A selection of the top Cheap Eats, where you can eat for less than $13 an entree. Ratings: 4 forks, don’t miss it; 3 forks, one of the best.
Adobo Express
3 forks
5343 N Lincoln Ave., 773-293-2362
Located in a strip mall next to the huge Korean Garden Buffet, Adobo Express is Filipino grocery store and hip, attractive restaurant. One side holds a food shop, a steam table and a couple of cafe tables. The other side is an artsy, contemporary, 35-seat room with teal and pumpkin walls, modern photography and vases sprouting brightly hued bamboo rods. It offers traditional Filipino fare with small twists.
Recommended: The pork adobo, mung bean and shrimp potage.
Hours: 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. daily
Credit cards: M, V
Angel Food Bakery
3 forks
1636 W. Montrose Ave., 773-728-1512
If the wedding-cake-bedecked windows of this cheery storefront aren’t a big enough draw, step inside and get a load of the cookies, scones, brownies and other sweets gracing the display cases. Grab a seat at one of the seven or so tables topped with ’60s-style cloths and little vases filled with beaded flowers.
Recommended: The crock of mac and cheese, French toast, Waldorf salad.
Hours: 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Tue.-Fri.; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, M, V
Asiago
3 forks
601 N. Martingale Rd. (Streets of Woodfield), Schaumburg; 847-330-0777
www.asiagorestaurants.com
Asiago’s homey interior–leather couches, fireplace, open kitchen–is a great contrast to the uber-shopping mall feel of Schaumburg. Head here for that as well as hearty Italian cuisine in big portions, from pasta and pizza to an array of sandwiches, salads and housemade soups.
Recommended: Sicilian-style margherita pizza, antipasta salad.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mon.-Thur., 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, D, M, V
Ballydoyle Irish Pub and Restaurant
3 forks
5157 Main St., Downers Grove; 630-969-0600
www.ballydoylepub.com
From the dark wood and welcoming atmosphere to the Guinness, Harp and Bellhaven signs, Ballydoyle says pub in capital letters. You’ll find lots of Irish grub, from several incarnations of corned beef to colcannon, fish and chips and boxty. Portions are large, the ingredients are fresh.
Recommended: Steak boxty, beef and Guinness stew.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun., 11:30 a.m.-midnight Mon.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m. Sat.
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V
Bangkok Cafe
4 forks
17 N. Vail St., Arlington Heights; 847-398-1989
The soothing atmosphere of Bangkok Cafe in Arlington Heights envelops diners as soon as they enter. The walls, in serene shades of gold, plum and sage, are decorated with elegant Asian artifacts as well as portraits of the staff–owner Kim Cho and her five sisters–that don’t seem the least bit hokey. The menu offers a varied selection of Thai dishes–mostly predictable (pad Thai, satay chicken) but occasionally unusual (mango curry, a trio of sublime desserts)–are well executed and beautifully presented
Recommended: The vermicelli noodle soup, shrimp egg rolls, the Pa-Nang Curry’s peanut sauce.
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 4:30-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 4:30-10 p.m. Fri.; noon-10 p.m. Sat.; 4-8 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: D, M, V
Bombon Cafe
4 forks
38 S. Ashland Ave. (near Ogden), 312-733-8717
A literal bright spot on a careworn block of Ashland Avenue. This offshoot of the popular Bombon Bakery in Pilsen features cheery yellow walls, casually mismatched whitewashed wooden chairs and a display case brimming with beautiful cakes, jewel-like tarts and artisan breads.
Recommended: La Cubana sandwich, sopecitos.
Hours: 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; closed Sun.
Credit cards: A, M, V
Bowl and B.B.Q. Korean Restaurant
4 forks
1277 Elmhurst Rd., Des Plaines; 847-758-1277
Located in a nondescript strip mall a few miles north of the backside of O’Hare, Bowl and B.B.Q. Korean Restaurant serves up many varieties of soup and barbecued dishes in a spartan dining room. A major draw of a Korean meal is the assortment of pickles and other nibbles served up with your meal.
