I came here for one thing and one thing only: the flaming saganaki…read more IT WAS SO GOOD. The lemon really makes it top notch. I think the waiters were confused as to why I was only ordering one item, but I had too many food places to try. The free bread and olive oil were lovely. They use some high quality olive oil and you can tell. Service was FAST. They don't mess around. It was clean and cute inside. I'd love to return for a full meal.

During a work trip to Chicago, I decided to check out Greektown, and after reading the online…read morereviews and getting recommendations from my hotel, I was told Greek Islands was one of the best spots for authentic Greek food. The moment I stepped inside, I felt like I had been transported to a small Greek taverna. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and our server was incredibly friendly and welcoming. One of the highlights for me was being able to order and converse in Greek, it made the experience feel that much more authentic and special. Of course, I couldn't decide on just one dish, so I had to order a little bit of everything. Why not? The saganaki was absolutely delicious and is definitely a must-try. The avgolemono was decent and comforting, though it wasn't quite as memorable for me. The pastitsio was a bit of a mix. The flavor was delicious and packed with that classic Greek comfort-food goodness, but unfortunately, the béchamel was overcooked and had become too firm. Overall, between the friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere, and flavorful food, I had a very good experience at Greek Islands. There are still plenty of classic dishes I'd like to try, so I wouldn't hesitate to come back the next time I'm in Chicago.

I think some of the food here is very good and some is more of an acquired taste. I would…read moredefinitely recommend the roast chicken; for $28, you get potatoes, rice, and half a chicken that is delicious. We also got the souvlaki and dip trio; the spicy feta was the star, the eggplant was okay, and the potato/fish roe was not for me personally. The souvlaki is meant to be lit on fire when it comes out but ours was a weak sizzle at best... the cheese was very sharp and alcoholic as a result. Final thoughts: would stop in here if I was in a pinch, get the chicken, skip the apps.

This place was decent and accommodated my husband's gluten allergy…read more I got the moussaka which was pretty good. We got the hummus and eggplant spreads to start and those were a little disappointing. The fried calamari was good.

I LOVED my meal here! Ēma (Ay-mah) brings some glamour and glitz to the Mediterranean dining scene,…read morewith an airy, elevated hotel-lobby feel that still doesn't demand a dress code. Dresscode: Smart Casual / Casual Noise Level: Medium (it gets buzzy after 5:30pm) Thursday night Happy Hour was lively, so it took about 10-15 minutes for someone to come around, but service was attentive once we got going. The food is where Ēma really shines. From the Happy Hour menu, the Charred Eggplant Hummus and Crispy Potatoes were generously portioned and great for sharing. On the main menu, the Indian-Mediterranean fusion Bhel Hummus was a party for my taste buds, while the Hot Honey Halloumi and Chicken Kefta rounded out the table nicely. The halloumi is more of a side than a main, but that sweet-and-salty hot honey combo was chef's kiss. For our finisher, the Chocolate Torte knocked us out. Decadent, delicious and chocolate with lots of depth. Overall, Ēma is an excellent spot to order a bunch of dishes for the table and get an elevated meal without feeling stuffy, and delicious without taking itself too seriously. DO's: - Make a reservation ahead, especially for happy hour 4-6pm - Treat apps like small plates, order 2-3 to sample - Entertain their wine list, they have a lot! - Bring vegetarians here, there are plenty of options DON'Ts: - Dismiss the desert menu. It's fantastic and shareable! - Forget to ask for extra pita with the hummus! - Miss out on the LettuceEats loyalty points (check-in with your server before paying your check)

Mixed feelings on this place. Really pretty decor and nice vibe, but portions have greatly…read moredecreased in the last few years. The food is good, but I don't like that the portions have gotten smaller with the price staying the same. I've added pictures to show the difference. Their spicy hummus is probably my favorite hummus I've gotten from a restaurant, but it isn't always on the menu. The Kefta kabob is always good.

Great spot in Chicago. The food had amazing flavors, the space was beautiful, and the overall…read moreexperience felt special without being too formal. A place I'd gladly visit again.

Ambiance was great, food was quite good, and service was good. I recommend for the ambiance…read moreespecially, since the decor is so nice!

