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Adriatic Cafe Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
5553 N Clark St(between Gregory St & Bryn Mawr Ave)
Chicago, IL 60640
Neighborhoods: Andersonville, Edgewater
(773) 828-8889
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bryn Mawr (Red Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
75 reviews for Adriatic Cafe Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"The Serbian salad was delicious." In 4 reviews -
"Bacon wrapped dates are always a good start." In 3 reviews -
"Dinner portions are large, and prices are very reasonable." In 3 reviews
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75 reviews in English
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Review from Kristy K.
Chicago, IL
3/1/2012
This place is wonderful! I came here at an off time (3pm on a Saturday afternoon) with two others and we were immediately greeted at the door, the owner even took off my coat. We weren't planning on eating, just grabbing some Turkish coffees, dessert crepes and catching up.
The restaurant was extremely inviting and the next thing we knew a few hours had gone by (helped by the fact that they had an AWESOME afternoon soundtrack - The Black Keys, Ellie Goulding, Foster the People, Bloc Party...the list goes on). At hour two, we ordered some wine and a few apps, all of which were excellent. There was a great selection of Croatian/Serbian wines, the grilled calamari was very tender and the hummus perfectly spiced. Not to mention the walnut and honey crepe was sinfully good.
I highly recommend this place - I'm looking forward to coming back for the afternoon buffet or a dinner! -
Review from Tom V.
Chicago, IL
2/1/2012
Last December, I purchased a $25 gift certificate for $1.00 through http://restaurant.com and glad I did! The food here is incredible.....this evening I enjoyed a bowel of corn chowder and the adriatic plate which included a pork chop, 2 kinds of sausages, chicken, a beef kabob, and rice. My partner, on the other hand, enjoyed the lamb chops.
All of our food was seasoned perfectly and hot when it arrived to our table. The decor is beautiful and the pricing wasn't that bad. With tip included, our bill was $42.00. If we each didn't have an alcoholic drink, our bill would have been around $28 or so.
I'm picky about where I eat and definitely plan om coming here again and strongly suggest to anyone that goes to do the same and purchase a $25 gift certificate from http://restaurant.com.....I think they are around $5.00 or so. -
Review from Axel E.
Chicago, IL
5/23/2012
"square" ham on the meat platter is unacceptable... and please make the bread better than pizza dough buns (pita is easy and easliy found fresh)... love the fountain and patio though, just make some real food like other places that are charging similar prices with much better ingredients...
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Review from Michael H.
Chicago, IL
4/23/2012
A couple of friends and I were looking for a place to eat and had eaten at Adriatic before and thought it was pretty good so we came back for seconds.
Wow. First, the waitress didn't know what a Manhattan was. When we ordered one on the rocks and one up, we got them both served in the same rocks glass, one with ice, and one without instead of serving it in a martini glass chilled.
We overlooked that.
The flaming cheese was tasty and when we ordered our dinners, one of the items sounded good but no one knew what meat was in it. It just said "medallions served in a pickle and cream sauce." I ordered this when I found out it was pork.
When my food arrived, I started laughing. The pork was so dry and hard that it actually shattered when I tried to cut it. My friend ordered seared scallops that were so overcooked and rubbery that they bounced when he tried to cut them. The sauce they were served with tasted literally like a jar of cocktail sauce.
When two people out of three don't eat hardly any of their small entrees, a good waiter would ask if everything is OK. She did not.
Terrible experience and I will never EVER go back. -
Review from Christoph B.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Mediterranean food lovers rejoice! Adriatic Cafe has phenomenal food and excellent service to boot.
Upon arriving with a party of 8, they had our table set and ready for us to sit down within minutes. (thank you, OpenTable!)
We ordered drinks and the calamari to start. Calamari was just perfect. The menu is extensive. I wanted to try a little bit of everything so I went with the Adriatic Platter. It came with chicken, pork, beef skewers, cevapcici, and a spicy sausage over rice.
I definitely spied some other dishes that looked good. The lamb, for one, and the chicken kabob. Will go back to try these entrees and the crepes. I was just too full after dinner for dessert.
That's a good sign, right?
Oh, and one more thing. My dad has a thing for chocolate milkshakes and so he ordered one. It wasn't on the menu, but the kitchen was very accommodating and made him one anyways. That's service! -
Review from Erika G.
Updated - 9/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'm going to step up my review another star, because this place really stepped up.