Recommended: Fried dumplings, somyeon, described as “thin noodles with hot beef broth,” bibimbap.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; noon-10 p.m. Sat.-Sun.; closed Mon.
Credit cards: A, M, V
Cafe Smilga
3 forks
2819 83rd St. (at Lemont Road), Darien; 630-427-0929
Don’t let the sanitized strip-mall setting fool you: If you want to experience Lithuanian cuisine, buy Lithuanian foodstuffs and hear the Lithuanian language spoken, Cafe Smilga is for you. The rustic decor, simple yet comfortable, consists of large wooden-plank tables and benches; the ceiling is covered in fishnet, a reminder that the Baltic Sea rubs part of the nation’s coast. A waitstaff takes and serves orders, but this is a deli too, so lots of folks line the counter to buy meats, cheeses, baked goods and salads to take home.
Recommended: Zeppelin (an oval dumpling made from grated, boiled potato, is filled with meat), balandeliai (oversized cabbage rolls).
Hours: 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: M, V
Feed
3 forks
2803 W. Chicago Ave., 773-489-4600
On a desolate stretch of Chicago Avenue and backed up nearly to railroad freight yards, is this country-cooking joint that looks like a chicken shack. Inside, the rustic barn-red walls and chicken motif–from a painted frieze of hens to a wall of framed exhibition poultry photos–give the impression of a well thought-out, tongue-in-cheek scheme.
Recommended: Chicken, corn pudding, fried okra, red velvet cake.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: None. Cash only.
First Slice Pie Cafe
3 forks
4401 N. Ravenswood Ave., 773-506-7380
On the ground floor of an unassuming three-story brick building in Ravenswood is the Lillstreet Art Center, home to the First Slice Pie Cafe. The menu shows an array of French and Mexican influences, with an emphasis on the slow-cook method.
Recommended: Shredded duck sandwich, Latin hip hop salad, pies.
Hours: 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mon.-Thurs.; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fri. and Sat.; closed Sun.
Credit cards: None
Frontera Fresco
4 forks
Macy’s, 7th floor, 111 N. State St., 312-781-4483
Whisk up the express elevator on the State and Randolph side of Field’s to the 7th floor, where chef Rick Bayless has opened his first restaurant in years, a fast-food spot in a food court.
Recommended: Tortilla soup, huaraches, quesadillas.
Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mon-Sat.
Credit cards: A, DC, M, V
Glenn’s Diner
3 forks
1820 W. Montrose Ave., 773-506-1720
It may say “diner” in the window of this spot just two doors west of the Montrose Brown Line stop, but inside Glenn’s Diner there’s no chrome, no Formica. Instead, you’ll find dark wood tables, lighter oak wainscoting with creamy white walls above, and a long granite-topped bar where you’re welcome to pull up a stool. The recalculation of expectations continues with diner classics done with more attention to quality than the typical corner dive.
Recommended: Tiger shrimp cocktail, Chicago-style barbecue chicken, potato pancakes.
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat.; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun.; closed Mon.
Credit cards: M, V
Go Roma Italian Kitchen
3 forks
28361 Diehl Rd., Warrenville; 630-393-ROMA (7662)
Newbies may be confused at first about how to order at Go Roma Italian Kitchen. Customers walk in and encounter menus on the wall. Stand there and study the menus, and you may feel like you’re holding up people behind you. On the other hand, most of the customers seem to be regulars and bypass the menus. Think hearty Italian fare. The centerpiece is hand-stretched pizza, with eight versions on the menu (such as pizza margherita, smoked chicken, oven-roasted vegetable) plus 20 other ingredients you can order to customize your own.
Recommended: Bruschetta, thin-crust pizza.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., noon-9 p.m. Sat., noon-8 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, D, M, V
Honey 1 Ribs
3 forks
2241 N. Western Ave., 773-227-5130
If you’re a barbecue fan, susceptible to being dazzled by a smoky inhale, you don’t have to walk inside this Bucktown storefront to know there’s something terrific going on. Smoky smells account for the succession of cars with blinking lights double-parked in the bus zone outside.
Recommended: Combination of rib tips and links, fried chicken, gizzards.
Hours: 1-9 p.m. Sun., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tues.-Sat.; closed Mon.
