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Athenian Room

3.9 (976 reviews)
ModerateGreek, Mediterranean
Closed 4:00 pm - 9:30 PM
Updated 1 month ago

Athenian Room Photos

Business Info

ATHENIAN ROOM ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Athenian Room

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Reviews With Photos

Johnny N.

I love rotisserie/roasted chicken so much because it is the world's food. It is the same basic chicken, with all different cultures and regions of the world bringing their own unique twist to it. The Peruvians prepare it drastically different than the Chinese who prepare it drastically different than the French, and so on. It's beautiful if you really think about it. All this to say I was beyond excited when Athenian Room, a no frills cash only Greek restaurant, was the most recommended rotisserie chicken spot in Chicago. I couldn't even remember the last time I had a bird from a Greek spot, so I was ready to see what the Greeks had to bring to Chicken Wars. I walked into the dimly lit tavern-like ambiance and sheepishly asked "Table for 1..?" I got seated at a 4 top which I felt terrible about, but told the server I'd be quick. I ordered their iconic Chicken Kalamata ($16) - which is a boiled and grilled crisp-skinned half chicken over an ample amount of thick cut Greek fries drenched in olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and lemon. I was slightly perturbed as I awaited my chicken, as this place was so mellow and calm that I knew filming myself dogging this chicken with my ring light would bring way too much attention. This is by FAR my least favorite part of the job. I'm a people pleaser by nature and I just know everyone in the restaurant hates me, which is totally fair and valid. I opted to not touch the bright ring light, and just use the flash on my phone. I didn't even want to do that, but the quality of the video is just 10x better with some sort of light. I wish I could just write and never have to film myself, but you gotta play the game to change the game. The Chicken Kalamata came, it looked like what I imagine a chicken would look like if that's what they gave you upon arrival into heaven. A tight, crispy, golden brown skin with visible seasoning over a bed of thick cut fries. Does it get any better? When you rip it apart, you can literally hear the crunch of the skin as it breaks and steam escapes into the atmosphere. I've never seen anything like it. It genuinely makes me wonder if it is flash fried or something. This turned out to be some of the best chicken skin, flavor, and dark meat I've had, but in a tale as old as time, the breast was pretty dry. Dipping it in the olive oil at the bottom of the plate solved that, but I always judge a bird without sauce or additions. It's still easily worth the $16 I paid and I'd recommend this to anyone when in Chicago, but a truly elite bird needs to have a tender breast. Fries were touched by Zeus though. Thick cut with a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior... some of the best fries I've had this year. As I was wrapping up, the sweet server came over and said "Are you like a food influencer or something!?" I looked down and shook my head in embarrassment, and gave her the spiel. The word "influencer" or "content creator" gives me the ick, even though it is exactly what I'm doing. It just sounds so self serving and yucky. I do truly enjoy writing, telling stories, editing videos, and highlighting good businesses. Anyways, shoutout to the Athenian Room. SOLID bird here, but even better vibes. I'll 100% be back when I'm in Chicago again. IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

Gyro dinner
Daniel S.

Old school Greek restaurant located in the heart of Lincoln Park on Webster. Definitely an old school vibe, and is cash only which figures. Limited menu to just the basics, but what they have is good. It's basically just gyros, chicken and pork kabobs, or chicken served whole, burgers, and a few other items. I got the gyro dinner, the meat was very good and juicy, and a good portion. There's not a whole lot of seating in the dining room, maybe not ideal for huge groups, though my group had 7, and were able to get seated for lunch but we got there right at 12. It's attached to a bar and they share a bathroom with them just FYI. Glad I got to check it out, my sister lives nearby and she'd recommended it for her husband's birthday. There's some street parking available, but they also do valet. Or the Fullerton L stop isn't far from it.

Chicken Kabobs
Joneice B.

Found this gem on a whim. We parked nearby to eat somewhere else, but the smells coming from this building lured us in. We were able to a get a quaint table. We were celebrating my husband's birthday and this place made it fun. They sent over a bartender from the adjoining restaurant. We were able to order cocktails from them. Prices were reasonable and my Pinot Gris paired nice with my meal. For appetizers we got the Taramosalata. This referred to as Greek caviar. It definitely is not what we were expecting but we enjoyed it thoroughly. The Taramasalata is a creamy, salty Greek fish roe dip or spread with a whipped bread base. We ate this was a soft warm pita. For entrees, I got the chicken kabobs and my hubby for the gyro plate. Both came with pita, tzatziki and Greek fries. Greek fries were authentic and not traditional American version. We enjoyed our food. I would say the only downside was there was some juice soaking my plate so it made my pita soggy. We were able to take some leftovers home and we enjoyed some complimentary baklava. Overall this was a very tasty birthday dinner. The service here was friendly and not pretentious. We had nice night and would come back again to dine. Tip: cash only and get the Greek caviar.

