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Categories: Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Park, DePaulArmitage (Purple Express, Brown)
Fullerton (Purple Express, Brown, Red)
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Greek civilization seems to have peaked a while back, at least in terms of philosophy, science and epic poetry. But that doesn't mean they don't honor the tradition of serving a killer gyro across the breadth of Lincoln Park. It is a heritage: In Plato's Symposium, there's a dialogue between Socrates and some chap named Agathon clarifying the true nature of the gyro. Agathon finally yields to the logic behind the fries sitting in a pool of lamb grease.
"I can't find any way of withstanding you, Socrates," he says. "Let it be as you say."
"Not at all," says Socrates. "It is truth that you find impossible to withstand. Truth, and the way the fries absorb the delectable lamb meat juices and plethora of Grecian spices."
As an added bonus as true as the Socratic dialogues, this ancient culinary expertise is available for fewer drachma than most nearby eateries will charge.
I can hardly imagine what it must have been like to endure, thousands of years ago, the pains of being pure at heart. A life before the Hellenistic period, the death of Alexander the Great, and before great minds pondered the philosophical significance of the first-class, tzatziki-kissed gyros from the Athenian Room.
This is a good place to go if... you respect finely made gyros as much as you do millennia-old aphorisms.
Is there ever a bad greek place? I mean all their dishes are solid although ironically I think their worst dish is the gyros because the meat was dry on this day.
The chicken, lamb, and all the other pitas were outstanding. The gyros are good but this batch wasnt great, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it was just an overcooked day.
I absolutely love this place. So does my boyfriend.
We always order in-house, but then take it next door to the bar to grab a few beers and not have to worry about having someone wait on us. Sometimes, its just nicer that way. Two thumbs up for that.
My bf swears that this is his favorite restaurant in the city and he craves it once a month. I am definitely OK with these cravings.
The food is awesome. The kalamata chicken is so tasty. It's tender and full of flavor. Quite possibly the best Greek chicken I've had. The skirt steak was incredible as well. I've never thought I would like caviar. I never even imagined trying it. They have this caviar dish, more like a spread to put on pita, and it is freaking amazing. I wish i had some of it right now!
OK, I am not a vegetarian whatsoever, but the past 2 times we've been there, I've ordered the vegetarian special. The salad is just amazing. It comes with pita, tzatziki(omg, i love that stuff) and their Greek fries. The fries are soooo good. Soaked in lemon and olive oil and sprinkled with salt. :)
I doubt we'll ever eat inside the restaurant, not with the fantastic bar next door, but we will definitely be back plenty more times. The help is always super nice, and two thumbs up to the owner who told my boyfriend he was a lucky guy :)
Yay, I love this place.
I couldn't help noticing this place getting some attention of late, and I've never put in my two cents. It's on my "top five cheap eats" list as well as my top five gyros. In the past 25 years or so, I've been here many, many times. It is still my go to spot for a gyros sandwich. Not only for the gyros, but the greek-style fries with lemon and oregano. I also love the Greek chicken and the skirt steak. And you cannot beat the prices. Never had an unfriendly server or service that was sub-par or slow. Great neighborhood and family vibe, too.
And I like the fact that I have to sneak through a side door and pick up my beer at the bar next door (where my claim to fame in the 80's was ripping my suit pants wide open while break-dancing.) It feels very speakeasy/naughty having to sneak a beer that way. If I recall, you have to use their bathrooms, too. Talk about things going full circle! The Athenian Room is exactly the type place I would like to visit if I were a tourist in the big city and wanted a fun and reasonably-priced, authentic neighborhood ethnic spot.
I went here at the recommendation of a friend who knows the owners - the food is great (I recommend the skirt steak with greek fries, delicious and a great deal at $15), and the service is usually pretty good though can feel a bit rushed. One waitress I had a few weeks ago left something to be desired (maybe I had the same person as Aaron A., as she seemed to disappear after the food was brought out to us.) It's also sort of annoying that you have to go buy your booze yourself and bring it over from the bar next door.
4 stars for the food, closer to 3 for the service - wish there was a 3.5 star option but I'll round up and go with 4.
