Restaurant Mehanata

★★★★☆ 4.2 (182) • $$

"5 stars for Mehanata.This restaurant has authentic, Bulgarian food that was very tasty. I tried the Balkan special with chicken which was enough to take home for multiple meals. The portions are massive and the prices are pretty reasonable.The service is friendly, and the decor inside is themed to 18-19th century Bulgarian village. I'd highly recommend trying this restaurant out if you want Bulgarian food."

Chicago Diplomat Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (175) • $$

"I was lucky enough to come with four people and have a feast. Unluckily, I was traveling alone when I was in Georgia back in 2018, and was never really able to eat in my favorite manner, which is to graze from a tableful of dishes at once. Chicago Diplomat gave me back what could have been. Because really, since I left Georgia, I haven't found that many restaurants that do it justice. This did.First and foremost, you gotta have the big, crazy-rich, unfinishable bread boat (adjeruli khachapuri). I would say that this one landed on a cheesier (rather than butterier) side and the cheese was stretchy like a pizza, not crumbly like a feta.I could have taken or left the beet salad - it seemed like it was just beets out of a can covered in a metric ton of cilantro - but their version of eggplant/walnut salad (also covered in a metric ton of cilantro but I think it worked better here) was really good, not dry like it can easily be.The real stars of the show were the two stews: lobio and chakapuli. The chakapuli was impossibly rich, stuffed with lamb meat, overgrown with tarragon, and this strange part-meat-part-fat-part-oil-part-soup texture that would have been perfect with dipping bread had a) it come with it and b) we been able to fit any more food in our stomachs. The lobio was bacon-heavy and tasted like it, but it was herby enough to not weigh you down. This I ate leftover with a roll of paratha, which worked very well.We finished the meal with honey cake and another pastry I can't remember the name of, neither of which I initially had any interest in because I'm not much of a bread heavy dessert person, and also, see above re: not being able to fit any more bread in. But some of us ordered it anyway and I ended up eating three slices of the honey cake because of the grainy, sprout-y heartiness and the sweetness of the layers of honey."

Cafe Beograd

★★★★☆ 4.2 (257)

"Where should i begin...It's been 15 years ago when i stepped first time in Cafe Beograd and i am still coming back. Everything and i mean everything on the menu i did try and it's delicious. From cevapi, mix meat platter, beo burger, gourmet burger , sausage , stuffed burger, chicken to karadjordjeva, panini, pizza, crapes, cakes...Staff is always friendly, professional and knowledgeable. They will make your stay pleasant as possible.With few renovations that were done in the past, place is super cozy and has that European vibe all the way - great patio in the summer time.Can't believe i forgot to write this review earlier( thought i did ) but i am highly recommending this place to anyone that wants to try Serbian food.ZIVELI!!!"

Rose Mary

★★★★☆ 4.4 (681) • $$$

"Absolutely loved dining here and it was an exceptional experience! The Lamb Ragu pasta was my absolute favorite. The dish was a perfect balance and had richly flavored sauce, making every bite a delight. The clams and toast (appetizer) was also great as well. The clams were fresh, and the toast was a perfect crunchy contrast. The ambiance of Rose Mary is cozy and inviting, and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly, enhancing the overall dining experience. If you're looking for a memorable meal, I highly recommend trying Rose Mary. I can't wait to return and explore more of their menu!"

