Taste of Greektown

Hellenic pride will take center stage when this acclaimed annual culinary fest on Halsted Street in Chicago’s happening West Loop returns for its 29th year. As most Chicagoans know, this strip of Halsted has been the epicenter of the city’s acclaimed Greek restaurant scene for decades. Quite simply, Taste of Greektown is a romantic weekend celebration for lovers of Mediterranean culture.

Blending Old World traditions with a 21st century freshness, the tantalizing food and spirits from neighborhood eateries will again be the main attraction. There will also be plenty of music and entertainment including Greek bands and games for both kids and families. Opa!

Last years addition of a fine arts area will return and will be expanded.

The event is packed from the moment it opens to the very last note played. Chicago’s Taste of Greektown has become a summer tradition for thousands of Chicago families, and has become a tourist destination in its own right.

Many of Chicago’s oldest and most iconic Mediterranean restaurants will be serving up their beloved signature dishes, so well known to Chicagoans, as well as a selection of compatible wines and beer

2018 Participating Restaurants

The Ambassador Public House (www.theambassadorpublichouse.com)
Specializing in classic European fare and global sports, this restaurant and sports bar offers it all. From an extensive lineup of beers to a food menu that includes everything from kabobs and burgers to sandwiches, wraps and main entrees, it’s the best of  two worlds: a truly modern food, drink and  sports fan gathering place combined with the Hellenic friendliness of its popular Greektown restaurant  neighbors.

 Artopolis (www.artopolischicago.com)
This bakery and café opened over  two decades ago to bring a true Eurpoean-style café to Chicago. They bring today’s technologies together with passion and experience to produce a variety of fresh-baked offerings to be savored.

Athena Restaurant (www.athenarestaurantchicago.com)
Since it was established in 1997, Athena has provided customers with  tasty Greek dishes. In an effort to guide patrons through a journey full of flavors, Athena has become the medium between ancient Greek traditions and the modern Western World.

Mr. Greek Gyros (www.mrgreekgyros.com) 
This 24-hour neighborhood hotspot has been a go-to place for tried-and-true both Greek and American foods for years.

9 Muses Bar & Grill (www.9museschicago.com)
This eatery’s hospitality is a nod to the Mediterranean way of life. This includes use of the finest quality ingredients emphasizing prime cut meats, pure virgin olive oil, Kalamata olives, fresh-hand-rubbed oregano, imported cheeses and Mediterranean sea salt.

Primos Chicago Pizza  (https://www.primoschicagopizzamenu.com/)
It may be Italian, but this popular Greektown dine-in or carry out eatery serves up some tasty sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes and, of course, pizza.

Roditys Restaurant (www.roditys.com)
It’s all about tradition and family at this Greektown culinary pillar that fornearly four decades has been under the same ownership and at the same location. Cozy, warm, friendly, unpretentious and authentic are among the kudos when it comes to praising Roditys among their legions of loyal customers.

Santorini (www.santorinichicago.com)
This restaurant proudly takes more than just its name from the idyllic Greek island in the Aegean Sea.

Above and beyond Mediterranean hospitality, owner Kontos is proud of his restaurant’s emphasis on seafood. The menu contains more than 20 seafood options flown in fresh daily. Hallmark entrees include Greek-style whole red snapper and whole Black Sea bass.

Spectrum Bar & Grill (www.spectrumbarandgrill.com)
Opened over a quarter century ago by a young Greek Cypriot, Andreas, and his brother, Angelo, from the far-away island of Cyprus, the siblings created both a sports bar as well as home for great food and cocktails. Spectrum give customers a friendly neighborhood experience with a menu that combines Greek, American and, of course, Cypriot influences.

WJ Noodles (www.wjnoodles.com) 
Chinese fare extraordinaire is how many customers describe this Asian food emporium in Greektown. From Szechuan fare to seafood, ribs, noodles and rice dishes, they’re also known for their offerings of 10 tasty“Thai rolled“ ice creams.

Zeus Restaurant (www.zeusgyros.com)
Be it breakfast on a weekday, lunch and dinner or late hours on weekends, Zeus is a popular neighborhood mainstay that prides itself in a diverse menu where Greek dishes are by far the most popular with customers.