So average. :|
I got the shrimp dinner...wish the menu would have let on that it was fried. I'm not big on fried food. Also, the feta cheese I got with my salad was extra...awesome...glad to find out when I get the bill. I should have known better. If the waitress asks if you want something, it's extra. And if you order $10 shrimp, it's probably fried. I made a mistake and ordered the wrong thing, I should have ordered the Kalamala chicken, I have a feeling that would have been a lot better. It was a cheap dinner, but I only ate half of it. Pretty disappointing.
I will say, my boyfriend enjoyed his dinner. He got the shish kabob chicken dinner.
Here's the deal.
I came here after hearing all the rave. Not impressed. Matter of fact I left here pissed off and I won't be coming back unless it is to yell at the worst waitress I have ever encountered.
The food was mediocre. Nothing I would go ape about. It was cheap and filling.
The worst part was the service. The restaurant was not packed at all. The waitress was attentive for the first 10 minutes. However, once the food was brought out she was no where to be found. We had to get up and track someone down for a slice pita bread, another time for our plates to be cleared and two more times for the check. All the while we could see her outside chit chatting. Needless to say, she didn't deserve a tip. She wasn't even there to collect the bill- another waitress had to step in.
Here is the kicker. Randomly she ran into us later in the night and says "Remember me? Thanks for the tip." Yeah, here is a tip, a waitress is supposed to wait on their customer not the other way around.
Another horrible thing about this place: If you want a beer or need to use the bathroom you have to come next door to this shit hole they call a bar. Enter at your own risk. It's disgusting.
You've just been yelped in.
The only way one could possibly enjoy the food here is to have no idea whatsoever of what real Greek food tastes like.
I order the vegetarian salad, it comes with fries ON TOP of it (very odd, not good), and with barely any dressing, just mostly lettuce. They are normal fries, that likely come frozen in a huge bag, but they add some lemon and oregano and it's "Greek Fries" ok that is not hard to do, and the fries were average. The salad was unappetizing, as was the nasty hunk of feta cheese served on the side on a small plate. The selection on the menu is limited, (I think most people go for the gyros) and they serve no alcohol. The service was equally bad, and even though the place was not busy, I waited forever to see a waitress or to get a check, I honestly thought they forgot.
Overall, it is a "fast food quality" meal, and I'm surprised this place stays in business so long.
Everything is good here. The skirt steak is my favorite. I also love the feta burger, with pita, much better than with bread.
Carry out is perfect, like this other review it is faster than drive thru as in 10 minutes you can pick up anything and it is ready waiting for you. Very reasonably priced. Everyone there, and I mean EVERYONE is so friendly and helpful and attentive. I will keep going there, such a great casual spot!!
Food was good --- had the chicken kabob dinner. everything was reasonably priced.
Service was a little shaky. Our server had an attitude...and wasn't sure if it was because she was trying to play along with us...or if she just had an edge. Either way, things were a little weird when my friend asked for a substitution...and she wasn't flexible whatsoever. For that reason, he even asked for additional tomatoes...and when the food came he didn't get any tomatoes at all. hahahaha.
But whatever --- this place was a fun and decent way to spend a Saturday night.
I've thoroughly enjoyed everything I've ever eaten at the Athenian Room, but the two standouts are the steak and kalamata chicken. The skirt steak is soooooooo damn juicy and delicious. I just love that you can get a great piece of steak at a casual spot. The chicken is also expertly prepared: salty, crackly skin and tender meat. Both come with Greek fries, which you have to get. Don't be lame and get plain fries. Be cool and get Greek fries.
This is my mom's favorite place to eat when she comes to visit. She loves the no cell phone rule (an older lady WILL yell at you) but it kind of makes me feel like I'm in class, stealthily texting under the table... but I'll deal with it for the yummy food. :)
This is my favorite Greek restaurant. I grew up 3 blocks away, and grew to be 5'11" and model thin eating this food. Now I live in Greektown, and willingly brave public transportation and snow to go back to Lincoln Park for gyros, greek chicken, a skirt steak, and some tarmosalata. Long before it was in vogue, they were buying free-range and delicious chicken. Every item is hand selected, and the food is superb. It's a relatively simple place, you can dress down or up, the people are lovely and the owners still work there are 25 years (maybe more, but I was 5 when we started going).
