Cheap Eats

April 13, 2007

FOR THIS RESTAURANT guide we combed our listings for popular places to get cheap eats—places where the average price of an entree is less than $10. Keep this pullout (available in handy PDF format to print and save) on hand for those days when the rent’s overdue or you just want to eat well without blowing your budget. Many, many more eats, cheap and otherwise, can be found online in the Reader Restaurant Finder, a database of more than 3,500 Chicago-area restaurants. Restaurants are rated by more than 2,500 Reader Restaurant Raters, who feed us information and comments on their dining experience. Web ratings are updated daily; print listings reflect the most current information available at press time. Reviews are written by Reader staff and contributors and (where noted) Raters. For complete listings and information on how to become a Reader Restaurant Rater see chicagoreader.com/restaurantfinder.

American | Asian | Breakfast/Brunch | Deli | Italian | Mexican/Latin American | Vegetarian Friendly

American

Calliope Cafe
2826 N. Lincoln 773-528-8055
F 7.7 | S 8.0 | A 8.0 | $ (6 reports)
Lunch: seven days; Dinner: Monday-Saturday

A chalkboard behind the counter of this inviting cafe displays the frequently changing lineup of soups, salads, and sandwiches: a grilled salmon club with hickory-smoked bacon, a chicken sandwich with dandelion greens and a citrus-thyme aioli. All come with homemade waffle chips. Homemade soups might include pinto bean with ham or dill-scented cauliflower with carrots. Generously portioned salads range from Chinese chicken with soy-ginger vinaigrette to spinach with mandarin orange, walnuts, and mushrooms. Sandwiches and salads are made to order using fresh ingredients, and the desserts—carrot cake, gooey fudge brownies, and chocolate chip cookies—are also worth a try. Laura Levy Shatkin

Hot Doug’s
3324 N. California
773-279-9550
F 8.9 | S 8.5 | A 8.2 | $ (13 reports)
Lunch: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Reservations not accepted | Cash only

Two years ago Doug Sohn, the Crown Prince of Tube Steak, reopened his wildly successful emporium along a barren stretch of California Avenue, and most afternoons people still line up out the door for his Polishes, brats, Thuringers, andouille, and Chicago-style dogs, dressed and cooked to customer preference—whether char-grilled, deep-fried, steamed, or fried then grilled. There are daily gourmet specials with silly names and a “game of the week” sausage—gator, boar, rattlesnake, rabbit, kangaroo—but the duck sausage with foie gras is no longer (Sohn was the first Chicago restaurateur to be fined for violating the city’s ban). Fridays and Saturdays fresh-cut fries are cooked in duck fat, and the only request Sohn will refuse is to smother them in cheese sauce. Sohn has duplicated the goofy decor of his old place, the victim of a fire; the newer spot is chockablock with Elvibilia and hot-dog-related kitsch, with outdoor seating in warm weather and plenty of street parking. Mike Sula

Margie’s Candies
1960 N. Western
773-384-1035
F 8.3 | S 6.8 | A 6.9 | $ (9 reports)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Every night till midnight

The legendary ice cream parlor at the intersection of Western, Milwaukee, and Armitage dishes up sundaes with enough embellishments to satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth: bananas, cherries, nuts, fluffs of whipped cream, hot fudge in a pitcher on the side. A Chicago institution since 1921, the cozy room stuffed with dolls and other knickknacks has transported more than one Rater right back to grandma’s house. And, as one aptly puts it, “Who else but your grandmother would give you such a huge bowl of ice cream?” Margie’s also serves a limited menu of diner standards—burgers, fries, grilled cheese. Martha Bayne

Smoque
3800 N. Pulaski
773-545-7427
F 8.6 | S 8 | A 6.2 | $ (10 reports)
Lunch, dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday | Closed Monday | BYO