I had my 50th birthday party here last night, and swanned in with 80+ of my bestest friends relatively unannounced. I didn't want a giant table with a big bill, so we pretty much took over the bar area in the front, and filled up all the little tables. Since it was raining - WOE - we couldn't take advantage of the delightful patio space, but there's plenty of warm weather to come for that.
The servers were on their game and took care of everyone. They trailed after me, refilling, as champagne glasses clattered in my wake. They pretty much joined the party and were friendly and attentive - well done! They let me put my iPod on the bar to blast my own tunes!
I'm glad I chose this place - and I think they gained a few new fans with my friends in the neighborhood that had never stopped in before. Very kid friendly as well, the menu is really varied.
Meze plate (SALAMI!!!) and the grilled calamari are stand outs. The reuben looked good, and the grilled vegetable appetizer were GIANT!
Oh, and the champagne was delicious. Hello, 50. When I'm done with you, you'll be done well.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/22/2011
Fantastic crepes! How can you go wrong with a crepe stuffed with mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and… Read more »
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Review from Lauren N.
Gurnee, IL
I've been here a few times, and will be coming back. Their food is fresh, excellent prices, and portions are huge. I honestly do not know how they make such large portions and only charge what they charge. It is a Serbian cafe, its in Andersonville, so you're going to see a mix of cuisines represented on the menu.
The Food: I absolutely love their shopska salad, fresh tomato, cucumber, onions, and feta. Very refreshing and I think the huge bowl is only $5! More than enough to share with 2-4 people. I've had their crepes a few times. Always a mix of fresh fruits, with whipped cream, and a drizzle of strawberry sauce usually. And when I say crepes again, its around $5 and you get more like 2-3 crepes not 1! My friend had the chicken kebab, they were excellent. Recently I had the club sandwich, to try something average, and they did it really well. I would say the cucumber slices in the sandwich were nice but they made it a bit slippery so I took them out. The homemade french fries were about as good as they get, nicely salted, with a bit of skins left on.
The Service: I've seen reviews where people are complaining about the service. Well its a Serbian restaurant, and while it is in the good ole USA, its a European run establishment, slow service is good service as some say. Personally I'd rather be able to sit and talk to my friends instead of being bothered every 5 minutes by some annoying waiter. The service here is efficient, but not overbearing. If you want someone practically watching you eat, go to the Cheesecake Factory!
The restaurant: Decent decor, nice table clothes and china. Would love to sit outside in their little patio area someday. Very clean as well!
Overall, I love the food, great prices, efficient service, clean, excellent quality for the price. -
Review from Kaitlin M.
Chicago, IL
8/30/2011
This was the worst experience I have had at a restaurant in ... maybe my entire life! It was absolutely repulsing!!! If I could give negative stars to a place... they would have gotten a couple.
A friend and I thought it would be a nice place to go get lunch because they have a great outdoor patio (the ONLY good thing they have going for them). We chose our own place to sit and waited ... and waited for menus. They showed up along with water. We asked if there were any specials and the waiter didn't say word... he just walked off. I don't get it???
He came back a bit later and listed off specials of the day. I ordered the eggplant sandwich and my friend ordered the bacon wrapped sausage lunch special. Thank God my friend and I have good conversation because guess what? We waited... and waited... and waited.
Our food finally shows up and I immediately think they got my order wrong. Normally when you order a sandwich at a Mediterranean place it comes in a pita and has Mediterranean characteristics. Nope... not at this place. It shows up on a plain white bun with lettuce and tomato. Now I got past not having a pita pretty quick but this next thing still makes me feel sick a bit... the eggplant was cooked so gross. All I could taste was vegetable oil because they had basically been cooked in a pan full of it. By the time I was done cutting the sandwich in half my plate had completely pooled full of oil. GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!!! I basically ordered a side of hummus to eat as my lunch.
Now my friend had ordered the lunch special so you would think it would come with some sides right. Nope. Wrong again! He got 6 little sausages wrapped in bacon... and that was IT! What the heck is wrong with this place?
Now let me begin telling you about the atmosphere. First off they have birds in cages on their patio. And they are NOT quite birds. They are loud, high pitched, chirpy and really annoying. And by the way... birds are extremely dirty. Why would I want a creature that likes to figure out how to poop outside its cage anywhere near my food? Oh wait... your right ... I wouldn't!!!
