Did you know that Chicago has the third largest Greek population of any city in the world? As a result of this, Chicago has been blessed with some fantastic Greek restaurants. We have gathered up a list of the best Greek restaurants in Chicago.
Many Greek restaurants can be found in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood which is just south of the West Loop, although you can find Greek restaurants scattered throughout Chicago. Chicago’s Greektown was where gyros and saganaki (flaming cheese) were first introduced to the United States. These continue to be two popular foods in Greektown today.
Last updated: March 2022
The Best Greek Restaurants in Chicago:
Table of Contents
We have organized this list of best Greek restaurants in Chicago by neighborhood and have indicated which restaurants serve breakfast/brunch and/or lunch in addition to dinner.
Andersonville:
Oda Mediterranean
Mediterranean, Greek
Oda celebrates Mediterranean cuisine from Turkey, Georgia, and Greece. You can find hummus, babaganoush, falafel, khachapuri, moussaka, and kebabs on the menu.
It’s Greek 2 U Grill
Greek
A BYOB counter-service restaurant with a back patio that serves Greek street food like sandwiches, yeeros (gyros), kabobs, and Greek fries.
Greek Town:
Greek Islands
Greek, Lunch
Most locals consider Greek Islands to be one of the best Greek restaurants in Chicago. The restaurant first opened in 1971 and is still operated by the same owners today. The large menu has all of the classics: flaming saganaki cheese, taramasalata, spinach and cheese pie, gyros, moussaka, roasted leg go lamb, grilled octopus, kabobs, and souvlaki. Family-style dining is available. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.
Athena Greek Restaurant
Greek, Lunch
A chic rustic restaurant with a retractable rooftop and traditional Greek cuisine. The menu has lots of dips and appetizers plus salads, kebobs, seafood, and oven roasted entrees.
9 Muses Bar & Grill
Greek, Lunch
A casual restaurant that offers several burgers in addition to classic Greek food including pita sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, and sharable entrees.
Zeus Restaurant
Greek, Lunch
A casual and very affordable counter service restaurant serving salads, gyros, kabobs, burgers, and larger dinners.
Artopolis Bakery, Cafe & Agora
Greek, Bakery, Breakfast, Lunch
A bakery, cafe, and market that sells sweet and savory Greek baked goods and imported Greek food products. An all day cafe menu features sandwiches and regional Greek cuisine.
Lincoln Park:
Athenian Room
Greek
The Kalamata Chicken at this casual family-owned Greek restaurant is Tina Fey’s favorite meal in Chicago. Somehow, the chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. It comes on top of thick crunchy fries that are drowned in a vinegary sauce. It’s magic on a plate. Spanakopita, salads, and gyros help to round out the menu.
Avli Taverna
Greek, Kid friendly
This welcoming restaurant has additional locations in Lakeshore East and River North. The comprehensive Greek menu has spreads, salads, small plates, and traditional Greek entrees. In addition to dinner, all locations serve brunch on weekends.
Lincoln Square:
Barba Yianni Grecian Taverna
Greek, Lunch
Barba Yianni Grecian Taverna serves Greek specialties like charcoal broiled meats and seafood, dolmades, moussaka, pastitsio, souvlaki, and Greek wines.
Logan Square:
Andros Taverna
Greek
Andros Taverna serves traditional and contemporary Greek cuisine in a rustic casual setting. Start your meal by dipping fresh warm pita in traditional spreads like taramasalata, spicy whipped feta, and tzatziki. The crispy kataifi cheese pie can’t be missed. Then move on to wood fired meats and seafood, gyros, or entrees like eggplant moussaka. Pair it with sides like lemon potatoes or Greek fries topped with feta.
West Loop:
Aba
Mediterranean
A restaurant with a menu that explores the cuisines of Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, and Greece. This rooftop restaurant is one of Chicago’s prettiest outdoor spaces. It’s tempting to add this to the list of most romantic restaurants in Chicago, but is very lively and the ambiance is more social than romantic. The menu staples include short rib hummus, char-grilled lamb chops, and skirt steak shawarma.
Lyra
Greek
Freshly opened in at the end of January 2022, Lyra pairs contemporary Greek cuisine with a spirited atmosphere. The menu includes a pretty even mix of seafood, meat, and vegetable forward dips and sides.
West Town/Ukrainian Village:
Greek Corner
Greek, American
Greek Corner is a counter service restaurant serving a mix of Greek and American foods like gyros, pita wrap, and burgers. Larger plates with lamb chops, pork chops, kabobs, and roasted chicken are also available. There is a small area to eat inside and a patio.
Koko’s Mediterranean Grille
Greek, Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch
Koko’s is open from 8 am until 9 pm seven days a week. Breakfast is served all day and a mix of Greek and American egg dishes can be found on the breakfast menu. The lunch and dinner menus have salads, wraps, gyros, kabob sandwiches, shawarma sandwiches, rice bowls, and burgers.
Wicker Park:
Taxim
Greek
An upscale modern Green restaurant with a heated rooftop patio. The menu has entrees like oven-roasted half chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes seasoned with wild Greek oregano and ouzo preserved lemon, spit-roasted sea bream with red cabbage salad and Cypriot tahini sauce and fried colocasi, and skewered wood-grilled pork shoulder with grilled tomatoes and mint sauce served with Kappadokia fries.
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