Berwyn - Places In The Area

Berwyn has gotten a few new joints, and heads are turning. Figured I'd take a minute and list out some joints, old and new, that I've found to have some qualities worth keeping in my rolodex for whatever reason.

Mexican -
So many Mexican joints in this area. I want to try them all, but as you can imagine, there's been a whole lot (a shit ton, actually)of mediocrity. I've had some horriffic meals at some places - here's a few decent ones, for my tastes:

Zacatacos - both Harlem ave. and Cermak rd. locations.
Zacatacos is for char grilled steak and fiery salsas first and foremost. Secondary hits include the potato tacos (trust me,) the carne asada dinner, and the chicken enchiladas rojas. For the most part, they have the carne asada game on lockdown in the area. It's usually decent, some days it's fantastic, and some days it's an oversalted mess. Their salsa roja is generally crazy good if you like fiery and earthy.

Tacos y Salsa on 26th street.
Tacos Y Salsa is mom&pop style homemade. Good days and bad. What I go there for is the 99c Monday night tacos. Al Pastor, Chicken, and Chorizo tacos are 99c on Mondays. Sometimes, you'll get a gratis cup of soup - usually non summer. Of those 3 tacos, the chicken is usually the most variable but it's usually dry and salty white meat. If the pastor is not oversalted, you'll be in for a great value with the chorizo and pastor tacos. They do a decent side of grilled onions, so we usually get a mess of tacos, an order of onions, and an order of guac for Monday night goodness. If you catch them on a night where the salsas are flamin' - this is THE SPOT for Monday. There was a "best taco" competition where Tacos Y Salsa won for their Taco Jarocho or some such. It's a grilled fish taco. I tried one once. I might try it again, but I thought it was pretty bad.

Torres Market on 26th
Torres has a taqueria in it, and I absolutely LOVE IT. I haven't had any of their guisados yet, but everything I've had there so far has been fantastic. I brought home a Chicken Mole special a few weeks ago, and the wife said it was the best she's had in town so far. I think it is the standing Monday special. Other hits have been simple tacos, tostadas, sopesand the like - chicken, steak, carnitas, all pretty damn solid for the price, and the low-key atmosphere. Bonus - they have changing weekly specials, standing daily specials, and a full fledged paleteria on prem as well. For low key, no frills, I frickin LOVE this place.
Current Daily Specials List At Torres:


Menu Board:


Tacos De Cecina special:


Carnitas, plain:


Chuletas, Salsa Roja, Nopales:

Torres is spotless, and the people working there are extremely friendly. It's a counter with about 6 stools, and there are 5 tables for 4 ppl each iirc. They told me if I requested it, they'd flame broil carne asada for tacos or dinner plates.


Familia Fresh Market on Oak Park avenue at 33rd street.
They have a hot food section for take out only. Some of their guisados are out of this world. Major hits: Costillas en salsa verde, carne de res en salsa roja - their carnitas on weekends is usually stellar. They also have barbacoa on weekends which I steer clear of - too salty for me. They do 16 oz containers of salsa negra, pico de gallo, and salsa aguacate that are worth every penny even when not on sale, if you catch a good batch. They also have a smoothie / fresh fruit counter at the front of the store. This counter has a steam tray section for their tamales. Every so often, you'll get their A Grade tamales - the on-sale price is 99c per, or 10 bucks a dozen. When they are right, they give my homemades a serious run for the money.

-------------

Diners:
I have two "go to" diners: Connies on Harlem, and Tasty Corner on Oak Park Ave.

Connies is standard issue Greek Diner. It is well run, the food is just fine, (I think their pancakes are fantastic,) and I have nothing bad to say about them. Very standard issue Greek Diner.

