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When I first moved to Oak Park, I was fortunate enough to live less than a block away from this comfortable restaurant/bar, and it has been a favorite ever since. I heartily recommend it due to its...
When I first moved to Oak Park, I was fortunate enough to live less than a block away from this comfortable restaurant/bar, and it has been a favorite ever since. I heartily recommend it due to its vast array of domestic and imported beers (including a good selection of rarities and microbrews) and its seafood entrees—it’s a great spot for a casual dinner or to start off (or end) a night of drinking. They also serve popcorn as a free appetizer, which is a plus in my book. Some dinner entrees are a tad on the pricy side ($15-$25), but you can land one of my two favorite sandwiches there—a Murphyburger or Pisapollo (grilled chicken with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce)—for under $10. Whenever I have visitors from out of town, this is where I often take them if they want to dine out.
Also, Poor Phil's is smoke-free indoors, which is a plus if you're going drinking with someone who might have allergies (or hates the smell of smoke).
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Unfortunately, the Avenue Ale House (just north of Interstate 290 on Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park) is one of those places where bad service and bland food torpedoed what looked to be a pretty nice...
Unfortunately, the Avenue Ale House (just north of Interstate 290 on Oak Park Avenue in Oak Park) is one of those places where bad service and bland food torpedoed what looked to be a pretty nice neighborhood bar and restaurant. The last time I was there (with a date), we waited 20 minutes for a table—right at the height of the dinner rush—which was to be expected. We eventually got seated in a cramped corner booth and waited another 15 minutes to see a waitress—this was a bit unexpected. We ordered burgers from the slightly pricy menu (which basically contained the standard pub fare—burgers, sandwiches, beers, etc.) and waited another 40 minutes for the food. Now all this waiting may not have bothered me if the food was worth the wait, but the burgers and fries were definitely on the bland side. It was a major letdown after the long wait, and to make matters worse, our waitress literally disappeared like a ghost after we got our food, so we sat even longer waiting for the bill. Now I know our experience may not be the norm (maybe they were short-staffed that night, maybe they have newer management)—but it was enough to institute a self-imposed exile from the place, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Instead, I’d stick to a place like Poor Phil’s in Oak Park for beer and burgers (see my Poor Phil’s review for details).
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This new pizza and Italian food joint (apparently part of a chain, although it’s the first time I’ve heard of it) opened up shop near my home at Ridgeland and North avenues along the Oak-Park/...
This new pizza and Italian food joint (apparently part of a chain, although it’s the first time I’ve heard of it) opened up shop near my home at Ridgeland and North avenues along the Oak-Park/ Chicago border recently. The consensus at home is that Sarpino’s regular crust pizza (we usually get pepperoni) is fairly decent, but it won’t knock your socks off. We did prefer Sarpino’s taste over Domino’s and Papa John’s (two other nearby pizza chain options), for what that’s worth. Sarpino’s also gets high marks for its fast (generally 15 minute) order turnaround time and very clean interior.
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The restaurant’s somewhat witty name is what first drew me to this otherwise non-descript but well-kept Chinese fast-food spot tucked away in a strip mall near the corner of North and Harlem...
The restaurant’s somewhat witty name is what first drew me to this otherwise non-descript but well-kept Chinese fast-food spot tucked away in a strip mall near the corner of North and Harlem avenues. I am a major fan of their Monday-Saturday lunch specials: For around $5, you can snag hearty portions of a wide variety of Chinese staples (I usually swing for the sweet and sour chicken/pork or pepper steak) with shrimp fried rice, an eggroll, a can of pop and a fortune cookie to boot. The food may hot be exceptional, but it’s not bad at all—and you can’t beat the “bang for your buck,” so to speak. If you’re strapped for cash but have a craving for Chinese, I definitely recommend a lunchtime visit.
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