Good eating in Oak Park?

Hey guys,

So, I got a new job at Austin/Chicago, which is literally on the edge of Oak Park as I am sure many of you are aware. So far the best eats anyone has brought to the office is Five Guys. I have to believe there are some better places in the area. I love Jimmy's, and that can work for a quick lunch run, but I'm looking for some new places. I have spent little time in the Oak Park area.

Any suggestions? I'm looking for quick lunch places but if you guys have other suggestions, have at it!

Thanks!

Jeff

Hi,

There are quite a few threads on Oak Park you may want to weed through.

Regards,

Ok, so Austin and Chicago, and you're wiling to go as far as Jimmy's?

Here's a few ideas:
Depot Diner

The Jerk Grill on North ave and Oak Park Avenue (not sure about lunch hours tho)

Tasty Dog on Lake Street (warning, it's a "salad dog" joint - lettuce, cucumbers, the kitchen sink)

Sen Sushi on Oak Park Avenue for their lunch specials (I'm currently contemplating getting some right now)

Alpine Food Shop on North Avenue a tiny bit East of Lathrop on the N side of the street. Sub sammiches. I love them. They are not stuffed meat bombs, so adjust your expectations.

Johnnie's Beef

If Grape Leaves on Oak Park Ave does not do lunch, then Jerusalem Cafe on Lake St. for Mid Eastern.

There's also a Khyber Pass somewhere in the OP mall that does a lunch buffet.

Don't rule out joints in the city, either. Washington and Augusta are nice and quick. North Avenue straight in can probably get you to a few places pretty quickly at the right time of day. Cemitas Puebla would not be out of reach if you left for an early lunch on a Tue or Wed.

Thanks seebee!

I went to Alpine today. I thought it was pretty good, but I would probably go to Johnnie's if I'm down there again. Everything on the sub is really fresh but I'm not huge on the really soft bread. I'm a Bari guy through and through, so you can see my slight aversion to Alpine's offering. It's just a matter of preference I suppose.

Anyhow, thanks for all of the recommendations...I appreciate it!

seebee wrote:Ok, so Austin and Chicago, and you're wiling to go as far as Jimmy's?

You say that like it's far.

jeffrola wrote:Thanks seebee!

I went to Alpine today. I thought it was pretty good, but I would probably go to Johnnie's if I'm down there again. Everything on the sub is really fresh but I'm not huge on the really soft bread. I'm a Bari guy through and through, so you can see my slight aversion to Alpine's offering. It's just a matter of preference I suppose.

Anyhow, thanks for all of the recommendations...I appreciate it!

I love them both.

I think Alpine uses Gonnella bread (if not, It's def Turano.)

As far as Jimmy's being "far," if you were talking about Jimmy's Place in FP, the only time I'm driving thru there is rush hour, so I tend to equate Madison st with a traffic headache.

Also, if you like fries, on your way back from Johnnie's, stop at Michael's Beef House for fries (Oak Park and North aves.)
I haven't been in a few years, but their fries have been top notch for sheesh - a WHILE. (I was just doing some math of when my dad used to bring home michael's fries, and the house wuold be totally silent for 30 minutes - even mom (who hated fast food) would pig out on MIchaels fries. They are not the bestest ever, but they are the skin on, fried right fries.

Michael's has the appearance of a place that was sold by the original owners to somebody who doesn't really care. The place is pretty dirty and run-down. Burgers are among the worst I've ever had. Decent lemon ice though.

Pizza puffs at Michael's aren't bad either, but those are hard to screw up.

I live across the street from Michael's, so it's the end point of the Gyros 5K... run from my house up Oak Park Ave. to Lake Street, turn around, run back, pick up a gyros and go home. I wish there was a better restaurant at the end of my 5Ks.

grace

teatpuller wrote:Michael's has the appearance of a place that was sold by the original owners to somebody who doesn't really care. The place is pretty dirty and run-down. Burgers are among the worst I've ever had. Decent lemon ice though.

With fries being mentioned upthread, that got me thinking about the fries -- and the shish kabob and steak sandwiches -- at Mr. D's Shish Kabob. It's not too far from Oak Park.

6656 W Diversey Ave
(between Natoma Ave & Normandy Ave)
Chicago, IL 60707
(773) 637-0042

I hit Alpine yesterday for their namesake sub and enjoyed it; mine was drowning in oil, but the thin, fresh cold cuts, surprisingly good winter tomato, and squishy bread somehow worked, even if not my favorite style. There was a line out the door both here and at Johnnie's, and I also peeked into the developing Burger Boss.