The five savvy fellas behind Smoque chose a name—clever or annoying, you decide—that got people yapping months before they opened. And they talk a good game too: their lofty “BBQ Manifesto” (available at smoquebbq.com) displays a respect for tradition and authenticity, and it ought to be required reading for anyone who thinks barbecue is easy to make or that “fall-off-the-bone” Chicago-style ribs are acceptable. In spite of it, I was suspicious, but with a few caveats I’m happy to say the place is a welcome addition to the woefully barbecue-bereft north side. The house-made sides are good: the mac ’n’ cheese has a nice tang; the slaw is thickly cut, crunchy, and lightly dressed; the beans are mingled with chunks of onion that a real human had to have cut; and the two different barbecue sauces play their proper role as accessory, not focus. I won’t order the ribs again—they have nothing on Honey 1’s. But for a juicy, smoky chicken or decent pulled pork, you could do a lot worse. And what I’ll definitely be back for is the brisket. It isn’t the transcendent smoked-beef experience that’s so easy to come by in Texas hill country, but as far as I can tell no commercial establishment in the region comes closer. Smoque goes a long way toward endearing itself to customers with a staff that’s attentive, knowledgeable, and eager to please. Order that brisket fatty and see what happens. Mike Sula

Soupbox
2943 N. Broadway
773-935-9800
F 7.9 | S 7.7 | A 5.0 | $ (6 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | Cash only

Lakeview’s summer Italian-ice source the Icebox morphs into Soupbox in the fall, offering 12 different soups every day. Raters rave in particular about the lobster bisque—“one of the best I’ve had,” says one; another says it’s “delicious every time, and filling enough to serve as a meal.” Patrons also like the comforting chicken-and-wild-rice soup, the low prices, and the sample-before-you-buy policy. Anaheed Alani

A Taste of Heaven
5401 N. Clark
773-989-0151
F 8.3 | S 7.0 | A 6.8 | $ (18 reports)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

This Andersonville cafe and bakery sells an array of rich treats: raspberry crumble bars, orange poppy seed cake, giant sugar cookies, and heavenly mini apple pies, not to mention scones tagged the best in town. Breakfast items include French toast, quiche, and a breakfast burrito; lunch and dinner entrees are homey—spinach lasagna, chicken potpie, soups, salads, and sandwiches with meat piled high on homemade bread. The room is cozy, with natural light streaming in through the windows. And famously, “children of all ages” are asked to use their “indoor voices” while in it. Laura Levy Shatkin

Asian

Cho Sun Ok Restaurant
4200 N. Lincoln
773-549-5555
F 7.6 | S 6.3 | A 6.9 | $ (7 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days

Woo Bok Lee opened his restaurant in 1979, and it stands today as the oldest operating Korean restaurant in the city. People still line up at the door for a table in the tightly-packed room, where the specialties are five varieties of naengmyeon (buckwheat noodles) and “stone pan cooking.” The latter (for two or more people) involves gas burners on the table fueling a heavy stone griddle upon which a variety of seasoned meats are seared—octopus, beef, tripe, or a combination. Marinated vegetables and steamed rice (or noodles) are then cooked in the rendered juices, the rice crisps on the pan, and the resulting fabric-penetrating aromas can be whiffed down the block. Originally a North Korean specialty, naengmyeon are served cold and slippery, a bracing refreshment in hot weather, usually in light beef broth garnished with slivered cucumber or radish, hard-boiled egg, mustard, and red pepper paste. I prefer the two “dry” variations served here with hot sauce, one topped with raw, chewy skate. Mike Sula

Cozy Noodles & Rice
3456 N. Sheffield
773-327-0100
F 7.8 | S 7.5 | A 9.5 | $ (12 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | BYO

This Cozy Noodles has the same menu as the original Evanston location—it’s the decor that makes it special. The walls are covered with Pez dispensers, hundreds of windup toys line the dining room, and a Plexiglas-covered tabletop at the entrance displays dozens of plastic trinkets from fast-food chains. Entrees like red curry, stir-fried chicken or beef with basil leaves, and pad khee mao (spicy wide rice noodles with chicken, shrimp, basil, and vegetables) are as good as the food at most any neighborhood Thai place. The reasonable prices make it even more attractive; there’s only one dish on the menu of 30 entrees that’s over $6.50 (spicy shrimp, $8.50). Laura Levy Shatkin

Opart Thai House
4658 N. Western
773-989-8517
F 8.1 | S 7.4 | A 7.0 | $ (14 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | BYO