Wow, oh wow... the food was AMAZING! I was especially impressed with the pork AND seafood…read more The pork belly was so good, the two of us devoured it in less than a minute. If you're hungry, try the potato gnocchi. The pork ragu was so rich and delicious. The pork is tender, and the gnocchi was creamy and filling. I also recommend the Spanish Octopus and the Roasted Bone Marrow. Service was excellent. They had 2 dedicated food runners so that everyone receives their food as soon as humanly possible. Everything is served tapas style, so food goes out as soon as each plate is ready vs waiting for the entire table's meals to go out at the same time. Ambiance is modern and casual even though the food tasted like I should have dressed nicer.

I'll say up front that I'm not a Wagyu guy. I don't send things back to the kitchen, and I think…read morethe Costco tenderloins are fine. So sure, it's called the Purple Pig, I ordered beef. Maybe I was expecting too much. I was in Chicago for a conference. It was Friday, 5:30 PM, and I sat by myself at the bar, in shorts. It took about ten minutes to get a menu, though the bar was only half full. Maybe I looked like I was waiting for someone. Half Acre IPA: excellent. Ordered the filet mignon, medium rare. The runner who brought it asked me to cut into it and check the temperature. I'd never had that request before, and it made me think he must know something I don't. It turns out he did -- rare in the middle with an overcooked crust. I asked the chef if they use thermometers. He said no, they go by touch. That explains the pattern. Touch tells you how firm the outside is, and the outside was cooked every time -- it was the inside that never got there. A filet is thick and lean, which is exactly the cut that fools your thumb. I'm not a professional cook, but I make steak at home with a $25 instant-read thermometer and it comes out right, so I don't think the tool is the obstacle. The second one that came out wasn't a new steak; it was the same one I'd cut open, put back on the heat. More char outside, and the rare middle was still there, just smaller. A manager took it away, took my silverware, and said it would come off the bill. She asked if I still wanted food. I said yes, I just wanted it cooked correctly. I didn't think this was beyond what they were capable of. She said she was sorry it wasn't to my liking, which felt like what you say when you think the customer is the problem. Round three is the photo. New steak, same result. I showed the chef the picture and asked if it looked medium rare to him. He said he'd cooked the second one himself and it was fine. I asked the server who'd brought the third one and he allowed that it looked a little undercooked in the middle. Then the chef came back to the bar and told me, politely, that I wasn't going to like any steak he cooked -- he "wasn't saying you're wrong, we're not a steakhouse." I respect that. I'd just suggest that the menu should say so too. The best steaks I've ever had were in Dallas and Oklahoma, and the next best have all been in Chicago. The bar here is high, and it's set by the neighbors. They took the third one away. I left with two beers on the house, which was generous, and went back to the Loews and ordered Steak Frites, medium rare, just to do a sanity check. Maybe I was grumpy from jet lag. I took a picture of it cut open, so you can be the judge. The beers were very good. The sweet potato and crispy onions under the steak looked very good. I'd come back for the beer list and the small plates, and I'd leave the filet to the neighbors. For what it's worth, I had a filet at Michael Jordan's the night before, cooked right the first time. I didn't bother to leave a review because, well, cooking a filet right seems like table steaks on Michigan Avenue. Same guy, same shorts. So I don't think it's me, but I've been wrong before.

We had such a wonderful experience here! The food was absolutely fantastic -- and as someone who is…read moreGreek, I know good, authentic Greek food when I taste it. Everything was delicious and tasted fresh and genuinely authentic. I also want to give a special shout-out to Luis, director of operations . He was absolutely wonderful. There was an issue with our bill, and Luis went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of. He was incredibly kind, professional, and genuinely cared about making things right. His customer service was exceptional, and you could tell that he truly cares about his guests and his restaurant. I'm actually in Greece right now, and I have to say, I'm already missing the food here! That says a lot about how good this restaurant is. We will absolutely be back. Thank you, Luis, for taking such great care of us!

