Is there no good, quick lunch in Lincoln Park?

I work at DePaul University in Lincoln Park and now that it's getting warmer, I tend to enjoy taking my lunch break out of the office. Unfortunately, I have yet to find a relatively quick (30 minute lunch break) place that serves decent food at a decent price that's not disgustingly greasy. Any suggestions?

When I lived in that area, I frequently ordered from Metropolis Rotisseria at 924 W. Armitage. I would recommend it for their roast chicken sandwiches and some of the sides, such as their mashed potatoes.

Another suggestion is the Athenian Room (on Webster). While it's not particularly healthy, I always found them to have good, reasonably priced food. They have some good Greek chicken dishes on the menu.

Finally, if you like sushi, I always found the small place across from Athenian Room (on Webster) to be pretty good, although I'm not sure if they're open for lunch.

I've enjoyed the sandwiches at Calliope Cafe in the past. Certainly not a destination, but if I were hungry for lunch and in the neighborhood, it would be on my list.

Best,
Michael

Calliope Cafe
2826 N Lincoln Ave
(773) 528-8055

Icosium Kafe/Crepe and Coffee Palace.

Good unique places are becoming an oddity around these parts. With that said there are still a few gem's that may or may not be what your looking for, 30 minutes is cutting it close but you have options like Athenian Room (maybe call ahead) which is one of the best bargain dining spots in the city, they do everything on the menu above average. If you feel like sandwich's the bourgeois pig and planet sub sit next to each other and I find both to be good for what they are, a spot to get a quick lunch. Options within a close walk from Depaul are a little less but there is Branko's, a mom and pop Chicago style sandwich shop that has survived through the years, they have really good grilled chicken sandwich. Other options include the world famous Taco Burrito Palace #2 or TBP as its called in the streets and there is also Allende next to McDonalds on Lincoln, which has good steak tacos and when they are on, the tacos al pastor are hard to beat. Also if you have a car, Aloha grill over on Clark and Deming is a favorite of mine. If you dont mind paying the preium you could always scott over to Trotter's to go and grab something quick. If I remember anything else I may of forgot ill be sure to post it.


Athenian Room
807 W Webster Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 348-5155


Planet Sub
734 W. Fullerton Ave.
773-404-7782

Bourgeois Pig
738 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 883-5282

Brankos
1118 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 472-4873

Taco Burrito Palace #2 (they moved a few doors down)
2441 N Halsted
Chicago
773-248-0740

Trotter's To Go
1337 West Fullerton Avenue
Chicago IL 60614

A great lunch option in Lincoln Park, though less upscale than some of the suggestions, is the Chicago Bagel Authority on Armitage just east of Sheffield. Even though you order at a counter and sit either at tables or a bar, there's a good, relaxed atmosphere.

While you do have to contend with the Big 10 alumni/trixie-chad faction, they have fresh sandwiches, that are made quickly and are delicious. They have a large veggie selection, in addition to some traditional and not-so traditional sandwich combinations.

Enjoy!
Katy

Chicago Bagel Authority
953 W. Armitage Avenue
773-248-9606

www.chicagobagelauthority.com

KatyK wrote:A great lunch option in Lincoln Park, though less upscale than some of the suggestions, is the Chicago Bagel Authority on Armitage just east of Sheffield....While you do have to contend with the Big 10 alumni/trixie-chad faction, they have fresh sandwiches, that are made quickly and are delicious.

Hey, what's wrong with the Big 10 alumni/trixie-chad faction? (only kidding.) I forgot about the Chicago Bagel Authority, but that is a great suggestion. They have really good steamed bagel sandwiches.

Also, TB#2, mentioned above, while considered a late night, post binge-drinking dive, has decent (and reasonably healthy/non-greasy) chicken burritos and tortas, etc.

Toast on the 700 block of Webster is a good option. Open until 3 or 4pm. Ofame next door isn't bad either. Nookies on Halsted (near Dickens).

Athenian Room has great chicken, big burgers and a friendly staff. Of course, my taste might be different than yours - when I worked in the area we hit the Dog House on Armitage a lot to kill time between those pesky 12:00 meetings and "happy hour" at O'Rourkes

I assume that you're thinking of places within walking distance of the DePaul campus since lunch, like life, is short.

I'd second the recommendation of the Bourgeois Pig, but add the caveat that it can get busy and crowded there in the warmer months.

Around the corner on Lincoln is Nan's Chinese (2360 N. Lincoln) , and my favorite Syrian place has been replaced by Simply It (2269 N. Lincoln), the confusingly named Vietnamese place. I've never tried either one, though.

If you're a fast walker, you could go up to Diversey and try out Penny's or Satay.

My physical therapists at DePaul all ate at Pockets (they also deliver), for what that's worth -- I've never actually eaten there, but a group of very athletic people seemed to feel that it was the healthiest option in the neighborhood.

Calliope Cafe has closed.

MariaTheresa wrote:Calliope Cafe has closed.

Too bad. It was a nice little place. Thanks for the update.

Best,
Michael

PS - Pasta Palazzo on Halsted @ Armitage was speedy from what I remember. But now that I mention it, I don't even know if it's still there!

Have you tried TomatoHead on Sheffield @ Webster?

Try Local Option (bar on Webster). They have surprisingly good food. Steak tacos are made from a nicely marinaded flank steak. Fish tacos there are also good.

I second the reco for Icosium. If what you're looking for is a quick lunch, call and ask if you can pick up a crepe. They are made fresh with your choice of toppings, and I left feeling very healthy and couldn't finish the crepe. Great coffee as well.

Trotter's To Go is awesome, if pricey. My wife swears by the seared ahi w/ fennel sandwich from Toast.