Secondly they let someone sit on the patio and smoke next to us, so the whole time we were attempting to eat our crapy food we tasted smoke instead. By the way ... smoking on the patio is illegal in IL and almost any other state in the country. They just took wrong to a completely illegal level.
Don't ever eat, drink or even use the bathroom here... NOT EVER!!! My stomach is churning with disgust just having to write about them. -
Review from erin o.
Chicago, IL
11/2/2011
YES !
A few great things:
The crepes !! (aka: palacinke) -- Savory or sweet, they are some of the best you'll find.
Cevapcici (sausages, Balkan style) are delicious here
The HUGE Sunday brunch
The staff is really friendly and great. Not to mention they have arguably the best patio (that they are now covering for winter) on Clark.
AND
There is a parking lot in back. -
Review from Roseann M.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 7/11/2011
A phone call from the diner with the coupon causes me to raise my rating. In my original review, I ranted and raved about the 18 1/2% gratuity that was imposed. I was informed that the coupon we used to get a discounted dinner actually required that the 18 1/2% be included. The gratuity that made me nuts had nothing to do with Cafe Adriatic, and everything to do with our dining coupon.
So I am revising my original review and upping it the 1/2 star I originally deducted. Long live Cafe Adriatic!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/5/2011
4.5, actually.
You know how it is when everything is going along well, you're happy, relaxed, the sun… Read more »
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Review from Alan S.
Evanston, IL
6/16/2011
Excellent Place-
It has its ups and downs...But its a practical place when you want to get more food for your money...
Service was good. Liquor great. And the restaurant was clean. -
Review from Laura P.
6/13/2011
After a disappointing first night of Midsommarfest, we decided to duck out of the misty wetness and dry off at Adriatic. We started by looking at the menu outside first, then one of the nice servers came out and said the first drink is on us. Well that sold it, we went in.
Bread (aka rolls) we immediately brought out to us....they were warm and NOT doughy! Yaay. Next, we had some calamari. It was ok, pretty standard. Entrees were a range of kabobs and pork loin. Pretty good all around. Solid is the actual word I would use to describe it.
Rice was cooked perfectly, lots of onions and tomatoes with the yogurt sauces. No problem except for the rest of the night we all kept burping up stinky onions.....
Nothing really to write home about, nothing blew me away except for the service which was really attentive. I would go back. Standard Chicago Mediterranean food is exactly what this restaurant serves. Cheap too. -
Review from Kristin M.
Chicago, IL
8/2/2011
I'd give 3 stars for the food, but am giving 4 stars because I love the patio so much. Add the fact that there is a http://restaurant.com certificate ($25 for $2, yay!), it was a good deal!
Went on a hot Saturday night and had no problem getting an outside seat. The patio is beautiful, it's like a little secret garden. I think there are several fountains, it's just a very relaxing atmosphere. The patio chairs are cushion-y and they rock. They're difficult to pull into the table, but I don't care, they were so relaxing. We enjoyed a leisurely dinner.
The food was good, nothing special. For apps we got the saganaki and portobello mushrooms. Entrees included greek sausage (kind of dry), sea bass (on the small side), the salmon special (was consumed quickly, so I assume it was good!) and the tilapia special (which included two huge pieces of fish, rice and caper sauce. May have been a little too heavy on the sauce, but I enjoyed it).
Service was an issue. Our waitress was VERY scarce. We sat waiting (comfortably, mind you) for long periods of time waiting for her to return. It took forever between drink orders, ordering appetizers and ordering entrees. When she asked about dessert we decided we were going to get some. It took her so long to return, however, that we just abandoned the idea and went for ice cream at George's instead. Most other tables seemed to have better service.
Also, I noticed they didn't have tzatziki and pita on the app menu, but it featured in a couple entrees. I asked if I could get a small plate as an appetizer. She was confused and didn't seem to know what it was. I explained and she said ok. It never came. I didn't push it because I don't think she had a clue what I was asking for and I couldn't be bothered to explain again.
Having said all that, I think I'll be back just for the patio. Yes, I liked it that much! -
Review from Vanitha S.
Atlanta, GA
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Eurocream=Croatian version of nutella with crushed nuts. Plasma=chocolate drizzle. Eurocream plasma crepe=delicious and should be tried at least once!
This place is so easy to miss amidst all the other restaurants in the Andersonville area that seem to swallow it up. It is definitely worth trying out this lovely place. The ambiance, service, and food were all top-rate. My chicken kabobs were cooked with a blend of tasty spices, the salad we ordered had a different blend of banana peppers thrown into the typical cucumbers and tomatoes, and when I pointed out my wine glass had some lipstick smudges on it, it was returned to me with sparkling clean nearly double the amount of wine. The dishes were moderately priced.