Credit cards: M, V
Infini-Tea
3 forks
902 Main St., Antioch; 847-395-3520
Great place for a spot of tea in a cozy nook. There’s plenty of tea paraphernalia and tons of fussy Victoriana that many people associate with the English. Indeed, the snug room does seem like the kind of tearoom you might find in an English seaside resort.
Recommended: The “Crabbie Lorrie,” The “Tea Lite Service.”
Hours: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sun.-Wed., 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thurs. and Fri., 8 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sat.
Credit cards: A, D, M, V
Maiz
4 forks
1041 N. California Ave., 773-276-3149
An inviting spot on a dark block in Humboldt Park that packs seating for about 60 into a narrow space. Diners are drawn to chef Carlos Reyna’s Mexican “street food.”
Recommended: Totopos (tortilla chips), the mini quesadillas capatalinas (palm-sized cheese-filled turnovers).
Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tues.-Sun.
Credit cards: None
Minnies
3 forks
1969 N. Halsted St. 312-943-9900
Black-and-white tiled floors lend a retro feel to the front room of Minnies, where a long counter serves as both bar and dining area. Down a hallway lined with another counter, there’s a smaller room with banquettes and tables–and a wonderful two-wall mural circa 1950 of three old dames enjoying cocktails. OK, so the gimmick here is self-evident: Everything is small-scale. The house special is your choice of three Minnie Sandwiches plus an 8-ounce carafe of house rose, red or white wine plus their “infamous frites” (fries) for $13.
Recommended: The Cuban Minnie, beef tenderloin Minnie
Hours: 6 a.m-1 a.m. daily. Takeout window open 24 hours daily.
Credit cards: AE, D, DC, MC, V.
Pho Xe Tang (Tank Restaurant)
3 forks
4953-55 N. Broadway St., 773-878-2253
Under green awnings boldly etched with the name of this Vietnamese and Chinese restaurant, families crowd around tables large and small, with some tables shared by strangers busily chowing down on punch bowl-sized containers of the beef noodle soup called pho. The food is good but the place ain’t pretty.
Recommended: The goi cuon (version of the classic cold summer roll), shrimp egg rolls, Banh cong (deep-fried shrimp cakes topped with a shell-on shrimp).
Hours: 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon., Tues., Thurs.-Sat., 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sun.; closed Wed.
Credit cards: D, M, V
Rhythm & Spice Restaurant
3 forks
2501 W. 79th St., 773-476-5600
This bright neighborhood Caribbean cafe is just off a residential corner on 79th Street. Large, handwritten signs taped to the windows promise “best jerk chicken.” If you’re dining in, order as quickly as possible, then expect to wait up to a half-hour for your cooked-to-order selection.
Recommended: Curried goat, jerk chicken and catfish.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, D, M, V
Spacca Napoli
4 forks
1769 W. Sunnyside Ave., 773-878-2420
It’s hard to miss Spacca Napoli, the only restaurant on this side street in Ravenswood–first, because of its pumpkin-hued facade, and second, because there’s likely to be a passel of hopeful diners spilling out onto the sidewalk most nights. Meals start with a choice of nine antipasti, which include salads, meats and various sauteed vegetable choices, and the main event here, the pizzas, are terrific. The dozen options range from the plainest marinara pizza (no cheese) to a tomato-sauce-free white pizza with prosciutto, arugula, provolone and Parmesan.
Recommended: The margherita pizza, four cheese pizza (with gorgonzola, emmenthal, fontina and mozzarella), insalata mista
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Wed.-Thu.; 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; noon-9 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: A, M,V
Thai Grill & Noodle Bar
3 forks
1040 W. Granville Ave., 773-274-7510
Cactus plants and tropical greenery add to the ambiance at this attractive, smart noodle house on the ground floor of Edgewater’s historic Sovereign Apartments. A gigantic menu with something for everyone, including stir-fry options and Thai curries. Noodles made to order include rice, bean thread or egg.
Recommended: Shrimp rolls, spicy catfish fillets with red curry paste.
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Tues.-Sun.
Credit cards: V, MC, A
