Astro's Guide to Evanston Restaurants
Evanston calls itself "the dining capital of the North Shore," and it has good reason to make such a claim. Evanston is blessed with over one hundred restaurants, and a large number of them are not your run-of-the-mill chain eateries. Most of the establishments listed on this page serve alcohol. Some of them have small bars, but the bars are primarily for people waiting for tables. I limited the list below to restaurants that I have tried myself, and even then the list is still rather large. There are many other excellent restaurants in town that I have not tried.
Evanston Restaurants |
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GIO
Type: Restaurant with a small bar
Location: 1631 Chicago Ave.
This restaurant is on Chicago Avenue, just south of Church. This is a classy, but not too expensive, place for Italian food. The bar is mostly for people waiting for seating. No TV screens anywhere, even in the bar. The atmosphere is nice and the restaurant achieves a good balance between elegance, quality, and price. It is usually possible to get a table here without a long wait, even on weekend evenings.
Dave's Italian Kitchen
Type: Restaurant
Location: 1635 Chicago Ave.
Dave’s is on Chicago Avenue, just south of Church and only a few doors away from GIO. While GIO’s strength is atmosphere and elegance, Dave’s is price and quantity. This place is a long time favorite with many people. The menu emphasizes homemade pasta with large portions and low prices. They serve alcohol, but they do not have a bar.
Tapas Barcelona
Type: Restaurant with a bar
Location: 1615 Chicago Ave.
Yet another restaurant on Chicago Avenue, halfway between Church St. and Davis St. This is a Spanish tapas restaurant, which means small portions that are shared by all at the table. On warm evenings, there is a nice outdoor seating area. This restaurant has a reasonably large bar area, and I may wind up moving Tapas Barcelona to the Restaurants with Bars page.
Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop
Type: Restaurant
Location: 825 Church St.
This restaurant is on Church Street, just east of Benson Avenue. As you would expect from the name, this establishment serves Cajun food and other Southern specialties. The dining room is small, but the place is fun. They often provide free johnny cakes as an appetizer.
The Pine Yard
Type: Restaurant
Location: 1033 Davis St.
This one is at the intersection of Davis and Oak, which means it’s about three blocks west of the main downtown. It may be called the Pine Yard, but they serve Chinese food. There are many Chinese restaurants is Evanston, but for some reason, I tend to frequent this one. I like the Mongolian beef , but everything here is good. On weekdays, they offer some excellent lunch time specials. It is almost next door to Bill’s Blues Bar.
Symphony's Cafe
Type: Restaurant
Location: 1945 Central St.
Symphony's is another great restaurant within walking distance of the stadium. It is an Italian/American restaurant in north Evanston, across the street from the BlueStone restaurant. Everything I have tried on their menu has been excellent. Their entrees include several miraculous combinations of chicken, vegetables, fresh herbs and garlic mashed potatoes. Their vegetarian risotto dishes are also delicious, featuring creamy risotto with asparagus, saffron, or other varying combinations of herbs and vegetables. The dessert specialty of the house is an incredibly rich and moist chocolate mousse cake that is truly amazing. But it isn't on the menu - you have to ask for it!
Flat Top Grill
Type: Restaurant
Location: 707 Church St.
This restaurant is on Church Street. The thing to order here is their amazing custom stir fry. You select the items and sauces yourself, then you hand it off to the grill master. This is a good place to go with a group of people, because it is fun to compare the various stir fry concoctions that people come up with. They also have a good beer selection.
Las Palmas
Type: Restaurant
Location: 817 University Place
Las Palmas is near the intersection of Benson and Emerson, which is about two blocks north of Church Street. This Mexican restaurant has been around for many years. The prices are good and the portions are large. The best thing on the menu is the fajitas, which are served sizzling on large trays over a flame. The beef fajitas include onion, green pepper, and tomato, with soft corn tortillas and a side of refried beans and Spanish rice. They usually give you free chips and salsa and will refill it as many times as you ask. The chips are served warm, and they are better than the free chips offered at many Mexican restaurants. Of course, they have Margaritas.
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Type: Chain pizza restaurant
Location: 1850 Sherman Ave.
Malnati’s is on Sherman Avenue, two blocks north of Church Street. Note: this restaurant serves Mrs. Astro's all-time favorite pan pizza! Malnati's pan pizza is made Chicago-style, with gourmet chunky tomato sauce layered over the sausage and cheese. Their crust is wholesome, buttery, and flavorful. The dining room is small, but they do a hefty take-out business. Malnati's occupies the site of the former Yesterday’s restaurant, which was a south campus tradition for many years. The number of NU students who either dined or worked at Yesterday’s is mind-boggling. Anyway, Yesterday’s is gone. It is now a Malnati’s and looks nothing like its former self. Those who loved Yesterday's restaurant will probably never forgive the Malnati's chain for opening a restaurant in this space. However, the excellence of their pizza cannot be denied.
Davis Street Fish Market
Type: Restaurant
Location: 501 Davis St.
DSFM is on Davis Street (obviously), two blocks east of Sherman Avenue. This is the most popular seafood restaurant in Evanston. They have a small bar area, which is usually used by those waiting for a seat in the dining room.
Stained Glass Wine Bistro
Type: Restaurant and wine bar
Location: 1735 Benson Ave.
The Stained Glass is on Benson, almost a block north of Church Street. This restaurant is for those who want something elegant and expensive. They offer 32 wines by the glass, and even if the restaurant is filled, you may be able to find a seat at the small bar. The wine selection is excellent, and the food is great (but pricey). Note that the stained-glass reference refers to an empty glass of wine, not a decorative window. This place is into wine in a big way.
That Little Mexican Cafe
Type: Restaurant
Location: 1010 Church St.
TLMC is on Church Street, 2 1/2 blocks west of Sherman Avenue. This is a more upscale Mexican restaurant than Las Palmas, but still not too expensive. They feature a Mexican buffet, which is what I usually order, but you can also order entrees from the regular menu.
Carmen's
Type: Restaurant
Location: 1012 Church St.
On Church, three blocks west of Sherman. Carmen's pizzeria has lasted for over 25 years. It is a bit smaller now, because they made room for a new restaurant next door, which I have not yet tried. During lunch, they offer a pizza buffet, which usually includes both thin and thick varieties.
Bravo! Cucina Italiana
Type: Italian chain restaurant
Location: 1701 Maple Ave.
Bravo! is on Maple Avenue, right next to the Century 12 movie theatre. This restaurant serves traditional Italian dishes in what the restaurant calls a "white tablecloth casual" setting. In other words, it's elegant, yet comfortable. Bravo! is in the space formerly occupied by the much-missed Wolfgang Puck's Grand Cafe. Bravo! has redone the main dining room to suggest a Roman ruin, with white Corinthian columns supporting crumbling roof beams. The Penne Mediterranean pasta is nowhere near as large or substantial as its photo on Bravo's Web site suggests, but tastes good nonetheless. The desserts here are excellent; several bites of the creamy Tiramisu deliver a powerful jolt of espresso.This is a good place to have dinner before seeing a movie at Century 12.
Va Pensiero
Type: Fine restaurant
Location: 1566 Oak Ave.
Currently closed, but about to open under new management. Until I have tried it in its new incarnation, I will have to withhold my opinion. Mrs. Astro and I had our wedding reception here, so the original Va Pensiero has a special place in our hearts.
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