Grills near Evanston, IL

“Many, many moons ago, I used to visit Evanston with some frequency, and especially Main Street. I loved Goods, Toys Et Cetera, Vogue Fabrics (moved to Hartrey), and Dave’s Rock Shop (which is blessedly still going strong since 1970). The older I get, the more nostalgic I become for old-school, authentic businesses like Sher-Main. So many places I loved in Evanston are no longer – Tom Thumb moved from Davis Street to a dingy, somewhat depressing warehouse in an industrial area in Niles. Betty’s of Winnetka is long defunct, as is the Tokyo Shop, Protex, Walter Burt Adams, and many other places from my youth.

It is fitting that this old-school diner is on Main Street. It could very well be on any Main Street across the USA. But I am thinking a dusty old town where time stood still, not a decidedly progressive, upscale, ever-evolving, but always hip town like Evanston. This place brought back memories of the Lincolnwood Coffee Grill and Fountain Shop and funky, old school diners I went to during my art school years in Providence, Rhode Island. It is getting harder and harder to find places like this and actually impossible in my second city, NYC – at least in Manhattan.

We opened the door and were greeted with, we only take cash. This was already obvious from all of the signs and the article I read on the Evanston Round Table. “Since its inception in 1959 the restaurant has been cash only, as no fewer than four large signs on the window and door proclaim.” We tried sitting in one of the decrepit old booths that have seen better days in the front. We’re very petite, so I think only a child could comfortably slide into one of these booths. The proverbial sleeping man mentioned in another review awoke quickly from his catnap – the cook and maybe owner, I presume.

Everything here is old school – from the classic stools and booths to the quaint, laminated menus. We both ordered the deluxe hamburger and the fries were cooked to perfection. We mentioned we like them crispy and they actually listened! The server was a very sweet and friendly woman who knew all the regulars by their names. The only thing that wasn’t old school here was the surprisingly clean bathroom. If I lived in Evanston, I would definitely be a regular patron of this charming diner.“

“I loved this place! Excellent food and service. Very friendly atmosphere. Store front is well lit and nicely organized. Our table was clean. The plates were very nice.
Only room for improvement may just be deep cleaning aspects. Otherwise, I will be coming back for the authentic food!“

“This place is a mini grocery Mart that sells hot Filipino food. It actually tasted amazing! I ended up getting the combo meal which included a coke and consisted of beef caldereta and a very very tasty chicken soup. The best part was I paid only $15.25 for it. They had different choices but I wanted a mix up of chicken and beef, honestly that’s one of the best prices I’ve seen in a long time compared to newer Filipino restaurants in this area. I would definitely recommend stopping by. I ate my meal wayyyyyy too fast I couldn’t post any pictures.“

“Oh my. First of all, Saad delivered the best customer service I’ve come across. Very personable and outright friendly. Gave me suggestions based on what I like and let me know about his personal favorites when asked.
Food: 10/10.
Slims burger was exceptional. First time trying Italian beef with beef patty. Outstanding.
Chicken spicy po’boy was great too.
Mango Lassi: very delicious. A bit on the sweeter side, but after all, it is a dessert/beverage 😂
Highly recommend this place. Definitely coming back on next trip to Chicago.“

“Fun atmosphere & bar! Great food. Lots of tv’s…“

“The best food in North side of Chicago Fresh with homemade bread every day Their pizza is amazing Fish made with authentic style from Adratic sea ❤️❤️❤️“