Tastee Corner on Oak Park Avenue is where I go far more, and where I want to go far more, but it gets absolutely crazy busy. It's much smaller, and I think word has gotten out that they do some things VERY nicely. There's a bunch of land mines on the menu, but if you know what to get, you're gonna be VERY happy. I hear the skirt steak and eggs breakfast special is the neighborhood fave, but I'm partial to their "Mexican Skillet" with over medium eggs, hold the cheese. They use a standard issue chorizo, but they also throw in some fresh jalapeno. If you don't stress the "crispy" on the hash browns, and they are busy, you're gonna get mush. I can almost guarantee it. Split a standard breakfast platter between two people. Trust me. Seriously. They also do a reuben panini which is my "go to" lunch or dinner if none of the specials excite me. Saturday's Chicken Dumpling soup is my favorite. A Reuben Panini with Saturday's soup is good eats. I haven't quite figured out what their "deal" is - like why some things are fantastically homemade and comforty, but others are foodservice blah. They also have a tiny corner of their menu with some middle eastern fare - never ventured into it. I really like this place, but it's not perfect by any means. Their highs tower over Connie's, but Connie's is well run, and consistent. When you catch Tastee Corner on a great day, you'll know it.

I don't really venture into other diners in the area, though there are a few. Riverside Restaurant is a stone's throw from Connie's just south by a block, but they have odd hours, I think they close at 7. I had an absolutely outstanding broiled fish dinner there once, but it's hard to get there when they are open. Parking lot is usually crowded.

=============
Pizza:
There's pizza everywhere. EVERYWHERE. My picks -
Premium:
Villa Nova

Discount:
Dinico's on Roosevelt. (Extra thin crust.)

Deep Discount:
Waldo Cooney's is half price on all pizza on Tuesdays, and you should remember that. It's very decent for that price.
ETA - After my second Tuesday in a row with a Waldo spinach/snausage thin crust, I'm favorably leaning towards a comparison to early-mid 90's Geppetto's thin. A little less cheese, and a little less flavor to the crust, but I think this place is gonna get a lot of Tuesday orders from me. I might even try one of those "stuffed" pizzas that Chicago is supposedly famous for. (J/k, but seriously, I don't think I've had one of those things in like 8 years.)
Rocked a Waldo's Stuffed:


Their thin is pretty decent. Out of 5 orders, this last one was the only one that didn't have a decently browned top:


Home Run Inn Knock Off:
Falco's (if you like that style, it's a dead ringer.)

Thanks seebee, I'm planning take the new mom out to lunch so we'll explore. I tried Familia Fresh market last week and was really impressed, I can't wait to dig deeper.

Thanks. Keep the info rolling. Zacatacos is supposed to go into where Seneca was on Cermak. That's actually a block from my son's house so we will be able to try it.

If you know a little Spanglish, The folks at Familia Fresh will HAPPILY hook you up with a dinner (3 partition styro clamshell with rice and beans with more than one of their stews - half beef, half pork - no problem.) They have these dinners on offer, and they advertise them in their circulars, but don't hesitate to ask for half x, and half y in the same dinner. I love Familia to death, and I tell anyone I can about it. Love that place. Their fruits on sale can be crazy, you might walk in for a smoothie, and walk out with a bag full of organic blueberry pints for 50 cents each, that are NOT fuzzy, and absolutely delicious. Never know what might fall off the truck that day. Their house salsas, however. The Negra, Aguacate, Pico, and Roja esepecially. They usually have a salsa on sale each week. You need these in your life. They throw their house guac on sale for 2.99lb on the regular as well. You need this also.

Chinese Food:
Don't bother. Once Katy's opened in Oak Park, there's really no reason to go to any of the places I know of in the area. If you must have Chinese food, and there is no way you can get to Katy's:

Tasty House on Roosevelt is pretty standard issue glop.

Go to Katy's though. You'll wish you had anyway.

OR, get on 55, and take the Chinatown exit. It's close.

Burger & Beer:

Paisan's on Ogden
This place is better than me and the Mrs. give it credit for. Each time we go, we always say, "this place is better than we think." It's a BIG, family friendly, pizza/pasta/sandwich/brewpub joint.
Hits:
Mussels in white sauce
Any burger or sandwich
Pasta without red sauce (they are a "sweeter" red sauce place, and I just don't like that, but that's THEIR thing, and plenty of ppl like that style.)

Lavergne's
This is the newcomer, very new. All signs point to it being a quieter brewpub - family friendly as well. Menu is a bit eclectic in a great way. Interesting options. I like it.