I still like Potbelly.

I really don't understand the praise for Chicago Bagel Authority...it's a knock off of a restaurant from Miami University that specializes in steamed grocery store bagels with sub-par cuts of meat and crappy veggies. The only time it ever saw business while I was at Miami was at 3 in the morning when everyone was drunk and didn't care what they were eating. With that said, I think the Bourgiouse Pig is one of the better places in Lincoln Park. Good, inexpensive, healthy food in a very laid back atmosphere made it my go to place while I was living at Clark and Fullerton.

The crepe place sucks, don't go near it. Cafe Luigi's does decent New York style pizzas and calzones, but to be perfectly honest, they're not much better than something you'd get at Sbarro's. Dee's on Armitage probably has the best Chinese in Lincoln Park, but that's not really saying too much. Hema's on Clark is really good, but I'm not sure if they offer lunch.

Thomasec, I'm interested, why do you think Icosium (the crepe place) sucks?

Aloha Grill fits the bill of what you're looking for perfectly and while I'm not a big fan of the breakfast offerings at France's, their lunch fare 9sandwiches and burgers, is above par for the neighborhood.

O'Fame has decent thin crust pizza if you're in the mood for that (altho it probably would be wise to order by phone in advance, so that it's ready when you get there). Also salads and some other stuff you can make a lunch out of.

O'Fame
750 W. Webster Ave.
773-929-5111

I attend and work at DePaul too, what ends up happening is you (and I mean me) just end up going to the same place day after day. I liked Allende but I always smelled of Mexican food, the smell sticks to books, bags, jackets, and hair. The smell is not ideal for when you are trying to woo a mate or when you walk into a class room and everyone turns to look at you because they can smell Allende.

I mostly go to Dominick's on Fullerton and Sheffield and get one of their "artesian sandwiches" or Panini's, they are quick and tasty.

Hope it helps,
Carlos

I also recommend Aloha Grill and can tell you from experience that they deliver to DePaul.

A Lincoln Park staple from the past, La Canasta, has rejoined the area and I am happy to say that not much has changed. I had a chance to try it out over the weekend and I am glad to report that the salsa, which I consider to be some of the best ive ever tasted, hasnt changed one bit and they have developed plans of bottling it however they have had problems with the preservatives or something like that. La Canasta should be welcomed back into the area (its in the same spot, the family owns the building) with open arsm, its above average mexican food at a reasonable price for sitdown and the housemade margarita's really hit the spot on a hot day. I could see la canasta as a great option for a qucik satisfying lunch in the area.

La Canasta
1119 W. Webster Ave. , Chicago
Tel: (773) 348-1200

While a bit of a walk from DePaul and in Lakeview, not LP, I would check out Panes at Sheffield/Wellington. They have really reasonably priced sandwiches, pastas, salads and soups that all seem fresh and homemade. I've had both their sandwiches and salads - thumbs up. Alot of their food has a mexican bent and is really tasty and flavorful. It's my go to for a quick dinner or weekend lunch.

Panes Bread Cafe
3002 N. Sheffield Ave
(773) 665-0972

The Spicy Pickle just opened in the past month or so on Lincoln north of Belden. It's a small chain out of Colorado specializing in paninis and pizzettes, and this is the first Chicago location. The hot chipotle mayo on many of the sandwiches ensures that not just the pickle on the side lives up to the "spicy" name.

The Spicy Pickle
2312 N. Lincoln Ave.
ph: 773.935.1398
fax: 773.935.1436
Mon-Sat: 10:30am-9:00pm
Sun: 11:00am-7:00pm
www.spicypickle.com

Despite the shill-esque vibe I got from the above post, I just tried Spicy Pickle.

All in all, it was better than the normal chain shops in the area and probably on par with some the sandwiches at their neighbor, Bourgeois Pig. The bread they use on their subs is good as was the "horseradish coleslaw", however the bread they use on their paninis was lousy (tasted like greasy foccacia).

It makes a nice addition to the neighborhood. I'm sure I'll be back at some point but don't think I'll rush.

For a Lincoln Park sandwich, New York Deli's "apprentice" still gets my vote by a long shot. (At least when the bread is fresh it does.)


New York Deli
2921 N Clark St
(773) 549-3378

I would second the recommendation for the Crepe and Coffee Palace. I've eaten there a dozen times and it's always been tasty and very fresh.

Another recommendation would be for sushi at Green Tea, near Clark and Webster. It is a small storefront with only a few tables, but I've always found the sushi to be excellent - it would probably be my second choice after Katsu.

Green Tea
2206 N. Clark Street

Jimmy Bacon Cheeseburger wrote:pizzettes

What the hell is that?

stevez wrote:

Jimmy Bacon Cheeseburger wrote:pizzettes

What the hell is that?

I believe they are small, female pizzas.

Ideal Machine wrote:

stevez wrote:

Jimmy Bacon Cheeseburger wrote:pizzettes

What the hell is that?

I believe they are small, female pizzas.

Yes, indeed. You should see the finale they do with the kickline and everything. top hats, gold sequins.

Couldn't resist.

Thomasec, I'm interested, why do you think Icosium (the crepe place) sucks?

I just wasn't into their crepes. They were very dry and flavorless. I'm sure their desert crepes are great, but the "meal" crepes leave something to be desired. No real substance, and boring flavors that got old fast. Maybe I just don't like crepes that much....I would check it out if you're "really into" crepes, although I've never met anyone like that.

I was at Icosium this week for dessert. I had a banana and nutella crepe and it was scrumptious. Their entree crepe contents don't appeal to me -- too many veggies. I had schwarma at Taste of Lebanon first.