Stopped in first at Capri for hot sausage - hadn't been in there in a few years, place still smells like the inside of a Provolone rind, and the sausage was still practically crunchy with aromatic fennel a la Italian Superior Bakery's hearth roll, and made for very good sauce.

Capri Italian Food
7323 North Ave
River Forest, IL 60305
(708) 366-3500

Any updates on decent places for lunch in OP? I have to suggest a place for a lunch with a business associate and most of the OP threads are pretty outdated. I will definitely throw Katy's out there but in case he's not a fan of Chinese, what might be another good option or 2? TIA!

boudreaulicious wrote:Any updates on decent places for lunch in OP? I have to suggest a place for a lunch with a business associate and most of the OP threads are pretty outdated. I will definitely throw Katy's out there but in case he's not a fan of Chinese, what might be another good option or 2? TIA!

I've had lunch at two restaurants in Oak Park in the past year or so and enjoyed both of them.

Eyrie is part of Robert Morris University and most of the staff consists of student trainees. The food (contemporary American) and service are both quite good. It's a good choice if you want a "nicer" atmosphere and menu.

Lake Street Kitchen + Bar is also very good. The atmosphere is, as the name implies, bar-like, and so is the menu.

They're both in the central business district, a few blocks from each other. Sample lunch menus are on their websites. Both accept reservations, including on Opentable, but neither one was all that crowded at lunchtime. Consequently, noise was never a problem (in case that's a concern).

boudreaulicious wrote:Any updates on decent places for lunch in OP? I have to suggest a place for a lunch with a business associate and most of the OP threads are pretty outdated. I will definitely throw Katy's out there but in case he's not a fan of Chinese, what might be another good option or 2? TIA!

Aside from Katy's, about the only place I like to eat lunch in downtown Oak Park is the buffet at Jerusalem Cafe--don't thing that's what you want. Does it have to be in downtown OP?

Our area is good at red-sauce, old school Italian. I've grown especially fond of Jim and Pete's on North Ave in Elmwood Park of late, nothing to far out, but solid cooking for sure. About four months ago, had some very good food at Salerno's on the other end of town, on Roosevelt. Surprisingly, their burger is very good. And speaking of other end of town (ish), and burgers, I love Golden Steer*, and for some clients might be an ideal lunch choice--think Don Draper--their burger, an old fashioned, and the Greek salad would get me in a buyin' mood.

*In Forest Park on Roosevelt

Thanks both of you--unless someone has additional info saying that Lake Street Kitchen is really bad, that's probably the right option for us, along with Katy's.

The recently opened butcher Carnivore usually has a great burger special for $8. You can eat there, I think, which is a nice space and conversation-starting/conducive place. I know it's old news, Oak Park-wise, but Sen has a solid lunch special. Saigon Pho in Forest Park is good Vietnamese. There's a new Mexican place in Forest Park, too (Axcan?), and Taste of Brazil .

Both Eyrie and Lake Street are pretty hit or miss, and neither is anything special.

Considering I don't really know the person I'm meeting for this lunch (networking thing), it's already off to a good start because he picked Katy's (or, more accurately, said "Chinese sounds great!"). Hoping he won't mind my steering him towards the good stuff!!

I was going to give a shout out to Jim & Pete's also. Nothing earth shattering, but I have a couple of cousins who live nearby and are very picky, Jim & Pete's allows both them and me to have a meal together.

Jim & Pete's
7806 West North Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
(708) 453-5204

I always shill for New Rebozo on 1116 Madison St. You're just in time for Chiles en Nogada.

Prairie Bread Kitchen has never let me down when in the mood for a soup/sandwich kind of lunch. Think Panera Bread with high-quality ingredients and a very pleasant, sunny dine-in area.

Prairie Bread Kitchen
103 N. Marion Street
Oak Park, Illinois 60301
708.445.1234

Pie Lady wrote:I always shill for New Rebozo on 1116 Madison St.

Just be aware that New Rebozo is only open for lunch on certain days. Google says it's only open for lunch Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. And the last time I checked (when I ended up going to Lake Kitchen) they weren't open on Thursdays, either.

Freddies in Cicero is amazing its on 16th street not too far from Oak Park.
Katy's noodles.
Johnnies beef on North avenue in Elmwood Park.

Bodhi Thai on Roosevelt in Berwyn.

I second Katy's.