With more than 100 items on the menu, Lincoln Square’s Opart Thai House offers the gamut of flavors, from sweet to kick-ass spicy, and a huge variety of ingredients. Appetizers include three versions of charbroiled beef with spicy Thai sauces (the Tiger Cry is a must), along with crispy sweet-and-sour mee krob, spring rolls, and satay. Salads (larb, nam sod, and green papaya, among others) are meals in themselves. The many curry, noodle, and rice dishes are sauteed or stir-fried with seafood, poultry, beef, or one of endless combinations of fresh vegetables and sauces. Some tasty favorites include pad king (sauteed ginger, onions, mushrooms, and pea pods), pad kra praow (sauteed basil, hot peppers, and garlic over rice), and seafood with green and white onions. Desserts aren’t much and there’s no bar, but there is a liquor store right next door. Paul Schoenwetter, Rater

Pho 777
1065 W. Argyle
773-561-9909
F 7.2 | S 7.2 | A 5.2 | $ (5 reports)
Asian, Vietnamese | Breakfast, lunch, dinner: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday | Closed Tuesday | BYO

“Eye of round steak, well done flanks, fat brisket, soft tendon, bible tripe, and meat balls” reads the description of Pho’s signature item, the Special 777. But it’s not as double double toil and trouble as that might sound: doctored with mint leaves, cucumber, and the four chile sauces on offer, this substantial beef-noodle soup had even my squeamish friend tucking in, though if you’re tripe resistant there are 18 other variations to choose from, along with an array of pork and seafood soups and hot pots. The banh xeo, Vietnamese pancake, was filled with slices of pork and notably fresh shrimp and also benefited from the chile sauce (what doesn’t?). The only dish to disappoint was the traditional catfish cooked in a clay pot, which tasted far more powerfully of soy sauce than of lemongrass. Group meals are popular at this utilitarian dining room, which grew festive when a party of eight moved in. Foremost Liquors, just down the street, has a surprisingly good selection of wines. I splurged on a Grand Cru—at $36, it was $16 more than our meal. Kate Schmidt

Spoon
4608 N. Western
773-769-1173
F 7.9 | S 7.6 | A 6.1 | $ (17 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | BYO

It’s not like there’s been a revolution against boring Thai food in Chicago, but there’s certainly a healthy resistance, and it was born in Chai and Vanna Gumtrontip’s little Lincoln Square restaurant. It began in the summer of ’03 with the discovery of the Thai-language “secret menu” by a handful of obsessive chowhounds, who had it translated and began plumbing the depths of its aggressive, brilliantly seasoned dishes. Word spread, and though waitstaff sometimes had a hard time believing that non-Thais had the stomach for the real stuff (some servers still do), eventually they stopped blinking and began relinquishing funky Issan sausage, rich boat noodles, banana blossom salad, one-bite salad, incendiary papaya salad sprinkled with dried shrimp or pickled crab, and the miraculous Thai-style fried chicken (kai thawt), deeply penetrated with lemongrassy, peppery flavors and served with a tamarind dipping sauce. These dishes are now practically mainstream compared to the treasures on Spoon’s greatly expanded Thai-language menu translated at lthforum.com. I’m a long way from reaching the end of this seven-page odyssey, but so far some of my favorite items are naem khao thawt, a tangy, crispy fried rice salad with peanuts, cilantro, and pressed ham; phat phrik sa-taw muu sap, minced pork and bitter beans; and Issan-style minced duck salad. Mike Sula

Sticky Rice Thai
4018 N. Western
773-588-0133
F 8.7 | S 7.5 | A 6.5 | $ (8 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight, Monday-Thursday till 11 | BYO

The first time I went to the northern Thai-focused Sticky Rice it was by chance. The half-dozen return visits in the next month? Those were intentional. A wonder cabinet of Thai food, Sticky Rice, run by a charming and very patient staff, is endlessly interesting and cheap enough to serve as your substitute kitchen. Their standard English-language menu would be novel enough, with things like deep-fried quail and shrimp on sugarcane, but thanks to a translation of the lengthy Thai-language menu, the options are almost inexhaustible. I’ve only excavated a tiny quadrant of both menus, but among the standouts are banana blossom salad, Burmese-style curry, duck curry with lychees, and northern Thai larb (made with ground pork and intestine). The only real problem with Sticky Rice is that it’s so hard to relinquish these known pleasures for unknowns. But be bold: you can’t spend your whole life eating jellyfish salad, after all. Also, for those interested in real grub: with dishes like fried worms and ant-egg omelet, Sticky Rice is your Chicagoland insect-eating destination. Nicholas Day

