Under no circumstance whatsoever would I ever use the term "comfort food." So normie, so NPC, so revolting. At least, I thought I would never apply this opprobrious term. But what other word exists for capably made Ukranian food? It is comfort food qua comfort food. The Platonic ideal of such. Savory in the extreme with more subtle notes of sweet and tart. On a previous trip to Chicago I lodged in a neighborhood bordering Ukraine Village. The proximity allowed me to sample a few establishments from the Ukraine. Things were fine; nothing extraordinary. On this more recent trip, I braved an excursion to the western suburbs, just for the Magic Jug. A food blogger named Hammond said it's the best. He did not lie. So it's in the occidental hinterlands of the city. And yet, my fellow diners were all from the Ukraine. So Ukranian, in fact, they all spoke the mother tongue. Besides that, the surroundings were not particularly Slavic. Minimalist pinewood interior makes you think moreso of Japan and less so of the Eastern Bloc. But anyhow. The chief feature that makes it so good is that everything is seasoned and flavored perfectly. The cooks - all from the Ukraine and all women - each possess palates with sniper rifle precision. The pelmeni (stuffed dumplings of similar appearance to tortellini). So beefy. So oniony. And finished with an herbaceous garlicky seasoning. The golubtsi (stuffed cabbage) at Magic Jug is without it's usually tomato sauce, giving you breathing room to really basque in the chicken broth in which the rice and veg were cooked. The effect: think a reconstructed chicken noodle soup - only with a fat dollop of smetana (sour cream). And the stewed liver. Really like a liver Diane. Don't be a wuss, eat the liver. Get it with mashed potatoes. I had mine with buckwheat so you don't have to. They also have several selections of house made bread. I ordered the one that's like a pull-apart brioche. Too full to appreciate it from on a visceral level, I was still able to note the craft involved. Within it, there contained the balancing act of well developed gluten and pliant interior. read more

This place is absolutely a must try. We've been wanting to stop by for years and finally went in and literally everything that came out of the kitchen was so flavorful and amazing. We weren't sure what to order or how to narrow down what to get and the server made some great suggestions. For salads we had the cabbage salad and the beet salad, both were really good on their own and also if you mix them together too. The large meat pie - I forgot the name of it - was incredible too, and I had to get it with a side of the mushroom gravy which went well on everything. The dumplings were really good too and the mushroom soup was probably the best soup I've had in years. We will definitely be back. read more

I had an amazing meal at this Ukrainian restaurant! The borshch was rich and flavorful, the varenyky with meat were delicious, and the blinchiki with cheese were just as good. Everything tasted homemade and authentic. Highly recommend! ! , ' -- , ! ! read more

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I am really into finding international cuisines I've never tried and having a unique, memorable, flavorful experience at a new restaurant trying a taste of a new country. This restaurant really fit the bill. I visited in 2019. The restaurant is nicely decorated with wood and other natural materials, nice natural light, and a quaint feel that is different than American restaurants and feels like an idea of what it might be like to eat at a place in Ukraine. As a vegetarian, I was pleased with the variety of options available to me. However, I'm not sure how much a vegan could eat, as much of it has cream, butter, and cheese. I got the hot cereal with mushrooms I believe, homemade compote, and dumplings, and it was all good rich comfort food. read more

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So I finally got the opportunity to try the Ukrainian restaurant that I kept seeing. Originally I was going to go for Chinese but I'm getting tired and I was going to eat Piece Pizza in Bucktown but the weather is just not good on a snowy day. I just came from my job and luckily I was at O'Hare and decided to think of this place and looked up to find out if they were open. So far everything was delicious and unique compared to other Eastern European cuisines I tried.The Ukrainian borscht beet soup had a herbal earthy taste that was pleasant it wasn't as rich strong taste as Polish or German Borsch soup where they don't use Red Beets. Especially when they added I think sour cream on top with the beets. Their version of mashed potatoes surprisingly is not so starchy and heavy.It's very light and I guess they sprinkle chives?I kind of compare it to Polish Mashed potatoes but there is a little thicker and heavier. They're Apple Crepes was not like American or thick crepes at American restaurants. It had a unique, sweet taste with confection sugar and it was not full of sauce or apple filing. They had two bread rolls they gave me and I like the second one. It was very hot and light and not too heavy. The other one was more like a pumpernickel or barley bread which is okay to but I felt like heavy stiff bread. The stewed liver with the beets as a side dish was very delicious and not made like liver and onions I noticed Red Beets is a staple in Ukraine just like Russia. Surprisingly delicious. Ambience is quaint and small. Service from the staff on the other hand was good on what they made and cooked but they were terrible on explaining all the different dishes for somebody who's not Ukrainian. I just kept getting a lot of head nods of "Yes" or "No" and no explanation of the food or how it's cooked or what's the ingredients? They didn't seem enthusiastic to explain. That is my only disappointment because if I want to order something in the menu I don't want to risk ordering something I don't like or can get sick. Which they should be considerate if they want other customers to come in that are non Ukrainian or other ethnic background willing to try their food or cuisine. I would come back but it's just that was my only dislike or disappointment thus four out of five stars. Otherwise, it's kind of like a combination of a Polish cuisine too and other Eastern European dishes like Hungarian or Bulgarian cuisine. read more