Alinea

★★★★☆ 4.4 (2643) • $$$$

"Where do I even begin to describe my ultimate dining experience at Alinea? From the moment we stepped through the doors of this iconic three-star Michelin restaurant, it was clear that we were in for something truly extraordinary. Booking our reservation a month and a half in advance, we eagerly anticipated the arrival of our friends from Miami to join us for this special occasion. To make the evening even more memorable, I reached out to the Alinea group and asked if we could meet the culinary genius himself, Chef Grant Achatz, and have our menus signed. While there were no guarantees, we were overjoyed to find ourselves seated with a direct view into the kitchen, where Chef Achatz was tirelessly working his magic. Despite our star-struck awe, he graciously took a photo with me, signed our menus, and even autographed copies of the Alinea cookbook and Aviary Cocktail book that I purchased while we were there!From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed and our coats were taken care of. Then, we were led to the ultimate dining experience: a table set up just for us in the kitchen, where we could witness the culinary performance unfold before our eyes. Adding a wine package only enhanced the experience, with our knowledgeable and entertaining host, Kellen, and sommelier, Branson, guiding us through each course.Every dish we encountered was a masterpiece of creativity and execution. The presentation, the flavors, and the way we were meant to enjoy each dish were all meticulously planned. Each course was a journey in itself, with the ambiance changing seamlessly from one dish to the next. I would review each course we savored which were too many to recount, but that would ruin it for anyone thinking of experiencing Alinea because you must try this for yourself at least once in your lifetime! And the menus change as new items get introduced so why review each and every dish. There were so many courses that left you in awe and so I'm thankful we got the menu to remember what we ate! One standout moment was the French onion soup, where we felt like dancing as the soup was prepared right at our table on a communal-style copper fire stove, accompanied by the perfect soundtrack of 'Fire' by the Ohio Players. But the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Paint Dessert, a mesmerizing performance by Chef Grant Achatz himself, along with another talented chef. It was a breathtaking finale to an unforgettable evening that will forever be etched in our memories.The experience was worth every penny! Yes we spent a lot but we left Alinea feeling not only satisfied but also deeply fulfilled, and our hearts and bellies full of gratitude. Thank you, Alinea, for exceeding our every expectation and making our evening so special. Thank you for making a special reservation afterwards to your speakeasy, The Office. What a nice touch that Alinea provided us complimentary transportation to The Office. They even offered to comp the valet fees but we didn't use the valet. Words cannot express how much we enjoyed every moment, and we can't wait to return for another remarkable culinary adventure."

Versailles

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (36)

"This place is SUPER Russian. I've actually only been here for big dinner parties and occasions, so I can only judge on that. If you're not coming from a Russian background, you may want to skip this place. The dinner party food is pretty good. Awesome spreads. The blini with chicken, the stuffed chicken and all the filet mignon/steak dishes are awesome. There's always enough drink to go around. I've never had a negative experience with a waiter, but it could be because I speak Russian (though if you're part of a dinner party, they will take care of everyone equally.) The live entertainment ranges from pretty good to a little cringey. The crowd in the evening is definitely loud and rowdy, and usually pretty drunk but they're fun."

Euro Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (42)

"Euro Grill is all grown up!They used to be located at another small shopping strip in Des Plaines, but a couple years ago they closed down (as did Chef's Corner in Naperville) and I couldn't get Cevapi in the Suburbs. I had to trek it all the way to Chicago. And you're probably thinking, "Tough shit," right? My Grandpa's response to saying meat was overcooked and tough was always, "It's tougher where there isn't any." Well, for about a year there wasn't a single Cevapi place within 20 miles of home. Let's just say that was a very dark time for me.Euro Grill is now located in Rayyan Plaza III, which is a small shopping center on the east side of Elmhurst Rd between Algonquin & Dempster. If you blink you might miss it, but I hope you find it. It's definitely worth it. Everything has been upgraded. I liked the old place because it was small and cozy; however, the newer place is bright and open. They have tons of seating now and the menu has expanded a little bit.The food could be described as "Balkan's Best." They have Cevapi, which are seasoned minced meat sausages served atop a pillowy Lepinja (fluffy Balkan pita-style bread) with a side of diced onions, tomatoes and Kajmak (a buttery sour spread). You can also get Pljeskavica (Balkan-style Burger) or a stuffed Pljeskavica with cheese. If you can't make up your mind then go with Mijesano Meso (Mixed Meat). If you want something a little less messy then you can grab yourself a meat-filled Burek (filo dough stuffed with spiced ground beef). Maybe meat isn't your thing, but have no fear! The Cheese Burek will do the trick. You also have Pasulj (Bean Soup) or Sopska Salata (onion, tomato, cucumber salad) topped with Feta cheese. Another option is the Cabbage Salad or fresh French Fries (ask them to top the fries with Feta!).As you can see, it's not an extensive menu, but it's really all you need to know when it comes to basic Balkan dishes. If you can believe it, the old menu was much smaller. The prices are decent and you can lose a few hours there sipping Turkish coffee, beer or Fructal fruit juices. I highly recommend finishing the meal off with a Baklava or Tulumba (honey-soaked baked treat)."