This place has a lot going for it:
1. they put cinnamon in the iced tea!!!!!!
2. The chicken in the kabobs is the juciest kabob chicken I have ever teasted.
3. The gyro meat has a unique flavor...not all processed-like as at some places
4. The prices are low.
5. The service is fast and friendly
6. The greek fries are friggin' awesome. They have some lemony goodness on them that cant be beat!
My favorite dish in all of Chicagoland is right here at the Athenian Room. It's called Athenian Chicken. I know I already touted its loveliness, but it really is ridiculous how much I order this meal.
They always make it to my specifications (extra sauce in the bottom of the chicken, no dressing on the salad, add feta cheese) without issue or attitude. The last time I visited, I found that they had a new sturdier container for my trip home and they even threw in a comp baklava!! Brilliant of them...because it was amazing. :)
This is the one restaurant in Chicago which I visit at least once per month. I never do that!
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Went on a friday night and it was hard to find parking. Got the Kalamata chicken which was scrumptous, and my friend loved the fries. Didn't have to wait for a table. Not the cleanest restaurant.
Athenian Room is great greek food, in Lincoln Park, at a reasonable price. I've been going for years. The Chicken Kalamate style dinner is my fav; they put a chicken on type of greek fries that are soaked in vinegar/seasoning. The Avgolemono soup is great, but they only serve it in the winter. I'm also a fan of the Tiramusulata (sp?) and the Villager's salad at this restaurant. I would pit Athenian Room's food against any of the GreekTown establishments (Parthenon, Greek Isles, etc.) anytime.
A great spot to eat for a cozy quiet winter dinner, or dining outside in the summer. Dress is casual.
Quite possibly my new go-to lunch spot while at work.
Yesterday I ordered the large Greek salad with gyro meat. For $12 I had enough food for 2 meals. It came with pita bread and two little blocks of feta. Reasonably priced and healthy. I will definitely be frequenting Athenian Room!
Carry-out was fast. My order was ready in about 10 minutes. I would have liked to sit and enjoy the outdoor seating... if we hadn't been having a June monsoon!
This place is nasty. The service is terrible and racist. All i heard was good things about this place and it turned out to be terrible
So let me tell you about my Athenian Room experience ...
I go in completely set on ordered a gyro with feta. I see on the menu they have a gyro and a gyro with cheese. Naturally, I go for the cheese and I go out of my way to tell her feta (even though I assumed that was the cheese). She proceeds to tell me that the cheese is American? What? American cheese on a gyro? I am at a GREEK restaurant? Why would I get AMERICAN cheese? Does this make sense? No. I ask her if they could do feta and she says no, but I can order the feta appetizer for $2.50 and get it. $2.50? I can go to Trader Joe's and get a whole container and do it myself. Silly waitress. So on to my next question ...
I ask the waitress was the gyro dinner was because I was also intrigued by the fries. At this point, this lady has 0 interest in serving me but that's not my problem. She tells me the gyro dinner is just more gyro meat, and it includes bread, sauce, etc etc. I asked if it comes like the sandwich and she says no. I then ask "Can you make it like a sandwich" and she says no. Am I in another universe? What is going on here?!
I finally settle on the Feta Charburger (Thanks to some Yelp-ers) on a pita bread. The meal (for 8.75) comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki sauce, giant hamburger, a huge slice of feta, and these wonderful greek fries. The greek fries were coated in oil and special seasonings that were divine, and I used the extra tzatziki for dipping. Yes! I would go back for the fries.
The burger in a pita was HUGE. Like I didnt want to eat the rest of the day, and I eat a lot. It was very tasty albeit a little messy. The feta lacked some flavor, but it was nice to just see it on there. The sauce was delicious and full of garlick-y goodness. They asked me how I wanted my burger cooked and I said "medium." Of course, it came out med well, which was to be expected.
So in short, customer service leaves something to be desired. They have beautiful outside seating. The food is quite tasty and very authentic.