Best of all, we were offered free drinks on the house. Can't beat that! -
Review from Rebecca T.
Marina del Rey, CA
7/28/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Went here upon the FB recomendation of several friends and really glad we did! The food was delicious, and the outside patio is really open and nice. Good for larger parties - we had 6 people and plenty of space.
- Spanokopita, i.e. flaming cheese... 'nuff said.
- Hummus and Pita: pita was nothing to write home about/not home made, but hummus was good
For dinner I had the bacon-wrapped, feta and spinach-stuffed pork chop. Omg, it was sinful and heavanly all wrapped into morsels of goodness.
One word to the wise - don't waste your appetitie/calories on the dinner rolls the serve pre-meal. They're not good and just fill you up; I'm always up for a yummy bread basket, but this is NOT it. -
Review from Dee L.
Chicago, IL
8/1/2011
The fact that I have eaten here a ONLY few times and considering that I live work AND play past this place for over a year now says it all.
The food is excellent! The presentation is beautiful! The patio is gorgeous! The service is TERRIBLE!!! -
Review from Sheila G.
Chicago, IL
7/30/2011
Pros:
1) The food was delicious.
2) The outdoor patio was large and beautiful.
3) The prices were reasonable.
4) The staff was friendly.
Cons:
1) Service was slooooow.
2) Our waitress would disappear for far too long during the meal.
2) The smoker at the table next to us wasn't appetizing. -
Review from art s.
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one instance where I'd really like to be able to use half stars, as I'd give Cafe Adriatic 3.5. I had a 4-star time, but I'm not sure I would call them a 4-start restaurant.
Reviews here have been all over the spectrum, but we caught them on a good night.
* Service was attentive and friendly
* Food was tasty.
Big part of the fun was trying something completely new to me -- the kajadjordjeva (sp?) schnitzel. a.k.a., fried, stuffed pork loin with squeeze bottle mayonnaise drizzled on top. Sounds weird, looked weird, tasted pretty great.
Bacon wrapped dates are always a good start. Menu suggests there is jalapeno involved in these, which sounded excellent, but unfortunately we didn't taste any evidence of heat at all.
* Wine selection focuses on the offerings of Montenegro, Croatia, et al. How often do you see that? Montenegran Cabernet Sauvignon I had was simple and drinkable.
I haven't yet been to any of the Balkan countries, but our night @ Cafe Adriatic made me feel like I stumbled into a low key, rustic restaurant on the Montenegran vacation I've never had. The table of native speakers behind us chatting away with the hostess and waitress reinforced that vibe. As did the eclectic mix of three different types of outdoor furniture they have on the patio. It may not be sleek, but I kind of enjoy a place that doesn't have that same cookie cutter / decor-by-numbers look that every other restaurant has.
We'll try this place again. Hope they survive and thrive. -
Review from Milo M.
Chicago, IL
6/28/2011
This place is definitely worth exploring... they have a charming rain or shine outdoor patio (looking forward to going back in the rain). Patio water fountains add ambient noise suitable for conversation.
From what I tried, here are the standouts:
1) The Crepe w/Eurocream and walnuts... what the! It seems to be made with something like nutella and crushed walnuts, served with buttery crisp edges, my oh my.
2) Cevapchichi - mini sausages, garlicky and delicious served w/sauce... delicious! Similar to the ones you'd find at Midsommarfest
3) Freshly baked bread rolls (served warm!)
4) The Shopska salad (diced tomatoes, cucumber and crumbled feta) ample and pleasing
They also have flaming cheese (saganaki) and many more things for me to try. The experience is definitely ethnic, some things are lost in translation, but it felt more authentic that way. Yes, Adriatic, keep up the good work. -
Review from Katie T.
5/31/2011
I loved this place! Everything I tried was amazing. Of course, we had to have a shot of Slivovitz and one of the Serbian beers I had was really good.
I had so much to eat from mushrooms to sausages to salad and saganaki. I will definitely be back and can't wait to sit outside on their beautiful patio. -
Review from Tim D.
Chicago, IL
1/6/2012
I really enjoyed this place! The food was delicious, service was wonderful, and I am looking forward to returning in the summer to dine outside!