Thai Pastry
4925 N. Broadway
773-784-5399
F 7.4 | S 6.0 | A 6.3 | $ (12 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days |
Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | BYO

A display case at the front of this cheerful room presents exquisite pastries created by chef-owner Aumphai (“Add”) Kusub: pink-and-green rice vermicelli served with a sweet coconut-milk sauce, jewel-toned mini gelatin molds, and a variety of beautiful cakes. The menu is just as enticing, full of offerings like baby egg rolls with minced shrimp; mee krob, crispy vermicelli in a sweet plum sauce; and kuchai, pillows of freshly rolled rice noodles stuffed with chive greens in a sweet and spicy vinegar sauce. The pad lad na is a wonderful dish of wide, flat noodles in a dark sauce with shrimp and broccoli rabe. A showstopper from the back of the menu is the clam curry—lots of perfectly steamed shelled clams with long, flat strips of sour bamboo (nothing like the little canned pieces) in a red curry coconut-milk broth served in a hot ceramic pot. There’s also an array of whole fish like red snapper. Laura Levy Shatkin

Breakfast/Brunch

Bongo Room
1470 N. Milwaukee
773-489-0690
F 8.4 | S 7.6 | A 7.9 | $ (17 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: Monday-Friday; Saturday & Sunday brunch | Reservations not accepted

“It’s entirely worth the wait,” says one Rater of this frequently jam-packed breakfast and lunch spot. The weekday menu offers what seem to be standards— pancakes, omelets, sandwiches—but the pancakes might be s’more-banana flapjacks (with chocolate anglaise and vanilla bean sauce). The weekend brunch menu adds specials like “Chocolate Tower” French toast and variations on eggs Benedict—for example, a BLT Benedict with smoked bacon, spinach, tomatoes, and a pesto hollandaise. The bustling pace and blaring music will not be everyone’s morning cup of tea; you could always try the other location, at 1152 S. Wabash. Laura Levy Shatkin

Julius Meinl Cafe
3601 N. Southport
773-868-1857
F 7.8 | S 6.9 | A 8.0 | $ (12 reports)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till midnight

A classy place for those of moderate means, this is the first American outpost for Viennese coffee purveyor Julius Meinl. The coffee, served in huge cups, comes from beans roasted in Austria. Strong but not acidic, it’s superb. The menu’s tasty cafe fare: sandwiches (including one with European-style sausage, caramelized onions, apple-horseradish sauce, and Dijon mustard on a French roll), custardy quiches, salads, and a couple of soups. The quality is excellent, and prices are par for the neighborhood. The soups in particular are very good (e.g., cream of asparagus, cream of portobello). There’s also apple strudel, an espresso tart, and other tempting pastries. Service is modeled after that in European cafes, with waiters serving beverages and food on small shiny trays. Claire Dolinar, Rater

Orange
3231 N. Clark
773-549-4400
F 8.5 | S 6.5 | A 6.8 | $ (21 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: seven days; Dinner: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday; Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday-Sunday till 11 | Reservations not accepted | BYO

Orange lives up to its name: rows of oranges behind the counter wait to be squeezed by the order, coffee is flavored with essence of orange, and the restaurant’s sign is on an orange crate in the large front window. The menu is full of whimsical surprises: coconut-milk-soaked French toast kebabs skewered with fruit; the Jelly Doughnut Pancake (a Swedish pancake filled with a different jelly every week); and Green Eggs and Ham (three eggs scrambled with pesto, roasted tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and pancetta). Combine the juice bar and the BYO policy and you’ve also got the makings of a mean mimosa or Bloody Mary. In the evenings the space is transformed into a white-tablecloth restaurant with upscale offerings like a horseradish-crusted aged fillet, pork osso buco, and on the more whimsical side once more, fried chicken and waffles. Laura Levy Shatkin

Over Easy
4943 N. Damen
773-506-2605
F 8.2 | S 7.0 | A 9.0 | $ (8 reports)
Breakfast: Tuesday-Saturday; Lunch: Sunday, Tuesday-Saturday; Sunday brunch | Closed Monday | Reservations not accepted | BYO

At this cozy breakfast-and-lunch spot, now reopened after a fire, chef Jon Cignarale works hard to keep things interesting, changing the brunch and specials menu weekly. Offerings have included a corn pancake with red pepper coulis and sour cream, souffles, and fried bologna with “frazzled” eggs and a spicy maple mustard; standbys on the regular breakfast menu include “sassy eggs,” served with chorizo-potato hash, cheddar cheese, red peppers, jalapenos, and guacamole, and Emily’s Dream Pancakes, with blackberries, orange butter, and raspberry coulis. At lunch there are sandwiches, salads, and burgers. The space is bright and playful: near the entrance five wires strung with white wooden eggs run from the floor to the orangish red tin ceiling, and there’s a “wall of eggs” in the back. Anne Ford

Tweet Let’s Eat
5020 N. Sheridan
773-728-5576
F 8.1 | S 7.8 | A 7.7 | $ (24 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, Saturday and Sunday brunch | Closed Tuesday | Reservations not accepted | Cash only

Victory’s Banner
2100 W. Roscoe
773-665-0227
F 7.9 | S 7.6 | A 6.9 | $ (17 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday | Closed Tuesday | Reservations not accepted

Victory’s Banner is one of the best breakfast houses in Chicago, period; the owner told me he learned how to make his omelets from the immortal Lou Mitchell himself. Satisfaction Promise is a scrambled-egg dish with spinach, pesto, sun-dried tomato, and feta. But the killer is the French toast, in a batter made with cream (not milk) and orange marmalade, served with peach butter and real maple syrup. There are also pancakes, waffles, and uppuma (an Indian hot cereal). Lunch items include homemade soups, salads, and wraps. The restaurant is owned by a student of meditation master Sri Chinmoy, and the menu says that it exists for one reason: to give joy. I think they’ve succeeded. Jeff Kolton, Rater

Deli

Manny’s Coffee Shop & Deli
1141 S. Jefferson
312-939-2855
F 8.5 | S 7.6 | A 6.4 | $ (5 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Reservations not accepted

Some things are never as good as they used to be. The delis of yesteryear were palaces, serving sliced meat a mile high for $1.98. Now? At Manny’s the latkes are very good, light and crisp, fluffy and flavorful—you don’t need a side of applesauce to enjoy. But you should have had them before! They were potato ambrosia, splendor in the grease. And these prices: $9.95 for a sandwich in a cafeteria? A strange one too: instead of paying at the end of the line like G-d intended, you pay on the way out, after you eat. But Manny’s has been here since 1942, and they know what they’re doing. They serve brisket, roast beef, corned beef, very lean, and pastrami, fatty in all the right places, piled high on rye. Too high! How are you supposed to eat all this? So share or get a doggie bag. What else are you going to order at a place like Manny’s—a veggie burger? Jeffrey Felshman

Italian

Apart Pizza
2205 W. Montrose
773-588-1550
F 7.9 | S 7.0 | A 5.0 | $ (5 reports)
Lunch: Sunday, Wednesday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days | Open late: Every night till 11

As its amiable Italian owner will tell you, Apart Pizza is so named because in addition to larger pies they sell a bachelor-size personal piece (thus, a part of a pizza) and because, you know, great pizza is from Italy and a lot of great art is too (thus the art). The style here is northern Italian thin crust cooked in a gas-fired oven, with a few dozen topping variations, from the standard to something called the Francese (Brie, ham, and egg). The dough’s fresh, the toppings are decent inching toward good on the signature Apart pizza (sausage, mushrooms, and pepperoni), and it’s great for pickup or delivery—home is where this pizza is best. Nicholas Day

Pizza Rustica
3913 N. Sheridan 773-404-8955
F 8.0 | S 8.4 | A 6.7 | $ (11 reports)
Lunch, dinner: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday | Closed Tuesday | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | BYO

Every Italian restaurant likes to think that its food is the real thing. Pizza Rustica’s just may be. The caprese salad, for instance, is the kind of dish you see everywhere, but rarely does it taste as good as these huge slices of tomato and light, creamy fresh mozzarella finished with a misting of good olive oil. The minestrone, too, seemed made to order, with al dente vegetables in a finely spiced tomato broth. For entrees we ordered half a pizza and a linguine dish, both of which were more than excellent. The pizza is thin crust—light, crispy, and golden brown, almost like a slightly soft cracker. The toppings—thinly sliced potatoes, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and cheese—decorated the surface of the crust without compromising its integrity. The pasta was al dente and tossed with a conservative ladle of tomato cream sauce with none of the cloying sweetness or overspicing that ruins similar dishes. Desserts were great too: the panna cotta, with flecks of vanilla bean and a drizzle of caramel sauce, was subtle, milky, and barely sweet. Pizza Rustica is absurdly cheap: most of the pasta dishes cost around $8, half a pizza costs about $10, and dessert was $3.50. Chip Dudley