Toscana Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (45) • $

"Wow! My friends have talked this restaurant up so much that I had to go check it out for myself. Nestled in a small plaza a couple of blocks away from Foster and Lincoln, this restaurant is accessible by both CTA and car. Bonus points, there's free parking!! The restaurant itself is very clean and organized. You can tell that the owners take very great pride in keeping it clean and putting their heart into the business. We were greeted by a very nice lady who explained to us the menu, in there end I ordered a pita made from cheese and the chicken sandwich (#5). We also ordered drinks and then selected a seat. It was a super snowy day so there wasn't much foot traffic but it was also still early for lunch. Our food didn't take long to arrive and when it did, all of a sudden the lunch time traffic began! There were so many people in and out- some stayed and kept their social distance but most took out. The lady at the cashier which I assume is the owner always greeted everyone with so much zeal and respect, you can tell that they really appreciate their customers and many of them appear to be regulars. Our food was so good and so warm- my husband is such a stickler for cold food and will literally complain if the food is not hot hot so the fact that the pita was steaming hot was a major win for Him. I'm not crazy about hot hot food so I waited until it cooled down but I loved that the pita wasn't overly salty, I loved that it was flaky and that the filling was "fluffy" in the sense that there was an equal ratio of eggs and cheese inside that filled up the inside. I love love love a good thick pita that has a lot of filling and this pita definitely had that. There is nothing worse than getting a pita that is flaky on the outside but has very little filling- that was not the case with Toscana!! As for the chicken sandwich- well, it's amazing. I now understand why my friends praise Toscana so much for their chicken sandwich- the bread of their sandwich was perfectly toasted, the chicken was really well cooked and seasoned and the toppings only added more flavor to the entire sandwich. The owner was also attentive and stopped by to ask if we needed anything- you don't find hospitality like that everywhere and so I was really appreciative of her kindness. I can't wait to go back and try more food! Highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the Lincoln Square area or looking to try traditional Bosnian Herzegovinian cuisine!"

Table, Donkey and Stick

★★★★☆ 4.1 (505) • $$

"Came here for restaurant week and the food DEMANDS a five star rating, but... Some might think the quirky building and seating arrangements adds to the experience. But I'm not one of them. It was extremely cold out, so their heater was running, and when it was on, it was blasting us too warm, and when it was off, it was cold. Distracting to say the least. Not comfortable. The food was TOTALLY AMAZING though and the service was great. I'm just not a fan of the physical set up. Especially for the price one pays..."

Cafe Dacha

★★★★★ 4.7 (78) • $$

"Eastern European cuisine has never been much better than from here. It includes plenty of Ukrainian specialties. Cafe Dacha is one of the best places in Highland Park for ethnic food. Good choices that are priced not too bad for the quality. The menu is kind of small but has a good variety of things. A charming atmosphere is inside but the patio is also cool. It specializes in Eastern European cuisine. The menu proudly has many Ukrainian options, including beer and food. It's only open for dinner. We came in and there was plenty of room. Beer list has lots of imports. It's about $8 for a bottle, but these are big ones. An Ukrainian beer they have is Lvivske 1715, in a bottle. This has notes of apricot, cereal, citrus, ginger, and rye grain. As for the food, we were limited in choices. We got the Vinegret. It's $13 for a big bowl. This basically is a salad made with beets, carrots, green onions, peas, pickles, and potatoes. Good stuff and the starches made it filling. The rest of the menu has meaty options.Good place for exploring some not so familiar cuisines. It has pretty okay prices for being a small place with good quality food. There's not many of the food items that aren't meat, but there's a few salads for vegetarians."