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Review from Mary M.
Chicago, IL
12/27/2011
Terrible, inedible food that I had to send back it was so bad. Equally awful service. Such a shame considering we love the neighborhood. I honestly cannot believe they are still in business. Yucky! My husband had to get a colonic the following day because his stomach hurt so bad.
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Review from David R.
8/2/2011
Decent food. Adequate service. INTOLERABLE chairs.
Am I really going to devote an entire review to chairs? You bet I am!
The chairs on the patio are all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Terrible, horrible, awful, and aggravating. First, the construction: the swivel-post mechanism and round base make it difficult to pull close to the table, and forget about stabilizing yourself for the eating exercise. You will be constantly swaying and swinging. It didn't help that the table had one leg too short and therefore wobbled. Second, the height: the chair and table should be matched to put the surface at high to mid- stomach-level for an average person, not at mid-chest level. And I'm taller than average. It doesn't help that the diner sinks down into the cushions. Oh yeah--thirdly and worst of all, the cushions: YUGH. It's summer. It's already hot and humid. Who wants to sit on puffy vinyl cushions for over an hour? Outdoor seating should always employ a wooden or metal chair with slats or lattice that allows some air to circulate over a person's body. These chairs will increase your personal sweat factor by at least four.
Whoever selected those chairs should be dismissed; whoever added the cushions should be horsewhipped. Or even better--forced to sit in them all day on the hot patio to gain some empathy with the customers. They might be acceptable in cooler weather in a lounge situation, but never in heat when one needs to sit up to a table to consume a meal.
Easily in the top three most uncomfortable restaurant chairs in my 30+ years of dining out.
Oh, but the grilled calamari was very good, just the Goldilocks level of doneness with a nice grill flavor. The Adriatic chicken was egregiously overcooked--dry and charred--but I enjoyed the mashed potatoes and the generous heaps of red peppers and mushrooms that accompanied.
Maybe--MAYBE--I would return in cooler weather to sit inside. Maybe.Listed in: Calamari
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Review from Lisa W.
Chicago, IL
9/7/2011
Came here with a couple of friends on a warm Saturday night. We sat in the outdoor patio which was awesome! The chairs were really comfy and ambiance was so warm, it felt like you were in the comfort of your backyard. My friend has a 2yr old son and he loved looking at the fish in the pond and the parakeets in the cages that are located in the back patio. We ordered the bacon wrapped dates as an appetizer which were to die for! They were prefect and so yummy! I ordered the seafood kabob and the shrimp and scallops that came with were jumbo! There was no skimpin on the food here! Plenty of seafood and plenty of rice. We also ordered a few glasses of wine and their wine list was quite extensive. Many options to choose from. Overall a great experience and our waitress was really friendly and helpful with the menu. I'll definitely go back!
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Review from Joe C.
Chicago, IL
12/6/2011
Very happy we found this place. Was greeted promptly and was allowed to sit where we wanted which was nice. Waitress was very attentive to our needs and checked on us regularly. We had the hummus plate and it was super delicious...great flavor and served with nice hot pita...very good...as for entree...we weren't sure what to get exactly so we decided to do the Adriatic plate that had a mix of a lot of the meats they had and it was super delicious...nice grilled flavor ..piles of meat served on top of flavorful rice with a very well dressed spinach salad on the side. The atmosphere was very nice and cozy.
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Review from Jill W.
Chicago, IL
10/5/2011
The food is great -- I've never had a complaint with any of the food I've ordered. Pork and chicken dishes are never dry, and that's something we can all appreciate.
Stingy with the stars based on service alone. I went the first week it opened, and ordered a meat sampler (don't you judge me). The ever-absent waitress plops the plate down and starts to walk away and I asked her what was on my plate, not being familiar with the food. She says, "I don't know" and walks away. Top Notch! She saved herself a bit, by bringing the chef to the table and he explained what was what -- and he was friendly and put a damn good scald on that meat. And here's where the waitress lost me again -- as the chef was explaining what was on the plate, she walked away. Um, yeah, no...If you don't know what you're serving people, take the time to learn when the opportunity presents itself so the chef doesn't have to keep explaining it.
But the food was so good, I decided to go back. It was the first week, after all, and that waitress clearly had no intention of staying. So I go back, food is still stellar -- had a bacon-wrapped chicken entree that kind of speaks for itself. The waitress this time was much friendlier, but again, ever-absent. Both times I went, the place was empty, so I don't have much patience for that kind of service.