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My daughter and I had such a wonderful dinner here tonight, and it was truly special for us while visiting from Colorado. I grew up in the Ukrainian Village living in Portage Park for 30 yrs. We shared every plate and enjoyed a beautiful tour of Ukrainian comfort food done right. My Ukrainian mom who still cooks many traditional dishes (especially amazing varenyky/pierogi), so my daughter has grown up eating her Babcia's versions at home. She wanted to experience those same dishes prepared outside our family kitchen -- and this restaurant absolutely delivered. We shared the potato and cheese varenyky, holubtsi (cabbage rolls), mushroom broth soup, deruny (potato pancakes), and finished with sweet cheese crepes for dessert. Every single dish was delicious -- comforting, flavorful, and clearly made with care and tradition in mind. We ate until we were well beyond full and loved every bite. It felt like a taste of home, but also something new for the both of us, and that made the experience even more meaningful. This will absolutely be a must-revisit the next time we're back in Chicago visiting my mom. Highly recommend for anyone looking for authentic, soul-warming Ukrainian food. The dining area decor is very low key with decor found in most Ukrainian homes. Ukrainian dance music played bringing memories of weddings and dancing polkas. read more

My bud and I enjoyed a hearty lunch at Magic Jug on a frigid weekday a few weeks ago. This Ukrainian restaurant is on Irving Park just a tad east of Narragansett. The folksy wooden interior gets you in the mood for a nice home-cooked meal. We each ordered a lunch special combo with soup and entree, and that is where you can get a good value meal here. My combo included an amazing bowl of borscht (probably the best borscht I've ever tasted) and a yummy roll, pork cutlet, mashed potatoes and cole slaw-esque side salad. My bud's combo included chicken noodle soup, and a pair of ground meat crepes. So you can get away with a lunch combo for under $12. Alas we decided to order other food items as well! While everything was tasty, the cash register then started to ring. We each added on a glass of compote, a fruity juicy drink. I tacked on a beef cheburek. While I was envisioning a large pinwheel of meaty madness tucked inside phyllo dough, the item that came out was more like a giant empanada with a thin layer of ground beef as filling. It was good, but not life-changing. My bud ordered the Dnister salad (shredded cabbage, peas, sausage, mayo), which looked like a fancy bowl of cole slaw to me. He also polished off the sweet cheese crepes topped with jam and powdered sugar for dessert - he gave me a bite and that was delicious. Everything was good to great (borscht was my pick to click). Service was pleasant, and we were sort of amused by the Euro music mix that played during our meal. Magic Jug has a free parking lot behind the restaurant - you can reach it via Narragansett. read more

The best ukrainian food and very friendly. I'm eating banush and halushky only at this place in Chicago area. Thk. read more

Magic Jug - Banish, Halushky, Cheburek. - Ukrainian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm Visiting from Detroit, MI, and I was so excited to check this place out. I came here with a Ukrainian friend Volodymyr Dolynka who gave me a menu tour. It was my first time visiting the place and I had an excellent experience. Super fast service! The food was tasty, quick, and hot! I'm definitely going back for more! read more

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Small family-owned restaurant with traditional Ukrainian decorations and music around the place. Service was very polite and prompt. The star of the show was the food. I ate there with a person who grew up with Ukrainian food. They were able to verify the authenticity of the meal. I can only verify that I LOVED the entire meal! I would strongly recommend the chicken pelmeni. Seriously. I could eat a few orders of these without hesitation. Another star of the show was the mushroom soup. Go there and enjoy! Strongly recommend! read more

Super nice staff, beautiful place, fantastic food. 5 stars! I will definitely be going back.