Bosna Grill

★★★★★ 4.6 (74)

"After landing in Chicago, I headed straight to this restaurant for a cevapi meal. Cevapi is grilled sausages with raw onion, ajvar (eggplant relish) and kajmuk (clotted cream) on the side. The meat sausages are placed between two pieces of lepinja (grilled bread). Their lepinja is outstanding here! I also ordered a Slovenian coca-cola (Cocktail) with my meal. This meal was a great start for what would be a fantastic weekend in Chicago! The Uber driver who picked me up (drove to my hotel) wondered how I wound up at this place from Chicago OHare International Airport. Staff is friendly and accommodating here. I passed on Bosnian coffee. The waitress told me, "next time." I thought this was cute. Bosnian people are very welcoming and accommodating. The price of my meal with drink was very reasonable. I'm also happy to see that this place survived the Covid shutdown. Interior is clean here as well. No dirty tables or chairs. There was a television in the upper corner of the dining room broadcasting a soccer match. Lovely to see this.This place is located in a small strip mall. It was also nice to see a steady flow of Bosnians entering and leaving the restaurant. I would love to dine here again if I ever return to Chicago. The menu also features various other Bosnia dishes. I recommend trying their burek. If you've never had Bosnian Food I recommend trying this place. You will be in for a real treat! Hope you enjoy!"

Cobblestone - Chicago

★★★★☆ 4.4 (58)

"Interesting little place. We met some friends here who absolutely love this place. So we met them here for dinner. This is a neighborhood place, cozy on the inside. There is a nice outdoor area.Honestly, there isn't much to say on my part. Looking at the menu, I felt like it was all over the place, from French to German to Hungarian. There wasn't much on the menu that appealed to me beyond the sausage plate, burger and the fish and chips, so I got the burger. This was a solid entrée except the fries were on the lukewarm side. Our friend ordered the Coq Au Vin. While the presentation looked great, it didn't look like it was half a chicken if you look at the photo...maybe a small one? The Doctor got the Fish and Chips and enjoyed it. Interesting that his fries were hot and mine were not.I think this place specialty is the drink menu. According to The Queen, they have a pretty good selection of ciders, which she loves. So maybe this is a place to come on a nice for a drink outside. They did have a nice rose proseccoFor me, there wasn't much on the menu for dinner or brunch that would make me drive over for a meal. Food was good, just not my cup of tea."

Balkan Taste

★★★★☆ 4.4 (55) • $$

"This place is darling, the food was truly delicious, the chicken had a really nice smoky flavor to it.The homemade bread was too good. Super friendly, highly recommend this spot."

Social Inn

★★★★☆ 4.4 (80)

"I made reservations online to meet with a friend here for dinner. Once we checked in with the host, we were greeted and seated right away. Since I came here during the summer months, they also had outdoor seating but both times I visited, I opted to dine inside. I liked the nice and simple interiors of the place. After my first visit, I came back after a month because I wanted to try their other dishes.They have a good selection of cocktails, wines, and beers. For food, I've tried:FRESCA BARBA- fresh and deliciousSOCIAL BURGER- The meat was juicy and done wellACROSS THE BOARD- I wish there were more than 2 kinds of cheesesSLOW ROASTED LAMB- great flavors, super tender lamb, but it took quite a while for this dish to come. NAPOLEON CAKE- light and very enjoyable. This dessert also took a while to be served.Overall, I am glad that Social Inn opened in this Glenview neighborhood. I like the variety of dish options and so far, everything that I have tried has been pretty good. The place was neat, the bathrooms were clean, and the service was consistently pleasant. 'Til next time!"

