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    Indie Cafe

    4.0 (848 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 3:30 PM, 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM

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    INDIE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Indie Cafe

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    Papaya Salad
    Paul J.

    If you're looking for good Asian food near Thorndale, get yourself to Indie Cafe for some real authentic eats. First, you'll get a flavor of the place from the funky art on the wall. This place really has atmosphere. We got the papaya salad (crisp, fresh ingredients with lots of flavor), the drunken noodles (deep flavorful noodles with plenty of shrimp) and the Panang Curry (creamy, sweet and spicy). The waitstaff are more than happy to go through the menu and help you decide what you're in the mood for. Just be warned - when they say it's spicy, it's *really* spicy, which is great if that's what you want (I do!). Good to have authentic Asian fare in the Northern reaches of the city. Stop by and try Indie Cafe, you won't be sorry!

    Monte Carlo and Bangkok rolls
    Audrey E.

    Good experience overall at Indie Cafe! We started with crab rangoons - always recommend but I especially recommend here they were so good! Then I shared the Bangkok roll and Monte Carlo roll and both were tasty. I think I liked the Monte Carlo roll since I prefer some more fresh fish flavor and this one packed a punch. The service was great, they refilled our waters a lot and checked in occasionally. Restaurant looked nice, patio would've been fun if it wasn't so hot!

    Monte Carlo
    Mark T.

    You know the good thing about sushi? It's great when you want to eat a little, and aren't in the mood for Tapas and/or hot food. Yelp steered me towards Indie Cafe (though my phone's compass has me going in circles for a bit. I started with the Trio Carpaccio. I enjoyed that there were three different kinds of fish, and the sauce was a lovely blend of sweet, salty, and savory. The fish wasn't *the* best quality, but I'll give it an A-OK. Then there was the Monte Carlo. One question: why is it chewy? Turns out it is the spicy salmon filling! Unfortunately, this isn't the only way the roll missed the mark. The quantity of said salmon was low, and as for the white tuna up top, this otherwise beautiful ingredient was ruined with a heavy-handed use of sauce. The rice also did not blow me away, but that may have to do, at least in part, with the decision to mix it with tempura. Final nail in the coffin: seared fish adds a remarkable deliciousness, alas it seems only one piece had kissed the flame. Then there was the question of value - while the prices are more or less in line with what I would expect, the quality wasn't there in my opinion. Finally, where I can give them credit is the service. Polite, friendly, attentive, and reasonably fast. Thus, the sushi and carpaccio were forgettable at best. While I may not go for this part of the menu again, I am not necessarily against trying some of their Thai options.

    Wayne D.

    Cute indoor design, food is mediocre First the food is much later than promised. Seems for lots of other people as well Fried chive dumpling: not much filling. Either add some meat or more chive Ramen: soup is bland. Nothing like tonkatsu. Noodle texture is doughy, chashao is not cooked long enough, too chewy. Pad Thai : way too sweet Coconut glazed pork : this one's actually pretty good flavor and texture Would not come again

    Inside
    Rahima J.

    My friend and I came here for north neighborhood restaurant week and it was so cute. The inside is very vibey and intimate - low lighting and soft music vibes. The food itself was delicious and they had great offerings for their restaurant week menu. The service was very prompt and kind in explaining. I'd love to come back and try more of the sushi next time!

    Shrimp Shumai Crab Rangoon
    Katrina M.

    Our service was really quick which was nice. I got the peachy no. 14 cocktail and the jellies inside definitely made it different and fun. The shrimp shumai were not my favorite since they were mushier than shumai I have had at other places, but that may be personal preference. The crab rangoons were a little bit cold in the center, but had they not been they'd be really good. They were still good I just wasn't a fan of the colder part. The chicken pad Thai was definitely good. Ours had no spice but you could add some. I would come back to try the sushi since I saw they have amazing presentation, but so far I'd say the pad Thai was the best item we got.

    Crab Rangoon

    Amazing service and amazing food! The food came out quickly and tasted very fresh. The ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasant and perfect for a late night dinner.

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    4 years ago

    Yummy food! Great staff and drinks. My partner and I go here as one of our regular spots close to home.

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    5 years ago

    Good menu with Thai and Japanese options for a nice dinner date night. :) I love to take dates here!

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    18 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best crab rangoons ever! Great sushi, excellent Thai food, this is my go-to comfort food for many years..

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    19 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Excellent food for dine in, take out or delivery. Good vegan options, better than most!