The food is authentic and really really good. Not fatty and not salty and great quality food. The beef goulash was better than the ones I had in Hungary with shredded well done beef with no fat and the sauce was perfect and thick. The campote is a juice made of orange, berries, and apple. It was very good. The ambience is quiet and quaint and there is free parking across the street from Burger King and Jewel Osco right behind the restaurant. I would definitely come back. read more

Magic Jug - Ukrainian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is amazing! I ordered pelmeni and my mom ordered deruny and both were delicious. We also got syrnyky, and honestly they were the best I've ever had at a restaurant. The service was wonderful too, the lady who served us was really kind and our food came out quickly. As a Ukrainian, I'm so happy to see a place that represents our cuisine this well. Highly recommend! read more

The Borscht was good but a little watery not robust as I am use to having. Everything else was good. The service was not too friendly unless you were Ukrainian. There were 2 other customers there that were Ukrainian and were treated very nice. We did not feel very welcoming. I would give it another chance though maybe the young lady waitress was tired. read more

Amazingly delicious food, like your babushka used to make in a cozy cabin vibe. Super reasonable prices and great lunch specials. Friendly service. I can't say there's anything I'd change about this place; it's perfect. Maybe BYOB, that's it. Enthusiastically giving this 5 stars and if you're reading this and not sure about Ukrainian cuisine - just go, you won't regret it! read more

What an absolute gem of a place. Found completely by accident, I wandered in hoping to get a taste of the homemade food I grew up with. And I wasn't disappointed. Slightly different interpretations than I'm used to but just as reminiscent and delicious. The mushroom soup...yum, the cabbage salad...delicious, the pork and chicken cutlets...amazing, even the simple mashed potatoes were great. Also, get the olivye. Trust me. Go here soon. Nice waitstaff, a little slow, but there was one person, so I can appreciate the effort. Interesting ambiance. All wood interior with traditional Ukrainian decor. read more

I wanted to try something different on my last visit to Chicago and the place looked cute and clean. I'd never had Ukrainian food before. The waitress explained the options and I ordered the #3 lunch special. I don't remember the names but the food was delicious. The soup was tomato based and tasty. The meat dumplings were filled with pork, I think and were tender with wonderful seasoning. I had plenty to eat but couldn't resist the cherry and cheese crepes. There's even free parking in back. read more

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· I had a lovely lunch at a Ukrainian restaurant called Magic Jug. The staff had limited English proficiency, but we communicated well enough. The food is great! I recommend it. read more

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A friend and I came here for lunch for the first time today--the borscht was outstanding, and my friend absolutely loved the mushrooms soup--even the broth itself was delicious. WE WILL BE BACK, and have already sent an invitation to two other friends to come join us! So glad to have discovered Magic Jug! :D read more

With the recent current events, my boyfriend and I decided to try out Ukrainian food and support a local business. Neither of us had had Ukrainian before, and overall were very pleased. We ended up ordering carry-out, and our expectations were more than met. Not knowing what exactly to order, we ended up sticking with the "most popular" dishes. We shared the beef pelmeni, potato & cheese varenyky, potato pancakes, and beef goulash. Our food arrived hot, well arranged, and decent in serving, especially for the very fair prices. The food items were very rich and filling. We ended up having some leftovers. Food was flavorful, and fresh. For anyone looking to try Ukrainian food, I would highly recommend. While I do not have other Ukrainian restaurants to compare it to, I was very pleased, and will for sure order again! read more

Magic Jug - Ukrainian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a great little place. I happened across it while sitting at the red light right in front of the establishment and decided to drop in for a light lunch. I got a bowl of bortsch and a kvass drink. It was my first experience with Ukrainian food. The bortsch was delicious and came with a couple pieces of really good garlic bread rolls. The price wasn't bad either; all together I paid $13. I will 100% come back to try an entree. You never know what little gems you'll come across while sitting at a red light in Chicago. read more