Apolonia

★★★★☆ 4.4 (266) • $$$

"I was recently in town for work and we had dinner as a group at Apolonia. When I walked in I was blown away by the beautiful atmosphere and aesthetic. We had reservations and were seated immediately. I took particular notice of the amazing bar area. Our waitress was very attentive, friendly and patient with our large group. The only hiccup was my coworker was served my cocktail and I her mocktail as she's sober. Honest mistake and not on the waitress but remedied quickly.We ordered almost all of appetizers for the table and we enjoyed them all. Everyone raved about their entrees as well. The star was the shellfish tagliolini! It was super delicious and full of flavor!! My friend regretted not ordering it when she tasted mine lol. Everyone enjoyed the desserts as well. I will definitely be visiting again whenever I am back in Chicago!"

Coffee Slasticarna Drina

★★★★★ 4.9 (76) • $

"It's about time to receive our W2s. Are you happy with your potential tax returns, or are you getting ready to pay because you're happy to do so? Regardless what your situation will be, let's have some pocket money ready for "Coffee Slasticarna Drina," inside the strip mall on the corner of Lawrence and Campbell. Hubby and I had two (2) orders of Bosnian coffee, one (1) order of cheese pie (burek), and one (1) order of beef sausages (cevapi) for $20! We ate like royals. The gentleman in charge had a very soothing voice, and he was kind to provide some recommendations and introduce the most popular items. Everything was made to order, so wait was to be expected. Unless you would like to call ahead, I saw a few patrons coming in and out pretty quickly because they had already done so.Don't think about the "burek" as an average cheese pie you see in a coffeeshop or a pie shop specializing all-American style bakeries. They used the semi-sweet type of cheese and appeared a bit "crumbly" like egg white. The portion was quite generous; hubby and I shared the plate. On the other hand, "cevapi" was presented as a Balkan sausage sandwich, with freshly diced onion and sour cream on the side. Pieces of skinless beef sausages were embedded inside the warmed pits bread. It wasn't the easiest thing to eat, yet we managed to devour the entire hamburger just fine. Once again, this entree was also shareable. Everything that was sent to our stomaches was fantastic! They apparently had their regulars and were making themselves at home. They had a washroom all the way in the back of the kitchen. Parking should be effortless. A large strip-mall lot is available. It's also located within a walkable distance from the CTA Rockwell Brown Line station."

Pavilion Restaurant-Northbrook

★★★★☆ 3.6 (66) • $$

"Impressive dinner at Pavilion! Honestly I didn't expect so much for this restaurant before I go, it's new in Northbrook area. Last Saturday I went there with my boyfriend, it's not a big restaurant but atmosphere is classy, small lounge looks nice too and serve variety of alcohol, they also have live music on specific days, its very nice to have dinner with live music, when we got there it was empty but right after one hour later, the whole restaurant was packed! It's a good place for late dinner during weekend too, since they open till 3am. Service was outstanding, our waitress is knowledgeable of the food and she was very nice! We ordered Lobster bisque for soup, it's a little too salty and didn't have too much lobster meat, but it's only 5 dollars, not bad to try. For main course I ordered sea bass and my boyfriend had salmon, didn't overcook my sea bass and it was a big portion. Dinner better than what I expected, we also order chocolate martini too, so overall I like this restaurant. Menu price is fair, not too expensive, food was standard, European style. There is another restaurant called Petergolf right next to Pavilion, it's a banquet hall and I think they do serve dinner too. Worth for 4 stars!"

Sandy's Bakery & Deli

★★★★☆ 4 (74) • $$$

"Best Serbian meats and bread! This is old world baking, cooking, and butchering. A must try local European deli."