Go in to get the fries (you can get a side order for $2.25). I would try it again now that I know the "rules" and perhaps up my star rating. I just really wish you could get a gyro with feta, a la Nikos on Elston, for less than $9. Is that to much to ask?
My first apartment in the city was on Webster and I had to pass this humble little place on my way to work at the the late great Grant's Tavern. I can't tell you how many char grilled, sent from heaven burgers I've had with the the giant steak fries with a touch of mediterranian oil and spices drizzled upon them. Or the awesome Greek Salad. Or the famous kalamata olives I once mistook for beetles in my salad after a Grateful Dead show (whole different story).
I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this little place and their juicy, moist Grecian chicken and fresh, fantastic food. Its good to see an old friend. After change upon change in the neighborhood, they are more or less the same.
Beware. The food might be good but I will never know due to the terrifying customer service experience I had!
I walked there with my dog who happens to be a well behaved 83 pound American Pit Bull Terrier. I asked one of the servers if it would be OK if I sat outside on their dinky patio with my dog and she said no problem. I sat down at the only table available which happens to be next to a family with two small kids in high chairs. Not really who I want to be sitting next to but hey, had no choice. My dog is being obedient and laying on the ground next to me. The mother of the two small kids at the table starts looking at me all paranoid and whispering to her husband, She then gets up to find a server. I see her return with a server and they start to move all of their things. I am thinking bye, didn't want to sit next to you and your loud kids anyway. They disappear inside the restaurant. Then a few minutes later the owner comes out and says in a condescending tone "Make sure your dog is not scaring people". I give her a look and say "Well he has been laying here by my side the whole time while I have been waiting for somebody to take my order. I am sorry but I can't control other people's fears or insecurities about the breed". She then replies hastily "You don't have to get so defensive". I said "You know I really wanted Greek food and to try this restaurant since it is in my neighborhood but since you wish to get an attitude with me, I will be leaving. My dog nor I have done anything to anybody while we have been waiting FOREVER for somebody to serve me. So what's really the problem? That I am brown or that he is a pit bull or both? I don't need to eat here and refuse to be treated this way." Got up and left. Other people as I was leaving were like "Oh my goodness, I am sorry that happened. If your dog was a Golden Retriever nobody would have said anything".
Whatever. The beauty of living in a big city is I have choices, you old miserable bitch. I don't have to eat at your stank ass establishment with your slow as molasses staff and cheap nasty plastic patio furniture that even Walmart wouldn't carry.
A great place in Lincoln Park to get some Greek Food. The gyros are always delicious and you get a nice sized portion of food. Prices are very reasonable especially for the food you get. Try this place!
Well, it's cheap, I'll give it that. I live right by this place and decided to stop in one night for (I guess it was late?) dinner. Apparently we walked in about 30 minutes before closing. Our server made us very aware that we were inconveniencing her, not only by her attitude, but by the fact that she told us we better hurry up and order before the kitchen closed. Awesome.
Good thing the menu is so limited, it expedited the decision process. I swear I thought they offered more than sandwiches, but it turns out not much more.
The food was ok, but I won't be back. The server started clearing our table before we were finished and made us pay mid-bite so she could get the hell outta there. I'm sorry I went.
I love this food!!!
After several hours of day drinking, all I wanted was a village salad, feta, fries and tzatziki (odd combo, I know). As I was looking over the menu, they had a vegetarian salad with fries, pita, tzatziki & greek salad! What's not to love about a salad with fries on top? It was delish!
I would've given the Athenian Room 5 starts but they don't deliver. :( But otherwise, it's a casual restaurant, reasonably priced and the food is fantastic!
I love this place. Good prices. Tasty food. The best part are the greek fries and the gyro! The avgolemono soup is great also.. If you don't feel like going to greektown.. this place is a safe bet. The service is friendly also!
It's cheap, it can be healthy, it's fast (if you need that), and everyone's incredibly friendly. I'd give it a 3 and 1/2 if I could (or knew how) just because it's a pain to go the adjoining bar Glascott's to get any alcoholic beverages. Still, my fiance and I go there all the time and we love it.
