We may not do reviews at MenuPages, but our legions of users are all over that. Here are three of the best from the past week:
Not every restaurant in Chicago is a destination restaurant, and not every dining out experience is an “event”; in fact, most restaurant dining is modest in scale and close to home. Let’s take a look at three decidedly neighborhood establishments, none of which necessarily warrant a special trip, but certainly serve a purpose in the lives of local residents.
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On May 23rd, “chi town hustler” made the following assessment of Chuck’s Pizza:
It is unfair to rate Chucks including atmosphere. This is a carry out place plain and simple. And the Pizza is very very good. No waitresses in tees and orange shorts and like that. No plasma screen TV’s. On the dry side of Western.Just really good carry out pizza and he has been doing it for years….and with heavy competition. Roseangelas is tough to beat. Fox’s a local favorite with a bar but greeeeeeesy…And Milanos-Only deep dish worth buying in the City.But for thin you can’t go wrong with Chucks.
Simple, relevant, and to the point. We feel like we know more about the pizza scene in Beverley than we ever did before, and don’t you find the reference to the “dry side” of Western tantalizing?
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The next day, “b” chastized Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill for their antisocial pricing practices:
Hawkeye’s is one of the major hangouts for UIC students (and Chicago PD). The food is decent, and the place is generally a good time on a Thursday or Friday night. Don’t plan on having a happy Designated Driver, though, as they’re nearly spend as much on pop as you will on beer with their poor policy of expensive pop and no free refills. You can get a can or bottle of beer cheaper than a pop many nights of the week, and a pitcher of beer is always cheaper than pop pint-for-pint. It seems like poor policy and a lack of social conscious from this establishment. At a recent visit for lunch we were given a sandwich version of a wrap we ordered, which included fries instead of the fruit cup. The waitress seemed disinterested in the fact we received the wrong food, and even after we said we would manage by just taking off the bread, making it a wrap ourselves if she could get us a wrap and a fruit cup. She came back, and asked if we could just make due with what was there because “they were running low on wraps”. Not out, just running low. Our stunned silence was only ended after she also asked if she could charge us for the fruit cup. Absolute madness.
We like that “MPR” self-identifies as a transplant to give the reader a lens through which to interpret this review. We also hate burnt espresso - tastes like corn! Generally a great review, at least by the metric of us being able to clearly visualize the place in our minds. We don’t even mind the shill at the end, because it’s not related to anything in particular and it enriches our sense of the neighborhood.
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Chuck’s Pizza [MenuPages]
Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill [MenuPages]
Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill [Official Site]
Bridgeport Coffee House [MenuPages]
Bridgeport Coffee House [Official Site]
Owner is often on-site. Lots of regulars! Moms group meets on Wed mornings. Help is friendly if a little distracted. Good coffee…can’t take the decaf lattes, though. Burnt flavor overpowers. Pastries are good & fresh - but usually gone by mid-morning. Fairly good sandwiches (everything’s fresh). Like the atmosphere - as a transplanted Wrigleyville-ian - I really needed a local coffee house/cafe! Offers local art on the wall, internet connectivity, and a quiet place to sit, read (has Reader newspapers, too! Yay!), contemplate life. Just watch out for the other transplants…they can get pushy. Had a guy pull a newspaper out from under my reading eyes w/o so much as a “Hey, I want that”. Local city workers and contractors stop in and give the place a much-needed anchored to the neighborhood feeling. Please stop by after checking out the local burgeoning art scene (most likely spurred by the Internationally-acclaimed Zhou Bros.)
We like that “MPR” self-identifies as a transplant to give the reader a lens through which to interpret this review. We also hate burnt espresso - tastes like corn! Generally a great review, at least by the metric of us being able to clearly visualize the place in our minds. We don’t even mind the shill at the end, because it’s not related to anything in particular and it enriches our sense of the neighborhood.
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Chuck’s Pizza [MenuPages]
Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill [MenuPages]
Hawkeye’s Bar & Grill [Official Site]
Bridgeport Coffee House [MenuPages]
Bridgeport Coffee House [Official Site]