Mexican/Latin American

Irazu
1865 N. Milwaukee 773-252-5687
F 7.8 | S 7.3 | A 5.6 | $ (14 reports)
Lunch, dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday | Cash only | BYO

Located just up the road from Damen, North, and Milwaukee, this Costa Rican restaurant provides a refreshing alternative to that intersection’s traffic nightmares and high prices. Tiny and always crowded, it serves food that’s cheap, tasty, and plentiful. Standouts are the burritos (big enough to feed two) with optional mushrooms and hot peppers, and interesting nonalcoholic drinks like the tart, refreshing tamarind shake. Night owls be forewarned—Irazu closes at 9 PM. Laura Levy Shatkin

Rique’s Regional Mexican Food
5004 N. Sheridan
773-728-6200
F 8.2 | S 7.1 | A 6.8 | $ (19 reports)
Lunch: Sunday, Wednesday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days; Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Saturday & Sunday till 11 | BYO

On the Friday night I visited this colorful Uptown storefront the place was packed with jovial tables of people sharing bottles of wine (Rique’s is permanently BYO). Complimentary chips come with a small dish of black beans; other appetizers include guacamole served with a few huaraches, shrimp seviche, and a chalupa with chicharrones and cactus. I started with the pico de gallo, chile-and-citrus-seasoned strips of mango, cucumber, and jicama touted by the menu as “perfect for hangovers.” My grilled chicken breast in a deep-red almond mole was homey and satisfying enough to make me a member of the clean plate club. Rater favorites include Rique’s tortilla soup and chicken breast in a tomatillo-and-pumpkin-seed sauce. The restaurant’s lunch menu also has a few finds—Yucatecan deep-fried chicken tacos, tortas ahogadas, and Bajaian soft fish tacos—and every Saturday there’s a four-course prix fixe meal featuring the cuisine of a different Mexican state. Kate Schmidt

Taste of Peru
6545 N. Clark
773-381-4540
F 8.7 | S 7.7 | A 5.7 | $ (6 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | BYO

My first visit to this Peruvian strip-mall storefront was enjoyable—and has set my expectations high for future trips. Of special note: it’s BYO, ambience is spartan, service is sloooow, portions are huuuuge, and the neighborhood dinner rush seems to peak at 6 PM on Saturday. That said, the food is pleasant and a tremendous bargain—be prepared to take leftovers with you (or order one entree for two diners). We especially enjoyed the pollo en salsa de mani (chicken with Peruvian peanut sauce), the shrimp picante (served in a creamy, savory sauce), and the mixed seviche. There was a superb jalapeno-chile-onion dipping sauce served with simple, tasty bread. Be sure to try an Inca Kola soft drink! There’s a grocery store a few doors south on Clark that has a decent selection of wine and beer. On weekends the restaurant features live music. Patrick Brown, Rater

Vegetarian Friendly

Alice and Friends Vegetarian Cafe
5812 N. Broadway
773-275-8797
F 8.8 | S 7.3 | A 6.2 | $ (11 reports)
Lunch: Saturday; Dinner: Monday-Saturday | Closed Sunday

The name refers to Alice in Wonderland; the menu consists primarily of vegan versions of pan-Asian food—Smoked Veggie Duck, Almond UnChicken, Korean BBQ, Japanese Don Ka Su, plus a veggie burger and UnChicken Drumsticks. Dishes that don’t use soy products are available, but Raters rave about the meat substitutes. Most entrees come with rice and salad; there’s a large selection of appetizers, drinks, and vegan desserts. The walls are covered with bright mosaics and inspirational sayings. Raters say service can be slow. Holly Greenhagen

Arya Bhavan
2508 W. Devon
773-274-5800
F 7.9 | S 7.8 | A 5.7 | $ (12 reports)
Lunch: Saturday-Sunday; Dinner: seven days