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    Page 3 of 22

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    4.4(583 reviews)
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    Almost ten years since our first visit to Ora, we finally made our way back to the new location in…read moreAndersonville. We were reminded of why we LOVE Ora and we will be back again soon! First of all, the staff are kind, helpful, and perfectly attentive. Thank you for a great dinning experience. Plus, the ambiance of the new location is much more open and welcoming, while also being chic and classy! Finally, prices are so reasonable considering the fresh and high quality ingredients, and the quantify of food! We also love that it is BYOD with an affordable corkage fee. We brought our own Sauvignon Blanc and it was perfect with the sushi. 10/10 would recommend! We ended up getting 4 different sushi rolls and that was perfect! We walked away full and happy as two hungry men! We also were able to get four different types of fish in the sushi rolls, and that is important to us! Delectable flavors, reasonable prices, BYOD, and an elegant dining experience: Ora truly is a fabulous date night and we highly recommend. We look forward to celebrating our next notable life moment at Ora in the near future!

    Prior to my visit there was only one other sushi restaurant that was worthy of my time & money…read more Said restaurant will run you about $100 pp. My visit to Ora only cost me $50 & I my appetite was just as satisfied & the food was just as good. Very tiny place & it's damn near in Evanston but my goodness this place impressed me a lot. The chef doesn't mind guiding your decisions nor making recommendations. Star of the show was the volcano roll but the other dishes were far from slouches. Tamago, although simple, was a perfect prepared egg & the sweetness factor was a nice surprise. It's also byob so I'm currently reserving my next visit already.

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    Tanoshi

    Tanoshi

    3.9(507 reviews)
    0.7 miAndersonville, Edgewater
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    Met friends for dinner and we all enjoyed our meals. Love that it is BYOB and we were only charged…read morea 10.50 fee for 3 of us. While my friends opted for rolls, I actually decided to do the $60 omakase. I really enjoyed it! One of my favorite things was the hamachi handball, but unfortunately I forgot to take a picture before digging in. Decent amount of food for that price and everything tasted pretty good! Love that this is a smaller place and you can see and hear the sushi chefs (they sang happy birthday to a table nearby). Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I would come back for sure.

    From the minute, you walk in, you are greeted by an amazing staff that is very welcoming. We sat…read moredown to order rolls from the menu. The ambience is very chic and old school mixed with new school vibes. They were very accommodating with customizing roles, which I appreciated. We ordered the Kamikaze roll with some variations and the staff was able to make that happen. The spicy tuna mixture was excellent, the tuna that was laid as a layer on top was perfectly cut, and the whole roll melted in your mouth. The elements of the sauce paired well with the fish combinations. I was very impressed with the quality of the fish, as well as the pairings that they had for the rolls. The rice was not stale, and it was very moist for you to work with. We also ordered the edamame, which was simple yet paired well and it was a good taste while being fresh. Overall, the experience was amazing, and I would highly recommend this place to anyone that wants fresh seafood at a high-quality taste.

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    RAKKAN Ramen - Chicago Uptown - Pork Bun

    RAKKAN Ramen - Chicago Uptown

    4.1(122 reviews)
    1.3 miUptown
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    I was excited to find that there was a RAKKAN here in Chicago after having a great experience at…read morethe DTLA location. Even more excited to find that there is consistency across the chain. The vegan spicy Garnet was just as delicious as the first time I had it. Tried the vegan gyoza too and they were tasty. Get the Yuzu lemonade! Brian, our waiter, was such a doll!

    I've been meaning to try this spot for a while! As a…read morelongtime resident of Uptown, I think a lot of the pho restaurants in the area get well-deserved love, but there are also so many other cuisines worth exploring. My friend was craving ramen, so we decided to finally check out Rakkan Ramen, located at 4926 N. Broadway, just off the Argyle Red Line stop. The interior is actually pretty cute and a little fancy, pretty much what you'd expect from a Japanese ramen spot. We went around 9 PM and were seated right away. Our waitstaff was also very informative and helpful when it came to navigating the menu. My friend and I both ordered the Quartz Ramen. She got hers spicy, while I went with the vegan option with chicken because I wanted more vegetables. Just be aware that choosing that option does cost a little extra. We also shared some karaage, and I washed everything down with a ginger ale. The ramen broth was really good. I got mine without the egg, but everything else blended together nicely. I do wish they offered a side of kimchi to add a little more spice and flavor, but overall, the ramen was solid. I really enjoyed the karaage. The chicken was breaded perfectly, and I loved the sauce that came with it. I pretty much destroyed my meal, it was really good! Was it the best ramen I've had in Chicago? Probably not. But it was definitely solid, and if you're in the Uptown/Argyle area, I think it's a good option. My friend enjoyed her ramen as well. She wasn't able to finish it, but she did pretty well considering the portion size. The price wasn't too bad either. Our total came to around $62 for the two of us. Overall, it was a pretty pleasant first experience. I'd give Rakkan Ramen 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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    Indie Cafe - sushi - Updated September 2026

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