Try the skirt steak...you'll be pleasantly surprised...
Yummers.
I came here today to meet Rob L for some lunch. I arrived before him, and there was a wait for a table. I hung out up front, watching the staff in the kitchen. The giant hunk of spiraling meat? Pretty awesome.
We were seated towards the back of the dining room. Our server was nice and friendly.
I ordered the chicken shish kebobs. Holy food, batman. I was presented with two skewers of chicken, pita bread, fries, and some sauce for the pita bread. It was a LOT of food. And it was damn good. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. I sampled some of the pita bread (sans sauce) and some fries and they were good as well (fries were really greasy, though), but the chicken alone filled me up quickly. I walked out of there stuffed and happy, and have leftovers in my fridge waiting to greet me tomorrow.
It was also ridiculously cheap, which is always a plus. Great spot for a quick lunch.
I'd definitely come back here.
Though the thought of not having Saganaki or Lemon Rice soup at a Greek Restaurant shocked me; a little patience can go a long way.
The food there was amazingly good. The gyros was on par and the Greek Fries were great! Feta cheese as an app surely made me forget about Saganaki.
We also ordered the skirt steak...hands down one of the best marinated skirt steaks I have ever had. Not an ounce of dryness to the steak and they go so well with the Greek Fries. Go with an open mind and try this place out; Great food at a reasonable price. I'm looking to go back this weekend!
This place could get away with having just one thing on the menu, but I would prefer it to at least serve two. On second thought, maybe a third option would help...
Now,
WITNESS THE NEW MENU:
1.) Kalimata Chicken, which is only 9 dollars and is probably the best chicken that I ever had. Maybe an exaggeration, but from from what I can remember it might have been.
2.) Feta ...yes, just the mini plate with a block of feta, because all you need is the creamy finish of a goat's cheese.
3.)Anything, because we have a computer in the back and a Whole Foods around the corner. If you have the time to wait a couple hours, we'll make anything. Please keep it Greek, because then it would be significantly easier. Also, we are a Greek restaurant in Lincoln Park (pull's collar)...get this guy outta here!!!
Oh my gosh. The smells when you walk in to this place. Mouth watering. I'm sure the smells are meat smells, but I don't care.
The restaurant is very simplistic. Same goes with the menu. I had gotten word that the Athenian Room served a bad-ass pita grilled cheese, otherwise known as the "Feta Pita." Try it. It rocked my world. Though I'm sure many of the other dishes are just as delicious.
Now here comes my issue, which actually turned out to be a mixed-blessing. Here's a little history about my Coke consumption: I was born in August and my mom would always say, *in high-pitched mom voice* "That summer was the hottest summer San Francisco ever had!" So long story short, because of the heath my mom drank tons of Coke when she was pregnant with me and thus engendered my Coke addiction.
Now fast forward to 24 years, and 107 days (yes, I counted) later. I look down at the drink selections and see, "Coke (No Free Refills)." I do a robot-like scan of the room and spot the size of the Coke glasses. Tiny. Panic starts to set in. I start doing the math on how much it would be if I paid for each and every refill that my body would need to function.
This is where I have to give Athenian Room some props. One glass of Coke was enough. I made that glass last my whole meal and I'm probably a lot healthier because of it. No Coke hangover for me.
And then our sweet waitress brought over some Baklava on the house. Props.
This plpace is the best damn Greek in the entire city. And i'm not just saying that as an Irsish-American who doesn't know what he's talking about. I'm saying this as a friend of many Greek-Americans and straight FOB Greeks who have all agreed with this statement. This is from Greeks who live in Greek-town (not literally) and would never wanna be caught dead saying that there's something better.
The food is amazing! Absolutely some of the most authentic Greek food you can find in the city. Another thing i love about this place is that you can get a REAL GREEK SALAD. A salad WITHOUT LETTUCE, just cucumbers, tomatos, olives, onions, feta, olive oil and vinegar. Its called the villager's salad, i highly recommend it. Also, the Greek platter is great for the money.
I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants some great Greek food.,
Very quick service with a smile!