Cheerful pink napkins decorate the tables and colorful Rajasthani crafts (which are for sale) brighten the walls at Arya Bhavan, which means “our home.” But the main room is dominated by a 20-foot buffet, which on the weekends is laden with all-vegetarian curries, sweets, appetizers, rice, salad, and cooling raita. Along with traditional favorites like chana masala (spicy chickpeas) and mutter paneer (peas and cheese) are original creations by chef Jay Shef. One of his best is the addictive undhia, a complex curry of eggplant, sweet potatoes, and plantains. Appetizers include the always popular potato-stuffed samosas and spicy veggie cutlets. The satisfying uthappam, pancakes topped with tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, are made to order at one end of the buffet and disappear quickly. Ordering from the lengthy menu allows one to try Indian specialties ranging from a delightful south Indian avial (vegetables cooked with coconut, yogurt, and chiles) to Kashmiri curry and rice. There are also 15 types of bread, many of them tandoori-oven baked. Cara Jepsen

Chicago Diner
3411 N. Halsted 773-935-6696
F 8.0 | S 6.8 | A 6.4 | $ (20 reports)
Lunch: Monday-Friday; Dinner: seven days; Saturday & Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11 | Reservations not accepted

“Vegetarian heaven—so many choices, so little time,” says one Rater of this north-side meatless mecca. Chicago Diner offers creative veggie and vegan dishes in a comfortable space lined with old-fashioned wooden booths. Dishes made with eggs and dairy are indicated on the menu, and vegan substitutions are often available upon request. Weekend brunch, served till 3:30, is very popular, though Raters warn that the always laid-back service gets even more erratic as the place fills up. Martha Bayne

The Handlebar
2311 W. North
773-384-9546
F 8.4 | S 7.3 | A 7.8 | $ (26 reports)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner: seven days
Open late: Friday & Saturday till 1:30, other nights till 11:30 | Reservations not accepted

A dimly lit cyclist hangout—the bar stools are made from chrome rims, vintage bikes hang from the ceiling, and there are specials for messengers on Mondays—this is a theme restaurant that doesn’t feel precious or pretentious in any way. The food is cheap and vegetarian friendly: most entrees are under $10, and the only meat option is fish. The chefs don’t do anything flashy, but they do a little bit of everything and do it well. For appetizers the samosas with tamarind chutney are on par with any you’d find on Devon. The West African ground nut stew, a hearty mix of sweet potato, zucchini, and kale served over brown rice and garnished with peanuts and toasted coconut, is tailor-made for Chicago winters, as are the black beans maduro, served with mounds of fried plantain and a slow-burning chipotle-tomato sauce. They also do a bang-up job with comfort food: the short list of seitan and tofu sandwiches comes with coleslaw and a variety of sides, including a respectable vegetarian version of southern collard greens and a totally addictive smoked Gouda mac ’n’ cheese I’ll crave on my deathbed. David Wilcox

Old Jerusalem
1411 N. Wells
312-944-0459
F 8.0 | S 7.4 | A 6.6 | $ (7 reports)
Lunch, dinner: seven days | Open late: Till 11 every night | BYO

Established Old Town storefront that offers a cheap, reliable alternative to the higher-end places on this stretch of Wells. The Middle Eastern fare here covers all the bases: crisp, piping hot falafel stands above the more pedestrian hummus, baba ghanoush, and tabbouleh. Service is quick and polite, and you can linger undisturbed long after you’ve finished your meal. Martha Bayne

Soul Vegetarian East
205 E. 75th
773-224-0104
F 8.0 | S 6.0 | A 6.3 | $ (7 reports)
Breakfast, Lunch: Monday-Saturday; Dinner: seven days; Sunday brunch | Open late: Friday & Saturday till 11

While the ambience is strictly functional, Raters agree that this unique restaurant—in business more than 25 years—is worth the trip. The menu offers vegan and vegetarian soul food—barbecued wheat gluten, stir-fried meatless “steak,” tofu tidbits, and many other unusual, reasonably priced dishes. Raters point out that while it is all vegetarian, it’s not the best place for the health conscious, as much of the menu is fried. Laura Levy Shatkin

Send a letter to the editor.

From the Reader blogs

The Food Chain Julia Thiel: This week's talks, tastings, and events.
Thursday at 1:50 pm