Big Hurt Brewhouse
Pretty decent, I like their grilled fish sandwich. Menu doesn't have many interesting options that I recall. Not bad in any way. They used to do a "Kids eat free on Sunday" which they did away with. We planned on eating our way through the menu on Sundays when we learned of this special, but three Sundays after we learned of it, they did away with it. It's solid burgers / sandwiches, with a few steaks and chops, maybe a pasta or two. Solid. Sports bar with sky high ceiling, very open.

BBQ -
The Garage
I root for this place. I want them to do well. Fries are fantastic. Corn bread is a rich, buttery, chunk of awesome, roasted brussels sprouts are a-ok. The Q though. It can be good. They know what they are doing. They definitely do, but of the four times I've gone, the meats were held and re-heated, which is fine - if done correctly and timely. Their "somma everything platter" is called, "The Whole Garage" which comes with a few ribs, a few sausage pieces, a pile of brisket, some pulled pork, and a little chicken I think, as well. I've ordered this three times. Each time, each meat has come plated in packets of tin foil. Some of the meats were dried out, like a few days old, reheated from the fridge.
Hits:
ALL SIDES
Ribs
Pulled Pork
Great chicken one time
Decent brisket a few times.

Cigars And Stripes
This is a bar that happens to rock real bbq. Decent beer list, freindly bartenders. Only been a few times, both times, a few of the bbq things I wanted had already sold out - tips, sausages.
Hits:
Wings

Side:
I think Todd's bbq inside Mariano's on 31st is best in area for brisket, by a wide, wide margin. I do not think their ribs are best in area, but easily best in area for price. Q Bbq in Lagrange and Oak Park does spares right, but Mariano's might actually get my nod factoring in the price difference.

Awesome. Big Hurt had some "deep cleaning" closures and rehiring recently and I hope they've rebounded - it is a cool adaptation of an old bank building. We saw Big Frank himself there on one visit, and Da Coach on the second. The food is surprisingly solid but the beers (not brewed onsite) aren't great. There is a video slot room in the old vault.

Tonini’s Italian Market for a meatball sandwich.
Georges Tavern for one of my favorite dives. Couple two tree Hamms!


Toninis Italian Market
6950 Windsor Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402

Georges Tavern
6741 Stanley Ave.
Berwyn, IL 6040

Well, I was getting to Tonini's...
If you live in the area, or work in the area, you should decide if you want to be a part of their Facebook group. This will entitle you to their weekly "family" dinner specials. Do your own research on that one. Some are incredibly good, some are not, but you'll be the judge of which are which. I think I've had 5 or 6 of them, and 5 were fantastic. About their shop, though...Italian deli. Kinda old school. Homemade sausage, they make a buncch of different sammiches - hot and cold. Daily soups. Nicest people in the world. If you suggest something, it's all but guaranteed it will be on offer in a few days. If you call and ask them to make something special for you, more than likely, you'll have it.
Hits:
most of the family dinners (especially the Chicken Lombardy)
Most of their subs
chicken salad
many ppl like their homemade meatballs.
Homemade sausages

Fast Food -

Big Guys reigns supreme as a premium burger/dog type joint. I haven't tried their beef sammich, and haven't heard much about it. I should give it a go next time I pop in. Wish they had more indoor seating for winter. That would increase my visits in the cold. Love eating out back at the pic-uh-nic tables out back. This place is easily destination quick eats in the area. GNR. Nuff said.

Novi's on Oak Park and Ogden:
Beef stand with a full menu of what you'd expect. Fries can be awesome - fresh cut, not frozen. Beef is variably good - usually not as salty as most other places. I like the beef. Their signature giardiniera is an oddity. You'll love it (i guess) or you won't. I'm not a fan. It's oily, with hot red pepper - no veggies to speak of. I think it's odd. They do a solid dog. I usually do a beef, but bring it home and put my own giardiniera on. I've tried other fried "apps" there, and thrown them all away. Frozen, foodservice junk.

Bubba's on Ogden:
Solid beef, VERY solid burger. Very solid fries. They routinely cake the salt on the fries - beware. I usually ask for no salt, and when I forget, I have a sad face like this, only blacker -

Pete's on Ridgeland and Roosevelt (gasp! I think that's actually Oak Park!) -
I don't have too much experience with Pete's. I don't think I've been there in 3 years. I used to kinda like their beef - seemed flavored with bouillion, and I'm no msg prude - I dug it. Not 100% sure what they are up to over there these days. I'm guessing Big Guy's has cut into their profits.

