Cevicheria in Lincoln Square(?)

There's a little restaurant space on Talman just south of Lawrence that just kind of changes identity every few months. I've never seen anyone eating there, which may explain the perpetual rotation, but doesn't explain why proprietors keep trying.

Walking home from the Harvestime grocery store today I noticed a new sign. It said Ares Cafe: Cevicheria. I had family at home waiting for me for dinner, so I didn't have time to stop in. Through the window, I observed a full dining room of empty tables and bad lighting.

Has anyone been there? I will venture in soon--I love ceviche. But I figure it couldn't hurt to ask if anyone has tried the place.

ares cafe -really?

I swear I was in there about a month ago (called ares cafe) and it was a place mainly for old greek guys to hang out and roll cigarettes and drink mediocre greek coffee. One guy even brought out a guitar and started singing what seemed to be old greek favorites. Nice in its own way, but not culinary ways. I'll try out the cevicheria - thanks for the heads up

There seems to have been a management change along with some redecorating. The windows have been painted over partially. One window has a couple of decorative plates with a llama picture. The city food inspection site still shows ownership by Ares Cafe Corp., but this may be a stock sale in a way to preserve the liquor license (such as was done in the conversion of Toucan to Brioso).

We walked past Sunday afternoon and saw a waitress who appeared to be Hispanic. No menus, hours or other hints are posted although they still seem to be selling liquor. They were closed when I walked past this afternoon, but they are in a stretch where the water was being cut off part of today because of water main work on Leland.

My favorite goofy zig at the old Ares Cafe was a period when they were offering Chinese food on Fridays some time ago. They advertised it with a flier taped to the window of storefront on the southwest corner of Rockwell and Lawrence which held Cafe Gogo among other restaurant failures. None of the variations in either spot tempted me to try them.

Tapler at start of thread:

There's a little restaurant space on Talman just south of Lawrence that just kind of changes identity every few months.

It has done it again. Apparently specializing in ceviche was a little too narrow. So now they are trying an extraordinarily varied menu of Mexican and American food according to the grand opening flyer we received today. Ceviche seems absent, though. I wonder how many if any of the items they can do well in that small space. The morphing seems to be under the same corporation, so they can keep the liquor license.

Positive sign: "Tortillas Hechas a mano todos los dias" on cover of menu. Not so good sign: "Hamburguesa de pollo con papas (Chicken Burger with Fries)" under appetizers.

Tostadas and gorditas are offered with pollo, chorizo, carne asada, picadillo or al pastor. All but the picadillo are available in tacos, which can also be made with bisteck or lengua. I have no idea why they offer tongue in tacos but not in tostadas or gorditas. Tacos are $1.50-1.75, gorditas $1.75-2.25.

On weekends they have barbacoa de chivo ($6.99), carnitas steak (whatever that may be), pozole and menudo.

Open 9:00 A. M. to 2:00 A. M. On Saturday they have karaoke from 9 P. M. to 2:00 A. M. along with rock in Spanish and English and a DJ.

I am not sure where this falls on the Lawrence Avenue taqueria scale. The restaurant is on the Talman side of a building with frontage on both Lawrence and Talman.

Ares Cafe
4757 N. Talman
Chicago, Il 60625
Delivery Telephone (773) 807-4762