Christina A.

Athenian Room is great! But not if you're gluten free. The gluten free options were some of the meats and the salad. No potatoes, rice, GF bread, etc. However, the food is very tasty, the service is quick, and it is reasonably priced! A true Lincoln Park gem.

Side Greek salad
Tina L.

There's a reason why the half chicken dish is Tina Fey's fave. It's this Tina's fave now as well! The chicken came out perfectly crisp and tender. The oils n herbs it comes with is so flavorful - the fries soak up the juices very very nicely. I can't get over how good of a deal this is for $16 as well! You not only get a half chicken and fries but also a Greek salad and a baguette! The salad was very fresh (get the feta & an order of olives!) and the baguette was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Def enough food for 2 meals. This is unheard of for metro Chicago! The ambiance is warm & intimate - perfect for a date. Service was prompt as well. We were quoted a 20-min wait but probably only waited maybe 10 mins.

Andre A.

I've been to this restaurant twice. Once in April and once in May. These were two different experiences. I got the Gyro plate both times , so I believe that I can make a good comparison. In April, portions of the gyro plate were large. It was cooked to perfection, and the fries were amazing. Service was fast and very attentive. My second time visiting, which was in the month of May was a little different. The Gyro portion was about 3/4 of what it was the last time I visited the restaurant. The portion of the fries was a lot less and they seem to have been drowning in a Greek sauce that tasted like Italian dressing. Service was a little slower this time, and they seem to be just as busy as they were during our previous visit. Because of how good the food was during my first visit, I will try this restaurant one more time. But because of the differences in quality, I can only give it three stars.

Pita
Solomon H.

YES YES YES! Hands down a phenomenal place! Amazing food amazing prices great little vibe inside! One note, it is cash only so just keep that in mind, but they do have an ATM!

Chicken Kalamata style
Katie R.

Cash only Greek spot serving up large portions quickly. My friend who lives in the area said this was one of her favorite restaurants in the city and told us how Tina Fey apparently raves about this spot, so we were excited to give it a try. Menu had a lot of the staples you'd expect to see at a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant, but felt a little limited compared to others I've been to. My boyfriend and I ordered the Gyros plate and Chicken Kalamata style to share and it was more than enough food. We ended up sending our leftovers home with a friend who was able to make a whole extra meal out of it. We probably could've gotten away with sharing one entree if we got an appetizer. Surprisingly the gyro was my favorite of the two. I typically lean chicken, and did enjoy this dish, but the gyro had a bit more flavor. The place was super crowded on a Tuesday evening, the outside seating was full and only a handful of table were left inside. Compared to a lot of other Greek restaurants I've been to it wasn't too expensive, which was great since it is cash only.

Bunless Charburger and Feta on a bed of Greek fries
Shazeena T.

The plan was to celebrate my birthday with my bestie. The food is simply outstanding. It reminded me of my trip to Greece. It reminded her of her recent trip as well. The food is authentic and prepared fresh. My charburger with a slab of feta was perfectly cooked. I savored every bite. The homemade tzatziki was creamy and refreshing. My friend loved her gyro plate. I can't wait to go back! The charburger is a favorite of mine! We were told that the next table would be available in 55 minutes but I received a call after ten minutes saying that our table was ready! Honestly that meal would be worth a 55 minute wait!! Thank you for a lovely evening! Pro tip it's cash only nearest ATM is next door at the bar or at Liquor Expo

Sydney H.

Loved Athenian Room!!!! Pretty causal on the inside & super affordable food that did not disappoint! It's a cash only place, but they do have an atm at the bar next door. They don't take reservations, but our wait was only about 30 minutes, which was shorter than they originally told us. I loved everything we got, but the pita bread and tzatziki were my favorite. Both of them tasted homemade and sooo fresh. The greek fries had a strong lemon flavor and were generally seasoned. The greek salad was great too & came with a huge block of feta and giant tomatoes & cucumbers. Highly recommend Athenian Room!!!!

Montage of images from Athenian Room
Ed U.