Henry's on Ogden -
This is a good joint for a minimalist depression dog. Fries are frozen foodservice, but they usually crisp them up correctly.

Tom's Carry Outs (in Lyons on Harlem)
GREAT fries. Everything else is pretty standard "Greek - everything under the sun" fast food joint. Ribs, chickens, tacos, fish dinners, dogs, beef, gyros - all that. The fries are great. Everything else is pretty ho hum. I get a fish sammich with tzatziki. Nothing else excites me here.

Truth be told, my favorite beef in the close area is actually Pop's in Lyons.

Just as an aside...

Berwyn is also an outpost for Jack-in-a-Box style deep fried tacos (a personal favorite of mine)...

Novi's Beef
6746 Ogden Ave, Berwyn
(708) 749-0895
http://novis-catering.com/

Henry's Drive-In
6031 W Ogden Ave, Cicero (close enough... )
(708) 656-9344

Mc Donough's Red Top
6601 26th St, Berwyn
(708) 788-1120

Not sure if they are still open??? Appear closed on my last few drives by.

seebee wrote:Well, I was getting to Tonini's...
If you live in the area, or work in the area, you should decide if you want to be a part of their Facebook group. This will entitle you to their weekly "family" dinner specials. Do your own research on that one. Some are incredibly good, some are not, but you'll be the judge of which are which. I think I've had 5 or 6 of them, and 5 were fantastic. About their shop, though...Italian deli. Kinda old school. Homemade sausage, they make a buncch of different sammiches - hot and cold. Daily soups. Nicest people in the world. If you suggest something, it's all but guaranteed it will be on offer in a few days. If you call and ask them to make something special for you, more than likely, you'll have it.
Hits:
most of the family dinners (especially the Chicken Lombardy)
Most of their subs
chicken salad
many ppl like their homemade meatballs.
Homemade sausages

We have been a member of their Facebook page for the last month or two have had a few of their family dinners. Usually a meat with pasta, vegetable (or salad) and a dessert and have enjoyed them very much. It is a tough choice as it is hard not to order them too often.

There are also giveaways from time to time. A free $6 to 8 item with a $12 purchase. Godda be quick though...

seebee wrote:BBQ -
...

Cigars And Stripes
This is a bar that happens to rock real bbq. Decent beer list, freindly bartenders. Only been a few times, both times, a few of the bbq things I wanted had already sold out - tips, sausages.
Hits:
Wings

...

They actually won Berwyn's Best Burger recently. My Bride and I tried all of the entries and theirs was a very good burger! But of course they cheated by putting Rib Tip Burnt Ends in the meat mixture.

It was all good. Good bun, excellent white cheddar and their BBQ on the side was not too sweet. They were one of the few restaurants to hit a perfect medium rare too.

Tonini's Family Dinners -
Mbh, Toria, Santander (and anyone who might give a hoot:)
I would highly recommend trying them if you will be in the area and have a family to feed for dinner. I'd steer clear of their pasta w/red sauce options when they have them - just IMO, far too simple to do at home, but if you need the time back, definitely go for it, and order one. I've had enough of them to know what to order that we'll probably like when they are offered. The last one I had was "salisbury steak, mashed, corn, and chocolate eclair cake." I thought I made a mistake when I got it home, and took a quick taste, but after we dug in, I loved it. The whole meal was straight from a 1975 Betty Crocker cookbook. Brought me back to the days of dinner at 6, whole family at the table, finish your milk before you take your plate to the sink, please. Straight up back to basics, home cookin. The eclair cake was graham crackers, vanilla pudding, and Duncan Hines ass frosting, too. Loved it all to death. I'd get it again in a heartbeat. The prices are pretty much insanely fantastic when you get something great.

My First Choice for sit down dining in Berwyn is Czech Plaza.
http://checkplease.wttw.com/restaurants/czech-plaza

Good comfort food and very fair prices.

Finer Dining:

Autre Monde -
Do the tasting menu. If for some reason you can't, order anything with full confidence.

Oliver's -
The newcomer. Heard nothing but good things so far, but only been for brunch. VERY solid brunch showing.

mbh wrote:Thanks seebee, I'm planning take the new mom out to lunch so we'll explore. I tried Familia Fresh market last week and was really impressed, I can't wait to dig deeper.

