Best restaurants in Andersonville, Chicago

What’s not to like about this Andersonville trattoria? It’s cute, it’s bustling, service is helpful, and the food borders between good and great. Year-round don’t-miss items include the tender, lemon-kissed grilled octopus; the salumi plate; and trumpet mushrooms with baby spinach and arugula pesto. Like any good trattoria, Anteprima rotates much of the menu according to season, but housemade pastas prove as perfect with pancetta ragù in cold weather as they do with bright fava beans and ricotta in spring. In warm weather, seek out the secluded back patio.

Offering a taste of neighborhood spots in Israel, Andersonville restaurant Fiya honors the rich heritage of Levant cuisines. Husband-and-wife team Mark Bires and Mindy Friedler pull recipes and inspiration from their frequent research trips to the Middle Eastern country, of which their daughter is a dual citizen. The menu mostly revolves around two pieces of equipment: a massive wood-burning oven and a wood smoker, both of which lend a fiery kiss to the fare. Start with a selection of salatim, or Israeli salads and spreads, like seasoned cauliflower, Moroccan carrots, pickled veggies and labneh. Take it to the finish line with a pita sandwich, za'atar fries and a wood-oven tart for dessert.

Paul Fehribach's exploration of Southern culinary history draws on historic recipes (like crawfish etouffee a la Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, circa 1930) to tell the story of Southern cuisine. The menu spans regions with dishes including jerked catfish served with roasted plantains and pineapple salsa, and sweet tea-brined pork loin with German potato salad. Brunch, which begins with complimentary beignets, is a similarly epic affair.

Meatballs are the specialty at this charming Italian spot, and you can order a plate of them made with beef, spicy barbecue pork or chicken as an appetizer or added onto a plate of handmade pasta. Whether you opt for the simple bliss of cacio e pepe or a hearty serving pappardelle with braised oxtail ragu, make sure to save room for tiramisu. For a great deal, grab a seat in the bar area or the restaurant’s beautiful patio during happy hour from 4:30-6pm Wednesday through Sunday, when $7 gets you a small plate or eight-ounce pour of wine.

The restaurant and bar gets packed on weekends and for obvious reasons—there's a good burger, a couple actually, though the Bad Burger, with two patties, American cheese, pickles and mayo is our pick. There's a bar vibe, so you'll want to try the solid lineup of local draft beers or housemade cocktails, like the charred negroni. And the rest of the menu is fleshed out with dishes like bao and fried shrimp, which you can't find elsewhere in Andersonville.

Chef and owner Bobby Schaffer’s bakery and cafe serves dishes inspired by his own Scandinavian heritage and the neighborhood’s Swedish roots including lingonberry almond cake and Smørrebrød, a traditional open-faced Danish sandwich. Everything is baked with care from the hand-rolled cinnamon rolls to the danishes made with seasonal fruit. Pre-orders are recommended since the small batch bakery regularly sells out. Enjoy your goodies back at home or on the dog-friendly patio—if you want to eat inside you’ll need to visit Lost Larson’s Wicker Park location.

Chef and owner Marina Cardak ran Andersonville’s Turkish Cuisine & Bakery for 15 years before launching Oda, which combines Turkish and Georgian favorites, specialty cocktails and Georgian Qvevri wine. Start with a combination Meze platter of hummus, baba ganoush, dolma, atom, ezme and soslu followed by charcoal-grilled kabobs or Adjaruli Khachapuri, traditional Georgian cheese and egg bread boat. Finish your meal with baklava and Turkish coffee or a Turkish toddy made with hot Turkish tea, lemon, honey, bourbon and walnut bitters.

At this adorable, sunny, daytime-only café, health food is tasty enough to eat. The owners are committed to organics and offer meat-free options, but they’re okay with a little cheese, butter and sugar every now and then. Case in point: thick blueberry pancakes and a heaping breakfast sandwich of fried egg, Gorgonzola, applewood-smoked bacon and fresh thyme. If that’s too good and gooey for you health nuts, there’s always the Vegan Epiphany, an organic tofu scramble that just may live up to its name.

The word "gadabout" translates to a habitual pleasure-seeker, which seems like a fitting name for a restaurant that deals in reimagined, globe-trotting street food. The best way to fully enjoy this Andersonville eatery is by rounding up a table full of friends and ordering snacks like chickpea fritters, buffalo skate wings, a shrimp-stuffed pancake and beef heart skewers.

The sprawling restaurant excels at Middle Eastern classics: kashkeh bodemnjan blends eggplant with sweet, caramelized onions, garlic and mint for an addictive spread. The chicken koubideh is a delicious herbal kebab, and the fattoush is full of clean, sharp flavors. Go for the house-made baklava and Turkish coffee to finish the meal.

This Andersonville diner, decked out with Swedish folk art, serves plates packed with hearty food. The Viking Breakfast—two eggs, two Swedish pancakes with lingonberry compote, falukorv sausage, potatoes and toast—is our favorite hangover cure, but we’re just as happy with rib-sticking potato pancakes or Swedish meatballs later in the day.

If this cozy bakery-slash-café offers what its name portends, the afterlife will be pretty sweet. Baked-from-scratch goods, including cakes, cookies, cupcakes and scones are the real draw, but the all-day breakfast menu offers favorites like buttermilk pancakes and corned beef hash with bell peppers and red onions. Lunch and dinner selections focus on salads, sandwiches and a small selection of comfort entrées like chicken and biscuits, spinach lasagna and Thanksgiving dinner offered all year including turkey breast, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts.