*** (3 stars)
Okay, this place is not the best sushi restaurant in Chicago, but it’s counter service sushi and sashimi, and you can get anything you want, made fresh, and lunch is about ten bucks. That’s really impressive. If I want a quick, good sushi fix, this is where I go.
Sashimi Sashimi
640 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 475-7274
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sashimi-sashimi-evanston
*** (3 stars)
Cozy Noodles is a funky little cafe near Ace hardware, on Davis, but on the other side of the tracks from the business district. The striking thing about the place is the collections of tin toys, Pez dispensers, license plates, canned good, and other oddities that line the walls. Despite its name, it doesn’t serve comfort food (unless you’re from Southeast Asia), but rather Chinese and Thai food. Our food was good — “spicy” definitely means spicy — and the prices are very reasonable.
Cozy Noodles & Rice
1018 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 733-0101
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cozy-noodles-and-rice-evanston
***** (5 stars)
This is a small plates sort of place, so we sampled some smoked salmon, hummus, Margherita flatbread and some fish tacos. It was all good, and the hummus plate, which is more like a whole Lebanese meal including falafel and olives, is a particularly good deal.
The menu is really interesting, and warrants several repeat visits. Service was well-intentioned but not quite as professional as the food. The place was very busy, due to the trendy vibe and good prices. The bar looks nice, too.
Terra an American Bistro
2676 Green Bay Rd
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 563-9100
http://www.yelp.com/biz/terra-an-american-bistro-evanston
**** (4 stars)
Dumpy old furniture, cave-like ambiance, everything you expect in a college-oriented coffee house. I love it. The food, whcih takes awhile since there’s often not much staff, is surprisingly good, the coffee drinks are Starbucks-killers, and the wifi is free. My favorite coffee house in Evanston.
Kafein
1621 Chicago Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 491-1621
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kafein-evanston
**** (4 stars)
What looks like a run of the mill coffee house turns out to be a gourmet sandwich and salad experience. Service is a bit slow because there are only a couple of employees, but the results are delicious.
Cafe Mozart
600 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 492-8056
http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-mozart-evanston
**** (4 stars)
There’s surprising creativity here in the kitchen, and the service is much better than you might expect, too. Definitely a good choice for a fresh, fast meal.
Lulu’s
804 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 869-4343
http://www.yelp.com/biz/lulus-evanston
*** (3 stars)
I’ve never cared for places that try to do both Chinese and Japanese cuisines, because they tend to do neither all that well, and Koi is no exception. On a nice summer day it’s pleasant to sit in the front room with the floor to ceiling windows open, but don’t expect to get life changing sushi here. For the price I expect more.
Koi Fine Asian Cuisine and Lounge
624 Davis St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 866-6969
http://www.yelp.com/biz/koi-fine-asian-cuisine-and-lounge-evanston
*** (3 stars)
If you’d rather have a buffet than order fresh from the menu, this is a good choice for lunch. The Nepalese items are interesting, but the Indian food seems more healthy, in general, with fewer fried items and more vegetables.
Mt. Everest Restaurant
630 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 491-1069
http://www.yelp.com/biz/mt-everest-restaurant-evanston
***** (5 stars)
This is my favorite sandwich shop in Evanston. Creative, really fresh tasting sandwich and excellent ginger beer. Try the Indonesian BBQ sandwich with pork. It’s basically a Vietnamese Binh Minh with secret sauce!
Soulwich
1634 Orrington Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-2222
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soulwich-evanston
**** (4 stars)
Pete Millers has that clubby feel I like in a steakhouse. The steaks aren’t particularly life-changing, but the ambiance is great, and there’s live entertainment that is pleasant without making conversation impossible. A good place for a business dinner.
Pete Miller’s Seafood & Prime Steak
1557 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201
(847) 328-0399
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pete-millers-seafood-and-prime-steak-evanston