Mbh -
On 26th street, just W of East avenue, on the N side of the street is a little, dank, Mexican, bodega. Every shelf is packed full, no space wasted. I've been in there twice, and I need to investigate more. They have like 6 different salsas for sale at all times. I've seen carnitas, barbacoa, and tamales on wknds, and also a lamp heated case with crunchy fried things like taquitos. I'm gonna get there this week and buy several of the salsas to try, maybe fajitas from the butcher case, too. It is NOT bright and airy and upbeat like Familia is. Just be warned. I'm crossing my fingers that I have a new salsa source. I make my own frequently, no problem. But some places actually make it cost effective to buy it instead. (Most do not.)

ETA: I actually popped in on Thursday, bought their chicky fajitas for 1.99/lb along with their roasted salsa, 2.99/16oz, and Avocado Salsa, 2.49/16oz. Salsas were outstanding. They had a RED avocado salsa, a standard tomatillo, but also a creamy green salsa that the deli guy said was NOT avocado, but made from Chile Dorado(?)
and also a pico de gallo. The green avocado salsa was just a HAIR under what I've grown accustomed to from Chaparrita, and the roasted tomato salsa was in a word: fantastic. Chicky fajitas were solid. This is easily my new spot for salsa. Gotta try that red avocado salsa next time. The place is called, "Valles Produce - La Case De Arrechera," and it is TINY, and kinda dank. Salsas were absolute FIRE tho.

Cool, thanks again. I love that other people are jumping in here with tips also. Berwyn is clearly a great area to explore. I have some out of town family coming to stay (no heat please) so I'll have to wait a couple of weeks before venturing through new places.

Pizza- A simple large thin crust sausage pizza from Villa Nova in Stickney. It's one of the best sausage thin crust pizzas in Chicagoland, if not the best.

Tacos- A simple steak taco with cilantro and onions from Zacatacos.

seebee wrote:Finer Dining:

Autre Monde -
Do the tasting menu. If for some reason you can't, order anything with full confidence.

Oliver's -
The newcomer. Heard nothing but good things so far, but only been for brunch. VERY solid brunch showing.

Need a brunch place tomorrow but their website doesn't indicate they are open for brunch. Did you go on a Sunday? What's the menu like?

I went to Oliver's on Father's Day. Perhaps it was a special brunch, but I could have sworn the co-owner say they would be open for brunch on Sundays. Call first, per website:
"Closed on Sunday & Monday
Sunday brunch coming soon, Fall 2016"

The brunch menu was not long, but I think it was streamlined in a pro-chef way. 5 or 6 egg options including build your own omelets, benedict a few ways, a few sammiches, pancakes, oysters, and I think one or two steak/chop options, and a DIY Bloody Mary bar. Looked like you got a tall glass with a vodka pour, and you head over to the corner where they had a bunch of options for you to make your own.

seebee wrote:I went to Oliver's on Father's Day. Perhaps it was a special brunch, but I could have sworn the co-owner say they would be open for brunch on Sundays. Call first, per website:
"Closed on Sunday & Monday
Sunday brunch coming soon, Fall 2016"

The brunch menu was not long, but I think it was streamlined in a pro-chef way. 5 or 6 egg options including build your own omelets, benedict a few ways, a few sammiches, pancakes, oysters, and I think one or two steak/chop options, and a DIY Bloody Mary bar. Looked like you got a tall glass with a vodka pour, and you head over to the corner where they had a bunch of options for you to make your own.

Thanks!

Bodhis Thai on Roosevelt is very good if you like thai food. Very different options on menu.



