Evanston's Best Eateries

The Best, Hometown Favorite: The Lucky Platter

Self described as “funkalicious post-Hippy eclectic world cuisine”, the Lucky Platter is an Evanston classic. The interior is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. At a place such as this, you can expect anything but the typical diner food.

Their specials (including drink specials) change monthly, but they’ve got staples that you just can’t miss. You start off with the complimentary cornbread, which must be topped with butter and honey. (I personally add just a drop of hot sauce.) Their avocado salad, pumpkin soup, and sweet potato fries are just a few of the regulars my friends and I get. You also shouldn’t pass up on the Lucky Burger, custom pizzas, or any of the breakfast options. Another favorite of mine is their cream soda. It’s a tradition soda fountain cream soda, and possibly the best I’ve ever had.

One warning: occasionally I’ve heard people complain about the waitstaff. I’ve never had a problem with them, but that could be because they tend to be amused by all the random comments they walk in on from my friends and I. Be prepared for a wait during peak hours, and have your entire group ready because they won’t seat you otherwise.

Best Dinner to Share: Tapas Barecelona

I discovered a few things about tapas while living in Evanston. 1) I cannot say “tapas” without someone thinking I’m saying “topless”. 2) Sometimes you don’t have to share. 3) Dates in bacon.

Let’s start with #3. This is a must if you go to Tapas Barcelona. No arguing. You absolutely have to get these. What makes these dates in bacon so much better than any others you’ll ever eat is the red pepper sauce. I always get a few weird looks when I recommend these to people who aren’t in the know — I was skeptical at first too. But these are the perfect combination of flavors. Sweet, savory, salty… awesome. And this leads to #2. Get a plate for yourself.

So you could just order two items for yourself, but really, tapas are meant for sharing. I really don’t recommend having a group larger than 10. For one, it’ll be crowded, and two sometimes the plates you want don’t make it down to your end of the table. An easy solution to this is just to order more. I also feel that tapas can make a great date choice.

Items to try: dates in bacon, black bean soup, goat cheese, fried olives, lamb puff pastries, grilled salmon with asparagus, and always save room for desserts (the flan wasn’t anything special, but all of the others were amazing).

Best Fancy-Pants: Campagnola

First, I want to say that I personally haven’t been here — but am going off of the word of a very trusted friend. (Fancy restaurants aren’t really my scene.)

However, knowing that Campagnola is owned by the same people who own the Union, I can trust that this restaurant will live up to my standards, if not beyond.

Just like at the Union, Campagnola also proudly serves local and organic products. This Italian restaurant uses seasonal ingredients and doesn’t make overly intimidating dishes like some upscale restaurants do. Paying more doesn’t mean smaller servings or unfamiliar foods. With one quick look at their menu, I can tell you I’m already excited about going there to try their salmon with roasted Jerusalem artichokes or rigatoni with Italian fennel sausage. I’m almost too afraid to look at dessert menu or I know I’ll be on a train heading up to Evanston.

Best For Your Money: Sashimi Sashimi

There are a lot of good “low budget” restaurants in Evanston, however, Sashimi Sashimi will always be my first pick.

They’ve got a great variety of sushi rolls and sashimi (the Sumo Godzilla roll pictured above), and they’re all at a great price. Typically, I try to avoid sushi places that are inexpensive because I worry about the quality. Sashimi Sashimi is a major exception. I’ve only had good experiences here, and they also happen to offer one of my favorite items: fried tofu. Sure, not quite what makes you go to a sushi bar, but I love this. It’s fried tofu, stuffed with rice. If they can make tofu taste this amazing, you can bet that their sushi is also quite spectacular.

I recommend getting 2-3 rolls depending on how hungry you are, a side of either (or both) edamame or cucumber salad, and finish it off kajitsu (or fresh fruit smooth with optional tapioca balls). Come with a friend and try out different specialty rolls together!

Best New Hot Spot: The Union

While the owners were renovating the building, there was a lot of buzz around town as to what this place might be. And when they finished, at first look you might not guess this is a pizzeria.

The serve wood fire pizza that mainly utilizes locally grown and organic products. On top of their great pizzas (which are a great break from deep dish and chain pizzas), the Union offers a great wine list and micro brews.

During my first experience to the Union, a friend and I just went for wine and a light dinner. We ended up with a great South Africa red, an amazing cheese platter, and the largest (and greenest) olives I’ve ever had.

The atmosphere is absolutely amazing here — trendy yet cozy. The staff was personable and friendly, however, they didn’t interrupt our dining experience to try to be our best friends (which I appreciated). You won’t be surrounded by a crowd of snobbish trendsetters here — this place is perfect for any group or family.

Best Charm (& Best Chain): Dixie Kitchen & Bait Shop

This could also go for the Obama Pick, as apparently our Commander & Chief is fond of this restaurant.

Dixie Kitchen surprised me. It’s a small chain, but has a lot of charm and heart. The food here is all southern — but also has salad and vegetarian options, so it’s got a little something for everyone. Oh, and fried catfish for breakfast? Yep. And it’s good.

Go for the charm, stay for the catfish, beignets, blacken chicken salad, and sweet tea.

Best Wings - TIE: Buffalo Joe's & Tommy Nevin's

I absolutely love buffalo wings. They are among my favorite foods — which given how much I love food, for them to make the list in the top 5 says something. With wings, it’s more than heat — it’s balance. You need some heat (however much you can handle), but there has to be flavor as well.

Buffalo Joe’s is not only a local favorite, but a lot people consider them to be Chicago’s best wings as well. They’ve got three locations, and I definitely recommend the Clark Street restaurant. Joe’s is a no-frills wing shop. It’s about the wings. Their sauce is more of an oil base — so be prepared to wear a bit of it. Joe’s spicy wings weren’t overwhelming and packed a good bit of savory flavor as well as heat. (Balance.) Though they are known for their wings, as you can see from the picture above, they do offer a lot more.

Tommy Nevin’s is an Irish Pub that doesn’t specialize in wings. They’ve got great food and could easily be in this guide for a few areas. However, their three variety of wings (terriyaki, bbq and buffalo) pack so much flavor. Oh, and yeah, this wings are huge. They do not lie in advertising these as “jumbo”. At places like Joe’s or chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, I can typically get through 12 with no problem. At Tommy’s getting through 8 can be a task. However, they’re so good I always find room for all of them.