Magic Jug - Bortsch and Kvass - Ukrainian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We have now been here several times. We have never had a bad meal. We are not Ukrainian and sometimes we have had to work a little to be understood but it works out. We always get the potato pancakes. We have tried the Borsch and mushroom soups. All were good but my personal favorite is the mushroom soup. There was a Mom with two young children and they all had the compote which they told me was very good and not too sweet. So I tried it and it was refreshing. We have tried both the vareneki and the pelmeni. We would probably order the pelmeni again just as personal favorite. The summer salad was simple but oh so good. The cabbage salad was a delightful surprise it was so clean and refreshing. Mom always has a Sweet Kind which is basically a cheese blintz/crepe. It is her favorite. We have not been disappointed in any of our meals! It is worth trying and overcoming any language barriers. read more

All I can honestly say, is that the best authentic Ukrainian food outside of Ukraine for me! Love it and love every bite! It's very small but with a large foodie heart! read more

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We came from CA and rode 1.5 hrs in metro and bus to try this place. Amazing flavors.

So good! The best stuffed cabbage and borscht I've ever had. The place is super cute and very clean. This is a new staple for comfort food.

Great home cooked meal for reasonable price! We had the vareneki, pelmeni and chicken cutlet. All of them were cooked and seasoned well. Service was great although we came an hour before closing. Will def come back again. read more

Excellent food! The borscht, summer salad, potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage and yummy little perogi-like dumplings were excellent

We had lunch here yesterday. She had the potato pancakes and mushroom soup. I had the homemade meat with mashed potatoes. Sunflower seed rye bread was served as an accompaniment. She enjoyed her mushroom soup and potato pancakes. She brought home two of the three pancakes and had one for dinner. Not as good reheated as when first served piping hot. My dish, consisting of stir fried peppers and onions and pieces of a thin cut meat was good, although the meat was was a little tough. The lady serving us was nice and pleasant. A good place with good food. Maybe I make a different selection next time. read more

This is a great place owned by Ukrainians. Delicious Ukrainian food, good price and a very friendly personnel. You can enjoy Ukrainian food there and even get some varenyky to go and cook those at home. We really enjoyed our lunch with the family there! Slava Ukraini! read more

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Food is wonderful. I stop by every Time to pick up varenyky/perogie when I visit my friend that lives nearby in the veterans home. Phone in your to go orders. Small restaurant with hard working Ukrainian women. Typically the server is the owner, Katherine. read more

"Magic Jug" really just miraculously appeared on Irving Park Road, across from Merrimac Park. Literally if you blink, you're most likely going to miss it! It's BYOB. The gentlemen sitting at the nearby table had their vodka, continued ordering a bunch of food, and enjoyed their smoke breaks whenever they felt the need. All dishes were reasonably priced. Most of them were under $10, with a few excepts that were in $13-$16 range. Hubby and I had kompot (Eastern European style fruit punch), stewed beef livers, and goulash. Everything was made-to-order in the kitchen. The nice young lady server informed us the 20- to 25-minute wait, and we didn't mind since we weren't having another evening plan but heading home afterward. OMG! I knew they were just mashed potatoes, but they were really delicious and kept moist with melted butter on top. The sauce on the livers were very flavorful as well; I finished it up with the complementary bread offered at the beginning of the meal. Our bill came up to $23 and some change. I certainly can't imbibe alcohol like water. However, when I crave for filling, comfort food that doesn't break the bank, I will ask "Magic Jug" to exercise their Ukrainian charm and nourish my body with a homemade meal. read more

Magic Jug - Kompot - Ukrainian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Nothing magic about it, but I'll bet their stuff comes in jugs. Rude, pushy service from a blonde who didn't want us in their restaurant because we aren't Ukrainian. We came to learn a little about the food, we didn't think we would be made to feel unwelcome. The food was unappetizing, service was slow and openly hostile, (which is weird because we are friendly and easygoing and typically get great service when we show our open attitude). The borscht was definitely forgettable, (Try old Lviv, theirs is great), the varenek, (I apologize for spelling), was lukewarm and tough. We didn't like any of their strangely textured ground meat. Sorry that we were deemed unworthy to share in the magic. read more