Smetana

★★★★★ 4.9 (45)

"We came by this newish one year old restaurant and our party of 5, including two kiddos, enjoyed a big and delicious Polish lunch here.  At least I think they were Polish as I never confirmed but they're Eastern European in any event.We had the following.  Every dish was of tip top quality, flavorful, and beautifully presented, including their desserts.  - Pan fried pierogies (10), $16- Polish plate with a cucumber salad, $30- Chicken schnitzel with a beet salad, $22- Chicken shawarma, $15- Large dessert crepe with nutella and berries, $15- Honey cake, $8The prices may seem a little high, but the servings are tasty and generous.  For example, I'm usually ho-hum on pierogies, but their pan fried pierogies had delicate skins and a tasty beef-pork filling and I think they were the best I've ever had.  I liked all the dishes but really liked all the items on the Polish plate, which you should enjoy with plenty of their namesake smetana or sour cream.  One of the owners and also our very congenial server Martin told me about that translation.  The beet and cucumber salads were also chilled and refreshing.  Both desserts were also very good, but the delectable dessert crepe with fresh whipped cream, nutella, and berries was the better one.The strip-mall restaurant is smallish, but also stylish and cozy and the chairs and table setting were very comfortable.  They had enjoyable pop music on.  There is a small bar/counter area in the back corner and they had a nice looking list of drinks to go with their menu.  Martin was our friendly server and I learned he was working alongside his brother Stan.  Actually, our oldest grand-darling wondered if they were brothers from their looks, and she was dead right.  Martin also told me the chef was a lady from Ukraine and with the short delay in bringing the food out, we could tell the dishes were all freshly prepared.  Overall, a quality place with deserved high ratings, highly recommended, and a great addition to the Glenview food scene.  We'll look to return to support this local family business, and best of luck!"

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (245) • $$$

"We came here for their restaurant week menu and it did not disappoint! The place was pretty busy on a Saturday afternoon and we were pretty lucky to have snagged the only 3 bar seats left available What we ordered:Smoked Sturgeon Chlebicky: the smoked sturgeon was great though I thought the rye bread was too toughCrispy Scallion Pancakes: not what I expected. The pancakes were very fried but they were greatEggs on Eggs: light and unique. The kimchi soft scrambled eggs did not have a strong taste and it went well with the lump crab meatDuck Confit Biscuit and Gravy: tasted ok. it was a bit too heavy for me bc there was a lot of gravyDesserts (Cream cheese kolachzi, sesame cream packzi, sourdough doughnut): all pretty goodWe also ordered caviar on the side to share and it was great. Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience here."

Traktir The 12 Chairs

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (31)

"Obsessed. This place is amazing. Dmitry was making sure everything was excellent, which it was. He immediately made us feel like family. I would recommend this place in the evening. Bring an appetite. We got so many amazing menu items. If you're looking for a place to grab a drink, they have a nice bar. We were here on Saturday night and they had live music (violinist).Amazing! 5 starUpdate: came back and food & service was spectacular again."

Sunset Pho Caffe

★★★★★ 4.7 (469) • $$

"Vietnamese and Yugoslavian fusion means spring rolls with cevapcici in them, an EXCELLENT combination. It doesn't mean that the classic pho isn't done right though, it's still hearty and meaty and loaded with everything you need. I will say the pho was heavy on black pepper and the noodles were a little fused BUT it's still a decent bowl of pho. I will say the real highlights are their non-pho dishes and their fusion and Yugoslavian dishes, I highly encourage you to branch out and explore the menu. I love cevapcici and it was so good in the spring roll!! The space is soo neat, it looks like the inside of a chapel, and the staff and service is EXCELLENT, owner offered us green plum brandy shots for St Patty's too hehe"

Balkanika Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (64)

"We arrived at 1 for a buffet banquet. The sausage is king here. I couldn't decide which is my favorite. The thin, snake like one or the darker fat one that is more garlicky. Shashlick salad was so good and loaded with tomatoes. At 1 PM the lot was full and we parked easily across the street. It feels like there's always a party. We even got to meet the chef."