Vitesse98 wrote:The recently opened butcher Carnivore usually has a great burger special for $8. You can eat there, I think, which is a nice space and conversation-starting/conducive place. I know it's old news, Oak Park-wise, but Sen has a solid lunch special. Saigon Pho in Forest Park is good Vietnamese. There's a new Mexican place in Forest Park, too (Axcan?), and Taste of Brazil .

Both Eyrie and Lake Street are pretty hit or miss, and neither is anything special.

I agree with everything here.

Carnivore's $8 specials (for the moment) also include anything from the sausage case, grilled with sauerkraut and mustard on a roll, and a pulled pork sandwich. Good kettle chips are $1.50, bottled sodas and teas available. The patty (made with ground smokey bacon) is a happy thing. There is stool seating for four and a small table that might swing 6-8 (not sure that there are that many chairs currently in the space), so this is not a big place and lunch service is not the focus, but it's a thought-provoking environment. 1042 Pleasant, near Marion.

Sen Sushi (http://www.sensushibar.com/) - nice bento lunches. I'm partial to the the sushi plate and tonkatsu.

Saigon Pho (http://www.pho.com/forest-park-il/saigon-pho-cafe) does some significant things really right. It's hard to ignore the banh xeo with pristine garnishes, the crispy pork spring roll, or the Vietnamese pork chop (which comes with salad, runny fried egg, rice, broth, fish sauce), or the iced coffee. They bring their baguettes in from Argyle daily.

Taste of Brazil (http://www.tasteofbrasilcafe.com/Taste_ ... /Home.html) has all of the recipes right. Execution is not always perfect but the flavors are immensely rewarding (as is the little grocery corridor). Hard to argue with the misto quente and a small soup (the verde especially when they have it), or a salgado and strawberry limeade. The feijoada is $3 off later in the week for lunches but I think is best around Tuesday.

With Katy's, that's my current top five for lunches in PROPRFP. I have not been as thrilled with Lake Street or Eyrie, though they're certainly slightly more service-oriented rooms.

The Greek scene (Spawn of Papaspiros) has still not re-sorted itself - goofy menus and prices and arbitrary closing and opening times and rebrandings. YMMV (lunch may not be an option at either place at the moment; Chara seems to have some weekend lunchtimes).

The Indian places (Khyber and Klay Oven) are in some great real estate with good-looking white tablecloth rooms and have reasonably priced lunch specials, but entrees seem to be consistently held and dry, and flavors muted on the buffet.

Maya del Sol, better than ever, but no lunch service. Marion Street Cheese Market, avoid. Penny's in a pinch if in a hurry for FLW Home and Studio tour times (Thai Ravioli features homemade dumplings and red pork; Vietnamese spring rolls have fresh herbs).

Less formal good eats I'm happy to take folks to include Yum Thai, Big Guys, and Freddy's in Cicero, but for those wanting Wright's / Hemingway's Oak Park downtown, these aren't the answer.

Santander wrote:Maya del Sol, better than ever, but no lunch service.

Correct. They are open for brunch on Sundays, though. I've been there for brunch and enjoyed it.

Eyrie - Avoid, I had one of the worse meal I have ever had in Oak Park, I haven't been back. The first time I went it was average.

Lake Street Kitchen + Bar is about as average as average gets.

Katy's is outstanding.

Marion St Cheese Market - recently the former Chef from Cafe la Coo has taken over, alway enjoy

Maya Del Sol is great.

Pho Saigon is a good choice for lunch - Forest Park

House Red in Forest Park has been a nice surprise - wine bar / cafe with interesting selections.

Hemingway Bistro - I would rather eat left overs from Eyrie -AVOID

Munch - nice change of pace for Vegan / Vegetarian fair

Mama Tia - tastier and better atmosphere than Penny's

Sen - Our place for sushi in the Park - won a Bib Gourmand

New Rebozo - overpriced go to Maya del Sol

Cucina Paradiso - best Italian in Oak Park not as good a Gaetano's in Forest Park

Kyber Pass - better of the two India Restaurants

Wineberries - nice atmosphere can usually find something I like (hit or miss) better than Lake Street Kitchen + Bar

Chara - better of the two Greek restaurants by a long shot

Poor Phils - Best beer selection in Oak Park and best sandwich "The Catty Po Boy"

Jim & Petes - Good Italian. Pick up a bottle of their Italian Salad Dressing - it is to die for.

Nice rundown dradeli--Thx!!

If Katy's was already given the green light, I'd "set it and forget it."

Glad to see the thread getting updated though--always a good thing.