Bodhi Thai Bistro
bodhithaibistro.com
6211 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn, IL 60402 · ~5.7 mi
(708) 484-9250

Cigars & Stripes is one of my go-tos in that area. In addition to the burger and wings, Ronnie has lots of little specials, my favorite being his smoked Italian beef. He also has some rocking danger dogs/Tijuana hot dogs which he serves in a flour tortilla instead of a bun. Comes wrapped in bacon, topped with pico de gallo and some other stuff, smoked, and served with a grilled serrano pepper (which really takes it over the top for me.) My favorite 2-for-$6 hot dog treat in the city. We were there when he first started experimenting with them (I believe my cousin and I got the first order) and he made a cheap Oscar Meyer weiner taste good. I couldn't believe it, although the last time I was there, I swear he changed the hot dog to an all beef one, but I didn't get a chance to inquire. I thought the Oscar Meyer thrown on the smoker wrapped in bacon was perfect for beer grub. Here's a picture of 'em on the smoker from his Facebook page. He's also a chili head, so if you like your hot sauces, Ronnie has something for you. He makes all sorts of sauces, but tends to like them on the super hot side. Plus a great beer selection and a wonderfully weird and eclectic group of people. If the Svengoolie had a bar, this would be it.

Binko wrote:Cigars & Stripes is one of my go-tos in that area. In addition to the burger and wings, Ronnie has lots of little specials, my favorite being his smoked Italian beef. He also has some rocking danger dogs/Tijuana hot dogs which he serves in a flour tortilla instead of a bun. Comes wrapped in bacon, topped with pico de gallo and some other stuff, smoked, and served with a grilled serrano pepper (which really takes it over the top for me.) My favorite 2-for-$6 hot dog treat in the city. We were there when he first started experimenting with them (I believe my cousin and I got the first order) and he made a cheap Oscar Meyer weiner taste good. I couldn't believe it, although the last time I was there, I swear he changed the hot dog to an all beef one, but I didn't get a chance to inquire. I thought the Oscar Meyer thrown on the smoker wrapped in bacon was perfect for beer grub. Here's a picture of 'em on the smoker from his Facebook page. He's also a chili head, so if you like your hot sauces, Ronnie has something for you. He makes all sorts of sauces, but tends to like them on the super hot side. Plus a great beer selection and a wonderfully weird and eclectic group of people. If the Svengoolie had a bar, this would be it.

This is perfectly stated top to bottom. This is a magical little place. I walked into an informal Malort-downing contest last night and they were watching zombie and vampire cable and talking about the best graphic novels and tattoo parlors and drinking Stiegl Radler. The giardiniera potato salad and corn salad that come with the wings are better sides than most farm-to-table pretenders (which this place is most decidedly not claiming to be). The dog was all-beef last night, the tortilla like a Puebla arabe. Who the heck is Ronnie, and where did he learn to cook and/or plan menus and salsa caddies? We need more of him. That said, nobody go here, so it doesn't change, please.

Cigars & Stripes
6715 W Ogden Ave
Berwyn, IL 60402
stripesbbq.com
(708) 484-1043

Ronnie is an ex-professional wrestling promoter (or at least that's one of the things he's known for.) The place has had its share of controversy, but he definitely has a style of his own. You can see him here. He's definitely a character and the persona you see there is not far off from his real-life persona. He's a personality that can be a bit polarizing (hey, it takes a certain type of personality to be a professional wrestling promoter), a bit brash, opinionated, stubborn as shit, and rough around the edges, but he's also very kind and generous. And, yeah, B-movie marathons or zombie flicks and 80s films are a regular occurrence there. The place has a lot of character. I've been going there for about ten years now, first discovering it when I was looking up good beer bars somewhere vaguely in my area (I'm Southwest Side), and he was just getting into smoking then, primarily chicken wings on a single offset smoker in the back. Wings and pizza were the only offerings back then. He's expanded quite a bit since then (I think he's got at least three smokers), and I've never had a bad meal. I completely forgot about that giardineira potato salad. It's great. And I just remembered he also has a great habanero, cherry, and apple hot link that's worth trying.

From their Facebook feed...

Home Run Inn Berwyn (6825 W. Cermak Rd) is now OPEN! Thank you to the city of Berwyn for welcoming us with open arms. We are open (both carryout and dining) from 4pm-10pm. We're happy and excited to be serving the community!

Right next to the Big Hurt BrewHouse.

Sigh, I've read a lot of bad online reviews about people who didn't care for Big Hurt Brewhouse, that really scare me about not wanting to go there. Am I correct in thinking I'm not missing much by not going there? I do hope to visit Cigars and Stripes and The Garage, at some point. Love southern barbeque a lot, so I'm curious to see how they stack up to the other good places(i.e. Prized Pig in Niles, MI) that I've tried!