Firehouse Grill
750 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60202
Mon 4:30pm-10pm
Tue-Thur 11:30am-10pm
Fri & Sat 11:30am-11pm
Sun 11:30am-9pm
847.733.1911
Firehousegrill.net
Take a step back in time when you sit down to dine at what used to be a turn of the century firehouse. Everyone loves getting dressed up and eating at a fancy restaurant, but sometimes, your soul just needs a cold beer and properly cooked burger. That’s what Firehouse Grill is for. You can get much more than a burger, though. Take a look at their expansive menu to see everything you can sink your teeth into. Get comfortable at their large outdoor patio or cool off in their dining room. Don’t feel like dining in? Order your food for takeout or delivery! Can’t seem to find anyone to cater your next event? Take a look at Firehouse Grill’s catering menu before you plan your next get-together!
Blind Faith Café
525 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60201
Mon Closed
Tue-Fri 11am-8:30pm
Sat & Sun 10am-8:30pm
847.328.6875
Blindfaithcafe.com
Ivan Newell and Fran Welch started Blind Faith Café in 1979. They have rose above their circumstances and became an Evanston icon. It began in 1978, when then-college student Ivan Newell needed somewhere to live while attending classes at Northwestern University. It just so happened Fran Welch was going through a divorce and was given the family house during the court settlement. Welch needed help paying the mortgage, so she headed to Northwestern to let college kids know she had a room available. Funny enough, Ivan saw the notice and decided to rent the room from Fran. The two had many common interests and several months later, Fran and Ivan were in love. Ivan dropped out of college in spring of 1979 and opened a vegetarian restaurant with Fran. The couple bought the building from the struggling Evanston Snack Shop and opened for business in September 1979. With little money and less restaurant experience, a friend told the two they would need “blind faith” if they were going to make the restaurant happen. It was that conversation that gave the café its name. In 1982, Ivan and Fran sold the restaurant to David Lipschutz, their second employee, and the empire began to expand. Lipschutz moved the vegan and vegetarian restaurant to Dempster Street and added a bakery and second dining room. Forty years later, and the restaurant still holds to the same convictions they were founded on.
Taco Diablo
1026 Davis St, Evanston, IL 60201
11:30am-9pm, daily
847.869.4343
Tacodiablo.com
Taco Diablo shoots straight; an independent, small restaurant owned-locally since 1992. Here you can find eight devil-masks surrounding a baphomet painting taking center stage along their bar wall lit in red! The owners here give a respectful salute to Mexican food and traditional Mexican cooking methods. You can expect to find classic moles next to salsas made fresh every day. Stop in to experience a margarita with mezcal or tequila from the finest small batch and artisan distillers. Have your mind blown with the down to earth service and authentic, quality food without a conceited attitude.
Prairie Moon
1635 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
3pm-9pm, daily
847.864.8328
Prairie Moon opened their doors in 2002 to bring authentic food from all over the States to the folks in Evanston, Illinois. You can enjoy classic cuisine such as Trout, Salmon, and Chicken but also savor in new flavors like their Crawfish Etouffee. While some dishes endure the test of time, Prairie Moon understands evolution is necessary, and that’s why they create new daily specials from their travels across the country. For fans of small batch alcohol, stop down to The Moon and pour back a beer or spirit brewed right here in Evanston! Enjoy your drink at the one of the city’s first restaurants to possess a liquor license where the Temperance movement was born. Prairie Moon is all about helping the environment, and they prove it by reusing the floor of a former bowling lane as their bar counter. The Moon supports local artists in the community by lining the walls with their work. Make your way in and make friends with the owners and staff, whether you’re a local or passing-by, Prairie Moon looks forward to serving you!
La Cocinita Restaurant
1625 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
11am-9pm, daily
847.332.1625
Lacocinita.com
La Cocinita, which means “The Little Kitchen,” provides Evanston with Latin American street food with a Venezuelan touch in a modern environment. Benoit and Rachel Angulo love Evanston and Chicago, but they also love New Orleans, which is why the two have a both a food truck and restaurant in both cities! The Little Kitchen has a large media presence, being featured on Restaurant Start-Up, Eat Street, and even The Cooking Channel’s Taco Trip with Aaron Sanchez. Benoit Angulo as significant cooking experience, starring in Top Chef and even cooking personally for Sylvester Stallone. Furthermore, La Cocinita had an article in The Wall Street Journal while placing as one of the best one hundred one food trucks in the United States and winning the title as “best food truck in New Orleans!”
Lucky Platter
514 Main St, Evanston, IL 60202
Mon Closed
Tue-Thur 4pm-8pm
Fri 11am-8pm
Sat & Sun 8:30am-8pm
847.869.4064
Luckyplatter.com
Lucky Platter is an, “eclectic funky diner made from scratch.” If you want a laid back vibe with cuisine from all over the world, stop in and enjoy the American folk-art lining the walls. You won’t just find outstanding food, but also an amazing sense of humor. Opened in 1991, the same year as the fall of the Soviet Union and the birth of the internet, Lucky Platter set out to, “excite your palette and your senses with our creative take on comfort classics.” Every single one of Lucky Platter’s pastries, sauces, and dressings are prepared daily from nothing but ingredients by the passionate staff, a few, “of whom have been with us for over a decade!” Lucky Platter likes to keep their customers on their toes, that’s why they don’t just change the menu seasonally, but as inspiration hits. Experience Lucky Platter today for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and let the regulars and owners know, “that we still got it!”