I hope the service improves so that this can become the great neighborhood restaurant the owners intended. -
Review from Daniel J.
Chicago, IL
12/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
The entire experience with Adriatic can be summed up into one little word... awkward.
Bad Service (language barrier)
Cold Buns
Flat Soda
Food was mediocre at best (it was all lacking/missing something)
I do feel that Adriatic has potential... there are just so many little things that need to change to create a better experience.
I hope they make some changes and get it going. -
Review from brad p.
Chicago, IL
10/2/2011
What a pleasant surprise this place was. I had a Groupon-type deal and had had thai food the night before, so I thought, let's give this place a try. At 7 p.m. on Saturday it was empty, so I was a little wary. But the food and service were great. We had saganaki, a seafood bisque special (that was more like bouillabaise) and lamb kabob. The saganaki was perfect and delicious. The seafood bisque had enormous pieces of scallop, shrimp, calamari and salmon and was delicious. The lamb was perfectly grilled and had a great spicy sauce on it. They did force us to pay cash on the rest of our bill (claiming the internet was down and they couldn't run the credit card) and the waitress was a little pushy at first, but the food was so good, I will definitely return.
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Review from Vic C.
Chicago, IL
9/27/2010
Outdoor dining at its best and worst.
The best feature and worst feature of this place is the outdoor space. It has a really awesome patio with waterfall, tiki torches, old growth tree stumps as planters, you name it's awesome. Oh and the yellow bird. Can't forget the cute yellow bird.
It also sits on Clark St. at the far north end of Andersonville and the street noise is something to be feared. Its nasty. More nasty than further south on Clark. The acoustics of the place must do something to amplify--who knows.
As for the food. Meh! My original review nearly maxed out the page. But to make it short, my two hour, forced lunch was brutal. Service was sloooooow and the food wasn't all that great. I left more than half of it on my plate. The staff looked suprised or offended when I refused their request to box it up. They failed to pick up on my polite attempt of communicating that it basically sucked.
You'd be better off hitting Andes or Reza's if you're hankerin for something in the adriatic/mediterranean gypsie area.
Just not a winner. Too many better options. I give it 6 months. The winter is gonna kill this place. -
Review from Ericka A.
7/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
This place is the best of the best. The only thing I could possibly have anything less than stellar to say about is the bread and oil; it wasn't amazing, but neither was it horrible or even mediocre. It was fluffy and fresh, so can you ask for much more?
Our waiter and service was spectacular. He would always show up before or when we needed something, never later. A lot of our meal choices relied on him and he didn't let us down. I would eat here every day if I could afford it, honestly. They had set up a reserved table for us near the giant window. Everything about the experience was beautiful. Their building is large and elegant.
A lot of these portions say they are for two people, but you'd have to be two HUGE people to finish most of it. It might be for two people if that was the ONLY thing you ordered, otherwise, you'll want to bring lots of people to share. The soups and salads can easily be splits between two or three people for a light appetizer. We splits the meza platter between 10 of us. My main meal was cut in half and enjoyed the next day.
I cannot say enough great things about their crnogorski uvijac (aka punjena snicla). It can be described as nothing less than pork stuffed pork wrapped in pork. It is a pork fillet stuffed with smoked pork and cheese. It is wrapped in bacon, cooked, and served with a side of cooked vegetables and potatoes. Kajmak is also on the plate and really brings out the flavor in the snicla.
They now have their outdoor seating license and the patio is dog-friendly, so I fully intend to come back for that. The truth is that I will be back regardless.Listed in: Chevaps in the Chi
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Review from Holly E.
Chicago, IL
9/2/2010
We went here a couple nights ago and weren't sure what to expect as the restaurant was completely empty. We ordered a bottle of cabernet, which was served to us already uncorked. Our server was incredibly friendly and conscientious, and helped us understand some menu items we were not familiar with.
We ordered roasted eggplant and Serbian Salad to begin with, both of which were DELICIOUS. This was served with home-made bread. The salad was LARGE with delicious grated feta cheese on top. This could have been a meal in itself!
For entrees we had the lamb chops with mashed potatoes and steamed mussels with cream chardonnay sauce, both of which were served with sauteed vegetables. The lamb was delicious and tender. The mussels were delicious but very rich, and I ended up taking most of them home as the rest of the food was so filling. All in all our meal cost under $65, which is AMAZING for a good bottle of wine, appetizer, salad, and two entrees.
