Duke's in Summit / Chicago

If you want the true Lithuanian atmosphere with decent Lithuanian food then go to Duke's!! 63rd & Harlem right on the edge of Chicago & Summit. They also have Lithuanian Gold vodka for decent prices. Cafe Smilga still has my fav food for the price but I still haven't tried everything on Duke's menu so I will definitely go back.

Aciu!

Kirsten

Of course you know that it looks suspicious, and detracts from the perceptions of a restaurant, to have such an enthusiastic post from a first timer. I'm not saying Duke's is bad - never been there. But we do get shills on here from time to time ...

kirbear1 wrote:If you want the true Lithuanian atmosphere with decent Lithuanian food then go to Duke's!! 63rd & Harlem right on the edge of Chicago & Summit. They also have Lithuanian Gold vodka for decent prices. Cafe Smilga still has my fav food for the price but I still haven't tried everything on Duke's menu so I will definitely go back.

Aciu!

Kirsten

Hello Kirsten,

The Wife and I ate at Dukes last month; I was knocked out by the massive menu (20 pages -- you've got a ways to go if you want to try everything ).

We had steak in creamy sauce.



And boar wrapped in bacon...in creamy sauce.



And a bunch of other stuff -- some of which is discussed and pictured here: http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t= ... ight=dukes

What did you have when you went?

Hammond

kirbear1 wrote: Cafe Smilga still has my fav food for the price

Kirsten,
I, for one, would be interested in hearing a little more about Cafe Smigla, and why it has your "fav food". What is the place like? Is it worth a trip to Darien from the far northside?

Cafe Smilga
2819 83rd St. at Lemont Rd., Darien
630-427-0929

Yes the menu is quite extensive. I went almost 2 months ago after participating in the American Cancer Society walk. We went with some of our family members who of course order American sandwiches so my goal is to get them back there and try something Lithuaniann.

Duke's did remind me of the chain of Berneliu Uzeiga restaurants throughout Lithuania. Who knows maybe someone will open a restaurant in a catacomb next!

kirbear1 wrote:Duke's did remind me of the chain of Berneliu Uzeiga restaurants throughout Lithuania. Who knows maybe someone will open a restaurant in a catacomb next!

Kir,

Not a restaurant, but Binny's has a tasting room in the Catacombs below their Clark Street location.

Enjoy,
Gary

Binny's
3000 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60657
773-935-9400

G Wiv wrote:Not a restaurant, but Binny's has a tasting room in the Catacombs below their Clark Street location.

But, of course, it was a restaurant at one time. As a kid I remember going to the catacombs at the Ivanhoe Restaurant. Binny's seems to have cleaned it up quite a bit, and it's lost a lot of the "cave" atmosphere.

nr706 wrote:

G Wiv wrote:Not a restaurant, but Binny's has a tasting room in the Catacombs below their Clark Street location.

But, of course, it was a restaurant at one time. As a kid I remember going to the catacombs at the Ivanhoe Restaurant. Binny's seems to have cleaned it up quite a bit, and it's lost a lot of the "cave" atmosphere.

Yeah, I remember my parents talking about going to the Ivanhoe, but I never got to go.

David Hammond wrote:Yeah, I remember my parents talking about going to the Ivanhoe, but I never got to go.

I went there when it was a restaurant, worked a gig there when it was a music venue and performed unpostable deeds in the catacombs. Good times!

The Ivanhoe was a "special destination" restaurant for us -- I believe I celebrated my 9th birthday there. We loved to tour the catacombs as kids, although I don't remember if the food was outstanding or not.

Suzy

I believe the Come Back Inn in Melrose Park also had catacombs

Marshall K wrote:I believe the Come Back Inn in Melrose Park also had catacombs

Well, eating in near total darkness was much like eating in a catacomb, but I don't believe there were actually any real or simulated underground burial vaults at the Come Back Inn, though there was a stuffed bear in a plastic sarcophagus.

Hammond

Ah, what a great board. I am new here and just felt I had to comment on Dukes.

My girlfriend is Lithuanian and I am half on my dads side so we were happy to see this restaurant open up so close to us since we don't drive. There are many old favorites that we enjoy here, and some that I am new to, but our problem with Dukes is how incredibly slow the service is.

We have been there 6 times now, always early, no crowd, and it just gets worse. I waited 15 mins for my beet soup, then get my herring appetizer 35 mins later with my meal. The first time I went it was an hour for a sausage plate. I seriously crave the food here but one more time and thats it, why oh why so slow Dukes?