3.5 stars would be most accurate. The food was delicious and some of the staff were nice. But there…read morewas something disappoinitng. Let's start with the food. I ordered Prawns Saganaki and side of pita bread. Asked for no oil nor salt for the pita. While it was shown on the lunch menu on their website, the Prawns Saganaki was actually not on the lunch menu. Luckily, the kitchen has prepared it (for dinner) so I was able to try it. In total 4 pc of big shrimp, served with tomato sauce, crumbled feta and cherry tomatoes. The feta was so finely crumbled that it could easily "melt" in the sauce. The cherry tomatoes added more juiciness to it. Overall great, and definitely paired well with the pita. What made me disappointed, if not annoyed, was the check-in. I waited for nearly 6 min until someone finally noticed me. The staff said she would come "just a minute". At that time a woman (white) went into the restaurant and sat at the bar. Then she started to greet her, and discussed the menu with her, and even took the order! Looked like she completely forgot my presence. Possibly some discrimination/racism idk. i would have left if the restaurant did not charge a no-show fee for reservation. Luckily they took off the pita from my bill after I complained about the waiting time (I did not say about discrimination because I am not sure about it).

food: the gyro and everything else was good and tasted authentic. portion size is also good…read more service: nice staff and food came fast. cash only establishment ambiance: sat outside and the weather was perfect

Sadly I found this place right before I move…read more This place is cash only so make sure to come prepared - I do think there's an atm at the bar next door if you do forget. We tried the skirt steak and chicken. The steak is OUTSTANDING. I'm not sure what secret spice blend they use in the kitchen but it's delicious. We always make sure to order a side of pita and Tzatziki to make our own gyros. The chicken is also a great choice, but the steak remains #1. The service here is always quick. We've never had to wait for a table, but if we did the bar connected next door is a great place to hang out in the meantime.

An amazing team meal at Lyra, wouldn't change a thing…read more The servers managed a large party with two food allergies and lots of food preferences with ease and attentiveness. Cocktails to start were delicious - we also started with the Breads and Spreads platter, that had most of their dips (all were amazing) with crudite, pita and lavash. Other starters included the charred octopus, crispy calamari and crispy zucchini and eggplant. The octopus was so good we ordered another one! For mains, we shared the chicken souvlaki, branzino, deconstructed pastitsio and lamb. All the flavors and dishes were beautiful and delicious. It's been two days since our dinner and I still have people raving about that meal. The table side Branzino was awesome and fun to introduce to a few that had never had it before. Will definitely be back, what a gem!

Only grabbed drinks here on a Friday night!…read more Music was great - fun to dance to although I will say, I think I was one of the few busting a move! Sparkler presentation was very pretty & cute moment!

Everytime I have eaten here I've really enjoyed their food. My favorites include: Greek salad with…read morechicken breast, filet mignon pita, and filet mignon platter. But the STAR dish for me and one of the best I've ever tried: Chicken Riganati. So so good!! Highly recommend!

I work nearby and have passed so many times and really wanted a healthy option for lunch. I stopped…read morein yesterday and was greeted by the adorable cashier and when I asked about the spinach pie, she let me know that it was really good. I also asked about the Greek salad and she said she couldnt choose because they were so good I went with the spinach pie and got it about ten minutes later. When I arrived to my office and opened it, I did think the pie was small for $11, but hey. It was small, two triangles of philo dough and spinach and feta cheese with fresh feta sprinkled on top. As I was eating it, I was more hungry than anything, noting it tasted very vinegary and a little old. The feta cheese that was fresh was shades whiter than what was in the pie. A few hours later, I had a very wild bathroom episode (three to be exact), where I was certain I wasn't going to make it to the stall and I would ruin my clothes. I'm certain I got sick from this lackluster $11 spinach pie. Needless to say I won't be returning.

These plates were shared by our party of five. Our waiter was great and helped us with suggestions…read moreon certain dishes and also the quantity we might need for a party our size. He was spot on with everything. We sat on the rooftop, which is beautiful. In addition to table seating, there is also a very nice bar. The food was not only phenomenal, but there were so many gluten-free options! Our waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful in this regard as well. The zucchini chips were so good. I actually had to ask him a second time to make sure they were truly gluten-free! This desserts look delicious, but we did not have room to even consider that. I would say the prices are a little bit high, but definitely worth it for a special occasion. My friend looked up their happy hour prices, and we are planning a visit for happy hour in the near future. In addition to the regular menu items, they also have a selection of fish depending on what is market fresh each day. The restaurant was pretty busy for a Monday. Fortunately, we had reservations and I would highly recommend doing that.

I came in to escape the rain after a long walk along the lake. Lunch options & prices are…read morephenomenal, & service was very fast & friendly. It's pretty sterile inside.. lots of affluent looking folks & extremely clean. The chicken gyro was underseasoned & tasted as if the oil was not fresh. The only appetizing thing about it was the tzatziki. Without that i would not have been able to muscle it down. It's bla at best. Maybe dinner service is tastier.