I definitely recommend this place! I hope to see more people in the restaurant next time I go there. -
Review from Art C.
Chicago, IL
8/29/2010
We had a great meal there last night!
Very flavorful meat entrees. First one on the entrees list was a *something* schnitzel, wrapped around smoked ham and cheese - delicious!! The Third on the list was a pork loin stuffed with cheese and smoked meat, THIS was out of this world delicious. It would be difficult for me to try anything other than this the next time I go, and I WILL go again for sure.
The Vegetable salad (on menu below entrees) was very delicious as well.
The Shopska salad would be great to share between two, or even three, guests; delicious greek-type salad with feta cheese atop.
You've GOT to try this place.
And, like someone else wrote, "I would eat here every day if I could afford it" and that's not to say that it was very expensive... the meat entrees were only $14 and the salads, veg $9, Shopska, $6. -
Review from Nastassia J.
Chicago, IL
7/8/2010
I'm giving this place 1 star...but I do so knowing that this restaurant is new and working out the kinks. I fully intend to return and give it another shot but in the meantime....
Husband and I arrived on a Friday night. Lots of open seating. We were told to pick a seat, so we did. Busser brings by water and bread.
5 minutes....
10 minutes...
15 minutes
20 MINUTES !!!
No server ever comes by nor even makes eye contact with us though we tried to catch their attention. We tried to be patient but gave up. We got up and left and on the way out I let the manger know what happened.
I do plan to return as obviously my review is not based on the food etc., and I hope that this place succeeds. So this review is "to be continued..." -
Review from Rebecca B.
Chicago, IL
7/3/2011
When I walked into Cafe Adriatic, it was empty and I almost walked out. But the staff was so nice I decided to stay. Then I was told there was an outdoor patio on the south side of the restaurant where several other diners were seated. The patio was so charming and comfortable I knew this place was more than I was expecting.
You can't help but notice the care that went into designing the patio.
There are a variety of seating options and I think I lucked out. I was dining alone and the waitress seated me at one of the few two-top tables. The chairs at my table had cushioned seats and that made such a difference in my comfort level. This patio is perfect for both large and small groups. There was even a family with a small child sleeping in her stroller at the rear of the patio.
I wanted something simple so I asked the waitress which she would choose - grilled chicken kabob or fettuccini with shrimp and salmon. Her pasta recommendation turned out to be the perfect dish to eat outside on a warm Chicago evening. The grilled shrimp were huge and perfectly cooked as was the salmon. I love simply sauced pasta dishes and the olive oil and garlic sauce was so good, I didn't want to take the last bite and end the meal. A glass of the house chardonnay was only $5 and it paired perfectly with the dish. It was cold and served in a lovely large glass which added to the thoughtful feel of the restaurant. Unfortunately I was driving, so I limited myself to one glass of wine. Fortunately the one glass was large enough to get me through the meal.
Cafe Adriatic Restaurant is the perfect Chicago summer restaurant! It reminded me what a dining experience can be when the restaurant cares about pleasing its patrons. I can't wait to show my friends this gem. It truly deserves a 5 star rating. -
Review from Renae J.
Chicago, IL
7/25/2011
Filthy. Terrible Service.
My husband and I ate in their outdoor garden on Saturday night. We ordered drinks and salads when we noticed several diners were smoking at nearby tables and ashtrays were provided by the restaurant. This irritated me and ruined our dining experience. When mentioned to the server, we were told the owner says it's ok for customers to smoke in the outdoor seating area.
WRONG! It's against the law!
We asked to speak to the manager, who did not come out and talk with us. Instead, we met him on our way out (we did not stay for our entree), and were again told it's fine for diners to smoke in their outdoor dining room.
The smoke makes for a filthy environment that is against the City of Chicago's ordinance.
Did I mention the birds in cages? Filthy. This place needs to be cleaned up or shut down. An embarrassment to a lovely neighborhood. -
Review from Andrew T.
Chicago, IL
6/10/2011
My fiancee and I recently moved to Andersonville and we decided to try the Cafe Adriatic out. We went about 6pm and our choice was primarily based on the nice outside seating. The host was polite although seemed a bit awkward. We initially ordered the Mezze plate, which effectively was a few different cold cuts and chesse, very plain, just like they had just opened the packets of meat and put them on the plate.
For my entree I had a curry chicken burger and fries. Again, not horrible, but very plain. The bill was pricy for the quality.