Quaint little place - nothing fancy - I think it is a fine place to dine alone, or with a date or small group.
Small menu - but tasty offerings!
I have been here many times, and keep coming back for the Large Greek Salad with Gyros Meat - a heaping, fresh lettuce bed, some dressing, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and a heaping portion of very savory gyros meat. Pita and yogurt sauce on the side.
By far one of my favorite places to go to in the city. I am always suggesting this place to friends who haven't been there. The food is great, inexpensive and comes out quickly...what more could you ask for?
During the spring and summer months you can sit outside on a nice night. Athenian Room doesn't have a liquor license, but is right next to a bar and provides you with easy access to order your drinks from there!
My family and I go to Athenian Room or get it to go at least once a month (sounds pathetic, but we love it!) and I suggest you do the same!
Finally, I found a good Gyro place in Chicago!
Prices are pretty good, and portions are huge. I order the sandwich (not dinner) gyro b/c it's so big. Admittedly, the meat was too salty for my taste and I came out feeling really thirsty. But overall, the taste is good and I especially like sitting outdoors in the summer.
Also, there's valet parking, which is nice.
The spinach pie was by far the best part of the meal. It was hot and the phyllo was crispy. The chicken kebab was take-out quality, and the liquid soaked through onto the fries making them cold and soggy. The entree really didn't have much good about it at all.
As a Greek woman I am disgusted that the Athenian Room purports to serve "Greek Food." My table of five tried the feta (which was inedible), the Greek Salad, the Gyros and the Kalamata Chicken. All of the food was absolutely horrible.
The Greek Salad had almost no dressing, lacked onions (a basic requirement for a Greek salad) and had limp lettuce. It was unacceptable as a regular salad, but as a Greek salad it was criminal.
The gyros was equally bad, with pre-packaged tzasiki and disturbing mystery meat. On the up side, the pita bread was hot and fresh.
Finally, their specialty Kalamata Chicken was horrendous. It looked like a large, cooked rat which was made all the more concerning by its greasy, odd texture. Despite being doused in an oily lemon juice/oregano sauce the chicken itself was dry and tasteless. I was terribly disappointed.
To add to the pile of complaints, our waitress was incredibly rude. The restaurant was empty but she took almost 20 minutes to come to our table. When she did, it was like she was doing us a favor by taking our order.
Needless to say, I have no plans to return.
YahSU,
The Athenian Room is a bedrock of the Lincoln Park restaurant scene (this place has been in the neighborhood forever). This restaurant exists somewhere between fine dining and home cooked meal. Right when you enter, your greeted by Anna or her husband (owners), usually you can get a seat in minutes (even on the busier nights).
This place serves up a solid menu of Mediterranean fare, but the best dishes on the menu are the Chicken Kalamata Dinner or the Gyros. Portions are generous so bring an appetite.
*Side Note: this restaurant does not serve alcohol, but you can go next door to Glascott Saloon and bring over whatever you like (the two spaces are adjoined).
!
(Hi, Momma!)
If you care for great, traditional, well prepared, tasty Greek fare, head to the Athenian Room. The owners are always working and supervising the kitchen. They demand quality from their staff. The food is prepared the same every time in the most compact kitchen in Lincoln Park. Everything is good, including the very pleasant staff of waitresses and bussers. They always welcome you and they always provide fresh water for the dogs on the patio.
You can get beverages from Glasgott's next door, which is a great relationship for those after-sports dinners. They cater to larger groups. And, the prices are very reasonable for a hefty dose of the best Greek food in Chicago.
Take it from me, the Athenian Room is fantastic!
Big fan of Athenian Room's charburgers (you can get this with feta) and greek fries-- I love that the fries come with your order of a burger, and not extra as a side dish, makes for a cheap, big meal! I order from here carry-out once a month, and they are quick and good. The burgers are enormous and delicious. The fries are thick steak fries and really good with greek seasonings. The people that work there are really nice, in fact several times I go in to pick up my order I've gotten a free baclava, and who wouldn't love that?!
Mon 1/2 off bottled wine &…
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Food specials Mon.-Thurs.
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Greek
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Greek
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