87th & Cottage Grove

I'm going to pay homage to Garrett's to put a carmelcorn hankering to bed. Two questions though since I'm not familiar with that area at all. I'm jumping off the Ryan, don't take this wrong please, but am I going to get in trouble in the neck of the woods? I mean, there's a Garrett's right so it can't be too bad. Second, any "must hit" carry-outs along 87th, type of food doesn't matter, but hopefully something besides pizza or burgers unless they would be amazing.

I'd consider Barbara Ann's Bbq for tips and links or spares and links (or both.) Also, there's a "best thing you've eaten lately" thread on this forum. Not very long ago at all, I posted that the best thing I've eaten lately was from that that Garrett's. A mix of their new spicy cheese corn and their caramel corn. Heavenly.

If you limit yourself to the partly residential one-mile stretch of 87th Street between the Dan Ryan and Garrett's, your choices are not many. If you're willing to go another mile or two, you'll expand your options dramatically.

If you don't want to leave 87th your best bet is probably St Rest #2, immediately west of Garrett's (I think they may share a parking lot) for some very respectable soul food.

If you have any interest in barbecue and feel like venturing off 87th, some of the best places in Chicago are within easy reach. Closest would be the new Dat's/Uncle John's at 83rd & Cottage Grove (half a mile north of Garrett's). You can get some decent donuts at Dat Donut in the same building. A better option might be Barbara Ann's (as seebee mentioned above), another three-quarters of a mile north at 77th & Cottage. If you've gone that far you might as well go to Uncle John's on 69th just a few blocks east of the highway. You'll also be very close to Lem's Bar-B-Q, another top place, on 75th a little east of the highway. Why not try all four and see what you think? Plenty of information here on all of these.

Some other places to consider are El-Lars Elegant Cookies (85th & Cottage), Daddy-O's Jerk Pit (75th & Cottage), Yassa Senegalese (79th west of Cottage). I can recommend all these (and good info on most can be found here). No excuse for not eating very well.

Rene G wrote:Yassa Senegalese (79th west of Cottage). I can recommend all these....

big thanks for mentioning this place, I had a large dinner group there nearly 3 years ago, I went back & looked at my notes, "I enjoyed my Saka Saka dish especially with the fresh ginger juice drink. The lamb chops were quite good, the standout though IMO was the grilled marinated fish AWESOME !!" I've been meaning to get back.

At 87th and Stony Island is BJ's Market and Bakery, one of the better soul food restaurants in Chicago. Their specialty is the mustard catfish.


BJ's Market & Bakery
8734 S Stony Island Ave
(between 88th St & 87th St)
Chicago, IL 60617

(773) 374-4700
http://bjsmarket.com