Oh rats, the legendary Kalamata Chicken was high on my bucket list to try for years. Tina Fey gave it a certain cachet by naming it her favorite meal in Chicago, and David Letterman seemed to concur when he interviewed blues legend Buddy Guy over the same dish. I convinced Jamie W. to hop on the Red Line to Lincoln Park to have our first Windy City dinner. It was raining the night we went, and predictably there was a 45-minute wait for a table in their old-style dining room. We waited across the street nursing lattes at Starbucks and pleasantly got called after just a half-hour. We looked at the menu for about a minute and both ordered the $15.50 Chicken Kalamata Style Dinner which started with the Tossed Salad. It was already mixed in oil & vinegar, and I requested the $4 side of Feta Cheese to turn it into a Greek salad (photo: https://yelp.to/B84laSoDxJ). That was a delicious start along with the soft French Bread Roll and Butter (photo: https://yelp.to/1vN2uzVjsj). Our chicken plates arrived, and they were doozies - a full half-chicken broiled and grilled on top of a bed of Greek fries in a pool of their own au jus (photo: https://yelp.to/36q70Fr7Tr). Here's my verdict: The crispy skin was awesome, and the dark meat was juicy. The white meat was a bit dried out but still quite edible. The fries were holding up well from the au jus and chicken juice. The spoiler was the au jus. It consisted of olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and lemon, and the resulting flavor was just too puckery sour to enjoy. Damn. FOOD - 3 stars...the kalamata chicken hamstrung by the au jus AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a traditional space with brick walls and tables crowded together SERVICE - 3.5 stars...nice enough local college kids TOTAL - 3 stars...don't tell Tina I dissed her favorite spot RELATED - Exploring Chicago? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/44c4CZO

Skirt steak
Sonny R.

Food was great. The steak and fries were amazing. No condiments needed. The salad is just a salad. Not a big salad guy. The food came out very quick. My buddies and I were super hungry. You have to come a lot earlier to get any seating. We waited for 1hr and 35 minutes to get a table. My only critique is there is an opportunity to get a virtual waitlist so customers know where they are in the line. Managing expectations is important because we were told it would be a 1 hr wait.

Gyro sandwich
Cynthia M.

The food here is absolutely delicious! The chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy inside-perfect!!! The gyro meat has so much flavor, the spices everything about was pleasurable!! Salad was good and the bread was so soft! Can't wait to go back!

Greek salad

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Miss when they used to be byob. You can still get drinks at the bar next door and bring them in.

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Athenian Room Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Athenian Room

Do you take reservations?

No first come first serve

Is it BYOB?

No, since there is a bar attached to the restaurant so you can just order at the bar and bring it back to the restaurant.

Still option of red sauce w gyros like back in 70s?

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I really liked this place. They have parking in front of the restaurant and back. I highly…read morerecommend a reservation on Friday-Sunday even if you are just one person. I called them because I wasn't sure if the online version would be too slow. We were a group of three that came in Saturday night at 7 pm. It was moderately busy. The staff were all welcoming with smiles on their faces and attentiveness. Prices were fair for the amount of food you receive. Food portions are colossal so I would recommend one appetizer and one entree if you are a couple. They give you a complimentary dish. We ordered arayes with meat, meat toshka, mixed grill with baba ghanouj, fillet of basa fried, and mint lemonade. They also offer you fresh Arabic coffee before you leave. This is about a 4.5-5. -arayes with meat 4 - this was not bad. It's like a tamer version of the meat toshka. -meat toshka 5 - I prefer this over the arayes because they add the Syrian cheese. This one was bursting with flavor the moment you took a bite out of it. The minced beef and lamb just melt in the mouth. -mixed grill 5 - this came with 3 big skewers (shish kabab, kufta kabab, and chicken tawook. It also has tomatoes and onions to help cut down the meat when digesting. There are two heaping portions of biryani and saffron rice and baba ghanouj. The baba ghanouj was creamy and flavorful. It goes well with the pita bread. The meats were cooked medium well unless you want something. I think next time I'll ask for the shish kababs to be cooked medium rare or medium for a more juicy taste. The chicken tawook and kufta were both succulent. -fillet of basa fried 5 - the two pieces of basa fillet were astronomical. It also comes with two different kinds of rice. The fish was flaky, moist, and seasoned. Make sure you add the lemon and eat it with the sauce. -mint lemonade 5 - this was very refreshing after eating a heavy meal.

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Athenian Room - greek - Updated July 2026

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