attentive and friendly. There’s free wifi, too, due to the fact that Starbucks is next door! No complaints, and I’ll be back.
Mumbai Indian Grill
1728 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 859-2453
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mumbai-indian-grill-evanston-3