Evanston’s restaurants cluster by neighborhood, and the best way to eat here is to pick a district first and a table second. Downtown has the most options, but a few of the city’s better-known independent places sit on commercial streets a short walk or train ride away. The addresses below come from the Chicago’s North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau, which keeps a current list; confirm hours before heading out.
Chicago Avenue and Main Street
The Hoosier Mama Pie Company at 749 Chicago Ave. sells pie along with coffee, breakfast biscuits and savory lunch and dinner items. Near the Main Street train stations, Lucky Platter at 514 Main St. serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from scratch with a full bar, Oceanique at 505 Main St. focuses on seafood with French, American and Japanese influences, and La Principal at 700 Main St. does Mexican street food with a walk-up coffee window.
Central Street
Central Street has a village feel and a few anchors for bakery and comfort food. Hewn, listed at 1733 Central St., is a bakery and cafe that makes naturally fermented breads and seasonal sandwiches in-house. DB3 Donuts, at 1704 Central St., makes small-batch donuts near Ryan Field. Bluestone at 1932 Central St. serves mac and cheese, meatloaf and pot pie.
Downtown
The downtown blocks hold more than 85 restaurants. Taco Diablo (1029 Davis St.), La Cocinita (521 Davis St.), Lulu’s and the rooftop Five & Dime (both at 1026 Davis St.), NaKorn Kitchen (1622 Orrington Ave.) and The Barn Steakhouse (1016 Church St.) show the range, from Venezuelan street food to Thai to a classic steakhouse. Blind Faith Cafe, a vegetarian restaurant with vegan and gluten-free bakery options, is at 525 Dempster St.
Howard Street and beyond
Ward Eight, at 629 W. Howard St., is a neighborhood cocktail bar with local beers and small plates, and the Peckish Pig at 623 Howard St. is a brewpub with seasonal beers. Hecky’s Barbecue, at 1902 Green Bay Rd., serves barbecue with a Creole-style sauce, plus gumbo and jambalaya.
A note on burgers and spirits
Edzo’s Burger Shop at 1571 Sherman Ave. drew national attention in 2013 when Zagat named it among the best burgers in 25 cities, representing Chicago. Evanston is also home to FEW Spirits, a craft distillery.
The scene changes quickly. Some places that appeared in city promotions in the mid-2010s have since closed or moved, so treat any list, this one included, as a starting point rather than a guarantee.