Delicious! Best Ukrainian cuisine in the city. Staff could be friendlier to non-Ukrainian diners. Maybe language challenge? Borscht, cabbage rolls, goulash are so very good. Have been back many times. Plus it's byob! Heartily recommend Magic JugBorshchCabbage RollsCherry and Cheese CrepesCucumber / Tomatoes SaladeGoulashMushrooms SoupSour Cherry VarenykyStuffed CabbageVarenykyWarm Borscht Soup read more

We have lived near the Magic Jug for more than 10 years, but had no idea that it was a Ukranian restaurant! Today, we finally enoyed our first meal at the Magic Jug. We were both extremely pleased with the ambience and the food! A small restaurant with rustic decor, with a friendly waitress who was extremely attentive. We started with soups, mushroom for me and borshch for my roommate. Delicious! We both selected Beef Goulash with mashed potatoes for our entrees, and we were not disappointed!!! The meat was tender, the gravy rich and tasty, the mashed potatoes paired perfectly with this dish. Ambrosia to the palate!! We finished our meal with sour cherry varenyky. The portions were ample and we were pleasantly full! On the next visit, we plan to eat the stewed liver in cream sauce. We can hardly wait!!! We highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I tried the Magic Jug a week or so ago and the food was very good. Fresh and good portion size. The lady who served me was very nice. Good location, and parking in the back. read more

I'm always seeking out unique food experiences, and I get especially excited to try cuisines from around the world that I have not before. This little Ukrainian restaurant is a joy. I really enjoyed the atmosphere- cozy with lots of wood and nice decorations. My waitress was nice and patient, answering all my questions about what each dish was and what was vegetarian. They were out of my first selection, but what I ended up getting was all so good that I didn't care. Being that the kitchen is so cramped (I squeezed right through it to get to the bathroom), I suspect they often run out of things. What I ended up with was a rich corn porridge with cheese that was so very decadent and delicious. My mouth waters now thinking about it. I also got varenyky dumplings- potato & cheese, and mushroom & sauerkraut, both delicious too (the mushroom ones especially so). I was hesitant to do so, as I figured they'd be just like pierogis, but they were certainly worth it, and came with a very good sour cream. Because I wanted to try everything I could, I topped the meal off with a sizeable cup of mushroom gravy with large slices of mushroom in it, which was unnecessary because the dishes were so tasty on their own, but I finished it off anyway. The kompot (the waitress explained it's like their version of fruit punch) was also very good (I had 2 glasses when I normally stick to water), with just the right amount of sweetness, not overly sugary like American juices. read more

I don't know why this place is good rated ?!! Saturday night, most busiest time for any restaurant, but this place is empty and close at 9 so kitchen closing at 8 they said . They out of almost everything , we came there twice !!! And half of the menu just NO !!! People , if you run restaurant business, you Have to make sure you are not out of simple ingredients in business hours !!!! People spent time to get to you and they have to leave because half of your menu is out !! Don't recommend this place ! read more

We drove 30 minutes to get here on a Saturday at 6:30pm. We entered the restaurant through the front door past the lit neon sign that read "open." We were met by a middle aged blonde who crossed her arms across her chest. "Yes?" she demanded. We asked for a table for two. "No, we are closed." We looked at the large table of seated patrons and all of the empty tables surrounding them. "Private party" was the only other thing the rude woman said to us as she turned to walk to the back. There was no mention on their website, no sign on the front door, nothing. I have no problem with a closure due to a private party. Don't treat people who are trying to come to your restaurant as though they just broke in and tried to rob the place. We were already being denied, you don't need to be insolent as well. An apology for the inconvenience, invite the people to come again sometime, something more than treating people like they are unwelcome. We went to Old Lviv and got good service and good food. read more

I am used to Russian/Ukrainian cuisine so I'm biased as far as judging about the food. I'm just gonna say it's as good as I could expect. And having tried various dishes from many cuisines around the world, some of which were super delicious, I would still say Russian/Ukrainian cuisine is the best in the world. By variety of dishes and their unique taste. If you never tried anything on the menu you can't go wrong with the Chanahi soup. Not to diminish the goodness of other items, they're all deli. It's a small place and on the weekdays I never saw more than three people in there. However, it can get pretty crowded on the weekends so you may not find free tables. And that's where the missing star kicks in the action.. their staff is shorthanded and they were having hard time delivering my order in a timely fashion even though I called 20 minutes ahead. read more

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We stopped here for dinner one night on our way to a concert at the United Center. Delicious.