At the end of the day, nothing I ate was disgusting, but it was all stuff I could easily make at home and was not impressive at all.
When the quality of restaurant son Clark St is so high, it amazes me this place is still open, I will not be going back. -
Review from Shawn T.
Chicago, IL
6/19/2010
Better then Great!
I have to admit, this place probably deserves a more of a 4/5 service. However, the our waitress in particular made this a great experience.
As the previous people indicated this is Serbian food. Basically this is southern Europeans - Serbians, Croatians, Slovenians. The food also reminds me of Hungarian, Ukrainian and Russian.
Appetizer: We had a cold meats plate. This was an assortment of cold meats and cheeses. Everthing tasted delicious, and wonderful!.
We got a Serbian salad which was lots of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and other veggies with lots of feta cheese. And for the main course we got the assorted platter.
Everything was delicious, the Serbian salad fresh and tasty. The meat was great and had few different kinds of meat varieties and rice (more like plov -which comes from central Asia)
The food was impressive, and is probably as good as it gets when it comes to Southern European Food. Meat was of high quality and tasty!
Our waitress, obviously ethnic was most helpful in picking something delicious to eat- since I am not familiar with Serbian food. She truly made this a great experience by making us feel welcome to the restaurant, and was excited to show us their food! Seemed like she was passionate about her heritage, yet very worm and welcoming- like I was coming into her house for a dinner. -
Review from Eric K.
Chicago, IL
10/19/2010
Wow - this restaurant has so much wrong with it - it's hard to know where to begin. First of all we went on an off night (Tuesday) and were looking forward to a new restaurant in Andersonville.
We walked in - had some nice wooden tables and a nice wood bar. Then we were seated in the odd dining room. Tables decorated with unattractive table cloths with candle holders that look like trinkets you would buy at a tacky Florida gift shop. The only thing going for it were the great windows which they covered up with a large plant.
Then the waittress was very strange - she barely spoke English, Couldn't answer question on the menu, asked us how we wanted our chicken cooked (um not red is good), didn't refill the water glasses but interrupted us to ask if we wanted more water.
The menu was a strange hodge podge of mediterranian and other items. All smushed together so you couldn't read one from another.
We ordered Hummus (which was chunky but tasted ok) served with dinner rolls. My friend ordered the chicken kabob which was terrible - no taste at all. (how do you mess up a kabob?). I had the grilled octopus which was little whole octipi on iceberg lettuce drizzled with salad dressing (???) and some sort of patoto or rice. It was disgusting - I gave my friend a piece he almost gagged.
I went to the restroom which looked very nice (i'm impressed by restaurants that care how their bathrooms look) well until I saw that the urinal was right at the door where everyone can see in. (not private at all) and it smelled a little like sewer back up in there too.
Overall - everything was terrible - atmosphere, food, service - I guess the prices were reasonable except we like to have edible food for our money. I WON'T be going back again. -
Review from Jennifer S.
Chicago, IL
9/24/2011
Wow, was I surprised!!! I live in Andersonville and had eaten at Adriatic right after it opened. The food was good so I have no idea why it took me so long to wander the extra block north again. Last night around 9pm me, my husband and three other friends wandered in unwilling to endure a wait at other restaurants and much to our delight, had a fantastic time!. The portabello appetizer had an incredible sweetened thickened balsamic sauce which made the mushroom taste blissfully meatlike. My husband got the salmon on mashed potatoes and nearly inhaled the delicate flaky tastiness. One friend got the lamb and as he devoured it in 10 seconds, I suspect it was good ;) Our desert crepes were amazingly good and at $5 each (each one is really two crepes on one plate) I can afford to eat myself to obesity.. Also, Our waitress was a sweet personable girl who was perfectly happy to answer any of our questions and chat. Overall, we had a great meal and will definitely be adding this restaurant to our list of regulars (Wishbone, Fernandos, La Creperie, Wildes)
On a side note, The restaurant has just acquired a cute little buttery sounding piano. Upon closer inspection and a momentary play..I started talking with a nice man nearby who turned out to be the owner. I suspect I will be wandering in to play an hour or two of standards ;) -
Review from Duch S.
Chicago, IL
8/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Bought a groupon type thing here. It was alright. Nothing too amazing where I would be back to pay the full price of what everything I ordered actually cost. I had the shrimp scampi and had the smallest portion I was still hungry afterwards.
